Obama: I will be the Democratic nominee

WASHINGTON (CNN) — In what he called a “defining moment for our nation,” Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday became the first African-American to head the ticket of a major political party.

Obama’s steady stream of superdelegate endorsements, combined with the delegates he received from Tuesday’s primaries, put him past the 2,118 threshold, CNN projects.

“Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America,” he said.

“Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”

Obama’s rally was at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota — the same arena which will house the 2008 Republican National Convention in September.

Speaking in New York, Sen. Hillary Clinton, congratulated Obama for his campaign, but she did not concede the race nor discuss the possibility of running as vice president.

There were reports earlier in the day that she would concede, but her campaign said she was “absolutely not” prepared to do so.

“This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decisions tonight,” she said.

Congratulations, Senator Obama!

Senator Clinton, I do not see a VP slot in the near future for you, and I obviously do not think that you should continue to fight.

In the interest of Party unity, I am going to try to stop bashing you … but you’re not making it easy.

Senator Clinton, I think you made a serious mistake tonight. On the night that your opponent clinches the nomination, you only offered a cursory congratulations, and kept the focus of your speech on yourself, not on the issues, and not on the Party, and not how we defeat McCain in November … it smacked of sour grapes.

You came across as a poor loser, and this is not going to sit well with many Democrats, and especially not Senator Obama. As such, I would be stunned if you were offered the VP slot.

One of your supporters, like Evan Bayh or Ed Rendell, yes. But you, Senator Clinton? No.

I think that you will be of much better value to the Party and to the nation as a major power-broker in the Senate. I think that you still have an extremely important role to play in the political scene, and I, for one, will never consider this year to be your “political obituary”. Keep your focus on universal healthcare and getting it passed through the Congress; and if/when a Supreme Court seat opens up … the do everything you can to ensure that we get another progressive justice, rather than another conservative justice who will continue to erode our rights.

You’re not through … you’re just not Presidential material.

Now let’s bring the Party back together, solidly behind Senator Obama. Let’s march forward, and donkey-kick some Republican elephant butt!

Florida, Michigan get all delegates, but each gets half vote - CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) — After a day of wrangling in front of a sometimes unruly crowd, the Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee reinstated all of Florida and Michigan’s delegates to its party convention, with each getting a half-vote to penalize the states for moving their primaries earlier than the party had approved.

The move will leave front-runner Sen. Barack Obama’s lead over rival Sen. Hillary Clinton intact.

“This results in Sen. Clinton obtaining a substantial number of additional pledged delegates, but I also understand that many members of the Florida and Michigan delegations feel satisfied that the decision was fair,” Obama said after a campaign event in Aberdeen, South Dakota. “Our main goal is to get this resolved so we can immediately turn the focus of the entire party on winning Florida and Michigan and delivering on the needs of the people in Florida and Michigan — states that are enormously important, states where a lot of people are struggling.”

The Florida decision, which follows the pro-Clinton results of that state’s primary, was greeted by virtually all sides as an acceptable compromise on a thorny issue. But Clinton backers vowed to fight the Michigan decision, which gave the New York senator a 10-delegate edge over Obama in a state where his name didn’t appear on the primary ballot.

So let me get this straight …

Florida and Michigan didn’t play by the rules, and held their primaries early in defiance of the Democratic National Committee.

Barack Obama did not campaign in either state, and along with all the candidates EXCEPT Hillary Clinton, removed his name from the ballot in Michagan.

All of the candidates, including both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, agreed that the two states should be stripped of their delegates as punishment.

When Senator Clinton starts falling behind in the delegate count, she starts lobbying to have the delegates seated.

When the Democratic Party’s Rules Committee comes up with a compromise, the New York Senator is still unhappy because in the process, they decided that Barack Obama shouldn’t be punished for having played by the rules from the very beginning, and removing his name from the ballot in Michigan.

So now her team is talking about taking the fight all the way to the convention in Denver in late August.

Listen, Senator Clinton, politics is about compromise … you can’t always get your way, and you have to play by the rules … not just the ones that work in your favor.

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but your actions are tearing the Party apart … and what’s important is defeating McCain in November … and all the hope that was building in the early days of the campaign season is starting to fade. Many Democrats are losing their excitement for the process, and many of the new voters which Barack Obama has brought into the process are already getting jaded and saying “what does it matter?”

It’s time to end this. It’s time to select the candidate with the most delegates, and start to focus on reuniting the Party for November.

Bill Clinton: ‘Cover up’ hiding Hillary Clinton’s chances

(CNN) — Former President Bill Clinton said that Democrats were more likely to lose in November if Hillary Clinton is not the nominee, and suggested some were trying to “push and pressure and bully” superdelegates to make up their minds prematurely.

“I can’t believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out,” Clinton said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by ABC News.

Clinton also suggested some were trying to “cover up” Sen. Clinton’s chances of winning in key states that Democrats will have to win in the general election.

“‘Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.’”

Clinton did not expound on who he was accusing.

A cover-up? A COVER-UP????

I’ve said for years that I “love Bill, hate Hill” … but with this latest tirade from the former President, you can pretty much count on the fact that Bill Clinton has dropped several rungs on my ladder of respect.

The Democratic Party, which wants to win the election, is “covering-up” polls that might show that Hillary Clinton stands a better chance of winning the general election in November than Barack Obama.

This is an absolutely ridiculous accusation to make; it ranks up there with some of the more paranoid and delusional comments coming out of Dick Cheney’s and George Bush’s mouths over the past 7 1/2 years.

If Hillary Clinton truly had a better chance to win the election come November, then why doesn’t she have a lead in the number of delegates? Why doesn’t she have a lead in the popular vote? Why doesn’t she have a lead in the number of super delegates? Why doesn’t she have a lead in the number of states won?

Hillary Clinton doesn’t have a lead over Barack Obama in any of the categories that matter … although the only category that does really matter is VOTES cast, and pretty much nothing else.

The Clintons are so desperate to get back into the White House, rather than letting a new generation take over, that they will do and say almost anything to make the other side look bad; and unfortunately, they’re only succeeding in making themselves look bad in the process … ultimately, they will chase many independents and Republicans who are fed up with the status quo back across the aisle to the Republican camp, because people can’t handle the sleaze.

Carter: After June 3, it will be time for Clinton to ‘give it up’

(CNN) — Former President Jimmy Carter said Sunday that in a little more than a week, when the last Democratic primary voters weigh in, it will be time for Hillary Clinton to “give it up.”

Carter told Britain’s Sky News that Clinton “had a perfect right” to keep running – but that “a lot of the superdelegates will make a decision quite, announced quite rapidly, after the final primary on June 3,” he told Sky News Sunday.

“I have not yet announced publicly, but I think at that point it will be time for her to give it up,” he added.

Carter, a superdelegate, has not made endorsement but has spoken out frequently in favor of Barack Obama.

Obama leads Clinton among superdelegates and has captured the majority of pledged delegates up for grabs this primary season.

Clinton explains RFK assassination reference

BRANDON, South Dakota (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton said Friday that she regretted comments that evoked the June 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy as part of her explanation for why she was staying in the presidential race late into the primary season.

Earlier Friday afternoon, she told the editorial board of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Argus Leader that “My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it,” she said.

Clinton complained that “people have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa” and said that position “historically … makes no sense.”

Later at an event in Brandon, South Dakota, she said, “Earlier today, I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Sen. Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968, and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nominating primary contests that go into June. That’s an historic fact.”

Senator Clinton —

One of the reasons why earlier nominations weren’t wrapped up until June is because many of the larger states (like California) didn’t hold their primaries until June … but that changed this year with about half of the states holding their primaries on Super Tuesday back in February.

When you have large states holding off until the end of the primary season to cast their ballots, it’s definitely possible that the nomination won’t be wrapped up until later in the year. But this year, it essentially became mathematically impossible for you to get the nomination several weeks ago.

This is one of the reasons why people have been pushing for you to drop out of the race … Obama has the momentum and has had for a long time. You are a powerful woman, and would make a formidable Senate Majority leader, but despite winning as many votes and delegates as you have, you are far too divisive to truly be successful in the general election against John McCain.

It’s time to bow out … gracefully. There is a place for you in government, but not in the White House.

Please, Hillary … for the sake of the Party, please bow out.

Clinton: ‘Think about this as a hiring decision’ - CNN.com

(CNN) — Despite Sen. Barack Obama’s commanding lead in the delegate count, Sen. Hillary Clinton campaigned hard Sunday, telling voters she’s “running for the toughest job in the world.”

Clinton spent her weekend in Kentucky, which, along with Oregon, holds its Democratic contest Tuesday.

Clinton is favored in Kentucky, while polls show Obama with a comfortable lead in Oregon.

Speaking in Bowling Green, the senator from New York said it was a “treat” to have the whole state to herself since Obama would not be returning there.

Clinton has faced calls to drop out of the race since she trails Obama across all fronts — pledged delegates, superdelegates and the popular vote.

Clinton has recently been claiming a lead over Obama in the popular vote, a debatable claim, especially because the Democratic National Committee doesn’t count the votes of Florida and Michigan, which Clinton does.

Florida and Michigan were stripped of their delegates for scheduling their primaries too early, and Clinton was the only top-tier candidate whose name was on the ballot in Michigan.

Clinton’s campaign also excludes the caucus states in their popular vote count.

A hiring decision? Senator Clinton … the Presidency of the United States is more than just the toughest job in the world. In most jobs, when you’ve made a hiring mistake, you can rectify the situation by firing the person … you can do this one day one, if necessary; but when electing a President, it’s a guaranteed 4-year contract with a possible extension for another 4-years.

In a major corporation, when the Board of Directors makes a faulty hiring decision, the shareholders pay the price. With the Presidency, when the voters (or, as in 2000, Supreme Court) make a faulty hiring decision, it’s the American taxpayers who pay the price … as evidenced by the past 7+ years under George W. Bush.

For the last 27 years, there has either been a Clinton or a Bush in the White House. For better, or for worse, it’s time to go in a completely different direction. As such, I’ve taken the opportunity of composing the follow letter.

I urge my like-minded readers to copy the text and send it to the Clinton campaign.

Hillary Clinton for President
4420 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203

Dear Senator Clinton:

We appreciate you applying for the position of President of the United States of America.

Unfortunately we interviewed many applicants in the job search process and have decided to go another individual whose credentials and qualifications were better suited for our needs.

Thus we will not be offering you the position, but thank you for your interest.

If a need arises for us to contact you in the future, we will do so and you have our continued good wishes.

Very truly yours,

The American Voters

It’s just a matter of time before it’s official, and Barack Obama becomes the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

Obama takes superdelegate lead on eve of expected loss - CNN.com

(CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama took the lead in the race for superdelegates on the eve of a contest that’s expected to fall easily into Sen. Hillary Clinton’s column.

Rep. Tom Allen of Maine, Dolly Strazar of Hawaii, Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii and Keith Roark of Idaho all endorsed Obama Monday, giving him a lead of four superdelegates for the time being.

Obama and Clinton face off Tuesday in West Virginia, where polls show Clinton ahead by more than a 40-point margin.

Under pressure from some to withdraw from the race, Clinton insists that West Virginina, where only 28 delegates are at stake, is a key state in the fight for the White House.

She said again Monday that no Democratic candidate since 1916 has gone on to win the White House without first winning West Virginia.

“West Virginia is making a decision that has far-reaching consequences to send a message to people what you expect from your next president,” she said at a stop in Clear Fork, West Virginia.

Clinton currently trails Obama across all fronts — superdelegates, pledged delegates and the popular vote, according to CNN’s latest estimates.

I do wonder how 28 delegates, of which Clinton is only going to pick up between 15-20, giving her a slim net gain in overall delegates, constitutes a “key state”, especially considering that in most elections between 1916 and now, the nominee was already determined before West Virginia went to primaries … it’s not difficult to win a state when you’re the only candidate still running.

So the Clinton campaign is expecting a blow-out win in West Virginia by about 40 points … I wonder what it will mean to her campaign if she only wins by 10-15 points (or worse … barely eking out a win, like she did in the much more key state of Indiana).

Time will tell … but tick tock tick tock tick tock.