If the environment is your big isue, vote Hillary. She voted against the Cheney enegery plan, unlike her opponent. Obama as early as last fall introduced coal to liquid legislation. Hillary has the best plan for clean energy and it relies on wind, solar and geothermal. She also plans quarterly international meetings to make sure we are handling global climate change with the rest of the world, And, she understand the levers of power in Washington enough to make clean energy a reality. She is our best hope.

Melanie, I agree that C to L is a loser. But, Obama seems like the best bet to me across a range of issues. Hopefully he can be prevailed upon when it comes to energy and healthcare... we need truly progressive change. I would love to see Hillary as Senate Majority Leader or in some capacity where she can truly have an impact. As for the nomination, I think that cake is baked.
Ron

Which issues is he best on? What's the range. I think Hillary is the best on health care, energy, foreign policy and certainly the economy. Mostly because she is a policy wonk and has experience, knows how to work the levers of power. Look, I just warn, I am from MA. Home of the last Axelrod campaign. While I really like Deval Patrick, he has been an ineffective Governor precisely because he lacks experience and won without a clear agenda. For instance, many supporters were surprised when Patrick's "jobs program" was to build casinos. Thankfully, the leg voted that down. But, I strongly believe you need to know what you are voting for.

I support detterence policy, particularly given the massive proliferation over the course of the last decade. But what I really appreciate about Hill's FP is the role of women as peace makers.

Ask Obama or his staff to respond to the allegations Larry Sinclair has been making.

Larry has claimed that Barack Obama's drug practices are much more recent than he claims.

Larry has also subpoenaed Barack Obama, David Axelrod, and the campaign for phone records in connection with an execution-style murder of Donald Young.

§ Donald Young was the choirmaster of Obama's much maligned Trinity church.

§ Donald Young had been in contact with Larry until his death.

It turns out that Donald was also gay.

Parties unknown executed Donald and several other members of Chicago’s gay community.

Why is Larry doing this?

http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/

Larry is a two-bit opportunist looking for his 15 minutes.

Dear Oregon: I am a supporter for Hillary Clinton from Pennsylvania. My objectives for blogging in your state are simple. I believe when you open your minds and listen carefully to both candidates, their plans and further keep a watch for who is free of pure political motivation; you will also stand behind Hillary Clinton. She has been a putting herself out on the line for the American people for decades and continues to do so for all Americans and for our children. If you have any questions or doubts, you can read or watch her message to your state at Hillaryclinton.com. If you want unbiased media coverage I also suggest either the BBC American news or the Associated Press and generally those new agencies are offering facts most of the time. Thank you for supporting Hillary all the way!

Hillary is acting like a spoiled, stubborn brat. By staying in the race like she is, in the face of what eventually is, she is giving a lot of what she represents a bad name and makes her look like a too extremely uptight person for her own good. She is making herself look bad and it may come back to bite everyone later.

If she has any class, she would go down gracefully, not shamelessly arrogant and stubborn.

Dear Hillary Zombies From Other States,

Go away.

Thank you.

And hey, let's talk about some interesting races that aren't getting enough blog coverage.

I'm interested in...

1. Boston vs. Coney vs. Dembrow

2. Kahl vs. Kyle

3. Brown vs. Garrett

Thoughts and predictions?

A spolied brat with zombie, racist supporters. Boy ,that's the way to win people over.

Hillary did NOT say she would go in and obliterate Iran for nothing. This was a hypothetical about Iran NUKING Isreal, for Christ sake.

I do not agree with Hill's vote on AUMF. But I do believe she was trying to not politicize foreign policy as was done to Bill Clinton in Kosovo. I think Bush had every reason and every condition to avoid war. I don't in anyway believe war with Iraq would hvae been Hillary's course of action.

GOP Ammo against Hillary: Whitewater (false testimony) / Travelgate (“can’t recall”) / Questionable Cattle Deals / Abusive to staff and Armed Service personnel ( ) / PAC connections and influence / Signed WAR POWER – admittedly WITHOUT READING the Document (Judgment?) / Illegal campaign practices (case postponed)/ Repeats rumors she knows to be false (Character?) / Her husband is caught PEDDLING INFLUENCE in a foreign country on the eve of a TREATY that she SAYS (only publicly) she opposes / FABRICATES details regarding a FILMED EVENT (judgment?)

Sen. Obama stayed too long in church.
Hillary is simply NOT the best Candidate – PERIOD!

Whitewater? My goodness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcdnlNZg2iM

Jefffrane, Any respect I may have had for Senator Obama disappeared when he started lumping Bill Clinton with Bush, and praising Reagan. Further, her domestic policies from the mortgage crisis, to student loans, to energy, and jobs, are to the LEFT of Obama. His economic policy advisors are three Chicago Boys, so spare me the DLC stuff.

"Her comments only serve to make them MORE belligerent and fearful--and thus MORE likely to covertly build weapons--not less." Naive.

Melanie, I don't think any last minute trash talking from you or any out of staters is going to convince anyone or change the dynamics of our primary election. People have made up their mind, here and out in the public. So, let's chill and focus on beating McCain.

Who on earth am I trash talking?

Going back on the comment above about Oregon House races... I think Boston and Kahl are going to win, and they are going to make great legislators (though Nick's general election will actually be semi-competitive). On one occasion I briefly talked with Boston but I have known Nick Kahl for a few years. Both of them are people to watch in the future.

P.S. Editors, can we maybe have an open thread only for the Presidential race and one like this? That might keep these open ones from falling into an endless loop of "your a zombie/your a sexist, etc."

One indication of Obama's cross-over appeal is the fact that Brian Obie, a staunch Republican businessman and former Republican Mayor of Eugene, endorsed him in a letter to the editor to the RG over the weekend. Jaws were dropping all over Eugene.

Melanie is definitely not trash-talking, so spare us all that absurd characterization. She is rather making a forceful case for her preferred candidate, Hillary Clinton. I'm glad to see that sort of stuff. My preferred candidate is Barack Obama, but so what? Go for it, Melanie.

Now the closing statement--but criticism of Hillary Clinton, not of you, Melanie: If Hillary Clinton had emulated John Edwards and renounced her vote to authorize military force against Iraq, we wouldn't even be having this discussion, because Hillary Clinton would have already clinched the nomination. But she didn't renounce that vote. And I'm sorry, all the spin-doctoring from Senator Clinton and her supporters along the lines of "well, we thought we were just voting to give the President a bargaining chip with Saddam Hussein" is NEVER going to persuade or mollify the folks who do not support Clinton right now. And when she starts in with the obliterate-Iran nonsense, she's just digging herself a deeper hole and making herself even less likely to persuade voters to switch to her from Obama.

Speaking for myself, Melanie--but I would guess implicitly speaking for many more people--Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are both, broadly speaking, attractive candidates. The tie-breaker is this: their words about the Iraq war, and their belligerency (or lack of it) in other foreign-policy matters.

Senator Clinton made her choices. Barack Obama made his. Now they both get to live with the consequences, be they good or bad.

If I had to sum up Hillary Clinton's campaign with one sentence, it would be this: Pride goeth before the fall.

Anyone know WHERE BARACK OBAMA WILL BE on Tuesday night? Portland?

Yeah, I suspect Obama will be back in Oregon for some Portland lovin' again. But I do like the symbolism of returning to Iowa and remembering that first startling result that said, "Change is possible. Change is here. We are it."

From Obliteration to Redeployment to Hundred Years, none of the duopoly candidates are promising anything different than BushCo. After almost eight years of two-party collaboration that has undermined freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity, one would think that the US electorate would have developed some kind of sophistication regarding the throttlehold of sameness that the Republicrats or Demopublicans offer.

We have a clear choice instead of the "lesser of two evils" politics. There are at least two candidates for President that present a clear alternative to violence and corporate oppression: Cynthia McKinney (Green Party and Power to the People Party) and Ralph Nader (Ind.).

Do you want someone who is a smidgeon less evil at the helm of our country, or do you want someone who is committed to true peace and true mastery over the corporations and true environmental integrity?

The choice is yours. Stand up courageously and cast your vote for the person that more closely matches your ideologies and beatitudes, or hold your nose with one hand and push the button for one of the corporate tools with the other.

This letter is directed at all of the remaining states whose primary races have yet to happen...Obama's camp and the national news media have already voted for you. Are you aware of that? They have written off a major contender in these elections, Ms. Hillary Clinton. They dare to speak for you! Well just so that you don't buy into this rhetoric that Hillary cannot win...let me state something here...just as there were superdelegates who were in the Clinton camp and crossed over to the Obama camp...if Hillary wins big in all of your upcoming elections...the superdelegates who left her are able to return...based on your voices, because they do not need to commit to any one candidate until they cast their vote at the Democratic Convention. So the votes they say are being racked up by the Obama campaign...are not writ in stone...Please...to all of our remaining United States who must cast their voters...It is not over until it is over. We can divert a catastrophe just by voting your will. Hillary is the strongest candidate, and just her will to remain in this race in spite of the calls for her to step down is a clear example of her will and determination. Obama's wife injected herself into the limelight, leaving herself vulnerable to criticism...What does Obama do? Instead of clarifying her statement, he tells everyone to lay off of criticizing her - he lost in the debates with Hillary, and was exasperated when American voters had the audacity to want an investigation into his beliefs, his background, and his self-proclaimed mentor of 20 years, etc. He cannot take the pressure...and is very dismissive of the genuine concerns of the working class Americans, who have not bought into his message of hope. Hope for what? With his background of terrorists, Black Liberation Theology, Marxism...jeez, yeah, that's what America needs now. He flip-flopped...first saying his mentor the Rev. Wright could no more be denounced than he could denounce the black community. Well, two weeks later - he did just that. He is counting on the stupidity of Americans to vote him into office...Let's make sure that Hillary, who is the strongest and the best prepared to defend us makes it to the Office. Don't let Hollywood or the Media vote for you...Even Edwards has been a huge disappointment to me. Despite facts that were brought out in the debate by Edwards regarding Obama's lack of voting...he voted present, but not yes or no on 100 votes. And the votes he did cast made him the most liberal Senator ever. How do you suppose we'll survive a man of this poor stature in office...we have major problems to overcome now. Hillary has laid out her plan for all to see...Barack Hussein Obama has not...and those he has, only copied Hillary's. Again, you be the captain of your own ship...don't allow the media and the pundits to write your story for you. God Bless you, and God Bless America...

huneybee...just WHAT flavor of Kool-aid did you drink today?

Webster Tarpley, author of the book "Obama – The Postmodern Coup: Making of a Manchurian Candidate," has just written a new article today entitled

BARACK OBAMA: VENTRILOQUIST'S DUMMY ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI: VENTRILOQUIST

In it he quotes this statement Obama made at a recent campaign stop in Oregon:

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said. "That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added. If India and China's "carbon footprint gets as big as ours, we're gone." (AFP)

Tarpley compares the remarks to a passage in Zbigniew Brzezinski's recent book "Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower" - and shows the exact same set of ideas is in each.

Zbig has already been called "Obama's Brain" by The Economist. http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2007/03/a_new_brain_for_barack_obama.cfm

Tarpley's take on the green-hued rhetoric is that Obama has been groomed by Zbig to impose draconian austerity and demolish what's left of the New Deal.

I guess that could be the death of both grand old parties! And a lot of people, too, with Zbig's foreign policy ideas - he was the architect of the Afghan-Soviet war.

Here is the link to the Tarpley article: Ventriloquist's Dummy

And to the Economist article

"Webster Griffin Tarpley is an author, lecturer, and critic of US foreign and domestic policy. He maintains that the events of 9/11 were engineered by the military industrial complex. He envisions a model of false flag terror operated by a rogue network of independent operatives in the privatized military intelligence sector and corporate media."

Caveat emptor.

JP, yes, it shocks me that Obama is for energy conservation. Clearly, if he believes that, he's the puppet of Zbignew Brzezinski.

More about the great expert Webster Tarpley cited above, again from his Wikipedia entry:

"In 1986 Tarpley attempted to run on the platform of Lyndon LaRouche in the New York State Democratic Party primary for the U.S. Senate, but was ruled off the ballot because of a defect in his nominating petitions.[1]. He was a frequent host of 'The LaRouche Connection', which its producer, LaRouche's Executive Intelligence Review News Service, describes as 'a news and information cable television program'.

"Tarpley first gained attention for co-authoring, with Anton Chaitkin, ('history editor of Executive Intelligence Review') a 1992 book on George H.W. Bush, George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography, which was published by Executive Intelligence Review, run by Lyndon LaRouche. He has expounded the 'Versailles Thesis' laying the blame for the great wars of the 20th century on intrigues by Britain to retain her dominance."

Caveat emptor redux.

When Hillary made her "obliterate" Iran remark she shocked me. I think she is nuttier than Achmadinejad when he talked about "wiping Israel off the map". In context it is obvious he was talking about the borders of the political entity. In context it is obvious she was talking about 70 million people.

Hillary did NOT say she would go in and obliterate Iran for nothing. This was a hypothetical about Iran NUKING Isreal, for Christ sake.

According to the N.I.E. Iran doesn't have and isn't aquiring nuclear weapons. Hillary's comment is asinine because she is giving Iran a reason to aquire nuclear weapons. Bush's policy of not talking to foreign nations that we deem, "enemies," creates states that have nothing to lose. Look what happened with North Korea. That's what happens when you don't talk to countries that you consider an enemy. They just went out and built nuclear weapons and now we sit down and talk to them whenever they want.

I don't hear a lot of Hillary talking about taking away Israel's nuclear weapons. Let's not forget who the only nuclear armed country in the Middle East is. It's not Iran and Hillary saying she would obliterate Iran just does nothing more than alienate their citizens and gives their mullah's more firepower to stoke the hatred of Americans.

...and NIE's have never been wrong before...oh wait...

I already voted for Obama (eagerly, mind you), but if Iran did have a nuke program that we're unaware of at this time, and they used it to nuke Israel (or anyone else, for that matter), I'd want nuclear retaliation on the table.

Just saying, that's all.

But I should add, Garrett, I agree with you about talking to Iran without conditions. Not talking to people doesn't seem to have worked very well.

This morning, as I was driving through the City of West Linn at approximately 7:40 AM on State Highway 43. I saw an individual holding a large OBAMA sign. The individual was dressed head to toe in black, and looked like a cross between an extremely pious Muslim woman in mourning and Darth Vader.

I am assuming that the individual was either a right wing nut or a kid pulling prank.

Did anyone else see this person? Were there any other such sightings in the Portland area to indicate an organized effort?

"I am winning the popular vote!" I would hope that at this point most Democrats have realized this type of disturbing and selfish denial is not the kind of judgement that they are looking for in their nominee. Holy Moses! Stop the presses- Geraldine Ferraro says she may not vote for Barack Obama. Are you still allowed to say BITTER in the U.S.A.? Bring it home Oregon and help put an end to this shameless display. It's OBAMA time!!

Good luck Oregon! Make good choices for our country and for the Dems. Our family of 4 voted for Barack in February and we're glad about it. I have been a precinct captain over the years in NY, PA, OH and CA. I worked the hardest for Bill Clinton in '92, but last year I decided the US needs a drastic new change of course--enough Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. Sen. Obama inspires me and I am optimistic he will surround himself with good, honest and smart people who understand our Constitution, law, ethics and how to save our democracy from the corporatists. They need to hit the ground running w/a strong Dem majority in Congress. May Oregonians put Barack over the top so he can focus on the plans to take us forward (and out of Iraq) Volunteer for a campaign; it's hard work but great fun. PS: We enjoyed Xmas dinner 2003 in Portland in a little place off Hwy 5 driving back from Canada--we never did find the brew pub we invested in. ☺

Obama's leftist rhetoric cloaks a reactionary right-wing agenda.

Candidates usually do the opposite of what they promise. The method of predicting what they will really do is to look at their advisors' policies. Obama's advisors are Brzezinski on foreign policy (divide and conquer, confront Russia and China) and Austan Goolsbee on the economy (Skull and Bonesman, Wall Streeter, Rob the Poor to Enrich the Rich, privatize Social Security to shore up the hedge funds and the multi-billion $ salaries of the fund managers. You read that right - one of them made $3.7 billion last year for helping ethnically cleanse neighborhoods through foreclosures and ripoff loans). No wonder the elite are throwing money at the Obama campaign.

Previous Tarpley articles on Obama may be viewed here.

OBAMA ECONOMIC TEAM WANTS TO PRIVATIZE SOCIAL SECURITY

AFTER SUPER TUESDAY: WHY OBAMA IS A SURE LOSER

Obama Economic Controller Is Skull And Bones Member

Obama is not a progressive. NOT even close

Daily kos founder and Obama cheerleader was CIA covert ops trainee

OBAMA VULNERABLE TO ROVIANS ON REZKO

OBAMA FRONTS WALL ST. INFRASTRUCTURE SWINDLE

What is at stake in election 2008

BRZEZINSKI SEIZING CONTROL OVER US POLICY IN SLOW-MOTION CREEPING COUP

The book, Obama - The Postmodern Coup: Making of a Manchurian Candidate, can be downloaded here.

It documents from published sources how Samuel Huntington and Brzezinski started planning years ago for the current swing to the left in the American electorate, in order to hijack it for their right-wing agenda. Their hijack vehicle is Obama and the NED / left CIA color revolution paraphernalia around him, which they perfected in Eastern Europe and are now importing to the USA! Now you too can have a neofascist postmodern coup, with all the thrills - great slogans like "hope" and "change," mass rallies with a trained orator - lots of fun, until the real "change" hits the fan.

This comment is directed at Susan Craze. On what are you basing the fact that Obama will be a good president? Did you do any research? Did you read any of his books or the literature that has been written about him? You must not have, or your vote would have been much different. There is nothing amazing about a black man who can speak well. He is a Junior Senator with the most liberal voting record...what there is of a voting record...because he refrained from voting on over 100 issues! People just never fail to amaze me. You are voting for the most important role in the Country, one which affects all of us for FOUR LONG YEARS. Please try and base it on something other than personality and good looks. He has a very sordid past which includes several terrorists, anti-American organizations, and anti-White ideology. His mentor is all of those things and he only denounced his pastor after it was hurting his chances for getting to the White House.

Think people, think! Maybe Obama will someday make a good President. But why the rush? No one knew this man until he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. He didn't announce his run until 16 months ago, and all of these sordid situations have been unearthed in those few months. What is there that hasn't been revealed? Can you be certain that there isn't more to be revealed? Wake up, before you sell out America - read, learn...and then make your decision. But please don't base your vote on the fact that you are being told what you want to hear, or that a black man can speak eloquently. You want to give him a position as an orator? Great...but being a good orator does not mean that you have the necessary qualities to make a good President.