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Friday, May 30, 2008

Momentum

How many more tons of bricks must we drop on the Democratic Party's heads in order for them to realize that Barack Obama's momentum has stopped, and in fact, has reversed itself?

How about this?

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign on Thursday was forced to again apologize for the remarks of a Chicago pastor and friend backing his candidacy who spoke from the pulpit of Obama's longtime South Side church.

In an Internet video recorded Sunday, Rev. Michael Pfleger, an outspoken activist Catholic priest, is seen mocking Sen. Hillary Clinton from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

"When Hillary was crying, and people said that was put on, I really don't believe it was put on," Pfleger said. "I really believe that she just always thought this is mine. I'm Bill's wife, I'm white and this is mine. I just gotta get up and step into the plate and then out of nowhere came, 'Hey, I'm Barack Obama,' and she said, 'Oh, damn. Where did you come from? I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show.' "

"As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that unites us," Obama said in a statement. "That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric."

Speaking as a guest at Trinity on Sunday, Pfleger mocked the tears Clinton displayed shortly before the New Hampshire primary in January.

"She wasn't the only one crying," Pfleger said. "There was a whole lot of white people crying."

Then, Pfleger, who is white, seemed to indicate that he might be going too far. "I'm sorry. I don't want to get you in any more trouble," he said, as the church's organ began to play to signal his exit from the pulpit.


While Pfleger did apologize for his racist comments about Senator Clinton, did you notice that Obama's statement (it certainly wasn't an explanation or an apology) didn't mention Hillary at all?

The Clinton campaign did.

"Divisive and hateful language like that is totally counter-productive in our efforts to bring our party together and have no place at the pulpit or in our politics," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said in a statement. "We are disappointed that Sen. Obama didn't specifically reject Father Pfleger's despicable comments about Sen. Clinton, and assume he will do so."


An underreported fact about the Wright scandal was that Wright also insulted Bill and Hillary Clinton during his inflammatory sermons. Yet Obama didn't apologize for that either.

The Clinton camp's statement reads like a "Shape up or fuck you" moment, doesn't it? I also sense that this, along with the Obama campaign's manufactured hysteria about Hillary's mention of RFK, is a very, very good excuse for the long-overdue death of the Unity Pony. No, the joint ticket is nagahapin, thank Jeebus. There is no way that Hillary should associate herself with Obama. I mean, the man practically accused her of wanting him dead. How can she go out and defend that in a General Election campaign? That stab wound in her back is getting a little too deep to be ignored.

The story goes on to mention the fact that Pfleger is/was (who knows any more) a member of the campaign's Catholic Advisory Council.

Think about that for a second.

This was a person that Obama thought would help him reach out to Catholics. What awesome "judgment!"

Oh, but we're not done yet. There are also financial ties between Obama and Pfleger. And earmarks, Chicago-style.

Earmarks to St. Sabina
In a Tribune story a year ago, Obama defended special budget earmarks for his district while he was a state legislator, including ones that went to programs associated with Pfleger's church.

Pfleger gave Obama's campaigns $1,500 between 1995 and 2001, including $200 in April 2001, about three months after Obama announced at least $100,000 in grants to St. Sabina programs.

In that story, Pfleger said he made those donations personally, not on behalf of the church or to win grants.


When is it finally enough?

When do we stop making excuses and pretending this doesn't matter? When do we admit that yes, this is exactly how Obama thinks and feels? How many more people who are long-time friends and advisers have to stand up and say things like this before we admit that the duck is walking and quacking? When do we just give up and say that this guy Obama is simply not a viable candidate for the Presidency of the United States?

The voters - and many politicians who should have known better - have been hoodwinked and bamboozled, and many of them are feeling buyer's remorse. The latest primary results in West Virginia and Kentucky show Obama's glaring problems in Applachia, which he has consistently lost to Clinton during this election cycle. The Senator from Illinois' support has been going down dramatically - in fact, although this report barely mentions Clinton at all, it does show that his and her "favorable" ratings have become almost the same; she is at 47% favorable, whereas he is at 51% favorable. Hillary has picked up that support in the all-important "bitter white person" category - exactly where Obama does so poorly against McCain.

Of course, the number of HRC's voters who think the party will unify in November is now down to about 46%. Sure, he'll win the General Election with numbers like that. Would you like a cookie with that Kool-Aid?

I am sick, disgusted and ready to cry like Hillary. I cannot believe that the Party is putting Democrats in a position like this. Either vote for this man, who in my opinion has no commitment whatsoever to Democratic values, or suffer through four more years of Bush? What the fuck kind of choice is that? No wonder so many of us are opting out or voting for the dreaded McCaca. Personally, I would vote for John Kerry or Al Gore 400 times before considering voting for Obama. And Kerry and Gore both got tons of Democratic votes, but lost anyway - because they lost the working-class vote to Bush! Hellloooooooooooo!!!

I have no faith that the DNC will seat the delegates of MI and FL tomorrow, or count the popular vote. Of course they could surprise me (which I would welcome so happily!), but since they are bound and determined to pretend Obama is ahead and the choice of the people, they will most likely do whatever benefits Obama now. Never mind pissing off voters in states that should go blue in November - IAAO (It's All About Obama)!!!

My beloved Party is heading off a cliff and smugly congratulating itself as it falls to its destruction, all the while ignoring the parachutes that Hillary and Bill are trying to throw them.

I wish I had happier news, since it's Friday. But today, I'm in mourning for the Democratic Party I used to love so dearly.

As Scarlett O'Hara would say, "Tomorrow is another day." Let's all hope that the weekend brings better news.

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