From The Hotline for Tuesday, June 24, 2008

OBAMA

The Town Gary Hart Almost Visited Is Back On The Map

Tue. Jun 24, 2008


Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will make "their first joint appearance" together 6/27 in Unity, NH, where each "received exactly 107 votes" during the primary (release). The "less-than-subtle subtext behind the choice of location for" their first joint rally "underscored the concern among" Dems that the party "remains fractured after a long, tough nomination battle" (Wangsness, Boston Globe, 6/24).

Obama NH co-chair Jim Demers "credited" a "top Clinton supporter," state Sen. Maggie Hassan (D), with "planting the seed for an event at Unity." Hassan: "Who knows if I'm the only one who came up with the idea? I remember looking at the results a couple of days after the primary and being struck by the Unity result. More recently, I said to Jim Demers that whatever happened, we should remind people that in Unity, New Hampshire, each of them got 107 votes" (DiStaso, New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/24).

The "quiet town" of Unity is now "bracing for an influx" of "about" 2.5K people for the 6/27 event (Senz, New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/24). Sullivan Co. commissioner Ethel Jarvis, who says she "thought somebody was playing a joke on me" when told of the event, recalled Unity "came close to glimpsing a presidential candidate" once before. Jarvis said "twenty years ago," ex-Sen Gary Hart (D-CO) "was going to come," but shortly before the scheduled visit, "got involved in that Monkey Business," the scandal in which Hart was "photographed with a female model in his lap" (Dorgan, Concord Monitor, 6/24).

Using Dial-Up Internet Connection, Town Struggles To Locate Itself

Some fun facts about Unity, NH:

• "Originally known as Buckingham," Unity was first incorporated, says Unity Historical Society VP Roberta Callum, in 1753. In 1764, "to settle a land dispute," it "became the town of unity." Callum: "It was incorporated under the name of Unity because to all appearances, this land was unifying these people who had no land of their own."

• The town has 1,715 residents, and is "divided into East Unity, West Unity, and Quaker City," where a meetinghouse "originally built in 1820" marks "what was once a significant Quaker settlement" (New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/24).

• "According to the US Census," Unity's per capita income was $17,908, "less than half the statewide average" (Landrigan, Nashua Telegraph, 6/24).

• Unity Board of Selectmen chair Willard Hathaway says, "mostly," Unity residents "commute to work." Unity resident/Boston commuter Joseph Bonaccorsi: "Unfortunately, there aren't too many places to make money up here" (New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/24).

• There are "no traffic lights" in Unity. There is also "no post office," with residents getting their mail "delivered from one of four drop-off points in neighboring towns."

• There are, says Hathaway, "some small businesses in town, including a couple of automotive repair shops and a few general contractors," as well as one general store "where residents often congregate to socialize" (New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/24).

• There is "no hotel in the town and no police force" of its own, with a "renovated tavern" home to the "library, police station, town clerk's office and historical society" (Concord Monitor, 6/24).

• Unity "has no high-speed Internet" (Boston Globe, 6/24).

• There are "no television stations" there, and the town is too small "to even appear on a Rand McNally road atlas" (Zeleny, "The Caucus", 6/23).

• The Obama camp "plans to erect a stage in the field behind the town's only school" for the event" (New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/24).

How Far From "Constructive," BS To "Unity," NH?

Even as Clinton prepares to "urge her wealthiest cash bundlers to go to work for Obama" at a DC event 6/26, "Clintonites have sniped that Obama has yet to do anything to help retire her debt" (Earle, New York Post, 6/24).

Clinton sent her supporters an e-mail 6/23 with a videotaped statement soliciting contributions to help her retire more than $22M in campaign debt, "but she did not make a similar appeal on behalf of Obama" (Murray/Kornblut, Washington Post, 6/24)

But ABC's Stephanopoulos reports, Obama and Clinton spoke on the phone 6/22 pm and "discussed retiring" Clinton's debt, in a conversation Dem sources called "constructive" ("Political Radar," 6/23).

This Headscarf Story Isn't Going Anywhere

An apology issued by Obama "to two Muslim women booted from the front lines" of his rally last week was orchestrated by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who confronted Obama over the issue during a meeting with the CBC.

Obama "called the women to apologize after two volunteers with the campaign removed" them from the stage area behind the location where Obama would be speaking. The "volunteers allegedly told the women it was because they were wearing traditional Muslim scarves."

Sources say "it was Ellison who raised the issue of the alleged impropriety" and provided Obama with the women's phone numbers. One lawmaker who was present described the exchange between Obama and Ellison as "cordial" but "direct." However, other "congressional sources indicated that Ellison's exchange with Obama was so intense" that CBC Chair Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) "had to intervene and attempted to gavel down Ellison" (Pergram, FoxNews.com, 6/24).

Bringing The Mosque Down

New York Times' Elliott writes, As Obama courted voters in IA last Dec, Ellison, "the country's first Muslim congressman, stepped forward eagerly to help."

Ellison believed that Obama's message of unity resonated deeply with American Muslims. He volunteered to speak on Obama's "behalf at a mosque in Cedar Rapids, one of the nation's oldest Muslim enclaves. But before the rally could take place," aides to Obama asked Ellison "to cancel the trip because it might stir controversy. Another aide appeared" at Ellison's DC office to explain.

Ellison: "I will never forget the quote. He said, 'We have a very tightly wrapped message.'"

While Obama "has visited churches and synagogues, he has yet to appear at a single mosque. Muslim and Arab-American organizations have tried repeatedly to arrange meetings" with Obama, but "officials with those groups say their invitations - unlike those of their Jewish and Christian counterparts - have been ignored."

In interviews, Muslim pol and civic leaders "said they understood that their support" for Obama "could be a problem for him at a time when some Americans are deeply suspicious of Muslims. Yet those leaders nonetheless expressed disappointment and even anger at the distance" that Obama has kept from them.

Muslim Public Affairs Council dir. Safiya Ghori: "The community feels betrayed." Even some of Obama's "strongest Muslim supporters say they are uncomfortable with the forceful denials he has made in response to rumors that he is secretly a Muslim." On a new section of his Web site, he classifies the claim that he is Muslim as a "smear." Ellison: "A lot of us are waiting for him to say that there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, by the way" (6/24).

Photo-Shopping-The-Photo-Op

ABC's Stephanopoulos, on the New York Times reporting that Muslim voters detect a snub from Obama: "Well, the Obama campaign doesn't want to admit it but they are distancing themselves from the Muslim community in some way. You had that issue last week where two Muslim women wearing veils were taken out of the photo-op with Obama. Obama had to apologize for that. What the Obama campaign makes no apologies for though is trying to combat this issue that's really running around e-mail chains all across the country that Barack Obama is a Muslim. He is not, and they feel that they have to take every possible step they can to combat these rumors" ("GMA," 6/24).

Obama comm. dir. Robert Gibbs: "Look, obviously there have been unfortunate incidents on our side. There have been ... some pretty nasty emails that have whipped around the internet, but again, we're going to continue to work hard. Barack is going to continue to work hard to bring people together, to look at people not based on their skin color or their religion or anything else."

Gibbs, asked if the camp has discussed the idea of putting some distance between Obama and Muslims: "First of all, obviously these are isolated incidents that are not campaign policy. Senator Obama spoke with the two women from Detroit last week."

Gibbs, asked why Obama has not visited a mosque: "We've got a long way to go in this campaign, so I don't know that that isn't something that won't happen at some point" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/24).

Hillary's Jennifer Jason Leigh

Opening his Southwest campaign swing in NM 6/23, Obama "began reaching out to female voters who had formed the backbone of Clinton's support in the primary season." Courting "white women-- the strongest constituency" of Clinton's-- Obama "toured a baking facility in Albuquerque" and told person "stories about being raised by his single, white mother" (Curl, Washington Times, 6/24).

In Albuquerque, Obama sat down with about 30 working women "to talk about their challenges." Obama "told them he understands the plight of working women -- he was raised by one and is married to one -- and if elected president will work to change the country's culture of expecting more from women and paying them less." He spoke for about an hour, "holding a cordless microphone in a casual gathering in the Flying Star restaurant chain's warehouse with stacks of cans and bags of coffee beans as backdrops."

Obama: "We know that too many American daughters grow up facing barriers to their dreams, barriers that their male counterparts don't have to deal with. The system is stacked against women" (Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 6/24).

Obama also used the opportunity to challenge John McCain's women's rights record, criticizing him "for opposing a bill that would make it easier for women to sue for pay discrimination." Obama: "I'll continue to stand up for equal pay as president. Senator McCain won't. I have a clear plan to expand paid leave and sick leave. John McCain doesn't. Unlike Senator McCain, I will index the minimum wage to inflation, so it goes up each year to keep pace with rising costs" (Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 6/24).

Making Ends Meet And Bill Richardson End

While in NM, Obama sat down for an interview with the Albuquerque Journal on 6/23. Some excerpts:

Obama: "Some of Michelle's experiences are, I think, reflective of the struggle of a lot of women. As much as I like to consider myself as an enlightened man who really loves changing diapers and taking kids to the park, by the time we had our kids I was in state government. Michelle was still working - we weren't able to make it on a single salary - and so if the baby sitter couldn't make it that day, she was the one who had to juggle her schedule. If the kids needed new clothes for school, she was the one who was taking them. So, the job on top of the job, the second shift, that was something she felt much more keenly and it created strains."

Obama: "If Michelle couldn't cook two or three nights a week, we were able to order in two or three nights a week."

Asked if women will serve on his cabinet: "I think we will have one of the most diverse Cabinets ever. I don't have a particular number in mind or have particular positions already carved out, but when you look at the extraordinary talent that is out there among women -- African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latino-Americans -- they're going to be able to fill up a Cabinet alongside members of the more traditionally represented group."

Asked if Bill Richardson is on his shortlist: "I promised that I would not talk about the vice president selection process until I announce the vice president, and so I'm going to stick to that promise. But I can tell you that Bill Richardson is one of the finest public servants in the country" (Linthicum, 6/24).

Preheat Oven To 450, Distort The Bible, Let Cool

In a radio segment airing today, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson accuses Obama of "deliberately distorting" the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.

The program targets a speech Obama made June '06 to the "liberal Christian group" Call to Renewal. In it, Obama asked "which Biblical passages should guide public policy -- chapters like Leviticus, which Obama said suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination, or Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, 'a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would sruvive its application.'" Obama: "Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's or Al Shaprton's?"

Dobson and Focus VP for government and public policy Tom Minnery "accused Obama of wrongly equating Old Testament texts and dietary codes that no longer apply to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament."

Dobson "said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the 'lowest common denominator of morality,' labeling it 'a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution." Dobson: "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology." Obama dir. of religious affairs Joshua DuBois "said in a statement that a full reading of Obama's speech shows he is committed to reaching out to people of faith and standing up for families." DuBois, on Dobson: "He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter."

DuBois said he "called Minnery for what Minnery described as a cordial discussion" last week. Minnery "said DuBois offered to visit the ministry in August" during the Dem Nat'l Convo, and while "a possible Obama visit was not discussed," Minnery said his organization is "open to one" (AP, 6/23).

Obama comm. dir. Robert Gibbs, responded: "It's an odd and curious statement, to say the least. He's referring to a speech that Senator Obama gave in 2006 in front of a group called Call to Renewal that was hailed by both ends of the spectrum as a speech where, you know, a Democrat talked about reaching out to voters of faith, and we have done that in this election. ... Evangelicals are concerned about issues from genocide in Africa to climate change. I think it's a truly odd statement ... and Barack will continue reaching out and bringing people together" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/24).

National Journal Rankings: Not Intended For Liberal Use

Wall Street Journal's Davis writes, Obama's "support of an overhaul of domestic-spying laws last week was the latest in a string of statements suggesting" he is "tacking toward the center to compete with John McCain."

On foreign policy, nat'l security, "tax issues and even local politics," Obama "has made some decisions lately that belie his ranking by the nonpartisan National Journal as the U.S.'s 'most liberal' senator." During the primaries, he ran to the left of Clinton, "securing the nomination in part by shoring up a base that included self-identified liberals and Internet activists who helped fill his campaign war chest."

The shift has been "met with some protest from the activist left." MoveOn.org, which endorsed Obama, "is petitioning its members to call his campaign to object to his support of the spy bill. The group notes that he previously vowed to support a filibuster of the legislation because of immunity provisions for telephone companies that helped the government carry out its surveillance program."

OpenLeft.com co-founder Matt Stoller, on FISA: "There's an element of distrust now" (6/24).

More evidence "of Obama's ideological trajectory is a television advertisement emphasizing patriotism, personal accountability and tax cuts" in GOP strongholds such as AL and MT (Bolton, The Hill, 6/24).

His 'Older Woman With Multiple Cats' Tendencies

New York Post's Earle writes, among the "pocket full of charms" that Obama carries with him -- a "lucky poker chip," an American eagle pin, and "a small gold statue of the Monkey King" (6/24).

Curious about items that Obama had fished out of his pocket during a question and answer session with bakery workers in NM 6/23, a reporter asked him how many lucky charms he carries with him. Noting "he cannot carry the complete collection on the road," Obama said: "I try to select a number on any given day." During the course of the campaign, he said, he has collected "probably 50, maybe 100" good luck trinkets (Silva, "The Swamp," 6/24)

'Twas A Short, Presumptuous Life

The presidential-like seal that was used by Obama's campaign 6/20 -- "generating much ridicule -- won't be used again," Obama camp spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed (AP, 6/23).

Los Angeles Times' Linthicum writes, "Critics called the design a sign of bad judgment and arrogance" (6/24).

Boston Globe's Graham writes, "Watching Barack Obama delivering a campaign speech from behind his very own, new-and-improved presidential seal, all I can say is this: I, for one, welcome our new liberal overlords" (6/24).

Gibbs: "I have really never seen a very, very small thing get so much attention. You know, it was ... a one-time seal for a one-time event that has gotten a little bit of attention. ... I honestly don't remember whose idea it was. ... The good news is that we bought that John McCain green and yellow backdrop for half price" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/24).

The Great Gatsby, By Karl Rove

At a gathering of GOP insiders 6/23, Karl Rove previewed the next GOP attack line on Obama, saying: "Even if you never met him, you know this guy." Rove: "He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by" (Sargent, "TPM," 6/23).

Gibbs, responded: "I would be willing to bet you that Karl Rove hung out in the lounge of a country club a lot more often than Barack Obama has. I would think a guy who came to Washington eight years ago and talked about how his version of the Republican Party would take over the country for years and years to come, might have cornered the market on arrogance.... Our economy is in shambles. Our debt and our deficit have skyrocketed. It's really hard to list one or two things that Karl Rove did right over eight years. So, you know, I'll let him do his lecture circuits and coin little phrases, but it seems like a silly thing."

MSNBC's Geist: So for the record, Barack Obama does not hold martinis or stand against walls."

Gibbs: "The last time I saw him, he was drinking a beer" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/24).

Time's Klein: "I just think that the image is kind of hilarious when you think about it, Barack Obama at country club sipping a martini. It's kind of a parody of the Republican view of the world. ... Since when do they start letting people like Barack Obama into Republican country clubs?" ("Election Center," CNN, 6/23).

Giving Clinton The Cleaver

After sticking with Clinton for "months," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) is "now climbing aboard the Obama bus."

Obama allies "had been trying to win Cleaver's help for months without success." Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC): "I had dozens of conversations about his decision. He struggled with it for a very long time and decided to stay with his convictions." Obama advisor Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) "reached out to Cleaver on the eve of the final primaries." McCaskill: "I told him that I appreciated his loyalty to Sen. Clinton, but that if Barack wrapped up the nomination, how excited we would be to have his help when the time was right. He's been a great campaigner for other presidential candidates." McCaskill "said that Cleaver could help energize Clinton voters, particularly in parts of the state like Hannibal" and other rural areas (Goldstein, Kansas City Star's "Prime Buzz," 6/23).

Thanks, Communicators

The Communications Workers of America union endorsed Obama 6/23 after he addressed the group's convention in Las Vegas by satellite.

The 700K-member CWA "says it will be working to elect Obama with its political partners -- unions that represent auto workers, steel workers and engineers." The four unions have more than 1M active and retired members in the key swing states of OH, PA, and MI.

During the primaries, the CWA did not endorse anyone because its members were split among Obama, Clinton and John Edwards (Lawrence, USAToday.com, 6/23).

Nothing To See Here, Folks

Fortune DC bureau chief Nina Easton was on "Hannity & Colmes" last night to discuss Obama's interview with the magazine.

Easton, asked if she discovered that Obama's "not exactly hostile to big business": "Well, he's certainly trying to portray himself that way. He is trying to make the case -- and I think it's worth listening to -- that there's been a middle class squeeze over the past decade. The middle class has been suffering, and as a result, business suffers because people are unable to buy the stuff that companies make. And I think we're going to hear that time and time again. I want to ease the stress on the middle class through tax cuts, through reforming health care, and so on, and that will make the middle class stronger, and, therefore, will make business stronger. That's his case."

Easton, on Obama's economic policies: "The thing that's really disappointing about Obama, and frankly, it's really disappointing about McCain, is that there's nothing new. There's nothing innovative. There's nothing new in their economic programs. He's straight from the liberal playbook. And let's see in the next couple months if he comes up with anything different" (FNC, 6/23).

Everything But The Decoder Watch

Ex-fed. judge/ex.-Rep. Abner Mikva (D-IL) and ex.-JFK FCC chair Newton Minow, 82-year-old veteran lawyers and Dem activists, have been "excited" about Obama since meeting him at Harvard Law in the '80s. Minow was at Sidley Audtin LLP when Obama was a summer associate there, and daughter Martha Minow, who taught Obama at HLS, "said he was the best student she ever had." As judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, Mikva offered Obama a clerkship, but Obama "turned him down" to run for the IL legislature. Mikva: "I thought that guy's got more chutzpah than Dick Tracy, coming to Chicago without any roots here" (Przybyla, Bloomberg, 6/24).

Sugar Ray Lender

Obama's gala fundraiser in Los Angeles "today will attract the mandatory lineup of big-screen talent and boldface names," including actors Samuel L. Jackson and Dennis Quaid, model Cindy Crawford and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard. The Los Angeles event comes just days after Obama "spurned the public financing system for the general election, opening the way for him to raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars after the Denver convention." Top tickets are priced at more than $30K "with the money to be divided between" the Obama camp and the DNC (AP, 6/24).

Making Him Pay, Day 5:

Columnists and editorial boards continue to criticize Obama's decision to drop out of the public financing system:

Newsday editorializes, When Obama faced the choice of "principle versus pragmatism" he chose "the more lucrative option," pragmatism, and "that's disappointing." Public financing "needs an update" that would "narrow the gap between public funding limits and the big bucks that candidates who opt out can raise privately" (6/24).

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorializes, Obama's opting out of the "federal financing system" is a "not-surprising move." As he leaves the "public finance route for the sky's-the-limit approach" Obama may find himself "at odds with the ethical high road" his "campaign has espoused." His "attempt to justify his smooth and strategic move...was disingenuous." It is a "money move" and "may have made good sense" for his run for the WH but also "sadly pointed up the continued failure to limit money and its influence in America's political campaigns" (6/24).

Washington Post's Dionne writes, When one says "Obama has killed public financing is to miss the point." Pres. Bush was "the first candidate" that declined "public money in the primaries" and his decision "was the single most important reason" he defeated McCain in '00 for the nomination. Sen. John Kerry also "walked away" from public financing and he too "won the nomination." Obama "has heeded those lessons" and did not "kill the presidential financing system; the failure to reform it did" (6/24).

Roll Call's Brazile writes, Obama "decided to play chess instead of the traditional game of checkers." Obama's decision is "disappointing" and brings "great damage to his political brand as an outsider." His decision "could undermine the message" of his campaign: he is "a reformer who will change the way Washington operates." Obama "deserves credit for pushing to fix a broken system"; in the "short run, he'll suffer" criticism, but in the "long run, it won't matter much at all." While "the debate won't last long," the effect of his "pragmatic decision will extend all the way to Election Day" (6/24).

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