From The Hotline for Thursday, June 26, 2008

OBAMA

Didn't Mark Penn Give This Power Point?

Thu. Jun 26, 2008


Assisted by a 12-slide Power Point presentation Barack Obama manager David Plouffe held a press conference at the DNC HQ on 6/26 to "illustrate" the camp's path to victory in Nov.

• Plouffe said "the team has crafted a strategy ensuring" Dems won't wake up 11/4 worrying that the WH election "hinges on the outcome in one swing state." Instead, the Obama map would put John McCain "on the defensive in the Midwest, South" and even AK. Plouff: "Our strategic orientation is to play offense" (Bellantoni, Washington Times, 6/26).

• Plouffe "promised" the camp was going to "play hard" everywhere, targeting states Pres. Bush won in '04. Plouffe: "Just as important, maybe more so, is our ability to have a persuasion army out there" (McAuliff/ Bazinet, New York Daily News, 6/26).

• Plouffe "said that the primary goal is to hold on to the 20 states that John Kerry won, netting him 252 electoral votes. To win the additional 18 needed to reach 270 for the victory, Plouffe outlined a variety of strategies and initiatives, several already underway."

• He emphasized a "likely victory" in IA, believing that the momentum created by their "caucus victory could hold and add seven votes to the Obama column."

• Plouffe said that "contrary to popular belief," victory in OH and FL isn't necessary to reach 270 but that they would "fight like heck" for the pair.

• He pointed to NC and VA "as examples of states they think can be turned blue, saying they plan to put some of their best staff there and if they win either on top of the Kerry states" and IA, it's "game, set, match" (Marquardt, "Political Ticker," 6/25).

• Atlantic.com's Ambinder writes, "the most interesting moment of Plouffe's 90 minute briefing and press conference was a casual assertion" that he didn't think McCain "used the period from March 3rd (until the end of the Democratic primaries) very effectively, and for that, we're grateful." What he means is that the McCain camp "did nothing during those months to build the type of political organization that could match what Obama's primary campaign forced him to build" ("Atlantic Online," 6/25).

• Chicago Sun-Time's Sweet reports that Obama VP vetters Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder were spotted leaving the DNC HQ as Plouffe started briefing. Asked for comment, Plouffe said, "that's too bad" (Suntimes.com, 6/25).

Fundraisers: Opening Night

Obama will face "a tough crowd" when he meets with Hillary Clinton's fundraisers tonight, as several major donors say he "has been less than enthusiastic" in courting them. Clinton ally: "They haven't exactly been enthusiastic about reaching out... Hey, they might be right, maybe they can win it all without us." "Hillraiser" Mark Aronchick, "who plans to attend the event, expects lively exchanges during the question-and-answer session following the Clinton and Obama speeches" (Thrush, Newsday, 6/26).

CBS' Schieffer: "This meeting is a private meeting. Obama and Senator Clinton, they're getting together to talk about the things that politicians never like to talk about out in the open. It's kind of the underside, and that is money. How is Senator Clinton going to be able to pay off this debt? Such things as is she going to be allowed to speak at the Democratic convention. When? Will it be primetime?"

Schieffer: "Basically her message is going to be, look, I can help you, but if you help me pay off my debt -- and it's $20 million -- I'll have more time to help" ("Early Show," 6/26).

Bob Barnett To Bring In Bill?

At HRC's request, DC atty Bob Barnett -- who brokered book deals for HRC, Obama, and Bill Clinton -- "is working to hash out questions large and small" between her and Obama. Perhaps the thorniest question -- what to do about ex-Pres. Clinton, "who friends say continues to refight the bitter primary fight -- has yet to be raised by either side, advisers said" (Nagourney/Zeleny, New York Times, 6/26).

Washington Post's Robinson: "This drama I think will soon be over. There's no way Bill Clinton is going to sit out this election and to preserve his legacy and his status in the party. I think you're going to see him ... campaign vigorously for Barack Obama in the fall. Meanwhile, they have to kind of do this dance" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/25).

Chicago Sun-Times' Sweet, on reports B. Clinton wants a private meeting with Obama: "He needs to get things straight with Senator Clinton's husband. ... If it takes a meeting, I'm sure he'll have the meeting. Look, he's been wearing a flag pin and he's drinking beer, a meeting is the least of his hurdles for the White House" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 6/25).

PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D), on B. Clinton being "miffed": "I don't know if that's true, but I think Bill, like everybody else, has to listen to Hillary. And Hillary said it best -- there's no sense in looking back and wasting any energy. We have to look forward. ... Bill's my friend. If that is true the way he feels, he's got to shake it off, get over it, get back in the game and help elect Senator Obama" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/26).

Dem strategist Donna Brazile, on whether Obama needs to reach out to B. Clinton: "There are people out there who are speaking for former president Bill Clinton. He doesn't need any spokesperson when it comes to building relationships with someone like Senator Obama. I am confident at the end of the day that Senator Obama will reach out and that former President Bill Clinton, who has a modest touch when it comes to politics, will be out there on the campaign trail, stumping for Senator Obama, to help him to get the 270 electoral votes" ("American Morning," CNN, 6/26).

Seriously, How Will They Use Her?

Clinton aides say HRC hasn't "received detailed marching orders" from the Obama camp. They expect Clinton "to concentrate her efforts among the women and white, working-class voters who made up her strongest supporters but whom" Obama has struggled with in the past.

Clinton aides say HRC "may also make joint or solo appearances on behalf" of Obama in key battleground states she won during the primaries, including OH, PA, and FL. HRC strategist Geoff Garin: "She brings a lot to the states where she did well in and with particular groups of voters, non-college-educated women, older women" (Chozick, Wall Street Journal, 6/26).

The "two sides are negotiating precisely what kind of role she will have at the convention, including what night she will make a prime-time speech and whether her name will be placed symbolically into nomination." They are discussing whether Obama's camp "will provide a plane and staff" for HRC "as she travels on his behalf. The talks were described by aides on both sides as complicated, but not hostile" (New York Times, 6/26).

Hire Us Please

The question of how many of Clinton's associates will end up working in Obama's camp "is another source of tension. To date, there has been no large-scale effort to recruit" Clinton's aides. HRC's aides said Obama's camp "had made only a perfunctory effort to hire Clinton staff members; the Clinton campaign payroll is ending for most employees in less than a week."

Obama manager David Plouffe said the camp "was taking names of Clinton staff members" from HRC and was prepared to hire a number, particularly for contested states. Plouffe: "They are getting us the names of people who are interested in working with us, and we are working through that."

Obama is in talks to hire one of HRC's most "prominent advisers" Neera Tanden "and has hired and dispatched a few" of HRC's field operatives to work in MO and OH (New York Times, 6/26).

Unity, NH, May Not Be Big Enough For The Both Of Them

While Clinton has "urged supporters to transfer their loyalties" to Obama, "a highly vocal minority" of HRC's "supporters have chosen to ignore her plea altogether. Under the umbrella group, Just Say No Deal, diehard Clintonites have set up more than 100 anti-Obama websites in the last 20 days, most of them boiling with indignation" (Luce, Financial Times, 6/25).

In "a move that no doubt displeased" the Clinton camp (Tapper, ABCNews.com, 6/25), Obama said 6/25 "that he would not send out an e-mail to his small-dollar donors asking them to send money" to HRC (New York Times, 6/26).

Obama, explaining why he would not solicit help for HRC from "his grassroots army" of 1.5M: "Small donors who are writing $5 or $10 or $15, $25 checks -- first of all, their budgets are tighter... I'm not going to be individually contacting $15 donors, because, frankly, it probably wouldn't be that effective in terms of making a big dent in Sen. Clinton's debt" (ABCNews.com, 6/25).

Meanwhile, Obama told reporters in Chicago on 6/25 that he is looking forward to "campaigning vigorously" with Clinton in the weeks ahead. Obama: "I want her out there talking to people about how we're going to provide universal health care. I want her to talk about what's going to be required for us to get on a serious energy footing in this country... And I think we can send Sen. Clinton anywhere and she will be effective" (Wall Street Journal, 6/26).

Obama: "I want her campaigning as much as she can. She was a terrific campaigner. She, I think, inspired millions of people" (McCormick, Chicago Tribune, 6/26).

Judge Obama

Obama came out against the SCOTUS decision 6/25 banning the death penalty for child rapists. Obama: "I have said repeatedly that I think the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes. I think that the rape of a small child, 6 or 8 years old, is a heinous crime, and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable that that does not violate our Constitution." If the court "said we want to constrain the abilities of states to do this to make sure that it's done in a careful and appropriate way, that would have been one thing. But it basically had a blanket prohibition, and I disagree with that decision" (AP, 6/25).

Wall Street Journal's Davis writes, Obama "may also have side-stepped a Michael Dukakis moment," alluding to an '88 presidential debate in which Dukakis said the death penalty wouldn't be "appropriate if his own wife was raped and murdered"; Dukakis's response "caused his poll numbers to drop overnight" (6/25).

Rezko: Just A Dude Who Brought Land Next To Me

Obama told reporters in Chicago on 6/25 that the "clout and corruption scandals that have plagued" Chicago and IL politics in recent years "have not laid a glove on" him. Obama: "You will recall that for my entire political career here, I was not the endorsed candidate of any political organization here."

Obama: "I didn't go around wielding a bunch of clout. My reputation in Springfield was as an independent. There is no doubt I had friends and continue to have friends who come out of the more traditional school of Chicago politics but that's not what launched my political career and that's not what I've ever depended on to get elected, and I would challenge any Chicago reporter to dispute that basic fact" (Pallasch, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/26).

Any Given Sunday

ABC's Roberts sat down with Rev. Michael Pfleger for an exclusive interview.

Pfleger, asked if he went too far in his comments about HRC: "I was at a church family that I've spoken to many times, that I know well. And I think when you're around family, you're looser. Do you get carried away, do you get more dramatic, do you get caught up in the crowd when you're around your friends and your family? Absolutely, and I acknowledge that. I was giving a talk about race, and is entitlement one of the things about race that I believe in? Is an unequal playing field one of the things I believe in? Yes. So I don't apologize for being passionate. I don't apologize for being free. I apologize when my passion or my freeness and my flawness of character get in the way of the content, which is much more important to me."

Roberts: "What if Obama loses the White House due in part to religious controversies involving Jeremiah Wright or Father Pfleger?"

Pfleger: "I think that would be a cheap shot to blame Reverend Wright or myself. I think it's easy to put a blame somewhere than to acknowledge what is the real reason, but I also think to be careful that we don't look for easy outs to blame for real problems we're not willing to wrestle with and deal with and face" ("GMA," 6/26).

Girls, All I Really Want Is Girls

Obama "will continue his outreach to female voters" today with "a meeting with female" Dem House members. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): "This is his chance to seal the deal with women members." The meeting will conclude "Obama's outreach to the representatives of divided constituencies." He is still "struggling to bring Clinton's supporters fully into the fold." Most "former Clinton supporters in Congress" have said "they're fully on board... but tension remains."

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) and other Latina Dems "reportedly declined to attend a Congressional Hispanic Caucus meeting" and while ex-Clinton supporter Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), endorsed today meeting, she said of attending: "I'm sure I'll be busy."

Obama "can expect to be pressed on whether he'll have more women in his Cabinet, his position on appointing Supreme Court justices who support the Roe v. Wade abortion decision and his support for family legislation." Additionally, he will "likely be question and lobbied on his" VP choice, and "pressed on the question of sexism in the campaign" (Soraghan, The Hill, 6/25).

This May Determine If He Gets A Deal On His Next Car

Detroit auto execs "are getting face time this week" with Obama, which could help "thaw festering tension between" him and the "Big Three auto makers." Ford Motors, on their 6/25 meeting: "It was a very productive meeting. The vitality of our economy will depend on our government seeking a partnership with industry."

It is "unlikely" General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner or Ford CEO Alan Mulally "will publicly support" Obama or McCain, but "both executives would be keen to establish rapport with the next occupant" of the WH, especially after "enduring a sometimes-rocky relationship" with the current admin. These meetings could ease the strain on Obama's "relationship with GM and Ford," which suffered after "he criticized the Big Three for working to defeat federal fuel-economy standards that may have helped fix the industry" in '07 (Stoll, Wall Street Journal, 6/26).

State Directors Have Moment In Sun

Obama's camp 6/25 announced state directors in AK, IA, MT, NM and OR: Obama's IA caucuses advisor Jackie Norris will serve as the IA State dir. Midwest political dir/MO dir Mike Dorsey is heading to MT. TX state dir Adrian Saenz will lead the NM campaign. AK dir Kat Pustay "has returned to Anchorage," and OR primary dir Rob Hill "will be staying in Portland" (release, 6/25).

You Remember, The '90s, Back When D.L. Hughley Actually Had A Career

Comedian/BET Awards host D.L. Hughley said Obama was "like a tall Urkel dude" in an interview with AP Television 6/25, referring to the character from '90s sitcom, "Family Matters." Hughley: "He does look like the dude from 'Mad' magazine. ...But for the first black president, I'll take him. ... Like, how bad a president is George Bush, when the country goes, 'You know, we'll try the black guy'?" (Cidoni, AP, 6/26).

Getting Into Shape

Chicago Tribune's Pearson writes, Rev. Jesse Jackson called Obama's nomination "the last lap of a 54-year marathon race" in U.S. race relations.

Jackson: "People have been too quick to say, 'Back in the civil rights day.' The civil rights movement never stopped. Its form may have changed from certain kinds of demonstration activity, but the struggle to get the right to vote was not led by either party. They celebrate the results of it, but in those marches, neither party invested in the success of those marches or martyrs."

Jackson, on the potential for political coalitions between African Americans and Latinos: "We're going to be neighbors for a long time, working in hospitals together and hotels together and schools together and public transportation together. We are each others' future in so many ways" ("The Swamp," 6/25).

Pot Calling The Kettle Arrogant

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Karl Rove writes, "Many candidates have measured the Oval Office drapes prematurely, but Barack Obama is the first to redesign the presidential seal before the election." This was an attempt by Obama "to make himself appear more presidential. But most people saw in the seal something else -- chutzpah -- and he's stopped using it. Such arrogance -- even self-centeredness -- have featured often in the Obama campaign." The Rove piece goes on to highlight Obama's "self-centeredness," his "alpha-male attitude, his "thin resume" (6/26).

The Anatomy Of An "Obamacon"

Robert Novak writes, "What is an 'Obamacon?' The phrase surfaced in January to describe British conservatives entranced" by Obama. On 3/13 the American Spectator "broadened the term to cover all 'conservative supporters' of" Obama. "Their ranks, though growing, feature few famous people. But looming on the horizon are two big potential Obamacons: Colin Powell and Chuck Hagel."

Powell, Hagel and "lesser-known Obamacons harbor no animosity toward McCain. Nor do they show much affection for the rigidly liberal Obama. The Obamacon syndrome is based on hostility" to Bush and his admin and on "revulsion" over today's GOP (Washington Post, 6/26).

Curb Your Enthusiasm

The "outbreak of enthusiasm" for Obama -- captured this week by Sen. Gordon Smith's (R-OR) ad "promoting his own reelection" and featuring Obama -- is "a striking shift from the spring," when GOP ads around the country "painted Obama as an out-of-touch liberal bringing his brand of politics to regions of the country that should shun it." One senior GOP strategist "involved in House races said that strategy is now largely dead, 'except in rare instances, and I'm not sure it was a good idea in the first place.'" However, NRCC spokesperson Ken Spain "said the GOP will stick to that script this fall 'on a district-by-district basis.'"

Rep. Thomas Reynolds (R-NY) points out, "at the end of the day, although a lot of Republican strategists can say Oregon is in play, it would be a surprise if [Smith] wins it" (Weisman, Washington Post, 6/26).

Paging Dr. Keynes

Obama adviser/Economic Policy Institute senior economist Jared Bernstein said at a 6/25 Milwaukee event that "labor needs more power for the U.S. economy to prosper"; otherwise, "wages will continue to lag and demand will stagnate." To help, Bernstein proposed "allowing unions to be certified without an election if a majority of workers want one" and implementing a $60B, 10-year "program of spending on public works" (Lank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/25).

Making Flippy Floppy

Washington Times editorializes, Obama "is not quite sure where he stands" on NAFTA. "He seeks to satisfy both free-trade voters and key Democratic constituents who dislike NAFTA. Yet, he has not answered this fundamental question: What happens if, once he is president, he demands that NAFTA be re-negotiated, and Canada and Mexico refuse to re-negotiate or they simply reject his terms? Then, will he accept the current treaty or opt out?" Obama "needs to show political courage and take a firm stand rather than flipping and floping -- and thereby losing credibility as a proponent of the 'new politics'" (6/26).

Too Bad Reggie, She's Engaged

Obama's underlying message to actor Scarlett Johansson: "You're not really an Obama girl." He "insisted to reporters" she does not "have access to his private email address" (Haberman, New York Post, 6/26). New York Magazine editorializes, on the e-mail "relationship": "'Relationship.' Ouch. We're sure the jab of those air quotes was like a sword plunging into Scarlett's heart...That the sarcasm in his voice stung like poison. Who would possibly have the temerity to send such e-mails to the blondest and most beautiful woman in America if not one of the most powerful and handsome men in the United States? It's clearly Obama's body man, Reggie Love. Oh, Cyrano. Is your cause a lost one?" (6/25).

Oh, Where Have You Been, My Brown-Eyed Son?

New York Observer's Haber writes, "Mere words cannot express the awesomeness that is Barack Obama. At least that's what the new cover of Rolling Stone tells--or doesn't tell--us." The wordless cover "has also been used by the magazine for other important, 'words are not enough' stores like the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison" (6/25).

Time's Carney on Obama's Rolling Stone interview: "We learned what Obama is trying to convey, which is that he's a regular guy. His musical tastes are very mainstream. I disagree with the notion that Shakespeare and Hemingway are a little dark as favorite authors. ... This is also fairly mainstream. I think the point is that Barack Obama, just like that big ad buy he put out, his first national general election campaign ad buy, was all about sending the signal that he's not exotic, he's not foreign, he's red, white and blue American" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/25).

Newsweek's Wolffe: "What leaps out to me, Bob Dylan. This is a guy who ran against the 1960's and it's time to turn the page, and he's listening to Bob Dylan. Come on" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/25).

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