It was Hilary's devious, insincere refusals to give straight answers which caused me to declare her the loser of the Democratic debate at Drexel University. Watch the video and hear it in her own words.
Senator Barack Obama outperformed six other Democratic presidential wannabes at last night's debate at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
An unscientific OpenVote poll found Drexel students selected Obama as the debate winner:
Currently, with over 600 votes cast, Obama has sustained the lead with 46 percent.I didn't see it quite that way. I thought Hillary took a lot of damage from Dodd, Edwards and Obama. I think Edwards came out on top.
Earlier, when Clinton was asked whether she had made one statement on Social Security publicly and a conflicting answer privately, she ducked the question, saying she believed in “fiscal responsibility.”She came across as devious, insincere and waffling on access to records about her activities while First Lady. Hillary similarly refused to give a straight answer regarding New York Governor Eliott Spitzer's very unpopular plan to issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens.
In the Washington Post, David Greenberg writes that Rudy is a confirmed right-winger:
On issues such as free speech and religion, secrecy and due process, civil rights and civil liberties, pornography and democracy, this moralist and self-styled lawman has exhibited all the key hallmarks of Bush-era conservatism.Greenberg relies upon Rudy's attempt to censor an art exhibit featuring a painting of the Virgin Mary that used clumps of elephant dung; his plan to fund parochial schools with city money; His directive that police confiscate the cars of people charged with drunken driving; and his efforts to remain mayor beyond his term.
[. . .]
The case for Giuliani's moderation rests mainly on three overblown issues -- guns, gay rights and abortion -- and even in those cases, his deviation from conservative orthodoxy is far milder than is usually suggested.
The "social" and "cultural" issues that divide Americans encompass much more than guns, gay rights and abortion. They include state support of religion; the legitimacy of dissenting speech; the president's right to keep information secret; the place of fair procedures in dispensing justice. The Bush administration's hard-line stands on these matters have polarized the nation as much as the Iraq war has. And on these issues, Giuliani is just as hard-line as the man he'd like to succeed.
At the Orlando Republican presidential candidate debate Fred Thompson was asked about the criticism that he is lazy. Fred listed some of his achievements, then said:
If a man can do all that and be lazy, I recommend it to everybody. [The transcript of the exchange is posted below]That exchange inspired comedian Jimmy Kimmel to come up with a "campaign ad" to contradict charge that Fred is lazy:
From the debate transcript:
GOLER: Senator Thompson, reporters on your campaign say your stumbles on the Terry Schiavo case and on the issue of oil drilling in the Everglades show that you don't do your homework.
The week after, though -- you took a week off after the last debate. Speech yesterday was about five minutes long. Some people say you're lazy, sir.
How do you deal with that?
(LAUGHTER)
THOMPSON: Well -- no, it's OK. Let me answer that.
I was a father at the age of 17 and a husband at the age of 17. I got started working in a factory. I borrowed and worked my way through. My folks did what they could to help. They were country folks -- came in off the farm.
I was able to be an assistant U.S. attorney when I was 28, prosecuting most of the major federal crimes in middle Tennessee -- most of the major ones.
THOMPSON: Howard Baker selected me to go to Washington and be his counsel on the Watergate Committee at the age of 30.
I came back, took on a corrupt state administration, and won against them. I went to the United States Senate, got elected twice by 20 points in a state that Bill Clinton carried twice.
Condoleezza Rice called upon me to head up an international security advisory board to advise her on international security matters. President Bush called me to help shepherd Chief Justice -- now-Chief Justice John Roberts' nomination through the Judiciary Committee.
If a man can do all that and be lazy, I recommend it to everybody.
(LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE)
HUME: And that is it for us tonight. Our thanks to the candidates.
THOMPSON: And I should add, the most important -- the most important part is I'm a proud father of five; two of them are under the age of four. So let me add that to the list.
Stephen Colbert has announced plans to run in both the Democratic and Republican South Carolina Presidential primaries.
A new Public Opinion Strategies poll finds Presidential wannabe, Stephen Colbert, takes 2.3 percent of the vote. That's better than Democratic candidates Governor Bill Richardson (2.1 percent), Representative Dennis Kucinich (2.1 percent) and former Senator Mike Gravel (less than 1 percent).
Richardson, Kucinich and Gravel should take the hint. It's long past time for them to withdraw.
Time Magazine published this picture of Senator Barack Obama, Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Hillary Clinton and Ruth Harkin during the national anthem at Tom Harkin's Iowa Steak Fry.
Three of the four people in the picture want to be President of the United States. One of the three is disrespecting the Flag of the United States during the playing of the National Anthem.
United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10 - Patriotic Customs, provides:
During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
A new Zogby poll finds half of likely voters would never vote for Hillary:
Older voters are most resistant to Clinton – 59% of those age 65 and older said they would never vote for the New York senator, but she is much more acceptable to younger voters: 42% of those age 18–29 said they would never vote for Clinton for President.Things are getting worse for Hillary. In a March Zogby poll only 46 percent said they could never vote for Hillary. At the same time, the Harris Poll found 50 percent of U.S. adults would not vote for Hillary, including 21 percent of Democrats.
Presidential wannabee, Connecticut Democrat Senator Chris Dodd, says he will block a Senate vote on a White House-backed terrorist surveillance bill.
Dodd's move would stall a measure that President Bush and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell have said is essential to protect national security.
As I have posted before, I still don't find the Terrorist Surveillance Program very bothersome. We are at war, even though too many pretend we are not. I like the idea that someone is keeping an eye on suspected terrorist communications.
The following video shows the possible unintended consequences of letting liberal-progressives stop the Terrorist Surveillance Program:
Thanks to directorblue at the Doug Ross Journal for the tip.
In a continuing effort to hide from the fact that she has no executive experience, Senator Clinton repeatedly says she has years of relevant experience.
If the 60-year-old Hillary manages to be elected President, she would be only the third sitting Senator elected President. Hillary has been an elected official only seven years. The two previous sitting Senators, Harding and Kennedy, both served as elected officials for 14 years before becoming President. Harding also ran a successful newspaper and Kennedy served in World War II, during which he commanded a patrol torpedo (PT) boat. That makes Hillary the least experienced.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, questions Hillary’s experience:
I honestly and most respectfully, I don't know Hillary's experience. She's never run a city; she's never run a state; she's never run a business; she's never met a payroll; she's never been responsible for the safety and security of millions of people, much less even hundreds of people. So I'm trying to figure out where the experience is here.Watch the video:
"I really think my unique" — "my experience uniquely equips me to be president at this time."That's right - uniquely inexperienced.
The Associated Press is reporting that Senator Sam Brownback will withdraw from the 2008 presidential campaign on Friday.
