I know. I know. We don't have the "context" and "its from Politico", but if this is true, what do we have to look forward in an Obama presidency:
Rangel surrogates approached Obama staffers this week about the possibility of securing him a slot at the podium, making the case that it would showcase reconciliation between the nominee and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s African-American supporters.But they were told that the 78-year-old congressman’s support for Clinton earned him a place at the end of the line behind Barack Obama’s loyalists — even if Rangel played a crucial part in prodding Clinton to abandon her presidential bid in June.
One of myriad problems with Bush was his surrounding of like minded people and purging of dissenters, even former allies (Paul O'Neil, US Attorneys, etc.). This is not a trait I want to have in a president.
I've been saying this since the Krugman purge, but Obama and/or his surrogates have displayed a petty vindictive behavior that I find scary. Rather than truly reaching out to Hillary supporters, they spare no chance to stick it to people who didn't support him. (Which is why the idea of Obama controlling what progressive organizations get money is truly disturbing.)
Or maybe its just a further snub at Hillary (this one's on the record):
“This isn’t unexpected — Charlie is the New York face of Hillary Clinton,” said Baruch College politics professor Doug Muzzio. “There’s already an awful lot of Clinton in this convention and Charlie would have been a bit too much.”
Yeah, having the most powerful African American in the US (beside Obama) speak would signal "too much Hillary".
If Obama is purging minimal opponents/critics now what's it going to be like if he's president? Obama supporters--tepid or enthusiastic--should be trying to prevent this behavior now rather than trying to justify it. They could easily end up at the end of the line of more loyal Obama loyalists.
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Is it how things are done in Chicago politics? Us'ly it's done,
but far more subtly and not immediately. Calls not returned, bills somehow not supported. But this is rather obvious and raw.
Axelrod does admire how Rove ran things, however, so maybe it's just another of the good Republican ideas Obama admires so much....
It's a sign
This is the superdelegate grumbling that's starting.
Bad omen for Obama. Very bad omen.
Come together at The Confluence
Charlie Rangel Can Take Care of Himself
This is either bullshit (likely, it's the Politico) or incredibly stupid on Obama's part because, among other things, Rangel is the Chairman of Ways and Means. You don't get anything through Congress without him.
So I guess my take is that I don't particularly believe it, but even if it is true, Charlie Rangel is going to get his say on Obama's policies and legislation whether Obama wants him to or not. Obama isn't going to have a choice about listening to Charlie Rangel.
Obamanation has a pool going
They want to see how many members of the party they can alienate and piss off before the leadership takes the nomination away from The Precious
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“But hysteria is all the rage these days, I guess” - gqm
Isn't that how you govern?
Take out people that disagree with you; go against the policies of people who governed before you just because the policies were ones they implemented.
What else is there?
My husband tells a great Charlie Rangel story
A couple of days after the September 11 attack, my husband and some other firefighters were walking back to their firehouse after a search and rescue shift. They stopped to watch the media filming a group of politicians solemly marching to Ground Zero.
Charlie Rangel saw them, broke away from the photo op, and rushed to greet them. "Howya doin' boys? Whadda ya need? What can I getchya?" That's Charlie Rangel.
My husband wasn't injured during the attack, but he's had recurring throat lesions and lung problems ever since. His condition is being monitored and treated and his meds are provided at a reduced cost because of the efforts of one junior senator from New York.
Now refresh my memory, what are some of the legislative accomplishments of the putative nominee?
He has a certificate of attendance from the Illinois' Senate
It says he was "present"
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“But hysteria is all the rage these days, I guess” - gqm
Concerned for your husband
I know it's a very high percentage of the first responders and rescue workers from the WTC that have had these same type of problems, sadly, some of them are no longer with us. I have the highest regard and admiration for these brave people who were sent into that situation without the proper equipment and even being told there was no health risk. Of course there was no way to hold them back, when they hoped to rescue comrades and later as the fallen were being recovered. My thoughts are with you and your husband, be well.
Amazing story, Chezmadame, on many levels. Obama's camp
has been alienating much of the outlyers for quite a while now. It's going to be a very stark vista when Obama heads into the fall w/out key democrats at his side including a good percentage of Hillary's supporters. His numbers are dropping and so are his supporters.
I love this job!
I don't think his numbers are dropping
The numbers aren't at mandate level (though Obama and our famously free press will doubtless make that claim) but so far as I can tell Obama's had a more or less consistent lead.
McCain is Dole!
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
Dissent
I may be a dissenting voice, here, but even if this is true, I'm not sure I much care. Obama isn't the only one rumored to have an enemies list...just sayin'.
If I do see anything wrong with this it is who he's made an enemy of: Charlie Rangel. Politically, that's very stupid. But, other than that, I'm not sure why Charlie Rangel is somehow entitled to speak. I know if it were me, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with this sham of a convention. The DNC can keep their mile-high kabuki theatre. The OFB
can have their pilgrimage and mega-tent revival. They can have at their chance to touch the Messi-hu's cloak.
The O Man's getting eviscerated at Talk Left.
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/8/14/...
"You'd better get this straight. Wise up before it's too late." -- Sister Sledge
That's the point
No politician with a grain of sense sticks his elbow in the face of the chairman of Ways and Means because he supported, without rancor, another politician in the primaries.
It's a bad sign for the way a possible Obama presidency might play out.
State-By-State Polls
If you track the latest state polls, McCain has had two come out in the last couple of days good for him in Colorado and Nevada, which if accurate would tighten the electoral race. The national polls have been fairly steady. To me, there are two potential dangers for Obama - the national polling that shows him consistently under 50% and the electoral count. I've long believed this could be a year when Obama wins the popular vote and loses the electoral college. Ohio and Michigan are both still considered toss ups because of the close polling (some polls have put McCain ahead in Ohio). The electoral vote is going to come down to a few states and there it's much closer than nationally. Now, if all those close states break for Obama, he'll have a huge night in November. I'm just in the camp of believing Indiana will go blue when I see it (it hasn't done it in my life time).
The realclearpolitics average
stopped including USA Today/Gallup and the Fox news polls in their calculations.
I noticed a one day jump from Obama 2.8 ahead to 4.8 ahead and took a close look to see what was going on.
Sure enough, USA Today/Gallup, which had McCain ahead by a consternation-causing 6 points among likely voters, was no longer included. Neither was the Fox News poll.
Even so, the average for Obama has been dropping all week.
It is so early, though.