1. company town
    Will ‘Kristen’ Get a High Rate From the Media, Too?MEDIA • How did the New York Times get the Spitzer scoop anyway? [NYO] • “CNN Admits: We Shouldn’t Have Used Alleged Stripper Biter As Spitzer Commentator.” [AP via HuffPo] • Bids for an interviews with “Kristen,” the prostitute who slept with “Client 9,” are reportedly up to $100,000. [Guest of a Guest]
  2. early and often
    The Surprising Facets of Last Night’s Unsurprising Obama Victory As you probably already know, but perhaps haven’t been much thinking about, Barack Obama won the Mississippi primary last night. It was a big win, something like 60 percent to 37 percent. Clinton didn’t make much of an effort in the state, so she probably didn’t take the loss too hard — for a woman who claims to want to seat the Michigan and Florida delegations so that every Democratic voter can feel like he’s been listened to, she’s certainly been ignoring a large amount of them. But the exit-poll numbers indicate a few surprises. For one thing, Hillary Clinton received the lion’s share of crossover votes (Republican voters who vote in the Democratic primary), which is a first — every other time crossover voting has been included, Obama has trumped her with this group. But this time, Hillary took them 3 to 1. Obama took 90 percent of the black vote, and Hillary did better than usual with the white vote, which Politico’s Ben Smith chalks up to the attitudes of southern white voters. And finally, Obama won either five or seven delegates more than Hillary did last night, depending on who is counting. This effectively erases any ground she may have gained after her big wins last Tuesday. We will now return to our round-the-clock Eliot Spitzer hookapalooza coverage. Mississippi Crossovers [Talking Points Memo] Mississippi Delegates [Politico] The Magnolia State Stats [Stumper/Newsweek] Obama Wins In Mississippi [NYT]
  3. it just happened
    Joe Bruno Remarkably Restrained in Press ConferenceJoe Bruno held a press conference just now, and it was well played. Despite the fact that Eliot Spitzer has basically been up until now his mortal enemy, he didn’t rub it in that he was totally right when he told New York earlier this month that the governor was “two-faced. He does not tell the truth.” Rather, wearing an expression of weary “I-don’t-have-time-for-this-perv” resignation, he discussed the possible transition of David Paterson (with whom he has a “great relationship”) into the position of governor and went out of his way to make the point that just because someone decided to defy Lord and country by sleeping with hookers doesn’t mean that everyone else was going to stop doing their jobs. “There is no pleasure in what is going on in this state,” he said. “This is a distraction of proportions we have never experienced. As for Eliot Spitzer, my heart goes out to his wife and his family. He must deal with his problems in his own way.” Related: How Eliot Spitzer Finally Got Joe Bruno on the Ropes [NYM]
  4. in other news
    Late-Night Hosts Take the Spitzer Ball and, Um, Dribble With It If any good could come from the Eliot Spitzer scandal, it’s that the late-night shows have some of their best source material since Bill Clinton requested the definition of the word “is.” So with that in mind, we fired up our DVR for the most promising night of comedy in years. And boy, were we disappointed. Letterman, predictably, was funny enough, opening his monologue by asking whether it was too soon to hit on Mrs. Eliot Spitzer, then telling a handful of jokes (“Did you happen to see the press conference? Very dramatic. Eliot Spitzer was there with yellow crime-scene tape around his pants”). The Times has a complete rundown of every joke, if you’re interested. Seated back at his desk, Letterman read off a Top Ten List of Eliot Spitzer excuses (No. 8: Just trying to help the economy!).
  5. in other news
    New Details Emerge in Spitzer Prostitution ScandalOkay, have you gotten over your shock yet? Have you called back your mother, who called you the minute she heard about it on TV and asked, “WHAT’S WITH YOUR GOVERNOR?” (“THESE GUYS WITH THEIR EGOS, THEY THINK THEY CAN DO ANYTHING,” she probably said when you returned her call. That was probably just before your aunt sent you an e-mail asking for “the buzz from the city.”) Well, if you’ve gotten past these initial phases of dealing with trauma, it’s time to unload some more awkward details on you. The Times does a really amazing job today of walking you through what happened leading up to, on, (under), and after that fateful February 13, when Client 9 had his assignation in the Washington with “Kristen” the call girl. Kristen, having already passed through the lobby, with its wing chairs and its gilded half-clad cherubs, arrived in a small room in a quiet corner of the “Club Floor,” a special wing for V.I.P.’s. A king-size bed commanded the floor. Two photos — of the Capitol and the Washington Monument — hung beside a wood-framed mirror. As soon as she came in, Kristen called her boss, Temeka Lewis, who was the booking agent for the Emperor’s Club V.I.P., an online prostitution ring, the affidavit said. Ms. Lewis told her that the client had arrived. He was headed for the room.
  7. in other news
    Reacting to Eliot’s Mess Eliot Spitzer is still holed up in his apartment in New York, where he and his wife, Silda, have been conferring with advisers since last night. He’s weighing his options, and deciding whether to resign. Meanwhile, on the outside, the politicians and the media have descended into exactly the kind of feeding frenzy you would expect: • The Post reports that State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno held back from reveling in his great rival’s fall: “I feel very badly for the governor’s wife, for his children,” he said. “The important thing for the people of New York State is that people in office do the right thing.” • According to CNN, Republican state senators and assemblymen (and some Democrats) are aggressively calling for his resignation. So is the Republican Governors Association. • If Spitzer doesn’t resign before a deadline set by state Republicans, they’ve vowed to begin impeachment proceedings, reports WCBS.
  8. intel
    Predict Which Pun the ‘Post’ Will Choose for Tomorrow’s Spitzer Cover! Obviously, our wit will never match the staggering genius of the minds behind New York Post headlines. But, as we wait for some, any new information to emerge in the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, we can’t help but fall into that age-old game: Guess What the Post Is Gonna Say Tomorrow! If the governor resigns tonight, there’s a chance the coverage will have moved on to something about the new African-American (and legally blind) governor, David Paterson. But in all likelihood, no matter what happens, there will be a completely spectacular and vicious pun on the cover, along with a terribly unflattering picture of Spitzer. Below, we’ve come up with our best guesses — and we admit, they’re not that good. In the comments, please help us out with your best pun stylings: NAILED SCREWED SPENT RING STING HOOK, LINE & SPITZER STEAMROLLED BLOWING OFF STEAM LOVE POTION #9 A NIGHT AT THE SPITZ AN EL’ OF A GOOD TIME SPITZER SWALLOWS Update: Our friend Jeff over at Portfolio has a pretty good one: “LOVE GOV” Update: And the Post went with… HO NO! We congratulate them for finding something that none of you come up with. Thanks for all your suggestions — we think our favorite was LOVE GUV DOESN’T LIKE TO WEAR “GLOVE” by “Creativeunderclass.”
  9. early and often
    Video: New York Women on Hillary Clinton Is a vote for Hillary Clinton an act of feminism? Should she have cried? Is it more important to have the first black man or the first woman president? These are the kinds of questions that Democratic-primary voters have been asking themselves during the most riveting election season in decades. According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, women are evenly split between Clinton and opponent Barack Obama. More women than men also believe that the media is tougher on Clinton than on her male opponents. But what do New York women think? We put these questions to several of them in Union Square yesterday and found that Clinton cannot take even her constituents’ votes for granted. Watch the video.
    By Jonah Green
  10. early and often
    ‘Journal’ Stipple Artists Find Obama ChallengingRemember when there was all that hullabaloo about the Clinton campaign’s making Barack Obama look blacker than he is in one of its ads? The campaign dismissed the claim, but we know enough about political advertising to be aware that not one single second of any spot isn’t agonized over. (Case in point: The idea that the famous “floating cross” in Huckabee’s Christmas ad was anything but planned is ridiculous.) But maybe we were too quick to judge: Last Thursday we noticed that Clinton isn’t the only one with trouble nailing down Obama’s exact facial characteristics. The Wall Street Journal’s crack team of stipple artists (led by Noli Novak) couldn’t quite get it right, either. Instead of Obama’s trademark dark brow and big open eyes, we got an image of a man who looked, well, a little bit like a generic black dude. That’s weird, right? But maybe we should just chalk it up to the limitations of the medium. And in that case, let us say that said limitations are kinder to Hillary. When was the last time you saw her looking that joyful and young? Clinton, Obama Go on Attack as Superdelegates Hold Key [WSJ]
  11. in other news
    Why the Sean Bell Trial Hasn’t Exploded (Yet) Andrea Peyser needs Al Sharpton’s help. The Post columnist has been doing her sneering best to try to pump some racial tension into the trial of three cops accused of murdering Sean Bell. Lately, though, Peyser sounds more frustrated than incendiary: “This was supposed to be a case about racist cops shooting a black man for no good reason,” she recently complained. Where is Reverend Sharpton to make an inflammatory stand when you need him? Disney World, that’s where!
  12. it just happened
    Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair to Teach at Yale University Tony Blair, fresh into his first year of retirement from helming the United Kingdom, will take up a position as a fellow at Yale in the fall. A press release from the university announces: Mr. Blair will lead a seminar at Yale and participate in a number of events around the campus. The course in which he will participate with Yale faculty will examine issues of faith and globalization. His efforts at Yale relate to the work of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation that he will be launching later this year. Blair will be a “Howland Distinguished Fellow,” a post once filled by Indira Ghandi. Blair’s son Euan is currently studying for a master’s degree in international relations at the school. In 2006, it was reported that Harvard, Princeton, and Yale all competed for Euan’s affections when he was choosing schools, and in the end he selected Yale, which gave him a full scholarship. A prescient move, it would now seem.
  13. early and often
    John McCain Brings All the Billionaires to the YardJohn McCain is coming to New York next Tuesday for a giant fund-raiser to power his national campaign, reports Elizabeth Benjamin at the Daily News. It sounds like it’s going to be a doozy — the host committee includes Henry Kissinger, Alfonse D’Amato, Woody Johnson, Georgette Mosbacher, and Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain. Tickets are either $1,000 or $2,300 per person (get it? The most you can donate to one candidate?), and it will take place at the Plaza. So glamorous. But let’s get down to business (literally). How many billionaires will be in attendance? And how many billions do they represent? From Forbes.com’s most recent list, we count five: Henry Kravis (the world’s 178th-richest man, worth $5.5 billion), Ray Dalio (worth $4 billion), Louis Bacon (worth $1.7 billion), Marc Rowan (worth $1.5 billion), and Robert Fisher ($1.4 billion). That’s a total of over $14 billion in the room with the Republican presidential nominee. There are several dozen other multimillionaires on the list, plus Lord knows how many buying tickets — so we’ll conservatively push that number over the $15 billion barrier. At first, we wondered how on earth any of the Democrats could get that much money into one room. And then we remembered that all Hillary needs to do is have Warren Buffet hold another fund-raiser, and she’d be in the company of quadruple that amount. Nobody else would even need to show up.
  14. white men with money
    CEOs Fry at Congressional Hearing!Oh, not really. We’re just exaggerating. That’s what the media does, according to former Citigroup CEO Chuck Prince, Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo, and former Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O’Neal,all of whom who have all offered up the line that the media has “grossly exaggerated” the amounts of their compensation in their testimony in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. “The reality is that I received no severance package,” said O’Neal. This is technically true: but he did recieve $161.5 million in cash, stock and stock options upon his “retirement” in October. Over at Portfolio, Elizabeth Olson is live-blogging the hearing, and she has reported that, among other things, Countrywide Financial CEO Mozilo looks “tan and confident,” but everyone looks totes unhappy. The day started out with a bang: Chair Henry Waxman, who called for the hearing, wondered aloud whether the “hundreds of millions of dollars [the CEOs] were given represent a complete disconnect from reality,” but Republican representative Tom Davis killed his joy by saying that they “should not degenerate into a sanctimonious search for scapegoats.… Punishing individual corporate executives with public floggings like this may be a politically satisfying ritual — like an island tribe sacrificing a virgin to a grumbling volcano.” Indeed. Also, who knew Davis was so creative? Credit C.E.O. Comp Under Fire, IV [Daily Brief/Portfolio]
  15. early and often
    Samantha Power Thinks Hillary Clinton Is a Problem From HellBarack Obama’s foreign-policy adviser, Samantha Power, went negative on Hillary Clinton to the The Scotsman yesterday. Like, really negative. While traveling in the U.K. to promote her book Chasing the Flame, about U.N. representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Pulitzer winner lamented the Ohio primary — “We fucked up in Ohio” — and kinda let loose about Obama’s rival. “She is a monster,” she told the paper, before quickly trying to pull the statement off the record. (The paper was having none of it, noting that Power was promoting her book and it had been established in advance that the interview was on the record.) Regardless, Power’s on-the-record statements weren’t much gentler. “She is stooping to anything,” she said of Clinton. “You just look at her and think: ergh … The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive.” All right then! Now tell us how you really feel. Power later apologized and Obama “decried” the statement (wonder whether Hillary will call him out on not “rejecting” it instead?). We also learned today that Hillary’s team is trying to slap Obama with the Ken Starr name tag, but let’s be honest — “monster” is much more catchy. Inside US poll battle as fight turns dirty for Democrats [Scotsman] Update: Power just resigned, issuing the following statement: “With deep regret, I am resigning from my role as an adviser to the Obama campaign effective today. Last Monday, I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor and purpose of the Obama campaign.”
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    Hillary Clinton Hints at a Dual Ticket With ObamaHillary Clinton, perhaps worried that some people think her ambition still threatens to tear apart the Democratic Party, has today came out with a surprising hint: that she’d be open to the possibility of joining Barack Obama on a ticket. We watched her hedge about the possibility of a Democratic “dream team” on several of the morning shows today, but while talking to CBS she admitted it wasn’t out of the question: That may be where this is headed, but of course we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket. Of course, we highly doubt that a dual ticket is “where this is headed” if Hillary would be in the veep position — she’s mentioned several times that if she doesn’t get the nomination she plans to go back to the Senate. (For what it’s worth, we can’t imagine Barack would go for VP, either.) But for Hillary, it does help to remind everyone that she can be a uniter and that she does have a long history of doing what’s right for the party. We’re impressed by this tactic. Dropping that kind of nuance into a series of dozens of early-morning interviews the day after kicking some ass? Is this lady never hung over? Clinton Hints at Sharing Ticket With Obama [WCBS-TV]
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    But Will the Endless Race Tear the Party Apart? Woooo! Hillary won! Things are going to be exciting now. She’s back in it to win it. Or is she? As the confetti settles from last night, pundits have begun repeating their long-practiced warnings: In order to really capture the nomination, Hillary still has to pull some political moves that will tear the Democratic party asunder. Whether it’s a continued onslaught of attack ads, a bid to seat Michigan and Florida delegates, or a last-minute coup of the election by superdelegates, many are still afraid of what Clinton’s actions might mean for the party base. • Jonathan Alter does the math using Slate’s Delegate Calculator (predicting generous Clinton victories), and still thinks she can’t win without superdelegates, even if she gets a rerun in Michigan and Florida. [Newsweek] • Charles Hurt, who called Hill the “strife of the party,” warns that if superdelegates actually do give her the nomination despite overwhelming demand for Obama, “many of his supporters — including the party’s crucial bloc of black voters — will desert the party.” [NYP]
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    Bloomberg Is Out of Race for Good, Except That He Still Plans to Be in It After months of teasing, innuendo, and downright madness, Bloomberg has put our stress over the possibility of his presidential candidacy to rest. In an editorial in the New York Times that went online last night, the mayor explained: I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president. I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. He railed against the candidates for not fully comprehending the challenges facing our economy, the environment, and our schools. He also encouraged an independent approach to these solutions, rather than a partisan one, and emphasized the importance of encouraging growth in America’s cities. He says he’ll still use his vast means to advocate for these issues during the race. The Daily News applauded the move, immediately nominating Bloomberg as a vice-presidential candidate to run on Obama’s ticket. The Post, meanwhile, called his prior flirtation with a run “shameful” and “infuriating.” We’re frankly a little past caring — we’d already pulled out all of our eyebrows by last summer anyway. I’m Not Running For President, But… [NYT]
  19. in other news
    Dan Rather Rails Against ‘Corporate Overlords’ Colluding With ‘Powers in Washington’Part of what Dan Rather was hoping for, in his $70 million lawsuit against former employer CBS, was the ability to open to public scrutiny the company’s actions that led up to his ouster in 2005. So it’s no surprise that when the network asked Manhattan Supreme Court to keep documents concerning Memogate private, the former anchor got a bit upset. CBS originally said it would keep things public, but they have backed off that. Rather, who wanted the public to see all the information involving the media giant’s investigation into the origins of disputed memos about President Bush’s National Guard Service, railed against network execs. “It is a fact that corporate overlords working in secret collusion with the powers in Washington are intruding far too often in far too many newsrooms,” he said. “Corporate overlords? “Secret collusion”? “Powers”? What is this, a Wachowski movie? Whether or not he is right, Rather isn’t doing himself any favors in the battle to rescue his reputation. He, of all people, should know how much phrasing matters. Rather: CBS Bosses Hiding Truth [NYDN via Jossip]
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    Clinton’s Barbs Condoned by the Patron Saint of Bitchy Sarcasm, Tina Fey Above is the terrifyingly shrill clip of Hillary Clinton’s sarcastic comedy routine about Barack Obama that’s been making the rounds today. Some people seem to think the crack, which she delivered at a rally yesterday, is good for her, because it shows her funny side. Other people found it “unattractive.” We kind of found it to be both riveting and appalling at the same time. Also, we can’t help but suspect that Hillary felt empowered to pull the stunt because of Tina Fey’s rather surprising, rabble-rousing Clinton endorsement on Saturday Night Live the day before. We have that video after the jump. Watching both these videos, you kind of have to admit that Tina’s on to something. Bitch may be, in fact, the new black.
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    So What Does the Liberal Media Think of Ralph Nader’s Latest Presidential Bid? We’ll admit it, we spent most of yesterday thinking about the Oscars. We tried to do our other normal Sunday things (hating the people in Page Six Magazine, hating the people in the New York Times wedding pages, hating Chris Matthews for having that voice so early in the morning), but most of the day was really devoted to looking forward to seeing George Clooney in a tux. And when Ralph Nader announced that he was running for president again, it was a small blip on our mental radar. (Come on, in competition with imagining what it would be like to be George’s human cummerbund, it didn’t stand much of a chance.) So this morning we decided to look online to see what other, less absurd members of the media, thought about the news. And it didn’t take much digging to discover the general, um, sentiment. An assortment of news headlines: • Nader, spoiling for a fight, says he’ll run yet again. [LA Times] • Spoilin’ for a Prez Run, Says Nader [NYDN] • Nader’s back, spoiling for another White House fight [AFP • Nader enters race, rejecting label of potential ‘spoiler’ [Boston Globe] • Ron Paul: Spoiler? [U.S. News & World Report] This is going to be fun, isn’t it?
  22. early and often
    The ‘Times’ McCain Debacle: Just What Huckabee Has Been Waiting For?Hooo boy! The Times really opened up a box of bees when they published their insinuating John McCain story late last night. If you haven’t seen it, it concerns McCain’s high-horse attitude toward ethics, which may have been compromised in part by a close, perhaps romantic relationship with attractive lobbyist Vicki Iseman during McCain’s first run for president eight years ago. The paper (using a half-dozen reporters and thousands of words) described confrontations that staffers had with both McCain and Iseman to stop what appeared to be an inappropriate intimacy. By late last evening, political blogs and news programs were exploding with reactions. McCain’s camp was outraged at what they called a “smear.” It quickly surfaced that there had been a long period of debate inside the Times as to when to publish the piece, and whether to do it at all. The McCain camp claimed that the paper ran with it after hearing that The New Republic was going to publish a story about the infighting at the paper over its inflammatory contents. Some critics even went so far as to speculate that the liberal Times wanted to wait until the Republicans had a presumptive nominee before blowing a hole in his candidacy. Woweee. Whether any of this affects McCain remains to be seen (we cannot wait for the smackdown that Cindy McCain is bound to lay down today). But the scandal addresses something that’s been itching us in the back of our heads for a long time: Why the heck is Mike Huckabee still in this race?
  23. early and often
    McCain Anoints Obama As His Rival, Obama AcceptsOn the back of their respective strong wins in Wisconsin, John McCain has trained his sights on Barack Obama. He called the Illinois senator “naïve” for his position on bombing Al Qaeda targets in Pakistan and labeled his position on whether he would accept public campaign financing as “Washington double-talk.” Obama lashed back through a spokesman, who said, “John McCain is in no place to question anyone on pledges when he abandoned the latest campaign-finance-reform efforts in order to run for the Republican nomination and went back on his commitment to take public financing for the primary.” Obama also had an editorial this morning in USA Today about working toward a compromise on financing with McCain. “I am committed to seeking such an agreement if that commitment is matched by Senator McCain,” Obama wrote. “When the time comes, we will talk and our commitment will be tested.” Wait, wait, wait. What started off as a bunch of bickering this morning suddenly morphed into what we’ve been expecting for a few weeks now: Obama is using the old Hillary tactic of running as the de facto nominee. He’s already fighting McCain directly and treating the primary competition as though it’s over. And McCain’s helping him do it. Now, this doesn’t mean anything, really; we saw how it didn’t quite work for Hillary. But it does mean it’s about time to add a new candidate to our trademarked New York Electopedia! Everyone welcome John McCain! How much money is he worth? How did he do in high school? What does he eat? The Electopedia has all of your answers. The 2008 Electopedia [NYM]
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    Hillary Eyes Obama’s Pledged DelegatesForget the battle over superdelegates; the Clinton campaign has decided to turn regular delegates into wild cards. Though the handful of citizens that you vote for on primary day are “pledged” to a candidate, they are not bound to vote for that candidate at the convention. “Pledged delegates are not really pledged at all, not even on the first ballot,” writes Roger Simon on Politico.com. “This has been an open secret in the party for years, but it has never really mattered because there has almost always been a clear victor by the time the convention convened.” A senior Clinton campaign official confirmed to him that “as we get closer to the convention, if it is a stalemate, everybody will be going after everybody’s delegates… All the rules will be going out the window.” This is going to sound baaaaad to voters who went through the trouble of pulling the lever for each delegate under their chosen candidate’s name, thinking that they were selecting people who would automatically help his or her cause. Also, after Hillary’s well-publicized efforts to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida (where she won handily) at the convention even though they were punished by the DNC, this is going to come off as particularly underhanded. The Clinton official who says that “everybody will be going after everybody’s delegates” may be correct. But the fact that we’re hearing about Clinton considering it first is going to reflect poorly on her. It just sounds like she’s playing dirty. This is where Barack Obama’s high-school-basketball years are coming in to his advantage. As anyone who has ever played ball knows, if you’re going to steal the ball by fouling an opposing player, you don’t announce it to the refs before you do it. Clinton Targets Pledged Delegates [Politico]
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    Surprise! The Democratic Primary Might Still Be About White MenHey everybody, guess what? Remember how you thought this Democratic primary race was historic because it was all about choosing between a woman and a black man? And the real contest was over winning the female, black, and Hispanic votes? What a refreshing change you thought it was! But of course, you, like all of us, are a huge chump, because it’s still white men who will probably be choosing the Democratic candidate. See, roughly half of the superdelegates are white men. According to Politico.com, that puts more than 350 delegate votes in the hands of Establishment honkies. “It’s still the old guard, the white men. They always want to control the outcome,” said an anonymous superdelegate, who is still hopeful that they’ll split the vote among themselves. In a race where the current delegate count has a split of less than 100, a bloc of 350 could decide the outcome. Right now at least 81 of the white men are for Clinton, and 63 are for Obama, which roughly represents the divide between all of the pledged delegates so far. Still, when so much attention is being put on the power of these 796 unaffiliated voters, any whiff of unfairness is sure to raise a stink. It also raises the first opportunity for us to ask our boss if it’s okay for us to use the word “honky.” White men hold superdelegate power balance [Politico]
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    Hillary Campaign Starts to StingThe Wall Street Journal today gets to the bottom of an issue everybody is wondering about this week: What the hell is going on inside the Clinton campaign? As Obama pulls into a double-digit lead in a national poll, but the New York senator remains in a strong delegate position, everyone assumes things must be tense. Especially since there was a shake-up in the leadership of the campaign team last week. And, it turns out, everyone is right! Clinton campaign operatives say it happened as top Clinton advisers gathered in Arlington, Va., campaign headquarters to preview a TV commercial. “Your ad doesn’t work,” strategist Mark Penn yelled at ad-maker Mandy Grunwald. “The execution is all wrong,” he said, according to the operatives. “Oh, it’s always the ad, never the message,” Ms. Grunwald fired back, say the operatives. The clash got so heated that political director Guy Cecil left the room, saying, “I’m out of here.” That was awesome. We don’t know Mark Penn personally, but it’s pretty clear he’s a guy who needs a good slap in the balls every now and then. When we heard the Clinton campaign was in “fighting mode,” we had no idea that’s what they meant! Clinton Team Seeks to Calm Turmoil [WSJ]
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    New York’s Superdelegates: Who Are They, and What Are They Going to Do?Man, the election is all about the superdelegates these days, huh? As Obama surges into the Potomac primary, the press remains unwilling to start making predictions about a serious downturn in Hillary’s chances. They’ve learned their lesson from New Hampshire, after all: There’s no telling what will happen in this race. Instead, the media is focusing on getting hysterical about superdelegates, and the possibility that the influence of those 796 unpledged party officials will swing the primary results away from the will of the voting public. But who are New York’s superdelegates? Who are these people who have the power to, well, take power away from us? They include Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Eliot Spitzer, our 23 Democratic congressmen, and Democratic National Committee officials like Randi Weingarten. Many of the above have worked extensively with Hillary Clinton since she was elected senator and are likely to swing her way. Today, the Sun spoke with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who is one of our Clinton supporters. “I’ll be with Hillary to the end,” said Velazquez, when asked about critics of the superdelegate system who would like it to more accurately reflect the will of the people.
  28. in other news
    MSNBC’s David Shuster Maybe Shouldn’t Have Called Chelsea Clinton a Whore At this moment, David Shuster may very well be booking a flight to a remote island somewhere. During a discussion of Chelsea Clinton’s recently elevated role in Hillary’s campaign on MSNBC last night, Shuster asked whether the 27-year-old was “sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way.” (Click above to view.) His point, some have interpreted, was that the only type of person that would campaign for their mother is some kind of street whore. Shuster made an on-air apology today, but so far Hillary is unwilling to bury the hatchet. Her communications director, Howard Wolfson, told reporters that Hillary might pull out of MSNBC’s planned debate on February 26 in Ohio. “I, at this point, can’t envision a scenario where we would continue to engage in debates on that network,” he said in a conference call. Now, instead of ignoring Fox News, whose invitation to host a Democratic debate Hillary finally (unilaterally) accepted a few days ago, Hillary’s shutting out MSNBC. It’s like the networks just switched their acceptable/pariah roles. Those with sharp memories may recall a similar Chelsea-attack episode in 1993, when Mike Myers claimed on SNL that Chelsea Clinton, 13 years old at the time, was “not a babe.” If Chelsea’s the type of person to look for a silver lining, she might note that at least the inappropriate, disparaging comments about her have improved over the years: She went from being unattractive to being so attractive that people will pay to have sex with her. Remember to thank Shuster for the compliment, Chelsea. —Dan Amira MSNBC’s Chelsea Comment Angers Clinton [Guardian] Update: Shuster has been suspended temporarily from appearances on NBC and MSNBC because of his gaffe.
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    Why Barack’s Mojo With the Gays Can’t Match Hillary’sWhy did twice as many gay Democratic voters prefer Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama on Super-Duper Tuesday? Despite Obama’s soaring rhetoric of inclusion, according to exit polls, Hillary won the gay vote 63 percent to 29 percent in California and 59 percent to 36 percent in New York. In tony coastal Massachusetts, Obama carried Martha’s Vineyard (the Clintons’ on-again, off-again summer home), but Hillary tellingly swept Provincetown. The compromises and betrayals of Bill Clinton’s presidency (“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Defense of Marriage Act, and other more minor offenses) seem to be forgotten or at least forgiven. But this could be as much about fear of Obama as it is belief in Clinton.
  30. early and often
    Mayor Bloomberg: ‘Hillary Should Pray I Get in the Race’Buried in Rush & Molloy’s “Side Dish” section today is a totally fun, kinda bitchy tidbit from Mike Bloomberg about Hillary Clinton. At a private event on Wednesday, Bloomberg said he thinks that after Super Tuesday, she’s “going to be the nominee.” But, he said, “that’s not to say she can beat John McCain.” Bloomberg and New York’s junior senator have been friendly as they’ve worked together on state issues, but his comments Wednesday seem a little skeptical. Hizzoner couldn’t vote in New York on Tuesday because he’s now a registered Independent. If he did make a bid for the presidency starting next month, he’d be courting a lot of the outside-the-box, fiscally conscious voters who have been attracted to McCain. “Hillary should pray I get in the race,” he cracked, “because that would help her.” Ah! Hubris! He’s already sounding presidential… Side Dish [NYDN]
  31. it just happened
    Breaking: Mitt Romney Drops Out of RaceAs we type, Mitt Romney is giving a live speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. GOP sources say that, during this rally, he will announce the suspension of his campaign. According to Time.com, he will say the following: “If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or [Barack] Obama would win.” Romney to Quit Race [Time] Update: Snippets from his speech just now, in which he said he was stepping aside so that McCain could begin a national campaign: “Today, we are a nation at war. And Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat. The consequences of that would be devastating.… Frankly, in this time of war I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.… This isn’t an easy decision; I hate to lose.… If this were only about me, I’d go on. But it’s never been only about me. I entered this race because I love America. And because I love America, in this time of war, I feel I now have to stand aside for our party and our country.”
  32. early and often
    Now We’re All Talking About Money, and It’s AwkwardAfter Hillary Clinton announced late yesterday that in January she lent $5 million dollars to her own campaign, it got us thinking: If we donated money to her in the last couple of weeks, were we actually just paying her back? Clinton called the loan a wise “investment.” Now, we know that she’s not going to make, like, a profit on this investment (that would be especially awkward, now that highly placed officials in her campaign are going without pay) unless it’s in “political capital.” But the loan is estimated to be upwards of 10 percent of her personal wealth, which sets up this weird expectation that she is maybe going to get it back.
  33. early and often
    Super Tuesday Tells Us This Thing Ain’t OverGood morning! How late did you stay up watching the Super Tuesday results come in? Did you make it to Minnesota? All the way to California? Well, now more than 90 percent of precincts are reported in all the states, and the results are more solid. John McCain has strengthened his lead on the Republican side, winning in nine states and pulling in an estimated 613 delegates. Romney, who won six states, pulled in only 269, and Huckabee, who was stronger last night than many expected, still earned only 190 delegates. On the Democratic side, things were much less clear. Late in the evening, Hillary pulled out a win by 10 percent in the hotly contested California race, putting her state total at eight and her estimated delegate total at 845. Obama won thirteen states and 765 delegates. That’s still far short of the 2,025 needed for a win, so we’ve got a long way to go. Both had strong wins in their home states of New York and Illinois, and the closest races were in New Mexico (still uncalled) and Missouri. Obama’s strong showing is going to make the next few weeks very interesting as Hillary tries to hang on to her base. We can’t wait! Tears! Red-faced Bill! Badass Michelle! Hope! Change! Day One! Bring it on. Election Index [NYT]
  34. intel
    Tonight: Blogging the Super Tuesday ResultsIn honor of the orgy of voting that is going on all over the country today, Daily Intel is staying up late tonight. Really late. Starting at 8:30 p.m., New York columnist Kurt Andersen is going to be live-blogging the primary results. Then, later in the evening, Chris Smith will take a look at voting in our home state and what it means, and John Heilemann will analyze the national results on both the Democratic and Republican sides of the table. So tonight, when you get home from the gym, after your friends have arrived to watch the results and you’ve ordered pizza and uncorked that magnum of Cavit Pinot Grigio that someone random dragged over, go ahead and log on to Nymag.com. After all, as the hours go on, even Lou Dobbs’s voice starts to pound against your eardrums like a Q-tip during a hangover (you know, like Chris Matthews’s voice does every day). We’ll be quietly examining what today’s voting means for the candidates and, more importantly, what it means for you. P.S.: Last night, we were at the Met watching Carmen, and we totally spotted MSNBC’s Chuck Todd out of the office, on a date. Slacker!
  35. early and often
    Happy Super Tuesday: The Candidates’ Last WordsOf course, tomorrow morning we’re probably not going to have learned anything definitive about this year’s presidential primary. But that doesn’t mean that each major candidate isn’t treating Super Tuesday as a do-or-die moment. Late last night and early this morning, each took the opportunity to make a final statement that would be circulated through the press throughout today as people gear up to head to the polls. Here’s what they’ve been saying: • “In my White House, we will know who wears the pantsuits,” Hillary Clinton cracked on Letterman’s show last night. Sure, it was a joke response to a question from the host about whether husband Bill Clinton would be “going through stuff” while she was busy governing the nation, but it’s an important point. Since Bill got a little out-of-control campaigning on her behalf, and since she cried again yesterday, it was important for her to reiterate that she is tough and in charge. [Reuters] • John McCain, meanwhile, stayed on message, saying that both Democratic candidates are clueless on Iraq. He also indicated that he’d set up “arrangements” to leave U.S. troops there permanently. “We’ve been in Kuwait right next door [to Iraq] for many years,” he pointed out. [NYDN]
  36. ink-stained wretches
    Rush & Molloy Still Believe Rupert and Hillary Can Make It, Carr Not As MuchToday in the Daily News, Rush & Molloy attempt to make the case that News Corp. overlord Rupert Murdoch is still on Team Hillary, despite the fact that his New York Post endorsed Barack Obama last week and trashed her in the process. “When it comes to putting money down, Murdoch poured $2,300 – the maximum allowed for a primary race – into her campaign six months ago,” the husband-and-wife duo point out. “He gave Obama nothing.” But the key phrase in that sentence seems to be “six months ago.” Public statements of editorial independence aside, the Post simply doesn’t do anything that Rupert Murdoch doesn’t want it to do. The official policy of loathing Senator Clinton was reiterated even today, with a masthead editorial attacking both her and her husband. David Carr, in today’s Times, seems to see the issue more clearly: [Clinton] never once appeared before [the Post’s editorial board — a customary act of tribute by local politicians — and her lack of deference was duly noted by the paper’s leadership
  37. in other news
    Ann Coulter Is the Britney Spears of PoliticsEven though we do keep Fox News on all day (no, really), we missed the moment yesterday when Ann Coulter endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Jezebel.com directed our attention to it. “If you’re looking at substance rather than whether there’s an ‘R’ or ‘D’ after his name, manifestly if he’s our candidate, then Hillary’s going to be our girl,” the Coultergeist explained on Hannity & Colmes. “She’s more conservative than he is, she is going to be stronger than he is on terrorism.” Click above to view the clip. The conservative comedienne went on to say that she would campaign for Hillary if McCain was the Republican nominee. Coulter based her arguments on the fact that McCain is bad for the GOP, and than Hillary “lies less” and “is smarter” than he is. “She isn’t going to be a weak woman” and pull the troops out of Iraq, either, Coulter argued. “I’m a Hillary Girl now!” We’re just going to say it: Ann Coulter is to political commentary what Britney Spears is to celebrity culture. Remember when Jamie Lynn Spears got pregnant and was the focus of all attention for a couple of days? Britney got upset that she was out of the news for a few days, filled herself up with booze and pills, stole her children for a night, and had to be rushed to the hospital.
  38. intel
    2008 Electopedia: Now With Full Obama FlavorAs the election has morphed, so has New York’s comprehensive Electopedia. It’s now Obamafied! It’s got everything you needed to know about the Illinois senator but never thought to ask, like: Who is his worst enemy? How often does he go to church? And just how rich is he? Answers to those questions are already in there for our hometown senator, Hillary Clinton. But now, as battle gets heated (okay, stays heated? Gets scorching?), don’t forget to use the handy guide to figure out how they stack up on the issues they don’t talk about on TV. 2008 Electopedia
  39. it just happened
    Breaking: John Edwards to Drop Out of RaceToday’s a big day for third-place candidates, it seems. After news spread last night that Giuliani will drop out of the Republican primary race as early as today, news hit this morning that John Edwards is planning the same thing. According to the Associated Press, the former Democratic senator will make the announcement today at 1 p.m. in New Orleans. No endorsement is yet planned. Edwards to Quit Presidential Race [AP]
  40. early and often
    Giuliani: A Final Break From the Bravado?Rudy Giuliani has finally cracked and recognized that today’s Florida results could possibly signal the end of his campaign. Asked whether he would drop out after a loss today, the former mayor told reporters yesterday: “When it’s Wednesday morning, we’ll make the decision.” Since much of the press has already decided that Giuliani is dead in the water, speculation has turned to how he will drop out, and when. He’ll definitely participate in tomorrow’s Republican debate, but sources for the New York Sun argue that he won’t risk a major loss in New York State next Tuesday. If it’s proven that he’s not even popular in his home state anymore, where he made his name, it would be a blow to his reputation, would be bad for his business, Giuliani Partners, and would undermine his candidacy for a Cabinet position in the future. It’s all about the Giuliani brand name, which has made him millions as a speaker and as a consultant. As Maureen Dowd pointed out on Sunday, he’s not even likely to put up a tough fight on the way out, in order to preserve the purchase power of his name. He’ll likely last a few extra days, like Fred Thompson did after losing big in South Carolina, and then bow out quietly without drama. To think, it was less than eight years ago that he dropped out of the New York Senate race after battling a tidal wave of negative press after his high-profile split from Donna Hanover. And critics said Giuliani couldn’t change. RUDY HINTS FLA. HIS LAST STAND [NYP]
  41. intel
    Jessica Yellin: Getting Yelled at by Bill Clinton So You Don’t Have To It’s hard to be a TV political correspondent. Unlike print and radio reporters, you can’t just show up to work unshowered, wearing yesterday’s pants that are beginning to smell like a muffin. You have to look good, and you have to have energy. That’s while keeping track of who’s up, who’s down, who’s black, who’s white, who used to be black, etc. Bless those people. In this week’s New York, we picked out five of the rising stars in the 2008 presidential-election press corps that you should keep your eye on because they’re fun, smart, trustworthy, and most important, cute. Just for the Web, we spoke with each about covering the campaigns this year. After the jump, check out our eight questions for CNN’s Jessica Yellin. She’s the hard-tested correspondent who got bitched out by Bill Clinton last week after asking a perfectly reasonable question. She’s an old hat at political interviews, having sat down with Laura Bush, George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama, and many others. (We also think she’s funny because, as many correspondents were searching for words to describe how blue-staters feel about Karl Rove, she just came out and said it: “For many Democrats, Karl Rove is the ‘Dark Prince’ of the Bush administration.” He’s sexy evil!)
  42. early and often
    ‘Times’ Endorsements Include a Pinch in the Bum for GiulianiOkay, so there was a debate last night. All of the Republican presidential candidates got together to chat about whom people should choose in the voting booth (we’ll have details for you later). But, see, you might not hear much about it because it didn’t really matter. Why not? Because the Times bogarted all of the primary discussion this morning with their unsurprisingly self-righteous endorsements. For the Democrats, they chose Hillary Clinton because they “are hugely impressed by the depth of her knowledge, by the force of her intellect and by the breadth of, yes, her experience.” (Don’t worry, though, they totally heart Obama, too.) And for the Republicans, they begrudgingly chose John McCain. Except it wasn’t so much an editorial supporting McCain as it was one attempting, once and for all, to obliterate Rudy Giuliani.
  43. early and often
    Diva Debaters: Which One Is Bigger?Hey, everybody! There’s an update in New York’s patented 2008 Electopedia. In our exhaustive look at New York’s presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, we’ve already compared the two in categories ranging from “First Love” to “Relationship With Offspring.” Today’s matchup is “Best Debate Smackdown.” Think you know when Giuliani’s elbow (or Hillary’s voice) was at its sharpest? Click through to read all about it. Best Debate Smackdown [Electopedia] The 2008 Electopedia [Main Page]
  44. intel
    Michelle Obama Doesn’t Need to Fight Bill Clinton — That’s What You Are ForWe just got an e-mail from Michelle Obama that, frankly, has left us a little disappointed. It turns out that Michelle, whom we have always perceived to be the balls portion of the whole Obama package, is turning her sights on Bill Clinton. In an e-mail to supporters with the subject “What we didn’t expect,” Mama Obama has this to say: We knew getting into this race that Barack would be competing with Senator Clinton and President Clinton at the same time. We expected that Bill Clinton would tout his record from the nineties and talk about Hillary’s role in his past success. That’s a fair approach and a challenge we are prepared to face. What we didn’t expect, at least not from our fellow Democrats, are the win-at-all-costs tactics we’ve seen recently. We didn’t expect misleading accusations that willfully distort Barack’s record. We knew Michelle had been called into South Carolina to counter the Bubba effect. On the ground, she’s been talking generally about “opponents” using “attacks and fear.” But we were kind of hoping that she’d take him face-on more openly. It’s partially because one of us is gay, and therefore enjoys any scenario in which a powerful black woman lays the smack down.
  45. early and often
    At Last: Introducing John Edwards, the Minority CandidateRemember when we were surprised that, after “The Cry,” Hillary Clinton suddenly was turned into a minority candidate? She is a woman, after all, but until recently both she and Obama had done a good job of sidelining their gender and race. Well, now we’re really surprised. John Edwards is now claiming to be a accepting the title of “minority candidate,” because he is the only white male running in the Democratic primaries. The above clip (click to view) is from an episode of The Tyra Banks Show to be aired on Friday. In it, you’ll see the following exchange: Tyra: What does that feel like to be a minority and to be a white male? Edwards: It feels like you have to fight hard for everything you get. Tyra: [Offering up a high five] Give it to me because I’m a black woman. Next thing you know, the Republican candidates will be claiming to be minorities. And then we’ll know the apocalypse is nigh. Edwards Talks to Tyra Banks [Time] Related: Hillary Clinton: Minority Candidate
  46. early and often
    Hillary’s Communications Guru Takes the Long Way RoundChances are, many of you know who Clinton’s communications director, Howard Wolfson, is. Probably fewer of you know that he is afraid of flying. But among campaign reporters and workers, it’s no secret. He hasn’t flown on a plane since 1999, when he flew on Air Force One during Hillary’s New York senate campaign. But he’s never really talked about it until now, when he admitted all his neuroses to Observer reporter Jason Horowitz. “It’s all mishegoss — fear is not rational,” said Mr. Wolfson when asked to explain the root of his now decade-long aversion to air travel. “I could point to a couple of things but at the end of the day it just ascribes a level of rationality to it that doesn’t exist.” You’ll recall that this primary schedule is one that requires moving from, say, Iowa to New Hampshire or South Carolina to Nevada with great speed. While the rest of the campaign is in the air, Wolfson is driving alone, often up to seventeen hours at a time, in his BMW. One could argue that this is a severe detriment to his usefulness on the trail. One could also argue that since everybody has a phone and a BlackBerry these days, it doesn’t really matter. Regardless, we really like that Horowitz is letting us into the secret world of the Hillary press camp. First Hillary’s hipster, and now this. He’s all up in their bidness! No wonder he’s around when they get important phone calls. The Spokesman Who Couldn’t Fly [NYO] Related: Hillary’s Press Guru Is More Hipster Than Thou
  47. it just happened
    Fred Thompson Drops Out of Presidential RaceFred Thompson has dropped out of the presidential race. “Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States,” the former Tennessee senator said in a statement that was just released. “I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort.” There was no announcement of whether he would be endorsing one of his former Republican rivals for the nomination. Thompson had said that he needed to win this weekend’s South Carolina primary, in which he placed third, in order to continue the campaign. To which we say, good call. The odds of winning are much better on Law & Order, anyway. Fred Thompson Quits Presidential Race [AP]
  48. early and often
    Everybody Loves a Good Bad DebateIf you decided to watch the Democratic presidential debate last night instead of American Gladiators, you made the right choice. The brutal (and hilarious) squabbling between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was just as entertaining, if not more, as watching an overmuscled guy in spandex use a pillow stick to beat the living hell out of a civilian. “Senator Obama, it’s hard to have a straight-up debate with you because you never take responsibility for any vote,” snapped Hillary at one point, to boos. Obama, referencing the attacks on him by former president Bill Clinton, shot back, “I can’t tell who I’m running against at times!” Snap! But unlike on Gladiators, there was no clear winner in the debates. Below, a roundup of speculation and analysis on who came out on top and who couldn’t get past the “The Eliminator”: • Everyone lost a little bit by reducing themselves to familylike squabbling. “Any good psychologist would recognize the three classic defense mechanisms on display,” explains Richard Wolffe. “Denial, repression and suppression.” [Newsweek]
  49. early and often
    Bloomberg Meets With Perot’s Ballot Expert, Also Lance ArmstrongNow, we don’t know Elizabeth Benjamin from the Daily News’ Daily Politics blog, and we have never met Azi Paybarah from the Observer’s Politicker. But sometimes we want to give them a standing ovation. On days when Mayor Bloomberg’s maddening presidential flirtations make us want to pull our hair out, rip at our fingernails, and start talking really loudly on the subway to nobody in particular, they maintain a cool composure. Every hint, tease, and come-on that the mayor makes toward entering the 2008 presidential race they report with grace and ease. Like, today, for example, when Bloomberg sat down with Texas ballot-access expert Clay Mulford, the guy who put Ross Perot’s name in voting booths in 1992 and 1996. This is yet another strong signal that the mayor is setting up plans to make an independent run, but he once again made an exasperated denial of any such plans to reporters today. “Read into that what you will,” Benjamin reported coolly. “Another sign that he’s running for President or another well-placed tip that keeps the buzz alive.” Paybarah doesn’t even offer up an analysis, other than explaining the ballot logistics. We don’t know how you do it, people. We literally don’t have eyebrows anymore. Bloomberg Meets With Ballot Expert [AP]
  50. in other news
    Huckabee Salutes the Stars and BarsMike Huckabee has to do something extreme to differentiate himself from his opponent John McCain in South Carolina at this point. With the primary tomorrow, the two remain neck and neck (well, McCain doesn’t really have a neck, so maybe it’s neck and scar?). So Huckabee has taken a strategy that may work well in South Carolina but will have people scratching their heads in many other places in the country. Ever the populist, he’s come out in favor of one of America’s oldest underdogs: the right to fly the Confederate flag. Yesterday, in Myrtle Beach, he told a crowd of South Carolinians: “You don’t like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag.” Until 2000 when it was removed after political pressure, the pennant was still flying at the South Carolina State House. “If somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we’d tell them what to do with the pole,” Huckabee finished. Ha-ha! He’d ram it up their asses! Oh, wait. That image in and of itself is a little offensive, even without the whole racial problem the flag represents. Click above to hear a pro-Huckabee ad that is running in the state right now, sponsored by the “Americans for the Preservation of American Culture,” a group that claims it is unaffiliated with the candidate. McCain, who in the past has called the flag a racist symbol, is painted as an anti-hero. As we discussed this morning, this all may show how well Huckabee knows his base, but it also kind of shows how poorly he knows everybody else. Huckabee Embraces Confederate Flag To Woo White Evangelicals [HuffPo] Earlier: Huckabee Is Inside Our Heads, Vice Versa
  51. early and often
    Huckabee Is Inside Our Heads, Vice VersaEverybody seems to have Mike Huckabee on the brain today. As he pulls up nearly even with John McCain in South Carolina leading up to the primary there tomorrow, political writers are trying to understand what voters are thinking about the Baptist bass player. Do the Evangelicals matter? Don’t they? Will they even vote for him? It’s a Huckanundrum! • David Brooks reminds us that it can be looked at pretty simply: “It is no accident that the major candidates in the Republican field are a pastor, a businessman and a war hero. These are the three most evocative Republican leadership models.” [NYT] • But Rich Lowry says that this appeal as a pastor has begun cooling with non-Evangelicals. And now that it’s becoming clearer that he lacks the planning to impress voters with his policy ideas. [NYP]
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