First Online-Only Candidate Mashup

The Associated Press reports on the online mashup sponsored by Yahoo!, Slate Magazine and the Huffington Post....

Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday dismissed criticism from her chief rivals over her acceptance of campaign contributions from lobbyists, calling their concerns "a little inauthentic" since they accept money from lobbyists' employers and relatives.

In an interview for an online candidates' forum sponsored by Yahoo!, Slate Magazine and the Huffington Post, Clinton also announced she would release her plan to offer universal health coverage next Monday.

"I hope the headline will read, 'Hillary is back and we're going to get it done this time,'" she said.

All eight Democratic contenders participated in the so-called online "mashup," including Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, and Mike Gravel.

They took questions from moderator Charlie Rose on education, health care and the Iraq War, many of which were submitted from readers online. Comedian Bill Maher also made a surprise appearance, offering "wild card" questions on issues such as whether marijuana should be legalized.

Read more about the Yahoo!, Slate Magazine and Huffington Post online "mashup."


Watch three of the videos below...

Bill Maher To Senator Clinton: "Why Should Americans Vote For Someone Who Can Be Fooled By George Bush?"

Rose Asks Edwards About Health Care

Bill Maher To Senator Dodd: "Give Me A Good Reason Why...Marijuana Should Be Illegal?"





Rose Asks Obama If He Accepts Petraeus's Judgment

Comments

[Dallas Dem]

Hillary is just another form of Bushie than all of the other Republican candidates; Ron Paul is more of a Democratic than Hillary ever will be. I have a son who has been in the mist of the surge for 15mths and fighting every day for his country and buddies. When I get to talk to him it is n code and I have to tell you that some of the things they are doing to your boys is truly criminal. They are pressuring him to re up and telling him that there is a shortage of base housing when he gets home and it maybe 12-24 months before he can get his family move to his new base. So it is better to take the $75K and stay here for another 15 mths and we can make sure you have a place to come home to. I only get a few moment a month to talk to him, they have black out day when someone dies, which means no outside communication in fear of families begin notified by someone other than the Military. I am proud of my son he when to fight for his on personal reasons and is trying to do the best he can for his family, but I think this administration has take this great generation and damage it for years to come. 9-11 brought us all together in a way that no color or race or life style could take us apart. Your children stepped up and made us all proud, now they have taken advantage of your patriotism and will forever scare your youth, this is not a war on Islamic terror is a conflict on poverty. The way to defeat the terrorist is to help the uneducated and poor to a better life and give them hope. We all want to same thing a better life for your kids and a future of peace e and prosperity.

[kittycago]

Ron Paul is a political nonentity -come to earth please.He is tied with Dennis Kucinich for Ralph Nader of this election in 2008

[pmfelipe]

Is it because they don't believe in the status quo. War without end.

[GreatFutureForAll]

Best post I've seen since I've been on this website. You actually got me to pull away from my work for a second and write this.

You should be proud of your son. He's defending his country and doing the best he can under the circumstances. And you must have been a great parent if he's willing to share all of this with you. Well done!

But it's what you said here that rings so true: "The way to defeat the terrorist is to help the uneducated and poor to a better life and give them hope. We all want (the) same thing a better life for (our) kids and a future of peace and prosperity."

Too often, we get all caught up in "how much money can I make for myself" that we forget just how easy it would be to make the world a better place: The eradication of poverty wherever it is, economic equality (No more CEO's making 100 or 1000 times what a middle class man makes in a year...and no more tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans).

We live in the wealthiest country in the world. But if you are a senior in Buffalo and want inexpensive medication, you take a short bus ride to Canada and get the drugs you need at a fraction of the cost.

I love the free enterprise system. But, as someone that worked for a defense contractor at one time, I know this is the reason Bush wants to keep us in Iraq for as long as possible? M-O-N-E-Y.

In a different economic system (one less governed by greed and bloodshed and inclusive of everyone), I wonder if preemptive, money making wars and terror attacks would be a thing of the past.

Remember when the Indians looked at us strange when we tried to get them to understand the importance of OWNING land?

Maybe they knew something we still don't get. Maybe it really is like owning oxygen or water.

[godlessclif]

The Indians were farmers. Thye taught the pilgrims how to plant corn. They knew the importance of owning land.

What the English colonials tried to get them to understand was that the Brits were stealing their land.

"Treating Native Americans as ignorant, as this monument in Battery Park does, is part of the fantastic history European Americans constructed to convince themselves they did not simply take the land. The statue and the story also help to convince whites that Native Americans aren't very bright, at least in compared to European Americans. It was one of the latter however, who put a Plains Indian, complete with incongruous headdress, on a Manhattan monument. "

Real truth about Manhattan Island. That $24 story was baloney.
http://www.worldfreeinternet.net/AmericanHolocaust/stealing.htm

[TonyaDLuv]

Here's a photo I took of the Trubite in Lights in lower Manhattan Tuesday night. We shall never forget.

http://hidebehind.com/F6126F

[oneseye]

Wonderful ! 3000 people murdered and America builds a Batman signal light.

Well Tony, now post some pictures of bits and pieces of dead Eyeracki civilians murdered by you 'smart' bombs and depleted uranium shells.
I'm sure the Eyerackis shall never gorget either.

Can you say blowback?

[godlessclif]

If the Iraqis do forget, cancer will remind them.

BTW Uranium shells do not know what religion you are. Expect a lot of Leukemia in returning Vets
who handled those shells.

[Thalia]

You all forgot the second Bush said getting Saddam Hussein was more important and that bin Laden was of little concern to him.

Your maudlin sanctimony about 9/11 notwithstanding, pardon me if I tell you it's bullshit.

[Firaxis]

Why are you trashing this poster? What did she post that offended you?

You are just spoiling for a fight. Why? Haven;t gotten any lately?

[TonyaDLuv]

But do you like the photo?

[kittycago]

Here's a photo I took of the Trubite in Lights in lower Manhattan Tuesday night. We shall never forget.

http://hidebehind.com/F6126F
-----------------------------------------------why do you care that was a bunch of NYC liberals that live and work here in the NE Blue states?Stop trashing us for political purposes and then using us to ramp up your phony patriotism.I am surprised your not pissed that the beams of light are blue and not red.You people disgust me trashing us ,questioning our lifestyles as being ungodly or whatever your crap du jour is and them using the tragedy in NYC as a poltical tool to justify a war in Iraq.If your going to hate the liberals here them fuckng hate us but do not use us for your low level phony patriotic purposes.As far as I'm concerned if we ever have another proposal for a civil war in the USa we will not fight you this time -you can fucking leave.

[dcotter]

we care because unlike you who profess to care about everyone we do
you throw out all that liberal bullshit about caring for everyone
only if they are liberal like you
you cannot comprehend any other way

[TonyaDLuv]

Bitter? Party of one? I LIVE IN MANHATTAN, YOU SICK FUCK!

[TonyaDLuv]

Over the weekend, something happened here at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Something destructive. Something dishonorable. Along the foot of the wall, covering a stretch almost two-thirds of the entire monument, an oily substance was spilled on the panels and paving stones that were built to pay tribute to those who gave their lives on the battlefield.

The National Park Service is investigating. Whatever the substance was, it was potent and corrosive. Huge swaths of the wall have been defaced. This is despicable desecration.

-----------------------------------------------

You don't think a Conservative desecrated the wall, do you? It was most certainly a Liberal.

[kittycago]

You don't think a Conservative desecrated the wall, do you? It was most certainly a Liberal.
-----------------------------------------------right just like it is a liberal group stalking the funerals of our military that have died in Iraq to protest gays.Do you ever stop lying?

[Thalia]

Wipe it up and get over it.

No one has desecrated this country more than George W. Bush.

And it's his acolytes who bash veterans of the Vietnam war. Spare us.

[Firaxis]

Excuse me. A highly deocrated Four Star General goes before Congress and has his reputation and honesty questioned by democrats.

I don't rememeber you showing any kind of indignation over the MoveOn.org ad calling him Betray Us.

You are the ultimate hypocrite.

The only Viet Vet trashed by conservatives and rightly so, was phony war hero and traitor, John F'ing Kerry who slandered his brothers in arms while they were still in harms way.

[dcotter]

you dont read well do you?
the monument was hit with something corrosive
hunks of it are gone
"wipe it up" aint gonna fix it you libass
but thats ok our fallen soldiers dont matter to you
no condemnation from you
well
FUCK YOU

[oneseye]

Nothing compared to the desecration of Viet Nam brought about by 20 years of American military action.Chemical warfare and worse.
All for a failed attempt at gaining an American Corporacy foothold in Asia.

[Firaxis]

If you had "learnt" in that South Boston "high skrewel" you attended, you would have understood that the American intervention in VietNam was due to the North Vietnamese invading the South and terrorizing its citizens.

What was wrong was tying the hands of our soldiers and not allowing them to pursue the enemy to his home base.

[godlessclif]

I think it is residue from Karl Rove. He is one oily dude.

[kittycago]

Obama's claim to wisdom in a situation he was not involved in is a straw argument.He has voted identically to Sen Clinton in his brief career.He also has made some statements that he has gone back and renegged on such as his words "I will unequivocally not seek the presidency before I serve a full term in the senate"That is how he campaigned for the senate seat he now holds.Based on the pounding Hillary took by not making the same statement in her campaign because she told the truth and theri twin voting records I have to say "advantage Clinton."

[TonyaDLuv]

Wow. Hillary knew about Hsu's background long before taking his dirty illegal money. She's really done it this time.

[Firaxis]

And the New York Quisling Times is all over her on this one too.

It also looks that Balack Obama ahs some problems with Hsu also.

[godlessclif]

She knew he owned a Chinese restaurant.
Bush took money from Osama.

[joselopez]

What I saw was smug laugh, trying to deflect the importance of the question and then an answer that flew in the face of what we who followed the run up to war knew what that vote was all about.

Bottom Line: Clinton, Kerry,Edwards, and others voted for the authorization because Bush was popular at the time, they were going to be running for President themselves, and they did not want to be painted as being weak on defense by the Republicans.

They played politics with the most sacred responsiblity of an elected official; Sending our men and women into War.

For that alone the should be disqualified for the office of President.

[Firaxis]

Huzzah Jose. You have hit the proverbial on the head.

The only halfway honest democrat candidate is Joseph Biden.

Hillarious, the Breck Girl and Hussein Obama are wholly owned tools of George Soros and the "sickofans" who support the communist front group, MoveOn.org.

[oneseye]

How old are you Fir-Upa-uAss?

Try to keep up. St Ronnie of the Raygun beat all the commies into ploughshares.

Even without St Nancy...oops...St Ronnie...how the fuck can a rich bitch be a commie?

[godlessclif]

I like George Soros

[IntelligentDesign]

People see what they want to see based on their mental filters, your comment is colored by your preconceived notion of Hillary as a political opportunist, in the most negative sense of that descriptor.

I'm not high on Hillary either, she has too much baggage, and she is too closely associated with conventional Washington - she will not be able to inspire the nation to fundamental change from that platform.

Edwards at least openly admitted that his Iraq war resolution vote was wrong, and that shows personal integrity and humility, excellent presidential traits.

Gore/Obama '08

[godlessclif]

Mental filters are like filter cigarettes. Some filters take out the tar and bullshit. Other filters take out the smoke and mirrors. If you filter out the nicotine no one will buy them.

Bush zombies filter out the truth and let the poison in.

[oneseye]

Beango! You win a Wet Will Seegar.

[VSamuels]

This is the correct assessment re: Hillary's vote. She has known the republican tactics to paint Dems as soft on Defense and she wasn't about to be blind-sided by a victorious republican administration. Her mistake was overlooking the sheer incompetentence which is George Bush and the history of failed democracies who have failed to colonialize the Middle East.

Apparently, she choose her own self-interest in being a war hawk over the objections of most of those Dems (not running for president) that saw the Bush war on Saddam, as wrong-headed. The MSM says repeatedly that the Hillary team is a machine and that they do not make mistakes; so if we are to believe those who are following and who have followed her political behavior, it is probably reasonable to conclude that she was conscious of her actions in terms of her future ambitions only, rather than the possibility that Bush would overstep his war ambitions.

The worry with Hillary is that she would continue as president in putting herself ahead of all others in her decision-making, much like Nixon did when he made a simple break-in a entreat to resignation.

[Firaxis]

What I find particularly interesting about her answer to Bill Maher, is that phony laugh she uses when she going to give an evasive answer.

During the debate in 2003, Hillarious bragged about her "independent and thorough" study of the WMD issue and how she came to believe that voting to give the President authority to use military force was the correct decision.

Sean Hannity and all the other great American radio hosts have audio and video tapes of her flip flopping on this issue that will be used by America's Mayor in his successful Presidential run against Hillarious.

[oneseye]

Lokk dummy Hillary either lied or got fooled by the bushco.
Just like you.

[joselopez]

No Ms Clinton: It is that simple!!!

So either you were fooled by Bush or you took advice from experts that were wrong.

How do you explain the vote of those who voted against the authorization for War?

That vote was to go to War and not to allow inspectors more time. Everyone voting new it.

So if elected, Clinton will be getting advice from people who got it wrong in Iraq.

DO WE REALLY WANT THAT TYPE OF JUDGEMENT IN THE WHITEHOUSE?!!!

[Thalia]

Listen to her response again and see if you get it this time.

[joselopez]

Explain it to us Thalia?

[SouthpawSass]

My advice to Hillary when responding to the "fooled by Bush" question is to repeat the following, except, insert Bush for Saddam:


"There's a lot of talk about Iraq on our TV screens, and there should be, because we're trying to figure out how best to make the world a peaceful place. There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again. You've got to understand the nature of the regime we're dealing with. This is a man who has delayed, denied, deceived the world. For the sake of liberty and justice for all, the United Nations Security Council must act, must act in way to hold this regime to account, must not be fooled, must be relevant to keep the peace." --GW Bush

[lastdays]

President's who can't quote "Star Trek" correctly are doomed to relive it.

[BreadandRoses]

Trolls who don't know how to use commas correctly are doomed to be ignored.

[oneseye]

I don't think Hilary was fooled by Bush rather I believe that it was a lack of political courage on her part (along with a lot of others) to stand up to the vast majority of Americans who wanted revenge for Sept 11 2001.
A great many Americans knew that Bush was lying and knew that Eyerack did not pose any kind of threat to America.
Dissenters were quickly marginalized by the all to willing media.
Most of the candidates who supported the illegal invasion of Eyerack are in a difficult position of their own making.
They must admit to being fooled by Bushco or knowing the truth and ignoring it to go with the majority.
Unenviable position!

[Firaxis]

They must admit to being fooled by Bushco or knowing the truth and ignoring it to go with the majority.
Unenviable position!
--------------------------------------------

Oneye is one perceptive liberal. Good for you oneye for being honest.

[PK3]

Can amyone at HuffPo tell me what Dennis Kucinich had to say?

[Rumplestiltskin]

No

[oneseye]

Your circumcision botherin' yuh this morning?

[lastdays]

Why? Your not having trouble figuring out his position from the 1st 10,000 days of the campaign, are you?

[godlessclif]

Even Bill Maher will not ask Kucinich if he will
change his mind now that Petraeus has told us how well things are going in Iraq.

Petraeus says "As soon as we get the "Death Star" operational we can destoy Alderon for President Palpatine.
The Rebels don't have a chance. They are just some teenage kids, two gay robots and a burned out mercenary and his dog."

Unleash Cheney!!!!

[Firaxis]

He told Syrian television that he was ashamed to be an AZmerican.

[oneseye]

KKK is not American so your membership makes you a furrinr in MrrrKKKhuh??

[Ammobob]

Very 'stylish' format for a Presidential NON-DEBATE.

Apt name too, MASHUP. Looks like a bunch of 'potato heads' to me.

Nothing of substance comes from these 30 second candidate INFO-MMERCIALS. After the Primaries start, the real 'mashup' will come.

[misterbone]

Nothing of substance in that comment either. Now go mash the taters for the lunch rush. Those first graders need their starch lunch lady.

[oneseye]

Stop sniffing the ammonia Bob. I've told yuh 3 times now.Your brain is like jelly now.

[dumbosrus]

Maher Asks Clinton: “Why Should Americans Vote For Someone Who Can Be Fooled By George Bush?”

This one question alone pretty much sums up the intelligence of almost all these presidential wannabes.

Billary is toast. He blew it long ago, and now he can't even fool Bill Maher. Obama is yesterday's news as well.

Who knows, maybe Kucinich or Richardson will got the nod yet.

And if not, I hope they run as independents anyway - just to annoy that vaunted leadership running What's Left of the Democratic Party.

[misterbone]

I was completely turned off by Hillary's response. The forced laughter was grossly inappropriate for a deadly serious question. She gave a very disingenuous answer - are we to assume that she didn't know the Authorization bill gave Bush power to conduct a pre-emptive strike?

[peacekitten]

for once, dumbo, you have said something i can halfway agree with.

[JoJoGunner]

I don't watch debates because my mind is already made up - I'll vote for the Democratic candidate whoever she or he is. The worst of ours is better than the best of theirs. It'll be either Hillary, Obama or Edwards. I'll vote for whichever. Any one of the Repubs will mean four more years of Dubya and if you want that you need to seek professional help. (That means yer krazy as a big red headed woodpecker.)

[lastdays]

Correct! Vote Democratic. But the next morning prepare for a major hangover. The party has no, none, zippo, nada principles by which to govern, unlike the current White House occupant. This could not be more sad but the Dems abandon the Libs whenever they think they can pick up an extra vote or whenever they are at risk of losing a vote. Strangely, the Democratically controlled Congress has decided that they need 60 votes to pass any issue of import while, conversely, the Republicans need 41 to block. This, in addition to the rural skew in the electoral college and the Senate makes Liberal governance an improbability. And the Democrats who are not liberals are virtual Republicans. The only way the Libs can prevail is to go directly to the people, a people who have been indoctrinated with the military/industrial doctrine non-stop for almost 30 years. Not a rosy picture but there is some hope. The people of the 50's were indoctrinated with America uber alles and the fear factor (Commies (old term for Terrorists) under every bed.) But the kids weren't.

[IzaakSzerman]

Voting Democratic next year is going to be a grasp at a straw to keep from drowning. This is going to turn out badly for us. There are just too many dimwit American voters (30%) who are swallowing this Fascist swill! And this 30% can be Diebolded into another election theft!

BUT, anybody who hesitates even one second to vote for (even) Billary while considering any Bush loyalist (and that's every one of the Republican candidates), needs to check her/his mental health.

[cuthbertallgood]

In all respect, these are Primary elections, in which we pick the Democratic candidate. Are you saying you will not vote in the Primary election in your State? Why on Earth not?

[trailrunner9]

Hillary Clinton is no airhead. She is a cold calculator who puts self-ambition ahead of principle, even in matters of life and death with war. Saturday Night Live sketch said it best (the most hillarious sketch of all time parodying Matthews interviewing HC) - My "base" knows if I had known now that I could have voted against this unnecessary war and still have been elected president, of course I wouldn't have voted for it. Heck, I don't even support necessary wars if you look at my past record. That sketch had her dead on - "No principled Hillary" and I say this as a extremely disappointed New Yorker who had had high hopes for Hillary when she came in. I will say, she had me fooled in the beginning - I actually thought she did have some principles.

[dumbosrus]

WHOA!!!

trailrunner9, you are not the only New Yorker that is 'disapponted' with Billary. As the baby boomers retire and head south, many are landing here in the Phoenix metro area. I've yet to speak to a SINGLE one that is interested in voting for her again - in any capacity!! And lack of principles are not the only reason why.

Billary may be no airhead, but he sure as hell isn't the brightest bulb in the box either.

[zenhead]

One of the interesting features of the Democratic Party's response to this pre-pre-election season, is that they've been far more willing to face questioners who aren't predictable. They have faced uTube and gay rights forums, as well as Hispanic questioners. Now, this different approach to "debates." They're really not debates, but question and answer formats. Even so, they are not going to get relatively programmed, and expected questions. They have to think on their feet better, more quickly, and that means that they also have to consider dovetailing their answers to what they purport to be policies they believe in.
That allows the voters to assess their credibility over a wide range of issues, asked more often, in these sub venues, by more opinionated questioners. But if they emerge, as they appear to me to be doing, with a more cohesive view of themselves and their policies, they'll be far stronger when we get into the REAL primary season next year.
Hopefully, one common theme which will emerge:
the Democrats are smarter, more inclined to find peaceful approaches to conflict. The GOP IS the War Party in America.