Hillary's Ignominious Finale

All in all, it was a rather ignominious, belittling way to almost certainly close out the Clinton Era. Hillary would have done much better to spend the 90 minutes of Tuesday night's Ohio debate by repeatedly reading and re-reading her valedictory, closing remarks from last week's Texas match-up during which -- for a few shining moments -- a Good Hillary seemed to radiate with the grandeur of an honored First Lady and potential president of the United States.

But with her national poll numbers now slipping into a double digit lag behind Obama, with her last-ditch firewalls in Ohio and Texas rapidly crumbling, her political future quickly eroding, it was the Bad Hillary who dominated in what could very well be the final presidential debate of the season.

Thirty-five years of selfless public service, if we are to believe her campaign rhetoric, deserved more than this tin-pan finale. Clinton, in her best moments, is certainly capable of something more than a torrent of peevish, petty, picayune, and intellectually dishonest bickering and parsing.

Instead, Senator Clinton chose to remind us why she is losing the nomination that she was once so very sure would inevitably be hers. The smell of a loser permeated the entire low-energy event as Clinton tried to pick apart this or that phrase uttered one time or another by her rival.

Obama's been on a wild tear, continuing to surge and streak and -- to dip into the conventional wisdom -- it's hard to see anything that Clinton did Tuesday to stem his rising tide.

You'd think that Clinton could leave the national political stage with some larger, meaningful gesture. But, unfortunately, the only memorable line that she spoke tonight was a poorly constructed joke, surely written by a staffer.

It's taken me a decade and I'm still stumped trying to figure out what the meaning of "is" might really be. And yet Hillary tossed us the latest Clintonesque head-scratcher during the debate when she asked me -- and the millions watching -- to ponder the "difference between denouncing and rejecting."

I'm not sure which one of these acts of contrition her rival Barack Obama engaged in when asked by the moderators his view on the Reverend Louis Farrakhan. But whichever one it was, it was apparently the wrong one -- according to Senator Clinton.

Likewise, when it came to universal health care. Though Obama has adamantly campaigned on that promise from his first day on the stump, he was actually opposed to universal health care. At least, according to Hillary who belabored the point (to not say she beat it to death) for the first, torturous sixteen minutes of the debate.

And after repeatedly ignoring pleas from moderator Brian Williams to curtail her health care harangue, after extending and re-extending her remarks, Clinton then portrayed herself as a hapless victim of media bias by comparing Williams' questioning to a satirical sketch that aired over the weekend. "Well, could I just point out that in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time? And I don't mind," she said with a grimace. "You know, I'll be happy to field them but I do find it curious. And if anybody saw Saturday Night Live, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow."

Rimshot!

Or was that a car crash?

Either way, time to bring in the mop-up crews. It's over.

Comments

[jcless]

Obama sponsored a bid to reject photo ID requirements to vote. Whoo!Hoo!

[debwarot]

It was most definitely a car crash!
While I am a great SNL fan myself, I'm surely not interested in a presidential candidate who references their sketches as her vindication!
You tried 15 years ago to secure universal health care, Senator Clinton - we get it! Please step aside and let Senator Obama succeed where
you have failed.

[magen]

Poor Hillary.

Poor, poor Hillary.

She had the chance to exit with grace and dignity, why is she extending her own humiliation???????

[15delta]

Instead of degrading Hillary or Barack every time we talk about who should be nominated let's talk about this two bit jerk-Bush that has made the biggest mess of this country and will walk away laughing at how he has everyone screwed up. I believe Obama and Hillary are the "A" Team for President and Vice President. I believe the debate was excellent. I am not looking for knock down and drag out; I am looking for some intelligence to be taking office. Something that has been missing for the past 7 years.
And that is H & B or B & H.
Let's get of the crap wagon that we are left with and go for these two.

[emmav70]

I am a woman.
All women supporting Hillary: Please , look beyond feminist/m­elodrama/s­oap opera glasses. Her being a president wont make you feel more worthy or more powerful as a woman. I dont need to have a woman president to remind myself that I am as smart , as powerful as any man. Look at the bigger picture: Clintons are the reason Democrats lost in 2000 and I dont blame Republicans for pointing out their unethical behavior every chance they got. White House is a public office not a set of "Days of our lives". I consider electing Hillary as a rerun of the same soap opera. Sad thing is : so many of you,not having fulfilling personal lives, just cant get enough of drama.
STOP being selfish and think about your country!

[lafemme]

Congratulations on showing why the counter argument has more legs. Why should Hillary be cited for so-called unethical behavior leading to the impeachment of Bill? Only someone completely unaware of how sexism erodes could write this post. Why don't you look beyond the stereotypes guiding your perception? Independent thinking usually will not result in such cheap and shallow analysis.

[sjeanf]

Spare me your questionably expressed "advice" chocked with erroneous assumptions about my decision-making process and personal life. You seem to be trying to advance this tripe as sage advice; while you use a broad brush to call supporters of Hillary basically stupid, selfish, pathetic, unthinking people. What a great example of the current state of some peoples' audacity of hope.

[Suprshrink]

You are the problem! What right do you have to assume the rest of the women who support Hillary are just uninformed, misguided, or needing to be reminded that it's okay to be a woman? Have you ever suffered gender discrimination? Have you ever been denied a job because of your gender? Have you always been paid equal to your male counterparts? Well, I have and I resent those women who have no clue what the feminist movement did for them. I say to you as I said to Oprah: SHAME ON YOU!!!

[induraman]

Ok Lets take that line of thought on a woman in the white house not changing anything. We are being told that Obama is a uniter based on what? We are being told that a Black man would change the dynamic and create change. So once again you don't want a woman to be president because of what low self worth? Woman make up roughly half the population of this country why not have one represent us. African american's make up roughly 11% of the population. My point is when are you going to allow yourself to feel equal? As far as thinking about my country I always do, the problem is according to Mrs Obama we have not until her husband came along. My worry is were making it to easy for the RNC to win this thing.

[7NoTrumpXX]

President Clinton, leaving office with the highest approval rating ever at 65%, could have easily been re-elected if he could have run.

The Clinton's were not responsible for the loss in 2000. Gore won the popular vote by over a million votes. Bush stole the election, supposedly winning Florida by 537 votes. Had Gore asked Bill to help him, he would have won by several million votes.

[liberalnfree]

"And after repeatedly ignoring pleas from moderator Brian Williams to curtail her health care harangue"

Some people don't have healthcare. It might be boring to multi-millionaires like Brian Williams and someone who has a column on the Huffington Post like Marc Cooper, but some people care about achieving UNIVERSAL healthcare. Poor Brian Williams, the victim of Hillary's harangue. Meanwhile people die prematurely, hundreds of thousands of them, because they don't have healthcare. There was a time when progressives cared more about the issues than scoring points off a leading Democrat. Next we'll hear about how Gore sighed during the debate with Bush.

[sjeanf]

Russert thinks HRC got a good deal with the first question as she drove the topic of health care for 16 WHOLE MINUTES. It wasn't his intention to talk about healthcare. Noooooooo...he wanted to spend his time with stupid gottcha questions to both sides. I guess he never really had to worry about health care on personal level or 16 minutes wouldn't really seem all that long and boring.

[dballard601]

Is this a fair and balanced survey of last night's debate? It is no wonder Hillary has continued to slip in the polls with this constant support of Obama, in spite of his lack of substantive contribution, he gets a pass, what else is new? Mathews, Mahler, Obermann, you name it, everyone falling over themselves to criticize Hillary and praise Obama. blah, blah blah, what else is new Cooper? Get a fresh perspective or just write Hillary sucks, Obama is great- need a pillow sir, blah, blah blah. Obama was just as contentious about the health care issue as Hillary, but not one hint of criticism. What a load of Tripe.

[splashy]

You are so right! I thought she did very well last night and held her own.

No matter WHAT she does, folks like this criticize her.

Our country is still so judgmental of women. It's pitiful.

[tedeger]

Listening to the Democratic Debate, which was no debate, since the so-called opponents seemed to agree on most everything but details, particularly what is to be the most ambitious, expensive, tax-intensive project of the next decade, it became evident that neither of the candidates has a clue, and both of their programs are disasters. Even Dennis Kucinich, whose program came somewhat closer to desirable, is pointed in the wrong direction.
The FACT is that there IS NO Health Care program in this country, there never has been one, and as long as current Paradigms are in place, there NEVER WILL BE ONE! While the US program such as it is is the most expensive in the World, the level of care according to the WHO is 72d, the leading cause of Death and crippling illness in this country is Medical mistakes (incorrect diagnosis, incorrect drugs, correct application of drugs that kill the patient instead of the disease), and so on. It would take brave application of original principles, (going back to Hippocrates) indeed, to solve the problem which is totally bound up with greed and the profit motive, and a return to sound medical practice, which would undoubtedly be cheaper in the long run. “Insurance,” you see, is a money-making BUSINESS, and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the health or sickness of the customer! Indeed, HMO’s hire about 400,000 people, and PAY them about $40,000 salaries to DENY perfectly legitimate claims! But HOW did we get into this mess, and how do we get out of it, if we can? First of all, we must realize that prescription Drugs are not curative, and are not intended to be! They are palliatives, designed to take away the pain while the body heals itself. Unfortunately, they don’t do a very good job, since they are synthetic imitations of Nature, instead of being natural. They get in the way of the body’s systems, and cause more problems than they help. But let us go through a scenario, so that we may understand just what happens. No two people are identical in their responses to stressors, and no two systems are identical in their makeup. This fact is not stressed in Medical School, so most Doctors are not aware of it. I am a great fan of Doctors. The vast majority of them are caring individuals, who sincerely WANT to do the best by their patients. They are short-changed in Med. School, and are never given a chance to catch up. Their continuing education is in the hands of Detail men who are hirelings of Big Pharma, whose only desire is to maximize profit. They will tell any lie that will puff the bottom line, and they sometimes get caught. BUT THEY ARE NOT DOCTORS, and DOCTORS will listen to them at their peril.
Okay. Let us say that you are naïve; have always been healthy and have had no occasion to take any dangerous drugs. You are aware that most prescription drugs have a list of “Side effects” that would gag Dracula, but you have no acquaintance with same. HERE is a dirty little secret; THERE ARE NO “SIDE EFFECTS” THERE ARE ONLY “EFFECTS!” So – ALL Prescription Drugs are dangerous! No wonder that they kill five times as many people every year as Automobile accidents! But – vitamins, Minerals, and herbs are largely harmless; WHY does the FDA warn so heavily against them? Oh – they are low-profit items, and we are not interested in prevention of disease, which is THEIR job; the FDA is interested in profit for Drug Companies. So you wake up one morning, and you don’t feel quite right. It’s time for your annual checkup. So you go to see your physician. The days of “Two Aspirin and call me in the morning” are over. Now the Doctor has nine hundred dollars of tests he can order, and he does. Everything comes back normal – except – one thing. The Frobnule seems to be framistangled – but there’s a pill for that – and you’re hooked. The pill has an effect – it’s supposed to; but in straightening out a kink in the road, it CAUSES several others. But, there’s a pill for that – and you NEVER feel just right again. By the time a modern person gets to be seventy, he is taking, on the average, 37 prescription and non-prescription drugs, to the lasting profitability of the Drug Companies, not to mention that some pair of drugs may adversely act to kill him! In fact, the odds are very good that there is no such thing as a “Natural Death” any more, at least among the portion of the populace that is in the pockets of the HMO’s. They are NOT hooked up for cures; they “Manage” illness.
Can anything be done about this disastrous situation? Yes. The difficulty lies, not in Medicine, but in ALLOPATHIC medicine. If all the doors were opened to Alternative and Complementary medicine, the problem would solve itself. While Allopathy, the ONLY “Authorized” version of the Medical Art (“Cut, Burn, Poison and deny any other approach”) can achieve no cures, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Herbalism, Orthomolecular Medicine, and other “Alternatives” do. But HMO’s do not admit them to the tent. Unfortunately, as long as we are hooked up as we are, it will take a degree of activism I don’t see raising the standards of sanity yet. And, with the FDA acting as the enforcement arm of Big Pharma, it’ll probably be awhile. Also, if the plot to destroy our access to Alternatives, known as Codex Alimentarius, already visiting Pharmaceutical tyranny over the rest of the World manages to convert vitamins and minerals to expensive prescription drugs and outlaw most herbs and totally destroy DSHEA, we are in for a rapid descent into a world where preventive medicine has become egregiously expensive. It is long past time to ACT in the name of Health Freedom, because no amount of “Single-Payer” is going to rescue us from our own stupidity.

[lilibet]

They seemed to agree on everything because after Senator Clinton gave an astute answer, Obama found it easier to say "I AGREE", 17 times, rather than to offer a good thought out response of his own.

He loses his eloquence and appeal when he doesn't have a scripted text.

[gparrablessing]

Mahler has endorsed Obama??? Really!? That's awesome! Schoenberg and Berg are sure to follow, and after all the angst-ridden Viennese composers, well, hell, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms are sure to follow, not to mention Schubert and Mozart. Obama's got the Teutonic vote locked up. Pretty sure Dvorak and Smetena and other Bohemians are Obamamaniacs too, but I have a feeling Scriabin and Prokofiev are for Hillary (she can have the Russians for all I care). Wagner and Bruckner, for their part, who supported the Iraq War from the beginning, are definitely for McCain.

[KenTao]

I refuse to endorse either candidate until I hear who Debussy likes. I heard he was for Kucinich, but has been silent of late.

Earthlings Unite!

[7NoTrumpXX]

It was a delight to read your post!!! It is good to get a good laugh after reading all the other depressing posts.

[Dalicious]

She gone. We won.

[splashy]

Actually, we lost if we want universal health care. Obama will NOT push for that.

Too bad, so sad. More thousands will suffer and die for lack of health care.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

It's not universal health care, it's universal health insurance. There is a big difference. Health insurance does not guarantee you will be getting adequate health care or life saving treatment. Just watch Sicko and you might feel differently about Hillary's HMO backers, who are literally making money off denying human beings proper care. That in itself is immoral.

[ljsfolly]

You want what Hillary's offering got to Mitt's old state. They will gladly tell you how his universal healthcare has put people in the place that many will never want to be. Not have food for the kids so all insurance can be paid? Try to skip the payment to feed the kids and buy winter clothes for them and the check get garnished then there is less money for food and clothes. They might have healthcare but have to workd several jobs to pay for it. Check it out the program they have not much different from her plan. I would rather not have that kind of choice. Many might not have healthcare for now but the future plans are not to force it down peoples throats. Be sensible many so poor thay can't afford healthcare can still get treatment it's the law when they go to get treatment and are very ill they will get care and probably qualify for Medicaid. I almost died with insurance so bad they paid $1000 total for hospital no doctor, no tests nothing else. Still I got the care. Bankruptcy followed and that is the whole problem. So if Barack can get us a system we can all afford and not have the threat of losing wages and jobs over it, wonderful. Insurance companies will fight no matter what plans anyone comes up with.

[floridagramma]

Last night’s MSNBC debate co-moderator Tim Russert is on Morning Joe, bringing up Clinton’s point about Barack Obama failing to convene a single substantive hearing of the European Affairs subcommittee of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations committee, to which Obama was appointed in January 2007. Obama’s response in the Ohio debate last night? He was already campaigning for president by then, and hasn’t had time for the subcommittee. Never mind it covers NATO, somewhat important because of that war in Afghanistan being fought by NATO forces. We’ve extensively covered Obama’s failure to do his duty here.

But I am certain that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS et al. will have both Joe Conason and Joe Wilson [his op-ed is quoted below] on their news shows today to weigh in about Obama’s failure to do his job on European affairs. Aren’t you?

Here’s Joe Conason for Salon, in December, on WHY Obama’s failure matters:

Doubts about Barack Obama’s presidential credentials have crystallized during the past two weeks over his stewardship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on European Affairs, which has convened no policy hearings since he took over as its chairman last January. That startling fact, first uncovered by Steve Clemons, who blogs on the Washington Note, prompted acid comment in Europe about the Illinois senator’s failure to visit the continent since assuming the committee post, and even speculation that he had never traveled there except for a short stopover in London.

But why should those questions matter to Americans who consider Senate hearings so much useless verbiage? And why does anyone care whether and where a would-be president has traveled, on official or personal visits?

The simple answer to the first question is that Senate hearings do not merely provide occasions for grandstanding as many voters may suspect, but fulfill a critical purpose in providing information and perspective to lawmakers. In the Senate, the foreign relations subcommittees have few direct legislative responsibilities, but they have traditionally gathered substantive research for the committee itself and for the rest of the Senate.

Here’s how Joe Biden, now chair of the full committee, worked hard when he chaired that subcommittee:

Should Obama wonder whether he ought to have bothered with his subcommittee, he could ask his friendly rival Joe Biden, D-Del., who chaired the Europe subcommittee for many years during the Cold War. Biden effectively exploited the chairmanship to transform himself from a junior member into one of the Senate’s most knowledgeable experts on arms control, nuclear weapons, European attitudes toward America and the Soviet Union, the European Union’s policies, and the role of NATO, which also comes under the subcommittee’s mandate. As a result, Biden starred in Senate hearings on the SALT II arms treaties and eventually established himself as a leading national voice on foreign policy.

“I wouldn’t call it a neglect of duty but a missed opportunity to explore issues that will be of fundamental importance to the next administration,” says ambassador John Ritch, who served for two decades as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s senior staffer on European affairs and East-West relations, before going on to represent the Clinton administration at the United Nations organizations in Vienna.

Ritch points out that as subcommittee chair, Obama could have examined a wide variety of urgent matters, from the role of NATO in Afghanistan and Iraq to European energy policy and European responses to climate change — and of course, the undermining of the foundations of the Atlantic alliance by the Bush administration. There is, indeed, almost no issue of current global interest that would have fallen outside the subcommittee’s purview. …

Last night, Taylor Marsh weighed in:

Finally. Somebody brings up the NATO committee Obama co-chairs, but hasn’t called one single meeting. It was Clinton, not the moderators.

“It is true we haven’t had oversight hearings,” Obama admits. Somebody going to follow up on this one? No oversight, while Afghanistan is going to hell in a hand basket. Anyone? … ..

Here’s what Russert just said on Morning Joe, which I’ve transcribed off my DVR:

[Clinton said] you’re chairman of a subcommittee covering European affairs, which would include NATO, and you’ve never convened a meeting. And he said, well, I was too busy campaigning.

I think if she had made the question in that exchange less about Washington and subcommittees, and much more, saying “What have you done? What is your foreign policy experience,” it might have been a little more effective.

Fair point. Russert thinks she’ll hammer Obama on “What have you done?!” in the days to come.

For more background on the subcommittee, and Obama’s lack of foreign policy experience, see Joe Wilson’s op-ed here, “The Real Hillary I Know — and the Unreal Obama.”

Yesterday the London Times reported central questions about Senator Obama’s shocking dearth of international experience: “Fresh doubts over Barack Obama’s foreign policy credentials were expressed on both sides of the Atlantic last night, after it emerged that he had made only one brief official visit to London - and none elsewhere in Western Europe or Latin America.” It also reported: “Mr. Obama had failed to convene a single policy meeting of the Senate European subcommittee, of which he is chairman.”

These basic facts, coming from a major foreign newspaper, are a sobering counterpoint to a gushing Boston Globe editorial that endorsed Obama for having “an intuitive sense of the wider world with all its perils and opportunities.” Intuition may be a laudable quality among psychics and palm readers, but for a professional American diplomat like myself, who have spent a career toiling in the vineyards of national security, it has no relevance to serious discussion of foreign policy. In fact, Obama’s supposed “intuitive sense” is no different from George W. Bush’s “instincts” and “gut feeling” describing his own foreign policy decision-making. We have been down this road before. …

But, again: I’m sure that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS et al. will have both Joe Conason and Joe Wilson on their news shows today to weigh in about Obama’s failure to do his job on European affairs.

I’m sure of it.

If they have an opportunity after dissecting Hillary’s tone and style of “attack.” Which takes precedence of course.

Maybe they’ll ask Conason and Wilson about Arkansasdemocrat’s concerns:

There is the threat of a new civil war with the Kosovo situation. The illegal proliferation of “loose nukes” from Russia continues. Britain has a new Prime Minister. The European Union is experiencing difficult growing pains. Parts of the EU have been pioneers on climate change, etc.

And not one single hearing since Obama took over as chairman 14 months ago. Amazing.

Something i noticed last night that was glaring..

I thought it curious last night during the debate that neither moderators ever asked this question nor in the 19 other debates of Obama..and when Hillary brought this up..Obama answered the question for a very short period and then they went to commerical..Russert said they would pick it up when they came back from commerical..but they did not..and the only other significant questions Obama was asked they immediately went to commerical..if you don't think MSNBC isn't giving this guy a free ride..i have a bridge for you!!

[Project4NuBostonTeaParty]

Thank you for this post.

Do rose-colored glasses allow for the rigorous discipline of actual reading?

[7NoTrumpXX]

Thanks floridagramma!! A thoughtful, accurate post. It was refreshing.

IF the hateful posts against Senator Clinton are truly from OBAMA supporters, I'm not sure I will ever join them since hate is not part of my thinking. I may disagree with you 100% politically, but I don't hate you.

[TMIDGE66]

no dalicious, you lost. you lost a smart, intelligent woman who knows more than barak will ever know. so you lost, and now all of america will lose. there is no such sentence as she gone. enough said.

[lilibet]

She is not gone, and you didn't win. And if your leader does get the nomination who will be listening to the angry ranting and raving hateful remarks about one of the greatest, most intelligent women of our times, respected around the world.
Why oh why do Obama supporters have to be so angry, hateful and vindictive, It doesn't reflect well on your leader.

Voting for McCain...Probably not
Ralph Nader is now another option
Some are even suggesting "write ins"

All this is speculative, because no one has the nomination, and as much as you would like to see Senator Hillary Clinton "throw in the towel" - It just "aint" going to happen!

Ralph Nader is now another optio...

[YouThinkAndTalk]

Oh, how I love to see the Hillary supporters have a fit.

[Suprshrink]

Enjoy it all the way to a loss in November. I know dozens of people who will be voting for McCain because of the treatment Hillary has gotten from the media, from Obama, and from people like you.

[TimSearl]

You know "dozens of people"? who are going to vote for McCain instead of Obama, is Ann Coulter a member of your circle? How nice.

[jcless]

Yes, after reading this blog I can see how Obama is bringing everybody together. I can see the benefits of this new White House with a First Lady that didn't have any pride in her nation until a few weeks ago.What a wonderful example for the world.

[eliandbo]

Treated like a black in a nation that has put them into a "second catagory", and to now be given a serious consideration for the higest office in the land, she has a renewed faith in her nation.

[Arji]

Just as it is with those "who don't know they don't know", Clinton continues to dig her self deeper into oblivion. All the public has to do is sit back and watch her expose her true self. Her desperation will no doubt continue to bubble to the surface in the form of attack.

[starboymikey]

I don't care whether Hillary's political life is over or not, but I have lost the last shred of respect I had left for her.

Her actions of late have been beneath contempt in their selfish disregard for her party and the country. I'm sick of enumerating them, so I'm done.

[Hotshortie]

I watched the debate I felt that Hillary's silly snipping, lacked dignity. But the wildest thing, I felt he was trying to save her dignity for her. I kept thinking he could knee cap her here but he respectfully disagreed on issues, pointed out differences but left her intact.

It seemed to me as if he was looking out for her. If she didn't win, he was giving her a graceful exit.

They are both so well versed on the issues.
It was a very substitive debate, where they both had wonderful moments.

I also wanted to point out that I like how even keeled Obama remained during the debate. I makes me think he is very grounded and would not be showing signs of being bi polar or other symptoms we've seen this week.

[Project4NuBostonTeaParty]

"I felt he was trying to save her dignity for her."

Odd, that. The male in my household believed that last night Hillary showed Obama how to be presidential. And he's no Hillary fan. But there you go, you know how men just can't make up their minds.

[TankerRat]

Well finally. Now the Dems can get on with crowning their "Messiah " and proceed with getting pasted in the general. All goes according to Karl Rove's ,BushCo.'s,and the RNC's plan. Anybody see the LA Times Poll out today? The one that says old Johnny boy will be hard to beat in November. Take heed people.DO NOT underestimate the opposition. Many have and have paid a terrible price for it. Heaven protect us.

[15delta]

Instead of degrading Hillary every time we talk about who should be nominated let's talk about this two bit jerk-Bush that has made the biggest mess of this country and will walk away laughing at how he has everyone screwed up. I believe Obama and Hillary are the "A" Team for President and Vice President. I believe the debate was excellent. I am not looking for knock down and drag out; I am looking for some intelligence to be taken office. And that is H & B or B & H.
Let's get of the crap wagon that we are left with and go for these two,

[hu.man]

Not after that performance. It would be absolutely foolish to bring Hillary on board. Obama is smarter than that.

[Dalicious]

Sorry, but Hillary will never get my vote for anything except chair of the PTA bake sale -- and then only if I have no children at the school. I trust her instincts on nothing. I was thinking of not voting at all in next week's primary, since I do agree that Obama's take on the issues is shallow and poorly thought out, but Hillary's performance last night reminded me of what is really important: booting her and Bill from the public stage altogether.

[Suprshrink]

PTA Bakesale? Your sexism is showing. You are willing to accept a man no matter how poorly conceived his ideas and plans are just so you can reject a woman. Good going.

[nlightenup]

15delta, yours is a voice of reason, which I hope prevails among the American populace. The unthinking Hillary haters who predominate on HuffPo will disagree, but they aren't that big a slice of the pie, in the bigger picture.

[jcless]

As usual the bias against Hillary Clinton. Why don't you check her Congressional record instead of just putting her down about what she did or did not do? ..and her record in Arkansas.
What about Obama accepting money from lobbyists up until December 07, for his campaign and lying about it,and his nvolvement with his friend and neighbor who is now on trial in Federal Court (Renzo) whom he still has $200,000.00 of his campaign money and also sold him more land? Then the fact he raised
funds for Islam terrorist, why don't you investigate these facts and do a story. What would happen to your Golden Boy then?

[thesimulacra]

He raised funds for Islam terrorist? Granny get the gun! I read somethin on the innernet that sounded like it might be true!

[hu.man]

For better or worse, it is not just congressional record. Gore had a much better record of accomplishment than Bush. Personality has a great impact. Gore and Hillary self-destructed by allowing their condescending attitudes to show through in the debates. That is like a poison pill, never mind the accomplishment.

[eanderso]

It's Rezko. And it's BS. Here are a couple of pertinent pieces:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-russell/whitewater-v-rezko-the-_b_83040.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/18/home-sellers-dispute-clai_n_87237.html

I need to stop reading HuffPo comments. It's making me less and less of a fan of people.

It is better to be thought a fool and remain silent, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...

[realist333]

This kind of speculation doesn't add or subtract anything.
Ms. Clinton is visibly losing the race.
Time to get aboard a train that's really going somewhere.

[mheister]

How about Senator Clinton's record during her six years on the board at Wal-Mart? Did she ever even lift a finger for Wal-Mart's exploited workers? Did she even once make an effort to stem the tide of discriminatory employment and promotional practices against women? Did she do anything, anything at all, about Wal-Mart's criminally overzealous union-crushing tactics???

[7NoTrumpXX]

The faults of WalMart are exaggerated. WalMart is STILL the biggest employer in the country. Over a million people work at WalMart. I shop at Sam's Club (owned by WalMart) once a week and I asked the doorman the other day, "I've seen you here for a long time. How long have you worked her, 8 or 9 year?" He said, "10 years." Another man in a wheelchair who is a doorman, has been there for about the same time.

Many of the people I see there everytime I shop have been there for years. I didn't notice any leg irons on any of them.

WalMart now offers health insurance at a reasonable price to their workers.

When it comes to shopping, the CUSTOMER makes the decison.