Obama has been the definition of politics as usual. In fact, after decrying the gotcha games, his campaign released a series of talking points on Clinton and Ayers. I thought he wanted to move past that? I don't get it. It's OK to attack Clinton but not him?

Hey, Greg? Not a criticism or a bias accusation. I'm just not clear what the "this" in "Hillary has tried this before" refers to. What is it she's tried before? And when?

Sorry, to be dense. I'm still trying to recover the IQ points that were stunned into unconsciousness by the periods when I wasn't watching "Mythbusters" last night.

"looked in her element"...

Like a hog in it's favorite wallowing mud pit!

I don't think you have to be particularly clever or talented to take advantage of that immensely crappy debate last night. Seriously. Both candidates probably would have been able to say "See? This is one of the things we have to move past".

Unfortunately for Clinton, she can't. Yet another misstep by the Clinton campaign. Go for the short term wins and forget about the longer battle.

The crowd in this video apparently wasn't thrilled with the debate, either.

Speaking of new politics, I'm surprised the cookies question didn't even get a golf clap for crying out loud.

If you're getting dunked on all night by Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, there is something seriously wrong with your game.

Has anyone noticed that Hillary said last night that she said something that she "knew not to be the truth." Isn't it even slightly newsworthy that she admitted she lied about Bosnia. I can't recall a politician actually admitting they lied about somethign before

So this is going to be Obama's stance? They're going to come at him, but he is just going to brush it off? He certainly didn't do very well at that last night. He's going to just brush off everything that the Republicans throw at him? He's going to rise above it? Head unbowed? It sounds like he thinks that his campaign itself is going to change politics forever. It sounds like he believes everything will be different even before he is elected. It sounds like he believes he can run a one-sided nice guy campaign on just the issues he wishes to address, and somehow the GOP will fall in line and debate him on the same level. Yet at the same time, he hasn't really run a nice-guy campaign against Hillary. He has gone on the attack against Hillary many times. He has engaged in politics as usual. So what is he talking about? He's just spinning damage control. It's just more politics as usual.

This should be his next commercial.

All these attacks were self inflicted by hanging out with radicals and spewing bittergate.

He is to blame and nobody else.

So stop crying and unite with a winner and a fighter.

Hillary Clinton.

Senator Obama can multi task.

From today's Chicago Sun Times.

Obama sends letter to TSA over uniform flap

April 17, 2008
Recommend

BY MARY WISNIEWSKI

Illinois senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration Thursday expressing “serious concerns” over TSA uniforms being left out in the open at O’Hare Airport.

Obama was responding to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times that TSA uniforms, TSA radios with access to a secure channel, sensitive security information and a cashbox were left unsecured at airport checkpoints. TSA said there was no security breach and that the materials were within the “sterile area” beyond the checkpoints.

Security breach hits O'Hare

But an airport security expert said the uniforms could have been stolen and used to impersonate TSA officers.

“As you know, terrorists have attempted to impersonate law enforcement and other security officials in order to gather intelligence, conduct counter-surveillance, and even carry out attacks,” Obama wrote in a letter to TSA Assistant Secretary Edmund “Kip” Hawley. “Considering the extraordinary security threats our nation faces every day, reports suggesting that uniforms could possibly be accessed are wholly unacceptable.”

Obama, who is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, asked Hawley to provide further information to highlight areas where improvements may be “urgently needed,” and requested guidelines governing the security of uniforms and other equipment.

Obama also wondered whether TSA staff or staff of the Department of Homeland Security is concerned about theft of screener uniforms or other items as a terrorist tactic.

“I know that the more than 40,000 TSA screeners work diligently to screen millions of passengers and bags every day across America, but their efforts will be compromised if seemingly mundane, but still critical security protocols are not followed,” Obama wrote.

The information about the unsecured items was provided in a March 14 Chicago Department of Aviation report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Obama is Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd.: "All right, Mr DeMille, I'm NOT ready for my close up."

I am big, Barry Obama. It's the my friends that made me small.

"Hillary has tried this before, but it's not the sort of liberty the political press and pundits have been willing to permit her to take."

I'm gonna take issue with this...

It's the PEOPLE who don't permit it to stick, because most voters don't trust her!

Obama, like him or not, just oozes coolness. You want to stick up for him when he's down, and cheer him when he's up.

The media has been trying to bring down Obama with attacks on his youth, his religion, his patriotism, etc.

They don't stick to Obama, not because the Media is not trying, but because the people aren't buying!

Gotta love the brush-off. Right on, Barack.

Obama hater's randomly capitalized words of the day:

"Hypocrit"
"Whinning"
"Crybaby"

Watch the polls on this. This strategy has been working for Obama. The dynamic reminds me of South Carolina. I was impressed then at how he was willing to stick the knife into Clinton while decrying the sticking of knives. The way the media usually treats Clinton, not that big a trick, but still noteworthy. It should not be hard here to tear down Clinton along with ABC. He does it well in the clip. This could be the pivot point that lifts him in Pennsylvania, if not to victory, then close.

Nothing like a little Obama political jujitsu to brighten my day!

"Hillary has tried this before, but it's not the sort of liberty the political press and pundits have been willing to permit her to take."

Oh, but Greg, that's not why it doesn't work for Hillary. The reason it doesn't work for Hillary is because when she tries it, she sounds like a complete phony. Or a whiner.

Obama's funny, smart, and civilized. Hillary's just smart.

People love Obama. And when you get love, people are willing to work with you. To cut you some slack. Clinton doesn't get love. It's hard to love her. And so it's so much easier to picture her with the knife. Sure you can vote for her, but it doesn't feel the same. She a junkyard dog. Useful at times but also easily disposable.

If Hillary's baggage had been completely rummaged through, like she is claiming, then how come her "Screw 'em" remark, about the working class, from 1995 just recently got revealed.

I think that there are lots more of that kind of stuff still stuffed away in many concealed pockets in Hillary's Political Samsonite Set.

Letterman: Top Ten things President Bush asked the Pope.

Number 10. So where is the little woman?

First time every Dave had to stop reading, because the audience was laughing and cheering for such a prolonged period.

Seems to be the obama hater line of the moment is that the debate was a GOP attack and Obama failed.

this analogy is wrong for several reasons, but playing along for a moment.

If Hillary can't beat Obama, who you all consider a lightweight, how's she gonna beat McCain? This logic escapes me.

Either Obama is better than you give him credit for, or Hillary is worse. Which is it?

Rather than drag it out through North Carolina, I guess my hope, however unrealistic, is that Obama can pull off an upset in Penn and therefore end this race which will force McCain to actually campaign for himself rather than continuing to let Hillary do it for him.

Otto: Can we lay the "It's okay bloody Obama now because the Republicans are going to do it fall" talking point to rest once and for all? If Hillary's scorched earth campaigning doesn't bother you, then at least be honest about the ramifications of her continued negative attacks. If you'll recall none of the Republicans attacked each other durning their primary battle with asinine rationalization that the Democrats were going to it in fall and therefore it's okay.

Maybe Greg:

You need more space to expound on Clinton trying to reshape discourse/elevate the political process/keep us from wallowing in the muck - and not being allowed to do so.

I would love to hear about those instances. I've been following this primary season fairly closely, and I missed them.

P.S.: Someone had to explain the "brush it off" multiple cultural references (I am older, you know).

gotta love it!

That 4 minute speech snippet from Raleigh encapsulates what is so special about Obama. I hope the powers that be have the good sense to utilize it in a TV commercial: It truly has the potential to shift the entire paradigm of this election. Magnificent!

At the risk of all of you dogpiling me, I haven't seen crowds respond to the personality of a politician in the way they do to Obama since Reagan.

Reagan bought a lot of goodwill from the people by being funny, and easy-going like this. I would love to see Obama have the opportunity to influence the direction of this country as strongly as Reagan did, though ironically and fortunately, that will mean undoing most of what Reagan did too. Something Clinton didn't get close to pulling off.

Listen to whiny Obama and his whiny bunch of whiny whiners whine. Do they whine while Hillary gets slimed by Obama supporters and thier media shills? Oh no, it is fine to bash Hillary and cheer while they call her a F*cking Wh*re, but ask candidate Saint Hussain Obama a few tough questions and they all whine like a little babies.

I'm not surprised that the story has become about the questions, because as appalling as that whole 45 minutes of sludge was, Obama did an excellent job in fielding all of those questions and pointing out how ludicrous each of them was. I think it wore him down, because his second half wasn't as good...but who's going to remember the second half thanks to the parade of filth that comprised the first half and his grace under stoopid?

A debate is not everything. Also I think the reason Obama is even talking about the debate is because the American people are talking about it and are so angry they are finally going straight to the Mainstream Media. It became an issue, Obama didn't make it an issue. Obviously the people spoke (atleast thousands did) at what they correctly percieved as media bias and conflict of interest. As an Obama supporter I am happily surprised. The American people can't be as hoodwinked so easily anymore- we've been through alot.

The "brush the dirt off" clip just got played on NBC Nightly news, as did Obama's criticism of the debate taking 45 minutes before getting to any topics that people care about.

I just read that he brushed off his shoulder. That is the coolest damn thing I've ever read.

That has a defined meaning.

I love this guy.

He flipped her the bird.....maybe he is brought up on ethics charges. Hmmmmmmm.

Haha ... this is actually what I heard in my head when I saw this.

(Language warning for kids or work)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjbDKU1ndXs

Obama has to wade through spin is subject of below post written BEFORE debate. Also, what is difference between ABC's debate technique and media coverage of Paris or Brittany's un pantied lower cleavage?

None!

Obama shows trust and respect for voting public: Hillary not so much
.
Obama has embarked on a profound sociological and political gamble. He gambles by offering the electorate a deep respect by quietly and firmly telling truths. His campaign, to a degree unparalleled in normal campaigning, constantly and repetitively gambles that voters of all stripes, indeed, can handle the truth. It must be at times agony to watch the 'gotcha' spin from opponents and the press while waiting to see if the American citizenry can make intelligent decisions faced with a cacophony of spin.

So far the voters have proved Obama's respect for them to be well placed. They have showed their common sense by ignoring mindless spin battles and continuing to vote increases in Obama's winning lead primary numbers.

You must live in a vaccuum. In San Francisco, Obama bunched the successes of the Clinton Administration with the failures of the Bush Administration. Obama has questioned Clinton's electibility since before the primaries started.
Obama derided her with comments like "you're likeable enough."

You delude yourselves.