Yeah, because you really want a crazy, dishonest, conniving blackmailer by your side.

I used to like and respect Hillary. Now I think she's so deranged that in no way, shape or form can we afford to have her a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

Don't give in to pressure from Clinton fatcats, Obama! Having the Clintons on the ticket would be a disaster on many levels.

If Obama picks Hillary as VP, he'll be viewed--unfairly of couse--as a George W. figure, a naive puppet for the Clintons to manipulate. He'd be crazy to choose her.

Why on earth would she want to be VP? The only thing I can think of is that she thinks someone will assassinate him and she can be the LBJ to his Kennedy.

She could do so much for the party and her supposed committment to liberal causes. But she's to egocentric to ever consider it. Call it a "fighter" if you want, but she's a disgrace.

This is just garbage.

This isn't a warning about some "risk" as much as it's a veiled call to the Clintonistas to work to make this appear a possibility.

If they are willing to whack their schnozzes to spite their face, then they deserve what they get. And if we end up with McCain because of some Clinton pity party, well, she's elevated to Public Enemy No. 1 in my book.

She's attempting blackmail, pure and simple.

And there's near certainty of an Obama loss if she is made the VP nominee.

The money-borg makes its presence known.

We are the DLC machine. You need us!

I don't know why they're doing this.

With the CNN leak and now this, they've created a no-win situation for Obama where the least desirable result is not picking HRC.

If he picks her now, he appears weak since everyone knows he doesn't want to and has been forced to do so by HRC. That would be seriously damaging for the GE -- he would be deemed a kid who was pushed around by the Clintons.

If he doesn't, he hasn't sufficiently kowtowed and loses HRC's hardcore supporters.

Isn't he the one that tried to bribe the Young Democrats superdelegates with $1 million?

Having Hillary on the ticket will put Obama on a trajectory toward defeat.

Ignore the bluster.

Obama has already made a decision about who his VP will be. I believe that decision was probably made as far back as October, 2006.

2 words: record turnout.

If Nemazee's well-heeled fatcats want to sit this one out, go right ahead. We'll beat McCain without you.

What better way to show the American people your your own man than by rejecting overtures from the HRC camp to make her VP? If HRC is his VP the Republiancs will use that to say "if he cant stand up to people in his own party how can he stand up the the terrorist and how can he defend America?"

The Clinton camp are overplaying their hand and by pressing the issue they are leaving BO with only one option and that is to not pick her.

This may backfire. It is unbelievable. It's like the mafia talking. "Naturally, we will try to stand by you either way, but there could be a risk to your family if you don't play along with us."

Hillary making an offer he can't refuse! Wow! "Everything is going beautifully for ya, Senator Obama. Don't go and ruin it all for yourself!"

"But there's a risk that if she isn't invited on the ticket, Hillary's political and financial supporters may not feel compelled to be as integrated and involved in the Obama campaign in order to provide the maximum support that he'll need to prevail in November."

Dude, that "financial supporters" gun shoots blanks. Have you forgotten your candidate's in megadebt?

Fine. They can fund House and Senate races; we'll continue to fund Obama.

This isn't surprising. In fact, I consider it a good sign that this nomination is coming ever closer to an end. HRC would be a disaster on the ticket, of course, so Obama is going to have to figure out another good role for her that she wants.

Ewww.

This guy is amazing. He actually thinks Obama needs Clinton financial support. Nevermind that her campaign has been in the red since March, when she should have gracefully bowed out. This whole bunch of folks are on some kind of controlled substance, and just make democrats look bad.

It just occured to me that this sounds very much like HRC's people know this is over, and Obama is going to be the nominee.....which really just makes her push to get the MI and FL "votes counted" and raising doubts about the process itself all the more disingenuous and cynical.

So giving Clinton the VP spot would be "insurance" (use of quotes indicative of term, not of use) against an "accident."

Thank goodness Obama is NOT an appeaser.

This is baloney. McCain is going to lose the election, no matter who wins it. Obama with Jim Webb (for example) need have no fear of being abandoned by a significant part of the party because HRC isn't on board. Nor any fear of being beaten by tired, old, crazy John McCain. HRC's people are trying to set Obama up to look like a jerk if he doesn't choose her -- it's the last aria in her opera of desperation. Hopefully, Obama won't let himself be pressured.

Senator Obama; Stay away from Hillary Clinton.

She will give you Broke Campaign Cooties!

No.

I officially don't trust Hillary--she'd be trying to undermine Obama for a shot at 2012 out of the gate.

And we would just be giving the Republicans TWO people to attack instead of one.

The VP slot should be reserved for a safe calming choice with National Security or military experience.

Not picking Clinton would be his best move. The threatened damage will be non-existent come November. It looks like a number of VP possibilities would help beat McCain.

Clinton's negatives would drive away independents. Obama's support (and McCain's lack of support) for women's issues will keep Dem women Dem.

She worked harder, fought the corporate media united with the kool aid drinking Clinton haters, took the lead on gas prices and positions Obama copied and should be President.

But this election is pure bs and the least the dems can do is offer her the VP.

As a certified Obamamaniac I cringe at the idea of him selecting HRC as his VP. During the course of this campaign she has gone from someone I respected but was not moved by to someone who represents all that I want him to change. Still, the key to the New Politics will be, as Obama has so often said, "bringing us together." He has also said there is much less difference between him and Hillary and say...Bush or McCain. What better way to demonstrate his courage to make tough decisions than to resist the cries of his own constituency, of people like me, and reach out to Hillary and her coalition in uniting the party? If he can't bring the Democrats together, he won't have a chance to bring the country together. True there is the downside risk of exciting the Republican base to run against her, but that may be moot if he can't get his own base to run with him. So the dream ticket is at least worth we Obamanauts calmy considering. I suspect, that is exactly what Obama is doing at this very moment.

So, is this Step One of the Nuclear Option?

wow. so we're back to: pick hillary or we wont donate money.

that'll work for sure because obama only has 1.5 million+ donors, so im sure he needs all the financial help he can get.

the clintons don't have nearly as much leverage as they think.

Picking her would go against everything he has stood for. Furthermore it goes against the feminist movement. She is not succeeding on her strengths and merits, but rather her ability to threaten and manipulate...so to all those female supporters, congratulations on setting the movement back another 5 years. I guess I will have to work that much harder because of your ignorance.

F$%k Obama...
Does anyone seriously believe that HRC wants to be on Obama's loser ticket? Obama will be lucky to get a second tier pol like Richardson to sign up for his three day tour.
And while Hussein is windsurfing off to Kerryland HRC and Bill will emerge as the leaders of the party.
Then Hussein and Shaniqua can open a string of strip clubs on the South Side and continue pimping those little ones. A crack house not the White House is in the cards for those two ghetto fabulous hustlers.

If they already had the leverage to pull this off, garbage like Nemazee wouldn't have to be putting this threat out there publicly.

As someone else mentioned, the irony is that in a sense by threatening him on record they actually make it harder for Obama to say yes because now everyone's watching. This is the Clintons' first attempt to knock Obama down a notch. If they got on the ticket and into the White House with him, I guarantee there would be many, many more.

Ugh! Make these horrible rumors stop. Hillary on the ticket is a horrible idea that almost guarantees Obama's loss. Wanna fire up the Repub base? Wanna fire up their fundraising? Wanna have someone who destroys your credibility as a running mate? Wanna polarize the electorate? Then pick Hillary.

If you want to win this year - Obama NEEDS to pick a centrist Democrat who can appeal to independents and anti-war Republicans. Someone with economic credibility who has opposed the war from the beginning and who also must appeal on some religous or other background or social way to them.

I say give me Gov. Tim Kaine (VA), Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (KS), former Govs. Tim Warner (VA)or Bob Graham (FL, Sen. PA) and let's call it a victory.

(I also like Claire McCaskill (MO) and Jim Webb (VA), as realistic possibilities).

Oh, that's just terrific. Threats. And still calling it a "dream" ticket when it would be the absolute worst nightmare. Damn the arrogance of those people. Clinton on the ticket would negate Obama's message, and the two of them together? Just not believable. But this threat talk -- this is an outrage.

It is likely that McCain would have adds with Hillary questioning Obama's readiness were she the VP. But then again, he could use those adds anyway. We have all seen how good Clinton is at turning on a dime if it suits her...say on the question of whether to admit MI and FA delegates. So were she VP I could see her saying something with a big grin on her face like, "I have one thing to say to the Republicans who ask if Can Barack Obama keep you safe? YES HE CAN!"

That would require re-naming One Observatory Circle: Inverness. Out, out, damned spot...(and out, out, damned bad idea).

Tell him to STFU...we don't need the ClintonS MOB BOSSES threatening our nominee......

Hey Pelosi...get rid of the Clintons they are bastards

It's fortuitous that Nemazee came out with this ridiculous comment just as CNN floated this suspect report about "formal talks" between the Clinton and Obama campaigns. It exposes the real lack of leverage the Clinton campaign has at this point.

Obama is killing them in fundraising and organization, and already has a vast swath of the political machinery lined up behind him.

They have only one card that they can play -- the threat of acting as a spoiler. You can see it in Nemazee's ham-fisted attempt at blackmail: "Make Hillary the VP or we'll sit on the sidelines for the general."

This is an incredibly weak card to play. As noted, Obama already has most of what Nemazee and his ilk have to offer, so there's little reason to take the threat seriously.

Moreover, what do Clinton and her acolytes gain from playing the role of spoiler? If Obama loses, then they're going to (rightly) reap a large share of the blame. If he wins, then their transition to political irrelevance will be complete. It's lose-lose.

Nemazee's comments reveal either that they've reached a critical level of (to use David Paterson's term) "desperation," or that they prize loyalty to Clinton over loyalty to the party. Or both.

Neither is a desirable trait, and neither demonstrates that the Clinton camp is in a position of strength.

Instead of trying to use bribery/extortion, legal challenges and gutter politics, Hillary could have taken the route to reaching out to Obama supporters to make it more acceptable to join forces with Hillary on a ticket. In stead she keeps poking him in the eye and playing the exact game of old style politics Obama has rallied against.

Please, please make it stop! Do I have Tinnitus or is it just more whining from the Hillary camp?

The Democratic party will never define itself in any meaningful way, or separate itself from the stench of GOP tactics and politics until it moves past the Clintons.

How in the world could Obama attract qualified cabinet folks with the Clintons always exerting influence?

Out of curiousity, exactly what have Bill and Hillary promised these big fundraisers that they are attempting to blackmail the party?

I trust TPM.

Right now over at the MSNBC "Campaign Alert/Breaking News" desk, "Clinton Officials are swearing they've never discussed the VP role" and are accusing Obama's campaign of spreading these rumors.

Here comes the final episode (Hallelujah!) of "Big nasty black man attacks poor white women" .

Ms. Hillary needs to learn the true
definition of tough from real women, and not from the Ferraro School of Bitter Bitchology.

According to The Field, Bill Clinton is really the ring leader behind this effort and Obama has alredy smacked it down.

http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=1248

In related news, Mark Penn has threatened to withhold key strategic advice from Obama if Hillary Clinton is not the nominee.

Man. Just look at those pollster trend lines. A thing of beauty.

Is this guy a muslim ? / snark.

Damn. Obamites should be rejoicing. Clinton publicly seeking the VP slot would be the equivalent of a concession speech.

The only real way to end this is a flip of the coin to decide who has top billing.

The risk of loss is if she tries to extort her way into the VP slot. This would combine the negatives about both of them into a big Swift Boat target. Make no mistake about it. Big Dog is pulling the strings and he'd be pulling the strings for the next 4 years. Hillary as VP would build on the Big Dick's legacy of a VP with disproportionate power.

If Barack taps Clinton as his veep, he can kiss all those independent, young, black, and afluent voters goodbye. He'll have a voting block of 50+ year-old white women, Appalachian hillbillies (maybe--because they still think he's a muslim) and D.C. insiders.

Hillary Clinton demonstrated for all voters - Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Greens, and every stripe inbetween -what a Clinton Presidency would be like: Use of intimidation and threats, whining and throwing temper tantrums, sulking and giving the silent treatment, and making promises and pandering to all parties just to win an argument. This is LEADERSHIP? Hardly, and to all angry feminists who formed the organization "Clinton Supporters Count, Too".... are you really saying THIS is how the nation ought to be led? The final threat - make me the Vice President or else my supporters will withdraw financial support from your campaign. Okay, that was the last and hardest punch thrown in the 15th round of this crueling heavyweight match? You know, Hillary and all of the terrorist activists who engage in such poor behavior, maybe the Obama campaign can get by just very well without your money whatsoever! Clinton's fat cat and special interests shadow operatives failed to understand the power of the Progressives - those small $100 donors - they piss upon and consider worthless. Obama's gains have come as a result of a tremendous nationwide organzing campaign. These folks will come out once more during the general election season; this time their presence will be a tidal wave.

Lastly, consider the analogy to Clinton's demand (Bill and her operatives like Nasim) to be Veep. This is like getting married to an old girlfriend you have massive personality differences and just no intrinsic love for just because she DEMANDS that YOU OWE it to HER! Not a good marriage, and if a marriage is partnership based upon respect and compatibility, Isay, Hillary you will be invited to the reception, but not to walk down the aisle.

Arrr how sweet... their little puppet blows all her money -- and when all else fails she gets her sugardaddies to blackmail and buy her way into the VP spot...

How Sweet! barf

penn withholding strategic advice,nemazee withholding little dalton's money, LOL. Now I know there is a divine presence.

For starters, she’s on record, on camera, several times, questioning Obama's fitness to be Commander in Chief.

I cant believe Obama campaign would hand McCain a perfect TV spot on a silver platter, one which opens with that footage of Hillary declaring, "I've passed the Commander in Chief test, John McCain has passed it, but you'll have to ask Barack Obama"; and then fades to that clip of her saying, "I have a lifetime of experience, John McCain has a lifetime of experience, Barack Obama has a speech he gave in 2002" --and then closes with the tag line, "Even his VP doesn't think he's ready - -why should you?"

Why Hillary should not be VP:

From "Head of State"

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/head-of-state-reasons-that-hillary.html

Friday, May 23, 2008

Head of State: The Reasons That Hillary Should Not Be Vice President

Regarding Hillary Clinton as Barack Obama's running mate:

Originally, this seemed to be a potentially plausible choice--and if presented in the following way, could turn her divisive campaign into a potential coup as a VP candidate. The thinking was the following:

Hillary has run a divisive campaign. Now, just as the nation should mend its divisions in favor a greater unity that would serve the greater needs of our country, so now they would explicitly put these divisions behind them, in the interests of the unity that this nation, after a bitter and divisive Administration, is so in need of. This would serve as a powerful and vibrant example of the very ability to unify that Obama both offers and represents.

However, this would require a candidate that was willing to take such a position of relative shared selflessness in the interests of a greater good. While the Vice Presidency certainly offers its honors (now far beyond the "warm pitcher" of John Vance Garner's famous phrase) and positioning for later Presidential aspirations, such a plan would require the ability to think in terms of a shared effort based on the betterment of the nation, rather than in more grasping, combative and singular terms.

The Clinton camp's behavior over this past week has made such a positive scenario clearly untenable, showcasing the same characteristics that have signified her campaign throughout its long, chaotic march--its contradictions of previous statements when such changes have a slight possibility of adding a week or two of vitality, its sudden and implausible use of populist guises and specious historical parallels for transparently opportunistic purposes, its near-hallucinogenic transmogrifications of personality and central bases for further continuation,
and the central campaign tendency to place personal attainment over virtually all values that lay in its path.

These characteristics--self over nation, positioning over a consistent presentation of position, values and even self, the willingness to put personal viability over the need to transcend and transform the vast wreckage of state and international relations that remains at this critical time--are as present now, at a moment when wisdom rather than a remorseless, obdurate desperation could fill this gap, as they have been throughout much of the campaign. They would continue to make themselves present during a Clinton campaign for vice president, complicating, diminishing and often distracting from, in trivial internecine battles, the message of unity and change.

Perhaps Clinton could adopt a more unifying, integrated and less grasping position on the VP subject. However, thus far, the actions of the Clinton camp have made it clear: It's time to clean the slate. Hillary Clinton should not be the Vice Presidential candidate.

Cite:

Head of State

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/head-of-state-reasons-that-hillary.html

Nemesis says, "There's a desire on the part of the party to come together under any circumstances," - my ass! They should kick her ass out of the Democratic party, and I'm a middle-aged white woman saying this. Stop the Clinton arm-twisting, bullying and coercion. Take away ALL their influence as punishment for trying to wreck the Dem's chances in November, unless they are the ones running (Billary, I mean).

If this guy is so good at raising funds in the Dem. Party, why then does Hillary, his favorite, have such a deficit in the amount of funds that she was able to raise. With help like this, I would abstain. Barack, pat the guy on the rear, and tell him nice try but is that the best that you got.

Just saw that Wolfson and Mcauliffe claim that the VP discussion rumor is completely false and they said it is likely that the Obama campaign is spreading these rumors.

So we have her top strategists saying there have been no discussions about VP, her top fundraising official saying bribery isn't out of the question, Bill saying he thinks an Obama/Clinton ticket is a good idea, and in the meantime, Hillary is in Florida freeing the slaves and fighting to grant women the right to vote.

They all deserve something but I don't think it's a place in government.

Hillary may go down in history as the first female VP.

Or she may just go down.

Obama is going to have a hard time winning in November.

If he doesn't even ask Hillary to be on the ticket (even is she says no), he will lose for sure.

Think: Kennedy/Johnson They won, didn't they?

Just more attempted blackmail from the Clinton folks. They are toxic. Better to take the nomination and pick a running mate with a clean slate. Once the dust settles, the choice between Obama and McCain will be crystal clear. All the bad blood between the Obama and Clinton forces will unite against McCain. Those that don't come on board, were probably not reliable supporters to begin with. Obama's appeal is an entirely new way of politics. His running mate needs to compliment this approach. Clinton cannot represent this no matter what she does.

Thugs. That's all they are. Practicing Tony Soprano-style politics.

Well, guess what? Obama doesn't need their money and he sure doesn't want anything to do with their style of politics.

So he should be giving them a simple two word answer: Fuck off.

In my opinion, we should take that calculated risk. I believe that the risk associated with her being anywhere near the vice-presidency has much more potential for disaster.

Obama/Someone else '08

It goes without saying that this argument is predicated on the fact that the single most important aspect of Senator Obama's decision is who is able to serve as president in a moment's notice should that need arise. And it is clear that Hillary Clinton fills that role.

Yeah, and if I was Obama, I'd definitely hire a soup taster if the Clintons had access to the White House.

This is baloney. McCain is going to lose the election, no matter who wins it. Obama with Jim Webb (for example) need have no fear of being abandoned by a significant part of the party because HRC isn't on board. Nor any fear of being beaten by tired, old, crazy John McCain. HRC's people are trying to set Obama up to look like a jerk if he doesn't choose her -- it's the last aria in her opera of desperation. Hopefully, Obama won't let himself be pressured.

He's must be sweating buckets that his entire "hillary" investment will go pear-shaped and never pay off.

Let the data do the talking.

This just in from Survey USA:
Ohio
Obama 48
McCain 39

Can Obama win swing states without HRC?

Yep

Two words. Rookies. Bullsh#t.

What a crock! Screw that!

Reasons Obama does not truly gain from having HRC on his ticket:

1. He can generate his own money

2. The "healing" power of choosing HRC would hurt his support with his own supporters and base

3. His choice would look like a cave in to HRC's monied backers to all

4. People would wonder who is actually in charge (re: the above HRC is not a good back seater)

5. Opens the ticket up to all the old Clinton lines of attack from the right

6. Gains in conservative areas would be offset by losses in other progressive and anti-Clinton conservative areas

7. Because every time HRC makes a campaign speech, Newt Gingrich eats a kitten on Japanese television, which is broadcast live on his website, newt.org/kittenchow/

Carter was decent, professional, ethical and open to a new kind of politics. And the political world ripped him a new asshole.

Politics is a constant death match. Good intentions without physical threat is a death wish. Obama shows none of the fire needed for that kind of day to day engagement.

If anything, he needs an attack dog like Clinton who is afraid of no one and nothing.

Obama is too weak-kneed and naive to serve as the executive. He speaks softly but doesn't even have a stick.

If anything I would think all would agree that Clinton has maximum tenacity. It's a basic qualification for the job.

The gall of these Clinton people is unfathomable.

Other people here have said it, but I'll say it again; Obama picking Hillary, after the way she has behaved, would be a catastrophic sign of weakness and doubly motivate Republicans to defeat the Democratic ticket.

The bottom line is he has to do something good for her grassroots supporters, not the Beltway fat cats, and that means choosing John Edwards as his running mate.

Yeah, it'd be a real shame if Hillary's financial backers (who have left her tens of millions of dollars in debt) don't help Obama (who has raised historic levels of campaign cash). How divorced from reality are these people?

She's also a pathological liar. Her credibility has been shattered through her theatrics, exaggerations, and "kitchen sink" nonsense. She's burned too many bridges to make this happen. Also, besides the fact that the "hard working white Americans" who wouldn't vote for Obama because of his race, won't be inclined to do so with her as the VP. In addition, she's consistently praised McSame in deference to Obama and will act as the most engergizing force amongst the GOP than anything else could be in a year where their base is dispirited.

Wait, I thought that if Hillary was not the nominee that all would be lost. Now it is if Hillary isn't VP all is lost. I just wish these people would either make up their minds or stop making predictions.

So why I should take seriously the remarks of the "top fund-raiser" for a campaign that is $20M in debt (or more) today?

Obama would make a fine VP. In his 8 years he would gain the experience and knowledge of making decisions on an executive level that would prepare him for a run at the presidency.

Clinton/Obama is a realistic ticket for the Democratic party given the situation as it exists.