does anyone remember McEntee's mess in 2004 and how he jumped from the Dean ship faster than anyone? He HAS to stick this one out for Hillary, if only to prove that he isn't fickle and won't always jump ship at the first sign of a candidate's weakness.

A very plausible explanation.

Posted at May 12, 2008 8:49 PM in response to AFSCME Official Vows To Put "Real Money" Into Hillary Ads In Remaining States

Who could have imagined you turned out not to be the evil bastard we all thought you were?

Hope you get the job this time.

Posted at May 12, 2008 8:29 PM in response to Obama Campaign Seeking Staff For General Election

Hopefully not. I think even the idiotic pundits factored Hillary winning WV (and Kentucky next week) by huge margins into their calculations that there is no realistic way she can get the nomination.

Posted at May 12, 2008 7:00 PM in response to Happy Hour Reading

It's "American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees."

And I'm 99 percent sure it's not dues money they're wasting (dues $ can be used for membership mobilization but not for normal campaign activity) but PAC money which is from voluntary contributions by members. That said, as I noted above, it's still money that would be far better spent on Democratic House and Senate candidates that actually have a real-life chance to win than on a candidate who has basically lost and whose opponent has the support of many AFSCME state councils (including Oregon), local unions and members.

Posted at May 12, 2008 6:57 PM in response to AFSCME Official Vows To Put "Real Money" Into Hillary Ads In Remaining States

McCain has a long Senate record.

Yes he does and guess what that record shows?

** Opposition to Jim Webb's GI Bill for post-9/11 vets.

** Voting against increasing funding for veterans’ health care every year from 2004 through 2007.

** Voting against providing guaranteed annual funding for veterans’ health care.

** Supporting the outsourcing at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to an incompetent private contractor -- the direct cause of the horrible mistreatment of injured soldiers that took place there.

Anyone looking at the record, rather than the rhetoric, will see that Obama will be a champion for vets while McSame will continue Bush's neglect of the troops the two of them sent into battle.

Posted at May 12, 2008 5:19 PM in response to Happy Hour Reading

Your wife and probably a majority the union's other members. Don't forget there are large AFSCME state councils, local unions and other affiliates that broke with McEntee and enthusiastically endorsed Obama.

Posted at May 12, 2008 4:24 PM in response to AFSCME Official Vows To Put "Real Money" Into Hillary Ads In Remaining States

It's mind-boggling what lengths AFSCME President Gerald McEntee will go to in order to suck up to the Clintons. This could be seen as a personal quirk, except for the fact that now he's choosing Hillary's self-interest over his members' self-interest, which is to marshall all of the union's political resources to win the general election and expand our majorities in the House and Senate.

He probably wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares of Andy Stern being invited to the White House to watch the Super Bowl with the president of the United States, while McEntee has to watch it at home.

Posted at May 12, 2008 4:22 PM in response to AFSCME Official Vows To Put "Real Money" Into Hillary Ads In Remaining States

Exactly my feeling. While I'm assuming this is coming out of their PAC, since they're talking about an independent expenditure campaign, just think of how many good, deserving Democratic candidates for the Senate and House with an actual, real-life chance to win, won't be getting campaign donations they need from AFSCME because they're throwing down the Hillary campaign toilet.

Posted at May 12, 2008 4:16 PM in response to AFSCME Official Vows To Put "Real Money" Into Hillary Ads In Remaining States

If they play that, perhaps they can sue McCain for inducing alcohol poisoning. Just any five minute stretch of one of his speeches would be enough to put someone in a coma.

Posted at May 12, 2008 2:55 PM in response to New McCain Ad: He Cares About Global Warming, But Won't Increase Taxes And Regulation

A good piece. I particularly like this excerpt:

Obama was explicit from the beginning: there was to be "no drama," he told his aides. "I don't want elbowing or finger-pointing. We're going to rise or fall together." Obama wanted steady, calm, focused leadership; he wanted to keep out the grandstanders and make sure the quiet dissenters spoke up. A good formula for running a campaign—or a presidency.

That's one of things that's so appealing to me about Obama -- he's running not only to win but to govern. What a concept!

Posted at May 12, 2008 2:44 PM in response to Obama Camp: We're Moving On To General Election States Now