Representative Wexler makes the case...

Much as he did during the disputed 2000 Florida presidential election
Representative Wexler (D-Broward) became an important face in the spin
zone. He explained Obama's proposal to seat the Florida delegation
while implementing the penalty called for by the DNC. In this shot we
see him responding to questions from Wolf Blitzer live on CNN.

Subsequently he moved over to speak with MSNBC's Chuck Todd.

Ok here is the shot of former Senator Graham with current Florida Senator Bill Nelson..

Graham looks on as Senator Nelson answers questions...

Fwd: Pictures from DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting May 31, 2008

Here's some shots taken today...Including former Florida Senator Bob Graham
addressing reporters after the presentations on the Florida democratic
primary, and Graham with current Florida Senator Bill Nelson. All
seemed generally in agreement with the proposal of Barack Obama's
represenative- Rep. Wexler- concerning Florida's delegates: seat them
but recognize the 50% penalty called for in the DNC rules.

Pictures from DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting May 31, 2008

Here's some shots taken today...Including noted Washington DC
political operative Howard Park (seated left) before the meeting deliberations began
earlier this morning

SCOOP FROM DNC MEETING: Lanny Davis blows up at me earlier today at DNC

Below what I forwarded Andrew Sullivan about today's Democratic
National Committee Rules and Bylaws Meeting held in Washington DC (May
31, 2008). I thought there should be some record of this somewhere on
the mighty internet.

Hi Andrew long time reader.

I attended the DNC Rules meeting earlier today (I managed to get on the
guest list).. I attach picture of Lanny to verify I was there!..This
picture was taken about 15 minutes prior to the incident I describe.

I was standing outside while former Florida Senator Bob Graham, and
current Senator Bill Nelson and current Rep. Wexler were all
talking... I saw Lanny Davis who was unhappy with Nelson and Wexler
being on CNN with Wolf Blitzer to spin the results of the morning
session on Florida and he was telling the CNN person (on the side):
"This is unfair! You are presenting a biased picture. There is no
Hillary representative. Bill Nelson is not a Hillary
representative...."

About 15 minutes later - about 1 pm- I was standing by myself talking
on the phone when I see Lanny Davis essentially leaving so I say to
him as he walks by about a foot from me "Lanny you want it all! You want 100%
You want 100%!" He mumbled something as he kept walking and I yelled
"What about me? What about my vote? What about unity?" He stopped for
a second looked me over- not knowing who the heck I am and spouted
"Why would I talk to an asshole?" and walked off.. He seemed a bit
rattled as he went down the escalator of the Hotel..

Pure class these Clinton surrogates. ANd you should have seen the
self-righetousness dripping from every word and facial expression
Ickes produced inside. Well maybe you saw it on CSPAN as he questioned
Wexler.

The Raconteurs- 9:30 Club May 27 2008

Very rocking show last night at the 930 club... really impressed..Brendan Benson definetly held his own.. they played most of the new album which is pretty kickass... Jack White seemed pretty pleased with the show.. almost as good -read loud- a crowd as you're going to get in DC...

Profiles of potential Obama's Vice President

can be found here:

http://www.theleftanchor.com/

I think reading the profile of Jim Webb has helped me realize he might
not be a good fit (particularly combined with Sabato's analysis that
Webb would not help Obama win Virginia).. I also have to fully agree
with the profile on Sebelius that she would not help win Kansas.. and
the profile discounting Wesley Clark..

but read the one about Strickland... I really am starting to think
that of all the possible choices Strickland has the most upside -
namely Ohio's electoral votes.. Of course thats not entirely surprising as I thought so at least 5 month ago!

Strickland the Appalachian?

Apparently Strickland- Governor of Ohio and contender to be Obama's VP
is from the Eastern part of Ohio bordering West Virginia and Kentucky-
ie. appalachia or thereabouts..he represented this aread in congress
for six terms...given Obama's trouble with this region his selection
would seem very helpful...I note Kerry did carry this region in
2004...Strickland is still a fairly popular governor.... His age
-67-nicely balances Obama

Warner over Webb for VP?

Larry Sabato - who knows what he talks about- thinks only Warner can
turn Virginia blue... There may be other reasons to pick Webb over
Warner but Virginia's electoral votes are not it...

Top Vice Presidential candidates for Barack Obama?

I have to say the top candidates to my mind are the following:

Hillary Clinton

Ed Rendell

Mark Warner

Jim Webb

Ted Strickland

I hope I am not forgetting anyone but basically I am looking for a VP
who can help Obama win states. Someone who comes from the Hillary camp
also helps in mending fences. I think Rendell could help take
Pennsylvania - although I believe Obama would take it anyway and if he
were to have a tough time taking Pennsylvania that pretty much means
he would not be president- and a bit in Ohio. Strickland should help
with Ohio which is a key state. Meanwhile I have to believe that
either Webb or Warner would help turn Virginia blue.

Unfortunately I can't see a way for Obama to win Florida so I won't
even bother with that one.. even with Hillary on the ticket I just
don't see it...

I personally really like Wesley Clark but I don't feel he could bring
in a state with heft so he fails the critical test... no more
Liebermann's or Edwards'.. this time we need someone for VP that can
deliver a state..

There are big problems relating to putting Hillary on the ticket OR
keeping her off the ticket and in some ways thats the more important
issue at hand with respect to selecting a Vice President. Picking her
would make Obama look like his hand was pushed/weak because there is a
perception rightly/wrongly that he just can't stand her... At the same
time if she wants the gig and he does not pick her Hillary could make
his life difficult... But picking her would steal some thunder from
Obama's message of change/moving past the Bush/Clinton/Bush years...
On the other hand Hillary supporters which are many and include groups
with reservations about Obama (older voters particularly elderly
women, white working class voters in industrial states/appalachia,
catholics) naturally complement Obama's own strengths with his core
voting groups...

I see little attraction in the prospect of Sebelius or Richardson and
don't believe the arguments in their favor hold much sway...Likewise I
think Dodd and Biden are non-starters particularly the former...

Another name that is often mentioned- Bloomberg- much as I like him is
a nonstarter...

On the other hand I do like Chuck Hagel and I would add him to the
list if he were interested and there was some good vibes between Obama
and himself...One would have to think he'd help peel off some possible
republican/independent votes from McCain...He doesn't however fit the
profile of someone who can deliver a state...

My final preferred list: Hillary/Rendell/Strickland/Webb/Hagel

But you have to think it will be difficult for Obama to ignore Hillary.....

The verdict is in on the Washington Nationals and it ain't pretty

Well I gave it about 29 games.. I have to say this Nats team has got to be the most boring team I have ever seen... they have nothing exciting going on either pitching or hitting-wise.....Ryan Zimmerman is seemingly unable to break out and in fact has arguably regressed.. Austin Kearns would not be on the roster of probably 90% of Major League Baseball teams.. he is battling out there to get close to the Mendoza line! It is a motley crue of rejects and castoffs with a slight Small Red Machine flavoring.... And the pitching staff? Can anyone seriously tell me that guys like Redding or Odalis Perez are going to last more than a few games.. these guys are not the answer.. when they pitch well enough to give up only 3-4 runs then the Nats have a chance but these Nats are never going to overpower you with the longball... they may get 5 or 6 hits and if you thrown in a timely one and maybe an error on the opponents part (or a few walks) then maybe the Nats will pull it off.. but come on.. compared to the Boston Red Sox these guys are zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz And why? I never realized DC was such a small town?Here I was thinking we were a reasonably sized market with a new stadium drawing oh i don't know on the order of 30,000 maybe or just about the Major League Baseball average for last year... but from looking at the roster you'd think we are Kansas City (no offense George Brett, and the rest of that illustrious early 80s team) or Milwaukee!

We did make some great offseason moves like unloading Ryan Church who can actually muscle a ball out of the park.. oh he's hitting .316 right now with 19 rbi's for the New York Mets who play in our same division.. Explain that one to me!..We sure could use that bat...were the Mets able to do in 2 months what the Nats couldn't do in three years: teach him how to deal with offspeed pitches? Then we traded Schneider for an over the hill catcher who it later turned out had been on steroids the one or two good years he had...I 'm talking to you Loduca.

Give me a break... To get fans to go out and watch the games and support you and pay for what are comparatively very expensive tickets: comparison time- break- seats behind home plate at Baltimore O's games (camden yards)= $45 .. seats behind home plate at new as yet unamed Nats stadium = $300.. of course its true that the seats behind home plate at the Nats park are all empty cause NO ONE is crazy enough to shell out that kinda cash unless its the New York friggin Yankees and Dimaggio is playing... but i digress.. point holds because the rest of the stadium is largely similarly overpriced relative to other teams.. and what do we get for that??? do we get a half decent team or do we get a team whose heart of the order is battling to see the Mendoza line.. the latter i'm afraid... this just won't work Karsten/Bowden fellas. you need to go out there and find a big bat! remember the old adage: it takes money to make money? Having a new stadium is just like having a new toy..its going to wear off quick if the team on the field continues to provide the soundtrack to a nice snooze...

Joe Trippi confirms what the whole world knows: he is an ASS!

Now we are supposed to know that Joe "I bailed on Howard Dean with a few million for my firm's crap ads" Trippi AKA the SELLOUT just knew that John Edwards should have stayed in and would have had a few hundred delegates at the brokered convention in order to play kingmaker BUT somehow he did not tell him that...

 

What kind of an ass is this guy? I mean if he knew that and he didn't tell Edwards what was Edwards paying him for???? Moreover, the whole scenario is hardly plausible because Edwards was completely flaming out.. he got 4% in Nevada, 17% in his birth state of South Carolina but we are supposed to believe that on Super Tuesday he would have garnered 300 delegates??? ON WHAT PLANET???

 

What we are seeing now that Obama is suffering the effects of a brutal two month slog having McCain and Hillary trashing him together with their cohorts in the media and those in the media who just can't let this thing mercifully end.. what we are seeing is a lot of revisionism.. but I remember January and February..I remember when Edwards dropped out.. it wasn't that long ago!

Ben Andrews no longer at Madams Organ Bar in Washington DC!

OH man oh man what a bummer.. i suspected as much as I don't know that he's played there during 2008 yet but have a confirm from the madams organ club (one of 10 best bars in the world according to playboy) that he has taken an extended leave of absence and they are not sure he'll be back.... really too bad i did not see him enough the past year or two...man one of my favorite things about dc gone.. he really is an incredible blues singer/guitarist/performer.... if you haven't seen ben andrews perform gallows pole you ain't lived buddy! Hopefully things will get straightened out , someone will make him an offer he can't refuse and we'll have him back on 18th street in adams morgan!