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- It's really the week for New Yorkers to act a fool, isn't it? Today, in a brave attempt to detract attention from Spitzer, Geraldine Ferraro went on numerous television shows to assert that criticism of her remarks is racist. Her substantive point -- that the Obama campaign cries racism whenever it is attacked -- is obviously false (not that third parties haven't occasionally done so wrongly -- the column in the New York Times calling the 3 AM racist was one hilariously wrong example). And her political strategy was very strange. I don't think anyone has ever won an argument by saying "they're attacking me because I'm white." She has resigned.
- Obama won Mississippi last night but the claim being pushed by some Obama supporters that he'd have a chance there in November is about seven kinds of wacky, as Tom Schaller adeptly explained on Tapped. On a related note, MSNBC has a great piece pointing out that the claims from both campaigns that primary victories predict general election wins is contradicted by all available historical evidence.
- Looks like Clinton is now getting more coverage than Obama.
- John McCain's "spiritual adviser" thinks that "our country [cannot] truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore." Comforting to know this is the man giving McCain moral advice... Also, the founding of America had about as much to do with Islam as it did with Tuvan throat singing.
- One Florida superdelegate, currently not eligible to vote at the DNC, argues that the rules require the Florida and Michigan superdelegates to be seated even if the pledged delegates are not. 'Cause what we really need is a way to make this primary less democratic.
- Also, the Democrats may need the permission of the Justice Department to hold new primaries in Michigan and Florida. No worries though, the Justice Department would never, ever take politics into consideration when it comes to voting rights...
- Marc Ambinder knows a lot more about this stuff than I do, but the two criteria he is using to determine likely VP picks don't seem to describe most of the VP picks of the last twenty years.
- Obama seems open to the idea of Clinton as a Vice President.
- McCain plans to divide his general election campaign into fueding baronies. Can't see how that could backfire.
- McCain argues that Hagee's controversial statements have been "taken out of context," which doesn't even pass the giggle test. It would be interesting, however, for some enterprising reporter to pose some of the quotes to McCain and ask him for the exculpatory context.
- If Matt Yglesias is concerned that Obama's videos are too highbrow and Hillary's are a truer representation of American tastes, this new Obama video should make him feel better. The one he links to is pretty funny though.
--Sam Boyd
