Yepsen Can Bite My Ass

ArchPundit December 6, 2007 No Comments

Perhaps the single worst thing to come out from Democrats this cycle is the whining from two candidates that Iowa College Students who are originally from out of state will taint the vote.

As someone who went to school in Iowa, but still voted absentee in Illinois, this is bullshit and I have no idea what David Yepsen is babbling about:

At first glance, Clinton may have more luck with her strategy than Obama has with his. Only 5 percent of the likely Democratic caucus-goers are under age 25, while 50 percent are over age 55. Also, the Jan. 3 caucus date comes when many students are on break and may be out of town, which is why Obama is making an effort to get students who are not from Iowa to vote here.

The problem with this formulation is that college students from other states are just like anyone else who has moved into a state. By this formulation I shouldn’t be voting in Missouri now.

Iowa by tradition has encouraged college students to participate, caucus, and vote there during college.  It’s part of the reason Iowa is special.  I’m not sure why he’s trying to change that.

Finally kudos to the Clinton campaign for supporting students caucusing after what was likely a misstatement by Clinton.  Dodd, we are waiting…

Eric Gets the Original Column on Present Votes Up

ArchPundit December 4, 2007 3 Comments

Actually it was probably up before, it just had a different URL:

Hull, who has seldom bothered to vote at all in his life, sent out a mailing citing such votes to suggest they show Obama is weak on issues that his progressive base holds dear.

Do they?

“Anyone who says that a `present’ vote necessarily reflects that someone is ducking an issue doesn’t understand the first thing about legislative strategy,” said Pam Sutherland, Planned Parenthood’s chief lobbyist in Springfield. “People who work down here and know how things get done are hearing these accusations and saying, `huh?'”

In practical terms, a “present” vote is as good as a “no” vote because the law requires a bill to win the votes of a majority of the lawmakers in either body, not simply a majority of those voting.

If “present” sounds wimpy, that’s because it sometimes is. In many cases, according to Paul Green, head of Roosevelt University’s School of Public Policy and a longtime student of Illinois’ byzantine legislative process, lawmakers who anticipate a tough re-election challenge will vote “present” on a controversial bill they oppose so as not to give their prospective opponents a good club to bash them with.

Obama, however, was in a safe district and never faced a serious challenge for his legislative seat. He had no need to shy from hard-line stands on gun control and abortion rights. He actually took such stands frequently and is now highly praised by advocates for both causes.

Why would he then vote “present” instead of a resounding “no” on certain bills advanced by lawmakers opposed to abortion rights?

“To provide cover for other Democrats who were shaky on the issue in an effort to convince them not to vote `yes,'” Sutherland said. “The idea is to recruit a group to vote `present’ that includes legislators who are clearly right with the issue.”

Sutherland said this tactic makes the “present” vote look less like a hedge or a cop-out and more like a constitutional concern or other high-minded qualm.

Actually there were constitutional concerns with all of these bills on top of other issues.

Second, using Blair Hull and Maria Pappas’ oppo is weak.   😉

Even Jill Stanek Agrees

ArchPundit December 4, 2007 No Comments

Go to Rich’s post on this again and see what Jill Stanek said about Obama’s position.

Planned Parenthood and Stanek agree on something…

SSDD

ArchPundit December 4, 2007 6 Comments

Rich roles out the newest reminder of why the abortion Present votes by Obama are taken way out of context. I seem to remember covering this in 2004 with Rich and Eric Zorn. Obama was voting as Planned Parenthood asked. As Rich said, Present votes are fair game, but in this case, Obama was providing cover for others.

The irony is that pro-life groups in Illinois attacked him for killing later versions of these bills when he was a Committee Chair by not letting them out of committee.

The reporters might check with one of the Trib’s columnists who covered this about three years ago if they have any doubt.

Newsflash: Obama Kissed a Girl in Class during 3rd Grade

ArchPundit December 3, 2007 7 Comments

Unresolved sexual harassment issues dog him to this day….

Walking the Walk

ArchPundit December 3, 2007 No Comments

Clinton:

Yesterday, HRC suggested O lacks courage. “There’s a big difference between our courage and our convictions, what we believe and what we’re willing to fight for,” she told reporters in Iowa, saying Iowa voters will have a choice “between someone who talks the talk, and somebody who’s walked the walk.” Then asked whether she intended to raise questions about O’s character, she said: “It’s beginning to look a lot like that.”

I just don’t get it. If there’s anyone in the race whose history shows unique courage and character, it’s Barack Obama. HRC’s campaign, by contrast, is singularly lacking in conviction about anything. Her pollster, Mark Penn, has advised her to take no bold positions and continuously seek the political center, which is exactly what she’s been doing.

As Dan Conley said some time ago, the Clinton campaign is easily the oldest and most corporate campaign since Mondale.

And that’s not a good thing.

Kindergarten Kiddies For Truth

ArchPundit December 3, 2007 No Comments

Over at Kos

I Wanted to be Walter Payton as a Kid

ArchPundit December 3, 2007 No Comments

I’d hate to see the oppo on that.