Hank,

There's a huge difference between being a "team player" and being a sycophant, which is what Condi really is. She pimped Bush's unnecessary war through her lies and manipulation. Considering the "heckuva" job she did as National Security Advisor, during which America was attacked, its no wonder GOPers support her. Incompetence is business as usual for your party. And, as a bastion of white male, anti-minority thinking, the bigots in the GOP will never vote for a black female.

PopulistDemocrat and anyone else who will take the time to watch, please see Wes Clark's address at the Texas Democratic convention.
I could warm to Edwards, Bayh or Warner as the nominee but after watching the video I don't understand how the democrats could do better than putting Clark at the top of the ticket.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JpMV2G3TajA&search=wesley%20clark

But enough with the speculating on 08, we've got work to do now.

Tonight, members of the Young Republican National Federation and its state and local affiliates were invited to participate in a conference call with Senator John McCain. (see below) McCain was to thank the YRs for their support of our troops over the past couple months. Numerous state and local YRs have collected donations or raised money to help our troops and their families.

Sen McCain was a complete and total no-show.

For Immediate Release June 5, 2006
Contact: Lynn Krogh, Communications
(917) 922-4194
E-Mail: Communications@yrnf.com

Senator Will Join YRs on June 11th Nationwide Conference Call

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) will join the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) members from across the country on a conference call to commend their "Support Our Troops" efforts this spring.

Since May 13th, Young Republicans nationwide have been coordinating efforts to show support for uniformed service members. Though YRs support the troops year round, the YRNF dedicated the time between Armed Forces Week and Flag Day to coordinate efforts to stand with our military heroes.

Senator McCain said, "The Young Republicans have demonstrated a strong commitment to honoring the men and women of the U.S. military. I am proud to help recognize the importance of their hard work to support our heroes serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"We are delighted to have Senator McCain help us recognize the coast-to-coast efforts of YRs during our 'Support Our Troops Spring,'" said YRNF Chairman Nicolee Ambrose. "As a former naval aviator and war hero, Senator McCain is the perfect person to help us honor the courageous men and women risking and giving their lives in defense of freedom around the world."

The call will take place on Sunday, June 11, from 6--6:30pm EST. YRs can join the call by dialing 641-297-5500 and then entering the access code of 282464.

Wow, Hank. Some hunk you must be. I bet you sport a six-pack and and support your woman like a "woman supports a man"." Hubba- habba. You look great and impress all your wife's friend's and you take your take care of your kids the way she does because you know it's not "helping," but part of keeping the household and parenting and since your wife works at least as hard as you do, it only makes sense. You're there parenting the children of your ex because they're your children too...and she's equal so it's 50%-50%, right? Rrrright Uhhuh.

I believe bloggers are playing an increasingly important role in 2006 and 2008," said Richardson during a noontime break in his schedule. "They are potential sources of fundraising and political activity."

Those words are easily why I go to the conservative bloggers because the Washington Post and others refuse to give realistic reports about what is going on with Republicans. Needless to say, I subscribe to conservative magazines in order to get the information I need about the candidates and to read some decent news about our president without all the attacks from the Democrats. Nice to have a place to speak out.

Oh man, who got their panties in a wad about me saying Condi is sexy and SMART? I said that a DIG at that Hildebeast, she is one cold frigid old biddy.

I also think Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisana are sexy and smart. Classy ladies doing the business of our nation. Ok, if you gals don't want get a compliment for being attractive, just get a Burka and run around under it, hidden from the world of men so that we won't bother you.

Another woman who I admire is Gov of Michigan Granholm, she was a beauty queen too and smart, got elected as attorney general and then as governor. My point is that until women can accept the fact they can still be a lady, and be attractive and smart, you will be walking around in life with a chip on your shoulder looking down your long pointy noses, like Hillary, upon the other half of the population which usually wears pants. Like my ex-wife, she forgot how to be a woman because she was so focused on her career that nothing else mattered.

Now I am married to a wonderful woman, she owns her own business and we get along fine. And that is why I like Condi, she is not competing against men, she is working with men so they can share the work and share the joys of success. President Bush is married to another attractive woman, and she cares about him. Having a loving marriage is important to any man, especially if he is a president. With Condi dating Gene Washington of the NFL, she might be the first female president who also gets married in the White House.

Condi, you are the support of the President and that is good enough for me. Good luck.

Tina,

Middle America will NEVER vote for Condi if she runs for Pres or VP.

You got to be kidding if you think she will get nominated. She may lead in all the polls you talk about but the republican base will never VOTE for an African American woman for President.

Condi is listed in polls as a contender for 2008, compared to other candidates like Huckabee and Pataki, she is way ahead in the race.

She appears on June 14 to speak at the Southern Baptist Convention in North Carolina, and we will hear from the members about whether they would accept Condi as their president or not in 2008.

John Kerry was speaking in the African-American churches during the 2004 campaign, and we also saw Hillary speaking from the pulpit in 2004. I bring this up because the Democrats and the liberals will scream and yell about Condi in the separation between church and state. If they do, the only word for them is HYPOCRITE.

1. Bill Richardson isn't a "Red State Governor." New Mexico is hardly red. More purple than anything.

2. Condoleezza Rice would never be on a Republican ticket unless they were desperately behind and needed some kind of "Hail Mary" pass. She would probably make a good President or Vice President, but the GOPpers will never nominate her. For one thing, the vast majority of the people who would categorically refuse to vote for an African American woman are the Republican base. The other reason is that her political viewpoints appear to be way too liberal for the wingnuts who nominate the Republicans. All we know officially about her is her Foreign Policy credentials and her loyal service to Bush's policies (no matter how stupid they've been), and there's a good reason for that: they don't want her to lose popularity by showing Centrist proclivities. Same thing happened with Colin Powell.

Hank,
Now I see John Warner as one sexy, handsome guy. Nice and tall to boot. Doesn't remind me of my ex who was a fat slob with a big mouth. (tongue in cheek) Interesting the way you look at a woman candidate.

Hank,
Now I see John Warner as one sexy, handsome guy. Nice and tall to boot. Doesn't remind me of my ex who was a fat slob with a big mouth. (tounge in cheek) Interesting the way you look at a woman candidate.

Hank said Condi is a "class act". When I see Condi I think of her response to Senator Boxer during a Senate hearing. Boxer asked whether she would make a statement against the use of torture. Condi refused to answer. I also think of her carefully chosen words to explain the rush to preventive war "...we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud". And I think of how many people died unnecessaily in what Wes Clark has called "a strategic blunder of massive proportions".
I believe that those politicians, Republican or Democrat, who failed to understand their responsibility to those who would be put in harm's way in Iraq and to those who would pay for it (American soldiers and innocent Iraqis; and American taxpayers) are weak not strong. Those who voted for a "blank check" Iraq War Resolution (when they knew or should have known that Iraq was a weak country and that the Bush administration would use those votes as political cover for himself when things - inevitably - went wrong) did not show political courage and strength. It is not a show of strength to go to war when you are not under attack. It is a show of weakness - intellectual and moral bankruptcy.
We need political candidates who have the courage to stand up for what's right. I sure hope Wes Clark runs in 2008. We have not had enlightened leadership for a very long time.

While we're all worried about how to elect our preferred politicians perhaps we should stop long enough to look at them. NM Gov Richardson is a good place to start. Are his actions indicative of a politician who is interested in the citizens of the US; or are they more typical of his Hispanic heritage and the story line of La Raza: and what does that make us?

Sorry but I divorced my first wife and she was just as much of a high and mighty Bit** as Hildbeast. I would love to see Condi running for president and I do live in the South. She is a team player, which might be from all her years of watching football with the guys, speaking our language and using her brain to get ahead in the world instead of getting the path cleared by her husband.

Condi is sexy, fun, and any guy would welcome her at the table of discussion in the Republican party. Condi smiles, she laughs without making men feel beneath her, a real class act. Hildbeast is a feminazi, a ball-buster, and I have zero respect for her or that jerk she is married to.

Let the liberel blogs have their fun, but when it comes to serious business of running our nation and defending it from another attack, my trust is with Republicans instead of the peaceniks on the liberal side.

is a strong female? that's humour ours

that's why she's a simple spokesperson putting out the machines message of confusion...

integrity and honesty isn't exactly her middle name...Colin POWell pointed that out publically.

Condi Rice is of house slave mentality,
that is exactly why the Republicans would love to have her as President...

Like George, you know she's not running anything, she's just the paid Fox spokesperson for the longest running administration on record...dating back to the 50's and background processing regardless of who's president...

it's a complicit DOD, and congress coupled with a ruthless administration sucking the life out of Americans via disenfranchising legislation and sale of America to the highest bidder as the congress people go down on big money with eyes wide open and other areas of interest salivating....

.

your government at work, the hoori legislation...
.

Tina -- white males [especially those over 40] will NEVER NEVER vote for a woman for president. This was summed up for me by a middle-aged man, talking about Hillary. He said, 'no guy will vote for her... she reminds every man of his first wife and last girlfriend.'

In other words, she's too strong-willed. The same is true of Condi. That's the paradox -- you can't win as a strong woman, and you can't rule as a weak one. There is still too much of a backlash against feminism, and until that passes, it ain't going to happen.

Let's give some equal time to the Republican/Conservative side. Their blogs and newspapers are able to connect with people to get out information and raise funds.

My choice for a website is www.4condi.com which is promoting a person of the same top level ranking with Giuliani and McCain. Secretary of State Condi will be on the ticket as either president or vice-president.

There are numerous sites promoting Republican and conservative viewpoints, and I find it so amazing how many of them also see Condi Rice as a contender for 2008.

She has 55% job approval, and worldwide respect. If she does not win enough delegates to win the presidential nomination, I am sure she will be welcomed as a VP to serve our nation for a few more years.

Many of the conservative bloggers have come to events in Las Vegas as well and Washington DC. Now I wonder if Cillizza ever attended those events? I have been to them, and seen for myself the huge impact Condi Rice would have in the race for the White House in 2008. We are the party of civil rights, attracting strong leaders who have held office since 1870 across the nation. Condi Rice will be an excellent new face on the posters for the 2008 White House. Her foreign policy experience will be seen as a key factor for her to be supported for a place on the Republican ticket.

I thought Richardson's comment -- about 'using' the netroots was interesting too. Don't know if it was simply inartful language, but it gave me a bad feeling. I don't particularly want to be 'used' and if he thinks we are that naive, he may perhaps have a rude awakening.

I was so interested to see someone here referring to bloggers as 'freaks'. You want freaks? Let's see: Ann Coulter is a drag queen [you know know she's single and doesn't date, don't you], Rush Limbaugh is a dope addict who brags about his black mistresses on the radio, SOMEBODY in the White House had male prostitute Jeff Guckert in for hours on dozens of occasions, Pat Robertson is a psychotic compulsive liar, William Bennet is a psychotic compulsive gambler -- well, I could go on. I think the question is, is there anybody normal in the Republican party?

Mr. Cillizza, I am glad the WaPo is covering this convention, but it is about so much more than which politicians showed up. I saw some of it on C-SPAN last night--the panel about the CIA leak case--and it was a really informative discussion about the case, the press, and the role of the press as the fourth branch. I hope you will go beyond the "celebrity" quotes as the weekend progresses.

The DailyKos and liberal blogger crowd are definitely not anti-military. Markos himself was in the army and talks about it from time to time, without boasting about it. Many people that are active on the site have served or have family who have (or are right now). Same with other sites. In fact, the liberal netroots was instrumental in Paul Hackett's campaigns and have backed Wes Clark from day one. Likewise, the netroots is far more decidedly in favor of Jim Webb in Virginia, not because he is more "electable," in the traditional sense, but because of something I'll describe below. Also, in action that got the army to take action on a problem, the liberal netroots raised money to buy body armor for a few soldiers connected to people who are part of some of the websites, among other overt and genuine gestures and actions taken to support military personnel and families.

Here's the deal with the liberal netroots: they are not "far-left loonies" as I'm sure Rush, Glenn "never met a fact I liked" Beck, and O'Reilly would have you believe. The netroots is made up of a really true cross-section of America, heavily slanted toward middle-class white people though, just like the electorate. They are liberal because they look for a positive, progressive future as possible, instead of being conservative by virtue of holding pipe-dreams for a regression to a golden age of virtue that never existed. The netroots likes people like Feingold, like Clark, like Edwards, and like Gore because they are people who say that liberals and progressives need to stand up and fight for and work for what they believe in, based upon principle. These folks, who are identified with strongly on the netroots websites, get backing because they know that liberalism is inherently a populist idealism and that for Democrats to win and govern well, it needs to be taken to the general electorate and spoken about passionately and thoughtfully and then actualized (e.g. Democrats winning in 2006 will not be because they simply get out of the way and let the GOP strangle itself -- although the latter seems to be doing plenty of that -- Dems will win by getting out into their campaigns and fighting for what they believe in and inspiring people to vote for them, as Jon Tester did in Montana and unlike what Fran Busby did in CA). As I mentioned Webb in VA before, he is a netroots darling because he talks about things passionately, and on the campaign trail he is a fighter. Not in a combative, antagonistic way, but instead in an aggressive I-want-to-win-by-being-bold-and-dynamic sort of way. Webb might not get up and talk about things the way the typical liberal Democrat wants at times, and that's fine, because Dems are a big-tent party, but when he gets up and talks about anything, his position is based upon his fundamental principles and beliefs and values, something that the GOP has co-opted as the mask for their inherent cynicism, greed, and ethical bankruptcy for so long.

Curiously to the right-wing puntidocracy class, the liberal netroots imposes no litmus tests. There are in the today's emerging Democratic Party from the netroots and other new grassroots activists, no requirements for positions on abortion, gays, guns, taxes, health-care, education, energy, foreign policy, etc. There are things that are in consensus the positions preferred by the netroots and grassroots, but by and large, those positions rise to the top in the people the netroots and grassroots support because they are in line with what those people support at-large, as they are a big ol' slice of the mainstream. And like the paragraph above, people that come to the table ready to really stand on principle tend to have a more idealistic position staked out. That is not to be mistaken for starry-eyed, braindead idealism, but instead the kind of idealism that leaves plenty of room for, and in my opinion, leads to the kind of hard-nosed pragmatism that has led to success for people like Wes Clark, Russ Feingold, and Al Gore.

Finally, the netroots is less about any particular issue or set of issues than it is about people-powered politics. Plain and simple, the liberal netroots like democracy. That doesn't mean just one-person-one-vote, it means that all of politics is fueled by people, for people.

-------------------------
Richardson will not make good use of the netroots for one reason, until he comes around and rectifies the way he thinks: he sees the blogs and the people who read them as an ATM for campaign cash. Clark, Feingold, Edwards, and others have gotten it that the netroots is not just about generating money quickly, but instead about the people-power in politics.

Why did Dead lose out in 2004? Because of the way presidential primaries are concoted, you have to build big momentum by winning or placing well in primaries/caucuses. Iowa was a state where Dean was slightly weaker than other places in field organizing. Kerry was great there. And with Iowa being a caucus state, it was all about field organizing, which the Dean people on the ground did not know how to do in a caucus way. So, Dean got killed there, and lost his national buzz and momentum. But the netroots was never something that grew out of Dean, it was something that built Dean up. The story does not end with Dean losing in Iowa. In my opinion, it was better for Democrats for the long-term that he take over as DNC chair and resurrect a moribund party infrastructure that cared more about fundraising apparatuses than about political organizing. In 2, 4, 6, 8 years, people will see the genius of what Dean has started to do as an organizer. The 50-state strategy is one of the most popular things in the netroots now.

I think it just shows how far out of touch with reality all of these big names are if they think that they can further their presidential aspirations by kowtowing to Kos...I can see the ads now, highlighting Kos's extremist stances on, say, Iraq (celebrating the deaths of those contractors?) and a picture of the candidate in question gladhanding with Kos...
Where has patriotism gone?

I wouldn't mind seeing Clark be our Presidential Democratic Candidate and President in 2008, but I would rather have Warner, Bayh, or Edwards as Pres. and Clark as VP. The military, national security, and foreign policy credentials Clark brings to the table is unmatched by any candidate on either side of the party...well besides Colin Powell. Richardson although, smart, good governor that would make a better President than any Republican is not the candidate I want leading the Democrats in 2008. Although, the Hispanic voting block he would bring to the table would tip the scale in key swing states like New Mexico or Nevada.

Those "freaks" have an impressive amount of collective experience and knowledge. And can generate a ton of political buzz.

I suppose you'd rather Chris spend time talking to Ann Coulter?? Now there's a freak.

Gen. Clark's website is:

www.securingamerica.com

Chris,

You are a serious journalist. Why are you out there with those freaks?

Have some self-respect!

Interesting to read Richardson's take on the Netroots. "They are potential sources of fundraising and political activity," and "As a political leader, I want to find a way to deal with them for my political health." It seems to be all about how Richardson can use "them" (them being an exclusionary term) to his own advantage.

Contrast that with Clark. "Clark credited the netroots for building momentum for his 2004 campaign and sticking with him following the disappointing result. 'These people believed in me,' he said. 'These people are my friends out here.'" Clark compliments the Netroots, thanks them, and uses inclusive remarks such as "my friends," and "these people."

Fascinating what language usage reveals, eh?

To agree with Retired LTC (and smack Dorian a little more)-- The people the bloggers have supported in the past tend to actually be more centrist. Wes Clark has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past, and is a deficit hawk, very strong on defense and a Rhodes Scholar in economics. Howard Dean (though people have tagged him as a liberal due to his antiwar stance) is actually pro-gun and moderate on abortion as well as being a fiscal conservative. Mark Warner is a centrist who has been highly popular with the bloggers and the netroots, as well as Jim Webb of Virginia (who is certainly more conservative than Harris Miller) and Paul Hackett (who was more conservative than Sherrod Brown). It seems that the bloggers and netroots activists are actually going for the more ELECTABLE candidates. Maybe it's time we listened to them.

Hate to break it to you Dorian, but the "far-left" that you seem to think makes up Kos membership is hardly anti-military. Many of us have actually been in the military. Probably more than at your typical right-wing blog. Unlike McCain's pandering to the extreme of the GOP, Clark is a real progressive and fits in well with the Kossacks. He typically polls as well there as Feingold.

I'm so glad to finally here about how Gov. Bill Richardson is finally taking some visible steps towards running for the White House in '08. A Dem presidential ticket like Warner/Richardson would be the Republicans' worst nightmare in '08 - two Democratic red-state centrist governors with sterling records of problem-solving as governors whose states are both swimming in black ink. Yes, that's black ink as in a budget SURPLUS for all of you republicans out there, but i'm sure that none of you even know what a surplus is.

Clark's efforts are all directed to helping elect enough Democrats THIS year to retake control of the House and/or Senate. Then he'll decide whether to run in 2008. And that's how it should be -- the man has his priorities in order.

But you can be sure a whole lot of us who were in the DraftClark04 movement will be there for him if he does.

It wasn't Kos who "Attracted" all of those guys there....with the exception of maybe Russ Feingold who is their darling in the Senate. Vilsack, and Richardson and specially Warner have records of centrism, and Clark being a military man would never publicaly embrace people on the far-left like that. Especially some of the most anti-military people in this country who are at that convention right now. Yeah, they'll suck up to them, but thats only because it's the leftys that make up the Democratic base.
It's the exact same situation with McCain. Sure the whole country loves him. But conservatives are wary of him, which is why he is sucking up to them by going Jerry Falwell's school and giving the commencement speech. But do you think McCain is going to be visibly embracing them after the primary is over?

Lets see, Kos has attracted power players that include Wesley Clark, Mark Warner, Bill Richardson, Russ Feingold, among many others.

Thats very good for being the first yearly kos convention.

Don't worry "conservatives." We are not going anywhere. You have only seen the tip of the iceberg - we will be the guys who willingly and enthusiastically clean up the mess left by one party -Republicans - controlling all three branches of the Federal Government.

What will Republicans run on in 2008? "Long Live the Deficit?"