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Big Endorsement Day for Obama

by BooMan
Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 02:09:55 PM EST

It looks like party consolidation time with Bill Clinton's Labor Secretary Robert Reich endorsing Obama and old school national security giants David Boren and Sam Nunn joining Lee Hamilton to do the same. It's never good to have your former cabinet members endorsing your opponent, but the bigger story is Boren and Nunn. The people of Pennsylvania will hardly notice their endorsements, but the superdelegates will be very impressed.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about Boren and Nunn's involvement in Obama's national security team. But my feelings don't really matter. What matters is that the national security elite are lining up behind Obama, which not only signals their confidence in his abilities but sends a strong message that there will be a break with the Clintons' historic control of the Democratic Party.

This is worse than a drip...drip...drip. It's the sound of the door closing.

Big Endorsement Day for Obama | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

No, BooMan. It's the 'sound of the door' opening for Clinton to take her exit.

Love it. My ulcer is healed. My blood pressure back to normal.

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

by idredit on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 02:27:41 PM EST

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

Okay..here we go:

1)Is Carville going to go on TV and call Reich Judas or some other insult.

2)Bubba going to exclaim how many times "to his face" that Reich claimed he would endorse Hillary.

3)or are the insults just limited to Gov. Richardson, because Bubba gave him a job...just like he gave to Reich.

by americanforliberty on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 02:36:04 PM EST

David Boren? (none / 1)

The guy who brought George Tenet to Wash and got him appointed to head the CIA? That David Boren? That national security fruad?

And Lee Hamilton? The guy who let Reagen get away with Iran Contra and less than stellar leadership on the 9/11 commission?

I realize outside of blogdom those endorsements are a positive, but I would have thought they would be embarrasments in the pond.

by AliceDem on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 02:49:24 PM EST

Re: David Boren? (none / 0)

I don't know about that. I have often criticized Boren and Hamilton. But I don't see it as embarrassing to be endorsed by them. It isn't like they're endorsing him because he is some DINO or superhawk on foreign policy. You can read their reasoning at the link.

I'd be embarrassed to get an endorsement from Lieberman or David Duke, but it's perfectly find with me if Hagel, Lugar, Cochran or other establishment types decide McCain is nuts and endorse Obama.

by BooMan on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 02:55:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I Basically Concur ... (none / 0)

that it's not an "embarassment" to be endorsed by Boren, Nunn or Hamilton. Fifteen years later though I'm still pissed off at Sam Nunn for his role in the "don't ask don't tell" disgrace. Nunn's conduct on that issue was despicable in 1993. But American politics being what it is, many will find the presence of people such as Nunn "reassuring." And those establishment types among the superdelegates do need to be reassured. And Obama needs them to close ranks.

Intrepid Liberal Journal

by Intrepid Liberal Journal (trebor@nac.net) on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 03:32:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I Basically Concur ... (none / 0)

I am not a big fan of any of them. Well, I like Reich. He's cool. But the others are not very aligned with me politically. But, remember, I have been writing about a realignment for a long time, and how it will involve people that are far to the right of us as well as bunch of Dems that much better than what we're used to. It's part of having a governing majority.

by BooMan on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 04:10:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I Agree ... (none / 0)

that's a governing majority has to do what Obama is attempting. Southern Dixiecrats were part of FDR's coalition afterall. And Reich is outstanding and thoughtful about the struggles of working people.

The David Borens and Sam Nunns though will expect something in return. Of course it's also worth noting in fairness that Nunn opposed the first Gulf War.

Intrepid Liberal Journal

by Intrepid Liberal Journal (trebor@nac.net) on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 04:31:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I Agree ... (none / 0)

I didn't know that Nunn opposed the first Gulf War. I thought I was the only one! And I like him better now.

Reich has a good heart, but he had some really out-of-date ideas about Labor, sort of patterning vocational high schools after those in Germany, with thorough, narrow training--the kind that gets obsolete very fast these days. Faster than the student loans get paid off.

As for Senator Boren, I had him confused with Senator Borah and said to myself, "Is he still alive?" I guess Senator Boren didn't make much of an impression on me.

by Joyful Alternative on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 11:40:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

It gives me the creeps to read "your former cabinet" and "your opponent" as if it were Bill who is running for president. This two-headed candidate is not likely to win anything now.

by Alice on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 03:25:43 PM EST

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

it IS creepy, but then again, HRC is claiming WJC's experience as her own.

well, except for the stuff people don't like...

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 03:27:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

and I guess the pastry chef under bush can claim the same. He has been in the white house 8 years also if not longer.

Doing My Part For The Left

by refinish69 (refinish69 at gmail dot com) on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 03:29:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

Joined at the hip, they are.

by Quentin on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 04:42:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

I wouldn't let Lee Hamilton in the same room as me, but he can endorse Obama from afar, I guess.

Anyone see that Newsweek poll, putting Obama 20% ahead of Clinton in a national poll?

by Bob In Pacifica on Fri Apr 18th, 2008 at 08:31:43 PM EST

Re: Big Endorsement Day for Obama (none / 0)

I fear you've overlooked an even more important endorsement: Stephen Colbert & John Edwards didn't exactly endorse Obama on Thursday, but....

It had been leaked for days that HRC would be showing up on the Colbert Report, and MSM had even written about her seeking "the Colbert Bump".
Surprise! John Edwards too, who made jokes about who he'd endorse is based on who gives him jet-skis, but then said, "On the one hand, I don't want to be seen as anti-hope; on the other hand, I don't want James Carville to bite me".
Surprise! Obama comes on the show, kind of, via a large screen that HRC "fixed" in the first segment. His appearance, despite being remote, is funny and charming rather than awkward and smug (like Hillary "not elitist no never" Clinton).

Oh, and did I mention? After HRC leaves, Colbert slams ABC for the biased and horrible debate, and then Congressman Patrick Murphy (recent Iraq war vet) comes on with a glowing Obama endorsement.

Watch the whole thing here.

by eeblet (bethbudwig at g mail) on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 12:12:30 PM EST

Big Endorsement Day for Obama | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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