Why Hillary Won't Get VP Nod

The favorite political parlor game these days is trying to figure out who Barack Obama will pick as his vice-presidential running mate. With the same conviction I had a year ago when I predicted Obama would win the nomination, I’m here to tell you Hillary will not be on the ticket. Let’s start with the obvious reasons, both political and personal.
Politically, why would Barack Obama want to saddle his candidacy with the inevitable drama and baggage that comes with the Clintons? He’s a much bigger story and draw than Hillary or Bill. They’re yesterday’s newspaper and would only detract from the Obama story line. Secondly, while putting a former rival on the ticket isn’t unusual, putting someone on the ticket that characterized you as too inexperienced and not qualified to be president is a different matter. Can’t you just see the McCain ads? “Hillary Clinton doesn’t think he’s up to the job, so why should you?” She’d have to explain her personal attacks on Obama every step of the way.
Then there’s the Michelle factor. If you think Hillary Clinton is a tough old bird, I don’t think you’ve been paying attention to Michelle Obama. Not only is she brilliant and accomplished in her own right, it’s clear she didn’t enjoy Hillary questioning his patriotism (“He’s not a Muslim, as far as I know”) or playing the white people love me card in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Michelle Obama said early on they were only going to do this once and I believe her. She’s not likely to green light a woman who trashed her husband and brings high negatives to her husband’s one shot at the brass ring.
For those out there who think Obama has to pick Clinton to placate the army of angry women who think Hillary got jobbed, get over it. Obama beat Hillary fair and square, overcoming huge odds. He raised more money, won more states, delegates and votes. If Clinton supporters want to blame anyone it should be the candidate herself. She ran a lousy campaign, squandering a huge lead. Her unintentionally hilarious tales from the tarmac in Bosnia made her a laughing stock. She also had more reincarnations than Shirley McClaine.
Who can forget Hillary playing pinochle at Lake Winola as a girl or doing beer and a bump in an Ohio gin mill? She took the wind out of her own sails. As for the bitter older women threatening to vote for McCain, who are they kidding? Do they really want to vote for a guy who will overturn Roe v. Wade? They’ll be back in the fold by November.
But if there was any doubt Obama will not be picking Clinton, the announcement this week that former Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle has been hired to be chief of staff for Obama’s eventual VP candidate says it all. Given Clinton unceremoniously fired Doyle in February and they haven’t spoken since, I’m guessing she didn’t sign up to work with Hillary again.
The hiring of Doyle is reminiscent of Lyndon Johnson’s handling of Bobby Kennedy in 1964. Like Hillary Clinton’s air of entitlement, Bobby Kennedy felt entitled to the vice-presidency in the wake of his brother’s assassination. LBJ didn’t trust Bobby and knew Bobby had his own agenda. But like Obama today, LBJ didn’t want to alienate Kennedy’s constituency so he announced he had decided not to consider any cabinet officials for VP thus taking Bobby out of the equation. (Bobby was Attorney General). Obama’s hiring of Doyle takes Hillary out of the mix without directly kicking her to the curb.

Mario Cuomo Hasn't Lost His Touch

Former NY Governor Mario Cuomo spoke today at the Tim Russert memorial service. His comments reminded me why he was voted out of office. He is still the self involved blowhard who spoke more about himself than Russert. What a ponderous bore.

Any Fool Can Have a Child

One of the many reasons I can overlook Barack Obama's leftist leanings is his willingness to tell it like it is to his African-American brethren. Sunday Obama chastised the black community for allowing an epidemic of illegitimate children. He correctly told a black audience it is time for black men to understand fatherhood doesn't end at conception. This obvious message has been delivered by Bill Cosby and a few other black role models but they have all been marginalized as too white. Hopefully Obama's stature will get the attention and respect of the black community.

Could Amy Winehouse Just Die Already

This has nothing to do with politics but am I the only person who's had quite enough of skanky Amy Winehouse? I just read she's been rushed then again to an emergency room with drug related issues. Who cares and will she just go away. Her lack of personal responsibility is her problem not mine. Just take a little more heroin and we can all move on.

Thanks for asking...I'm still alive

Here in Hyde Park, NY we have just endured a thunderstorm of epic proportions. Golf size hail hammered the house and torrential rain and wind made me wonder if the roof was going to blow off. The good news is I didn't lose power and could watch the end of the U.S. Open. Uh-Oh, the TV just said there's more including a tornado warning. Bye.

Obama Disses Hillary

The Obama campaign made it abundantly clear today Hillary Clinton will not be on his ticket. He named former Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle to be chief of staff for Obama's eventual vice-presidential candidate. Given Clinton tossed Doyle under the bus after losing Iowa to Obama, this sends a message to Clinton she won't be on the ticket. Obama is doing what he has to do...get Hillary out of the picture. Looks like Patti is the one who might end up in the White House. Sweet revenge all around!

Impeach Chris Dodd

Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn) has admitted accepting almost $1,000,000 in below market mortages from embattled Countrywide Financial CEO Angelo Mozilo. Talk about a conflict of interest. Mozilo is a well known hustler and dirtbag and Dodd obviouslt thought no one would ever know. Remember Dodd ran for President this year and thinks he's on Obama's short list for VP. Dream on buddy.

Vultures Maneuvering for Russert's Job

My wife and I were driving back from Boston when we heard Tim Russert had died of a heart attack. It was shocking and sad but by Saturday the media coverage was approaching Princess Diana intensity. The combination of a slow summer news day and the genuine affection Russert elicited from his journalistic colleagues generated wall to wall coverage of Russert’s death and career. Now don’t get me wrong but when did Tim Russert become the irreplaceable fountain of integrity and the source of all meaningful knowledge? Outside the insular world of political journalism and Beltway politics, I can assure you there weren’t two people out of ten who knew who he was. There will be somebody in his chair next Sunday.
As I heard one commentator after another call Russert irreplaceable, I was reminded of a conversation I had years ago. I was at a dinner party hosted by JFK’s sister Pat Lawford and seated next to Joseph Califano, a former JFK aide and Secretary of Health and Human Services under Jimmy Carter. At another table there was a world class blowhard waxing on about how important he was and mumbling something about his firm upping the key man insurance should something happen to him.
Secretary Califano rolled his eyes and said “I’ll tell you about irreplaceable” and then launched into a story about November 22nd 1963. He was in his office in the White House when the first reports of shots fired came in. Everyone in the building stopped what they were doing and gathered around TV sets. Califano said he instructed his secretary not to put any calls through. Information was scarce and no one knew the extent of Kennedy’s wounds. Just then his secretary said there was an urgent call from the President. Califano told me his initial reaction was relief. JFK must be OK. He picked up the phone and it was Lyndon Johnson with a laundry list of things to do for Califano. Within hours, workers were moving JFK’s things out of the Oval Office.
That harsh reality is already at work at NBC. Thanks to Tim Russert, Meet the Press is the gold standard for political chat shows. The moderator instantly becomes a very major political player. It will be fascinating to watch Tim’s “good friends” jockey for position as they try replacing him. My money’s on Tom Brokaw, the one guy not auditioning for the job. He has more than enough gravitas to fill Russert’s shoes and would probably like one more lap around the track after getting forced out of the anchor job a few years ago. People like the insufferable Keith Oberman, motor mouth Chris Matthews and David Gregory are already vamping for the gig.
The person I feel truly sorry for, beyond Russert’s own family, is Betsy Fischer his long time executive producer. She’s been with Russert for 17 years, starting as a lowly intern. In addition to actually watching her boss and benefactor die in her presence, she will now have to navigate the shark infested waters of all those maneuvering for his job and hers.
It’s always awful when someone is taken before their time. Tim Russert had done a lot in 58 years but he should have had more time. But his family and friends should take comfort in knowing he went out on top and didn’t suffer. He led a charmed and interesting life and will be well remembered.

Au Revoir Hillary

As Gerald Ford famously said shortly after Richard Nixon resigned, “Our long, national nightmare is over.” I feel the same way about the tortuous, delusional end of Hillary Clinton’s attempt to secure the democratic presidential nomination. Like Richard Nixon in 1974, Hillary Clinton just didn’t know when to quit. It remains to be seen if her lack of grace will hurt Barack Obama’s chances going forward.
If Hillary continues to feed the anger of so-called first wave feminists and they elect to vote for McCain or sit it out in November, John McCain will be our next President. Already polls show nearly half the Hillary voters say they won’t vote for Obama. If they stay mad until November, Obama’s got problems.
Given her none too subtle expression of interest in being Obama’s VP, it can be assumed she’s interested in being a heartbeat away from the top job. But if that’s not forthcoming, I’m betting she pays lip service to the Obama candidacy while doing everything she and Bill can to hurt his chances. The Clinton’s did the same thing in 2004 with John Kerry. It’s not in Hillary’s best interest to have Obama win one or two terms. She will want him to lose so she can be the “I told you so” candidate in 2012.
In my opinion, I think showing Hillary Clinton the vice-presidential door is the first real test of Obama’s leadership. Coming in a close second isn’t enough to put someone on the ticket, particularly if that someone consistently referred to Sen. Obama as unqualified and shamelessly played the race card against him. If Obama eliminates her, he’s got my vote.
If he puts her on the ticket just to placate a bunch of angry old women, he becomes just another calculating politician with no guts. Note to Sen. Obama: Regardless of what happened in the democratic primaries, 47% of registered voters have consistently said they would never vote for Hillary Clinton. So remember, she brings more baggage than votes. All those independents and Republicans who voted for you will disappear in November if she’s on the ticket.
Now for the really fun part. If you recall, I wrote over a year ago I would move to France if Hillary Clinton were elected President. Well folks, that isn’t going to happen and I know some of you who have wished me bon voyage and bonjour are going to be terribly disappointed.
No one is more disappointed than my beloved mother-in-law, Eve Carey of Naples, Florida. She has been an ardent supporter of Sen. Clinton and has accused me on many occasions of being “mean” to poor Hillary. Mrs. Carey even went as far as sending me a card with a drawing of a lovely French cottage where she hoped I’d be spending my remaining days. Like Mrs. Clinton herself, my mother-in-law refuses to discuss Hillary’s demise. But I sleep better knowing it’s killing both of them.
So as I prepare to dispose of my French language tapes and travel guides, may I say it has been a distinct pleasure watching the “inevitable” Sen. Clinton fold like a cheap accordion. Hold on a minute. This just in from the Clinton camp... It appears Hillary has just beaten Tiger Woods in an 18 hole match at Winged Foot. According to the press release, the fact that Woods didn’t actually compete “shouldn’t diminish the historical significance of Sen. Clinton’s victory.” And Hillary won Michigan too. Au Revoir Hillary!

Caroline Kennedy To Vett VP Candidates

With all due respect to the ghost of Camelot, what qualifies Caroline Kennedy to play a significant role in the selection of Barack Obama's running mate? Sure, she's probably met many of the people under consideration at cocktail parties but that's not exactly cutting edge. Clearly Obama sees himself as the black JFK but let's not get carried away there Barry. Odd choice.

The Real Hillary Game Plan

Much of the media speculation today is on what Hillary wants since she still can't bring herself to concede. Aside from selfishly distracting everyone from the truly historic nature of Obama's win, here's what's really going on. By not conceding the nomination technically, she is intentionally leaving the door open for herself should something happen to Obama before the convention. That something takes two forms in the pathological world of Hillary Clinton. One is the Clinton slime machine unearths or manufactures some bombshell revelation that causes the superdelegates to switch to Clinton at the last minute. Or as Hillary so tacklessly put it, Obama has his own Bobby Kennedy moment and some lunatic shoots him. Trust me, she's hoping for either outcome.
The good news is she's the one who will be dead politically for her awful lack of grace and what she's doing to the democratic party. Americans don't like sore losers or homewreckers.

The Disgruntled Former Employee

Last week former White House press secretary Scott McClellan got a taste of what it’s like to be on the other side of the podium. McClellan was savaged by the Bushies for having the temerity to criticize everyone from the President to the national media for their role in the Iraq war. McClellan’s criticism is in the form of a book sure to be a best seller. As was true in the run-up to the war, anyone daring to question the logic or facts paid a heavy price. That price included having your patriotism questioned to being denied access to information by the Bush White House. Democrats are enjoying every moment of this “I told you so” moment.
Ironically, McClellan was one of those administration officials selling and chastising reporters for questioning administration motives during his time as press secretary. Now many of his former colleagues have turned on him and are calling him “sad’ and “not the Scott we knew.” But the phrase most often used by the White House to describe McClellan these days is “disgruntled employee.”
This whole episode reminded me of my own high profile “disgruntled employee” experience. In the late 80’s, I was the producer and writer of the “Morton Downey Jr. Show.” It was a very controversial and confrontational talk show with Downey as the chain smoking, over the top host. As the show soared in the ratings, Mort began behaving in a manner I knew would hurt the show and his reputation with the audience. In deference to his memory, I’ll spare you the particulars but it wasn’t pretty.
After one particularly offensive incident, I quit the show and it got some press. A few months later Downey faked an incident involving an alleged skinhead attack and a swastika in a restroom at the San Francisco airport. Downey denied the allegations but the San Francisco police said it was a hoax. At that point I got a call from a New York Post reporter asking me if I’d heard the news. I hadn’t at that point. Then the reporter asked me if I thought it was a hoax. I remember saying while I wasn’t there, it wouldn’t surprise me if Mort did something crazy like that to boost sagging ratings.
The next thing I know its front page news around the country. The headlines said “Downey’s ex-producer says it’s a hoax.” A day later Phil Donahue’s on the phone inviting me to confront an enraged Downey on his show. I wanted nothing to do with that and declined. But that didn’t stop Phil from giving Mort a one hour platform to trash me on national television. One of the kinder things he called me was “disgruntled former employee.” We kissed and made up a year later after his show was cancelled and I asked him why he would lie about me on television. With what little innocence he could muster he said, “What else could I do, you had me dead to rights?” Makes you wonder about Scott McClellan’s accusers.
I don’t know for certain if everything in McClellan’s book is gospel but he was certainly there. That’s an important distinction from the countless authors who quote anonymous sources and speculate about what someone might have meant. The fact McClellan is a former employee doesn’t make him any less credible than other ex-White House employees spouting the party line. But don’t expect to see Mr. McClellan at Andrews Air Force base on January 20th when Bush slinks out of town.

Obama Has To Define Change

As thrilling as the victory of Barack Obama tonight is, he's going to have to define change if he's going to beat John McCain. Change is going to have to be more than a campaign slogan. Obama is going to have to tell us how he intends to mitigate the oil crisis and get us out of Iraq without a horrific civil blood bath. Just being opposed to something or someone does not constitute a foreign or domestic policy.

Hillary Still Can't Say She Lost

Not surprisingly Hillary couldn't spit it out. She lost and he won. Like Ted Kennedy after Chappaquidick, she asked her supporters to let her know what she should do now. What a cheeseball. She's brutal!!

Now Hillary Wants VP Nod

The latest word from the Countess of Chappaqua is she is "open" to the vice-presidential nod from Barack Obama. How gracious! She is clearly so desperate to be president, she's willing to play second fiddle to someone she is on record as calling unfit to be president. She thinks her sore loser supporters will scare Obama into putting her on the ticket for fear the Clintonites vote for McCain. At this point I'm with Obama and have been for a long time. But if he puts that duplicitious witch on the ticket, I'm voting McCain. This is Obama's opportunity to truly break with the past and show us some real leadership. It's time to say farewell to the Clintons and their grubby brand of politics.

Associated Press Says Hillary Will Concede Tonight

Could it be...could it be? After having lost the Democratic nomination for President months age, Hillary Clinton will officially throw in the pantsuit tonight according to the AP. I will be glued to my TV to witness "The Inevitable Nominee" waddle off into political obscurity. This could easily have been the year America chose a woman, it just wasn't ever going to be that woman. Let's see how long she hangs around the Senate now that New York is no longer useful to her politically. And don't even think Obama will put Hillary on the ticket. He knows better.

Hillary defeats Tiger Woods in Golf

In an attempt to explain her delegate and popular vote math to reporters, Hillary Clinton explained she had recently beated golf champ Tiger Woods in a match held at legendary Winged Foot Golf Club. While acknowleging Mr. Woods didn't participate in the match, Mrs. Clinton nonetheless claimed a decisive victory. Now i understand Michigan.