Hillary Rodham Clinton: March 2007 Archives

The e-mail fund-raising appeal on behalf of the John Edwards presidential campaign sent out Wednesday could not be more blunt:

"As you probably know," writes former Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.), an Edwards senior adviser, "this Saturday at midnight marks the first major fund-raising deadline of this campaign -- which means we have less than 96 hours to show that our campaign has the support and momentum we need to put our agenda in front of voters nationwide. This first test couldn't be more important."

WASHINGTON -- The rights to George Orwell's novel 1984 -- the inspiration for an Apple computer ad pirated by a Barack Obama supporter who remodeled it into an attack on Hillary Rodham Clinton -- are owned by Gina Rosenblum, a West Rogers Park resident who is president of Rosenblum Productions Inc.

WASHINGTON -- White House hopeful Barack Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times his campaign had "no way of knowing" that the creator of the anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton YouTube ad worked for a campaign vendor and asserted that the ties were only "attenuated."

Clinton, asked by the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday about the impact of the Internet spot and YouTube on the 2008 presidential race, said the campaign is in "new territory for everybody.''

WASHINGTON—White House hopeful Barack Obama said his campaign had “no way of knowing” that the creator of the anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton YouTube ad worked for a campaign vendor and asserted that the ties were only “attenuated.”

Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday that his campaign was not damaged by the revelation that the ad maker, Phillip de Vellis, worked for Blue State Digital, the Washington D.C. firm whose co-founder, Joe Rospars is on leave—to work for the Obama campaign handling new media and the Obama web operation. Blue State holds a contract with the Obama campaign to provide technical internet support and oversee its server.

Asked for his reaction to the links between his campaign and de Vellis, Obama downplayed the relations. “Yeah, very attenuated ties,” he said.

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama was running a little behind schedule. He had just delivered a speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters at the Hyatt Hotel on Capitol Hill.

Obama's news hit, if there was to be one, was supposed to be his speech at the union's presidential forum. But it was his dodging a question tossed at him on his way out of the hotel last week about whether homosexuality was immoral that left his team scrambling to repair relations with an important Democratic constituency, the gay and lesbian community.

Now comes word that the Obama campaign is forming a gay advisory panel, though a spokesman said a plan had been in the works before the dust-up.

WASHINGTON — Tracked down by Arianna Huffington’s websters Wednesday, the creator of the “Big Sister” YouTube ad attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton is a Democratic staffer who worked for an Internet firm on contract with rival Barack Obama’s campaign.

Philip de Vellis, writing on HuffPost, said he made the “Vote Different” spot “because I wanted to express my feelings about the Democratic primary and because I wanted to show that an individual citizen can affect the process. There are thousands of other people who could have made this ad, and I guarantee that more ads like it — by people of all political persuasions — will follow.”

WASHINGTON—White House hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton is tapping Chicago ShoreBank vice chairman Bob Nash—who served under President Clinton—to be a deputy campaign manager.

WASHINGTON--The hunt is on for ParkRidge47," the e-mail of the anonymous creator of that pro-Obama/anti-Clinton hit ad on YouTube. Who is ParkRidge47---a "hactivist," a political prankster or a political pro?

Park Ridge. Where Hillary Rodham Clinton was raised. 1947. The year she was born.

Want to hear from "ParkRidge47?." Micah Sifry over at techpresident tracked down the e-mail of the ad poster and exchanged e-mails.

Read Sifry's article at http://www.techpresident.com/node/130
Sifty writes:
The first piece of voter-generated video to make a splash in Campaign 2008 has hit, and with it comes a mystery. Is "Vote Different" really the work of an amateur, a civilian if you will? Or is it a shrewd move by someone who wants to stir up trouble between the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns? After all, comparing Hillary to Big Brother, droning on about her "conversation" with America and portraying her supporters as silent automatons is hardly what Obama supporters want to say about the former First Lady. Or is it?

Read all of Sifry at his site. For a sampling from "ParkRidge47" e-mail to Sifry, click below

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Hillary Clinton’s senior strategist raised questions Monday over Barack Obama’s commitment to end the Iraq war, breaking out into the open a simmering dispute between the Obama and Clinton camps.
A heated exchange between Clinton senior strategist Mark Penn and Obama chief consultant David Axelrod came at an otherwise very civil campaign managers forum sponsored by Harvard’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The riveting "Big Sister" YouTube ad attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton -- produced by an anonymous creator to benefit Barack Obama -- launches a new chapter in presidential campaigning.

"This will be the political phenomena of 2008," said Democratic consultant Steve Jarding.

WASHINGTON-- Top Democrats are divided over whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should be forced to resign because of the botched firings of eight US attorneys.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin wants to reserve judgement until he gets Gonzales to testify before Congress under oath. “I want to hear his response.” Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Ct.) a presidential hopeful is not calling for his head.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) and Sen.Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and White House contenders Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) say he should quit.

The path of all the 2008 presidential Democratic contenders leads to House Majority Whip James Clyburn, whose political influence is exponentially magnified because he is from South Carolina, one of the four states holding the initial presidential votes in January 2008. The strongest January finisher probably has the best chance of winning the Democratic nomination, with what amounts to a Feb. 5 national primary taking shape.

WASHINGTON--White House hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton needs a strong turnout from female voters in order to win the Democratic nomination. Towards that end, she is using a mid-day appearence before Emily's List to launch her drive for massive support from women. The campaign within a campaign is dubbed "I can be president." ICBP is being born at a giant Emily's List lunch here featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Clinton. Emily's List is one of the nation's largest political action committees and has already endorsed Clinton--who would be the first female to be nominated for president from a major party and if elected the first woman president.

From the pulpit of the historic First Baptist Church in Selma, White House hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton talks about the march for civil rights "we all know we have to finish" towards "one America," that still has some distance to go.

"But we've got to stay awake. we've got to stay awake, because we have a march to finish. a march toward one America, that should be all America was meant to be," Clinton said.

.

Click below for the text, as delivered....

SELMA, Ala. -- They worked off the same script Sunday. The Clintons -- former President Bill and White House hopeful Hillary -- claimed the legacy of the voting rights battles fought here 42 years ago in a bid for crucial African- American support.

SELMA, AL.---Just a short time from now, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are poised to take to the pulpits in two churchs down the street from each other in this town marking the 42nd anniversary of a bloody struggle for voting rights.

A contingent of House members are also here, flying from Washington to bear witness. They got caught in the cross fire of the two presidential campaigns. They could choose the service to attend. Rep. Rahm Emanual (D-Ill.), is sitting in the front row at First Baptist Church--the church where Clinton will soon speak.

WASHINGTON--Hillary Rodham Clinton's long buried Wellesley College senior undergraduate thesis about Chicago legendary community organizer Saul Alinsky--sealed during the years when she was first lady--was dug up for MSNBC by investigative journalist Bill Dedman--a Chicago Sun-Times alum.

The contents of the thesis were long thought by Clinton biographers and commentators to be important to understanding the roots of her political philosophy. Dedman found the thesis, writes about how and why the Clintons wanted it buried and how he found it hiding in plain sight.

Dedman also notes that Barack Obama, who moved to Chicago to become a community organizer himself, was influenced by the Alinsky legacy. (click below for all the links)

I well remember Alinsky as a wiley agitator--a street fighter who made community organizing into a profession.

WASHINGTON -- White House rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in Selma, Ala., on Sunday to mark the anniversary of a bloody civil rights struggle -- with a surprise addition, former President Bill Clinton, nicknamed the first black president.

WASHINGTON--Former President Bill Clinton makes his public debut Sunday to bolster Hillary Clinton's own White House bid when he travels to Selma, Alabama to mark the anniversary of a historic struggle for civil rights. Clinton chief Democratic rival Barack Obama also is in Selma for the anniversary celebrations.

developing...

For the first time since becoming a senator -- much less a White House hopeful -- Barack Obama on Friday will talk in depth about U.S. policy toward Israel and the Mideast.