Obama on Hillary's Heels

According to the results of a new Washington Post-ABC News poll released today, Hillary Clinton may want to put her shrink on speed-dial.  She's still leading the Democratic pack, of course.  But the trends for her are not good, especially among a base she sorely needs and the votes of which she has largely taken for granted: African-Americans.

In December and January Post-ABC polls, Clinton led Illinois Senator Barack Obama among blacks by a huge margin: she pulled 60 percent, while he came in with 20 percent.  Now, however, Obama leads among blacks, with 44 percent to her 33 percent.  How the mighty have fallen.

And there's more bad news for Queen Bee:  when she announced her candidacy in January, she led Obama by 24 points.  Her lead has now fallen to 12 points. 

The numbers also show that despite the Iraq war being THE major mobilizing issue for Democrats, Hillary's refusal to apologize for voting to authorize the war does NOT appear to be hurting her among Democrats. 

Which means that there is something ELSE going on among Democrats, some other reason they may be starting to turn away from Hillary.  Could it be something beyond the issues, something less tangible, something she cannot change?  Could it be that Democrats may be turning away from Hillary....because she's Hillary?

Update: Save the Wren Cross

Join those of us trying to save the Wren Cross on the campus of the College of William and Mary in Virginia.  To learn more and to sign the petition to save the cross, please visit: SaveTheWrenCross.org.

A longtime donor to the College of William and Mary is withholding a $12 million pledge because of the decision to remove of the cross from the campus chapel.

The donor, who was not identified, changed his mind after school President Gene Nichol decided in October that the cross should be stored in a sacristy to make the chapel welcoming to students of all faiths, Nichol spokesman Mike Connolly said.  READ MORE

Hillary slams the door on an Iraq apology

Hillary continues to run from the question of whether she’ll apologize for her vote authorizing war in Iraq.

When pressed on the question yet again, the junior senator told WGRZ-TV’s Lynne Dixon she would be happy to speak to the media after the event. Reporters were able to shout two more questions to Clinton before her staff ushered her out of the room, and closed the doors on them. WGRZ-TV has video of the incident posted on their website.

See for yourself how some men in suits helped Clinton avoid the questions.

Role Reversal

This weekend, we'll be discussing the Hillary Clinton--David Geffen--Barack Obama contretemps, because you just can't make this stuff up.  One of the things Geffen said to Maureen Dowd of The New York Times was that Hillary's "machine is going to be very unpleasant and unattractive and effective."  Yup, yup, and no. 

I am stunned by Hillary's overreaction to Geffen's comments.  I am stunned that she would be so stupid as to overreact, thereby turning what would have been a one day story into a story that now has legs well into the future. 

Throughout their career together in politics, Bill was always "the natural," the gladhanding vehicle by which they'd get elected to the presidency. She was always the disciplinarian, keeping him in check, at least sometimes, so he didn't veer off and ruin everything (which he almost did).  Now that SHE'S the politician, he's the one doing the advising.  So where on earth was he this week?!

There's no way he advised her on how to handle Geffen's comments; her overreaction was too big of a mistake.  So.  Bill is either otherwise engaged in his own extracurricular activities, or he told her what to do and she didn't listen.  Whatever happened, Hillary's really stepped in it this time, and I'm sure Bill is now back on the scene, trying to clean up the mess----which is what she used to do for him. 

This Weekend's Radio Show

The Democratic-controlled House has issued a symbolic rejection of President Bush's decision to deploy more troops to Iraq.  The vote on the nonbinding measure was 246-182.  Supporters of the nonbinding resolution included 229 Democrats and 17 Republicans - fewer GOP defections than Democrats had hoped to get and the White House and its allies had feared. Two Democrats joined 180 Republicans in opposition.

For more on what it all means, I'll be talking to Frank Gaffney, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and president of the Center for Security Policy.

Hillary Clinton speaks, but refuses to take questions from the press.  Can you imagine the outrage if President Bush had done thing?  It's all part of the media's kid glove treatment of the Democrat's darling.   And then there's Barack Obama, who said the 3,000 American lives lost in Iraq were "wasted."  Once again, the media let him get away with that one, with only a quick apology.

And if you haven't heard, Mitt Romney is a Mormon.  Do you care?  We'll be talking about faith and politics.  Also-- the controversy over the Wren Cross at the College of William and Mary.

Hillary Buys South Carolina Endorsement

The Clintons are up to no good once again, this time buying a big endorsement in a state key to winning the White House.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton scored a coup in the presidential race by winning the endorsement of a key black political leader in South Carolina, state Sen. Darrell Jackson.  Now it has come to light that Clinton’s campaign reached a deal to pay Jackson’s consulting firm $10,000 a month through the 2008 elections – a deal worth more than $200,000.

Jackson is also the minister of a large church in Columbia and he has acknowledged that he should have revealed his financial dealings with the Clinton campaign before making the endorsement.

CLICK HERE to read more on the latest Clinton scandal!

Why Isn't This Photo Everywhere?

Hillary on the Attack

Hillary is on the attack.  In Washington on Friday, she said she would not have invaded Iraq if she were President in 2002, and she promised she would end the war if she wins the White House in 2008.   Clinton had to raise her voice at one point to be heard above a group of anti-war hecklers.  The race for the Democratic nomination Is getting interesting as Hillary faces the challenges from opponents like Barack Obama and John Edwards.  I’ll be talking about the latest polls in the race with John Zogby, chairman of the renowned polling company, Zogby International.

Londonistan

This weekend I’ll be telling you what I saw during my trip to London, or “Londonistan” as some like author Melanie Phillips see it.  Phillips has written a book titled Londonistan. It looks at the overwhelming Muslim presence and the growth of extremism and terrorism in the country. 

The suicide bombings carried out in London in 2005 by British Muslims revealed an enormous fifth column of Islamist terrorists and their sympathizers. Under the noses of British intelligence, London has become the European hub for the promotion, recruitment and financing of Islamic terror and extremism.  Londonistan has become a country within the country and not only threatens Britain but its special relationship with the U.S. as well.  SOURCE: AMAZON.COM

Phillips' book can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Dateline: Tel Aviv, Israel

I am sitting in Ben Gurion Airport, ready to board a flight to Europe and then
on the United States. I made it to the boarding area after making it through an
obstacle course of airport security: checkpoints, interrogations, multiple
security screenings. Part of me is relieved that the Israelis are so thorough.
Another part of me, though, is exceedingly teed off that a couple of generations
of Palestinian terrorists and the newer breeds, such as al Qaeda, have succeeded
in terrorizing our everyday lives. Terror is a two-pronged strategy: it involves
the actual physical violence, and it involves the psychological warfare that
accompanies it: when will the next act come?  Will it be today?  Will it be my
flight?  Five plus years after 9-11, these thoughts may no longer be at the
front of your mind, but they are certainly in the back of it. Standing in
endless security lines may be an inconvenience, but it's more than that: it's
the receiving end of the psychological warfare being waged against us.