Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and Philly-area Congressman Patrick Murphy (PA-08) were on local NBC television this morning discussing the presidential campaign. In an interesting twist, Nutter, who is black, was advocating for Clinton while Murphy, who is white, was advocating for Barack Obama.
First off, it’s rewarding to see these two frequent Drinking Liberally attendees on my teevee representing the political establishment of Philadelphia. But it’s sad to see Mayor Nutter being reduced to making very lame arguments in defense of the Clinton campaign.
Asked about the decision to invade Iraq, Rep. Murphy (who fought in Iraq) pointed out that the then chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee (Carl Levin) and Intelligence Committee (Bob Graham) both voted against the war, and that Clinton didn’t even read the National Intelligence Estimate. She has no excuse for her poor judgment. Nutter’s retort? “I was against the war, too, so what?” Nutter then argued that making a speech opposing the war is different from making a decision, and that Rep. Murtha supports Clinton. I don’t think Nutter got the better of this exchange.
Asked about political contributors, Nutter argued that Barack Obama takes money from lobbyists and Big Oil executives just like Clinton. Murphy pointed out that Obama does not take money from registered lobbyists or political action committees, and that any American citizen (who isn’t a registered lobbyist) can contribute to Obama’s campaign. Again, the Clintons are reduced to saying ‘Obama is just as bad as we are’, and that argument doesn’t even have the merit of being true. Obama has over a million donors whose average contribution is $92.
Asked about the tape of Hillary Clinton (not) dodging sniper fire in Tuzla, Bosnia, Mayor Nutter argued that there ‘must have been gunfire somewhere in Bosnia that day and who knows what the intelligence briefing on the plane was?’ Of course, all we have to do is listen to the Tuzla pilot to know that there is no merit whatsoever to Clinton’s fairy tale. She was not told there was sniper fire and if there had been any doubt about the matter, they would not have landed. Rep. Murphy took the high road and used this opportunity to point out that Obama is running a positive campaign…unlike someone else he won’t mention.
Ask about whether television coverage has been fair to their candidate, Nutter said, “There are many opportunities for the coverage to be more fair.” Murphy said, “Yes.”
So, the Clinton campaign is reduced to complaining about the media, falsely arguing that Obama’s contributors are the same as hers, dismissing the significance of a horrible vote authorizing military force in Iraq, and insinuating that Obama is too black to win the general election. Oh, and Nutter did bring up the grave injustice of Michigan and Florida…so add delegitimizing the process to their list of talking points.
I can imagine what it’s like to do walk-lists for Clinton’s campaign these days. Find 90% white neighborhoods with few creative class or college-educated people, and go knock on their doors to make sure they get out to vote against the black guy. That’s got to be a soul-crushing exercise for her volunteers. I can’t see too many of her young people sticking with politics after this campaign. Down in the muck, dabbling with white flight and fear to try to eke out victories in a long since lost cause. Congratulations to Bill and Hillary. This is what has come to.
History will record their campaign as the last in the George Wallace style. Add to Lewinsky and impeachment, and stir. That’s going to be their shameful legacy.
Casey and Rendell are on Meet the Press.
Rendell leads by complaining that Clinton is being ‘woefully’ outspent and declaring that he no longer believes that Clinton will win by double digits ‘but any victory over a candidate that outspends you 3-1 is a big victory.’
Casey leads with ‘I have never been so inspired by a political candidate as I am by Barack Obama.’
this is not the weekend for Rendell to whine about Hillary’s campaign being outspent – the Clintons’ $109 million haul over 8 years (2000 -2007) has wall to wall coverage.
Write a check Hillary. Don’t whine.
From rags-to-riches, Billary now list among the 14,500 families in the country
You know, the Casey and Richardson endorsements seem to have mattered a great deal. Obama’s numbers shot up immediately in Penn once Casey came out for him. I was talking to a friend of mine — lives in Tallahassee now but from Mechanicsburg — who told me the Casey endorsement would be solid gold there among working-class Dems and Reps. It’s not enough to push Obama over the threshold, but it certainly seems to have opened the door.
It’s a very valuable endorsement. It’s valuable precisely because Casey’s voters are natural Clinton voters.
Well, many said the same thing about Teddy Kennedy. It didn’t pan out in California and Texas. Casey’s, though, seems to be a big deal.
I saw that too. I was stunned that timmy was more astute than normal in his questioning…just a little anyhow. How did you see it?
I was in NJ in the Philly media range last week and heard fifteen seconds of Nutter on a morning show touting for Clinton. I felt embarrassed for him, like his support for Hillary was a debt he was repaying and there wasn’t much of his constituency that was buying was he was saying.
There was a story on BBC last night that there is a big division between influential black religious leaders and their congregations in the race. I was half-asleep so I didn’t get more than the headline, but here’s how I see it. There is a political patronage system in place that has survived from the Clinton years. Those people are in Clinton’s corner. Hillary’s “experience” is her connection to the disbursement system. I remember you, you remember me. This kind of politics has been around since politics began.
Then there are people who want to change things. People who recognize that Obama is a better candidate than Clinton, people who aren’t happy with the status quo and believe that Obama can actually change things.
That’s why I feel a little sorry for Nutter (though I know nothing about him or his politics other than his “support” for Clinton). He’s in the unfortunate position of cheerleading for someone that no longer appeals. Last year’s model in this year’s race.
I would hardly call Nutter or Murphy “frequent” DL attendees.
Nutter came twice when he was fishing for votes; Murphy has been three times.
Noz is frequent. You’re frequent. I’m frequent.
Murphy has been twice in the last month, and several times before that. And Nutter came at least three times, probably more. I think he came the first time all the way back in the spring of 2006. I could figure it out because it was about the same time he spoke to the Young Democrats at Penn and we were first looking at Jon Tester as a potential primary winner over Morrison.
i didn’t realize Murph came a second time: must have been during Sam’s last visit?
BooMan, very nice article here and summation of the discussion between Murphy and Nutter. Amazing, is it not, how Hillary keeps getting in her own way. The mark of a true ——loser.
Don’t be your own biggest obstacle.
I was in one of those neighborhoods today. Many responded that they were undecided.
A few leaning toward toward Obama.
Again, ONE person was a Clinton supporter.
Things aren’t looking good for Hill.