Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem, gloria steinman, steinem mccain, steinem, fox 2 news st. louis, ksdk

While the heated feud between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama dominated national politics last week, the public squabble hasn't kept them from launching the ocassional miscue at Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The New York Observer reported yesterday that in a Texas stump for Clinton, feminist icon Gloria Steinem added to the blunders by scorning the 5 1/2 years of torture McCain endured at the hands of the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.

“Suppose John McCain had been Joan McCain and Joan McCain had got captured, shot down and been a POW for eight years (sic). [The media would ask], ‘What did you do wrong to get captured? What terrible things did you do while you were there as a captive for eight years?’

I mean, hello? This is supposed to be a qualification to be president? I don’t think so.”

Since last Tuesday, McCain has taken fire from everywhere. Anonymous Democrats raised questions about whether his birthplace in a former US territory near the Panama Canal precludes him from running for president (it doesn't).

Democratic National Chairman Howard "Scream" Dean, meanwhile, has sustained a long barrage of gibberish so strange no one can understand it. The press corps believes it might be some sort of accusation about McCain's campaign financing, but since no can untangle what Dean's saying, the Federal Election Commission has decided to look into it. Seemingly frustrated by the lack of attention his vague and confusing accusation has gotten, Dean renewed his rhetoric yesterday (this time in simplified form), telling CNN, McCain "is going to be a flawed candidate."

Apparently, no one has told Dean that McCain is already a candidate.

Among these relatively minor assaults, Steinem's rebuke is especially bewildering. Not even the Clinton campaign could figure it out; in fact, the camp was forced to acknowledge McCain's distinguished military record:

"Senator Clinton has repeatedly praised Senator McCain's courage and service to our country," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson wrote. "These comments certainly do not represent her thinking in any way. Senator Clinton intends to have a respectful debate with Senator McCain on the issues."

McCain suffered a similar embarrassment last week, so you can't fault Clinton for what comes out of her supporters' mouths. When it happened to McCain, though, he didn't just distance himself from the questionable comments made on his behalf, he took responsibility for them.

That's something the Democrats have consistently shown they're unwilling to do.

Gloria Steinem, a Hillary Clinton supporter, was speaking on her behalf in Texas in a Women for Hillary event. Unfortunately for Hillary, any help that she might have had by having the feminist icon speak for her was lost when Steinem decided to do a riff on McCain's experience as a POW.

Referring to his time in captivity, Steinem said with bewilderment, “I mean, hello? This is supposed to be a qualification to be president? I don’t think so.”

The Clinton campaign immediately disavowed Steinem's words and said they have the utmost respect for John McCain's military status. Just what they wanted to have to spend the two days before the primary vote in Texas of all places talking about.

Steinem's crack raises the counter question: how does being married to a former president serve as a qualification for being president? Steinem goes on to say that the media wouldn't be as sympathetic to a woman who was captured and tortured.

Steinem raised McCain’s Vietnam imprisonment as she sought to highlight an alleged gender-based media bias against Clinton.

“Suppose John McCain had been Joan McCain and Joan McCain had got captured, shot down and been a POW for eight years. [The media would ask], ‘What did you do wrong to get captured? What terrible things did you do while you were there as a captive for eight years?’” Steinem said, to laughter from the audience.

Well, turn it around. If a man were running on the basis of his experience as being married to a two-term former president, would the media be as likely to assume that being First Husband would be a qualification for being president?

And if that First Husband's wife had publicly humiliated him by cheating with an intern, would he get the same sympathy vote that would have propelled him into the Senate in the first place?

But Steinem has an answer for that, too.

And she claimed that if Clinton’s experience as First Lady were taken seriously in relation to her White House bid, people might “finally admit that, say, being a secretary is the best way to learn your boss’s job and take it over.”

So, what is she saying there? That being a wife is like being a secretary? And would anyone really buy her characterization of a secretary's qualifications to take over the job from her boss? Maybe that works well in movie plots, but I somehow doubt that anyone thinks that way in real life.

Nicholson films make case for Clinton

He was The Joker in Batman, but Jack Nicholson says he wasn't fooling around when he said in "A Few Good Men" that there was nothing sexier than saluting a woman.

Nicholson, who is backing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, took his endorsement to the Internet on Saturday with a humorous collection of clips that put his support into the mouths of his most film famous characters.

"And now folks, it's time for who do you trust. Hubba, hubba, hubba. Money, money, money," Nicholson, as The Joker, asks his audience in the video titled "Jack and Hill."

Then he goes on to make it clear he puts his in Clinton. He also makes it clear he isn't happy with the current administration.

"Things could be better, Lloyd. Things could be a whole lot better," Nicholson, as frustrated writer Jack Torrance, tells Lloyd the bartender in "The Shining." In the movie, Nicholson's character then goes on a murderous rampage. In the video, a message flashes onscreen saying Clinton "has a plan to deal with the nearly 47 million Americans without health care."

She will also end the Iraq war and restore America's credibility abroad, the video says after Nicholson, as angry Col. Nathan Jessep in "A Few Good Men," shouts, "Maybe we as officers have a responsibility to this country to see that the men and women charged with its security are trained professionals."

The video, which debuted early Saturday on YouTube and other file-sharing services was put together with help from director Rob Reiner, said "Jack and Hill" spokesman Yusuf K. Robb.

It was done without the Clinton campaign's endorsement, Robb said.

"They decided to do this as something on their own to assist her campaign," he said.

A Clinton campaign official did not return a call for comment. Neither did representatives for Nicholson and Reiner.

Clinton takes break for 'SNL'

Hillary Rodham Clinton took a break from the campaign trail to thank "Saturday Night Live" for giving her candidacy a boost — although she failed to get an official endorsement from the show.

Clinton's campaign has gotten a good deal of mileage out of an "SNL" sketch from a week ago in which reporters fawned over her rival, Barack Obama. Clinton brought up the sketch during last Tuesday's debate between the two candidates, and the campaign has encouraged supporters and voters to watch it on NBC's Web site.

This weekend's episode opened with a similar sketch recreating Tuesday's debate. It portrayed NBC anchors Brian Williams and Tim Russert asking Clinton, played by Amy Poehler, tough questions while serving softballs to Obama.

Then the real Clinton appeared onscreen with an "editorial response."

The sketch, she said, "wasn't an endorsement of one candidate over another. I can say this confidently because when I asked if I could take it as an endorsement, I was told, 'Absolutely not.' But I still enjoyed that sketch a great deal because I simply adore Amy's impression of me."

When Poehler asked her how the campaign was going, Clinton responded: "The campaign is going very well. Very, very well. Why, what have you heard?"

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race in January, appeared later on the "Weekend Update" segment. Giuliani blamed his campaign's failure on a 1997 episode of the show, in which he dressed in drag for one sketch.

It was the third consecutive "SNL" episode featuring a presidential contender. Republican candidate Mike Huckabee appeared on "Weekend Update" last week. On a November episode of "SNL," the last before the Writers Guild of America strike, Obama played himself as a guest at a party thrown by Hillary and Bill Clinton.

The music on this weekend's episode was performed by Wilco, a Chicago-based band that performed at a fundraiser for Obama in December.

Clinton is scheduled to appear on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Monday. Last Thursday, she was featured in a brief comedy segment on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman."

Obama, Clinton exchange jabs as Arnie backs McCain

Democratic heavyweights Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in their first one-on-one debate of the 2008 White House race here Thursday, trading a series of pointed jabs but no knock-out blows.

A star-studded audience at the Kodak Theatre -- home of the Oscars -- was on hand for the eagerly anticipated showdown, notable for its civil tenor and marked lack of the angry histrionics seen in previous encounters.

The face-off between Obama and Clinton was billed as a historic clash between either the first woman challenger for the presidency or the first black candidate, both seeking to build momentum heading into next week's Super Tuesday selection battles when more than 20 states will pick their candidates.

Elsewhere, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed Arizona Senator John McCain, giving the Republican front-runner another key boost before next week's potentially decisive battles in 22 states.

But all eyes were on Hollywood as Obama and Clinton went toe-to-toe in front of a packed audience that included entertainment industry icons ranging from Steven Spielberg to Stevie Wonder.

Illinois Senator Obama -- seeking to emphasize his campaign theme of change and a break with old-style politics -- opened the debate by describing the forthcoming election as a choice between "the past and the future."

Former First Lady Clinton meanwhile returned to her theme of experience -- indirectly highlighting Obama's perceived lack of it -- by stressing the need for the incoming president to be ready to lead from day one.

The issue of judgement provoked one of the rare flashpoints, with Obama once again drawing attention to Clinton's 2002 vote to support the use of military force in Iraq.

"Senator Clinton has claimed, fairly, she's got the experience on day one. And, part of the argument that I'm making in this campaign is that, it is important to be right on day one," Obama said.

But the overwhelming tone was conciliatory, with Obama and Clinton all smiles as the debate ended, warmly congratulating each other.

Obama did not even rule out the possibility of a so-called dream-ticket involving the two. While discounting the talk of prospective running mates as "premature," Obama acknowledged Clinton "would be on anybody's shortlist."

Earlier, there had been differences of opinion on the issues of Iraq and international diplomacy, with one testy exchange on immigration reform.

Clinton took aim at Obama's stated intention to seek talks with the United States' traditional foes, most notably Iran.

"I think that we've got to have a full diplomatic effort, but I don't think the president should ... have meetings without preconditions with five of the worst dictators in the world," Clinton said.

Obama responded by reminding the audience of his opposition to the war in Iraq, adding that the next president would be required to show "the kind of judgment that will ensure that we are using our military power wisely."

With more than 2,500 delegates up for grabs on both the Republican and Democratic sides on February 5, the campaigns are all going into over-drive.

The Democratic race has now been transformed into a straight fight between Obama, 46, and Clinton, 60, and although the former first lady has the edge with four states under her belt to Obama's two, all eyes are on Super Tuesday.

In a boost for Obama, campaign organizers said the Illinois senator, seeking to be the first black president, had raked in some 32 million dollars in funds in January alone.

But a spokesman for Clinton dismissed the figures, saying what counted was whether people voted for the New York senator.

"Fundraising is one of the most important markers in the lead up to voting. But once people start voting, that's a more important measure of a campaign's success," Jay Carson said.

Both Obama and Clinton also have to look beyond the primaries to their possible Republican opponent in the November election, with the formidable McCain now favored to earn his party's nomination.

Schwarzenegger's backing for McCain came after former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani quit the race late Wednesday and threw his support behind the Arizona senator, his long-time pal.

Analysts said Schwarzenegger's endorsement gives the 71-year-old senator's campaign an aura of inevitability.

"An endorsement like this helps to create the impression that McCain is building up unstoppable momentum, that he is the clear front-runner," University of Southern California analyst Sherry Bebitch-Jeffe told AFP.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is still promising to give McCain a run for his money, and the two clashed repeatedly late Wednesday in a heated televised debated at the Reagan Presidential Library outside Los Angeles.

No chitchat between Clinton and Obama

So close, yet so far away — and so bitter.

Rival Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama came within a foot of each other just before President Bush's State of the Union speech Monday night and managed not to acknowledge each other, and certainly not touch.

Clinton, clad in scarlet, crossed the aisle between their seats on the House floor. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Democratic icon who had endorsed Obama earlier in the day over Clinton, reached out his hand when she came close.

She took it; they shook. Meanwhile, Obama, dressed in a dark suit, had turned away.

The rivals then retreated to their seats, only the aisle and four senators between them.

It was the latest chapter in the increasingly nasty fight between the two leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination and capped a dramatic day.

Hours earlier, Obama received the endorsements of Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy, the brother and daughter, respectively, of President John F. Kennedy. They were joined by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., the senator's son.

The only Republican senator still running, John McCain of Arizona, skipped the address to campaign in Florida.

Obama wins key South Carolina vote

US Senator Barack Obama routed his colleague, Hillary Clinton, in South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary on Saturday, riding massive African-American support to a critical win in his bid to become the first black US president.

The vote marked a second key victory for Obama and evened the score with Clinton, who has also won two key state primaries ahead of a blitz of nearly two dozen nationwide contests on February 5.

The charismatic Illinois senator, who beat the former first lady 55.4 to 26.5 percent, lashed out at Clinton in his victory speech, painting himself as an agent of change and her as a divisive voice of the status quo.

"There are real differences between the candidates. We are looking for more than just a change of party in the White House. We are looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington," Obama said as supporters chanted "We want change," and "Yes, we can!"

"It's a status quo that extends beyond a particular party, and that status quo is fighting back with everything its got, with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face."

Even though his win came largely from black voters, 81 percent of whom picked Obama while 17 percent chose Clinton, Obama sought to downplay the racial divide.

"It is not about black versus white. This election is about the past versus the future," he said.

Clinton had grabbed the momentum with successive victories in New Hampshire and Nevada. The New York senator acknowledged her defeat in South Carolina and vowed to take her fight to become the first woman US president nationwide.

"I have called Senator Obama to congratulate him and wish him well," said a statement issued by the former first lady's campaign.

"We now turn our attention to the millions of Americans who will make their voices heard in Florida and the 22 states as well as American Samoa who will vote on February 5."

The state primaries serve to nominate a sole candidate in both the Democratic and Republican parties in the campaign to replace President George W. Bush, whose White House term ends in 2009.

Former senator John Edwards came in a disappointing third with 18 percent of the vote in his native state, but promised he would stay in the race.

"If you are one of the millions of Americans who have yet to cast your vote in this Democratic process, beginning on February 5th and moving beyond, your voice will be heard and we will be there with you every single step of the way," he said.

Exit polls showed the vote was divided along racial and gender lines, in a state where African-Americans make up half the Democratic electorate.

Obama won 24 percent of the white vote, according to network exit poll results. Edwards won 39 percent of the white vote, while Clinton took 36 percent.

Fifty-three percent of South Carolina's Democrats put a premium on a candidate's ability to bring about change, a central theme in Obama's campaign.

Only 15 percent put a premium on experience, the cornerstone of Clinton's pitch, and six percent said they wanted someone who could get elected in November.

Local officials said early indications were that turnout was heavy, the latest sign of soaring enthusiasm for the 2008 field among Democratic voters. An ABC exit poll said more than half of the voters were black.

Obama picked up a high-profile endorsement from Caroline Kennedy, the last living child of the late former president John F. Kennedy, whose young age and platform of change have drawn comparisons to Obama.

"We need a change in the leadership of this country -- just as we did in 1960," she wrote in a New York Times editorial titled: "A President Like My Father."

A bruising week of campaigning in South Carolina featured both camps accusing the other of playing racial politics, and sparked a debate about former president Bill Clinton's fiery interventions on behalf of his wife.

Analysts said however that Obama may not get too much of a momentum "bounce" heading into February 5.

"For Obama, a win in South Carolina is the equivalent of holding serve," said University of New Hampshire political scientist Dante Scala.

Polls showed Clinton with sizeable leads in delegate-rich states such as California, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Together these states account for 970 delegates, nearly half the total at stake on February 5 and a quarter of the total to be seated at the party's August nominating convention in Denver.

But Democratic Party rules provide for proportional allocation of delegates in each state so it is conceivable that Clinton and Obama could be locked in a tight delegate fight that could spill over into the convention, where 2,025 delegates are needed for the nomination.

Edwards keeps on running in presidential race

John Edwards just keeps on running. He hasn't won a single contest in the Democratic race for the U.S. presidential nomination but the millionaire lawyer with the movie star smile still hopes to be a player in the November election.

Edwards suffered a blow to his struggling White House bid with a disappointing third-place finish in Saturday's primary election in his native South Carolina -- the only state he had managed to win in his failed 2004 presidential bid.

But the former trial attorney and 2004 vice presidential nominee, who had hoped to win over voters by focusing on his humble roots and a pledge to combat U.S. poverty, will not quit before "Super Tuesday" early next month, when 22 states vote.

"Now the three of us move on to February 5 where millions of Americans will cast their vote and help shape the future of this party and help shape the future of America," Edwards said.

"We will be with you every single step of the way."

Edwards' advisers say the race is far from over, with their candidate slowly amassing delegates that could turn him into a powerful player at the Democratic convention in August.

Usually the party's nominee is clear long before the convention, after the first states have held their contests and one candidate amasses enough of the 2,025 delegates to win the nomination.

CLOSE RACE

But this race is close, with Democratic front-runners Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton splitting key early primaries. Edwards nevertheless continues to pull in delegates -- preventing either of his opponents from grabbing an early majority.

Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, a senior Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said he expected the nominating contest to be decided at the convention.

"I do feel that way and I think it would be very, very good if that were to occur," Clyburn said on CNN. "We've got three candidates now, no one of them is particularly dominant. All three of them are going to leave South Carolina with a ticket all the way to the convention."

Edwards' advisers agree.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint," said campaign manager David Bonior. "This is just beginning. I know everyone wants to put it away with these two."

Senior campaign adviser Joe Trippi suggested that if Edwards did not win the nomination he would head into the convention with potentially hundreds of delegates and bargaining power.

"We're going for the nomination," said Trippi. "But in the worst case we could go to the convention as a peacemaker."

Asked if Edwards would relish the role as a possible kingmaker, Bonior said: "He's not doing it for the sake of being a kingmaker."

Edwards has raised $3 million on the Internet since a contentious Democratic debate this week in which he styled himself as the "adult" on stage in a brawl between Clinton and Obama.

"We're feeling good," Trippi said.

Romney Wins Michigan …

Could the “call” have been made any sooner last night? Seriously – I don’t think that even 60 seconds had transpired at the top of the hour after the polls closed when Wolf made the announcement. And I thought last week’s call was fairly quick – YIKES!

There really aren’t a lot of ‘in-depth’ comments about last night’s coverage – not that it wasn’t good and mostly enjoyable (as political primary coverage goes), but with the GOP race called so quickly, and Hillary running against someone called “uncommitted” (I’m kidding) – there really wasn’t all that much to discuss. But a few observations:

Technological wizardry as desk art: Can we assume that the ‘floating’ pizza pie chart has been at least temporarily retired? It sat on the desk in front of John King, Gloria Borger and Jeff Toobin for the entire night.

Beck vs. Martin: When I hear Glenn Beck talk about unification and “one America” – I’m almost convinced to check out his program on Headline News. Remember I said almost ... but the pairing of Glenn Beck and Roland Martin last night for analysis was entertaining (in a ‘political’ way) and possibly made you think along different angles – perhaps not necessarily agreeing with one or the other – but it’s good to stretch the brain cells occasionally. I must say, though, that I agree with Roland Martin’s assessment of DNC Chairman Howard Dean’s indifference during the recent potentially destructive Dem ‘dust-up’.

Dems Debate: While Michigan was in focus for the Republicans, the Democrats held a debate in Nevada last night. David Gergen and Candy Crowley gave post-debate reports on the outcome. I kept switching back & forth to MSNBC for awhile until I realized that, for the most part, it was some form of ‘love fest’ – as Anderson described it - or perhaps a ‘temporary reconciliation fest’ – which at least allowed for focused discussion on issues, policies, philosophies, etc. – a welcome change from truly petty accusations flying back & forth. Again, I say that if the Democratic candidates think that any pre-nomination attack is unfair – wait until the GOP sinks their teeth into the fray come September ...

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election.[2][3] He is the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history, and the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.
Born in Honolulu to a Kenyan father and an American mother, Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings.

In DES MOINES, Iowa, Obama won with a strong 38 percent of the votes, compared to 30 percent for John Edwards and only 29 percent for Clinton.
An average of New Hampshire polls by RealClearPolitics had Clinton with 34 percent to Obama's 27 percent and Edwards' 18. It has McCain at 31.3 percent on average, Romney at 28.8 percent, Giuliani at 10 and Huckabee at 9.5.

Barack Obama became the front-runner tonight for the Democratic nomination, scoring a decisive victory over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards that will give him the momentum heading into the New Hampshire primary