* Hillary got a bounce after her announcement. The article is written as a negative on Obama, and that's unfortunate, but the fact is Clinton is doing better in the national Rasmussen poll. We aren't holding a national primary, but this does tell us about general trends.
* Another Iowa video.
* Still opposed to the escalation:
If the Rhode Island primary were today (and not 14 months and several primaries and caucuses in the future), Clinton would clean up.
Slog also has a straw poll or Republicans. Vote for Hunter, is my advice.
The web efforts seem to be going swimingly. I understand that sorting through 11,300 possible enterys may be tough, but I would really like them to get that first post out.
Sign-Ups: 140,000 total (nearly 100,000 in first 48 hours)
Messages of Support: 50,000
Blog Contest Submissions: 11,300
Webcast Visitors: 51,000
I'm glad to see she's bringing out crowds. I think the conversation is great. People mocked her listening tour in New York and Frank Rich seems to think that people want politicians to not talk to them in this week's op-ed. Still, I think bringing people in is important. Anyway, the audio isn't great, but you can start hearing her speak at about minute 7. Or you can listen at the beginning and hear her sing the National Anthem.
I have a National Anthem story. I was at a Mariners home game with the Washington for Edwards person before either of us were the Washington(ians) for people. Anyway by coincidence it was right after the unwarranted wire tapping story came out, and the applause started after "land of the free".
I'm not the biggest Terry McAuliffe fan in the world. But I'm glad he's as supportive as he is of the Clinton campaign. And I agree with everything he says in this interview with The Young Turks, except maybe Dick Gephardt. Still, nice to see him out there on shows that don't necessarily agree with his support of Hillary. That's the only way you build support.
So the King County Democrats have wa4(insert candidate).com. They're taking wa4hillary.com and it's also called "Washingtonians for Hillary Clinton." I've emailed them and may be switching this to just "for Hillary" or "Washington for" so there's no confusion (or at least as little as possible). I'd rather there be too many than too few.
Come on folks. It's meaningless fun and an excuse to get people to their blog.
* The last video is up. It's post-State of the Union. The first question is the best. Isn't the Gulf Coast part of the Union? Also, I can't wait to see the plan she comes out with for health care coming soon. She answers critics from Huffington Post, talks terror, answers a question on the elderly, health care and other services for vets, HIV/AIDS (increasing funding for Ryan White), nuclear weapons issues around Iran and North Korea, what she does when she isn't working, global warming, and a general question about what she would say to kids given the problems they face (getting cost of school down-- make it affordable for our young people to go to college, stay in college and finish college).
* I don't know anything about Neera Tanden other than this article, but it looks like the Clinton campaign is making some good hires.
* Liz Taylor gives the max to the Clinton campaign.
* Mark your calendars. An Open Forum on, "issues of concern to decide on how to build a network of support for Hillary." March 31 at the Seattle Center.
The first two videos of Clinton's conversation, where she answers voters' questions. Part three will probably be public tomorrow.
Marcf's recent post on TPM Cafe points to this great piece by on Daily Howler about the false perception of Hillary as a phony.
One of Senator Clinton's guests' for the State of the Union was a man named Ceasar Borja, Jr. His father was a New York Police Officer on 9/11 who had been fighting with lung problems after his recovery efforts on the pile. He died hours before the speech. Please read the article, and see if your heart doesn't break.
An interesting post by Devilstower on Kos. The difference between the Bush getting there because of his father and Hillary getting where she is because of her husband:
This is an comparison that's unfair in the extreme. George W. Bush loafed through life and depended on his name and family connections to get him out of trouble. Most importantly, G. H. W. Bush owes not one moment of his career to the help of his son.
On the other hand, Hillary Clinton was on her own a capable, high-powered lawyer with nearly unlimited potential. She chose to partner herself with her husband, and worked with him to raise his profile and possibilities. Would those "she wouldn't be senator" folks be as comfortable if this was turned on its head: Bill Clinton would never have been president without a wife named Hillary. Would someone else have been so competent and supportive in fighting back against the scandals that plagued Bill's career long before he reached the White House? Would someone else have made the connections, raised the money, and been as effective in forging the coalitions that brought Bill up the political ladder?
Hillary Clinton is not a guileless bystander who has stood by and enjoyed the windfall of her husband's good name. Like her or hate her, she has forged her own identity working as his partner. He said it. She said it. We all saw it.
The guest post for the first post on the official Hillary Clinton blog will probably go to someone from one of the early primary/caucus states. But you never know who'll write the and it would probably be pretty cool if it was me or one of you. I basically updated this post and submitted it, but be as creative as you can.
