Mullings An American Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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A Steeper Hill(ary) to Climb

Wednesday February 28, 2007

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Dear Mr. Mullings

Although it doesn't seem possible, it has been less than three weeks since Hillary Rodham Clinton-Rodham formally announced her candidacy for President. She started the living room and luncheonette phase of the campaign in New Hampshire causing Scott Brooks of the Manchester Union Leader to point out she "had not stepped foot in New Hampshire since campaigning for her husband's reelection more than a decade ago."

Although it doesn't seem possible, it has been less than four months since Hillary won re-election to her US Senate seat getting 67% of the vote against an unbelievably flawed Republican opponent.

Although it doesn't seem possible, Hillary's campaign cost, according to the NY Times, about $36 million (nearly three times more than any other candidate for US Senate) to get 2.8 million votes (about $12.80 per).

It is obvious that Hillary's campaign for re-election to the US Senate was modeled after - wait for it - George W. Bush's campaign for re-election as Governor of Texas in 1998.

Bush needed to prove he was the real goods by rolling up huge numbers in a big state. He did, winning with 69% of the vote. Hillary needed to match it, which she pretty much did.

So, Hillary was off at a confident march, not so much to the Democratic nomination, but to a coronation as Queen of All Politics.

Then came Barak Obama - everyone's worst nightmare candidate. No voting record to speak of. No history of bad behavior so speak of. No vote allowing President Bush to use force to get rid of Saddam (because he wasn't elected to the Senate until 2004). No legislative accomplishments or failures.

As Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del) might put it - Obama's record is clean.

Suddenly it's Obama this and Obama that; and Obama here and Obama there and � the tiara which was to crown Mrs. Clinton was being placed back in the vault at Democratic National Committee headquarters to await further developments.

The big issue for Sen. Clinton is her vote to authorize the President to use force in Iraq. She has settled on the "If I knew then what I know now" answer which is not playing so well among Democrats - small or big.

Obama had said, in 2002, that he would have voted against the resolution authorizing force. But Obama was running for STATE Senate so he couldn't have known what Hillary knew.

In one of the living rooms in New Hampshire, a voter asked Hillary why she just didn't apologize for casting that vote and move - so to speak - on?

If we know anything about the Clintons it is this: They are incapable of taking the blame for any action - personal, business, or political. Period. It is, has always has been, and will always be, someone else's fault.

According to the Associated Press coverage of the living room event a Democratic voter said to Hillary:

"I want to know if right here, right now, once and for all and without nuance, if you can say that war authorization was a mistake."

She couldn't, so she blamed it on George Bush. Good one, Hillary.

Last week, Barak-the-Usurper, showed up in Hollywood for a fundraiser put on by David Geffen. Geffen is one of the richest men in Hollywood and is known to be a great friend but a fearsome enemy. He raised about $1.3 million from his friends and, one assumes, his enemies for Obama.

Geffen said to the NY Times' Maureen Dowd (as reported by Editor & Publisher): "It's not a very big thing to say, 'I made a mistake' on the war, and [it is] typical of Hillary Clinton that she can't."

Geffen then went on to say, "Everybody in politics lies, but they [the Clintons] do it with such ease, it's troubling," which caused the Clinton instant-spin-machine to switch into high gear and launch an attack against � Obama. Not Geffen.

Now we have the Clinton war room geared up to do hand-to-hand (which is what "mano-a-mano" actually translates to, not "man-to-man") combat against Team Obama on a regular basis because, although it doesn't seem possible, the hill which Hillary has got to climb to get the nomination appears to be steeper and higher than anyone thought.

On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Links to the NY Times' Senate spending graphic, the coverage of Hillary's New Hampshire weekend, and a bio of David Geffen. Also another in the popular Mullfoto series: When Airlines go Bankrupt; and a Catchy Caption of the day.

ALSO - Read the newest edition of Ask Mr. Mullings!

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