The new line of attack and criticism being leveled at Obama these days is that he is going to raise your taxes.  Yes, you.  Whether you make twenty grand or twenty million, it's time to bend over that barrel and let Uncle Sam have his way cause hoo-boy, Obama the tax and spend lib'ral is going to milk us dry (yes, that was a deliberately mixed metaphor).  However, these criticisms are off base for two reasons:

1. Obama's tax plan will raise taxes only on those making over $150,000, and that taxes will actually go down for families making less than $100,000.

2. Obama has clearly stated time and again that he wishes to raise TEXAS, not taxes.

As just reported by Politico, John McCain will be spending this Saturday courting female voters, specifically targeting Hillary Clinton supporters:

Per the campaign: "On Tuesday, Carly Fiorina hosted the first meeting of our Women for McCain task force ... Today, Carly will be in Ohio to meet with a group of Clinton supporters who have an organization called Women for Fair Politics to talk about her support for John McCain ... On Saturday, John McCain and Carly will meet with Clinton supporters by hosting a virtual town hall meeting webcast with them."

McCain, whose reputation as a womanizer precedes him, is dubbing this new outreach program the "I Like-a The Ladies and They Like-a Me Tour."

In a scalding rebuke to Obama's oft-repeated line that John McCain is running for George Bush's third term, the Senator from Arizona today opened up a new and damaging line of attack, comparing Obama to the nation's fourteenth president.  "If I'm running for George Bush's third term," McCain awkwardly stated as he simultaneously grinned, growled, laughed and smiled, "then he's running for Franklin Pierce's second term."

The reference to one of the nation's worst and ineffectual presidents was lost on most of the pool reporters, who, after sitting silently and looking around the room uncomfortably, finally got the nerve to ask Senator McCain for clarification.

"Pierce.  Franklin Pierce.  You know, defeated Winfield Scott - Old Fuss and Feathers - in the election of 1852?  Hello?  Ring any bells?  The guy who signed the Ostend Manifesto?  Secret document describing a plan to purchase Cuba from Spain?"

Little Red Riding Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened.

The wolf, seeing her come in, said to her, hiding himself under the bedclothes, "Put the cake and the little pot of butter upon the stool, and come get into bed with me."

Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes and got into bed. She was greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her nightclothes, and said to her, "Grandmother, what big arms you have!"

"All the better to hug you with, my dear."

"Grandmother, what big legs you have!"

"All the better to run with, my child."

"Grandmother, what big ears you have!"

"All the better to hear with, my child."

"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"

"All the better to see with, my child."

"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"

"All the better to eat you up with."

And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up.

Look, I'm a Democrat through and through.  I believe in a woman's right to choose, energy innovation, a progressive tax system, well-funded education, affordable and accessible health care, and a foreign policy that is as equally reliant on cooperation and diplomacy as it is on might and missiles.  And even though I'm impressed by Obama and truly like his positions on policy, his dedication to make DC more transparent, his desire to end the Iraq War, and his ability to rouse the passions of a nation of young and disaffected voters, he has never once called me his friend.

John McCain, on the other hand, considers me a friend.  A GOOD friend.  And maybe it's just me, but if a friend is running for office, no matter his or her political affiliation, you vote for them.  Because they're your friend.

There is a passage in the new Purdum article about Bill Clinton that seems to be getting overlooked in the recent flood of Bill Clinton Said Wha Now? diaries since the Mayhill Fowler article was published.

Yes, the article points out Bill's shady business dealings.  Yes, the article hints at the smoke which may be connected to the fire that could be, maybe, sexual escapades.  Yes, the article talks about Bill's surgery and how his mood has changed.  But the interesting part of the article, the truly telling paragraph, is the one in which a Clinton staffer accuses the ills of the Democratic Party on the fact that some Democrats don't worship Bill Clinton with mindless adoration.

That's right.  If you've ever wondered just what the hell is up with Bill Clinton, then you're the reason why the Democratic Party is "ill."

Candidates visits to Puerto Rico:
Very Important - 78%
Somewhat Important - 15%
Not Too Important - 3%
Not at All Important - 2%

Earlier today we had a Kos diarist claim that he/she overhead a Clinton supporter declare that ""What Howard Dean is doing now at the DNC is worse than slavery."  Before this afternoon I might have considered that a histrionic wail of hyperbole.  But as the events of the RBC meeting unspool before our very eyes, I think it's clear that one of the great tragedies of human history is currently taking place.  So, if you will indulge me, I thought I'd compile of list of things that Howard Dean, the DNC, the RBC, and Obama supporters are worse than.

After Bill's most recent outburst today in which he harshly criticized the press for treating Hillary so poorly, and after Hillary herself criticized the media and the Obama campaign for, as she claims, inflaming the fires of the RFK non-troversy, I've realized that, as an Obama supporter, I've greatly sinned against the Clintons and therefore owe them a multitude of apologies.  This list is but a start, as I'm sure I'll continue to debase and degrade Hillary Clinton through my support of Obama, and will need, at some future point, to publish another list of apologies.

I'm in the camp of people who think that Hillary said something so completely idiotic that on intellectual merits alone she should be forced to forfeit from the race, but as far as Hillary attempting to inject something menacing into the conversation, I don't buy it.  Even David Axelrod went on Hardball and said as much.  The error of her comments lie in the ignorance of her historical reference and the inability to foresee that her statements could be taken to mean what so many others have taken it to mean - that she is hoping someone takes out Obama so she can claim the nomination in June.

New Rasmussen poll out today shows Obama is leading John McCain 48-43 in NH.  As Rasmussen states:

That’s quite a turnaround from a month ago when Obama trailed the Republican hopeful by ten points . . . Obama is viewed favorably by 56% of New Hampshire voters. That’s up five points from a month ago.  McCain is viewed favorably by 55%, down three points from the prior survey.

Even though it's painful to watch as Clinton tries to sabotage Obama by claiming her fictitious popular-vote lead and by insinuating that Obama won't win a general election, the fact of the matter is that Obama is now the power broker of the Democratic Party.  That's right.  He's more powerful than the Clintons, and he is the future of the party, and the standard bearer.  And no matter what happens in this or the general election, Barack Obama is and will continue to be the most powerful Democrat in the country (fundraising, email list, support among elected Dems, etc.).  With that power comes an opportunity to dictate the future course of this election.  Hillary can play along if she wants, but it's Obama who calls the shots.  So, get the two of them in a room, let them talk it out, and hopefully Obama can leverage this new position of power to get Hillary to work with and for him instead of against him.

The last few days have certainly been odd.  One almost has to be apologetic for Obama's success.  Yet no threat of blackmail or intimidation, and no desire to place at my feet the guilt of a prejudice I do not hold within me can stop me from feeling, at this moment, right now, incredibly happy for the success of Barack Obama and incredibly proud of his achievement and the progress of this country.

Tiptoeing through the minefield of sexism and racism has been a perilous endeavor for supporters of both Democratic candidates this year.  "Playing the race card" and "misogyny in the media" are terms that are not going to go away any time soon.  But taking a step back and trying to look at this process without bias or judgment (impossible, but still), I have a little theory about where Hillary went wrong in the management of the perception of her campaign supporters and how that is tied into the fact that sexism is both more acceptable in this society and, as a result, less threatening.  Let me explain...

Hey, over here!  You!  With the fanny pack and the Yankees hat!  Yeah, hey, check me out!  I'm not going to vote for Obama if he gets the nomination!  That's right, I'm super-badass like that!  Oh, and let me tell you why.  It's because I have reasons.  SO MANY REASONS!

Oh my God, somebody in West Virginia isn't going to vote for Obama because he's black!  This country is doomed!  DOOMED!

Oh why do they hate him so much?  What did he ever do to them?  Oh golly gee, I can't figure those poor slovenly people out, except for the fact that I know for certain they're poor, and stupid, and inbred, and lazy, and ugly, and angry, and smelly, and dirty, and they love cock-fighting, and NASCAR, and moonshine, and doing it with their sister, and they hate NPR, and red wine, and foreign cars, and teh gays.  Oh why oh why won't they vote for the guy that I like!  He could make all their dreams come true, if only they would let him!

Recently, John McCain sought the endorsement of evangelical pastor John Hagee.  Unlike Obama's pastor, Rev. Wright, who guided Obama's spiritual but not political life, McCain explicitly made his courting of Hagee a political gesture - why else would he seek and accept the endorsement of a pastor whose service McCain never once attended?

And because McCain went so far out of his way to secure the support of Hagee, I suppose we can then assume that McCain agrees with many of Hagee's political positions, including, perhaps, the idea that God punished the sinners of New Orleans through the horrible destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

I won't lie.  At the beginning of this process, I did not have a very favorable opinion of Hillary Clinton.  I thought she was manipulative, triangulating, and dishonest, and I was deeply suspicious of both her relationship to Bill, and the influence of the man himself.  And I won't say that my opinions of Hillary's underlying personality have changed much, but what I did not know then and what I do know now is that she is an unbelievably tenacious political opponent.  She is tireless, stubborn, immensely hard-working, incredibly intelligent, combative, and fearless.  So, in something of a reversal of many people on this site who started with a favorable opinion of Hillary and have seen that admiration vanish as the campaign rolls on, I've come to respect Hillary Clinton.  Her abrasive personality still offends my benign Midwestern sensibilities, but I don't have to like her to respect her.  And I've come to understand, to a much greater degree, the difficulties that successful women have faced in achieving success and why they see those struggles being repeated in this race.