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John_Schwada's Blog

by John_Schwada from Los Angeles

Last Post 8 days, 22 hours Ago


Hillary Clinton won't give up and the Democratic Party is now in a bit of a pickle. Texas and Ohio have created the dilemma. If she'd lost those states, it was over. But now after winning, Clinton's says she's just getting warmed up for her down-to-the-wire pitched battle with Barack Obama.

The problem for Democrats is that there is so little policy-substance light between the two candidates. The only real things that distinguish them - besides style, personality and the depth of their resumes - is dirt.

And Clinton's victory Tuesday proves that dishing dirt pays.

For example, in recent days, Clinton nailed Obama for being two-faced on NAFTA . Here, his top economic adviser reportedly told Canadian government officials not to take Obama's NAFTA bashing too seriously. Obama denied those reports as he tried to assure Ohio Democrats that he was aware of their concerns that manufacturing job losses in their state were tied to NAFTA. But then it emerged that there was pretty solid evidence his adviser had said the things he was accused of saying; all that put Obama in the position of trying to distance himself from his aide's statements.....

Also Clinton has raised the specter of Tony Rezko, the controversial Chicago developer who bought a property next to one purchased almost simultaneously by Obama; the seller in both cases was the same. The uncharitable way of looking at this transaction, in which Rezko reportedly "over-paid" for his property, was that Rezko essentially was subsidizing Obama's purchase price.

Rezko is an especially hot potato now because he's standing trial on bribery charges. "We have a sick political culture," Jay Stewart, the executive director of the Chicago Better Government Association, recently said. "And that's the environment that Barack Obama came from." That's not very reassuring.

What's got the Democratic party elders - including the super-delegates - worried, and in a quandary, is that if this "politics of destruction" starts to dominate the race whoever wins the party's nomination will emerge as damaged goods when they go to battle against John McCain.

But the lesson Clinton hopes to leave with the party elders is different: as she dishes more dirt, count on her saying, over and over again, that she's been tested on the political battlefield, and that if Obama's got a glass jaw and can't handle tough, below-the-belt attacks then he's not the best candidate to face the Republicans in November.
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John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 5, 2008 | 5:36 PM

SHAMELESS PLUG: tonight (wed., 3/5/08) fox 11 news airing a pkg of mine at abt 10:15pm re: how delegates to the democratic convention are picked, includes a mother and daughter who have their hats in the ring to become obama delegates....

turns out the feb. 5 primary just got the ball rolling; on april 13th, dems from around the state will gather in caucuses....why am i giving it all away!! watch the story!!!

John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 6, 2008 | 9:40 AM

dasvics: it was on at 10:21pm and you can see it in re-runs on this site. just search for "delegates" or schwada...it should be right there for your viewing pleasure.

John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 6, 2008 | 10:25 AM

does anyone out there agree: that dishing dirt is the way for hillary to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?

John_Schwada read my blog view my photos
Mar 6, 2008 | 4:25 PM

sebar: it's a high-stakes game. very risky. but the clinton people have got to figure that they have less to lose. clinton can't fall too far in a mud-slinging contest because a lot of voters already view her unfavorably. But obama? He's been up on a pedestal and knocking him off it, bringing him down to her level...that would be a victory for clinton.

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John_Schwada

This photo of the Fox 11 News crew - producer Bob Tarlau, center, cameraman/editor Darryl Kim, right - is from our Pepsi Center live-shot position. As a reporter at Fox 11 News, I have covered national political conventions, presidential impeachment hearings and gubernatorial recall campaigns. I've done double-duty as an investigative reporter and, in this capacity, won Golden Mike and Emmy awards. I also have labored in the newspaper biz: LA Herald-Examiner, the LA Times, the San Diego Union, the Arizona Republic and the Riverside Press-Enterprise. I went to UC Berkeley and learned to respect the sharpshooting ability of Alameda County's "blue-meanies" who could hit protesters in the derriere with buckshot from 50 paces. I'm now looking for a wealthy benefactor who will donate their villa in Spain to me and my family.

Member Since: 7/4/2006