Barack Obama has been warned that his refusal to pay the traditional “street money” to local operatives to help get the vote out in Philadelphia today could cost him the crucial percentage points needed to knock Hillary Clinton out of the race for the White House.
In many of the city’s poorer wards, the recipients look forward to these bonuses from Democratic officials - a hangover from the days of the party’s old-fashioned machine politics - even though the amounts are relatively small, ranging from $50 to $400.
But as in other contests, Obama is relying on his own army of unpaid
volunteers to get the vote out. The Clinton team, meanwhile, is not saying whether it will pay out “street money”.
There are 69 wards in Philadelphia and estimates suggest it would cost Obama $400,000-$500,000 to pay the 14,000 people normally required to help get the vote out… (read full)
Following publicity regarding a racial slur, Carpentersville Trustee Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski surrenders her super delegate role for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
A spokesman for Obama said Ramirez-Sliwinski early Tuesday quit her post as a delegate, but the first-term trustee denied that in a report posted on ABC 7 Chicago’s Web site.
Ramirez-Sliwinski did not return repeated calls for comment Tuesday.
Ramirez-Sliwinski is a pledged delegate - one who declares to support a specific nominee at the August Democratic National Convention in Denver.
“We discussed it with her and given the incident, she decided to step down,” said Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Obama. “She will be replaced as a delegate.” [Read Full]
It was, in parts, a lovely speech. It was far better than I had expected, and I am not one to underestimate Barack Obama’s skill at constructing cathedrals with his words.
Rhetorically, his address in Philadelphia represented a historic achievement. The first viable black presidential candidate showed that a liberal can, in fact, abandon the calcified talking points and buzzwords of racial discourse that have slowed progress. Democratic politicians have carried the baggage of black victimology and white guilt for generations. Whenever Republican candidates have tried to advance our politics without such baggage, Democrats have yelled, “Here, catch!” and crushed them with it… (read more)
My fallen political hero, former state senator Steve Rauschenberger, speaks candidly about Barrack Obama and the state of Illinois politics on Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz.
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