Ups and downs, ups and downs.

Yesterday it was Sky Is Falling. Today it is Celebration Time.

(I expect tomorrow to be Woe Is Us.)

With a mere 3 months to go until the election, OBAMA IS AHEAD BY 6 POINTS ( all caps intentional ).

Wow wow wow ! ! !

Obama leads McCain nationally in AP-Ipsos poll

August 5, 2008

WASHINGTON - A new poll finds Barack Obama is leading John McCain nationally by 6 percentage points thanks to big leads he is enjoying among women, minorities and younger voters. . . .

More positive hyperventilation after the jump . . .

The title of this diary sums up succinctly what George 'Herbert Hoover II' Bush said today.

And John McCain ought to be mercilessly slammed for 'embracing' Bush the way he has.

Per AP, here are some wonderful nuggets from Bush this morning :

( CONTINUED BELOW )

There ought to be a series anyone can feel free to contribute to.  So here goes.  I'm going to call it "Oh, Magoo, You've Done It Again" (OMYDIA).

Consider it a repository for the slew of bumbling, stumbling, McCain-isms (or Magoo-isms) that we have heard, are hearing and will hear more of.

Everything from confusing Iraq and Iran, Sunni and Shiite, and foolish posing about off-shore drilling being a 'feel-good' non-solution for $4-5 gas prices.

( CONTINUED BELOW JUMP )

Here in rainy, flooding Wisconsin, we've gone with the Democratic presidential candidate every election since 1984.

This year, we're supposed to be one of those prized tossup/swing states and pundits everywhere are talking about McCain's chances here.

Personally, I think his chances are slim and none.

Latest poll in the Badger State shows Obama up 50-37.

UPDATE:   Top state Dem women united behind Obama

This is absolutely ridiculous and unbalanced.

Here is an article on the Reuters wire comparing Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain.

Notice what is included, and what is NOT included.

(BELOW THE JUMP)

Hahahaha!

Who the hell needs a concession when you've already won!

AP declares that even before the South Dakota and Montana results come in tonight, Obama has NOW WON THE NOMINATION.

AP tally: Obama effectively clinches nomination

Jun 3 2008, 01:26 PM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama has effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates.

The tally put Obama over the top Tuesday, ahead of the results from the day's final primaries in Montana and South Dakota. The Illinois senator becomes the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House. Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic contest and now faces Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona for the presidency.

SOURCE

I want to see these remarks played at the top of the hour, every hour, on every 24/7 news channel from now until the Republican National Convention.

I want to see John McCain dogged - I mean DOGGED - about this until he gives a major speech and holds a major press conference to answer for this.

Pastor Hagee, whose endorsement McCain sought and accepted with great satisfaction, apologized today for calling the Catholic Church the 'great whore.'

Millions of Catholic voters - Democratic, Independent, and Republican - as well as other voters - need and deserve a full and thorough explanation from John McCain about these remarks.

I especially am interested to hear what Irish Catholics like Hannity and O'Reilly might say about this OUTRAGE.

Looks like the Pennsylvania firewall may be cracking with nearly 3 weeks left before the April 22 primary.

Congressional Quarterly reports :

Cracks May Be Showing in Clinton's Pennsylvania Firewall

By CQ Staff
Wed Apr 2, 2:12 PM ET

As Illinois Sen. Barack Obama makes a big push in Pennsylvania, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton appears to be losing some of her once-substantial lead, according to the latest polls.

Clinton still leads in three of the four polls released yesterday and today, but in every poll, including the first in which Obama took a lead (although, a statistically insignificant one), she has dropped at least a few points.

MORE after the break including interesting Gallup data.

In addition to her dishonesty and resume-padding, which the media has given Hillary a free ride on, it's also time for them to get off their asses and call Hillary to account for her husband's un-American comments.

Enough is enough.  If Obama is required to answer for his pastor's comments over the past 30 years, then Hillary must answer for her husband's  inappropriate comments and behavior.  The Clintons are damaging the likely nominee of this party.  It's long past time for Hillary to get out of the race now.  Failing that, it's time to publicly shove the Clintons aside if needed, for the good of the party.

In brief remarks at the beginning of an Obama town hall meeting in Medford, Oregon, a little while ago, Gen Tony McPeak in no uncertain terms publicly called out the 42nd president of the US, Bill Clinton, for his remarks yesterday.

'These tactics have no place in American politics.'  It's time once and for all to stand up to the Clinton bullies.  The beginning of the town hall was carried live by Fox News, but not by CNN or MSNBC, although I'm sure they will broadcast the clip later today.

Gen McPeak read from a statement and said he was very disappointed in the former president for what he said.

Let's lay it out on the table.

After the Mississippi primary tonight, here are the numbers:

There have been 45 contests to date.  Michigan and Florida are NOT included in this number as they either have yet to be decided or, as I feel should happen, will be excluded for violating DNC rules agreed to by the candidates.  I count the Texas primary and Texas caucus as separate contests; consider it a charitable move in Hillary's favor.  (Obama won more delegates in Texas.)

So here's what we have in those 45 contests:

Well, the whole photo of Barack Obama being leaked by the Clinton campaign to Drudge business has taken an interesting turn.

The candidate herself was asked by an ABC affiliate about it.

Call it Hillary's 'Hogan's Heroes' moment.

Love seeing this.  Great news from Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold.

FEINGOLD:  I VOTED FOR OBAMA

The Capital Times
2/22/2008 11:59 am

Sen. Russ Feingold said today that he voted for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama in this week's Wisconsin primary and indicated that he likely will vote for Obama's nomination as one of the state's "superdelegates" to the Democratic convention this summer.

"I really do think that at the gut level, this is a chance to do something special" for the nation, Feingold said, adding that electing Obama represents "an enormous historical opportunity for America and for our relationship with the world."

This is unbelievable - yet, actually, it is also believable.

$33 million on consultants ?

Nearly $4 million to Mark Penn, apparently just in JANUARY - and $10 million (incl $2 mil so far in Feb) overall to Penn's firm ? !

All that, and the ROI is 26 losses out of 38 contests to date, nearly 1 million behind in the popular vote, and clear edges for Obama in both pledged delegants and the overall delegate count ?

You gotta be kidding me.  Seriously.

MORE AFTER THE JUMP . . .

Update #2 to reflect huge Obama win in Hawaii.
Update #3 to reflect huge Obama win in Democrats Abroad primary

24 contests won in past 2 weeks - look what Obama has done.  

From Feb 5 to Feb 19 - in the last 2 weeks alone - Obama has won 22 states (including DC) and throw in the US Virgin Islands & DemocratsAbroad and that makes 24 contests won in 2 weeks.

UPDATE - Thanks for the Rec'd diary !  Updated numbers in Wisconsin :  In single-digit frigid weather, 1.5 million of my fellow Wisconsinites came out to vote, 1.1 million in the Dem primary and only 400,000 voting on the Republican side.  With 100 % reporting, Obama won 58% to 41%.  This is a seriously huge victory - I'm stunned how close he was to 60 % here.  ( I believe kos' prediction was right on . . . didn't he say a 17-point margin earlier today ? )

CONTINUED BELOW THE JUMP WITH DETAILS & NUMBERS . . .

Here in flyover land, in the Badger state of Wisconsin, we have a long and 'proud' history of being visited by candidates during the primary season.

John F Kennedy's April 1960 campaign here, in which he camped out in the state and went to cities and towns, big and small, is still legendary in these parts.  Kennedy's win in the Wisconsin primary in 1960 was a huge boost to his candidacy, particularly since it came against Hubert Humphrey from neighboring Minnesota.

This state has seen appearances by just about every candidate over the years.  Just a sampling of a few names : John Anderson, Jerry Brown, Jesse Jackson, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, George HW Bush, Al Gore.   Bill Clinton's legendary October 1992 appearance in the state's capital city drew 40,000 . . . only eclipsed in 2004 by John Kerry's amazing rally which drew nearly 100,000 with Bruce Springsteen opening for him.

Continued after the jump . . .

20 states in 1 week - look what Obama has done.  But first . . .

Holy crap!  Just got back from the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

The arena seats over 17,000 for basketball.  Every single seat was taken, and there were people in the aisles.  There were at least 2,000 on the floor (including yours truly, who waited in line for HOURS to get close to the stage . . . whew).  The largest crowd in the arena's history - tonight !

There was an overflow area for those who could not get into the arena, that seated up to 2,000.

By my count that is over 21,000.  It was unbelievable.  CNN was on the videoboard and people were cheering Wolf Blitzer announcing that Obama was ahead in the overall delegate count.  People did the wave, the 'fast wave' and the 'slow wave' (it's a Badger thing, I think). It was like a rock concert.

But back to the amazing story.  What a week for Barack Obama.

There she goes again.

Dismisses Obama's wins because caucuses are 'dominated by party activists' and 'they don't represent the electorate' and with a backhand compliment sweeps Louisiana off the map by saying Obama won there because of African-Americans.

Regarding the dismissal of Louisiana because of race - once again, how shameful, utterly shameful, by a desperate campaign.

But that's not the point of this diary.

It's this :  Hillary blows off caucus states as being meaningless because they are composed of 'party activists' - now that is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS.

Don't find it funny ? Follow below the jump for the knee-slapping absurdity.

Let's see.  After tonight, 26 states have held Democratic primaries or caucuses (excluding Michigan/Florida which is a whole 'nother ball of wax).

Obama has won in the Midwest, Plains, Mountain West, and part of the Deep South along with a couple Northeast states.  Namely: