You have to love when web errors mirror real life issues.

For instance, when browsing the monetary contributions to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign on opensecrets.org, I decided to have a look at her Personal Finances. I wondered, before clicking, what kind of data they would find, since Hillary Clinton has not released her 2007 tax returns and refuses to divulge much information on her political state.

But that’s a story for the mainstream media to cover. Instead, let’s go to Hillary Clinton’s Personal Finances page…

And we click the mouse…

I have never seen a more fitting 404 error.

Just as a note, this does happen for the other candidates too, but the first I tried was Hillary, and it is definitely more fitting for her.

It seems that Hillary Clinton’s fierce barrage of fear ads, paint it black ads, Republican endorsement speeches, and “as far as I know” statements were enough to win her the desperation/middle-of-nowhere vote in Rhode Island, Ohio, and Texas, placing her campaign on life support. Fierce attempts by the media and the Clinton Campaign to find even the slightest glimmer of scandal the day before the primaries also seems to have helped her; exit polls showed that 61% of the voters who chose in the last three days (how’s that for political conviction?) chose Hillary. However, three states with slim margins does not a “comeback kid” claim make.

Additionally, her delegate count has barely changed, and the math suggests that she is at this point too far behind in the polls to do well without political maneuvering of the DNC.

This pushes the primaries out again, now to Pennsylvania, where Hillary Clinton hopes to win the vote that the governor of Pennsylvania (Ed Rendell) acknowledges will probably be prejudiced against a black candidate.

But hey, it’s all about the votes, right?

Meanwhile, here are some solid reasons to vote for Barack Obama from  Marc Andreessen.

In order to thank reporters for their bias towards her campaign over the past couple days, Senator Hillary Clinton arranged special accommodations for her press corps.

The men’s bathroom.

Information is coming in this morning from the CNN Political Ticker and Time showing reporters set up and typing away in the restroom. Personally, I would say that this shows the way Hillary treats the press and ultimately will treat the American people; however, the Clinton campaign has returned this comment from Doug Hattaway:

“These accommodations should in no way be taken as a commentary on the quality of our media coverage.”

Are you sure?

(Photo Credit: Sasha Johnson/CNN)

The past day or two has been very tight, with a huge uncertainty looming in Texas and especially in Ohio. However, the thing of which everyone was most certain was that we’d be seeing a last struggle by Hillary Clinton before she threw in the hat.

Some of us also speculated that we’d be seeing a last struggle by the mainstream media; a fight to keep the democratic race alive. There is nothing the media would like better than a fight all the way to convention, with back room deals in the smoke filled halls, so to speak, as it would give tons of coverage and keep all those reporters and pundits busy. And so the proverbial call, it seems, has come from on high. “Keep the race going,” the call says. “Keep the ratings up.” And so it begins.

Hillary Clinton is on a multi-pronged attack. Her supporters have kicked it up. The great beast has been awakened, so to speak, that rough beast whose hour has come ’round at last, slouching towards Washington to be born (thank you W.B. Yeats).

And so, with poetry failing to press the point, we have the news.

Hillary Clinton Endorses John McCain over Obama

It seems that in this primary it is smears, not tears, upon which Clinton places her hopes. This one is disturbing for the Democratic Party in general, but not disturbing enough for Howard Dean to pull the plug. Hillary Clinton said in a statement yesterday that “I think I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.”

Wait…was that an endorsement for John McCain? Nothing could possibly be more damaging to the Democratic Party than a democratic hopeful praising the competing party OVER a competing candidate of the same party. Barack Obama has many experience points he will draw upon in the general election if nominated, and for Hillary Clinton to give a statement like this just adds fuel to the Republican attack machine once it is put into play.

This is phase one of Hillary’s special brand of fight on the eve of the March 4th primaries. People close to Hillary’s campaign call it the “victimized fighter” tactic. Those of us who have grasped the bigger picture call it a “rat in a cage” tactic. She is trying to bring out more comparison’s between herself and John McCain, and push Obama out of the picture. With this statement, she hopes to show herself as McCain’s democratic equivalent: a P.O.W. of the political machine, tortured and victimized, but still kicking and ready for action. And the ongoing damage of her time as a Political P.O.W. is…wrinkles. According to Hillary, she’s earned every one.

However, I am thankful that Bill Clinton seems to endorse Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton Supporter Calls Obama “Osama bin Laden”?

I was wondering when something like this would hit the news or blogosphere. A woman calling for Hillary Clinton reportedly called a man in a Cleveland suburb, and said:

“And we haven’t heard anything that specific from Osama bin Laden.”

When rebuked on the comment, she added “I’m sorry…just a slip of the tongue.”

You know, this is just one report of one call. And we have no way to know if this particular instance is true or not. But can any of us truly believe that this isn’t happening? With all the media attention revolving around the emphasis on Barack Obama’s middle name, his clothing in Somalia, and Hillary Clinton saying she doesn’t think Obama is a Muslim, as far as she knows, there must be some calls out there being made to undecided voters that state that Obama is a Muslim, or emphasizing his middle name, or comparing him to Osama bin Laden. And you know what? These attacks are ridiculous.

Because they encourage a call for national racism. It’s not the middle name that’s a problem. There is nothing wrong with a candidate having an Arabic middle name. The problem is the emphasis that is placed upon it, the implied observation that we should all think in terms of race and worry about his middle name. It goes against everything this country stands for.

How about that for a poll, mainstream media? Let’s see an online poll asking if the voters have received calls from Hillary Clinton or John McCain supporters that falsely suggest Obama is a Muslim?

Mainstream Media - Crusaders for Clinton

And if you’ve been shaking your head this whole time thinking that, “no, the media is fair in our country,” let’s talk about Hillary’s support over the last day of Hillary Clinton. Despite her recent acceptance of money from International Profit Associates, a company that allegedly has 103 open sexual harassment/assault cases against it, the news is today hammering on the glimpse of a chance that Barack Obama had any dealings with Tony Rezko. They are conveniently letting it be forgotten that Hillary too had dealings with Rezko. Old news has been stored and saved, waiting for this day to come to spit it right back out in an obvious engame smear attempt against Barack Obama. Hillary has played a Hail Mary with her “wait for Texas and Ohio” tactic, and she is, of course, trying like hell to make sure it succeeds. Only tonight will tell on that one.

Then there’s the Canadian thing. Supposedly a high ranking Obama official spoke with the Canadian government and said that Canada shouldn’t worry about Obama’s NAFTA comments; that they should be taken politically. Two points on this. 1) The Canadian government refutes the claims. 2) So what if he did? It would only go to show that Barack Obama knows how to ease tensions with foreign nations when the political will in America does not work in the best interest of that foreign nation. If I was speaking about tearing down and rebuilding a trade agreement with a nation who prospers due to that trade agreement, you’re damn right I would assure them that I will make sure it works out in the end for everyone. Chalk this one up as a non-issue, and a late game cheapshot for Clinton’s campaign.

All this time the Clinton campaign has been grasping at straws, searching for something to make them more viable, to get back a lead, any lead, against Barack Obama after 11 straight losses, to get that sense of inevitability back. However, the one thing she felt she missed was the endorsement of the mainstream media when making these claims. And finally, the day before a telling primary, she has it. I cannot decide if the media is now supporting her because 1) they feel like fools after SNL’s mockery of the media process with Barack Obama, 2) they feel bad for her after she whined to Tim Russert that she always has to go first, and 3) because they don’t want their ratings to drop if this doesn’t go to convention.

Don’t believe the media is in support of Clinton this morning? Check out this screenshot of the CNN Politics page. Where is Barack Obama on the top navigation bar? Why isn’t he in a front page picture, standing proud?

While I was watching O Brother, Where Art Thou? for the umpteenth time (what can I say, it’s a great movie), I couldn’t help but notice some resemblance between the campaigns of the movie and the campaigns of the 2008 Democratic primaries. In the movie, we have incumbent Governor Menelaus ‘Pappy’ O’Daniel (Charles Durning) against Gubernatorial Candidate Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall), with Pappy being the hardline conservative and Stokes being the “sweep the state clean” progressive liberal.

In addition, we’ve got the three main characters, Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete (John Turturro), and Delmar O’Donnel (Tim Blake Nelson) as prison escapees, con artists, and adventurers, trying to outrun the devil, make some money, and seek a non-existent treasure.

In the midst of all this, we have some mighty fine quotes, which I’d like to place here, except I’ll be striking out names and placing modern political names instead to show you the similarities.

Ulysses Everett McGill Barack Obama: “Well, all right. If we take off through that bayou…”
Pete Hillary Clinton: “Wait a minute. Who elected you leader of this outfit?”
Everett Barack Obama: “Well, Pete Hillary, I figured it should be the one with the capacity for abstract thought. But if that ain’t the concensus view, then hell, let’s put it to a vote.”
Pete Hillary Clinton: “Suits me! I’m votin’ for yours truly.”
Everett Barack Obama: “Well, I’m votin’ for yours truly, too.”
Delmar John Edwards: “Okay, I’m with you fellas.”

Lawman Wolf Blitzer: “All right, boys.”
Everett John Edwards: “Uhh, how’s my hair?”

Pete Mitt Romney: “Well I’ll be a sonofabitch. Delmar’s Huckabee’s been saved.”
Delmar Mike Huckabee: “Well that’s it, boys. I’ve been redeemed. The preacher’s done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It’s the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting’s my reward.”
Everett John McCain: “Delmar, what are you talking about? We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
Delmar Mike Huckabee: “The preacher said all my sins is warshed away, including that Piggly Wiggly I knocked over in Yazoo felon’s sentence I commuted for donations.”
Everett John McCain: “I thought you said you was innocent of those charges?”
Delmar Mike Huckabee: “Well I was lyin’. And the preacher said that that sin’s been warshed away too. Neither God nor man’s got nothin’ on me now. C’mon in boys, the water is fine.”

Junior O’Daniel (Del Pentecost) Bill Clinton: “Well, ain’t you gonna press the flesh, Pappy Hillary? Do a little politickin’?”
Pappy O’Daniel Hillary Clinton: “I’ll press your flesh, you dimwhitted sumbitch. You don’t tell your pappy wife how to court the electorate. We ain’t one-at-a-timin’ here. We’re mass communicatin’!”

Delmar Howard Wolfson: “I just don’t think it’s right keeping him under wraps like we was ashamed of him.”
Everett Hillary Clinton: “Well, if it is Pete, I am ashamed of him. The way I see it, he got what he deserved. Fornicating with some whore of Babylon. These things don,t happen for no reason, Delmar Howard. It’s obviously some kind of judgement on Pete’s Bill’s character.”
Delmar Howard Wolfson: “Well, the two of us was fixin’ to fornicate.”

Pappy O”Daniel Hillary Clinton: “We need a shot in the arm. You hear me boys? In the Goddamn arm! Election held tomorrow, that son of bitch Stokes Obama would win it in a walk!”
Junior O’Daniel Bill Clinton: “Well’ he’s the reform candidate, Daddy honey.”
Pappy O”Daniel Hillary Clinton: “Yeah.”
Junior O’Daniel Bill Clinton: “A lot of people like that reform. Maybe we should get us some.”
Pappy O”Daniel Hillary Clinton: “I’ll reform you, you soft-headed son of a bitch. How we gonna run reform when we’re the damn incumbent? Is that the best idea you boys can come up with? Reform?! Weepin’ jesus on the cross. That’s it! You may as well start drafting my concession speach right now.”
Pappy’s Staff Howard Wolfson: “Okay, Pappy Hillary.”
Pappy O”Daniel Hillary Clinton: “I’m just making a point you stupid son of a bitch. Give me back that hat! Hurry up!”
Pappy’s Staff Howard Wolfson: “Pappy’s Hillary’s just makin’ a point.”
Pappy O”Daniel Hillary Clinton: “Shut up!”

Homer Stokes Barack Obama: “The great state of Mississippi USA can not afford four more years of Pappy O’Daniel Hillary Clinton. Four more years of cronyism! Nepotism! Rascalism! Of service to the interests!”

Pappy’s Staff 1 Howard Wolfson: “It’s a problem of…”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Mark Penn: “Perception.”
Pappy’s Staff 1 Howard Wolfson: “That’s right.”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Mark Penn: “The reason he’s pullin’ our pants down.”
Pappy’s Staff 1 Howard Wolfson: “Gonna paddle a little behind.”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Mark Penn: “Ain’t gonna paddle it. Gonna kick it, real hard.”
Pappy’s Staff 1 Howard Wolfson: “No, I believe he’s gonna paddle it.”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Mark Penn: “I don’t believe that’s a proper description.”
Pappy’s Staff 1 Howard Wolfson: “Well, that’s how I’d characterize it.”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Mark Penn: “I believe it’s more of a kickin’ situation.”

Vernon T. Waldrip David Axelrod: “I can’t switch sides in the middle of a campaign. Especially to work for a man woman who lacks moral fiber.”
Pappy O’Daniel Hillary Clinton: “Moral fiber? Why, you little pasty-face sumbitch. I invented moral fiber! Pappy O’Daniel Hillary Clinton was displaying rectitude and high-mindedness when that egghead you work for was still messing his drawers!”

Pappy O’Daniel Hillary Clinton: “Yeah, well, you’ll be laughing out the other side of your face come November.”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Howard Wolfson: “Pappy O’Daniel Hillary Clinton will be laughing then.”
Pappy’s Staff 1 Mark Penn: “Not out the other side of his her face, though.”
Pappy’s Staff 2 Howard Wolfson: “Oh, no, no, no. Just the regular side.”

Please note, of course, that none of the above quotes are truly attributed to any real life personages; they are simply a parody on quotes from O Brother Where Art Thou and the perceived actions of people on the campaign trail. In a nutshell, it’s satire.