I'm from Wisconsin, and I just ran across this GREAT column. Steve nailed it on the head. Hillary has become what she hated, campaigning like Richard Nixon at his best (with Bill playing Spiro Agnew). Come on, Indiana, go with your fellow midwesterner. Let's KO the Clintons, and get to work on beating McCain. Bill Kurtz

Hey Steve, what do you think about Rev. Jeremiah Wright now? And I'm an Obama supporter!

I am an African American senior citizen - I am voting for the candidate that inspires those that have been told there was no way to obtain their dreams and it was hopeless - I am voting the candidate for HOPE and CHANGE - wrong Steve - I want HILLARY CLINTON - she is a symbolic figure of hope and change. Obama just words - says he will CHANGE the old time polticis of Washington DC - yet he accepts the endorsements of old time politicans such as Kerry, Kennedy and many many more. I have watched the Clintons for decades giving hope to those that were homeless, jobless from California to Mississippi - Bill recently went to New Orleans with Brad Pitt to help restore that wonderful city - Hillary went to an assembly there even though she had lost the votes of the community - Obama was too busy with his campaign - guess he had already gotten the votes he needed. Clintons depth and breadth of policy knowledge and command of the issues overpowers Obamas - the economists are saying that his capital gain tax with a possible recession looming with take money away not give it back.... I can only hope that my brothers and sisters with vote with their hearts and conscience and not as some of my family and friends are voting for color - no mater who wins the election you STILL have to WORK for a living. GOD BLESS OUR AMERICA

Speaking in February of the man she knows better than anyone else does, Michelle Obama said that her husband, Illinois Senator and candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination Barack Obama, is the only candidate for president who understands that before America can solve its problems, Americans have to fix their "broken souls." She also said that her husband's unique understanding of the state of souls of the American people makes him uniquely qualified to be President. Obama can do what his opponent in the Democratic race Senator Hillary Clinton, and Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, cannot do. He can heal his countrymen's broken souls. He will redeem them. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/200... This long Democratic race is the best thing that could happen for this country. Obama has only gone toe to toe with Clinton 4 out of 21 debates - and is now avoiding a Lincoln style debate with no moderators. If he is too chicken to debate Hillary, how on earth does he think he has the nerve, never mind the experience to be the ruler of the world's only super power? He has always said we need to check under the hoood and kick the tires - what is he hinding? Maybe because underneath the Ferrari facade - he has a Ford escort engine? A so called 'uniter' has as his sole spiritual advisor a black militant agenda pastor Wright? Come on! Remember what his wife Michelle said," For the first time in my adult life I am proud of America". I mean the bigotry and arrogance of these people. Obama would not be where he is today without getting 70-90% of the African-American votes - and then he accuses Clinton of playing the race card. He wines that Clinton won't give up so that he can run as the Afro version of George W - again, an emperor with no clothes. If he gets the nomination - he is going to lose like all of Ted Kennedy's choices...Kerry...Gore. That's all we need, a 'community organizer' as president of the USA. Pathetic. Google him youo guys & check under his hood. Don't buy into the MTV - Hollywoodzation of a vacuous, weak candidate with alot of dirty laudry yet to be aired. We can't afford to lose to McCain

See what you did Steve. You have the paid political loonies coming out of the woodwork. At least they'll be gone May 7th. You'll still be here! Oh please no, God!

Come on, don't be a dupe of the media. The Barrack Obama camp started the bullying when they demanded Hillary quit the race two months ago. Hillary fought back, that's all she did, don't perceive that as being mean and vicious. Study the caucus states and you will see why Obama was eager to try and end the race two months ago, before it became apparent Obama is lacking in key demographics and appeal. I completely identify what the media has not said on my blog. http://www.alessandromachi.blogspot.com/ The specific article is called "The Mirage behind Barrack Obama's Caucus Delegate "Victories", there are some completely truthful statistics that the public has not been exposed to.

Paid staffer? That is an Obama trick. I am a regular citizen that is a staffer to my own family. You are probably a staffer. I see this all over the inter-net while I am reading articles and making my comments. I don't watch T.V because the MSM is so in the tank for obama it is pathetic. I am commited to being informed and passing that information on. I am watching people under the influence of his Kool-Aide and walking blindly behind him. When you ask about specifics they have none!! Change, Hope, Change, Hope, he makes me think we can effect change and hope. These obamabots, bully people and trash talk Senator Clinton, threaten me with all kinds of despicable things. The same way they do at the caucases! You want to talk about associations lets talk Rezco, obama's friend for 17 years, and he was unaware that he was under investigation it was all over the newspapers, yet he still did a dirty business deal with him. Rev. Wright, he was under this mans influence for 20 years. We are supposed to believe that his beliefs are different than his spiritual mentor? He is telling a whole congregation that the American government "created AIDS" to commit genocide on the A.A population? We are to believe in 20 years he was NEVER in the pews and never heard ANY conversation amongst parrishoners about this? Ayers, a known terrorist that is unrepentant. After 9/11 he said that they had not done enough and he had not done enough. The Pentagon and Post offices they weren't enough. His own girlfriend was killed in those bombings. Smart, bomb buildings and kill people to stop a war that is killing people. They are called the Weathermen. He has NEVER served a day in prison. I can already hear it, Bill Clinton pardoned one of them. Yes after MANY years in prison. Hedgefund, just because Chelsea works for a hedgefund doesn't mean that it is one that is playing dirty. That is opinion not fact! Now lets talk influence..do you really not think that just some of these players in Obama's play book WON'T have any influence over him? Disgrace to the Party lets talk about that as well. How about Pelosi and Dean and their very obvious want for Obama and the way Obama is calling Senator Clinton a liar and that she will do anything to win, she can't be trusted. The way HE has painted the Clintons as racists!?!? I would call that disgraceful to the party. Hey, Hillary, fight Obama and us and the MSM with your hands tide behind your back, a gag in your mouth and a blind fold over your eyes. You cannot respond to any of his dirty tricks or accusations lies etc. Or we will stand up for him and call it dirty politics! I would not call THIS playing as a team! Lets move on to congress and advisors. She has been lambasted for trying to work with Penn (an advisor) after everyone said that she should dump him. She has a stellar record working across the aisle with Republicans, I got that from reading what other Republicans have said about her! She and many Republicans have co-sponsored bills that have actually became law!! I would say that, is working with people with different opinions, Repubs. .. Dems. definately different!! Experience, she has that all right, she learned from her mistakes at healthcare in the 90's. She has spoken on those. Lets remember that there was alot of people working against her no matter the cost to American's. That was their mission, to make her fail! I already addressed the vote thing. Obama's own surrogates made the same decision that Senator Clinton did with the intelligence that she/they had, and Obama didn't, as he didn't have a vote as he wasn't a U.S Senator yet! Antagonist, means an adversary an opponent, she is viewed as an antagonist because she is so good at what she does and that antagonizes her opponents that are trying so hard to keep her down. Just because I am a woman doesn't mean I am stupid!

I agree with you Kimberly, why is it that Senator Clinton should step aside for obama just because he is a man? You're right, she is not a squaw, and he is not the second coming. We all are not going to bend to his will. The main stream media has been so pro obama that he is like a ghost. We don't know very much about him. He was happy that they were not looking into his affiliations and he loved the MSM. Now he can't stand them because they are asking questions, that the AMERICAN people want answers to. If he wants their vote, he has to answer their tough questions, and as we saw in the last debate he isn't very good at that. Don't tell me, I already know, that debate is all Senator Clintons fault. I have already heard it. Obama didn't bring an A game, if he has one, and it is her fault. She made the moderators ask him questions he has never been asked. I hate the wa y she has had control over the media all these years and makes them give her SUCH favorable coverage!! Get over it, hiding from who he really is cost him, his racist remarks about middle class Americans and the racist remarks of HIS pastor, cost him. This has nothing to do with Senator Clinton. She & President Clinton have always fought for those who didn't have a voice or representation. There is a record to prove it. Where was Obama for the meeting of the Black caucus? The 40th anniversary of MLK's assasination...busy campaigning. Not Senator Clinton she addressed the caucus after being painted racist, she stopped campaigning to attend an important ceremony for MLK. Obama screams about her war vote. He wasn't even in the political position to vote on the war or to have access to the intelligence EVERYONE used to make their decision. Just ask Kerry & Kennedy, who took the same intelligence & came up with the same vote as Senator Clinton. She even made a speech to Bush asking that he use the authority only after all other peaceful means had been exhausted. Does the MSM report on that? NO! What about the fact that Obama, Chairman of the foriegn relations committee that oversees NATO's involvement in Afghanistan, has never held a single meeting ever since his appointment in Jan. 2007 because he has been too busy campaigning? According to his Anti-war speech in 2002, our focus should be only on Afghanistan, yet he has allowed his political ambitions to trump National security. My husband wants to know how he can expect a promotion when he is not doing the job he has now!! It doesn't work that way in the real world! Only the Government subscribes to the Peter principle, where a man is promoted to his level of incompetence and then left there. "Good job Brownie"

Ummm, this is for you Hillarybots (more than likely paid staffers, we saw these clowns in Wisconsin). You do realize you probably shouldn't be the ones questioning another candidate's associations. you are aware of the "friends of Bill" like Hsu and the other Chinese fundraisers, Marc Rich, and the huge amounts of money their family has grabbed from speaking to international trade organizations. Or the fact that their daughter is working (well, when she's not cmpaigning) for a HEDGE FUND. You don't think those people who pay their bills would have some influence over decisions in a Clinton White House, do you? You don't think they might back off on organizations they're connected to, do you? You people are a disgrace to the party, and not team players. If you act this way to someone of your own party, I can't imagine how bad a time you'll have trying to get along with Congress or advisors with differing opinions. And yes, as president THAT IS A BIG PART OF YOUR JOB. Obama knows working with and listening to others is a key part of being any executive, and that's why he would be a much more effective leader. Hillary's "experience" is a failed health care plan, a wrong vote on the war, and an antagonistic personality that will block any progress from being made. Give me the other guy in a heartbeat. Are you so stupid to not see through this slandering, pandering and BS to know the reality? Or do you just think we are?

Keep Up The GOOD Fight - YOU CAN WIN! Obama will not be elected due to his radical associates- his background and judgment are just far too questionable to be President of the UNITED States. I'm sure if the first vote states could have a do-over - now that we know more FACTS about OBama - he would be done by now!

Steve, please take the time to see where the dirty politics really started. If you remember, Hillary was the first one to be accused of using race. She was talking about, we the people need to make informed choices in picking our President. She said it is the President that signs things into law. The people can march and protest etc. (I am of course paraphrasing it has been MONTHS)call for change, but like Johnson they have to sign it into law. Referring to President Johnson's personal courage! After Obama the spin Dr. was done it was turned into a slight against Dr. King! His "rebuttal" was, "it is a shame that she didn't give Dr. King the recognition he deserves!" What? She was talking about personal courage in a President!! It needed no rebuttal!! Now, we are where we are now...the Clintons are racists and play the race card to win. Pa. is filled with racists and its the Clintons fault!! They are not racists..Pa. or the Clintons. Just because you dont vote obama doesn't MAKE you a racist. But obama & his camp are spinning it that way! But don't look at the 93% numbers of AA's voting obama!! What is that then? If a White vote for Clinton is racist? A black vote in turn for Obama should then be classified as a racist vote too, right? The black vote for Obama has been high ever since he made his rebuttal! Then President Clinton said what he said before S.C. and that was spun to be racist! A memo by the obama camp from the start of the campaign says to keep track of anything that could be seen as racial!! It has been reported on! Mr. Agent of change had the opportunity to say something, but instead he let his henchmen have a field day with it all. He stands back with his agent of change "clean" hands, but I can see the filth on them. He could have said "Wait a minute, the Clintons have been very supportive of A.A's, they are not racists! Lets not go there! But he chose to reap the "rewards" that come from dirty politics! People wonder why President Clinton has been defensive! He is being painted as a racist even though his lifes work says otherwise! Can you say Swiftboated! Thanks for thopportunity to get that off my chest!

I'm curious how Hillary has played dirty campaigning as comapred to Obama? It is the job of any candidate to respond when something comes out against him or her, or to respond when asked a question. I am sorry that I want to know who I am voting for instead of an image of someone. In my opinion Obama is an image, and not a very good one. The millions of people who have fought and died for the flag of this country deserve a president who is proud to wear THAT pin. Our military take THAT flag with them into battle. He didn't just say the flag pin, he called it THAT pin. Now, I ask he said "I will show my patriotism other ways." How has he shown it? He doesn't tackle the issues in Congress, he either passes or votes present. He has passed one bill since being there. He says he opposed the war from the start, well, so did I, but like Obama, I didn't have a vote. I can run my mouth all I want to, but deeds are what matters. He has since voted twice to support and fund it, so, if you are against something that strong vote against it, take your stand. He hangs his head when the National Anthem is played, no let me guess, he's reverant, that's not the way it works.My mother always told me you are judged by the company you keep, well, if it is cool to have your senatorial campaign launched by a terrorist bomber, I guess he is way cool. And one other thing, when he won in Iowa,his campaign co-chair Jesse Jackson Jr made this statement "The natural reminder here is OJ, how does an African American candidate attack a white woman. And they have called the Clinton's racist, people wake up, check this man out. Read Dreams of My Father. Check out websites, he is not for the change we all hope for!

Pretty obvious there Steve that you are in the Obama camp. Pretty easy to dismiss all of the allegations against Obama isn't it. Well, the American public won't and will venture to say that many who jumped on his bandwagon are now having buyers remorse. Seems almost bazaar that right below the comment box for your article is a photo of Obama asking is Obama ready to be President? That's a solid NO. Why do you stretch the truth concerning Hillary and her campaign. Do you ever check independent fact check organizations?? Your man has so many check marks in the lie department that Pinocchio would blush. Hillary will win this race, and she will have followed all of the rules she is required to. As far as Rev. Wright goes. All she ever says is No! she would not have sat in that church for 20 years, and she does not believe that people get so discouraged over job losses that they cling to religion and guns, and antipathy towards those that are different. You see, those remarks are race bating and way out of line. Perhaps if your man would have paid attention during those 20 years in church he might have sifted through all of the crap and discovered that Christian people cling to the cross and their love of their religion during good times as well as bad times. Very sorry attempt at journalism on your part Mr. Hammer.

At the end of this video,you can hear him talking about the two boys seated next to him and as they doodled in their church bulletins, Pastor Wright gave his hate sermon on Sharpsville and Hiroshima! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3OyRQdk6Z0

This country needs a change - yes and Sen Hillary Clinton is a change agent, a can do champion who is not afraid to tackle the big issues and has the compassion to also handle the small ones as well. Her record as a two term Senator from NY shows she can work across the aisle and that she is a tireless advocate for the working class and poor. Unfortunately the other guy has a very meager record in the US senate and he refuses to release his records from his time in the Illinois State House leaving many of us wondering what is he hdiding? Possibly his relationship to Tony Rezko and other Chicago-style pay to play political thugs? I am proud of my vote for Senator Clinton in her NY elections and I will be proud to vote for her in November for president of the US.

OBAMA in two speeches on the same day in North Carolina. Uses rapper Jay-Z (knife) then gives Hillary the finger. NOTE. Different people in the background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoOFp-RDpvM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhkq11UExcw

Wasn't George Bush who said "trust me and my judgment even though I have no record"? Didn't George Bush run and excellent campaign and that somehow was suppose to be translated to a better president? Who is really running on a George Bush platform.Didn't Senator Obama tie into Chicago pay to play political machine? Senator Obama thinks his childhood experiences prepare him for the presidency. He has written two autobiographies and his accomplishments are? Oh yes Senator Obmam was a community organizer. What did Senator Obama accomplish as an organizer?Senator Clinton was also a community organizer. Senator Oboma was a lecturer on "constitutional law". Senator Clinton was one of two women faculty members at the University of Arkansas Law School. Senator Obama was President of the Harvard Law Review. Senator Clinton was voted twice as one of the top 100 lawyers in the nation by the time she was 44. I suppose Lemmings are all hopeful and unified as they go over the cliff.

Dear Kevin - Please have Stevie put to sleep and use this space for a nice coloring page. Respectfully - Jack The Ripple

End Of Message

I am amazed at some people here supporting Obama. I disagree with Hammer alot. But what he wrote about Hillary is so truthful. I guess my comments are directed now more to Kimberly. Kimberly you seem to disagree with Steve and seem more intent on seeing Hillary as the nominee because she is a woman. So whatever her tactics used are fine because she is a woman and you want her to be the first woman President? I am no Obama is god like follower. He has run a great campaign and seems to have alot going for him. He has warts just as all the candidates do. I have no clue whether he will be a good President but like his message about hope etc... I'd also point out that the issue about his speeches having no substance are untrue if you would at least look up his campaign online. Obama's website has posted his many views and plans on a variety of issues. I will tell you one that I read from a newssite. Obama has conferred with Warren Buffett over the issue of raising the current capital gains tax from 15% to no higher then tax was when Bill Clinton was Prez. Which was 28%. Buffett told Obama that he could raise the capital gains tax to 20%-25% without harming the economy or seriously damaging investing on Wall Street. Obama would like to use the higher tax money to invest in alternative energy and give the middle class a tax cut. Will this plan be passed? Who knows. But the point is Obama does have ideas and plans. He has talked to people about specific plans on the campaign stump. Hillary is using campaign tactics of the lower variety and it seems no suprise that polls show lower income and lower educated people along with older voters are voting for her. Fear mongering has always worked with these voters. However I'd like to point out that when Bill Clinton was impeached he reached out to Jesse Jackson the night after the news broke about his dalliance with Monica. In fact the african community supported Bill Clinton more then any demographic during impeachment. A cynic now could look back and say Bill used them for his own political purposes. I voted for Bill twice and supported him during impeachment. But here is the entire point of Hammer's column. Hillary is not running against a Republican and being forced to use Karl Rove type campaign tactics. Hillary is running against a fellow Democrat with similar view points. She is showing that it doesn't matter who it is. If they are standing in her way for nomination. She will go all out against them. I find it a lil worrisome that someone will do or say whatever it takes to win the Presidency. A Presidential candidate should at the very least be able to keep some sort of value system in check. They should stick by these views even if they go against the popular viewpoint. NAFTA comes to mind. Hillary in 96 defended and pushed for NAFTA publicly. It's on youtube. I would rather her defend her position today and explain why she supported NAFTA. Instead she says that she had big concerns about NAFTA in 96 and yet she helped get it passed. Hillary talks about health care but we might have a better health care system today if Hillary had not politically blundered it in 92. After Ohio and Texas wins. Hillary appeared and indicated she or McCain would make a better President. When Obama commented McCain would be a better President then Bush. Hillary attacked Obama on this point. Hillary has been all over the campaign message map. Looking for anything to use against Obama. It is a sad spectacle which is hurting the Democrat party. I do not want Hillary being President because of the above reasons. However unlike Hammer who will vote for her. I will not vote for McCain but I will vote for a write-in candidate in November if Hillary is the nominee.

Dear Nuvo, I disagree with the basic premise but in form politicians have a tendency to posture and pander to get the votes. I don't think President Bush does much of that in his lame duck half year left. Though Sen. John McCain gave the impression that he does that, remember also that he was an active voice for the "Gang of 14" which included Sens. Inouye, Libermann, Snow, & Lindsey. Hopefully, he'd join the Democratic Party and run as a unity candidates, but fiction seldom lives up to reality! I think Tuesday night in for Pennsylvania was awesome. The fat lady hasn't sung yet, & more power to Hillary. Aloha from Hawaii, Arvid Tadao Youngquist P O Box 37542 Honolulu, Hawaii 96837

What I cannot figure out is where people have gotten this God-like impression of Barack Obama. What has he done to give that impression? He has made some great speeches about how he wants to see the political landscape change. Without having done anything to bring about change. Martin Luther King had a dream and achieved it. Obama is no Martin Luther King!!!!!! Words without work is just words. You guys are basing your faith on a hope. He is a used car salesmen with a great smile. Hammer who the heck are you to tell Hillary she needs to step aside for him. Unlike him she has actually fought for the underdog. Oh My God she has proven herself through works. She walks the walk and talks the talk. My God what was i thinking she should just sacrifice herself just to make way for a man who has not yet proven himself. Hillary is not a sqaw!!! If people would get over their baser instincts and stop seeing women as the weeker sex maybe then they would be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. Hammer until then YOU KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!!!

Who cares what this mid-life ultra liberal piece of burned out trash says anyway? I would say he takes these asinine stances to increase circulation, but oh wait, NUVO is free. Democrats bring about prosperity - yeah right. Bill Clinton benefitted from the technology boom at the time, and that is it. It wasn't his amazing policies. It was a fluke. You, Hammer, are a moron.

Hey Glenn, you're just as big a moron (a person of borderline intelligence in a former classification of mental retardation, having an intelligence quotient of 50 to 69) as Steve Scammer. I've been a progressive all my life. My point is ... who gives a shit what Scammer has to say? Who the hell is he? He's a nobody. Oh yeah, Steve. Stop writing in he passive voice. It's beginning to get annoying.

Hey "Anonymous"- you probably want to dig up Reagan or Nixon and vote for them.

Who cares what you think.

Good column Steve. Obama needs to remind people that there has to be a higher place politics can go, and he hasn't done enough of that reminding in the last few weeks. The reason the Dems took over Congress in 2006 is because people were tired of the Rovian actions of the GOPpers, and wanted something better. And the Billaries are not acting better than Rovains right now. Indiana can be the place that this Billary "throw every bit of junk against the wall" act definitively stops, but it's the people that have to be smart enough to stand up and say "NO MORE!" As a former Indianapolis resident, I trust most NapTowners to be smart enough to get that, but it's up to the outlying areas to show their stadnards, too. I think they will, and I won't have to worry about 3rd-party voting this November.

"We live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. Help me change it!"