Much has been made of Hillary's alleged baggage. But after 15 years of laser-guided focus, and hundreds of millions of dollars, the only thing that the GoP luggage inspectors have unpacked are some occasionally unflattering pant suits. However, as our candidates move toward the convention date, one of our two candidates will enter the convention forum lugging at least 2 law suits in his case.
"Have your backs been left unattended? Has anyone else packed your bags?" are phrases familiar to frequent fliers. Was Obama unwise to hang loose with a sinister GoP limousine crowd in Illinois? Was he complicit or just naive? Too early to tell the final outcome, but rest assured his bags ARE packed, fully loaded with dirty laundry, and two pending law suits. The GoP had planned to hold off parading their bounty until the Dems had coronated their "man" by trying to push the Rezko trial date out a few weeks. The latest Rezko trial date is set for March 3rd --the eve of the Ohio and Texas primaries. Unfortunately for Obama, not all of the MSM, nor all of the GoP's men are obedient baggage handlers.
In the news this weekend...
Times Online, UK: Right slams Obama as 'shady Chicago socialist'...But other members of McCain’s team have already gone for the jugular. A testy exchange last year between the two senators over the Iraq troop surge led a senior aide to take aim at Obama’s former drug use by claiming he “wouldn’t know the difference between an RPG and a bong ”.
Obama could run into further difficulties over his relationship with William Ayers, a professor of education at the University of Illinois and former member of the Weather Underground, a leftwing terrorist group that planted bombs in the Capitol and the Pentagon in the 1970s.
... Bloomberg, USA:Obama's Ties Might Fuel `Republican Attack Machine'...Besides his relationship with indicted businessman Antoin Rezko, Obama might face Republican criticism over contacts with a former leader of the Weather Underground, a banker with ties to a convicted felon and even his church.
``He has had relationships with individuals who are controversial, he has had relationships with individuals who are in trouble,'' said Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
Huffington Post: No, He Can't Because Yes, They Will...
If you think for a minute that the Republican party--who used Willie Horton on Michael Dukakis to devastating effect, who portrayed triple amputee and veteran Max Cleland as a bosom buddy of Osama Bin Laden, and convinced many voters that decorated combat veteran John Kerry was a fraud--will give Obama a pass come the fall then you are in serious denial.
Obama's untested achilles heel is his relationship with three men--Tony Rezko, William Ayers, and Rashid Khalidi. These names will become shorthand for Corruption, Terrorism, and the Destruction of Israel. ...
The Problem of Rashid Khalidi: So far, the press has paid little attention to Obama's ties to Rashid Khalidi, Middle East Professor at Columbia University and PLO activist. An article in The Jewish Week from last year offers up this tantalizing tidbit:
Khalidi, now the Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University, and head of that school's Middle East Institute, declined to comment on Abunimah's recollections. But in an interview in Tuesday's Daily News, he said he hosted the fundraiser because he and Obama were friends while the two lived in Chicago. "He never came to us and said he would do anything in terms of Palestinians," Khalidi told the paper.
Nevertheless, one Hyde Park source close to Obama, speaking only on condition of anonymity, recalled, "He often expressed general sympathy for the Palestinians -- though I don't recall him ever saying anything publicly."--------------------------------
Reflecting on our fashion choices...
The boys in the GoP, the exclusive male political punditry and the Obama disciples have tried to burn a whole in Hillary's pant suit with a Neanderthal's torch/theme and all it's misogynist variations of
"but she's not a man". . But Hillary's decades of battling fearlessly against the odds, against the machinations of those who wish to maintain the profitable status quo of the few, have earned her coveted respect, and with it the support of legions of progressive men and women ready to fight for her, fight with her, arm in arm right through the conventions doors if necessary. Many may not care for her pant suits (it's a matter of taste), rather its her policies, her public service, her long record of achievement, her determination and her unshakable courage under fire that we admire. That's baggage we will not be ashamed to carry to the convention floor, nor fear to unveil in the general election.
Seems to me, that this sensible and flame retardant Pant Suit is looking pretty good right now. No doubt by mid March everyone but a GoPer will want one :-)