The World Around You

The lobbying firm Alcalde & Fay worked quickly to wipe a bio of Vicki Iseman off it’s website, but thanks to Google’s caching ability, we still have the info:

VICKI ISEMAN

Vicki Iseman, Partner, represents corporate and public clients on issues as diverse as government contracting and regulatory reform. Her experience includes representation of clients before Congress, Federal government agencies and local opinion leaders.

She has extensive experience in telecommunications, representing corporations before the House and Senate Commerce Committees. Her work on the landmark 1992 and 1996 communications bills helped secure cable access for broadcast television stations. Her experience in the communications field includes digital television conversion, satellite regulations and telecommunications ownership provisions.

She has been active in grassroots communications campaigns for clients, building community based support for legislative initiatives. Among others, she participated in the “Keep America Moving” campaign that educated community leaders on the allocation of Federal highway trust funds.

In addition, she has consulted for clients who are interested in government contracting opportunities. She has assisted corporations through the authorization and appropriation process. An active fundraiser, she has organized and participated in many political fundraising events.

A native of Pennsylvania, she holds a B.A. degree in Education from Indiana University in Pennsylvania.

Oh, and if you don’t know, Vicki Iseman is the lobbyist the New York Times is now claiming John McCain got awfully cozy with…

One other thing, her e-mail address is iseman@alcalde-fay.com

Alcalde & Fay Government and Public Affairs Consultants - Meet the Firm

Yet another report, this time from Harper’s that the Siegelman report will air on 60 Minutes on Sunday.

Left In Alabama:: Siegelman On CBS News

If these numbers can hold up for any length of time, Clinton’s “electability” argument goes out the window.

In a head-to-head matchup, Obama beat McCain 47 percent to 40 percent. He led McCain among independents, in all age groups except those above 70, and in all regions but the South.

McCain beat Clinton 50 percent to 38 percent in a head-to-head matchup. The Arizona senator led Clinton in all regions of the country, among independents and in all age groups.

Obama surges past Clinton | Reuters

Leave it to our state senators to muck up the ban…

Mitchell’s version prohibits PAC-to-PAC transfers, but it no longer defines political parties or legislative caucuses as PACs. That means a PAC could give to a legislative caucus, the caucus could mingle the money with other donations from individuals and PACs, and then could give money to a candidate.

“We’re fooling the public into thinking we are closing loopholes when we are creating another one,” Sen. Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery, said.

Dixon said he expects an explosion of legislative caucuses, which will be used to disguise campaign donations.

Sen. Pat Lindsey, D-Butler, agreed there will be many.

“Put a sign on his head and say, ‘I’m a caucus,’” he told McLaughlin.

My state senator (Senator Dixon) is exactly right, they’re very good at appearing to close one loophole while opening up another. This is just ridiculous.

montgomeryadvertiser.com :: Senate committee rewrites PAC bill to remove ban

Something I haven’t seen discussed (and maybe I just missed it), is that with the last 10 primaries in a row, Obama now has a 25-11 lead in states won. Even if Hillary pulls off a win in either Texas or Ohio on March 4th, if you assume he takes the other states he is expected to win, even under her best case scenario he is going to be around 35-36 to her 14-15. How can you deny a candidate whose taken that may state primaries and caucuses the nomination?

I honestly don’t see how Hillary Clinton has any but one path to the nomination remaining, even if she, pulls off the impossible. She will pull out every trick in the book in the next two weeks and win both Texas and Ohio. The only argument she has left is that she won the big states: Florida (sort of), New York, California, Texas and Ohio. Save that, she has nothing.

13 days until she is forced to exit the stage.

Senator Obama must continue to pound the drum…most states, most popular votes, most delegates. How do you deny him the nomination? Regardless of whether he meets some magic number…

UPDATE: Michael Barone has a similar thought.

After the graceless way Senator Clinton has now lost 10 races in a row…it’s about time Senator Obama got a little passive agressive back. Way to trounce on her speech by beginning yours in the middle of it!

Marc Ambinder (February 19, 2008) - Networks Interrupt Clinton For Obama