GOP Walking the Contraception Plank

Is this how it's going to end for the Republican Party?

TPM: Not satisfied with President Obama’s new religious accommodation, Republicans will move forward with legislation by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) that permits any employer to deny birth control coverage in their health insurance plans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Sunday.

Currently, 28 states mandate that employers' health insurance cover contraception for its employees, eight of which require it regardless of whether they are religiously affiliated or not. Many Catholic universities and hospitals already provide the coverage. The Obama administration's religious exemption is far broader than current law and actually a loosening of restrictions. But for some reason, GOP leaders think they have a dog in this fight and are betting that this will be wedge issue to sway Catholic votes away from the President in the upcoming 2012 election. This despite the fact that 58% of Catholics believe that employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception, and that 62% of women overall, a huge voting block to be sure, agree as well.

So not only are they tying one end of the Blunt Amendment rope around the Catholic opposition rock, but they're tying the other end around their necks with a flawed "religious freedom" argument and attempting to roll back existing law for employers whose businesses have nothing to do with religion, and tossing it off the wingnut bridge.

“The fact that the White House thinks this is about contraception is the whole problem. This is about freedom of religion, it’s right there in the First Amendment. You can’t miss it — right there in the very first amendment to our Constitution,” [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell said. “What the overall view on the issue of contraception is has nothing to do with an issue about religious freedom.”

McConnell went on to embellish the argument, claiming Obama is being “rigid in his view that he gets to decide what somebody else’s religion is.” He said that “this issue will not go away until the administration simply backs down.”

How can a career politician of McConnell's stature get the First Amendment so wrong? It's because he is ginning up another empty attack on President Obama. He just can't help himself. Let's review:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

No law "respecting the establishment of religion..." - meaning that the government will not make any one religion the official religion of the country. "...or prohibiting free exercise thereof." - meaning that you are free to practice any religion you choose without fear of reproach from the government.

So, no, Senator McConnell, it's not "right there" in the First Amendment. Just because you are free to practice religion as you choose and follow its supposed moral values, does not mean you can arbitrarily ignore the laws of the land thereby causing an infringement on another person's rights. It's a far, far stretch to say that requiring an employer to cover contraception in its health care benefits for their employees, even if that employer is the Catholic Church now playing a role in the secular world, is a violation of conscience. It is up to the individual in question to face their moral conscience when it comes to the usage of contraception made available at no cost via their health insurance plans. Catholics who work outside the realm of the Church as their employer have that health care right. They also have the right not to use it - because of their religious beliefs.

In fact, I believe that in this particular case, it is the Catholic Church that is in violation of the very thing it protests. If the employee in question is not of the Catholic faith, why should he or she be discriminated against and not have the same health care benefits they would have if they didn't work for a religious organization? Is that not an infringement of their rights? If the government favored the religious institution's view, would that not be a violation of the First Amendment, namely "respecting the establishment" of their religion in lieu of federal law? If this were the case, could a Catholic secretary working for an Orthodox Jewish lawyer bring a ham and cheese sandwich to the office for her lunch in clear violation of her employer's Jewish beliefs?

I happen to be indifferent on the exemption to churches that President Obama offered. But when the church clearly steps in to the province of secular business, whether it be a hospital or a school in which people of all faiths are accepted, then they should and must follow the rules and regulations of the secular world. You can't claim religious exemption when it suits you. In this contraception coverage "nontroversy," the majority of Catholics are right, it's the Catholic Church and the "anything anti-Obama" GOP that are wrong.

ADDING... Rachel Maddow had a great piece on this issue last Thursday night. Along with exposing the Republican candidates fighting it out for the Presidential nomination, she also took a swipe and the 60-something, white male Beltway pundits who seem to think that it's the President who is looking bad on this issue even though he's with the majority of Americans. I think she may have been referring to Chris Matthews.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Look! A Sane Republican Candidate!

If he had any shot of gaining in the polls, speaking the truth blew it.

Jon Huntsman made one thing abundantly clear after a campaign stop in Portsmouth on Friday – he has no doubt that Barack Obama was born in America.

"The president was born in the United States – end of conversation," Huntsman said.

It's a shame he's polling at 11% in the state in which he's been putting all his eggs.

Dumbass Quote of the Day

“I’ve talked to enough members over the last 24 hours who believe that, ‘Hey, we don’t like this two month extension [but] if you can get this fixed, why not do the right thing for the American people, even though it’s not exactly what we want.”

~John Boehner, Speaker of the House, explaining why House Republicans decided to cave on the temporary extension of the payroll tax cut after painting themselves into a corner.

As one of my readers posited regarding the bold text above, "Let's mull that over for a minute."

"...Why not do the RIGHT THING for the American people, even though it's NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT?" For someone who's fond of using the phrase, "We're here to do the people's work," he sure has a tendency to disregard what the people actually want.

People Aren't Stupid

At least those who read the Washington Post aren't. Here's an online poll and the results as of 11am EDT.



House Speaker John Boehner walked out on debt ceiling negotiations stating President Obama moved the goal posts with pursuing an extra $400 billion in revenue increases. But he mentioned nothing about wanting a trigger to eliminate the individual mandate on purchasing health insurance enacted in the Affordable Care Act that took 18 months to debate and pass. And what was that trigger, you may ask? Not agreeing to the final elements of debt reduction. Yes, seriously.

This arrangement would have given Republicans every incentive not to reach a final deal: Oh, no, if we don’t agree, then we’ll get to torpedo health-care reform. Yippee! It was far more laughable than Obama’s lunge for an extra $400 billion — especially since, according to White House officials, the president had made clear he had other potential cuts up his sleeve if the extra tax revenue wouldn’t fly. He was waiting to deal.

Sounds like a sweet deal, doesn't it?

Compromise is getting harder and harder to come by. There's got to be give and take - and sometimes you're going to be on the short end of the take. But to think that outrageous demands like gutting the one thing that solidifies the legislation that took a year and a half to complete is a reasonable request, is just outright insanity. And judging by the above poll, the American people can see it and know the deal.

Trump and "Serious" Republicans

What does it say about the state of the Republican Party that the crazy conspiracy theories being touted by Donald Trump are propelling him into the lead in poll after poll? Is the current crop of potential GOP presidential candidates that pathetic that they are gravitating to Trump? Don't answer that.

And now Trump is going with the Bill Ayers ghostwriting conspiracy? And what's going to happen when The Donald announces that he will not run? Instead of admitting they were conned, what new excuse will the wingnuts come up with? Perhaps they'll start a new conspiracy that since Trump was the only viable candidate to have a chance at beating Obama, his life or fortune was threatened by the government and he was forced to bow out.

This is shaping up to be one of the craziest campaign seasons in a long time.

"The Base"

POSTED BY JHW22

Jane Hamsher and Adam Green are NOT "The Base". Nor are they "The Far Left".

No, when Obama does something and some people in the Democratic party get mad, "THE Base" is not mad at him. No, when Obama does something and some people in the Democratic party get mad, "THE Far Left" is not mad at him.

As Desert Crone (a regular reader here at Broadway Carl's) and I have discussed many times, Jane Hamsher and Adam Green are NOT the base. Let me say it one more time because I really mean it: they are NOT the base.

How do I know they are not the base? Because they fall in the 15 to 20% of Democrats that consistently find something to be mad about. That is not a base. If it were, we'd be an inverted pyramid and we'd topple over in a hiccup. A base is a large number of supporters who consistently see the policies and leadership as progressive -- meaning forward-moving -- and accept that sometimes a seemingly weak play is necessary in order to get a larger accomplishment secured. A real base pays more attention to the overall and long-term needs rather than the microcosm of creating anger and fear. In fact, the numbers in the Jane Hamsher/Adam Green faction of the Democratic party are even smaller than the number of people who think Sarah Palin didn't go FUBAR in her Tucson video. Also, they are in the same 15% of Democrats who are NOT enthusiastic about voting in 2012 (h/t Desert Crone) -- so tell me how THEY are "THE Base"...

I feel the need to state this bluntly because Lawrence O'Donnell seems to think that these two characters somehow represent "The Base" [note: I am not going to provide any links to back this up for two reasons. One is there are too many. Two, I think my head would explode if I had to listen to or even look at either JH or AG. But you can find any damn episode of The Last Word and probably see one or both of them presented as "The Base"] although I think Lawrence knows better. Lawrence also knows a great deal about creating great television.

I also feel the need to declare this fact about them NOT being "The Far Left" because Chris Matthews referred to the 15% of Democrats who think Obama is "too quick to give in" as "the FAR left". No, Chris. I am the far left. There isn't a political ideology test I could take that wouldn't consider me far left and I am not in that 15% that thinks he is too quick to give in.

So to Lawrence I say, you DO know how to make good television and you also know how to present the truth in a better way than by having those two on your show as much as you do. They represent the 15-percenters yet you give them 50 or 75% of the space in their segments. That's a gross misrepresentation of their role, affect and relevance in the Democratic party. Sure, you need opposition, but dole it out in proportion, will ya? And PLEASE don't associate the word "base" with them when they are on your show.

And Chris, for someone who takes umbrage with people saying the "Democrat party" and pronouncing Cheney incorrectly (yes, we all know you say it the right way but because you keep telling us that, I stubbornly refuse to do it) then you should understand that a label, an identifier, matters. Get it straight: 15% is NOT the far left. They are the "angry left". They are the "whiny left". They are the "never-get-an-orgasm-and-by-god-they're-gonna-take-out-their-blue-balls-out-on-the-world left".

Hell, I'd even add Arianna Huffington to the list of "not the base".

I am far left. I am the base. I am not Jane Hamsher or Adam Green.

What's Going On at the Washington Post?

The Washington Post is long removed from it's Woodward and Bernstein/Watergate days.  In the last couple of days alone, its editorial staff is shocked to discover that perhaps the new Republican majority in the House isn't as serious about debt reduction as they claim, despite their own journalists reporting on the hypocrisy, post an online poll asking the reader to prioritize issues that Congress should tackle while completely omitting "job creation" or "economy" as one of the choices until long after the poll was made available thereby skewing the numbers, and now publishes an article about Estonia's growing economy and their success story while they are in the middle of recovering from a depression.

Maybe Judith Miller should apply for a job there.

New Poll: Majority of Americans Are Idiots - UPDATED

18 percent of Americans say that President Obama is a Muslim, an increase of seven points since Pew Research last asked the same question in March 2009. 40% aren't sure. Only 34% know he is Christian. So 58% of Americans are basically morons.  ... Sounds about right.

Immediately I'm hearing pundits blaming the White House for its lack of message on the issue. Seriously? Are we expecting the White House to put out a statement saying that presently, President Obama is still a Christian and we'll be updated weekly as to his religious status? It's too bad they didn't have a Bush Denomination of the Week update.  But hey, he was a white guy so he couldn't have been a Muslim, right?

UPDATE (8:20pm): I truly don't know what to say. I think I'm living in BizarroWorld.

Jen Psaki, White House deputy communications director:  

President Obama is a committed Christian, and his faith is an important part of his daily life. He prays every day, he seeks a small circle of Christian pastors to give him spiritual advice and counseling, he even receives a daily devotional that he uses each morning. The President's Christian faith is a part of who he is, but not a part of what the public or the media is focused on everyday.

The poll's findings are not surprising given the scope of the issues we are focused on-a recovering economy, bringing troops home from Iraq, putting healthcare and financial reform implementation in place. The President's strong Christian faith is what guides him through these challenges but he doesn't wear it on his sleeve.

I guess we really will see a weekly faith status update. And I can only shake my head in embarrassment.

(H/T Bob Cesca)

Yep, That's My Moronic Citizenry!

Via Political Wire:

A new Pew Research poll finds that just 34% of Americans know that the federal government's bank bailout program was actually signed into law by President Bush while 47% incorrectly believe it was enacted during the Obama's administration.

I know this news isn't really surprising, but maybe if our attention deficit disorder afflicted population spent just a little more time paying attention to matters of importance instead of Keeping Up with The Kardashians, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of Orange County or Fox News Channel, we'd all be a lot better off.

But hey, why believe your lying eyes when you can blame the black guy?

Oh Noes! Results of Health Care Backlash at the Polls

Huffington Post:

A Democratic state senator on Tuesday handily won the first U.S. House race since Congress passed a massive health care overhaul, beating a decidedly underdog Republican who tried to use the backlash against the measure to pull an upset.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Florida state Sen. Ted Deutch had 62 percent of the vote compared to 35 percent for Republican Ed Lynch.

Deutch, an attorney, and Lynch, a contractor, both 44, were vying to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler.

..."We've heard for months that tonight ... is a referendum on health care, it's a referendum on the (President Barack Obama) administration, it's a referendum on what direction this country is going," Deutch added. "Let me tell you something, what we learned today is that in Broward County and Palm Beach County, Florida, the Democratic Party is alive and well."

62 percent. It wasn't even close! I certainly hope that this is a referendum on what direction we are headed. Pundits are going to be draw blood scratching their heads over this one today.

The "Republicans Are Crazy" Poll

Poll results like this make me wonder how literally 35% of the population of this country manage to survive throughout the day without sticking a pencil in their eye, walking into an open manhole cover, or getting hit by a speeding train.

●67% of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist.

●57% of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim

●45% of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president"

●38% of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did"

●24% of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist."

Muslim? Hitler? ANTICHRIST?! SERIOUSLY?! This is what happens when you become insulated and watch nothing but Fox News and listen to no one but Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

And They Want To Be Taken Seriously

Markos Moulitsas at the Daily Kos just tweeted about a new Republican poll he's still scouring over.  Here are a couple of stats via Twitter:

Just got back big poll of 2,000 Republicans. Gotta digest it, but 39% of them want Obama impeached.
~ 63% think Obama is a socialist, only 42% believe he was born in US, 21% think ACORN stole 2008 elections.
~ Actually, on the "ACORN stealing 2008 election for Obama" Q, 21% say yes, 55% say "not sure"
~ 53% think Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Obama.
~ 23% want to secede from US.
~ 73% think gay men and women shouldn't be allowed to teach in public schools
~ 31% want contraceptives outlawed

This is a national poll taken by 2,000 Republicans. And this party wants to be taken seriously. But I suppose this is what happens when you watch nothing but Fox News Channel all day and Glenn Beck is your hero.

I'm sure he'll wrap this up in a post. Stay tuned.

Seriously, Oh Fair & Balanced Ones?

A question on a Fox News Poll: "What do you think President Obama would like to do with the extra bank bailout money -- save it for an emergency, spend it on government programs that might help him politically in 2010 and 2012, or return it to taxpayers?"

As TPM notes:

The basic assumption here, of course, is that the only reason Obama would want to spend money on the economy is to use the cash as a sort of political slush fund -- not simply saying that one disagrees with spending the money or thinks it's a bad idea, but that it is inherently illegitimate -- while saving the money or cutting taxes have purer motives.

I don't know about you, but anytime I see the words "Fox News" in front of "Poll" I chuckle and dismiss it with the rest of the trash.

A Very Serious News Organization

Fox News poll: ‘Do you think Obama is still sneaking cigarettes at the White House?’

Teabag Results

President Obama's Gallup poll approval ratings.



April 15th: Approve - 61%, Disapprove - 31%
May 5th: Approve - 66%, Disapprove - 27%

Keep it up, Teabaggers! Can't wait until July 4th.

Limbaugh's Hard-Core Support: A Few Dead-Enders

Cross posted by Fraulein

This validates what I've been saying for ages. The way much of our national media report on Rush Limbaugh, you'd think he speaks for a significant proportion of Americans. Then you see a poll like this one from CBS News, and it turns out that the number who have really drunk the Limbaugh kool-aid --the true dead-enders--is not so huge.



We can take our country back from these people. I really believe that. There just are not as many of them as you might think.

And The VP Debate Winner Is...

... obviously Joe Biden. Look at these stats:

CBS Poll for Uncommitted Voters -

Who won the debate? Biden 46% Palin 21% Tied 33%

Overall image -
Biden: Improved impression: 53% - Worse opinion:5% - No change - 42%
Palin: Improved impression: 55% - Worse opinion: 14% - No change - 30

Knowledgeable about important issues -
Palin: Before debate - 43% After debate - 66%
Biden: Before debate - 79% After debate - 98%

That being said, the conservative pundits are elated that Palin didn't fall off the stage, vomit on the podium or run off in tears and since the bar was set so low, some say low enough to have to dig a ditch to set it, nothing has changed. The Republicans will insist she won even though she didn't answer the questions asked of her, choosing instead to meander into answering questions she herself posed. If by chance she did happen to answer an actual question asked by the moderator, she got it wrong. And here is where she lost the debate:

Q: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?

PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also.

So Ms. Hockey Mom didn't even know what the duties of the Vice President are as written under the Constitution and wants to expand those powers. She agrees with Cheney - MOTHERFUCKIN' 18% APPROVAL RATING DICK CHENEY! - when defining to which branch of government the VP office belongs. Is agreeing with Cheney the right answer? No. Here's the right answer, Mooselini:

BIDEN: Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history. The idea he doesn't realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.

And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.

The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he's part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.

BAM! KAPOW! THWAPP!! Everyone who's taken a high school history class knows that the separation of powers is a fundamental key of our Constitution. Everyone that is, except for Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin. Actually, Cheney probably knows but doesn't give a shit. So that leaves Palin.

And since when has it been acceptable to dismiss debate rules and announce that you're not going to answer the questions of the moderator and instead blurt out a list of memorized talking points?

PALIN: ...I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also.

If that's the point, why bother having the debate?

Is she stupid? No, of course not. Calculating. Manipulative. But not stupid. Is she out of her element? I'd have to say yes. There was nothing in that debate that made me think she would have known answers to some of those questions two weeks ago or nothing that gave me the confidence to trust her. And there was nothing that made me think twice that I may have initially misjudged her.

Best line of the night -

Biden: "So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 [health insurance] plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the 'Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere.'"


Worst line of the night - it's a tie (besides the Cheney thing).

Palin: "Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that's for sure. And it's not what our nation needs to be able to count on."

Palin: "Oh, yeah, it's so obvious I'm a Washington outsider. And someone just not used to the way you guys operate."

Palin: "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again... Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future."

Palin: "And how long have I been at this, like five weeks?"

Or you can go with any of the 'dart tootin's, 'gosh darnit's, 'Dagnabbit's, 'fiddlesticks', 'gee willikers', or 'confound it's Palin used; or the 847 times she used the word "also" to continue a run-on sentence.

I'm afraid to turn on my TV and watch Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan gush at her performance even though poll figures disagree with them. But I'm curious as to what the spin is in spite of the polls. So maybe I'll have more later unless it's too depressing to keep talking about it.



UPDATE I (9:35am): Thankfully, I missed Buchanan and Scar. Unfortunately, I caught Nancy Pfotenhauer spinning her plastic face off. But I did find this interesting.


CNN/Opinion Research: Biden 51 Palin 36
CBS: Biden 46 Palin 21
Fox: Biden 61 Palin 39


Those Fox numbers are down to 59% for Biden by 9:45am today. Here's a screenshot before Fox decides to take it down. (Click on image for full size.)



You can participate in the poll here. Scroll down to the bottom right to vote.

Also read: The Rude Pundit - What Biden Ought To Say (Rude Version)


UPDATE II (10:12am): What's with the fucking winking?!




UPDATE III (12:02pm): Here's FactCheck.Org's list on the VP debate last night.

Deny, Deny, Deny...

...the inevitable.

Mommy, Why Do People Hate Me?

Bush Approval Rating Dips To A New Low

US President George W Bush struck a strikingly low approval rating in five years after he gave green light to the invasion of Iraq, with only 31 per cent of Americans approving his handling of the job, according to a latest poll.

...''Bush's approval rating five years ago, at the start of the Iran war was 71 per cent, and that 40-point drop is almost identical to the drop President Lyndon Johnson faced during the Vietnam War,'' director of the survey Keating Holland said.

And we all know how well Vietnam went.

Super Tuesday Results

Trying a little live blogging here. Sort of a futile excercise when no one but me is reading. I'll do as much as I can until dinner time... you gotta love take out.

7pm - NBC projects Obama wins Georgia. Exit polls show Obama getting 43% of the white vote and 49% of voters aged 40-59.

7:20pm - Early delegate estimates: 35 for Obama. This number is off - 103 total in the state.

7:25pm - Republicans too close to call in GA. Three way race: with 3 precincts reporting, McCain 38%, Romney 28%, Huckabee 27%

7:37pm - The MSNBC ticker is reading the GOP caucus in West Virginia as 100% reporting and Huckabee wins with 52%, Romney coming with 47%. Eight states close their polls at 8pm EST. Much more then.

8pm - Obama projected winner in Illinois. Clinton projected winner in Oklahoma. Romney takes Massachusetts, McCain takes New Jersey and Connecticut.

8:04pm- McCain takes Illinois.

8:13pm - Too close to call in NJ, CT, TN, too early to call in AL for the Dems.
Too close to call in MO, OK, TN and too early to call for the GOP.

Taking a break. More later.

9:15pm - Obama takes Delaware. Clinton wins Tennessee and Massachusetts! This after the Kennedy endorsements... perhaps a few days too late? Two trains of thought: Speculation is that the message of change that Obama touts was possibly hampered by the Kerry and Kennedy establishment. Point two is that Obama was only polling at 22% an MA before Kennedy's endorsement so anything more than a 22% return is a boost.
Delegates won so far: Clinton 93, Obama 43.

Chuck Todd trying to figure out the delegate math.
MSNBC predicts New Jersey for Clinton at 9:20pm. McCain projected winner in NY. Looks like McCain is picking up speed.

9:25pm - Obama is the projected winner in Alabama.

10:28pm - NBC projects Obama to win Connecticut! That's big. It's almost a 50/50 split.

10:33pm - Romney's speechifying in Massachusetts about a run to the convention and predicting a victory. He has fallen down the rabbit hole.

Here are the results so far:
Democrats-
Clinton: MA, NY, NJ, TN, OK, AR
Obama: CT, IL, DE, AL, GA, MN, ND, KS

Republicans-
McCain: NY, NJ, CT, IL, OK , DE
Romney: MA, UT
Huckabee: GA, WV, AR, AL

Severe weather in Tennessee caused polls to close early. Possible tornadoes. Two fatalities reported so far. Arkansas was hit as well.

10:50pm - Hillary Clinton speaking about the little people. The Republicans want more of the same.

10:54pm - Obama is ahead in Idaho 75% to 23% and ahead in Minnesota with 64% of the vote after 40% of the precincts have reported in both states.

11:02pm - California too close to call for both parties. AZ goes to McCain (duh...). Romney wins ND. Obama wins MN and ID.

11:06pm - Huckabee's being interviewed by Chris Matthews and claims he's not dropping out until someone wins the 1191 delegates needed for the GOP. He's staying in until St. Paul unless the trip is meaningless.

Recap:

Democrats-

Clinton: MA, NY, NJ, TN, OK, AR

Obama: CT, IL, DE, AL, GA, ND, KS, MN, ID, UT

Republicans-

McCain: NY, NJ, CT, IL, OK , DE, AZ

Romney: MA, UT, ND

Huckabee: GA, WV, AR, AL

11:15pm - David Axelrod thinks the Obama camaign will have trouble in CA because of early voting. Most of Obama's surge has come within the last two weeks. Hillary wins AZ. With 2% of CA reporting, Hillary is up with 57% of the vote but according to CNN, Obama is capturing not only the black vote, but the white vote!

11:25pm - Delegate count: Clinton 170, Obama 128. 2025 needed to win the nomination.

Tim Russert: "It's far from over." The Clinton campaign thought Super Tuesday would be the definitive night to propel them to the nomination.

11:32pm - Romney projected winner in MN.

11:37pm - John "My friends" McCain speaking in Arizona...zzz... "We must get used to the idea that we are the Republican frontrunner for the nomination of President of the United States... and I don't mind it one bit."

11:43pm - Obama speaking now in Chicago. Huckabee wins Tennessee! California still too close to call. Obama: "There's one thing on this February night, that we don't need the final results to know: our time has come."

11:49pm - Obama wins Colorado! With 93% of the precincts reporting, Missouri is still too close to call. Hillary leads 49-48.

11:58pm - Romney wins Montana... what is that? Three delegates?

12:04am - Obama has finished another stirring speech. I'm signing off now but will try to stay up for the California result.

Goodnight.

12:12am - I'm back. Hilllary Clinton and John McCain are projected to win California. Looks like Romney might be out considering he needed it badly.... Apparent winner in MO is McCain. Still waiting for the Democratic winner.

12:22am - Obama leads Clinton in MO by 4600 votes with 98% reporting.

12:26am - Obama leads by 4926 votes in MO.

12:30am - MSNBC: Tomorrow will be a day of "frank discussions" in the Romney camp after big blows in California and Missouri.

12:38am - The spin begins. Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson says they always thought this race would be tight and they withstood this massive surge by the Obama camp. In actuality, Obama has overcome double digit deficits in a just a few weeks and Clinton was lucky to win as much as she did in my opinion. Had Super Tuesday been next week or had California not vored early, the outcome would be completely different. And we'll find out over the course of the next week with more primaries and caucuses to go.

12:40am - Barack Obama is the apparent winner in MO! Carson still spouting the "ready to lead on day one" talking point. Claire McCaskill speaking for the Obama camaign retorted that we need someone with the right judgement to lead on day one.

12:43am - Obama wins Alaska.

Okay, now I'm going to bed even though Chris Matthews just asked me not to. Maybe he likes my musk and has a man crush on me.