Yesterday, speaking to the Hispanic Caucus, Hillary Clinton gave a preview of the kind of speech she'll deliver tonight in Denver. You can bet we'll hear the "I'm Hillary Clinton, and I do not approve that message," line again. It's a classic.



H/T DailyKos.

Influential blogger and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas caused a first-class kerfuffle on an economy-class budget, announcing that he would be withholding his $2300.00 donation from Barack Obama's campaign until he sees some "good behavior." From Daily Kos:

First, he reversed course and capitulated on FISA, not just turning back on the Constitution, but on the whole concept of "leadership". Personally, I like to see presidents who 1) lead, and 2) uphold their promises to protect the Constitution.

Then, he took his not-so-veiled swipe at MoveOn in his "patriotism" speech.

Finally, he reinforced right-wing and media talking points that Wes Clark had somehow impugned McCain's military service when, in reality, Clark had done no such thing.

Markos goes to great pains to explain that he still supports Obama, but that he won't be anyone's "water carrier."

He also tries to downplay the importance of his donation (with a 739-word story on the most popular blog in the universe.)

I applaud Markos for not being a water-carrier now, but it makes me wonder where he's been this whole campaign.

The wildly successful Web site DailyKos is up to some good old fashioned mischief. They're fronting a campaign to ensure that Mitt Romney wins in Michigan. You see, like in New Hampshire, Michigan has an open primary. So if you're a Democrat, you can vote for a Republican, and vice-versa. But since the Democratic Party has rendered Michigan null-and-void because it moved up the date of the contest without official permission, Kos figures, why not play the spoiler?

The theory goes that a Romney win further muddles the GOP race, and insures a protracted, mud-slinging campaign between rival factions of the Republican Party. Lest you think that Kos secretly holds a soft-spot for Romney, watch the following video:

In an interview with Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall, Markos Moulitsas (the scary man behind DailyKos.com) talked about the different presidential contenders, but also made it clear he doesn't plan on endorsing any of them. It's a big difference between 2007 and 2003. In 2003, the nascent Netroots movement was coalescing around Howard Dean. In 2007, the "movement" is sitting it out, hemming and hawing from the sidelines rather than jumping into the thick with full-throated support. Indeed, even most movement leaders are sitting on the sidelines, acting more as neutral judges than as fervent supporters.

Why is that? Is it because, as Markos argues, his readers are smart enough to make up their own minds so his endorsement doesn't matter?