Excerpted from Associated Press Article by MIKE GLOVER & SARA KUGLER:

Clinton took the debate dispute to a new level, challenging Obama to face off with her in a debate without a moderator, Lincoln-Douglas style.

“Just the two of us, going for 90 minutes, asking and answering questions, we’ll set whatever rules seem fair,” Clinton said while campaigning in South Bend.

Her campaign made the offer formal with a letter to the Obama campaign. Obama aides said they were studying the letter…..you keep studying Obamabots….here is princess’ take on the matter:

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Princess just amtrekked from Philly to the old hood – Boston’s Back Bay – for a quick respite before digging in my heels for the next 2 battles.  This morning as I strolled to Dunkin Donuts for coffee, I  incurred the wrath of college students’ stares and glares while donning my shiny new Hillary cap.  After the tenth one, I thought … what the hell do these kids know at the ripe age of 19.  Listening to their rationale for hiring Barack Obama is about as sensible as Disney paying seven figures for Hannah Montana’s life story.  Then I rewound my own life back to that age….what the hell did I know at 19?

Very little.

In Philadelphia, we were struck by many things that are not being reported in the media. Anecdotal evidence – whispers, looks and shouts – pointing to why buyer’s remorse may be setting in against the brilliant, "ipodian" marketing phenomenon that isO-BA-MA.  While canvassing Philly may have galvanized my personal reasons for supporting Hillary, it also further elucidated why other people support her.  There is no question that a lot of identity politicking is playing out right now – especially in the media.  Any person with a TV or laptop has probably picked a candidate largely because he or she can identify with that person.  At the most basic level, indeed I identify with Hillary because I am a woman. But I also vividly remember the Clinton years – a prosperous period when I was kicking my career into high gear.  Jobs were abundant.  That’s it!  That is EVERYTHING. The rest (of the issues) can be negotiated, revised and schmoozed to an acceptable end.

The teenagers and 20-somethings have no direct memory of this.  All they know is Facebook, American Idol and YouTube.  And can you blame them for indulging in the fierce energy these entities represent?  Of course not.  It’s actually refreshing that they’re peeling away from these digital vices to shout the praises of O-BA-MA on the streets of Philly. In fact, I was loving every annoying moment of it. Why?  Because the faces of pedestrians don’t lie.  They contrasted the Obama supporters with the Hillary supporters and formed their own perceptions.

I think it is wonderful that Obama, like Dean, has an army of youth at his back.  But I’ve gotta wonder if at some point this massive energy doesn’t backfire.  I even saw it on the inner-city streets of west Philly, where I politely embedded myself in Obama’s stronghold.  Across the street, hoards of 18-year-olds converged, screaming and dancing with their bullhorns: "O-BA-MA!"  Is it any wonder that a reasonable number of African-American women (and a few men) stopped to whisper: “we’re voting for Hillary.”  I did not expect this to happen as often as it had that day.  Many stopped to chat as they recounted the hope and solutions that the Clintons delivered on – more than a decade ago. I just stood there and nodded in agreement.

Hmmm….now isn’t that identity politics?

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I couldn’t be in PA with the rest of the Hire Heels gang, but my travel embargo meant that as soon as the polls closed, I could start following The High Media Overlords–who believe in their own importance even more than a bunch of Vogue editors declaring that toe cleavage is dead, dead, dead. So many of the media overlords declared Hil dead, dead, dead, but she still beat a guy who outspent her 3 to 1.

Even ultra-conservative Pat Buchanan agreed with me last night on MSNBC. Despite Obama’s huge money advantage, he said, he can’t close the deal. (Pat Buchanan and I agreed on something. That’s weird. That’s “Bigfoot is my baby-daddy” weird.) This morning, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough was beaming that his “girlfriend” won last night while Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” played at the beginning of the show.

That truth, however, hasn’t convinced several overlords to stop calling for Hil’s head on a platter. A New York Times editorial entitled “The Low Road to Victory” says that she’s the one responsible for the negativity in the race and should drop out–this from the newspaper that ENDORSED her before! It’s too bad they didn’t read their own damn paper. A few pages earlier, a news analysis in the N.Y. Times said: “Despite a huge investment of time and money by Mr. Obama and pressure on Mrs. Clinton by the party establishment to consider folding her campaign, she won her third big state in a row. Mrs. Clinton showed again that she is a tenacious campaigner with an ability to connect with the blue-collar voters Mr. Obama has found elusive and who could be critical to a Democratic victory in November.”

The High Media Overlords can polish the halo they’ve created for Obama all they want, but they can’t obscure the truth. Barack Obama had lots of big advantages, but he couldn’t close the deal in Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton was on the ropes and way behind in money, but still won by double digits. It’s like the old saying about Ginger Rogers: she did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels. Hil proved that heels are tougher than halos.

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So, Sen. Obama’s recent comments during a San Francisco fundraiser about small-town voters have stirred up a controversy. For me, the story isn’t about his supposed elitism. It’s not about whether small-town voters are bitter or not. It’s not about whether he’s being misinterpreted (but I think his condescension peeked out when he wasn’t looking). It’s not about Sen. Clinton’s response (but I’m thrilled she’s fighting back like a pro). It’s not even about the pundits falling all over themselves about What It All Means–as if any one of these clowns would recognize a clue if it kicked them in their thick heads wearing golf spikes.

The truth of the matter, in my dainty little opinion, is that this is why we have elections, not coronations. Sometimes our favorite candidates wear halos; sometimes they don’t. They might utter the most uplifting, insightful, inspiring words one day, put you to sleep the next, and suffer a massive case of boot-in-mouth the third.

Imagine two pairs of the most perfect black pumps you ever saw, but you can afford only one. Whichever one you take home will be the staple of your wardrobe for years. There are differences in how they’re shaped, how they feel, how they fit. Now imagine that you could take an extended test-walk in each pair–not just back and forth in the overpriced boutique, but for a long weekend. Walk around the city. Run up and down subway stairs and shopping malls. Go to meetings. Go out on the town. A long weekend in those faboo pumps would tell you a lot more about how they’ll fit your feet, your wardrobe and your life than that stroll along the boutique carpet ever will.

Primary season is the political equivalent of taking those Manolos home for that long weekend test-hike. The ones that make you fall in shoe-lust in the store aren’t necessarily the ones you long to blow your bonus on once you’ve wiggled your toes in them for a while.

I’m a Hil-girl for several reasons, but chief among them is the amount of time she’s logged in the limelight–and the crosshairs. She’s been through boot-in-mouth moments, halo moments, and everything in between. Hil has faced the most hateful, organized and even delusional opposition in modern political history, yet she built her own reputation in the Senate and remains the first truly viable female candidate for U.S. president. A woman who can face that kind of attack, pull herself up from every misstep or setback, and still toss back a boilermaker with the boys? That’s my candidate.

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Clinton!

She may be in kitten heels, but, once again Clinton towers over Obama in stature, conviction, texture, breadth of knowledge and fearlessness. Obama seems miffed that nonsensical questions would be asked of him – on Wright and Ayers. Simply saying: "the American People are smarter than that" is a fine response for a cocktail party in San Francisco, but princess asks: "how smart was HE to associate with such divisive characters?" Obama’s tone actually contributes to the elitism charges out there right now. Bottom line – he could have put these issues to bed, but he didn’t.

On America’s broad economic issues: taxes, economy, budget deficit, social security, Obama answers more analytically…appears professorial. Conversely, Clinton nails it on the head with her responses – no hesitation. She leaves the viewer no doubt as to her command of the economy. She’s already GOT what Obama needs to GET. It’s frighteningly obvious in this debate, who’s better prepared, not only for tonight, but for the oval office.

Princess hopes Pennsylvanians agree.

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by Piper, Founder of SeatOurDelegates.com

On February 7, 2008, I started a petition demanding that the Democratic National Committee recognize the results of the primaries that were held in Michigan and Florida. At the time, I thought that this was a cause that all Democrats could rally behind, especially after the debacle of 2000.

I was wrong. It appears that support for the petition is dependent upon the candidate that one favors. Clinton supporters want the votes from these states to be counted. Obama supporters do not.

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Lou Dobbs, one of the good guys in the media, just got through hammering Obama on his ‘back-room’ elitism and demanded he make an apology to middle-class America (you never wanna be the enemy in Lou’s own branded War on the Middle Class!). Instead the pied-piper of droolin’ democrats is out on the stump making cocky jokes in an effort to deflect the onslaught of attacks.  Apparently, Pennsylvania isn’t chuckling at Obama’s smugness.  A brand new American Research Group Poll gives Clinton a commanding 20-point lead in the keystone state : 57 – 37.  Hmmm, considering they were tied at 45 in the last one, I’d say Mr. Obama better curl up with a case of red wine and Go Take A NAPA (please enjoy my brief vid)!

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“And whom should Persuasion summon;
Here, to soothe the sting of your passion this time?

Give me All I long for, [THE NOMINATION]
In all my battles, Fight as my comrade” (1)

Sappho, an ancient Greek poet from sometime between 630 BC and 612 BC, possessed a unique freedom to express her thoughts and cares and live as she wanted to. It’s only in the last hundred or so years that women of Western cultures could ‘boast’ that kind of freedom.

In a masculine world in which females are generally presented as suffering and often guilty victims of tragedy and emotion, it is refreshing (and empowering!) to have Hillary Clinton standing for us now.

Strong women are the definition of humanity – - they have SENSE and sensuality. Yes, I may be a bitch and a tease, but as Sheryl Crow once professed, a goddess on my knees.

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New York City— Sorry Louboutin I abandoned your 5″ sexy spikes this evening for an equally chic, but a bit more comfy 4.5″ patent pair of Jimmy Choo booties. A capacity-filling crowd wrapped around 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan and stood anxiously (some, for nearly 1.5 hours) to pass through the gates into Radio City Music Hall. Despite the wait, the mood was boisterous and the company an eclectic mix from NYC and beyond— young, old, men, women, gay and straight folks all showed up to sing along with Elton John and more importantly chant: HILL-AR-Y!!!

The evening began with some rah rah’s from Terry Mc. followed by Bill and Hill who warmly addressed the whooping revelers. Sir ‘Elton then took the stage besequined in tales and bejeweled in diamond studs— he proceeded to rock the house for almost two hours crooning faves like “My Song” and “Norma Jean,” and blew the roof off the place jammin’ “Rocket Man,” “Bennie and the Jets ” and “Crocodile Rock…” Natch he was singing our gal Hillary’s praises all the while. The rousing encore brought all to their feet for an apropos “I’m Still Standing.” And STILL STANDING Hillary is! You go girl!!!

By, buy from the Big Apple. I’m off to Saks they’re having and EXTRA 20% off Sale with free goodies. See you in the shoe dept. — be advised those brilliant blue Louboutins are MINE!!

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So Hillary finally canned the "strategist" who screwed up her campaign. Good for her. Hey, we’ve all hung onto screw-up friends, significant others, even employees far longer than we should have.  I won’t go into tons of inside baseball on the subject, other than to say good riddance.

But you know what makes me want to put a stiletto through someone’s forehead? A well-known progressive blogger using castration language on this story A guy named Josh Marshall who runs a (usually) kick-ass political blog called Talking Points Memo titles his story, "Full Firing? Or just gelded?"

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