jasonxctf

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uui...8EE1E9062F808C8 'Renegade' CliffsNotes By: Jonathan Martin June 2, 2009 12:22 AM EST The flood of books devoted to the 2008 campaign and President Barack Obama begins in earnest this week with the release of “Renegade, The Making of a President,” by former Newsweek reporter Richard Wolffe. Wolffe’s account of the Obama campaign isn’t to be officially released until Tuesday, but POLITICO obtained a copy earlier this week. Herewith are some of the book’s most fascinating nuggets: No Shrum Moment: Before the election had been called, but when it looked promising for Obama the then-candidate called his top adviser, David Axelrod. “What’s going on?” Obama asked. “Look, I’m not going to say congratulations yet, but boy, it looks awfully good,” Axelrod replied. Axelrod, Wolffe notes, wanted to avoid a repeat of 2004, when John Kerry’s top adviser, Bob Shrum, told the Massachusetts senator prematurely on election night that he wanted to be the first to say, “Mr. President.” Pritzker Veers Off-Message (A little): The impressive fundraising Obama demonstrated in 2007 was largely a result of the usual high-dollar contributors – not the small-dollar donors the campaign liked to hold up to the press. “It wasn’t the Internet,” admitted Penny Pritzker, Obama’s national finance chair. Talking To Himself: The revamped stump speech Obama gave to Iowa Democrats at their Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in November of 2007 was borne out of a speech Obama scribe Jon Favreau had written for the candidate earlier that month in South Carolina. Favreau trimmed the original version and sent it to Obama who had to memorize it for what became a pivotal moment leading up to the Iowa caucuses. Aides were concerned that Obama was not prepared to give the speech, but he largely got it right on his first run-through a day before the dinner. The Politico 44 Story Widget Requires Adobe Flash Player. “None of Obama’s aides knew that the candidate had been rehearsing in his Des Moines hotel room all week,” Wolffe writes. [Press secretary Robert] Gibbs had walked by his room a couple of times, heard a loud television behind the door, and wondered what was going on. Obama had turned the volume up to practice the speech to himself, out of sight and earshot of even his closest staff.” Michelle As Strategist: The morning after Obama lost the early-March Ohio and Texas primaries, campaign manager David Plouffe suffered through an uncomfortable car ride with the candidate and his wife, Michelle Obama. The future first lady, writes Wolffe, “threatened not to return to the campaign trail until they had come up with a new strategy.” Says Plouffe: “I think she was pissed at both of us.” A Rev. Wright Sit-down: After Obama gave his race speech in Philadelphia primary but before his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, would make his now-infamous appearance at the National Press Club, the candidate went to Chicago to meet with Wright. Obama was trying to dissuade Wright from a “comeback tour” and told his former pastor to expect a “media circus” if he reemerged. Wright, Wolffe writes, wanted to tell his side of the story and felt like he was “the aggrieved party.” Tough Words For Bill Clinton: His wife is now Obama’s secretary of state, but Obama had some tough words for the actions of former President Bill Clinton during the campaign. “We had to figure out how to deal with a former president who was just lying, engaging in bald-faced lies,” Obama explained to Wolffe. When the then-candidate was asked if Clinton got in his head, he replied: “Yes, but I got into his.” Later, when considering who to name as his running mate, Obama told aides that if Hillary Clinton would help politically she ought to be considered. “But I’m concerned about Bill Clinton being a loose cannon,” Obama said, according to Wolffe. Joe Biden Wants His Damn Calls Returned When Sen. John McCain wouldn’t return the phone calls of Sen. Joe Biden, the never-subtle Delawarean sought out his longtime colleague. In New York City with Obama and McCain where the two were both appearing at a public service event on the anniversary of 9/11, Biden was rebuffed by McCain’s aides backstage when he asked to see the GOP nominee. So, Wolffe writes, Biden went to McCain’s green room door and knocked. “’John McCain,’ he shouted, according to Wolffe. “'It’s Joe Biden. The next time I phone you, take the damn call.’” Rendell Drinks The Obama Kool-Aid — Literally After Obama locked up the nomination, Pennsylvania Gov. and ardent Clinton supporter Ed Rendell got a note from an Obama supporter attached to a can of Kool-Aid telling him to drink up. So the next day at a Philadephla fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, the ever-demonstrative governor poured it into a glass of water and proclaimed: "Now I feel that Senator Obama is the most wonderful person ever to have lived in the United States of America. The smartest, most sensitive most decent and honorable man. Now I understand what you guys have been feeling for the last six months." “The Old Man”: Plouffe told Wolffe that they never considered going after the 72-year-old McCain on his age, but the author notes that some in Obama’s high command enjoyed references to the GOP nominee’s age and one staffer had a nickname for the Republican: “the old man.”

goodbye Corky Miller. Shame about the #15 pick (1st round) from 2005. what pitcher gets called up from AAA to replace Broadway?

making the best team you can from ex-Whitesox'ers. Not as easy as in years past. No backup catchers available. Who did I miss??? 1. (SS) Orlando Cabrera .240, 2HR, 16RBI 2. (CF) Aaron Rowand .279, 5HR, 22RBI 3. (RF) Magglio Ordonez .263, 2HR, 19RBI 4. (LF) Carlos Lee .316, 8HR, 29RBI 5. (3B) Joe Crede .240 9HR, 22RBI 6. (DH) Ken Griffey Jr .218, 5HR, 12RBI 7. (Ca) Miguel Olivo .235, 3HR, 13RBI 8. (1B) Ross Gload .274 1HR, 8RBI 9. (2B) Juan Uribe .304 0HR, 7RBI Bench IF/OF Geoff Blum .266, 1HR, 15RBI 1B/OF Nick Swisher .223 9HR 27RBI OF Ryan Sweeney .246, 2HR, 13RBI (beats out Chris Young .169, 3HR, 10RBI) IF/OF Willie Harris .261 1HR, 9RBI SP Javy Vazquez 4-4, 3.80ERA SP Jon Garland 4-3, 4.70ERA SP Brandon McCarthy 4-2, 4.67ERA SP Kip Wells 0-2 6.35ERA SP Nick Massat 2-0, 1.15ERA LRP Scott Eyre 0-1 3.48ERA LRP Damaso Marte 0-1 15.19ERA RP Matt Guerrier 1-0, 3.75ERA RP Bobby Howry 0-2, 4.00ERA RP Luis Vizcaino 1-2, 1.80ERA RP Jon Rauch 0-0, 6.86ERA CP David Aardsma 1-1, 1.19ERA 6SV

now you've obviously said by the all star break, however lets take a big look at this. 14 games left versus Detroit including 6 of the last 9 games of the season. Can the Sox go 10-4 verus Detroit? If so, then there's your division lead.

also left handers have faired much better than right handers vs Santana career wise.. LH= .257AVG 1.40WHIP RH= .254AVG 1.20WHIP

QUOTE (TitoMB345 @ May 25, 2009 -> 10:11 PM) I love it when we bench the player with the second highest average on the team, and the second highest OBP. Gotta f***ing love it! just a guess BA hasn't seen Santana much in his limited career. I think only 2AB's... now he did hit one of the 2AB's out of the park, 3 years ago. Scotty Pods has seen Santana a bunch in his career, not a lot of hits, but a bunch of walks. (OBP= .375)

QUOTE (tommy @ May 22, 2009 -> 06:52 AM) (Not sure how we feel about Betemit's glove at this point) i know how i feel about Betemit's glove...

im wondering how this seasons moves (McDougal, Owens, Floyd extension, etc) change the landscape?

QUOTE (TitoMB345 @ May 21, 2009 -> 07:59 PM) Betemit is trash. Please get rid. ditto

is Clayton in the dugout?

If you are against abortion...don't have one. Teach your kids that abstinence/contraception is the way to go. You can only control what you can control...and you can't control everyone.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 18, 2009 -> 07:51 PM) Couldn't disagree more when facing a RHP. Hell, Betemit's one of our 5 best hitters against RHP, it's just he'll never get a chance. Doubles hitters are bad, I know. i think the reason why Wilson isnt starting is due to defense. When you are only scoring 2-3 runs per game, if lucky, you can't afford to give up another 1-2 in the field at the same time.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 13, 2009 -> 04:34 PM) I want to know why the Republicans can't be "classy" and disagree with Obama on his policies without bringing the debate down to a 3 year old level. I'm ready for the GOP to just start calling Obama a stupid nose picker. That makes about as much sense as this (and i'm someone who DOES believe Obama is moving this country in a socialist direction - way too much government involvement in the private sector). If I were leading the Republican party I'd be hitting the American people with future projections of what Obama and the Dem leadership have signed into law and what they eventually plan to sign into law. There's nothing they can do right now to combat Obama...everyone in the country is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Until we're at a point where the GOP can show X policy was a failure, and harmful to the country, they're not going to get anywhere with name calling. And anyone else tired of the "liberals" basically mocking the GOP for this (among everything else they do), all while a mere 5 years ago the Dems were doing the exact same thing? Yeah, so there wasn't an official meeting/resolution/memo regarding party directives, but please, like the Dem leadership didn't come up with their "the GOP are stupid hick gay hating cowboys" ad campaigns? Or, instead of talking about issues, lets talk about how Bush can't finish a sentence without mispeaking. Or, instead of talking about how we'd fix the country's problems, we'll just point and say "look how much they screwed up" (IMO, the main reason they lost in 2004 and why they won in 2008). The GOP is a party completely out of favor with the majority of Americans, so they're resorting to every tactic in the book. I'm pretty sure EVERY party in the same position has done the same thing. So get over it. i agree. if the Republican party wants to be successful on a nationwide level, they need to pattern themselves on the success of the Democratic party over the past 4 years. Become the party of many, not just a few. Look at where the Democrats have picked up Senate seats over the past few years... Alaska, Montana, North Carolina, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, Missouri... not necessarily hot-bed spots for Democrats. But they ran moderates and expanded the party. Pro-Life, Pro-Gun Democrats won. Unless the Republicans start following the same model in Liberal states, they'll be in the minority for a long, long time. Plus attacking a very, very popular President wont accomplish anything.

i wonder about two things, when it comes to the hitters/hitting coaches. 1) Who scouts these opposing pitchers in the minors? It seems like whenever a guy is making his big league debut, or first outing against the Sox, he dominates. Are the guys getting bad info on the pitcher, are they getting no information??? 2) Whenever the Sox fall behind early, it seems like they pack it in. No motivation or drive. Fall behind 4-0 in the 5th, and you see guys either swinging for the fences, first pitch swinging constantly or dogging the run to first base. No one wants to work a count or hustle.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 13, 2009 -> 06:33 PM) KW said he would steal 40 bases this season, the only thing he's stealing is $402,000. That's the best joke I've heard all week. Well done.

gotta protect JD

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:45 AM) 10 singles? 4 of which he turned into doubles.

and by the way, since joining Seattle's AAA team, Owens is 10/29 with 3RBI's, 4SB's, 0CS and a .406OBP.

now in all honesty, do people here actually believe that Lillibridge is better than Jerry Owens?

how many errors by Wilson today... 1, 2???

Tonight's Lineup Getz 4, Fields 5, Quentin 7, Thome dh, Dye 9, Konerko 3, Pierzynski 2, Nix 6, Pods 8. Buehrle pitching.

unless he's DH'ing, Betemit has no business in this lineup... which is sad.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 4, 2009 -> 06:19 PM) The funny part is that he was teaching her how to spit. Is that right? Shouldn't he be teaching her how to swallow? that lesson had already been taught and tested.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Apr 30, 2009 -> 07:20 PM) ^^^^^^^^^^^ Slayer is awesome... and probably gonna start "slayin" that. already did..... twice

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 30, 2009 -> 07:28 PM) "The entire bat. Bull crap. Let me go get my camera." i missed that one, love it.