Gov. Ed Rendell's MTP performance

At least this morning on Meet The Press. This will be a really short diary as I'll let the video clips (all quite brief) speak for themselves.

Transcript is available now.

Gov. Ed Rendell's new brand of democracy

Gov. Rendall: Primaries count, not caucuses

Gov. Rendell: Ignore the delegate count

Rendell would still back Clinton if she loses the delegate race. How's that for democratic thinking?

At least Tom Daschle was there to bring a little sanity to the precedings.

Tom Daschle: on specious arguments

Or why Hillary Clinton is any more qualified to be president than Barack Obama. The vice-presidency offer by the Clintons is also shot down hard by Daschle in no uncertain terms as well. Daschle had about 1/3 the air time as Rendell but used it wisely to debunk the more ridiculous assertions made by Rendell.

•  Please add some text

  to make this a diary. Also for those on dial up.

  by stevej on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:47:39 AM PDT

  •  Ed has turned himself from a respected Gov.....

    into a political hack who could work for Rove and Co. anyday.  What a load a shit he was able to spew this morning.

    by rogereaton on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:54:23 AM PDT

    •  Rendell was always a hack

      He busted unions as Mayor of Philadelphia and raised money from foreign interests (and Tony Rezko actually) as Chair of the DNC. Rendell being a hack is nothing new to those of us around PA.

      by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:24:16 AM PDT

  •  I am SO embarrassed for my Commonwealth.

    I actually voted for Rendell.  I feel soiled.

    by joe pittsburgh on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:58:47 AM PDT

    •  I lived in PA in 2002

      And I voted for Bob Casey for Governor. One of the better decisions of my lifetime. I left that summer, but I am glad I am not responsible for Ed Rendell being Governor.

      by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:29:53 AM PDT

•  Tips/Flames

  I will add some text as I go, or from your own comments. For now you can make up your minds about what Rendell is saying.

  by Scarce on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:49:40 AM PDT

  •  Ed has turned himself from a respected Gov.....

    to a political hack looking for a job in a Clinton WH.  I

    by rogereaton on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:53:39 AM PDT

  •  Ed has turned himself from a respected Gov......

    into a political hack.  I could not believe the amount of total bullshit he spewed this morning, and with a straight face.  George Bush could not have done a better job of slinging hourseshit.

    by rogereaton on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:57:24 AM PDT

    •  Let's not forget Rendell has always been a hack

      And called for Gore to concede BEFORE Bush v. Gore in 2000, and he was DNC Chair then. This guy has always been a hack. Maybe he'll eat one cheesesteak too many and croak in office. Then Lt. Gov. Katerine Baker Knoll (she seriously has Alzheimer's Disease) could become Governor; the only reason she's Lt. Gov. is that Rendell chickened out when running for Governor in 2002 and didn't actually select a running mate--allowing Knoll to win in a crowded 7 person field.

      by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:28:55 AM PDT

•  Thanks for this diary

  I missed Rendell on MTP this a.m.

  WTF?

  Does he really thing people will fall for his tortured logic?
  
  
  Of course Obama will carry tradional dem states in the general election.

  Who does he think he's fooling?
  
  
  `````
  peace
  
  

  by peace voter on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:49:55 AM PDT

•  I can hardly

  bring myself to watch him I am so sick of his "anything to win" approach to a Democratic primary.  I voted for him for mayor, and I really wish we'd never let him out of the barn now.

  by huckleberry on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:51:47 AM PDT

•  I'm sad to suggest it, but

  I think Obama loyalists have to hit Rendell and hit him hard.  If he's just going to be a shill, a "non-silent"  supporter, he needs to be hit.

  BHO can't do the work, nor can anyone affiliated with BHO's campaign (look what happen to poor Powers for saying something off the record) so the rank and file supporters of BHO have to do it.

  by tmc on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:53:16 AM PDT

  •  agreed

    And if Michael Nutter decides to start actively shilling for Clinton, you can bet that he's going to wish that he didn't.

    by tbounnak on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:01:26 AM PDT

  •  I'm still upset that they didn't hit back when he

    ...Ed said white people in PA aren't going to vote for Obama

    by LoLoLaLa on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:17:13 AM PDT

  •  Yes, Rendell sucks

    And in a primary, he's not actually the kind of support you want to have. He has many, many enemies within the Pennsylvania Democratic Party (especially out west by Pittsburgh within the labor movement; the fact that Rendell doesn't support Obama is actually a plus out there). If I was Clinton, I wouldn't be giving Rendell the prominence he's getting. But hey, they hate unions too as evidenced by NAFTA. Count me as one former citizen of Pennsylvania (I live in Maryland and I'm only a few miles from the state line) who is happy that Rendell is backing Clinton.

    by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:26:54 AM PDT

•  Rendell: Wet work for Republicans since 2000

  http://www.commondreams.org/...

  Philadelphia's crackdown on free speech didn't begin with the mass arrests on Aug. 1. It started months earlier, when then-Mayor Edward G. Rendell signed a "right of first refusal" clause that gave the Republicans dibs on the major public spaces in Center City, banning protests even after the GOP had finalized its plans and there were spaces left over. To appease the Republicans, Rendell sold away the First Amendment for a mess of pottage, declaring the city off-limits to its own people.

  The city criminalized even the hard-won handful of permitted rallies. On Aug. 1, the Pennsylvania Abolitionists held a permitted anti-death penalty rally on Thomas Paine Plaza downtown. Police surrounded the demonstrators with a triple ring of troops and barricades, preventing people from going to or from the plaza. Several people were arrested for trying. For attempting to attend or leave a legal rally.

  by ben masel on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:54:27 AM PDT

  •  I love your tagline.

    My precioussssssssss

    by redstatebluegirl on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:59:42 AM PDT

  •  Let's not forget him telling Gore to concede

    Before anybody had read Bush v. Gore.

    by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:31:02 AM PDT

•  Only OH, MI, FL, Pennsylvania matter

  The United States of the Big10 and its retirees.

  Who needs America?

  by bedir than average on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:58:05 AM PDT

  •  Chinese manufacturing n/t

    by jpfdeuce on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:05:34 AM PDT

•  These statements are insane.

  If this is how they intend to frame the debate there's going to be a civil war.

  Rendell has already confirmed himself as a Hillary shill but this is beyond the pale.

  by Dartagnan on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:58:37 AM PDT

  •  I Think the Supers From All These States

    that don't matter and don't count should make their voices heard--beginning w/Mississippi on Tuesday!!!

    by serrano on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:06:05 AM PDT

•  who can we run against Rendell when he's up

  for re-election? And who can Obama help to get elected to the state legislature? It's up to us, Democratic activists in the state of Pennsylvania, to put the hammer down on  him.

  by tbounnak on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 10:59:12 AM PDT

  •  He's done. 2 terms is all he gets.

    He's in his second already.  Maybe that's why he considers himself unconstrained from spewing idiocy.

    by Dartagnan on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:01:58 AM PDT

    •  I wonder what he's been promised

      in the Clinton cabinet.

      by tbounnak on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:02:56 AM PDT

  •  if he was up for reelection it would be hopeless

    Rendell is very entrenched here, i dont know what his approval ratings are but im sure they are very high.  He would be nearly impossible to primary.

    by Garbear on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:08:24 AM PDT

  •  Next stop, Clinton WH

    Redell is angling for a VP slot or cabinet position and he plans to deliver PA as a down payment on his new job.  He is well known as a prolific fundraiser and has been carrying water for Hillary for a long time.

    Asshat.  He needs to shut up and let the citizens speak.

    by Pennsylvanian on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:15:40 AM PDT

  •  No one

    He's termed out. He may want to run for Senate in 2010. If he does, then we can get behind Auditor General Jack Wagner and cut a deal with Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. Onorato will win the Governor's primary; Wagner wants to run against him. If they unite and run as a ticket, they're unstoppable.

    by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:32:29 AM PDT

•  Ed Rendell is a shameless Clinton..

  ... Hack.  

  I’m at the point that I will never again vote for any of Clinton Congressional supporters.

  by Eloy on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:01:25 AM PDT

•  One of his early hits

  was "Concede, Gore, Concede!!!"

  by TLS66 on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:01:51 AM PDT

•  I'm not sure when it was originally written

  but they had a column by Marie Cocco (from the WaPo) in my paper today. It was all about this idiocy of how Hillary winning NY and CA means she is more electable than Barack. At one point she adds up electoral votes for NY,CA,NJ and MI for Hillary and says this doesn't include OH and FL. I think that shows how much attention Marie is giving to this race. Realistically the only way I see Hillary getting the nom is if she wins the rest, gets re-votes in FL and MI and wins those handily and she gets a huge proportion of the SD's. Barack needs to keep doing what he has been.

  by Sacramento Dem on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:04:45 AM PDT

•  For the record

  Newsweek's Howard Fineman has reported that Daschle is an advisor to Sen. Barack Obama  .... and, separately, the law firm Daschle is associated with, Alston and Byrd, is involved in representing clients in the sub-prime mortgage mess .... It would be good to see that aspect of Daschle's resume covered too ....

  by jfdunphy on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:05:09 AM PDT

  •  And how would this

    effect the absurd statements coming from Ed's mouth, Kevin Bacon notwithstanding?

    by Kab ibn al Ashraf on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:12:47 AM PDT

    •  In logic, your sentence would be considered

      a non sequitur ......
          As you know, the comment was solely restricted to Tom Daschle, in case people were unaware of his position on which candidate he favored, and whether he might have an axe to grind in the choice there-in. I personally find it interesting that Daschle seems to have some involvement, even on a policy level, with a firm with an axe to grind in the sub-prime mortgage mess, which is estimated to affect a sizeable portion of the mortgage market, and will be linked to a key economic issue--the housing market--and the rumors of a coming recession--
         Not sure what you mean by the Kevin Bacon reference ......
         

      by jfdunphy on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 02:50:53 PM PDT

•  THis isnt new for Rendell

  im sad to say that as a Pennsylvanian, none of this surprises me at all.

  hes still a brilliant politician.  If you live in Pennsylvania you know him well from all his Eagles postgame shows where he just talks football.  Everybody loves this guy, hes totally immune from any critcism.

  by Garbear on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:05:14 AM PDT

  •  You're wrong about that, some hate the guy

    Especially unions in the western part of the state and in Philadelphia. As Mayor, he busted municipal unions in Philadelphia. As Governor, he tried to bust the toll booth workers union. Unions hate Rendell, and have never backed him. AFSCME hates him so much that they endorsed Mike Fisher (R) in 2002. Every union in the state endorsed Bob Casey in the 2002 primary.

    Given that Obama's problems are with working class union members, count me as one person who is absolutely thrilled that Rendell is taking a prominent roll in the Clinton campaign. It may be the unions final chance to hand Rendell an embarrassing defeat. I hope they take it, and I'll proudly help them do it.

    by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:35:26 AM PDT

    •  i hope your right

      The thing that kills me about Rendell is how he comes off as such a "good guy".  Hes sort of hefty and jolly looking.

      I dont personally know anyone that doesnt like him, i do know some Republicans that made an exception for him in his last reelection and im certain that a lot of that has to do with his post game stuff for the Eagles.  Lynn Swan was a terrible candidate ofcourse so that helped.

      by Garbear on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 05:38:09 PM PDT

•  I know Daschle

  did pretty good against Rendell this morning. But where are the other Obama surrogates. They need to get out there and counter people like Rendell, who want to tell us that caucuses are are not "Democratic."

  We should never let up on this and never let him get away with it. I noticed that he realized what he'd said and sorta tried to get out of it this a.m. on TMP.

  I am glad that Russert pressed him on the topic. This is shameful. The writing is on the wall.

  Some in this Democratic party want to steal this election. It will be to peril of the party.

  Watch and see.

  by africa on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:09:02 AM PDT

•  Caucuses are undemocratic

  MR. RUSSERT:  Would you accept the caucus in Michigan?

  GOV. RENDELL:  No.  Caucuses are undemocratic.  That's another thing.  We talk about the superdelegates being undemocratic.  If you're a caucus, older people can't vote, older people who vote by absentee ballot.  There's no absentee ballots in a caucus.  Tim, if you're a shift worker and a lot of our workers, because they're low-income workers, are shift workers, you can't vote in a caucus.  So we want primaries.  That's the way we elect presidents.  We don't have caucuses to elect presidents in the fall.  Let's have a primary. Let's decide this.  Let's hear from the Obama campaign about a revote in Florida and Michigan.

  MR. RUSSERT:  So the Iowa caucus, the Nevada caucus were undemocratic.

  GOV. RENDELL:  Undemocratic compared to primaries, yes.

  by Scarce on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:14:10 AM PDT

  •  I'm surprised that Rendell is that ignorant

    While some caucuses are undemocratic for the reasons he gave, others are not.

    Some states allow absentee caucusing (Maine, WA)
    Some allow private voting (NewMexico)
    Some require by law the time off to vote (Nevada, WA)

    All of Rendell's points while initially valid are easily addressed through legal means.

    by bedir than average on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:17:26 AM PDT

•  I'm listening to the podcast now

  I can not BELIEVE he actually said "Well, sure" when asked if Obama can be denied the nomination even if he goes to CO ahead in delegates and popular votes

  I am sick right now

  by LoLoLaLa on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:15:56 AM PDT

  •  They're not exactly hiding what they're going

    ..to do, or at least attempt to do.

    by Scarce on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:17:44 AM PDT

  •  OMG it gets worse

    Obama doesn't deserve the nom if Hillary wins PA, TX and OH? WAAAAH???

    by LoLoLaLa on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:20:50 AM PDT

    •  Clinton doesn't deserve the nomination

      If she can't win VA, NV, CO, and MO.

      Period.

      Clinton, having lost 3 of 4, therefore doesn't deserve the nomination.

      by The Bagof Health and Politics on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:36:48 AM PDT

    •  Since she's already lost Texas

      ... that's a surprisingly weak argument for him to make.

      by Dallasdoc on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 12:07:11 PM PDT

  •  And WHY in the world would he be her VP?

    He's ahead in states won, delegates won and popular votes

    ATTN CLINTONS: Barack Obama is not going to get up and move to the back of the bus for you.

    by LoLoLaLa on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:25:46 AM PDT

•  Shameless

  Don't the Clinton folks see how much they sound like Bush/Rove/Chaney in 2000?

  Of course not, because they are all about power.  

  by AGuevara on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:20:21 AM PDT

•  Barack's experience in Illinois Senate

  I am not sure if Barack's experience as a state senator counts for much.
  There are probably 20,000 state senators in the U.S. Is 20 years in the state senate comparable to 6 years in the U.S. senate? Not really.
  The Illinois senate is pretty  corrupt, ruled by Emil Jones.

  by mattinjersey on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:55:19 AM PDT

  •  HAHAHA

    Well lets look at their US Senate Careers

    Hillary Clinton.. can anyone name even one significant piece of legislation that she authored that was passed into law?

    On the other hand we have Obama-Lugar, Obama-Coburn, etc

    The fact is Obama has done FAR MORE in his brief US Senate time than HRC has done in her entire career

    by Capt Morgan on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 12:33:48 PM PDT

•  when you look up

  the word "politician" in the dictionary, you see Rendell. He cannonballs shirtless into public pools, does commentary on Eagles' games, and doesn't seem to have met a cheesesteak he didn't like. He's larger than life. Bashing Rendell for the purpose of bashing him because he's supporting Clinton is a fool's errand.

  However, it's certainly possible to ignore him. He puts his foot in his mouth, and while lots of people like him, I don't think anyone fears him.

  by JMS on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 12:29:52 PM PDT