Bloomberg is out but Nader is in

National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation for the week of February 25th, 2008.

2/26/08

Opens with a discussion of the hope versus experience debate going on between Obama and Hillary, and ask, are we focusing to much on personality and not on issues. The host them invites listeners to call in and tell their most important issue and how they feel on that issue. Health care is the first issue they discuss, and the difference between them, differentiating between the two plans is Clinton’s mandates, and Obama’s lack of them except for children. They mention most health care economist believe in Clinton’s, and then how the two candidates have attacked each other on these issues. They discuss Clinton’s flip-flops on Iraq. They go on to discuss issues of foreign and domestic policy and how the two candidates are growing closer together on a variety of issues.

Politico.com's Playbook TV with James Kotecki for the week of February 25th, 2008.

2/25/08

Ralph Nader is running again! Obama called Nader heroic, Hillary hoped his run would be nothing more then a passing fancy. Nader said only he had the backbone to make sure Republicans don’t win. As Kotecki pointed out, given his past success it’s a surprise Nader doesn’t run every time he can, oh wait, he does.

Obama calls Republicans who support him “Obamakins,” Kotecki has a field day making fun of the label possibilities with Obama-martial law and Obama-rama.

Lastly Chuck Hagel has not yet endorsed John McCain. There is speculation he might run on the bottom half of an Independent Bloomberg ticket. To which Kotecki then suggest Ralph Nader might need a running mate.

As a finishing note Kotecki pumps stories on Politico.com pointing out the obvious that racist and sexist attacks from Republicans might not be effective. And when signing off, Kotecki promises to always to take it to the Obam-maximum.

2/28/08
Synopsis:
Michael Bloomberg decides not to run, and it is compared to the loss of the planet Alderan in Star Wars for east coast yuppies.

The second story is the use of Barak Obama’s middle name of Hussain by the Tennessee Republican Party in press release about Obama and Israel, This did not go over well with the Republican National Committee, who promised a public rebuke if it happened again, while the Tennessee party stood by its words and said they had a duty to inform the Republican base.

Super delegate and Georgia Congressman John Lewis has switched his allegiance from Hillary to Obama, saying he wanted to be on the side of the people. But seriously, who wants to be on the wrong side of history Kotecki asks. Lastly the teaser for next show is a story about Hillary’s plan to cut child poverty.

Notes:

While covering the election from several standpoints, Obama does lead this week, with his story about the use of his middle name and the super delegate switch, in fact the only direct mention of Hillary Clinton as separate from Obama is the last three seconds of the show with the teaser for next time.