Hillary parses, painfully; Rudy misleads, mathematically

Hillary squirms on Gov. Spitzer's driver's-licenses- for-illegals plan, which "makes a lot of sense" but isn't "the best thing for any governor to do." P.S., she says she "did not say that it should be done." Later, Clinton guru Mark Penn says the plan is "a good idea." Well, at least they have advanced licenses to spin.

That self-inflicted wound was bad enough. Instead of getting out the gauze and Bactine, operatives make things worse - issuing a muddled clarification statement and suggesting moderator Tim Russert was unfair, and meanie male opponents were piling on the damsel in distress.

Hil's other debate dodge could hurt, too. She sidesteps whether key records from the Bill Clinton years should be released before the election. The only upside: sleepy Obama can't even hit that fat pitch out of the park.

The 1.4-million-member AFSCME, America's largest public workers union, backs Hillary. Those nurses, bus drivers, child care providers, custodians and librarians will be ground troops in the early primary battles.

Rudy releases an ad claiming he might have died of prostate cancer if he were in the U.K.'s government-run health system, because the U.S. survival rate is 82% to the U.K.'s 44%. Wrong. Outcomes are closer than that, and a comparison isn't apt because we screen so much, catching cases that aren't life-threatening in the first place.

Though Hil is the No. 1 target in the Dem debate, Rudy's a close second. If he emerges as the left wing's bogeyman, that will consolidate right-wing support. To conservatives, the enemy of my enemy just may be my nominee.

New polling by the American Research Group puts Romney up in Iowa (which we knew already), New Hampshire (which was close), and South Carolina (where Giuliani had been ahead). The triple-whammy would cripple Rudy.

Snagging the support of former FEMA head Joe Allbaugh is a blessing, reinforcing the image of Rudy as a great leader in times of crisis. But snagging the support of key Bush confidant Joe Allbaugh when the President's approval is in the basement could be a curse.

Actually the comparison is very apt because that screening is part of the overall health care plan. If the Brits don't screen as much it is because the NHS has decided that it is too expensive to screen people and to try to save their lives from cancer.

operatives make things worse - issuing a muddled clarification statement and suggesting moderator Tim Russert was unfair, and meanie male opponents were piling on the damsel in distress.

Suggested that he was unfair and stating that he "should be shot". Nice to know that so many libs support a group of people who see political assassination of ~~opponents~~ supporters who aren't fervent enough is proper political action.

Outcomes are closer than that, and a comparison isn't apt because we screen so much, catching cases that aren't life-threatening in the first place.

This is an idiotic statement. Any case of prostate cancer is potentially life-threatening. The only reason the cases referred to here are not life threatening is because early detection catches them when curable.

It appears that there is a legitimate debate as to the survival figures. The Rudy campaign did have a credible source for the number it used. It was not made up.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.