Baron’s Non-Endorsement Endorsement Tour for the Obamassiah Continues
My illustrious congressman was in New Albany Friday with Senator Dick Durban for a town meeting, according to the blog of LEO (Louisville’s alternative newspaper, owned by their illustrious Congressman John Yarmuth)
Baron Hill, Dick Durbin town hall in New Albany Friday
U.S. Rep. Baron Hill (D-Indiana 9) and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will be at Barack Obama’s New Albany headquarters for a town hall meeting on Friday. Doors open at 11:30 and the event is set for 11:50. Obama won’t be there.
New Albany is in Indiana, y’all, which finally gets to have a say in a presidential primary. In fact, Indiana could be the last primary that matters. Or maybe Kentucky’s will fill that role.
To get there, take the Sherman Minton Bridge (Interstate 64 west) and exit like you’re going to Caesars. But turn right on Main Street instead of left, and you’ll see the HQ on the left, a few blocks past Pearl Street.
The event is open to the public. (CS)
Eric Schansberg was there, and found the contrast between Durbin’s effusive praise of the Obamassiah’s opposition to the war from the start and attacks on Hillary’s vote for it to be ironic and amusing.
Like Hillary Clinton, Baron, too you see, voted for the war.
(Read more after the leap)
New Albany Confidential has more about Baron at the Durbin’s town hall for Barack Obama:
Senator Richard “Dick” Durbin (D-IL) and our own Representative Baron Hill (D-IN) spoke at Barack Obama’s New Albany headquarters earlier today.
Sen. Durbin made a strong case for his colleague, while Rep. Hill was conspicuously careful not to say anything that might be construed as an endorsement either Obama or his opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton.
NAC also has this delightful photo of Baron speaking at the Obama event.
You can now find video of Baron Hill with Barack Obama on YouTube (courtsey of this blog):
Baron’s a tad more than three minutes in over on the left.
The audio is poor, but the exchange unfolds roughly like this.
Baron gets into the touchy-feely embrace thing with Obama, who then moves on through the crowd.
The cameraman, an Obama supporter, then approaches Baron and asks, “How’s that superdelegate pledge coming?”
“Fine,” Baron responds.
“Just fine,” he goes on to mutter, “and now you’ve got it on tape.”
Howey finally (I blogged about it last Monday) picked up on Baron introducing the Obamassiah at the Columbus rally:
HILL ATTENDED OBAMA RALLY: The appearance of U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind., in Columbus for Friday’s speech by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., caught people’s attention (Columbus Republic). Hill is one of Indiana’s 12 Democratic superdelegates but also one of five who have not publicly stated which candidate they are backing for president: Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. Members of the local and state Republican parties, and the National Republican Congressional Committee, believe Hill should announce now which candidate he supports. However, the local Democratic party chairman believes Hill should wait, and Hill is remaining tight-lipped. “We really don’t have any comment on this story,” said Katie Moreau, his press secretary. Gary Bell, Bartholomew County Democratic Party chairman, believes Hill should wait until after Indiana’s primary on May 6 to declare his support.
Right below, interestingly, a story blurb about Michelle Obama (who was never proud of this country until her hubby was running for president) saying that the Obamassiah isn’t elitist for saying that people in the Midwest “cling to religion and guns” out of “bitterness.”
Baron, of course, hasn’t exactly been seen in public much with Hillary Clinton.
He doesn’t introduce her at her rallies. He doesn’t appear at the visits being made in the area by former President Bill Clinton.
So far, Baron Hill’s campaign has taken more than $12,500 from Barack Obama.
Baron Hill has now made appearances at three (and possibly more) Obamassiah campaign events, and not one Hillary Clinton event.
Baron’s wife wore Obama t-shirts on a Congressional junket to the Pacific back earlier this year.
How much longer will this campaign two-step, this edging ever-closer to the Obamassiah continue before Baron Hill finally bites the bullet and endorses him?
And how long will it be before Baron Hill has to answer for his increasing support for, and campaign contributions from, someone that has a snobbish and elitist contempt for everyone in the Midwest, because we are all “bitter” and “cling to our guns and religion”?
Baron doesn’t seem to think that such statements matter; if he did he wouldn’t be showing up at practically every Obamassiah campaign event in the 9th District:
Superdelegates from states voting next in the Democratic primary say that Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) controversial comments on guns and religion will not cause much damage to his political standing despite an intensifying assault from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Republicans.
“I don’t sense a lot of frustration,” said Rep. Baron Hill, an uncommitted Democrat who represents a rural district in Indiana, which will hold its primary on May 6.
“People say, ‘What’s the big deal? Where’s the beef?’ ” said Hill, who added that the strongest reaction has come from members of the press. “Rank-and-file people aren’t that hyped up about it.”
Such statements reveal the shocking extent to which Baron is out of touch with the district, and even with his fellow Democrats.
In the Democrat primary on the 6th, the 9th District will almost certainly be carried by Hillary Clinton.
If you take out Bloomington and Monroe County, it will probably be carried by her two, or perhaps even three, to one.
Hoosierpundit sources inform me that various Democratic officials across the district are privately furious with Baron for his increasing support for the Obamassiah, and have told him as much.
Many have even threatened to withhold supporting him in the primary and in November if he were to endorse the Senator from Illinois.
Conversely, folks in Bloomington can’t seem to understand why Baron hasn’t already endorsed the Obamassiah; to them his continued dithering and dilatoriness borders on some sort of pro-Bush treason.
All of the 9th District awaits Baron’s decision.
Will he side with the Obamassiah (as his actions and financial contribution reports, though not yet his official words, have so strongly and repeatedly indicated), and send the entire district outside of Bloomington into a frothing rage (to say nothing of pissing off Evan Bayh, who he will need to campaign with him in his reelection bid)?
Or will he side with Hillary Clinton, thus turning volcanic anger upon him from Bloomington, depriving him of vital volunteers and contributions, and angering Lee Hamilton (who has also endorsed the Obamassiah)?
Or will he continue to sit upon the fence, inasmuch as participating in three or more Obamassiah campaign events and taking $12,500 in contributions can be construed as remaining undecided, and leave everybody mad at him?
Hoosiers want to know.
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