Who's the better Santa Claus, Clinton or Obama?
Give Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson credit -- he's making no bones about viewing the crucial Democratic presidential primary campaign unfolding in his state as a golden opportunity to find out what's in it for his city.
Forget the experience vs. change debate. Set aside the questions of who's ready for Day One in the White House or who's best able to turn the page in Washington. Here's what Jackson wants to know from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama: Which one of you can deliver the goods for me?
Specifically, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported last week, he sent to each his "wish list" for $6.3 billion in federal aid over five years for Cuyahoga County (which Cleveland dominates).
Jackson, a longtime and influential member of the Cleveland City Council who was elected mayor in 2005, hasn't yet endorsed in the primary -- a contest in which his municipality happens to offer the richest lode of delegates.
He's been coy about who might get his backing. But you can bet he didn't send off his proposals as a theoretical exercise.
-- Don Frederick
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Posted by Don Frederick on February 18, 2008 in Democratic Politics , Domestic policy , Endorsements , Ohio , Presidential Campaign | Permalink
Don Frederick has served as an editor helping guide coverage of every presidential election since 1984. He is a third-generation Washingtonian, so watching the political world comes naturally to him.
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000.
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Sounds like Jackson got confused with the meaning of the song at the end of Obama's rallies: Signed, Dealed, Delivered. A $6.3 billion wish list calls for a different song: Return to Sender.
Team Clinton will have to speak for themselves, but I expect it would be something along the lines of: Maybe, Baby. (Although the amount makes me think of Viva Las Vegas.)
Posted by: Tom J | February 18, 2008 at 08:58 AM