Breaking News***Mayor McCheese endorses Big Macs for a healthy diet.  

"Lanny says he believes Hillary gives Obama the best chance of winning the nomination."  Lanny, he's already GOT the nomination.  What else you got to offer?

Lanny is not going to get what he wants. Putting Hillary on the ticket is a very bad idea and Obama just is not going to do it.

An Open Letter to Senator Hillary Clinton

Dear Senator Clinton:

I was proud to serve under President Clinton as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. No one in history did more to increase the diversity of the ranks of United States Attorneys than Bill Clinton. More African American US Attorneys served at one time during President Clinton's administration, (more than a dozen and probably twenty over the course of the administration) than under any previous administration. Moreover, President Clinton's administration took into account the views of this extraordinary group of African American United States Attorneys on some of the most important issues affecting the African American community, including the crack cocaine / powder cocaine enforcement disparity, crime prevention initiatives and civil rights enforcement issues, with specific focus on the rash of arsons against predominantly African American churches that occurred during his term in office. He appointed an outstanding African American Chief of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, Deval Patrick, who now serves as Governor of Massachusetts. He appointed another talented African American lawyer, Jim Johnson, to oversee the law enforcement agencies that serve the Treasury Department. Finally, he appointed Eric Holder Deputy Attorney General of the United States.

It is against the backdrop of these extraordinary contributions to the African American community by President Clinton that I have witnessed your campaign for the Democratic nomination. In my view it is the most racially divisive since the Willie Horton gambit executed by the father of our current President. Stripped to its essence, the theme of your campaign has been that America is not ready to elect a Black President. Assuming that this were the current reality, it is the hallmark of great leadership that such realities are not accepted, but rather changed. You have been a partner at a deep south law firm. If a major client of your firm expressed a disinclination to have a Black associate assigned to their case, would you have championed the cause of your well-qualified associate and encouraged your client to accept him, or would you acquiessed in your clients have  racist refusal to accept his services?

I believe that it is absolutely appropriate for you to stress those aspects of your experience, talent or judgment that you believe separates you from Senator Obama and makes you a better candidate for President. But the fact that you do not draw the line at using race as a distinguishing factor - the fact that you have not affirmatively declared - "America may not be ready for an African American president, just as they have not in the past been ready for a Catholic, or a woman - but we are going to have a conversation with the American people that gets them ready" - the fact that you cannot place this important principle ahead of your personal ambition is profoundly disappointing at the very least.

I have favored the candidacy of Barack Obama because I do believe that he offers the opportunity for transformative leadership. The fact that this extraordinary individual could be a living symbol of America's readiness to embrace a racial or ethnic minority as its President is a factor as well. That said, until about eight weeks ago, my support of Senator Obama did not signify any rejection of you, Senator Clinton. That has changed.

You are running out of time to demonstrate that your recent conduct is merely the result of being exposed to the vapors of the election "silly season." In my view, your standing as a leader of the Democratic party and our nation is at stake.

Zachary W. Carter

Former United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York

Hillary as VP is a very bad idea for both. His supporters will piss on her day and night. Whatever is bad in his campaign or administration will be her fault. Whatever is bad will be his merit.

Her best bet is to give up, neither accept nor seek the VP position, and wait for 2012 or later.

An Open Letter to Senator Hillary Clinton

Dear Senator Clinton:

I was proud to serve under President Clinton as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. No one in history did more to increase the diversity of the ranks of United States Attorneys than Bill Clinton. More African American US Attorneys served at one time during President Clinton's administration, (more than a dozen and probably twenty over the course of the administration) than under any previous administration. Moreover, President Clinton's administration took into account the views of this extraordinary group of African American United States Attorneys on some of the most important issues affecting the African American community, including the crack cocaine / powder cocaine enforcement disparity, crime prevention initiatives and civil rights enforcement issues, with specific focus on the rash of arsons against predominantly African American churches that occurred during his term in office. He appointed an outstanding African American Chief of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, Deval Patrick, who now serves as Governor of Massachusetts. He appointed another talented African American lawyer, Jim Johnson, to oversee the law enforcement agencies that serve the Treasury Department. Finally, he appointed Eric Holder Deputy Attorney General of the United States.

It is against the backdrop of these extraordinary contributions to the African American community by President Clinton that I have witnessed your campaign for the Democratic nomination. In my view it is the most racially divisive since the Willie Horton gambit executed by the father of our current President. Stripped to its essence, the theme of your campaign has been that America is not ready to elect a Black President. Assuming that this were the current reality, it is the hallmark of great leadership that such realities are not accepted, but rather changed. You have been a partner at a deep south law firm. If a major client of your firm expressed a disinclination to have a Black associate assigned to their case, would you have championed the cause of your well-qualified associate and encouraged your client to accept him, or would you acquiessed in your clients have  racist refusal to accept his services?

I believe that it is absolutely appropriate for you to stress those aspects of your experience, talent or judgment that you believe separates you from Senator Obama and makes you a better candidate for President. But the fact that you do not draw the line at using race as a distinguishing factor - the fact that you have not affirmatively declared - "America may not be ready for an African American president, just as they have not in the past been ready for a Catholic, or a woman - but we are going to have a conversation with the American people that gets them ready" - the fact that you cannot place this important principle ahead of your personal ambition is profoundly disappointing at the very least.

I have favored the candidacy of Barack Obama because I do believe that he offers the opportunity for transformative leadership. The fact that this extraordinary individual could be a living symbol of America's readiness to embrace a racial or ethnic minority as its President is a factor as well. That said, until about eight weeks ago, my support of Senator Obama did not signify any rejection of you, Senator Clinton. That has changed.

You are running out of time to demonstrate that your recent conduct is merely the result of being exposed to the vapors of the election "silly season." In my view, your standing as a leader of the Democratic party and our nation is at stake.

Zachary W. Carter

Former United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York

An Open Letter to Senator Hillary Clinton

Dear Senator Clinton:

I was proud to serve under President Clinton as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. No one in history did more to increase the diversity of the ranks of United States Attorneys than Bill Clinton. More African American US Attorneys served at one time during President Clinton's administration, (more than a dozen and probably twenty over the course of the administration) than under any previous administration. Moreover, President Clinton's administration took into account the views of this extraordinary group of African American United States Attorneys on some of the most important issues affecting the African American community, including the crack cocaine / powder cocaine enforcement disparity, crime prevention initiatives and civil rights enforcement issues, with specific focus on the rash of arsons against predominantly African American churches that occurred during his term in office. He appointed an outstanding African American Chief of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, Deval Patrick, who now serves as Governor of Massachusetts. He appointed another talented African American lawyer, Jim Johnson, to oversee the law enforcement agencies that serve the Treasury Department. Finally, he appointed Eric Holder Deputy Attorney General of the United States.

It is against the backdrop of these extraordinary contributions to the African American community by President Clinton that I have witnessed your campaign for the Democratic nomination. In my view it is the most racially divisive since the Willie Horton gambit executed by the father of our current President. Stripped to its essence, the theme of your campaign has been that America is not ready to elect a Black President. Assuming that this were the current reality, it is the hallmark of great leadership that such realities are not accepted, but rather changed. You have been a partner at a deep south law firm. If a major client of your firm expressed a disinclination to have a Black associate assigned to their case, would you have championed the cause of your well-qualified associate and encouraged your client to accept him, or would you acquiessed in your client's   racist refusal to accept his services?

I believe that it is absolutely appropriate for you to stress those aspects of your experience, talent or judgment that you believe separates you from Senator Obama and makes you a better candidate for President. But the fact that you do not draw the line at using race as a distinguishing factor - the fact that you have not affirmatively declared - "America may not be ready for an African American president, just as they have not in the past been ready for a Catholic, or a woman - but we are going to have a conversation with the American people that gets them ready" - the fact that you cannot place this important principle ahead of your personal ambition is profoundly disappointing at the very least.

I have favored the candidacy of Barack Obama because I do believe that he offers the opportunity for transformative leadership. The fact that this extraordinary individual could be a living symbol of America's readiness to embrace a racial or ethnic minority as its President is a factor as well. That said, until about eight weeks ago, my support of Senator Obama did not signify any rejection of you, Senator Clinton. That has changed.

You are running out of time to demonstrate that your recent conduct is merely the result of being exposed to the vapors of the election "silly season." In my view, your standing as a leader of the Democratic party and our nation is at stake.

Zachary W. Carter

Former United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York

Sleepy- it isn't because we would "piss on her".  Why would someone want as their VP a person who said that the candidate isn't ready to be President?  That would be insane.  She dug her own political grave.  

boneill, replace "piss" with "blame her" - and the idea is the same. In any case, she is not VP material. And neither is Obama - not that this is operative, as he won. Both are too much of dominating, alpha personalities for that.

My point is that , for reasons that are very different for each of them, it is in the interest of both to not have her as a VP candidate.