Send Hillary $50: She'll Send You This T-Shirt With A Slogan Borrowed From Budweiser

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- Today she started hawking t-shirts for $50 each. Hillary needs $20 million or so to pay off her campaign debt. It will take more than a village. About 400,000 of the shirts will have to be sold -- nearly the entire population of Cleveland. The shirts went up for sale today on her campaign blog, and the design reportedly was picked from 5,000 entries. The slogan seems to echo the Anheuser-Busch beer commercial: "This Bud's For You." No word about who manufactures the tees. Union made in the USA? Imported from China?

Here's what Hillary says:

"In May, Chelsea announced our 'Project T-Shirt' contest, and I never imagined we would have such an outpouring of support and great designs. We received almost five thousand amazing entries, and more than 125,000 of you voted for your favorite design. While the primary race may be over, I think the winning t-shirt -- and it won by a landslide -- still makes a wonderful statement about everything you and I accomplished in this historic race and our determination to keep fighting for what we believe in. If you contribute $50 today you'll get a t-shirt with the winning design and continue to help me pay down our campaign debt."

TV Ringmaster Jerry Springer: He Says Hillary Should Be Obama's Veep

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Cincinnati Mayor Jerry Springer, whose TV show in Chicago is to culture what cutoffs are to couture, popped up on MSNBC Tuesday as a political analyst pushing Hillary Clinton for vice president: "The only conceivable reason she's not selected . . . is because Obama can't handle her."

Springer is a Democrat whose show is famously uncouth, a fact that MSNBC host Dan Abrams overlooked. Instead, Springer was portrayed as a radio talk show host. What? For a time, Springer was a radio talk show host. But his stint on Air America in Ohio ended with low ratings. Before he became a national figure, he was a local TV anchorman and commentator in Cincinnati, where he was a City Councilman and the mayor. But he's best known as a broadcast raunchmaster non pareil. Still, back home in Cincinnati Springer is seen as someone with impeccable political instincts. And Springer says that Obama should pick Hillary because she is the only and obvious choice. He says she got the votes from Democrats in the primaries.

"The people have decided, the people have voted . . . The people have decided."

Springer contends that Obama, if he passes on Hillary because he "can't handle her," instantly diminishes his presidential prospects. His take: If he can't handle her, he can't be the leader of the Free World.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland: Obama Is My Guy

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- With the primaries over and his gal Hillary finally out of the Democratic presidential race, Ohio's guv says that Barack Obama has his "wholehearted and and enthusiastic support" from today forward. Strickland comes late to the Barack bandwagon. He never deserted Clinton, his friend, until he was sure the New York senator was completely out of the race. The governor released his statement through the Ohio Democratic Party:

"Earlier today I talked with Sen. Hillary Clinton. I thanked her for her friendship and the strong effort she put forth in this historic campaign. I pledged wot work with her to unify the party and to make sure that Barack Obama wins the presidency. Ohioans have suffered as a result of the failed policies of the Bush Administration, including job loss as a result of rising fuel prices. Ohioans desperately want real, meaningful change. And I believe that Barack Obama will bring that change."

Ohio Democratic Party Is Now Selling Obama Gear: Official Online Store Taking Orders

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- There doesn't seem to be any Hillary Clinton merchandise available today except for a couple of campaign buttons that are leftovers from a state fundraising dinner sponsored by the ODP. And the online store says it all -- the grueling nomination contest is finally finished. One of the campaign buttons still for sale displays a face shot of Hillary's top Ohio backer, Gov. Ted Strickland, alongside her mug. It makes it look like they were running on the same ticket. (Grab one as a collectible?) But she's dropping out of the presidential campaign Saturday, and a Clinton-Strickland ticket turns out to be pure fantasy. By fall, Obama merchandise will be flooding the state party's online store. Hope that it all is made in the USA.

Hillary Is Desperate: Plays Up Endorsement From Paul Patton, Kentucky's Playboy Ex-Governor

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Hillary is playing up an endorsement from former Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton. He is not a paragon of virtue. Patton abandoned plans for a 2004 Senate race against Republican Jim Bunning because he was caught in a sex scandal. He had a mistress who broke off their two-year relationship, then claimed the governor sicced state inspectors on her nursing home operation. Patton's nickname became "Paul Pattin' Her on the Ass." His wife, Judy, was humiliated when the governor admitted his extramarital affair. Here's the Clinton campaign's press release about the endorsement from the playboy governor:

"After a landslide victory in West Virginia, the Clinton Campaign today announced that former Kentucky Governors Wendell Ford, Paul Patton, John Brown, and Julian Carroll are endorsing Hillary for President. The endorsements demonstrate the widespread support Hillary continues to receive throughout the Bluegrass State."

There is quite a bit of history about l'affaire Patton on this New York Times site that indexed stories about events as they unfolded in the Bluegrass State. Hillary knows a bit about roving and roguish husbands, and it is a bit of a surprise to see her snuggling up to Patton. He's Kentucky's version of Ohio's Marc Dann and New York's Eliott Spitzer.

Hillary Now Vowing A Convention Floor Fight: Demanding Michigan And Florida Delegates

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland could get stuck in the middle of this big nasty. He's backing Hillary over Obama, and the New York senator is now threatening to wage a floor fight at the Democratic National Convention for Michigan and Florida delegates. Here's Hillary:

"I have no intention of stopping until we finish what we started and until we see what happens over the next 10 contests and until we resolve Florida and Michigan. And if we don't resolve it, we'll settle it at the convention -- that's what credentials committees are for. We cannot go forward until Florida and Michigan are taken care of, otherwise the eventual nominee will not have the legitimacy that I think will haunt us. I can imagine the ads the Republican Party and John McCain will run if we can't figure out how we can count the votes in Michigan and Florida."

The Washington Post has the story. A floor fight over seating delegates in Denver would make for riveting and dramatic political TV. Would there be a revolt against the DNC? Americans haven't witnessed a largely unscripted nominating convention since 1972, when George McGovern took the nomination in Miami Beach, and that was bland by comparison to what might be brewing. If Hillary and Obama square off, there would be backroom maneuvering, wheels, deals, strategy, arm twists, sneaky pete-ing espionage and kingmakers. Inquiring minds are wondering: Would it be Katrina for the Democratic Party's November chances?

Ted Kennedy's CHIP Shot At Hillary: Shrugs Off Her Major Role In Children's Health Care

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ted Kennedy -- now backing Sen. Barack Obama -- refused to laud Hillary's signifance as an advocate for the Children's Health Insurance Program inside the Clinton White House. It looks like a political stab in the back. Health care is her signature issue. And previously, Kennedy had been full of praise. Just five months ago, he told the Associated Press:

"The children's health program wouldn't be in existence today if we didn't have Hillary pushing for it from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue."

And in July 1997, Sen. Kennedy told a Congressional press briefing:

". . . we pay tribute to Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton has made the issue of children's health and well-being her really first priority in this country, and she was of invaluable help, both in the fashioning and shaping or the program, and also as a clear advocate, in terms of having an effective outcome, during the discussion and debate on the children's health issue"

Without knocking Kennedy by name, the Clinton campaign put out a statement that complained, "Individuals who oppose Hillary Clinton's candidacy for president but previously lauded her role in helping create SCHIP are now belittling her involvement." Factcheck.org now is reporting that Hillary played a significant role in 1997, and that Kennedy relied on her influence at the White House to marshal support for CHIP.

Bill Cunningham's Talk Radio Ruse: Voted Republican In Ohio, Faked Hillary Support

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Righty radio talker Bill Cunningham got the national publicity he wanted -- he was all over FOX News and the cable channels the week before Ohio's presidential primary. But Hillary Clinton didn't get his vote.

The Daily Bellwether today checked precinct records from Ohio's March 4 presidential primary and discovered Cunningham's much ballyhooed endorsement of the Democratic New York senator turned out to be pure poppycock. Or a ratings ploy. Or a political stunt. Cunningham was not among the thousands of crossovers last week. The conservative talk show host pulled a Republican ballot in Sycamore "W," when he voted at the St.Paul United Methodist Church in suburban Cincinnati. His feud with GOP presidential candidate John McCain now has the aroma of a hoax.

Cunningham on Feb. 26 warmed up a crowd for a McCain rally in Cincinnati and used language that accused Democrat Barack Obama of being tied to Chicago corruption. He also repeatedly used the Illinois senator's full name -- Barack Hussein Obama. McCain apologized for Cunningham's behavior. The talk show host then was all over the airwaves ripping McCain and proclaiming his support for Clinton. On Hannity & Colmes, Cunningham said:

"I'm going to follow the lead of Ann Coulter. I've had it with John McCain. I'm going to endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for president because she would do a better job in the Oval Office, I think, than the liberal John McCain. I'm done with him."

On his own WLW-AM, 700 talk show, Cunningham said of McCain:

"He just threw me under the bus to the national media. I've had it with McCain. I'm going to endorse Hillary Clinton. I'm going to throw my support behind Hillary Clinton."

On CNN:

"McCain should lose this election and let the Democrats win. . . I've had it with John McCain. He's off the list. I'm joining Ann Coulter and supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton."

There's more here about his fervor for Hillary ahead of primary day. But the whole thing now looks fake. Immediately after McCain apologized last month, there was speculation that the olive branch for Cunningham's conduct was feigned. There was suspicion it was a staged event to portray the Arizona senator as a principled candidate who wanted to take the high road as he campaigned for president. McCain may have meant what he said. But it seems clear from the voting records that Cunningham was just hustling headlines and attention for himself.

Obama's Skin Turns Darker In Hillary's Attack Ad: Was Cleveland Debate Clip Doctored?

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- A conspiracy theory beginning to billow involves suspicion that Hillary's campaign altered a photo clip of Barack Obama to make his skin pigmentation appear more black than reality. John Aravosis at AmericaBlog created the photo montage above. It comes from Clinton's new national security ad (top picture) and MSNBC video of the debate last week at Cleveland State University. Aravosis said he made the photo montage to see if it would demonstrate any covert move to use race against Obama. And it does appear that Obama's face has changed -- like a coat of makeup has been added. Aravosis writes of his detective work:

"I did this so as to take into account any editing, or quality issues that might have accounted for Obama having darker skin in any particular video. None of the three video sources I found showed Obama nearly as black as the Hillary ad does. . . Look at his lips. Look at his eyebrows. Look at how the red MSNBC background has turned more purple. Clearly the image was darkened. The question is 'why.'

It just keeps happening again and again and again. The Clintons keep doing things, saying things, that sound awfully racist."

[UPDATE: 5:54 pm -- Buckeye State Blog, too, noticed the sleuthing by Aravosis. At BSB, the verdict is guilty of racist tactics.]

[UPDATED] 5 Primary-Eve Polls Now Show Clinton Ahead; Obama Leads Clinton In Zogby Poll Of Ohio Dems

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- [UPDATE 5:51 pm] Clinton up 6. Clinton 50, Obama 44 in the latest Ohio tracking poll by Rasmussen Reports, 858 likely Democratic voters, 3/2.

Clinton up 9. Clinton 51.3, Obama 42.3 in the latest by the University of Cincinnati's Ohio Poll, 624 probable Democratic voters, 2/28-3/2.

Clinton up 9. Clinton 51, Obama 42 in the latest by Public Policy Polling, 1112 likely Democratic voters, 3/1-3/2.

Clinton up 10. Clinton 54, Obama 44 in the latest by SurveyUSA, 873 likely and actual Ohio voters, 3/1-3/2.

It's Obama 47, Clinton 45 in the latest Zogby tracking poll. First time the Illinois senator has moved into the top slot. The poll included 761 likely voters and was conducted 2/29-3/2.

[UPDATE: 7:30 am -- Another poll being circulated today shows Hillary ahead 52 to 40 -- a 12 point advantage that is widely divergent from other recent public opinion surveys that show a close race in Ohio. The Suffolk University poll appears on the political Web site Real Clear Politics. The Suffolk poll covered 400 likely Democratic voters across the state.]

Hillary Ohio Mailer Attacks Obama: Cites $200,000 Contribution In Illinois Maytag Plant Closing

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The mailer uses a Chicago Tribune story as its source. It contends Sen. Barack Obama turned his back on union workers in Illinois whose jobs were shipped to Mexico when a Maytag appliance factory was shuttered. The mailer -- which is reprinted above -- arrived with yellow highlighting over the message that reads:

"When a Maytag plant in Obama's home state shut down, shipping jobs to Mexico for cheaper labor and devastating the surrounding community, Barack Obama refused to stand up for union workers.

It was later revealed that a large investor in the company that ran the plant had given nearly $200,000 to Obama's US Senate and presidential campaigns."

A link to the Chicago Tribune story, which appeared in print on Feb. 2, is available here. It is about Lester Crown, an Obama supporter who served on Maytag's board when the company closed a refrigerator plant in Galesburg, Ill. The factory had 1,600 workers with the International Association of Machinists, a union supporting Clinton. Maytag has since been purchased by Whirlpool Corp., which closed its former rival's headquarters in Iowa after the consolidation. The Clinton mailer is designed to play off the concerns of Ohio factory workers in a state where more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost over the past eight years. The Clinton flier began landing in the mailboxes of union households Saturday. It's the latest jab between Obama and Clinton over NAFTA, although the controversial trade agreement is not directly mentioned. Instead, Clinton contends Obama did nothing to help the workers keep "their jobs here in America."

Ohio Presidential Primary Polling Scorecard: Obama/Hillary By All The Numbers

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- [Update: 11 polls now at 8:15 a.m. March 2.] Here's the rundown on all the available recent polling in Ohio ahead of the March 4 Democratic primary. Overall, the newest polls to date show the race looks incredibly tight. Data will be updated as new results are reported:

March 2: Clinton up 16. Clinton 56, Obama 40. Columbus Dispatch, 2,308 registered Democrats surveyed by mail, 2/21-2/29. This is a quirky poll. No other recent polls show a double-digit Clinton lead. And The Dispatch poll suggests Obama will lose Ohio but still be elected president in November.

March 2: Clinton up 1. Clinton 47,Obama 46. Zogby Reuters,C-SPAN, Houston Chronicle, 746 likely voters, 2/28-3/1. Obama holding in the Cleveland area; Hillary leads in Cincinnati area.

March 2: Clinton up 7. Clinton 51, Obama 44, 4% Undecided. American Research Group, 600 likely Democratic voters, 2/29-3/1. Early voters breaking for Clinton, 56-43. The early voters are expected to total 23% of ballots cast in Ohio's presidential primary.

March 1: Clinton up 4. Clinton 47, Obama 43. Mason-Dixon Polling & Research/Cleveland Plain Dealer, 625 likely Democratic voters, 2/27-2/29. This poll breaks down Ohio by the state's five regions and shows Obama leads in SW Ohio, 52-36, and Central Ohio 46-43. Hillary leads in NE Ohio, the region with the richest trove of Democrats.

March 1: Tied. Zogby Reuters/C-SPAN/Houston Chronicle, 701 likely voters. Clinton 44.8, Obama 44.8, polling 2/27-2/29. Obama trending up.

February 29: Clinton up 3. Rasmussen Reports, 862 likely Democratic voters. Clinton 47, Obama 45, polling 2/25. Clinton holding, Obama inching up.

February 29: Clinton up 5. American Research Group Inc., 600 likely Democratic voters. Clinton 50, Obama 45, polling 2/27-2/28. Clinton holding, Obama trending up. Among early voters, Clinton leads 59 to 40.

February 29: Clinton up 8. Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Research Corp., 600 likely Democratic primary voters. Clinton 46, Obama 38, 14% undecided, 2/26-2/28. Party faithful Democrats favor Clinton, 48 to 38.

February 26: Clinton up 6. SurveyUSA.com, 2,000 Ohio adults, 1,797 registered voters, 790 likely and actual voters. Clinton 50, Obama 44, 2/23-2/25. Clinton holding in greater Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, but Obama had gained overall.

February 25: Clinton up 8. University of Cincinnati Ohio Poll, 529 likely Democratic voters. Clinton 47, Obama 39, 2/21-2/24. John Edwards -- who is on the primary ballot but out of the race -- still gets support from 9% of Ohio Dems.

February 25: Clinton up 11. Quinnipiac University, Conn., 1,853 Ohio registered voters. Clinton 51, Obama 40, 2/18-2/23. Obama gaining, college-educated voters shifted his way.

Hillary On Letterman: The Snickerdoodle Tape

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The first woman with a serious shot at winning the White House has a recipe for snickerdoodle cookies. Here's the video on YouTUBE. She appeared on Letterman's show last night.

And when you go to her Web site, there really is a recipe.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland Now In Ads For Hillary: She'll Fix NAFTA And Create New Jobs

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is now up in TV and radio spots hawking Sen. Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential candidate who can best bring jobs to his economically battered state. The TV ad is low key and Strickland's voice is almost somber -- it is not a fiery, get out and vote message. Still, he has shown no sign of retreating or racheting down his efforts in the face of Sen. Barack Obama's surge past Hillary in the national polls. And Hillary's once substantial lead in Ohio is eroding. The surge seems ready to swamp Strickland's determination to keep her presidential campaign afloat.


In the ads, Strickland says she will create new jobs in Ohio and fix NAFTA. You can see the 30-second TV spot here. Here's the script Strickland uses for the radio ad:

"I've known Hillary for fifteen years, admired her since the day I met her. She's a person of deep faith, who is driven by deeply felt-values, everything she does is an effort to make life better for other people. She’s also a person who I believe understands Ohio very deeply. Hillary Clinton is the candidate who can best provide the leadership that America and Ohio needs to revitalize our economy, to bring healthcare to our people, to make education high quality and affordable for all of our children and she is most capable of bringing this war to an honorable end…What Ohioans I think need more than anything else is to have confidence that their presidents going to be working for them and Hillary Clinton is a person who will be that kind of president. She’s fighting for us."

University of Pennsylvania's FactCheck.org: Obama's Ohio NAFTA Mailer 'Indeed Misleading'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Factcheck.org today says an Obama mailer to Ohio Democrats earlier this month contained misleading information. The flier quoted Hillary describing the North American Free Trade Agreement as a "boon" to the U.S. economy. Factcheck said it has found no evidence she ever used the word boon and added, "We find that a mailer criticizing her position on trade is indeed misleading."

[UPDATE: 4:19 PM -- Pho's Norka Pages has more. Pho notes that the details of Hillary's position on NAFTA are murky at best. Clearly, Hillary was never in the front ranks of opponents, and that makes her vulnerable to NAFTA's critics in a state like Ohio, where globalization has played havoc on the state's manufcaturing jobs. In Ohio, NAFTA and trade are powerful issues, especially for blue collar Dems. NAFTA resonates with Dems like immigration among Republicans.]

Here's more from Factcheck, which is based at the University of Pennsylvania and was created to evaluate the truthfulness of political and campaign rhetoric:

"We take no position on whether NAFTA is a boon to the economy or a detriment, and note only that there are plenty of arguments on both sides. We do judge that the Obama campaign is wrong to quote Clinton as using words she never uttered, and it has produced little evidence that she ever had strong praise of any sort for NAFTA's economic benefits."

John Glenn In TV Ad For Hillary: She'll Fix NAFTA

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, the Ohio icon who was the first American to orbit the Earth, appears in a new ad for Hillary. You can watch the ad here, or read the script:

John Glenn: "Hillary and I both come from middle class families in the middle of America. As long as Annie and I have known her, Hillary's fought for working people. She'll end 55 billion dollars in giveaways to corporate special interests and invest that money to create jobs in research and innovation to rebuild the middle class.

"And Hillary will fight to change trade deals like NAFTA. She's been doing that for years. I'll be proud to call Hillary my president."

Rasmussen Today On Ohio Polling: Hillary's Double-Digit Lead Has Melted Away

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Last week, Hillary Clinton led Barack Obama by 14 points. Today, he's cut her lead to 8 points -- 48% to 40% in Ohio. The firewall could be turning into ashes. Rasmussen Reports said its telephone survey of 902 likely Democratic voters was conducted Feb. 21, and the results demonstrate the Illinois senator's growing momentum. According to the polling firm's latest Ohio data:

"Clinton leads by 20% among women. That's little changed for a week ago. However, in the previous poll, Clinton also held the advantage among men. Now, she trails Obama among male voters. Clinton does better among lower-income voters and older voters. The race, like many others in Election 2008, remains very fluid. In addition to the 12% who are undecided, another 17% of voters say they might change their mind before voting."

On Thursday, an ABC News-Washington Post poll reported Clinton leading Obama 50% to 43% in Ohio. That survey included 611 likely Ohio voters and was conducted Feb. 16-20.

Ohio Teachers Union Quizzes Obama: Did You Agree To Study Feasibility Of School Voucher Programs?

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The Ohio Federation of Teachers -- an AFL-CIO union that represents public school classroom instructors in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo -- is attempting to gin up some pre-primary controversy. The union sent Illinois Sen. Barack Obama a letter demanding to know "whether or not you support using taxpayer dollars to allow students to attend private schools." The Feb. 19 letter was prompted by an off-hand comment Obama made earlier this month during an editorial board meeting at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a comment the teachers interpret as indicating support for the use of vouchers. Over the years, Obama has been a foe of voucher programs that direct state money to cover tuition payments at private and parochial schools. Ohio has a statewide voucher program that started in Cleveland and survived a Supreme Court challenge. Republican lawmakers have supported vouchers, and Democrats have tried to kill the program -- so far without success.

Education Week has pumped the story on its blog, and has a video link to the editorial board meeting. Meanwhile, Obama has sent Education Week a letter explaining he opposes school vouchers. During his 2004 campaign for the Senate, Obama said vouchers "would blow up the public school system" by siphoning off funds to private schools. The Ohio Federation of Teachers is affiliated with the American Federation to Teachers, which has endorsed Hillary Clinton. Sue Taylor, who headed the Cincinnati union before taking over as chief of the OFT, signed the letter, along with Cleveland's David Quolke and Toledo's Kris Schwartzkopf, both political directors of their city units. The letter to Obama says:

"Our question is simple: Which of these is your position on vouchers? Will you, like President Bush, propose a federally funded voucher program? Or will you stand firm against using taxpayers' money to support private schools?"

Hillary Goes REALLY Negative: On Foreclosures, Calls Obama To The 'Right' Of Bush

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Barack Obama as a right winger? The Clinton campaign now contends the Illinois senator's plan to deal with the foreclosure crisis is worse than the White House effort:

"Sen. Obama is positioning himself to the right of President Bush. The Bush administration recently reached an agreeement with the mortgage industry to implement a limited foreclosure moratorium and a loan modification program that could result in rate freezes for at-risk borrowers. In December, the administration announced another plan that also called for a rate freeze for qualified at-risk borrowers. While this plan is not sufficient, it goes farther than Sen. Obama."

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland: Sees Bill Clinton As Future 'First Laddie' In White House

MARIETTA, Ohio (TDB) -- If a female wins the U.S. presidency, what the heck will be the courtesy term for her spouse? Ohio's governor seems to have an idea. He barnstormed around the state with Bill Clinton as the two tried to drum up support for Hillary ahead of the March 4 primary. And Ted Strickland is here on YouTUBE introducing the former president under a new title -- "First Laddie." It's a punster's play on words, of course. But it does raise a matter of linguistic uncertainty. For obvious reasons, First Lady wouldn't do the job. And phrases such as First Gentleman, First Hubby, First Spouse, First Old Man or First One just don't seem to have the right feel -- indeed "first one" opens the door to all kinds of problems. And gentleman has a double meaning in the English language. One is a person of good breeding; the other is a valet or butler or personal servant, as in "gentleman's gentleman."

Bill Clinton suggested "first laddie" last September when he was on Oprah's show. The former president was punning when he quipped:

"My Scottish friends say I should be called first laddie because it's the closest thing to first lady."

A lad is a boy or youth in England, and a laddie is a young man in Scotland. A lady is a woman of good standng or social position. In Great Britain, however, it is the proper title of a female whose husband is higher in rank than a knight or baronet, or a woman who has proprietary rights over a manor. Oliver Goldsmith, an English poet and dramatist who died in 1774, had this to say on the knack of being a gentleman:

"To make a fine gentleman, several trades are required, but chiefly a barber."