HONOLULU -- On a whirlwind trip back to Hawaii, Senator Barack Obama spent more than an hour visiting his ailing grandmother late Thursday and is set to return to her bedside on Friday morning after arriving here on a nine-hour flight from the Midwestern battleground of the presidential campaign.
As soon as he arrived on the island of Oahu, Mr. Obama went to the Punahou Circle Apartments, where his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, lies gravely ill. She is to turn 86 on Sunday, but aides to Mr. Obama said doctors advised him not to delay his visit.
It was an unusual departure from the tug-of-war of the presidential campaign, with 11 days remaining in the race. But it was a trip that advisers said he told them was not negotiable. He missed his mother’s death here in 1995, a mistake he said he did not intend to repeat with his grandmother, who has been a stalwart in his life.
The moment Mr. Obama stepped off the plane here at 7:25 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, his motorcade drove directly to the 12-story apartment building on South Beretania Street. It was a subdued arrival, with no waving to the cameras or welcoming party on the breezy airport tarmac.
Her 10th-floor apartment is located in a residential neighborhood about a mile from Waikiki Beach where Mr. Obama lived as a teenager. When the Democratic presidential nominee arrived, a group gathered outside, including several women who held a small, hand-made sign, “Best Wishes Obamas!”
On Wednesday, October 15th, I was sent this email:
Dear Retired Citizens for Obama,People for the American Way is seeking Obama supporters to interview for a TVcommercial that will be filmed THIS WEEKEND, October 17 - 19. The commercialswill be directed by Academy-award winning filmmaker Errol Morris. Our goal isto talk to people who have taken an in-depth and independent look at thecandidates, the country, and the issues most important to them, and to spreadthe word about why they decided that Barack Obama is the candidate they'llvote for.For a further description of the kinds of stories we're looking for, check outthe "Middle for Obama" Recruiting Overview below. If you think you have agreat story to tell, fill out the "Middle for Obama" Recruiting Form and sendit to MiddleForObama@gmail.com. We'll be choosing interviewees in the next fewdays, so we hope you'll get in touch as soon as you can!Thanks, and we're looking forward to hearing from you! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------THE MIDDLE FOR OBAMA Background It's clear that this year's election isn't going to be decided by the far leftor the far right. It's going to be decided by the "middle ground". EverydayAmericans who aren't 100% Republican or 100% Democrat, but who see the issueson both sides, and who believe that one way or another, change is needed. As the election draws nearer, there's an incredible phenomenon happening amongthese people "in the middle". They're realizing how important this election is, and how important their role is in its outcome. They're evaluating theissues and the candidates more closely than they have in previous elections. And in amazing numbers, they're coming to the conclusion that Barack Obama isthe candidate they're going to vote for. We're looking to capture thestories of these people on film so we can share them with others who haven'tyet fully decided who they're going to vote for. Ultimately, we see thisbeing a celebration of smart, independent-thinking, everyday Americans who aretaking this election into their own hands. Who we're looking for We are looking for formerly undecided male and female voters, of any age, whosit in the ideological "middle" of American politics, and have decided to votefor Obama. They may be Republicans, Democrats, or Independents - but theyare neither far Left, nor far Right. They represent the non-partisan,non-ideological, common-sense middle ground. They can be of any race, anyreligion, come from any state, and represent any socio-economic background. We're looking for a cross section of "people in the middle" - veterans, soccer moms, retirees, small business owners, factory workers, etc. People who arearticulate and credible and can tell the story of how they weighed all theissues and why in the end they've decided to vote for Obama.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is canceling nearly all his campaign events Thursday and Friday to visit his suddenly gravely ill 85-year-old grandmother in Hawaii, a spokesman said.
Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Obama's plane that Madelyn Payne Dunham, who helped raise Obama, was released from the hospital late last week. But he said her health had deteriorated "to the point where her situation is very serious."
Events originally planned for Madison, Wis., and Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday will be replaced by one in Indianapolis before he makes the long flight to Hawaii. On Friday, Obama's wife, Michelle, will sub for Obama at rallies in Akron and Columbus, in Ohio, said campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki. Obama was expected to resume campaigning on Saturday, at an undecided location in the West, she said.
"Sen. Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has always been one of the most important people in his life, along with his mother and his grandfather," Gibbs said. "Recently his grandmother has become ill and in the last few weeks her health has deteriorated to the point where her situation is very serious. It is for that reason that Sen. Obama has decided to change his schedule on Thursday and Friday so that he can see her and spend some time with her."
Citing the family's desire for privacy, Gibbs would not discuss the nature of Dunham's illness. It seemed likely that she was close to death, as Gibbs said that "everyone understands the decision that Sen. Obama is making." Dunham turns 86 on Sunday.
I truly believe that John McCain has lost his ever-loving mind. Now he is so desperate he is resorted to Name Calling and the fear tatics of years ago with Black Lists!
McCain: Obama a job-killing socialist Agence France-Presse First Posted 07:10:00 10/21/2008
BELTON -- John McCain warned voters Monday that his rival Barack Obama was a shifty, job-killing socialist who wasn't ready to take on the challenges facing the next US president.
Trailing in the polls with just two weeks left before the November 4 election, McCain kept up his attack on Obama's economic policies, while vowing to fight to take the country in a new direction.
The fate of small business owners was central to McCain's attack, as the Arizona senator capitalized on a recent encounter Obama had with an Ohio plumber, the now-famous Joe Wurzelbacher, who was worried he would not be able to realize his dream of owning his own business if Obama raised taxes.
"After months of campaign trail eloquence... we finally learned what Senator Obama's economic goal is. As he told Joe, he wants to 'spread the wealth around," McCain told a boisterous crowd gathered on a high school football field in Belton, Missouri.
"If I'm elected president, I won't raise taxes on anyone, especially small businesses. Senator Obama will and that will force them to cut jobs."
McCain surrounded himself with small business owners at a barbecue restaurant in Columbia, Missouri whom he called "the backbone of America's economy."
"They don't want their taxes increased," McCain told reporters. "They don't want checks given away to people that don't pay taxes because Senator Obama wants to take the money from somebody and give it to somebody else."
The tactic does not appear to be doing much to help rouse support for McCain, who was down 11 points in Gallup's national tracking poll Monday.
A poll by Suffolk University found that, while most voters in Ohio and Missouri have now heard of "Joe the Plumber," few said their vote was influenced by his story.
Only six percent of respondents in Ohio and eight percent of those in Missouri said they were more likely to vote for McCain out of concern that Obama would be increasing taxes on small businesses earning more than $250,000 a year.
I was emailed this letter this morning, October 15, 2008. I was unable to verify it; or find its source. So, I am blogging this with a bit of doubt; but still thought it was worth the read.
October 14, 2008
An Open Letter to the American People,
This year's presidential election is among the most significant in our nation's history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.
We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting him.
During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country's scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support. The government's scientific advisory process has been distorted by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. We have lost time critical for the development of new ways to provide energy, treat disease, reverse climate change, strengthen our security, and improve our economy.
We have watched Senator Obama's approach to these issues with admiration. We especially applaud his emphasis during the campaign on the power of science and technology to enhance our nation's competitiveness. In particular, we support the measures he plans to take – through new initiatives in education and training, expanded research funding, an unbiased process for obtaining scientific advice, and an appropriate balance of basic and applied research – to meet the nation's and the world's most urgent needs.
Senator Obama understands that Presidential leadership and federal investments in science and technology are crucial elements in successful governance of the world's leading country. We hope you will join us as we work together to ensure his election in November.
Signed,
Alexei Arikosov Physics 2003
Roger Guillemin Medicine 1977
Peter Agre Chemistry 2003
John L. Hall Physics 2005
Sidney Altman Chemistry 1989
Leland H. Hartwell Medicine 2001
Philip W. Anderson Physics 1977
Dudley Herschbach Chemistry 1986
Richard Axel Medicine 2004
Roald Hoffmann Chemistry 1981
David Baltimore Medicine 1975
H. Robert Horvitz Medicine 2002
Baruj Benacerraf Medicine 1980
Louis Ignarro Medicine 1998
Paul Berg Chemistry 1980
Eric R. Kandel Medicine 2000
J. Michael Bishop Medicine 1989
Walter Kohn Chemistry 1998
N. Bloembergen Physics 1981
Roger Kornberg Chemistry 2006
Michael S. Brown Medicine 1985
Leon M. Lederman Physics 1988
Linda B. Buck Medicine 2004
Craig C. Mello Medicine 2006
Mario R. Capecchi Medicine 2007
Yoichiro Nambu Physics 2008
Martin Chalfie Chemistry 2008
Marshall Nirenberg Medicine 1968
Stanley Cohen Medicine 1986
Douglas D. Osheroff Physics 1996
Leon Cooper Physics 1972
Stanley B. Prusiner Medicine 1997
James W. Cronin Physics 1980
Norman F. Ramsey Physics 1989
Robert F. Curl Chemistry 1996
Robert Richardson Physics 1996
Johann Diesenhofer Chemistry 1988
Burton Richter Physics 1976
John B. Fenn Chemistry 2002
Sherwood Rowland Chemistry 1995
Edmond H. Fischer Medicine 1992
Oliver Smithies Medicine 2007
Val Fitch Physics 1980
Richard R Schrock Chemistry 2005
Jerome I. Friedman Physics 1990
Joseph H. Taylor Jr. Physics 1993
Murray Gell-Man Physics 1969
E. Donnall Thomas Medicine 1990
Riccardo Giacconi Physics 2002
Charles H. Townes Physics 1964
Walter Gilbert Chemistry 1980
Roger Tsien Chemistry 2008
Alfred G. Gilman Medicine 1994
Daniel C.Tsui Physics 1998
Donald A. Glaser Physics 1960
Harold Varmus Medicine 1989
Sheldon L. Glashow Physics 1979
James D. Watson Medicine 1962
Joseph Goldstein Medicine 1985
Eric Wieschaus Medicine 1995
Paul Greengard Medicine 2000
Frank Wilczek Physics 2004
David Gross Physics 2004
Robert W. Wilson Physics 1978
Robert H. Grubbs Chemistry 2005
The views expressed in this letter represent those of the signers acting as individual citizens.
They do not necessarily represent the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated. The
Medicine award is for “Physiology or Medicine.”
You tube and pdf of letter available here:
http://scienceblogs.com/voteforscience/2008/10/all_2008_us_nobel_laureates_in.php?utm_source=sbhomepage&utm_medium=link&utm_content=channellink
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/10/14/65_US_Nobel_laureates_endorse_Obama/UPI-87491224015215/
As a Female Disabled Veteran (US Army and US Navy), I am asking that each person take one moment to reflect on whether or not you could make it through military boot camp - let alone a war such as Vietnam, Iraq or Pakistan. Now, I don't happen to believe that McCain is a "hero". I do believe he was given differential treatment by his captors for the making of propaganda films. However, since this would be a perfect time for one of the video/films to surface; and none have ~ I have to also consider that my evaluation of him cooperating witht the enemy may be incorrect. But even if the films were not made, I do NOT consider him a Hero - he was just one of thousands of men who were captured. He is just lucky, because one of us is not wearing a POW/MIA bracelet on our wrist with his name on it.
But I know what I went through just in Training Camp. It ain't easy! I enlisted in the Navy during Vietnam. I know that the Navy Boot-camps are considered one of the easier ones....yet I spent the first two weeks crying every day and night, calling my parents and asking them to find a way to get me out of there, and knowing I had made the biggest mistake of my life. Lucky for me, my parents consoled me but ignored my pleas. I became tougher and learned to accept my decision. I trained with rifles, handguns, gas chambers, obstacle courses, and ran like Forest Gump. And I wouldn't trade one day of that camp or my years in the Navy for anything. The only thing I can blame them for is my OCD today where I still fold my socks, underwear, and bras according to Chief Kluckner's way. (lol) And the only reason I left was because I had married and quickly became pregnant. You have to remember that "back in the day" women were not allowed to the in the military and pregnant, so I received an honorable discharge and moved to Indiana with my husband.
After graduating from Ball State in 1982 and being part of the first ROTC program since Vietnam, I made the decision to rejoin the Military (minus one husband) and off I went to training as a Army Officer. This training was easy compared to enlisted boot camp; but still, every day I thought about all the other jobs I could have accepted instead of the path I chose. I will say that some of the training was brutal. Like POW training. We spent two days with fellow Army counterparts; but in this situation, they played the part of the enemy. I was tough back then, and when my platoon and I were captured, the enemy ordered my squad to begin jumping jacks, I told my group, "Stand down. We will take no orders from these people." BAD MISTAKE. At least my squad was not punished, but I was. And when I also refused to give out any information except for my name, rank and serial number, it got REAL BAD. Now remember, these were not REAL enemies, nor were they REALLY going to hurt me. But for the following two hours, you could not have gotten ME to believe it was not REAL. I don't ever remember being that frightened or more cornered in my entire life. For me, IT WAS HELL ON EARTH. And this was JUST training - no real guns, no real torture, no real enemy. But it gave me the idea and the thought and the knowledge, that I NEVER EVER wanted to be captured by the "real thing".
So, this entire soap-box preaching was just to ask you to stop for a moment and think if you could have been in my combat boots; let alone John McCain's in the real situation. And no, I know of no Military Man or Woman who could lose 5 planes, 5 jets, 5 helicopters, 5 tanks or even 5 miles without there being consequences. But we were at War; and errors are overlooked more in the time of War.
I hope no one takes offense by this letter; I have been and will continue to be Devoted to Change....but I think that criticism of McCain during his time in the military needs to be done lightly; and perhaps, only by those that have been there. I know I haven't been in the real war.
Thanks for reading this terribly long and perhaps worthless letter.
1 crazyobamafan,
Kari
by Michael Mathes Fri Oct 10, 9:50 AM ET
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AFP) - With the 2008 presidential election boiling down to a handful of battleground states, the tightest race of all has emerged in Missouri, the most accurate political bellwether state in US history.
The campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain are taking a no-holds-barred approach to the midwestern "Show Me" state, and with good reason; Missourians have voted for the presidential winner in all but one election since 1904.
With such imposing history dictating outsized attention for the state, Republican McCain made two stops in Missouri in late September while Democrat Obama earlier launched a bus tour of the state's Republican stronghold southwest.
Officials from both parties concede the campaigns are pouring resources into the state in a mad dash for Missouri's 11 electoral votes.
The candidates have blitzed the state with political ads, with Obama reportedly spending six million dollars on media advertising and McCain close on his heels with 5.5 million.
Missouri's vote is on a knife edge, and recent major polls have toggled back and forth; Thursday's average of recent polls by independent website Realclearpolitics.com shows McCain at 47.8 percent and Obama at 47.4 in Missouri. The previous day it was Obama 47.8, McCain 47.5.
"Missouri is in the middle of the country geographically but also the center of the country politically," Washington University history professor Peter Kastor said.
"It is a state where various regional political cultures all exist."
That could favor Obama, Kastor said, as he has the passionate oratory skills of the deep South combined with a hard-driven persona of a cosmopolitan Northeasterner.
But he will have to overcome latent racism among rural whites, an element more than one expert described as an "unknown quantity" in Missouri particularly because residents have seen so few black candidates run for state or national office.
The state looms especially large for the Republicans, both parties agree, as they trail in most of the other swing states including Florida, Ohio and Virginia.
"Senator McCain has to win Missouri to win the White House. So there is a strong commitment from the McCain-Palin campaign to make sure that we deliver Missouri for that ticket," said Jared Craighead, executive director of the state's Republican Party.
Earlier this month McCain pulled resources out of Michigan, essentially conceding it to Obama. Officials in both parties expect those resources to be shifted to Missouri.
The Obama campaign has opened 40 field offices across the state, with more than 100 paid staffers -- "an unprecedented commitment to Missouri," said Jack Cardetti, communications director of the Missouri Democratic Party.
Cardetti said a massive voter registration movement has put 175,000 new voters on the rolls this year, a considerable amount in a state of nearly six million people.
"If the same amount of voters come out and vote the same way (as in 2004, when George W. Bush won by seven percent in Missouri) the Democrats lose," he said.
New voters tend to be youths and minorities, two demographics that traditionally vote Democratic.
Missouri is the mean center of the US population.
The largest city St. Louis, known as the "Gateway to the West," draws its cultural tenor from states to the east, while Missouri's second urban center, Kansas City, on the state's western border, is in the sphere of the West.
Southern Missouri is part of the evangelical Bible belt, and just below that is the conservative deep South; to the north are the Great Plains where farmers vote Democratic more often than their southern counterparts.
While experts say residents are going to be voting on pocketbook issues in November -- the economy, jobs, taxes and energy -- Missourians are deeply suspicious of politicians seeking to take away their guns. Abortion rights remain a hot-button issue as well.
-- Missouri pros for McCain: The state has recently leaned Republican, and its substantial rural population's social conservatives may be drawn to polls in large numbers by McCain's addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket.
-- Missouri pros for Obama: A string of recent elections and polls for state races have indicated tilt towards Democrats. Massive voter registration campaign this year likely to favor Obama.
57 minutes ago
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A legislative committee investigating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has found she unlawfully abused her authority in firing the state's public safety commissioner.
The investigative report concludes that a family grudge wasn't the sole reason for firing Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan but says it likely was a contributing factor.
The Republican vice presidential nominee has been accused of firing a commissioner to settle a family dispute. Palin supporters have called the investigation politically motivated.
Monegan says he was dismissed as retribution for resisting pressure to fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce with the governor's sister. Palin says Monegan was fired as part of a legitimate budget dispute.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers have emerged from a private session in Anchorage where they spent more than six hours discussing a politically charged ethics report into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her state public safety commissioner.
The legislative panel began its public session by discussing whether to release the report's findings. The investigation was examining whether Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, fired a state commissioner to settle a family dispute. The report was also expected to touch on whether Palin's husband meddled in state affairs and whether her administration inappropriately accessed employee medical records.
Critics claim Palin fired Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan after months of pressure on him to fire Mike Wooten, a state trooper involved in a nasty divorce and custody dispute with the governor's sister.
Lawmakers indicated they planned to release the report even though there was disagreement about its findings.
"I think there are some problems in this report," Republican state Sen. Gary Stevens. "I would encourage people to be very cautious, to look at this with a jaundiced eye."
NBC POLL:
OBAMA 49% MCCAIN 43%
CNN POLL:
OBAMA 53% MCCAIN 45%
GALLUP POLL:
OBAMA 51% MCAIN 42%
WASHINGTON POST:
OBAMA 51% MCCAIN 45% (OF OHIO VOTERS!!!!!!!)
THOSE WHO WERE POLLED IN REGARDS TO THE ECONOMY:
OBAMA 61% MCCAIN 34%
http://news.yahoo.com/election/2008/dashboard?name=Polls|content=111100022012201011102000101100000020100012111200101
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Sat Oct 4, 7:26 PM ET
WASHINGTON - One month before Election Day, Barack Obama sits atop battleground polls in a shrinking playing field, the economic crisis is breaking his way and he has made progress toward winning the White House.
McCain's advisers say the Arizona senator will ramp up his attacks in the coming days with a tougher, more focused message describing "who Obama is," including questioning his character, "liberal" record and "too risky" proposals in advertising and appearances.
Obama's advisers, in turn, say he will argue that McCain is unable to articulate an economic vision that's different from President Bush's. In a new push, the Illinois senator is calling McCain's health care plan "radical."
Now that the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin is over, the contest returns to being entirely about Obama and McCain and likely will stay that way until Nov. 4. The rivals meet Tuesday in their second of three debates.
Interviews with party insiders across the country Friday showed this: Democrats are optimistic of victory if nervous over whether Obama can hold his advantage while Republicans are worried that the race may be moving out of reach though hopeful that McCain will beat the odds as he did in the GOP primary.
Both sides note that plenty can change in one month — and they're right.
"Very confident, yet not overly so," said Ohio Democratic Party chief Chris Redfern, who said the financial turmoil is dreadful for the country but "politically it's advantageous" for Obama.
South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson said that given McCain's standing, "I'd be concerned at this time, but I would never count this guy out. He's got the political hide of an alligator."
The Electoral College battle playing out over roughly a dozen states puts McCain's challenge to reach the necessary 270 votes in stark terms.
McCain can't prevail without holding onto most of the states that Bush won, and he's now virtually tied or trailing in public polls in at least 10 of them — Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia — as he tries to fend off Obama's well-funded advertising onslaught and grass-roots efforts.
Ah, women, the consistently, tragically underestimated constituency. What the Democrats learned during the primaries and the Republicans might now be finding out the hard way, I learned at my very academic, well-regarded all-girls high school: that is never to discount the ability of women to open a robust, committed, well-thought-out vat of hatred for another girl.
Women are weapons-grade haters. Hillary Clinton knows it. Palin knows it too. When women get their hate on, they don't just dislike, or find disfavor with, or sort of not really appreciate. They loathe — deeply, richly, sustainingly. I do not say this to disparage my gender; women also love in more or less the same way.
When men disagree, the steps to resolution are reasonably clear and unsophisticated. Acts of physical violence are visited upon one another's person or property, and the whole thing blows over. Women? Nu-unh. We savor the discord. We draw it out. We share our contempt with our friends, like a useful stock tip, or really good salsa. And then we all go hate together: a mutually encouraging group activity for when the book group gets quiet.
The hatred women have for Sarah Palin, and others had for Hillary before her, is not necessarily about politics. Anybody can run the numbers on how many people Palin's pro-life, pro-gun, socially conservative policies will seduce and how many they will alienate. Rather, the test that the McCain campaign failed to put her through was the Abbotsleigh Ladies College test. (Named after my high school. Go, green and gold!). It's a simple three-point pass-fail exam: Will the other girls like her?
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writers Thu Oct 2, 7:24 PM ET
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate John McCain conceded battleground Michigan to the Democrats on Thursday, GOP officials said, a major retreat as he struggles to regain his footing in a campaign increasingly dominated by economic issues.
These officials said McCain was pulling staff and advertising out of the economically distressed Midwestern state. He also canceled a visit slated for next week. Michigan, with 17 electoral votes, voted for Democrat John Kerry in 2004, but Republicans had poured money into an effort to try to place it in their column this year.
The decision marked the first time either McCain or his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, has tacitly conceded a traditional battleground state in a race for the White House with little more than a month remaining.
In a campaign now unfolding across more than a dozen states, the decision allows McCain's resources to be sent to Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida and other more competitive states. But it also means Obama can shift money to other states like Virginia, Colorado and North Carolina where he is trying to eat into traditional Republican territory.
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 33 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama has surged to a seven-point lead over John McCain one month before the presidential election, lifted by voters who think the Democrat is better suited to lead the nation through its sudden financial crisis, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that underscores the mounting concerns of some McCain backers.
Likely voters now back Obama 48-41 percent over McCain, a dramatic shift from an AP-GfK survey that gave the Republican a slight edge nearly three weeks ago, before Wall Street collapsed and sent ripples across worldwide markets. On top of that, unrelated surveys show Obama beating McCain in several battlegrounds, including Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa — four states critical in the state-by-state fight for the presidency.
Several GOP strategists close to McCain's campaign privately fret that his chances for victory are starting to slip away.
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 20 minutes ago
BOSTON - Heading into the final weekend of the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry was feeling good about his chances of winning the White House.
The Democratic nominee thought he had bested President Bush in their three prime-time debates. He also felt he'd convinced Americans his military and foreign affairs experience left him better equipped to end the Iraqi war.
Then Osama bin Laden weighed in with the most recent "October surprise" to land with a thud on a presidential campaign.
Kerry believes bin Laden cost him the presidency by issuing a videotape that criticized Bush and warned U.S. voters that "your security is in your own hands" in the election. And the Massachusetts senator thinks that's instructive for both Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain during the final month of their campaign.
Today, 5 Southern Illinois supporters (including myself) drove to Obama's Campaign Headquarters in Evansville, IN. Now, those who know me personally...you KNOW how difficult it was for me even to make the decision to drive to Evansville without family, drive with strangers, and the scariest of all, knock on stranger's doors to canvass for OBAMA.
What an amazing experience! The staff and the volunteers at the campaign office couln't have been nicer or more prepared and professional. 3 of us had our assigned neighborhoods and with the navigation device in my van, we were off.
Indiana may be the MOST IMPORTANT STATE at this time. We are (probably for the first time in my memory) neck and neck in the polls - with the Indianapolis Star poll showing us 4 points ahead of McCain! What, you say? How is this possible? Well, Brothers and Sisters, I now know how.
Because of the dedication and passion that the Evansville Campaign office personnel has for our candidate. By phone bank calling and canvassing, they personally know we can make a difference! The staff and volunteers are working hard! They have a nice office on Main Street; and I felt right at home. We spent about 4 hours canvassing; and although the conversations were sometimes rough, it was worth every minute, every dollar of gas, every strength it took for me to get out of the van and knock on that door.
Apathy has lived within us here in America for WAY TOO long! Get UP! Get Walking! Get to Volunteering! Without your help and your dedication, Indiana may end up going to McCain. We don't want that to happen! 45 days. That's all we have left to make that difference!
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS:
Jackson, Cathy and I are meeting at the far corner of Wal*Mart parking lot in Marion (closest to Black Diamond Harley) at 9am on Saturday 20th to travel to Evansville to help out at the Obama office. So far, we have 4 people confirmed to ride with us. So, if you aren't going to the Pig Out; and want a chance to visit a Obama Headquaters - then please contact us ASAP..so we can figure out how many vehicles we will need. You can reach me at kindspirit17@yahoo.com or call me at 618-889-8883. Or you can reach Jackson at 702-281-8549.
Please visit Huffington Post to watch the NBC SNL opening of "Clinton and Palin". The U Tube version has been pulled due to copywright infringement. If you need a laugh or two, the video is deinitely worth watching.
I have posted it on both my facebook and myspace accounts.
WASHINGTON - The question of whether Sarah Palin has ever been to Iraq pushed Obama aides Saturday to accuse the McCain campaign of outright lies, distortions and distractions to the American people.
Since Republican presidential nominee John McCain tapped the Alaska governor to be his running mate on Aug. 29, questions about her experience have been fueled by her relatively brief tenure in office, as well as a dearth of foreign travel.
Palin made a well-documented trip to Kuwait and Germany last year to visit U.S. troops, and over time, the governor and her staff have revealed she also visited Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, her aides clarified that a purported visit to Ireland was little more than a refueling stop during her trip to the Middle East.
On Saturday, a Palin aide told The Associated Press the governor also traveled one-quarter mile into Iraq during her July 2007 trip to participate in a re-enlistment ceremony for a member of the Alaska National Guard. Palin did not mention the excursion when asked about her foreign travels last week during a two-part ABC News interview because the bulk of her trip was elsewhere, said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt.
That answer appears to contradict one provided to The Boston Globe, which reported Saturday that McCain-Palin aides had twice revised their description of Palin's visit to Iraq.
The newspaper said unnamed aides initially explained that Palin had visited a "military outpost" inside Iraq. The Globe said campaign aides and members of the Alaska National Guard subsequently explained that she did not venture beyond the Iraq/Kuwait border when she visited the Khabari Alawazem Crossing on July 25, 2007.
Lt. Col. Dave Osborn, commander of the 3d Battalion, 207th Infantry of the Alaska National Guard, who was in charge of the 570 local troops serving in Kuwait and Iraq, said Palin did not cross in Iraq.
"You have to have permission to go into a lot of areas, and (the crossing) is where her permissions were," Osborn told the newspaper during a telephone interview Friday.
But Schmitt said Palin was accompanied by a Pentagon general who oversees National Guard matters.
"According to the general who traveled with her, while she was there she presided over a re-enlistment ceremony of an Alaskan National Guard soldier," the spokeswoman said.
The discrepancy prompted a blistering memorandum to campaign reporters by aides to Democratic nominee Barack Obama. The Illinois senator and his staff have been criticized in some party circles lately for not responding forcefully enough to McCain and Palin since her surprise addition to the Republican ticket.
"Since naming Gov. Palin as their vice presidential nominee, the McCain campaign has distorted, distracted and outright lied to the American people about her record in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that a McCain/Palin administration would be nothing more than a continuation of the failed Bush policies of the last eight years," the memo read.
Among other things, the memo cited the Iraq-visit dispute, as well as Palin's claims to be a fiscal conservative despite significant growth in the Alaska state budget.
