Muslim Soldier’s grave at Arlington – this is the image cited by Gen Collin Powell in his endorsement of Obama and opposing bigotry in this election cycle and the attacks being made against Obama.
Hello Team Obama,
I know that most of us have our ideas of the Dem Dream Team and Schweitzer is my first choice for VP.
Governor Schweitzer of Montana should be considered as a good running mate for Barack Obama. It would indeed increase the chances of at least 16 years of Dems in the Presidency.
Many times I have listened to Governor Schweitzer being interviewed and I like him as a possible running mate for Barack.
He would also fit in with Turning-the-Page on the Old Washington Politics and provide a solid boost Western Strategy.
Schweitzer is independent soul, funny, from an ordinary working background and has emphasized energy independency as way to promote development. He also lives a life that is not too different from Barack and most ordinary folks.
He is a strong advocate for ordinary working people and working across party lines.
Schweitzer is also strong on agriculture, the issue of food self-sufficiency, and community development
Most important of all to me, like Obama, Gov. Schweitzer is a leader with a global perspective ingrained in his DNA. Schweitzer has lived abroad (Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and in the Middle East Saudi Arabia - personally I am biased to Africa here) for long periods and would therefore appreciate how the rest of the world lives. Imagine also a Vice President who speaks fluent Arabic in addition to other languages!
Please Team Obama, give some serious thought to Obama/Schweitzer 08
Ps. I am sure that the first VP choice (the 82 year-old Ms Weiss from NC would approve of Obama/Schweitzer 08) since he is actively concerned with environment, agriculture and water and these are some of the issues Ms Weiss was concerned about. Remember Ms Weis?
I like this title from Crawford's artilce: "Senator Obama Has Replaced Clintons As Boss Of Party".
The day after, I really, really, realy ...(really to infinity) like the fact that Senator Obama is by all intent and purposes the head of all Dems.
By default, the argument should be that the People and not the Lobbyists are in charge of the Democratic Party!
What a classy and genuine, humble, and realistic individual Senator Obama is and will continue to be. What a priviledge to be lead by someone of immense talent and personal integrity.
I have no doubt that the Democratic Party will benefit from the leadership of Senator Obama (soon to be President Obama) since his central focus is inclusion, with the people as a focus.
Obama surely emphasizes the concept of Team Building from the ground up.
One thing that this primary has demonstrated is one candidate who focuses on I (me, my legacy, may ambition) and another who focuses on We (We The People).
Obama's campaign has been about Team Obama and I am glad to see that the Team won because the challenge of governing this nation (and the world) will be about the American Team and the Global Team putting together all their collective efforts.
The DNC through the RBC chose the future and People's Movement over the party's dynasty and by God I love the new dynamics.
Lets get to work to make the possibility a reality that the 44th POTUS will be President Barack Obama.
I feel obliged to comment on the evolving HRC Criteria for Winning the Dem Nomination
According to the latest line from HRC and her supporters becoming the Dem nominee now has to be the electoral college and popular vote
HRC's supporters continue to amaze me by how they keep grasping at different criteria for the nomination once they are loosing one argument.
Before Obama won the younger voters in huge numbers, the youth and 30's did not matter but now HRC is aggressively courting colleges and younger voters with a college tour
When HRC still hoped to win as the inevitable establishment candidate, all the primaries and caucuses mattered in all states. When HRC lost in some states, then of course caucuses and "small" "red" states do not matter!!!
When HRC did not need FL and MI to count, then these primaries did not matter but now that the C-Team needs the results in FL andd MI of course it is voter dis-enfrachisement.
HRC had the popular vote then this was the criteria, followed by superdelegates who had a right to be independent in their decision. Recently, the trend of endorsements shows superdelegates lining up for Obama so now this criteria is no longer important
What else could the incredible minds of the HRC come up with now? The electoral college of course Of course now it must be time for the electoral college to count because we are already using the rules of the general election.
Amazing evolution of criteria and changing rules in the middle of the game.
The past few weeks in the news cycle have been very trying for many people and most are left in limbo about what comes next.
One of the things that has struck me is how silent both Senator and President Clinton have been.
Of course I did not expect them to come out in support of Barack or the Rev Wright. However, I expected one of them to at least come out and explain to some of the pundits that have never entered a Black church that the atmosphere of worship and social issues discussed my be different from what they are used to in their own community.
As long as I have know of them, the Clintons have always claimed that they are part of the black community and that are well versed in all things black.
I have therefore not faiiled to notice that they have remained largely silent during the past few days and have not at the very least come in defense of the congregation of the Black Church. This silence is despite the fact that they have been in attendance in a number of Black Churches and are well aware of how some preachers may go unconvetional when discussing some sensitive issues.
Members of the African American community fiercely defended the Clintons throughout their darkest days and the Black Congressional Caucus in particular even led the defense in the media during Clinton's impeachment.
Going foward, I hope members of the African American community remember that the Clintons have not stood up for the Black Church when the loyalty of its congregation has been treated as a cult (at least accoding to Fox News) or had its patriotism questioned.
I wonder how other African Americans feel when they see this "missing in action" at the crucial hour when it seemed that the full assault of the congregation was going on
Maybe I am picky by I know of one political leader who stood up and he was the conservative Gov Mike Huckabee from the other party.
Compare the silence of the Clitons with Governor Huckabee who said:"[You] can't hold the candidate responsible for everything that people around him may say or do," Huckabee says.
I hope that when the dust settles, the actions of the two Arkansas governors during this time will be contrasted
I can see the media bent on cannibalizing Senator Obama based on the comments of Rev Wright. If I were to communicate with the Senator Barack, this is what I would say:
At this point in this race for the democratic party nominee, I believe that the Clinton Campaign's strategy to win-at-all-costs will in then end make it very hard for a Democrat towin the Presidency.
I must say that the Special Commentary that I heard from Keith Olbermann's programme from the Count Down with Keith Obama on MSNBC tonight has expressed some of my fears and concerns on the going-ons and it is about time some one said it.
Thanks Keith Olbermann for the great commentary that expresseses the frustration of so many of us who badly want a democrat to win in Nov.
Clearly, the Clinton Campaign needed to be publicly called out for the way it has focused on actively dividing the different interest groups and supporters of the Democratic Party in order to win.
There is a pattern of divide-and-rule and also racial baiting here that cannot be overlooked.
These are some of the examples of the offensive events/actions/statements by the Clinton Campaign that stand out in my mind that should be unacceptable to any well-meaning person:
(a) thrashing the youth vote in Iowa as just a "face-book" generation that will not vote and then further attempting to block the partcipation of out-of-state students;
(b) making a union file a law suit against another union in Nevada against rules that were approved by the party;
(c) racial baiting in South Carolina and disrespecting Senator Obama's candidacy as a "fairy-tale" and his words as empty;
(d) choosing to undermine the Democratic Party rules in Michigan by retaining her name on the ballot and attempting to change the rules in Florida;
(e) insulting voters in the states that Obama won as "little-state" and caucus states whose votes are less important than "big states" ;
(f) trashing Obama-voters as dellusional and needing a "reality-check" and as "lattee-sipping, Pryus-driving, rich people who do not need a president.
(g) encouraging Republicans to vote for her in Texas and Ohio just for the purpose of gaming the system against Obama's potential win in open primaries
(h) encouraging the emphasis of deeper divisions between Blacks and Hispanics who are in fact needed for any Democrat to win the race
(i) giving a wink and a nod to supporters who trash Obama and at the same time praising Mcain who is the party's competition.
At the end of this primary, I wonder how many Obama supporters would really show up to vote for her if she were to convince the Superdelegates to give he the nomination.
The Clintons should know when the time has come for them to exit the leadership of the Democratic Party with some level of dignity and good will. The writing is on the wall that in January 2009, America will have a new president and that his name is President Barack Obama.
Ps. For those who may not have listened to the commentary, check out MSNBC or Huffington Post for the video
I also encourage people to send an email in support of Olbermann because we know that the Clinton-Attack-Machine will be doing a number on him for this commentary calling them out on these devisive campaign tactics
I know that a number of Senator Obama supporters are not registered Democrats. However, please provide some input this question:
Based on the campaign so far, does the Establishment Candidate really have the interest of the Party that is going out of its way to promote her candidacy?
To me the political machine that is promoting the “front –runner” is being duped into the long-term weakening of the party both on the fundamental positions it upholds and also on the size of its base.
I agree with the people who have totally lost their willingness to vote for the Establishment Candidate even if that is the only name on the ballot.
Initially, I disagreed with the policy positions of the Establishment Candidate but at least I respected her.
However, during the course of this campaign, I have learned better what each candidate is made of at the core and I do not like what I see.
My respect for Her Royal Highness Queen Inevitable is totally gone due to her double- talk as to the following issues:
(a) Breaking the "glass ceiling" even as she hides behind the husbands' professional achievement;
(b) Manipulation of people by claiming to be a victim of her gender even as her policy positions victimize the people whose support she seeks;
(c) A campaign that swift-boats other candidates even as they claim mud-slinging when
people challenge her purely on policy differences;
(d)Claiming to unite the Democratic Party and the nation although most of her speeches
and campaign activities are designed to keep the nation divided. Any person hoping to unite their party would know that it is not in the party’s best interest to boo other candidates during a debate officially sanctioned by the same party and that it is very rude to solicit birthday contributions from people who are volunteering for and supporting your competition.
(d) Claiming to represent the poor and middle classes even as you aggressively seek financial
contributions from the very lobbyist who oppress them.
A party leader would know that if your candidacy has the highest potential to result in a razor-thin win or loss for the other s facing re-election, then you would not force nomination at all costs.
To me the Establishment Candidate cares more about personal power and fortunes than the future of the party /nation.
I am reading the post about Lauren in South Carolina and Najmah in Virginia with much appreciation of their personal integrity and hard work. Congratulatons ladies! You trully represent the fact that positive change happens one person at a time. A clear challenge to all of us to make a change in our communities.
