This week, Barack Obama won Vermont, Texas caucus, and Wyoming.
Vermont: Obama 59%, Clinton 39%Texas Caucus: Obama 56%, Clinton 44%Wyoming: Obama 61%, Clinton 38%
Delegate Count: Obama 1527, Clinton 1428
(Source: CNN Election Center)
You can view Barack Obama's speech in San Antonio, Texas or read the transcript below:
From the Obama Blog, Barack Obama's Statement on International Women's Day, posted by Sarah Ramey (March 8):
This International Women's Day is a chance to reflect on the status of women in our societies, honor the extraordinary women whose courage and determination have shaped our lives, and rededicate ourselves to the ongoing challenges facing girls and women everywhere.This day is particularly meaningful to me because I've been shaped by the women in my life – by a single mother who raised me across two continents, and a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values; by my sister Maya who grew up in Asia and multi-ethnic Hawaii, and my sister Auma who has lived her life in Africa and Europe; by a paternal grandmother who still lives in rural Kenya without electricity and running water; and by my extraordinary wife Michelle, who continues to make me a better man. We have to do more for the women in our lives – because there is no longer any doubt that equality and opportunity remain out of reach for too many women around the world.There is no longer any doubt that most girls and women around the world are uneducated or illiterate. A good education is the best way to help ensure that children are healthy and successful, and to strengthen developing economies, which is why we need to invest at least $2 billion a year in a Global Education Fund.There is no longer any doubt that women do most of the work that goes on in the world, and yet mostly live in poverty and own only a small fraction of the world's property. To help ensure that women are reaping the rewards of economic growth and prosperity, I will double our current spending on foreign aid by the end of my first term as President.There is no longer any doubt that HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases disproportionately affect women in many parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. This pandemic is a global threat and when I'm President, we'll spend $50 billion over five years to combat it. And I will help launch Health Infrastructure 2020 – a global effort to improve global health care and to train health care professionals to serve in the developing world.There is no longer any doubt that whether it's rape or assault or girls being treated like property and trafficked across borders – women are abused in most societies. It's cruel, and it has to stop. That is why I passed legislation in Illinois to protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and it's why I've fought in the Senate to reduce sexual violence and the use of rape as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The United States must lead the world to end these inequities and injustices, and when I'm President, we will. Every night I'm home, Michelle and I tuck two little girls into bed. And the reason I'm in this race is to help build a world where our Sasha and Malia and every girl is loved and safe from violence; where every woman is empowered; and where every person has the chance to reach for his or her dreams.
This International Women's Day is a chance to reflect on the status of women in our societies, honor the extraordinary women whose courage and determination have shaped our lives, and rededicate ourselves to the ongoing challenges facing girls and women everywhere.
This day is particularly meaningful to me because I've been shaped by the women in my life – by a single mother who raised me across two continents, and a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values; by my sister Maya who grew up in Asia and multi-ethnic Hawaii, and my sister Auma who has lived her life in Africa and Europe; by a paternal grandmother who still lives in rural Kenya without electricity and running water; and by my extraordinary wife Michelle, who continues to make me a better man. We have to do more for the women in our lives – because there is no longer any doubt that equality and opportunity remain out of reach for too many women around the world.There is no longer any doubt that most girls and women around the world are uneducated or illiterate. A good education is the best way to help ensure that children are healthy and successful, and to strengthen developing economies, which is why we need to invest at least $2 billion a year in a Global Education Fund.There is no longer any doubt that women do most of the work that goes on in the world, and yet mostly live in poverty and own only a small fraction of the world's property. To help ensure that women are reaping the rewards of economic growth and prosperity, I will double our current spending on foreign aid by the end of my first term as President.There is no longer any doubt that HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases disproportionately affect women in many parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. This pandemic is a global threat and when I'm President, we'll spend $50 billion over five years to combat it. And I will help launch Health Infrastructure 2020 – a global effort to improve global health care and to train health care professionals to serve in the developing world.There is no longer any doubt that whether it's rape or assault or girls being treated like property and trafficked across borders – women are abused in most societies. It's cruel, and it has to stop. That is why I passed legislation in Illinois to protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and it's why I've fought in the Senate to reduce sexual violence and the use of rape as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The United States must lead the world to end these inequities and injustices, and when I'm President, we will. Every night I'm home, Michelle and I tuck two little girls into bed. And the reason I'm in this race is to help build a world where our Sasha and Malia and every girl is loved and safe from violence; where every woman is empowered; and where every person has the chance to reach for his or her dreams.
Yesterday, Barack Obama has furthered the momentum by reaching 10-state winning streak. Barack Obama has won the states of Hawaii and Wisconsin. Here is the breakdown of the February 19 elections from the CNN Election Center.
The victory speech can be viewed in Sam Graham-Felsen's Obama's victory speech in Houston.
Thank you to Barack Obama and everyone who have made this happen.
Below are two comments made by Campaign spokesman Bill Burton and the text of the victory speech:
The following is the statement made by Barack Obama concerning the resignation of Cuban President Fidel Castro:
Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba's history. Fidel Castro's stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba.Cuba's future should be determined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime. The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It's time for these heroes to be released.If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalize relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades. The freedom of the Cuban people is a cause that should bring the Americans together.
Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba's history. Fidel Castro's stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba.
Cuba's future should be determined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime. The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It's time for these heroes to be released.
If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalize relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades. The freedom of the Cuban people is a cause that should bring the Americans together.
The following statement is from Barack Obama on independence of Kosovo:
Statement by Barack Obama on the Independence of KosovoChicago, IL | February 17, 2008
Chicago, IL - Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the independence of Kosovo and its implications for Serbia.
INTRODUCTION
This analysis is inspired by the e-mails I have been receiving from the Vice President Speculation Forum and from posts and discussions. Since November, I have been looking for the perfect candidate to be Barack Obama’s running mate, and it is proving difficult. I have set forth what the ideal candidate should possess to adding value to the ticket and the criteria below:
Basically, I will explore some of the possible candidates for vice-president (VP) and how some of these candidates could better fulfill cabinet positions, instead. As a note, foreign policy will be used as examples for my arguments, because this is the area of concentration I am most familiar. I welcome anyone who has suggestions based on other areas of concentrations concerning arguing his or her possible VP choices.
Barack Obama’s winning streak continues to build momentum. Yesterday, he won the Potomac primaries in the states of Virginia and Maryland, as well as, the District of Columbia (D.C.). The results can be viewed on CNN.com Election Center.
Barack Obama’s victory speech can be viewed here.
The text of the speech is below (as prepared for delivery):
Barack Obama continues to push forth the momentum built from Super Tuesday over the weekend. He won in Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Washington, and the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands.
The results for February 9 and February 10 can be viewed for both parties.
Below are the statements from Campaign Manager David Plouffe concerning this weekend:
The amazing news has come forth from the results on Super Tuesday. Barack Obama has won in thirteen states, which includes Illinois. Here is the breakdown of the Super Tuesday results.
Here is the statement from Campaign Manager David Plouffe:
By winning a majority of delegates and a majority of the states, Barack Obama won an important Super Tuesday victory over Senator Clinton in the closest thing we have to a national primary. From Colorado and Utah in the west to Georgia and Alabama in the south to Senator Clinton’s backyard in Connecticut, Obama showed that he can win the support of Americans of every race, gender, and political party in every region of the country. That’s why he’s on track to win Democratic nomination, and that’s why he’s the best candidate to defeat John McCain in November.
Also, you can watch Senator Obama's Super Tuesday speech in Chicago.
Additionally, here is his message:
The votes will be counted into the night and into tomorrow, but today we won states and we won delegates in every part of the country.As of right now, we have won more states and delegates than Senator Clinton. It's a remarkable achievement we can all be proud of.Tonight, we know one thing for sure -- our time has come, our movement is real, and change is coming to America.At this moment in history, the stakes are too high and the challenges too great to play the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result.This time must be different.There will be those who say it cannot be done. But we know what we have seen and what we believe -- that when ordinary people come together we can still do extraordinary things.Yes, we can.Thank you so much,Barack
The votes will be counted into the night and into tomorrow, but today we won states and we won delegates in every part of the country.
As of right now, we have won more states and delegates than Senator Clinton. It's a remarkable achievement we can all be proud of.
Tonight, we know one thing for sure -- our time has come, our movement is real, and change is coming to America.
At this moment in history, the stakes are too high and the challenges too great to play the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result.
This time must be different.
There will be those who say it cannot be done. But we know what we have seen and what we believe -- that when ordinary people come together we can still do extraordinary things.
Yes, we can.
Thank you so much,
Barack
The playing field in both parties is changing in this presidential race for the nomination. On the Democratic side, five candidates have withdrawn their bids for the presidency, while three have followed suit in the Republican race. These candidates are Senator Joe Biden (DE), Senator Chris Dodd (CT), Governor Bill Richardson (NM), Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA), former Senator Fred Thompson (TN), Congressman Dennis Kucinich (OH), Rudy Giuliani (NY), and former Senator John Edwards (NC). Although all these candidates have withdrawn their bids, I will focus mainly on Senator Edwards and his future plans, and the new dimension in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Yesterday, January 28, President George W. Bush gave his final State of the Union address of the presidency. If you missed the event, consult my other post dedicated to the address. Senator Barack Obama gave his reply to the address, and also appeared for an interview with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. In addition, you may want to watch the Democratic response made by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.
The transcript of Senator Obama’s response is below:
The following is the State of the Union address delivered by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2008. The event can be viewed at C-SPAN.
The transcript is below:
The amazing news has come forth from the state of South Carolina. Barack Obama has won with 55 percent of the vote. Here is the breakdown of the January South primary of both parties:
Democratic Party (January 26):
Barack Obama: 55%Hillary Clinton: 27%John Edwards: 18%Dennis Kucinich: 0%
Barack Obama: 55%
Hillary Clinton: 27%
John Edwards: 18%
Dennis Kucinich: 0%
Republican Party (January 19):
John McCain: 33%Mike Huckabee: 30%Fred Thompson: 16%Mitt Romney: 15%Ron Paul: 4%Rudy Giuliani: 2%Duncan Hunter: 0%
John McCain: 33%
Mike Huckabee: 30%
Fred Thompson: 16%
Mitt Romney: 15%
Ron Paul: 4%
Rudy Giuliani: 2%
Duncan Hunter: 0%
Here is Barack Obama's South Carolina victory speech.
In the January/February 2008 edition of the Foreign Affairs Journal, Democratic presidential candidate (at the time) Bill Richardson wrote an impressive essay titled, A New Realism: A Realistic and Principled Foreign Policy. The summary for this essay is as follows:
The United States needs a foreign policy that is based on reality and is loyal to American values. The next U.S. president needs to send a clear signal to the world that America has turned the corner and will once again be a leader rather than a unilateralist loner. Getting out of Iraq and restoring our reputation are necessary first steps toward a new strategy of U.S. global engagement and leadership.
You can also read essays from other presidential candidates on the Foreign Affair’s Campaign 2008 site. As a note, I have written my commentary on Barack Obama’s essay awhile back.
The amazing news has come forth from the state of Iowa. Barack Obama has won with 38 percent of the vote. Democratic presidential candidates Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Biden have dropped out of the race. Here is the breakdown of the January 3 Iowa Caucus of both parties:
Democratic Party:
Barack Obama: 38%John Edwards: 30%Hillary Clinton: 29%Bill Richardson: 2%Joe Biden: 1%Uncommitted: 0%Chris Dodd: 0%Mike Gravel: 0%Dennis Kucinich: 0%
Barack Obama: 38%
John Edwards: 30%
Hillary Clinton: 29%
Bill Richardson: 2%
Joe Biden: 1%
Uncommitted: 0%
Chris Dodd: 0%
Mike Gravel: 0%
Republican Party:
Mike Huckabee: 34%Mitt Romney: 25%Fred Thompson: 13%John McCain: 13%Ron Paul: 10%Rudy Giuliani: 4%Duncan Hunter: 1%
Mike Huckabee: 34%
Mitt Romney: 25%
Fred Thompson: 13%
John McCain: 13%
Ron Paul: 10%
Rudy Giuliani: 4%
Duncan Hunter: 1%
You can view and read the text of the speech here.
Also, you may want to read my other blog post from January 1 highlighting Senator Obama’s journey in 2007 and the importance of this year.
