Barack Obama's quiet rebellion Salon - USA At Dartmouth College Monday, Barack Obama had reached the practiced moment in his stump speech when he explains the Kenyan origins of his "funny name. ...
So here is a working theory, subject to many modifications as the campaign unfolds: Barack Obama is simultaneously both aware of the power of cheap rhetoric and easy emotion -- and intellectually contemptuous of it. He is a candidate in quiet rebellion against the banalities that too often govern political discourse. It is questionable whether he can maintain this high-minded stance through the debates and the primaries. But for the moment, Obama is running for president on his own terms, and succeeding.
Obama Calls for Universal Health Care Chicago Tribune - Chicago,IL,USA IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Seeking to add heft to his presidential bid, Democrat Barack Obama is offering a sweeping plan that would require every American to have ...
Barack Obama Beats Hillary Clinton, Guilliani in New Poll MetroPost - New York,NY,USA President Barack Obama? It's no longer just a Democratic fantasy. Barack Obama may be young and black, but Americans decidely prefer him to Hillary Clinton ...
Obama in New Hampshire's North Country ABC News - USA Barack Obama, D-Ill., Memorial Day weekend was spent driving through the mountains in an RV filled with extended family. ...
Barack Obama's wife crowd favorite in campaign appearance with husband WCAX - Burlington,VT,USA CONWAY, NH (AP) - At one point in a steamy rally today (Sunday) in a Conway, New Hampshire school auditorium, Illinois Senator Barack Obama handed his ...
Obama visits war monument, pushes vets' services The Courier News - Elgin,IL,USA LITTLETON, NH -- Though he said Memorial Day shouldn't be politicized, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama used a visit to a war monument Monday to ...
It's Obama frenzy in NH Barre Montpelier Times Argus - Barre,VT,USA LITTLETON, NH -- Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is measuring his success not just in poll numbers, money raised or endorsements. ...
How a young tech entrepreneur translated Barack Obama into the ... (about Chris Hughes and the My.BO site) Wall Street Journal - USA Click to see a larger image of Barack Obama's Facebook page. Or visit the page itself (login required). About 5000 groups of Obama supporters now use online ...
Camp helps Obama team hit trail Chicago Tribune Mon, 28 May 2007 5:16 AM PDT Volunteers learn campaign techniques Jerry Saavedra played the role of an Iowa farmer, while Trakia Thomas was cast as a volunteer for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid.
Voters would invite Giuliani, Obama to picnic: poll Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA Democratic presidential candidate and US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) listens to his introduction at a luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 24, 2007. ...
Latino Outreach Campaign Promotes Barack Obama in Key Primary States WebWire (press release) - Atlanta,GA,USA Burbank, CA - May 30, 2007 - Nueva Vista Media, has launched an outreach campaign, "Amigos de Obama," to promote Presidential candidate Barack Obama and ...
Barack Obama: Obama Votes to Demand Changed Course in Iraq All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden "This vote is a choice between validating the same failed policy in Iraq that has cost us so many lives and demanding a new one. ...
Barack Obama: Obama Statement on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 25, 2007 -- Chicago, IL - "I spent much of my childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, and for most of my adult life, I've lived in Chicago, a city with its ...
Barack Obama: Obama Introduces Bill to Recognize and Fund ... All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 29, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC - US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) last week introduced a bill that would create an official designation in higher education ...
Barack Obama: Obama Statement on Darfur Sanctions All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 29, 2007 -- Chicago, IL--Senator Obama today released the following statement in response to President Bush's announcement of sanctions on the Sudanese ...
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Begun in January 2007, the Barack the House Link Party is a regularly produced compilation of news items highlighting the many reasons why Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States.
It's also intended as a resource for people working to ensure that accurate and positive information about Barack gets out to the public. If you're interested in helping out with this effort, please consider joining the Obama Rapid Response group on my.barackobama.com.
YouTube: Barack Obama's SNHU Commencement Address
Obama tells students to build character Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA Barack Obama, D-Ill., takes questions at the Rye Elementary School from area residents in Rye, NH, Friday, May 18, 2007. Obama is campaigning in the ...
Canvassing For Obama In New Hampshire National Journal - Washington,DC,USA Alinsky is the legendary organizer and theorist who Barack Obama reportedly counts as an inspiration. Heck, the journalist who wrote The Essay on Obama and ...
MANCHESTER, NH - Officially, the event held in a large, muddy parking lot north of the city was called a statewide grassroots canvas. Unofficially, let's call it the first of many "Saul Alinsky" days. Alinsky is the legendary organizer and theorist who Barack Obama reportedly counts as an inspiration. Heck, the journalist who wrote The Essay on Obama and Saul Alinsky -- The New Republic's Ryan Lizza -- was there. To "canvass," means to go house-to-house and collect something. Today, Obama's team is collecting signatures to to pressure Sens. Gregg and Sununu to end the war in Iraq. Unoffiically, the event serves another,more Alinskian purpose. There are so many Obama volunteers statewide that the campaign itself cannot accomodate all the solicited help. So today's event is a place-holder of sorts, a way for those thousands of volunteers to invest their time for Obama's greater cause. The canvass cements their link to Obama by appealing to another part of their political self-interest. A side benefit: big early grassroots events impress reporters. I was impressed.
MANCHESTER, NH - Officially, the event held in a large, muddy parking lot north of the city was called a statewide grassroots canvas. Unofficially, let's call it the first of many "Saul Alinsky" days. Alinsky is the legendary organizer and theorist who Barack Obama reportedly counts as an inspiration. Heck, the journalist who wrote The Essay on Obama and Saul Alinsky -- The New Republic's Ryan Lizza -- was there.
To "canvass," means to go house-to-house and collect something. Today, Obama's team is collecting signatures to to pressure Sens. Gregg and Sununu to end the war in Iraq. Unoffiically, the event serves another,more Alinskian purpose. There are so many Obama volunteers statewide that the campaign itself cannot accomodate all the solicited help. So today's event is a place-holder of sorts, a way for those thousands of volunteers to invest their time for Obama's greater cause. The canvass cements their link to Obama by appealing to another part of their political self-interest.
A side benefit: big early grassroots events impress reporters. I was impressed.
Obama hits Sununu, Gregg for war votes Concord Monitor - Concord,NH,USA residential candidate Barack Obama launched a two-day offensive on Republican Sens. John Sununu and Judd Gregg, telling New Hampshire voters yesterday that ...
Obama stresses anti-war stance Chicago Tribune - Chicago,IL,USA MANCHESTER, NH -- The volunteers were wearing Barack Obama buttons and handing out literature about the Democratic candidate for president, but the explicit ...
COMMENTARY: Barack Obama's Military Proposal Clashes with Some ... HNN Huntingtonnews.net - Huntington,WV,USA Senator Barack Obama's remarks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs caused some liberals to question Obama's progressive values on matters of war and ...
Our next President should be competent, someone who uses good judgment and wisdom, but he/she must also demonstrate a willingness to use force against opposing threats if necessary. A few days ago, a terror plot to kill U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix in New Jersey by 6 Islamic radicals was foiled on Monday. No one knows what might happen in 4 or 7 years, and because the threat of terror is real, the democrats must make the case they too are strong in combating terror. Their case must be that they believe in fighting smarter-- oppose to not fighting at all. Although some liberals disapprove of Obama’s military plans, it is a mistake to think he shouldn't have one-- an antiwar campaign will only get one so far. Progressives can debate Obama’s views on foreign policy but it is inaccurate to think he can win being antiwar alone.
Obama & Brownback together on another issue -- this time, Iran USA Today - USA Though they're running for the presidential nominations of competing parties, senators Sam Brownback and Barack Obama do seem to like to work together on ...
Fast Talk: The Selling of a President: Barack Obama's Secret Weapon Fast Company - USA Kim Mack, 44, a manager for the county of Sacramento, helped start one of the largest and most active grassroots Barack Obama groups in the country (Mack's ...
Kim Mack, 44, a manager for the county of Sacramento, helped start one of the largest and most active grassroots Barack Obama groups in the country (Mack's husband, Vince, in the background, is a member). Her group is using online social-networking tools to organize and has quickly mushroomed to more than 300 members. "I have a son who is in Iraq, and I am very displeased with the policies of this administration. Honestly, there wasn't a candidate who inspired me until I really started to pay attention to Obama. After he made his announcement on February 10, I searched online and my.barackobama.com came up. Whoever came up with that Web site was brilliant--the ability to completely network, get in touch with people who are organizing, and be able to set up events yourself. I posted on the site, and I figured maybe 10 people would show up at the first meeting. Fifty-five did. At the next one, another 200 people came. If it were not for that Web site, this group in Sacramento would just barely be organized. Now we're able to effect change all across the country. I got an email from a woman in Arkansas who wanted to find out how we've accomplished so much. A couple of weeks later, she had a house party with 70-plus people and three TV cameras. Instead of hitting brick walls, we now have an inspirational process."
Kim Mack, 44, a manager for the county of Sacramento, helped start one of the largest and most active grassroots Barack Obama groups in the country (Mack's husband, Vince, in the background, is a member). Her group is using online social-networking tools to organize and has quickly mushroomed to more than 300 members.
"I have a son who is in Iraq, and I am very displeased with the policies of this administration. Honestly, there wasn't a candidate who inspired me until I really started to pay attention to Obama. After he made his announcement on February 10, I searched online and my.barackobama.com came up. Whoever came up with that Web site was brilliant--the ability to completely network, get in touch with people who are organizing, and be able to set up events yourself.
I posted on the site, and I figured maybe 10 people would show up at the first meeting. Fifty-five did. At the next one, another 200 people came. If it were not for that Web site, this group in Sacramento would just barely be organized. Now we're able to effect change all across the country. I got an email from a woman in Arkansas who wanted to find out how we've accomplished so much. A couple of weeks later, she had a house party with 70-plus people and three TV cameras. Instead of hitting brick walls, we now have an inspirational process."
'Camp Obama' lures young volunteers to campaign Chicago Tribune - Chicago,IL,USA Those staffers work in tandem with Students for Barack Obama, a group of Obama supporters who met up via Facebook and formed their own independent group but ...
Michelle Obama in the News
Obama's Wife: 'It's His Time' ABC News - USA Despite questions about the country's readiness for a black president, Barack Obama will win the race for the 2008 White House if he connects with Americans ...
Michelle Obama: I'm his wife, not adviser Chicago Tribune - Chicago,IL,USA Barack Obama, Michelle Obama talked with people at a suburban coffee shop and toured a residential program for women being treated for substance abuse. ...
Obama's wife targets Iowa's female voters DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines,IA,USA Barack Obama of Illinois, one of the frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination, last month helped launched "Women for Obama. ...
Press Releases
Weekend Canvas for Obama a Success Campaigns & Elections (press release) - USA “As someone who got his start as a community organizer, Barack Obama inspires people to believe that they can have an impact, and that together we can ...
Barack Obama: Obama, Frank, Lantos Introduce Iran Divestment Bill All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 16, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and US Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Tom Lantos (D-CA) today introduced the Iran ...
Barack Obama: Obama Raises Concerns Over Nomination of Industry ... All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 17, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent the following letter to Senator Daniel Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, ...
Barack Obama: Obama Statement on Immigration Reform Developments All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 17, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- “Over the past two years, I have worked hard for a comprehensive immigration bill that would provide strong border ...
Barack Obama: Obama Calls on House to Pass Ethics Reform ... All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 17, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC –“Today, we moved one step closer toward sweeping ethics reform in Washington. The House Judiciary Committee approved a ...
Barack Obama: Obama Statement on Today’s Iraq Vote All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 16, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – “Today, 1519 days after it began, the war in Iraq rages on, with no sign of a resolution.” ...
Barack Obama: Key Report Highlights Advantages of Insuring Adults All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden Senator Barack Obama: “SCHIP’s expansion to cover Illinois parents has allowed 55000 more children to gain access to health care coverage. ...
Obama Disputes Claim of Sharing Clinton’s Stance on WarNew York Times - New York,NY,USASenator Barack Obama yesterday directly challenged former President Bill Clinton’s assertions that Mr. Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton hold the ...
Mr. Obama, of Illinois, was asked in an interview on MSNBC yesterday about Mr. Clinton’s point that the two senators have voted mostly the same way on Iraq.“Well, I suppose that’s true if you leave out the fact that she authorized it and supported it, and I said it was a bad idea,” Mr. Obama said. “You know, that’s a fairly major difference.”Mr. Obama then suggested that a fundamental question of judgment was at issue.“I think very highly of Senator Clinton,” he said. “I think she is a wonderful senator from New York, but — and I think very highly of Bill Clinton. But I think that it is fair to say that we had a fundamentally different opinion on the wisdom of this war. And I don’t think we can revise history when it comes to that.”Mr. Obama has repeatedly noted on the campaign trail that he opposed the Iraq war as far back as the fall of 2002, when Mrs. Clinton was voting to allow military action. But until yesterday, Mr. Obama had not been so direct in contesting Mr. Clinton’s claims that there was little difference between the two hopefuls.
Mr. Obama, of Illinois, was asked in an interview on MSNBC yesterday about Mr. Clinton’s point that the two senators have voted mostly the same way on Iraq.
“Well, I suppose that’s true if you leave out the fact that she authorized it and supported it, and I said it was a bad idea,” Mr. Obama said. “You know, that’s a fairly major difference.”
Mr. Obama then suggested that a fundamental question of judgment was at issue.
“I think very highly of Senator Clinton,” he said. “I think she is a wonderful senator from New York, but — and I think very highly of Bill Clinton. But I think that it is fair to say that we had a fundamentally different opinion on the wisdom of this war. And I don’t think we can revise history when it comes to that.”
Mr. Obama has repeatedly noted on the campaign trail that he opposed the Iraq war as far back as the fall of 2002, when Mrs. Clinton was voting to allow military action. But until yesterday, Mr. Obama had not been so direct in contesting Mr. Clinton’s claims that there was little difference between the two hopefuls.
The Audacity of Hope, by Barack ObamaIndependent - London,England,UKThe Democratic contender Barack Obama, in writing a fairly chunky book exploring the matter, and publishing it as he hits the presidential campaign trail, ...
As modest proposals go, it's a tricky one: getting across the idea that the certain conviction one should be the "leader of the free world" is born of nothing beyond a humble wish to serve. The Democratic contender Barack Obama, in writing a fairly chunky book exploring the matter, and publishing it as he hits the presidential campaign trail, has chosen to offer a fairly comprehensive exposition of his paradoxical position. It helps, of course, that he can write, in an easy, casual, but careful style. Mellifluous and friendly, it hints rather than boasts at an underlying intelligence and determination rather more steely than this gentle, scrupulously fair-minded, but sweeping and generalised text might necessarily confirm. It helps, too, that he has no hesitation in becoming intimate with the reader, offering a touching vignette here of the courtship of his wife, Michelle, and a moving glimpse there of the all-conquering wonder of breathing the scent of a little daughter's hair.He does jokes too, self-deprecating ones that acknowledge the distance from ordinary experience that senators inevitably develop, like when he has to admit that his first experience of flying by private jet was "nice". Edgier ones suggest a refreshing relaxation about political correctness, like when a senator turns to him during an impassioned speech by a black firebrand about racism and its iniquities to confess that the speaker's trouble is that he makes him feel "too white". Obama doesn't want anyone to feel too anything, except perhaps too lucky not to want to share it round.
As modest proposals go, it's a tricky one: getting across the idea that the certain conviction one should be the "leader of the free world" is born of nothing beyond a humble wish to serve. The Democratic contender Barack Obama, in writing a fairly chunky book exploring the matter, and publishing it as he hits the presidential campaign trail, has chosen to offer a fairly comprehensive exposition of his paradoxical position.
It helps, of course, that he can write, in an easy, casual, but careful style. Mellifluous and friendly, it hints rather than boasts at an underlying intelligence and determination rather more steely than this gentle, scrupulously fair-minded, but sweeping and generalised text might necessarily confirm. It helps, too, that he has no hesitation in becoming intimate with the reader, offering a touching vignette here of the courtship of his wife, Michelle, and a moving glimpse there of the all-conquering wonder of breathing the scent of a little daughter's hair.
He does jokes too, self-deprecating ones that acknowledge the distance from ordinary experience that senators inevitably develop, like when he has to admit that his first experience of flying by private jet was "nice". Edgier ones suggest a refreshing relaxation about political correctness, like when a senator turns to him during an impassioned speech by a black firebrand about racism and its iniquities to confess that the speaker's trouble is that he makes him feel "too white". Obama doesn't want anyone to feel too anything, except perhaps too lucky not to want to share it round.
Obama opens affirmative action debateAlbany Times Union - Albany,NY,USABarack Obama doesn't think anyone should cut his two daughters any slack when they apply to college -- not because of their race, at least. ...
Barack Obama: Obama Statement on Iraq Redeployment PlansAll American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden“Today, 1518 days after it began, the war in Iraq rages on, with no sign of a resolution.” “The Iraqi people appear no closer to the settling their ...
Michelle Obama Adds New Role to Balancing ActNew York Times - New York,NY,USAIt was a triumphant moment for Barack Obama: He was walking through the Capitol for the very first time as a United States senator in January 2005, ...
Broncos WR an Obama discipleDenver Post - Denver,CO,USADuring the past year away from football, Broncos receiver David Terrell picked up Barack Obama's memoir, "Dreams from My Father," and was so inspired, ...
Obama vs. Clinton represents refreshing choice for black womenSan Jose Mercury News - San Jose,CA,USABarack Obama on the Larry King show, Oprah has brought some extra attention to a familiar and not always welcome question. Are African-American women, ...
Begun in January 2007, the Barack the House Link Party is a regularly produced compilation of news items highlighting the many reasons why Barack Obama will be a great President of the United States.
It's also intended as a resource for people working to ensure that accurate and positive information about Barack gets out to the public. If you're interested in helping out with this effort, please consider joining the Obama Rapid Response group at my.barackobama.com.
Obama stirring in his KC visit Kansas City Star - MO,USA After candidate Barack Obama’s impressive showing last weekend, the buzz is only going to grow louder. First of all, Clinton should just go ahead and ...
It was clear from the outset that Obama brought his A game. While fatigue was blamed for a few flubs he made on the campaign trail in recent weeks, Obama seemed energized Saturday. After a few opening remarks, he found his rhythm, his cadence. “Politics seems as if it’s become a business and not a mission,” Obama said. “It seems that power is always trumping principle, especially in Washington. It seems our leadership is long on rhetoric but short on substance.” The crowd’s response seemed to rise each time he mentioned a theme associated with middle America. “We’ve had a government that basically ignores the realities of ordinary people,” Obama said. “They say the economy has never been so good … even though families are living from paycheck to paycheck. People are trying to figure out everything from how to fill up the gas tank to saving for retirement to sending their kids to college. People are living hand to mouth, trying to make ends meet.” Of course, his disdain for the war in Iraq drew vociferous applause. “We have a government that thinks that our foreign policy can be determined by ideology and bluster instead of strategy and foresight,” he said. Yet, it was when he invoked a sense of optimism reminiscent of the 1960 presidential campaign that he seemed the most genuine. “I just get a sense that a new wind is blowing,” Obama said. “The American people are paying attention like they haven’t paid attention in a lot of years. People are standing up all around this country saying, ‘We want our country back.’” No one in the audience was left feeling cheated. “You can tell in peoples’ faces that they really were feeling for what Obama’s message was,” said Nancy Pinkston, a student leader with University of Missouri Students for Obama. “So many politicians can talk the talk. But Obama’s the real deal.” Sarah Taylor, another supporter, was not disappointed either. “He has incredible charisma,” Taylor said. “He’s got a broad appeal. I think he’ll be a real strong contender. I want to support someone who’s different.” Obama was on his game in Kansas City. It was as if he were 10 for 10 from the field. But no one should underestimate Hillary Clinton, especially when she has her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in tow. But minus Bill, she would have a hard time in Kansas City drawing a larger, more diverse and more enthusiastic audience than the one Obama drew last weekend.
It was clear from the outset that Obama brought his A game. While fatigue was blamed for a few flubs he made on the campaign trail in recent weeks, Obama seemed energized Saturday.
After a few opening remarks, he found his rhythm, his cadence.
“Politics seems as if it’s become a business and not a mission,” Obama said. “It seems that power is always trumping principle, especially in Washington. It seems our leadership is long on rhetoric but short on substance.”
The crowd’s response seemed to rise each time he mentioned a theme associated with middle America.
“We’ve had a government that basically ignores the realities of ordinary people,” Obama said. “They say the economy has never been so good … even though families are living from paycheck to paycheck. People are trying to figure out everything from how to fill up the gas tank to saving for retirement to sending their kids to college. People are living hand to mouth, trying to make ends meet.”
Of course, his disdain for the war in Iraq drew vociferous applause.
“We have a government that thinks that our foreign policy can be determined by ideology and bluster instead of strategy and foresight,” he said.
Yet, it was when he invoked a sense of optimism reminiscent of the 1960 presidential campaign that he seemed the most genuine.
“I just get a sense that a new wind is blowing,” Obama said. “The American people are paying attention like they haven’t paid attention in a lot of years. People are standing up all around this country saying, ‘We want our country back.’”
No one in the audience was left feeling cheated.
“You can tell in peoples’ faces that they really were feeling for what Obama’s message was,” said Nancy Pinkston, a student leader with University of Missouri Students for Obama. “So many politicians can talk the talk. But Obama’s the real deal.”
Sarah Taylor, another supporter, was not disappointed either.
“He has incredible charisma,” Taylor said. “He’s got a broad appeal. I think he’ll be a real strong contender. I want to support someone who’s different.”
Obama was on his game in Kansas City. It was as if he were 10 for 10 from the field.
But no one should underestimate Hillary Clinton, especially when she has her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in tow. But minus Bill, she would have a hard time in Kansas City drawing a larger, more diverse and more enthusiastic audience than the one Obama drew last weekend.
Senator Obama Leads In South Carolina AHN - USA ... a new poll shows Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is running in second place against fellow Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) in South Carolina. ...
Obama scores points with workes on health care, Iraq NorthJersey.com - Hackensack,NJ,USA A union crowd gave Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama repeat standing ovations Monday as he called for universal health coverage, ...
Over the course of more than an hour, Obama said he supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, opposes private school vouchers, supports legislation that would lower barriers to unionization and favors more research on alternative energy sources. The crowd was particularly pleased with his unqualified call for a phased withdrawal from Iraq, starting "last week." "If we organize, we can bring an end to a war that never should have been authorized," Obama said, raising his voice over cheers. He added, "I'm proud that in 2002 I stood up, when it wasn't popular to be against this war." One of Obama's chief rivals for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, voted to authorize the invasion, which necessarily complicates her stance on the war. New Jersey is supposed to be Clinton country: Polls put the New York senator in the lead for the nomination among New Jersey Democrats, and she also has won the endorsement of Governor Corzine and other party leaders in the state. However, during his swing through the state Monday, Obama gained some endorsements of his own from the mayors of the state's two largest cities, Newark's Cory Booker and Jersey City's Jerramiah Healy. Democratic Assemblyman Gordon Johnson of Englewood also announced his support for Obama on Monday. "I believe he is a breath of fresh air," Johnson said. "I believe he is what we need."
Over the course of more than an hour, Obama said he supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, opposes private school vouchers, supports legislation that would lower barriers to unionization and favors more research on alternative energy sources. The crowd was particularly pleased with his unqualified call for a phased withdrawal from Iraq, starting "last week."
"If we organize, we can bring an end to a war that never should have been authorized," Obama said, raising his voice over cheers. He added, "I'm proud that in 2002 I stood up, when it wasn't popular to be against this war."
One of Obama's chief rivals for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, voted to authorize the invasion, which necessarily complicates her stance on the war.
New Jersey is supposed to be Clinton country: Polls put the New York senator in the lead for the nomination among New Jersey Democrats, and she also has won the endorsement of Governor Corzine and other party leaders in the state.
However, during his swing through the state Monday, Obama gained some endorsements of his own from the mayors of the state's two largest cities, Newark's Cory Booker and Jersey City's Jerramiah Healy. Democratic Assemblyman Gordon Johnson of Englewood also announced his support for Obama on Monday.
"I believe he is a breath of fresh air," Johnson said. "I believe he is what we need."
Barack Obama: Obama Bill on Climate Change Education All American Patriots (press release) - Taeby,NA,Sweden May 14, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) was today joined by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in introducing ...
U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) was today joined by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in introducing legislation that would create a national education program to build awareness about the causes and effects of global climate change. This bipartisan bill, the Climate Change Education Act, will educate students and all Americans about the troubling consequences of climate change, greenhouse gases, and carbon emissions, as well as suggest steps they can take to conserve energy and reduce their environmental impact. “The power to fight back against climate change lies in the hands of all Americans,” said Senator Obama. “As we develop national solutions to reduce carbon emissions from our factories and motor vehicles, every student should know that lifestyle choices like changing a light-bulb or driving a fuel-flexible car can help our progress.”
U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) was today joined by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in introducing legislation that would create a national education program to build awareness about the causes and effects of global climate change. This bipartisan bill, the Climate Change Education Act, will educate students and all Americans about the troubling consequences of climate change, greenhouse gases, and carbon emissions, as well as suggest steps they can take to conserve energy and reduce their environmental impact.
“The power to fight back against climate change lies in the hands of all Americans,” said Senator Obama. “As we develop national solutions to reduce carbon emissions from our factories and motor vehicles, every student should know that lifestyle choices like changing a light-bulb or driving a fuel-flexible car can help our progress.”
Obama Proposes Changes in Student Loans ABC News - USA Barack Obama, D-Ill., gestures as he speaks to a large gathering of mostly union members Monday, May 14, 2007, in Trenton, NJ The town hall-style meeting ...
Missouri happy to show Obama the money Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA Why did Barack Obama fly to Missouri last weekend, stopping briefly in the state's biggest urban centers, St. Louis and Kansas City? ...
But looking around the ballroom one could also see that the crowd here was in many ways a cross-section of America: babies, seniors, young, black, white, students, and the curious. "Missouri is close to the median of the United States in terms of the economy and the population," John Petrocik, head of political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia, explained to me later. In this state, plunk in the middle of the continental U.S., there remain traces of a southern tradition, a rural white population in the Ozark mountains, a rust-belt industry in St. Louis, a large Christian conservative population and important universities. Missouri is an atypical Midwest state that has it all; it is a microcosm of the USA. As Petrocik says, it wasn't a bad place for Obama to have "an off-Broadway tryout." And, yes, it is a swing state where shifts between Democrats and Republicans are not rare occurrences. Missouri has more often voted for the winning presidential candidate than any other state, whether he's Democrat or Republican. It is the state of Harry Truman but it elected George W. Bush the last time around. As the state slogan suggests: "Show Me." And that's likely what Missourians were asking of Barack Obama, the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit their state: "Show Me" before I give you my vote.
But looking around the ballroom one could also see that the crowd here was in many ways a cross-section of America: babies, seniors, young, black, white, students, and the curious. "Missouri is close to the median of the United States in terms of the economy and the population," John Petrocik, head of political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia, explained to me later.
In this state, plunk in the middle of the continental U.S., there remain traces of a southern tradition, a rural white population in the Ozark mountains, a rust-belt industry in St. Louis, a large Christian conservative population and important universities. Missouri is an atypical Midwest state that has it all; it is a microcosm of the USA. As Petrocik says, it wasn't a bad place for Obama to have "an off-Broadway tryout."
And, yes, it is a swing state where shifts between Democrats and Republicans are not rare occurrences. Missouri has more often voted for the winning presidential candidate than any other state, whether he's Democrat or Republican. It is the state of Harry Truman but it elected George W. Bush the last time around. As the state slogan suggests: "Show Me." And that's likely what Missourians were asking of Barack Obama, the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit their state: "Show Me" before I give you my vote.
Obama names NH co-chairs Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA Three former Congressional candidates and a former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair will head up Barack Obama's presidential campaign in the state where ...
Poor grades help Barack Obama learn about campaigning McClatchy Washington Bureau - USA Barack Obama of Illinois is going to school on the presidential campaign trail, and he just got a lesson from what's arguably the most important trade union ...
"There was a view that Senator Obama seemed to be a little somber, a little sobering," Schaitberger said, referring to a survey he took of the roughly 1,000 union leaders who heard Obama and 10 other candidates that day. "The issues he shared weren't necessarily on point. "Senator Obama was probably not overly pleased with my opinion," Schaitberger added. "But I was being honest." ... On Friday, Obama got a chance for a makeover. The firefighters invited him and the five Democrats who did well to meet for follow-up interviews with about 80 union leaders gathered in Portsmouth, N.H. ...He got more specific about firefighter issues and ended up with a much better grade. "Obama did a much better job," Schaitberger said. "He was more on point. He acknowledged this. He made it clear that he really wanted to pursue our support. Today was a very different presentation."
"There was a view that Senator Obama seemed to be a little somber, a little sobering," Schaitberger said, referring to a survey he took of the roughly 1,000 union leaders who heard Obama and 10 other candidates that day. "The issues he shared weren't necessarily on point.
"Senator Obama was probably not overly pleased with my opinion," Schaitberger added. "But I was being honest."
...
On Friday, Obama got a chance for a makeover. The firefighters invited him and the five Democrats who did well to meet for follow-up interviews with about 80 union leaders gathered in Portsmouth, N.H.
...He got more specific about firefighter issues and ended up with a much better grade.
"Obama did a much better job," Schaitberger said. "He was more on point. He acknowledged this. He made it clear that he really wanted to pursue our support. Today was a very different presentation."
Obama Joins Booker and Healy to Call for Creation of Affordable Housing Trust Fund Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA TETERBORO, NJ--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barack Obama joined Mayor Cory Booker of Newark and Mayor Jerramiah Healy of Jersey City today to call for the creation of ...
Obama does it Truman style -- giving 'em hell over Iraq Chicago Sun-Times Sun, 13 May 2007 2:20 AM PDT KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- This is former President Harry Truman's stomping ground, "give 'em hell" country, and that's exactly what Barack Obama did Saturday afternoon: He rousingly gave 'em hell.
This is former President Harry Truman's stomping ground, "give 'em hell" country, and that's exactly what Barack Obama did Saturday afternoon: He rousingly gave 'em hell. He played off the enthusiasms of a fervent crowd of 2,000 in a downtown hotel ballroom to lambaste President Bush's policy in Iraq, noting the Democratic effort to use legislation to bring troops home in a phased withdrawal is meeting an impenetrable stone wall: the president's veto. "I don't think we are going to change George Bush's mind," Obama said. "He doesn't seem to be someone who examines the facts." Obama has been arguing all along that the solution to the war in Iraq is a political one and the lengthy presence of American troops will do nothing to solve the impasse among the various Iraqi ethnic groups. He asserts the solution is political, not military. ... Obama reiterated his own theme that Americans need to find a unity of mind amongst themselves and also to reach out to the rest of the world to resolve issues such as global warming, the debacle in Darfur and nuclear proliferation. We need to mend our relationships abroad, he explained. "The day this president steps down, the rest of the world will breathe a sigh of relief," Obama said. He also called for the closing of Guantanamo -- the American military base in Cuba where putative al-Qaida terrorists are imprisoned: "Why don't we say we don't do torture, we don't do rendition, that's not who we are as a people." He concluded with another theme he regularly invokes: that America needs to be transformed into a country that expresses humanity and "core decency" so it can remain a "beacon of hope" to the rest of the world.
This is former President Harry Truman's stomping ground, "give 'em hell" country, and that's exactly what Barack Obama did Saturday afternoon: He rousingly gave 'em hell.
He played off the enthusiasms of a fervent crowd of 2,000 in a downtown hotel ballroom to lambaste President Bush's policy in Iraq, noting the Democratic effort to use legislation to bring troops home in a phased withdrawal is meeting an impenetrable stone wall: the president's veto.
"I don't think we are going to change George Bush's mind," Obama said. "He doesn't seem to be someone who examines the facts."
Obama has been arguing all along that the solution to the war in Iraq is a political one and the lengthy presence of American troops will do nothing to solve the impasse among the various Iraqi ethnic groups. He asserts the solution is political, not military.
Obama reiterated his own theme that Americans need to find a unity of mind amongst themselves and also to reach out to the rest of the world to resolve issues such as global warming, the debacle in Darfur and nuclear proliferation. We need to mend our relationships abroad, he explained.
"The day this president steps down, the rest of the world will breathe a sigh of relief," Obama said.
He also called for the closing of Guantanamo -- the American military base in Cuba where putative al-Qaida terrorists are imprisoned: "Why don't we say we don't do torture, we don't do rendition, that's not who we are as a people."
He concluded with another theme he regularly invokes: that America needs to be transformed into a country that expresses humanity and "core decency" so it can remain a "beacon of hope" to the rest of the world.
Trail is new place for Michelle Obama Concord Monitor - Concord,NH,USA Barack Obama of Illinois, said he is running for president. After she ends her duties as vice president of community and external affairs at the University ...
Glamour, grit and homespun charm: Mrs Obama gets another day job Times Online - UK Michelle Obama, the Harvard-educated African-American wife of the Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, announced yesterday that she was quitting ...
Obama assails private Medicare plans Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA DES MOINES, Iowa --Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Friday proposed cutting government subsidies to private insurance companies under ...
Grassley-Obama sparring continues over veto override DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines,IA,USA Washington, DC - Barack Obama and Iowa's senior US senator continued to spar Friday over a call to bring troops home from Iraq. ...
Corporate gifts to Obama? It never happened ... Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA I have watched Barack Obama since he entered the state Legislature many years ago. I have compared him and his ethics with those of people I have known in ...
Corporations did not give any money to Obama and they are not going to have any hold on him in his public life. I have watched Barack Obama since he entered the state Legislature many years ago. I have compared him and his ethics with those of people I have known in political arenas over the last 50 years that I have been active in public life. He is in the mold of the late Senators Paul Douglas and Paul Simon. The only "Inc." you can put after his name is if you are starting to spell the word "incorruptible."
Jesse Jackson Jr. asks black Dems to back Obama The Decatur Daily - Decatur,AL,USA Barack Obama in the state’s presidential primary. The ADC, the state’s oldest and most influential black political organization, will not formally endorse a ...
Jackson said it’s time to come together and build a more perfect union. Instead of questioning whether a candidate is “black enough,” some people need to let go and move on, Jackson said. That would mean some people will have to stop holding onto the past and start looking to the future, he said. “It doesn’t matter whether you are black, white, rich or poor,” Jackson said. “We need to build a more perfect union for everybody.” The ADC convention theme was “Taking Back Alabama in 2008.” ADC Chairman Joe Reed said he looked forward to October when the group will meet in Birmingham to make its endorsements.
Jackson said it’s time to come together and build a more perfect union.
Instead of questioning whether a candidate is “black enough,” some people need to let go and move on, Jackson said.
That would mean some people will have to stop holding onto the past and start looking to the future, he said.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are black, white, rich or poor,” Jackson said. “We need to build a more perfect union for everybody.”
The ADC convention theme was “Taking Back Alabama in 2008.”
ADC Chairman Joe Reed said he looked forward to October when the group will meet in Birmingham to make its endorsements.
Obama's candidacy raises, answers myriad concerns The Argus - Fremont,CA,USA THE PICTURES I took at the Oakland rally for Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama include about four of the Rotunda building across from where he ...
In recent weeks, Obama has been gaining in the polls. Most show him making steady progress. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has been running a parody that calls Obama "the Magic Negro" white liberals can support and assuage their racial guilt. Some have called it offensive, particularly with the increase in hate mail and Web postings. Obama's campaign has called it simply dumb. I have another take on the racial angle. The Limbaughs of the world would dismiss it as white liberal guilt, but I wonder if electing a black man as president wouldn't help our country begin the process of racial healing. It wouldn't negate the need to continue the work to eliminate entrenched discrimination and racial disparities in health, education and wealth. However, if we can send a black man to the White House and he can serve his term or terms, we've made progress I didn't think I'd see in my lifetime.
In recent weeks, Obama has been gaining in the polls. Most show him making steady progress.
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has been running a parody that calls Obama "the Magic Negro" white liberals can support and assuage their racial guilt. Some have called it offensive, particularly with the increase in hate mail and Web postings. Obama's campaign has called it simply dumb.
I have another take on the racial angle. The Limbaughs of the world would dismiss it as white liberal guilt, but I wonder if electing a black man as president wouldn't help our country begin the process of racial healing. It wouldn't negate the need to continue the work to eliminate entrenched discrimination and racial disparities in health, education and wealth.
However, if we can send a black man to the White House and he can serve his term or terms, we've made progress I didn't think I'd see in my lifetime.
Obama's half-sister helps kick off local campaign Honolulu Star-Bulletin - Honolulu,HI,USA Hawaii-born presidential candidate Barack Obama sees Hawaii as "a fabulous model for the kind of America I hope this campaign will bring about." ...
"He was instrumental in helping me make good decisions, and reminding me of my strengths," she said. Race and Obama's Kenyan heritage have been the focus of many discussions around his candidacy, and Soetoro-Ng said it gets frustrating because Obama comes from a culturally diverse family. "I think to focus on that is to cheapen things," she said. "He has enough complexity so that when he acts or speaks, he's thinking of people of all races and creeds." Locally, the campaign hopes to recruit as many as 7,000 supporters to join the Hawaii Democratic Party and vote in the Feb. 19 precinct caucus, campaign coordinator Andy Winer said. More than 100 people showed up at yesterday's kickoff and planning session. State Sen. Clarence Nishihara said Obama reflects Hawaii's aloha spirit. "Internationally, if people find you come from Hawaii, somehow they think we're something special, something out there," Nishihara said. "We provide a different kind of American ... the kind we need to work toward."
"He was instrumental in helping me make good decisions, and reminding me of my strengths," she said.
Race and Obama's Kenyan heritage have been the focus of many discussions around his candidacy, and Soetoro-Ng said it gets frustrating because Obama comes from a culturally diverse family.
"I think to focus on that is to cheapen things," she said. "He has enough complexity so that when he acts or speaks, he's thinking of people of all races and creeds."
Locally, the campaign hopes to recruit as many as 7,000 supporters to join the Hawaii Democratic Party and vote in the Feb. 19 precinct caucus, campaign coordinator Andy Winer said.
More than 100 people showed up at yesterday's kickoff and planning session.
State Sen. Clarence Nishihara said Obama reflects Hawaii's aloha spirit.
"Internationally, if people find you come from Hawaii, somehow they think we're something special, something out there," Nishihara said. "We provide a different kind of American ... the kind we need to work toward."
The easy case for President Obama St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg,FL,USA Anyone who underestimates the Illinois senator's ...
In a crowded field where at least 20 states may vote on Feb. 5, 2008, campaign money can't be underestimated. As the field of aspiring Hillary alternatives winnows, that only helps Obama. "We're going to be competing everywhere on Feb. 5. The only other person that can say that is Hillary, " said Miami lawyer Kirk Wager, Obama's Florida finance chairman. Given his lack of experience on the national stage, Obama, of course, must hope that the 2008 election is more about change than it is about the war on terror. But even there judgment may trump experience; unlike his leading rivals, Obama opposed invading Iraq from the start. "I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. ... I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaida, " Obama said in 2002. "In some ways, Obama's redefining what experience is. His line - 'look what experience has gotten us' - I think that resonates, " said Bernie Campbell of Tampa, a veteran Democratic consultant who sees Obama as a strong contender. "He's got a message that competes, he's got a staff that competes, and he's got the money that competes, " said Campbell. Once he beats Clinton in the primary, the general election looks almost easy given the state of the Republican image lately. That Obama is winning over his share of Republicans at the same time he's pulling liberals from Clinton's camp, shows how strong he could be in the general election. Never underestimate the strength of a candidate that a broad array of people feel good about supporting. Barack Obama, the embodiment of the American dream, may prove the perfect candidate for an electorate hungry for optimism.
In a crowded field where at least 20 states may vote on Feb. 5, 2008, campaign money can't be underestimated. As the field of aspiring Hillary alternatives winnows, that only helps Obama.
"We're going to be competing everywhere on Feb. 5. The only other person that can say that is Hillary, " said Miami lawyer Kirk Wager, Obama's Florida finance chairman.
Given his lack of experience on the national stage, Obama, of course, must hope that the 2008 election is more about change than it is about the war on terror. But even there judgment may trump experience; unlike his leading rivals, Obama opposed invading Iraq from the start.
"I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. ... I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaida, " Obama said in 2002.
"In some ways, Obama's redefining what experience is. His line - 'look what experience has gotten us' - I think that resonates, " said Bernie Campbell of Tampa, a veteran Democratic consultant who sees Obama as a strong contender.
"He's got a message that competes, he's got a staff that competes, and he's got the money that competes, " said Campbell.
Once he beats Clinton in the primary, the general election looks almost easy given the state of the Republican image lately. That Obama is winning over his share of Republicans at the same time he's pulling liberals from Clinton's camp, shows how strong he could be in the general election.
Never underestimate the strength of a candidate that a broad array of people feel good about supporting. Barack Obama, the embodiment of the American dream, may prove the perfect candidate for an electorate hungry for optimism.
Newark mayor to back Obama Chicago Tribune Sun, 13 May 2007 3:53 AM PDT Sen. Barack Obama will pick up a significant endorsement Monday when Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., is expected to formally announce his support for the Illinois Democrat in the 2008 presidential primary.
Obama Draws 3000 in Missouri Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama urged about 3000 supporters Saturday to help send members to Congress who will oppose the war in Iraq. ...
Ireland Claims Obama as Its Own Washington Post Sat, 12 May 2007 7:23 PM PDT Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is the talk of the tiny Irish village of Moneygall.
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The Barack the House Link Party is a regular compilation of news items that highlight the many reasons why Barack Obama will be a great President of the United States.
Mrs Obama steps into the spotlight Times Online - UK The wife of Barack Obama, the presidential candidate who is tussling with Hillary Clinton to become the Democratic choice to succeed President Bush, ...
And in recent weeks Mrs Obama, who is tall and striking, has also deployed alone on the campaign trail, making speeches in churches in Illinois and Carolina. In a letter sent to potential donors earlier this month she wrote: "I'm now one of those 'other' kind of people Barack talks about — the people who believe democracy can live up to its promise, who are not just willing to do their part to make it work but who are enthused about the prospect."
Michelle Obama: Campaigning her way USA Today - USA Barack Obama, is a top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, but in an interview with USA TODAY, she admits she hasn't thought much about ...
Obama, 43, says she has overcome the qualms she once had about her husband's political career and presidential ambitions. She says she's comfortable being his emissary, collecting the concerns and hopes of the voters she meets and sharing them with him. A vice president of the University of Chicago Hospitals, she now works part time and limits her campaigning to day trips so she can make breakfast for their daughters — Malia, 8, and Sasha, 5 — and be home in time to tuck them in at night. She used to have a cynical view of politics, she says, because politicians she admired — but won't identify — were "afraid of taking a stand because they don't want to lose their seat or their position." "I never had doubt about what Barack could offer, and that's what kind of spiraled me out of my own doubt," she says. "I don't want to be the person that holds back a potential answer" to the nation's challenges. She had to overcome concerns that her husband could get "chewed up" by the whole "messy business" of politics, she says.
Obama, 43, says she has overcome the qualms she once had about her husband's political career and presidential ambitions. She says she's comfortable being his emissary, collecting the concerns and hopes of the voters she meets and sharing them with him. A vice president of the University of Chicago Hospitals, she now works part time and limits her campaigning to day trips so she can make breakfast for their daughters — Malia, 8, and Sasha, 5 — and be home in time to tuck them in at night.
She used to have a cynical view of politics, she says, because politicians she admired — but won't identify — were "afraid of taking a stand because they don't want to lose their seat or their position."
"I never had doubt about what Barack could offer, and that's what kind of spiraled me out of my own doubt," she says. "I don't want to be the person that holds back a potential answer" to the nation's challenges. She had to overcome concerns that her husband could get "chewed up" by the whole "messy business" of politics, she says.
Obama Renews Pressing Grassley on Iraq Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama stepped up his pressure on Republican Sen. Charles Grassley on Thursday, arguing voters ...
INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama stepped up his pressure on Republican Sen. Charles Grassley on Thursday, arguing voters should urge the Iowa lawmaker to help override President Bush's veto of a bill that would set a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Obama addressed the issue during the eighth campaign swing through Iowa since he declared his candidacy for president. "It isn't personal," Obama told about 300 people at a town hall meeting at Simpson College. "I respect him greatly. But I said then and I say now that he needs to hear from you and people across Iowa who understand that it's time to change course." Obama has made his opposition to the war in Iraq a central theme of his campaign.
INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama stepped up his pressure on Republican Sen. Charles Grassley on Thursday, arguing voters should urge the Iowa lawmaker to help override President Bush's veto of a bill that would set a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
Obama addressed the issue during the eighth campaign swing through Iowa since he declared his candidacy for president.
"It isn't personal," Obama told about 300 people at a town hall meeting at Simpson College. "I respect him greatly. But I said then and I say now that he needs to hear from you and people across Iowa who understand that it's time to change course."
Obama has made his opposition to the war in Iraq a central theme of his campaign.
Barack Gets It Right On Limbaugh's "Barack The Magic Negro" Parody Huffington Post - New York,NY,USA That's how Presidential candidate Barack Obama responded when Paul W. Smith with Detroit's WJR Radio asked him about the Rush Limbaugh's parody song "Barack ...
Obama didn't take Limbaugh's bait. Good for him. Obama understands that the continuing name calling from the right further confirms his skyrocketing viability as the Democratic nominee. Obama also understands that talking about race is a scary thing in America. Especially for a politician. Race is a third rail issue that can end a career. Obama knows that race is a huge elephant in his room and both the Obama haters and the Obamaniacs are watching his every word on all things racial. Obama also understands that he doesn't need to care what Limbaugh's listeners think. They aren't voting for him. So, instead of a even criticizing Limbaugh, Obama deftly swats off the controversy with humor, which shows leadership. Obama knows to win that it's not worth making Rush's molehill more of a mountain. Like the Rutgers's ladies, Obama is a class act.
Obama Has Harlem Locked New California Media - San Francisco,CA,USA Senator Barack Obama will have the Black vote solidly in his corner if street pundits along Harlem’s famed 125th Street are to be taken as a measure of how ...
Senator Barack Obama will have the Black vote solidly in his corner if street pundits along Harlem’s famed 125th Street are to be taken as a measure of how African Americans are weighing their votes between the Illinois senator and New York’s Hillary Clinton. Coincidentally, top Harlem politician Bill Perkins today announced his endorsement of Obama. Some of the people interviewed say they don’t want to see a Clinton dynasty, while others say she panders too much to the right with her stance on the Iraq war and unquestioned backing for Israel. At the end of the day, Obama will win Black votes because he’s the first Black presidential candidate with a realistic chance at winning the White House, many say.
Obama represents generational change Coshocton Tribune - Coshocton,OH,USA SAN DIEGO - As someone who could become the first African-American president, Barack Obama can't help but make history - even the unwelcome kind. ...
An Obama presidency would be a refreshing change and would almost certainly benefit from the fact that the candidate is not burdened by what he calls the "psychodrama of the baby boom generation" with its endless feuds, grudges and hard feelings dating back to the conflicts of the 1960s. If nothing else, it'll be a nice change - from this point forward - not to hear every foreign policy challenge described as "another Vietnam." OK, we get it. That war went a long way toward defining the baby boomers. But that doesn't mean it has to define our nation's foreign policy for the next century. It's time to bury those ghosts. Fifty years from now, people will look back and they won't believe that during the 2004 presidential election - the first since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 - the debate in America wasn't really over the location of Osama bin Laden but over whether John Kerry was ever in Cambodia or whether George W. Bush spent the requisite amount of time in Alabama to maintain his status as a member of the Air National Guard. You would have thought we could have found something more urgent to focus on - like how best to combat the threat of global terrorism. We need a new national mindset, and step one is to usher in a new generation of leaders. One waits in the wings.
An Obama presidency would be a refreshing change and would almost certainly benefit from the fact that the candidate is not burdened by what he calls the "psychodrama of the baby boom generation" with its endless feuds, grudges and hard feelings dating back to the conflicts of the 1960s. If nothing else, it'll be a nice change - from this point forward - not to hear every foreign policy challenge described as "another Vietnam."
OK, we get it. That war went a long way toward defining the baby boomers. But that doesn't mean it has to define our nation's foreign policy for the next century. It's time to bury those ghosts.
Fifty years from now, people will look back and they won't believe that during the 2004 presidential election - the first since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 - the debate in America wasn't really over the location of Osama bin Laden but over whether John Kerry was ever in Cambodia or whether George W. Bush spent the requisite amount of time in Alabama to maintain his status as a member of the Air National Guard. You would have thought we could have found something more urgent to focus on - like how best to combat the threat of global terrorism.
We need a new national mindset, and step one is to usher in a new generation of leaders. One waits in the wings.
Obama taps influential foreign policy experts Chicago Sun-Times Thu, 10 May 2007 3:24 AM PDT The inner circle of foreign policy experts advising Sen. Barack Obama is small but influential. If he is elected president, his secretary of state and national security advisers may come from this group.
For Obama's presidential bid, Senate staffer Mark Lippert is the critical link between the campaign, the Senate staff and the senator. Lippert has accompanied Obama on the three international trips Obama has taken while in office. Lippert, who has a master's from Stanford in international policy, has had a hand in every major Obama speech and statement on international affairs and deals with the senator daily. Lippert, a lieutenant junior grade in the Navy Reserve, came to Obama after working on the Senate Appropriations Committee Foreign Operations Subcommittee for five years and has handled foreign policy and defense issues for the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. Besides Lippert, the core Obama group consists of three people who worked in President Bill Clinton's administration: former National Security Adviser Anthony Lake and former senior State Department officials Susan Rice and Gregory Craig. They meet regularly in Washington. Lake was the NSA adviser during Clinton's first term. Rice was the senior adviser on national security affairs for the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004, an assistant secretary of state for African affairs and a special assistant to the president at the National Security Council at the Clinton White House.
For Obama's presidential bid, Senate staffer Mark Lippert is the critical link between the campaign, the Senate staff and the senator. Lippert has accompanied Obama on the three international trips Obama has taken while in office. Lippert, who has a master's from Stanford in international policy, has had a hand in every major Obama speech and statement on international affairs and deals with the senator daily.
Lippert, a lieutenant junior grade in the Navy Reserve, came to Obama after working on the Senate Appropriations Committee Foreign Operations Subcommittee for five years and has handled foreign policy and defense issues for the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.
Besides Lippert, the core Obama group consists of three people who worked in President Bill Clinton's administration: former National Security Adviser Anthony Lake and former senior State Department officials Susan Rice and Gregory Craig. They meet regularly in Washington. Lake was the NSA adviser during Clinton's first term. Rice was the senior adviser on national security affairs for the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004, an assistant secretary of state for African affairs and a special assistant to the president at the National Security Council at the Clinton White House.
Obama's Economic Brain Trust Breaks With `Status Quo' Bloomberg via Yahoo! News Thu, 10 May 2007 8:27 AM PDT May 10 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Barack Obama portrays himself as a new kind of leader who transcends conventional politics. Judging by the economists he has enlisted in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he may just be.
May 10 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Barack Obama (news">Link, bio">Link, voting">Link record) portrays himself as a new kind of leader who transcends conventional politics. Judging by the economists he has enlisted in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he may just be. Obama's economic brain trust -- a blend of up-and-coming academics and former officials in President Bill Clinton's administration -- displays a fondness for backing innovative solutions to the nation's problems. Among them: offering ailing U.S. automakers aid in return for increased investment in hybrid cars and rewarding doctors for the improvements they make in patients' health. ``They bring to the campaign some fresh thought on approaches that are non-status quo,'' says Alan Blinder, a Princeton University economist and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve.
May 10 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Barack Obama (news">Link, bio">Link, voting">Link record) portrays himself as a new kind of leader who transcends conventional politics. Judging by the economists he has enlisted in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he may just be.
Obama's economic brain trust -- a blend of up-and-coming academics and former officials in President Bill Clinton's administration -- displays a fondness for backing innovative solutions to the nation's problems. Among them: offering ailing U.S. automakers aid in return for increased investment in hybrid cars and rewarding doctors for the improvements they make in patients' health.
``They bring to the campaign some fresh thought on approaches that are non-status quo,'' says Alan Blinder, a Princeton University economist and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve.
EXCLUSIVE: George Stephanopoulos Interviews Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama ABC News Thu, 10 May 2007 9:53 AM PDT Obama Sits Down for First Sunday Morning Interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos
Obama Criticizes Automakers on Fuel Economy New York Times - New York,NY,USA DETROIT, May 7 — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois delivered a stern message to Detroit auto companies on Monday, saying they had done little to lessen the ...
Michelle Obama says husband has moral compass Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA WINDHAM, NH --Presidential hopeful Barack Obama electrified his audience with his 2004 address to the Democratic National Convention and was heralded as the ...
Voters pack Windham house party for Michelle Obama The Union Leader - Manchester,NH,USA WINDHAM - Michelle Obama, wife of presidential hopeful Barack Obama, stirred a house full of people yesterday with her personal stories of her husband and ...
In Lincoln's footsteps Guardian Unlimited - UK For even the most seasoned observers of American politics, Barack Obama is a phenomenon. In normal circumstances, it would be unthinkable for a politician ...
I've met Barack on a number of occasions and consider him a friend. And I have been pleasantly surprised to see that his presidential bid has been met with such widespread warmth and enthusiasm. As Barack himself is frequently at pains to point out, all this excitement says as much about the mood of the American public as it does about the unusual talents of the junior senator from Illinois. The British publication of his new book, The Audacity of Hope, therefore offers readers on this side of the Atlantic a window not just into the mind of one of America's most exciting politicians, but into the political landscape of the post-Bush era.
I've met Barack on a number of occasions and consider him a friend. And I have been pleasantly surprised to see that his presidential bid has been met with such widespread warmth and enthusiasm. As Barack himself is frequently at pains to point out, all this excitement says as much about the mood of the American public as it does about the unusual talents of the junior senator from Illinois.
The British publication of his new book, The Audacity of Hope, therefore offers readers on this side of the Atlantic a window not just into the mind of one of America's most exciting politicians, but into the political landscape of the post-Bush era.
Can Oprah push Obama into White House? Houston Chronicle - Houston,TX,USA Barack Obama, D-Ill. In an interview on Larry King Live on CNN, she said she was backing the senator "because I know him personally." ...
Obama stories prompt racist postings Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA Stories about White House hopeful Barack Obama on CBS News.com have been attracting so many racist comments that staffers were told they should no longer ...
Obama's backers can't get enough Detroit Free Press - Detroit,MI,USA Barack Obama's supporters in Michigan want to hear more specifics, more details, more of his plans for the nation. But mostly, they want him. ...
REPUBLICANS DEFECT TO OBAMA Free Market News Network - Pompano Beach,FL,USA DISILLUSIONED supporters of President George W Bush are defecting to Barack Obama, the Democratic senator for Illinois, as the White House candidate with ...
Obama urges Iowans to lobby congress to end the Iraq war DesMoinesRegister.com - Des Moines,IA,USA WATERLOO, IA — Presidential candidate Barack Obama called for Iowans to lobby their US senators to end the war in Iraq during a campaign stop here Sunday. ...
For Barack Obama, Winning the White House Would Mean Bridging The ... Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA Barack Obama's white supporters, this is the dialogue of race, the parsing of perceptions and expectations as they watch their man campaign. ...
It's been a few days since I've been able to compile the Link Party. But, I want to start off with a very good article by David Brooks, which shows Obama to be a true deep thinker. But, the odd thing is the title (which is derived from the last line of the piece), which clearly conflicts with what Brooks writes about him. Totally gratuitous attempt at some kind of balance, it seems to me, but the piece is still very worth reading...
Obama Insightful or vacant? By David Brooks, May 3rd, 2007
I was interviewing Barack Obama and we were talking about effective foreign aid programs in Africa. His voice was measured and fatigued, and he was taking ... I was interviewing Barack Obama and we were talking about effective foreign aid programs in Africa. His voice was measured and fatigued, and he was taking those little pauses candidates take when they're afraid of saying something that might hurt them later on. Out of the blue I asked, "Have you ever read Reinhold Niebuhr?" Obama's tone changed. "I love him. He's one of my favorite philosophers." So I asked, What do you take away from him? "I take away," Obama answered in a rush of words, "the compelling idea that there's serious evil in the world, and hardship and pain. And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn't use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard, and not swinging from naive idealism to bitter realism." My first impression was that for a guy who's spent the last few months fundraising, and who was walking off the Senate floor as he spoke, that's a pretty good off-the-cuff summary of Niebuhr's "The Irony of American History." My second impression is that his campaign is an attempt to thread the Niebuhrian needle, and it's really interesting to watch. On the one hand, Obama hates, as Niebuhr certainly would have, the grand Bushian rhetoric about ridding the world of evil and tyranny and transforming the Middle East. But he also dislikes liberal muddle-headedness on power politics. In "The Audacity of Hope," he says liberal objectives like withdrawing from Iraq, stopping AIDS and working more closely with our allies may be laudable, "but they hardly constitute a coherent national security policy."
I was interviewing Barack Obama and we were talking about effective foreign aid programs in Africa. His voice was measured and fatigued, and he was taking ...
I was interviewing Barack Obama and we were talking about effective foreign aid programs in Africa. His voice was measured and fatigued, and he was taking those little pauses candidates take when they're afraid of saying something that might hurt them later on.
Out of the blue I asked, "Have you ever read Reinhold Niebuhr?" Obama's tone changed. "I love him. He's one of my favorite philosophers."
So I asked, What do you take away from him? "I take away," Obama answered in a rush of words, "the compelling idea that there's serious evil in the world, and hardship and pain. And we should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn't use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard, and not swinging from naive idealism to bitter realism."
My first impression was that for a guy who's spent the last few months fundraising, and who was walking off the Senate floor as he spoke, that's a pretty good off-the-cuff summary of Niebuhr's "The Irony of American History." My second impression is that his campaign is an attempt to thread the Niebuhrian needle, and it's really interesting to watch.
On the one hand, Obama hates, as Niebuhr certainly would have, the grand Bushian rhetoric about ridding the world of evil and tyranny and transforming the Middle East. But he also dislikes liberal muddle-headedness on power politics. In "The Audacity of Hope," he says liberal objectives like withdrawing from Iraq, stopping AIDS and working more closely with our allies may be laudable, "but they hardly constitute a coherent national security policy."
Oprah Endorses Obama New York Times - New York,NY,USA It’s a safe bet that Senator Barack Obama doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to the talk show icon, particularly when he has her endorsement at his disposal. ...
Obama Reaches Out With Tough Love Washington Post Wed, 02 May 2007 7:58 PM PDT Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is delivering pointed critiques of the African American community as he campaigns for its votes, lamenting that many of his generation are "disenfranchising" themselves because they don't vote, taking rappers to task for their language, and decrying "anti-intellectualism"...
Obama security stepped up Guardian Unlimited - UK Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama (l) and Hillary Clinton take part in the first televised debate of the of the 2008 presidential campaign in ...
Obama: Make Debate Video Public Guardian Unlimited - UK Barack Obama was close behind with $25 million. Strategists from both parties estimated last September that the White House race in 2008 could cost each ...
Ford: Obama can win in South Chicago Tribune Wed, 02 May 2007 4:54 AM PDT Tennessee Democrat says race not hurdle Before Sen. Barack Obama was the rising star of the Democratic Party, there was Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee.
For Barack Obama, a careful courting of Jewish vote Christian Science Monitor - Boston,MA,USA 'Shoulder to shoulder with Israel': Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, at a recent meeting of the National Jewish Democratic Council, pledged to defend ...
Clinton, Obama to debate in NH The Union Leader - Manchester,NH,USA Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton yesterday agreed to participate in the June 3 Democratic debate sponsored by the New Hampshire Union Leader, WMUR and CNN. ...
Obama and wife impressive, inspiring Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette - Champaign/Urbana,IL,USA Here it was, more than 40 years later, and she had just finished listening to Michelle and Barack Obama address 1200 women at the Chicago Hilton. ...
Obama's wife 'commands a room,' seen as an asset in '08 The Washington Times Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:01 PM PDT There seems to be an instant connection people make with the wife of Sen. Barack Obama from the first words she speaks.
I know there has been a lot of discussion over the last couple of days regarding the role of the grassroots in the Obama campaign. So, I thought you all might be interested in reading the comments of Zephyr Teachout, who, as you may know, was the Director of Internet Organizing during the Dean campaign. In the comments section of an article on this subject at Tech President, she does a great job of providing a thorough account of the trials and tribulations of running a people-powered campaign.
In the interest of disclosure, I should probably mention that I did volunteer work with Zephyr during the Dean campaign and she was instrumental in helping to get Vermonters for Obama off the ground. And she's a friend of mine.
(I apologize for spamming this around, but I think her comments are very important for all of us to see as we try to find our place within the campaign.)
Here's what she had to say...
This issue reminds me of questions that we had to deal with all the time on the Dean campaign. We called people like Joe A's "centers of gravity"-- people who had built up their own Dean communities. We wanted centers of gravity as close to campaign as possible without imploding.
At first, it was very perplexing, and our tiny team debated options, but we ran into an odd clarifier--the law. Because of legal concerns of coordination, we were told early on by our lawyers that we had two choices: to have a manager/agent relationship with grassroots supporters, or to not direct grassroots supporters actions at all. In February and March, Dean Nation was blogging, and New York for Dean and others were creating posters and strategies of their own--some of them were clamoring for direction.
The question answered itself. We simply couldn't have a manager/agent relationship and still have all this flowering of intelligent political energy, so we chose to be hands off, talking with people but not telling them what to do. As part of this, we had to train the press--when Georgia for Dean sends out a press release, it is not a Howard Dean press release, it is a Georgia for Dean press release. The training of the press took awhile, but they learned. Teaching people who'd worked in politics for a while that "no, we will not vet that flier you are going to pass out to 1,000 people" also took awhile, but led to what I think is the most important thing in a democracy: people taking responsibility. Local groups, centers of gravity like Joe Anthony, took responsibility because they knew we wouldn't. Some got exhausted after a few months of intense work, others did not--and not all relationships were handled well, as we fumbled for solutions for the hardworking volunteers. The issues got more difficult when paid staffers, on the ground, would be working with unpaid supporters who had done far more extraordinary, creative, and difficult work for months--we found that grassroots growth often slowed in states once we put in a paid staffer (I have alot of theories about this, but not for this comment).
There were hundreds of mistakes. Here are two. In March 2003, we signaled that we were going to give a group an "official" status and then changed our position. Our first impulse was to provide the group what they wanted, but after realizing that the "official" group was far more bottlenecked than the unofficial ones, we reneged. We admitted we made a mistake, but people were understandably angry. The second was much later--the fall of 2003. A group started in order to help Dean develop policy positions, or at least do collective research. We effectively shut the door on them--I think we weren't ready to open up that much, and didn't know how to do collective policy, and the founders were annoyed, because I (and others) had initially been very excited. Of course they continued on their own, but without the active enthusiasm of our group.
But we also had some real successes. The most obvious is that Trippi--rage as he would over a few things Aziz might mischievously post--did not try to control the Dean Nation blog. The Friendster pages set up for Dean (yes, there were a handful) were one of our top referrers, and we had rare, but nice, interactions with the founders. The vast majority of our centers of gravity we communicated with, but did not try to control.
There were a few big exceptions. Students for Dean, an amazing group with 20,000 members by the time we started working with them, was created by three college students. It was clear it couldn't keep up their site (which had many features ours didn't) without some financial support--two of the founders were getting hired away by field staff (poached by our own campaign!) and the other couldn't afford not to work for the summer. So we offered him jobs and brought them in, giving them more autonomy than most staffers because that is what they needed to be persuaded to work for the campaign. Of course nothing is that simple--as the campaign stiffened towards the end, Students for Dean lost the staff and autonomy they'd been promised--but the general approach really worked, and the on-site blending of Students for Dean and Dean Students (into Generation Dean, a name created by two South Carolina students--who we asked for permission to use). If Students for Dean had turned us down (which they almost did), then we would have continued to link to them, and gone forward.
I think a similar approach could have worked with the Obama campaign's approach to Joe A.--figure out if they could give Joe what he wanted--and it sounds like they started down that path and then, inexplicably, stopped. If it is true that they asked him for an offer (and Joe Rospars' blog post doesn't contradict this), then why didn't they counter offer?
If they did, I don't care how much Joe A. asked for--the new media team probably didn't have $40,000, but they should have counter-offered what they could. If he'd asked for $200,000 and they had $500 they should have returned with the $500 offer. Its difficult to figure out an amount in any bargaining circumstances, and money in politics is downright bizarre--whether or not the figure was too high, it should be generous with people trying to figure out how to interact with the campaign. I was happy to see that Rospars did not accuse Joe A. of over-asking. Relatedly an itemized list is presumably an effort to appear professional--an effort to show the campaign that you are not bilking them. My heart goes out to someone staying up all night, asking friends' advice, trying to work out the key to the vague promised thing. How much should I ask for?
The mistake of the campaign, may be, perversely, a result of too much success--the brilliant social networking site and tools created a dependency on keeping a loose leash on the conversations, or on "having the conversation on our ship" as Matt Gross might say, so that it lulled the campaign into a habit of being able to make decisions about what could and couldn't be said, and made them think it was possible to have mass support and and vetted statements about Obama. Its not. Rospars post about the success of the Obama web tools suggests that there is a desire (so understandable, if impossible!) for the web strategy of the campaign to live and breathe on the site, on the grounds, in the gardens built by the web team.
Joe Rospars is a friend of mine, and, as Micah said, a straight shooter, and I'm generally sympathetic with the open fumbling of campaigns towards making hard decisions. I wish his post was a little more open, but I know how hard that can be on a campaign with many vetters.
One thing his post reveals is that the Obama campaign had chosen a different general strategic approach than the Dean campaign did--one that would have our lawyers, among others, quaking in their boots. They had decided to create management/agent relationships with this particular center of gravity--the campaign had login access and control over content (at least for a while) and it basically, if gently, perceived itself as the agent finally responsible for the content.
Our lawyers advice was based on fear of FEC problems, but it turned out to be generally sound for grassroots relationships in general: for each relationship, choose whether it is one of absolute control, or no control. THAT won't confuse the press and people writing--at first, perhaps, but they will learn. When in doubt, no control is better, just as it is in friendships--your friends will do everything they can to represent you well and be your supporter, until you start telling them what to say about you.
I hope this episode is a lesson for the Obama campaign, but also others - a reminder that having grassroots support means autonomous individuals who do not just work, but speak.
By Zephyr Teachout at Thu, 05/03/2007 - 3:16am
