Posts with the tag Samantha Power

Samantha Power on The Democrats & National Security

Bill Marjenhoff — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:27:21 EDT

Samantha Power has a must-read article in the Aug. 14 issue of The NY Review of Books, titled The Democrats and National Security. Here’s an excerpt:

“How can Obama and his Democratic colleagues expose once and for all the fallacies in the conservative approach to national security, while putting forward a convincing alternative? They must start by not shying from the security debate or relying, with quiet relief, on polls showing that (unlike in 2004) only 4 percent of Americans today view terrorism as their top concern. Democrats must instead seize the advantage the polls show they could have on security issues. This means talking early and often about national security and going on the offensive by strongly presenting the foreign policy plans already devised, whether by members of Congress or by the Obama campaign. It also means explaining how each plan —whether for retrieving loose nuclear material in the former Soviet Union or for assisting Iraqi refugees in Syria— advances the central goal of keeping Americans safe. Democrats can break with their reputation for squeamishness about national security issues by showing their ease and confidence in dealing with these topics. Instead of changing the subject when national security issues arise, they should look forward to taking part in detailed foreign policy discussions that allow them to show their new strength.

They must also answer McCain's apocalyptic claims about the effects of a US withdrawal from Iraq. Too often on Capitol Hill or in the primary battle, Democrats have confidently suggested that since the US-led invasion brought savage sectarian killing to Iraq, a US departure will rid the country of much of its violence. Critics of President Bush have seemed to imply that no serious harm will flow from a US withdrawal. But American voters realize that the effects of a US drawdown are in fact unknowable. The failure to acknowledge any possible humanitarian or strategic risks of leaving makes Democrats sound less sophisticated than they are, and deprives them of the chance to describe their plans to draw down troops in a careful and strategically sound way. McCain's alarmist forecast thus goes unchallenged.

Prominent Democrats must drive home the continuing costs of remaining in Iraq—costs to Iraq, the region, Afghanistan, US military readiness, and national security as a whole— while describing the specific ways an Obama administration would limit the harmful consequences of withdrawal. (In fact, Obama outlined such plans in a speech last year but it got little attention and needs reinforcement from the Democratic echo chamber.)

Obama has long stated his intention to retain a Quick-Reaction Force in the region to carry out counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and other such networks. He has made clear his concern for Iraqi civilians in mixed neighborhoods who might be more vulnerable following a withdrawal of US combat brigades. He would offer these civilians fair notice of US plans and would be open to relocating those who would feel more secure if they moved. He has promised $2 billion to assist the two million Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries. He would establish a war crimes commission to gather the testimony of survivors and put militia leaders on notice that they may eventually be prosecuted. Obama's plan to meet with the region's heads of state is the first of many steps that will be required to prevent regional conflict.”

More here:

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21670

Samantha Power on Democracy now

Chinni — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:12:12 EDT

The first time I got really excited about Barack Obama's Foreign policy was after hearing this conversation. I couldn't believe somebody like this could enter the American presidential politics

Barack Obama’s Senior Foreign Policy Adviser Samantha Power on Obama’s
Call to Increase the Pentagon’s Budget, Hugo Chavez, Funding the Iraq
Occupation and Attacking Pakistan

My fundraising for Obama '08

I must love Irish women; I am married to one

Steve — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:40:34 EDT

Samantha Power is great! Her common sense voice rings clear in this Sam Stein article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/26/samantha-power-unapologet_n_93493.html

Getting it from both sides

Chip Roberson in Sonoma, CA — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:06:51 EDT

In today's New York Times, I saw a criticism of Senator Obama from Senator McCain's campaign that is the exact opposite of a criticsim from Senator Clinton. It's not hard to figure out why but it is certainly an example of politics as usual.

The problem with Power

Chip Roberson in Sonoma, CA — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:03:30 EDT

If you've been following my blog, I think it would not be hard to figure out that I'm a pretty big fan of Samantha Power. It was she who first drew my attention to Senator Obama and every time I have heard her speak, I hear a voice of reason. Tuesday, the Financial Times ran an interesting column titled "The problem with Power" which is worth reading.

the Power resignation

Lauren Schmidt — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:41:15 EDT

There was a lot of discussion on the mailing lists of a few of the groups I'm in about the Power resignation. For anyone who's interested in further reading and some good bloggy analysis, I recommend the following:

Obsidian Wings' in-depth analysis of why Power had to resign, why it's a shame, and why the reporter should have thought twice before publishing.

The Economist's Democracy in America blog's brief summary of the comment and the fallout. And a follow up about the reporter's explanation about what she did and why (and why it was still a poor choice.)

(Sorry this post has little zombie content. I'm off to dine on a brain-filled lunch, but I wanted to post this first for people interested in more information -- especially as I didn't cite my sources during the mailing list discussion.)

How Hillary Covered Bill's Tracks

Manya4Obama — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:26:25 EDT

During an interview Ambassador Andrew Young publicly admired how Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton stood by her man:

"When [Bill] Clinton decided to run, Hillary set up a 'defense committee'. That's what they called it. And you know what it was? It was to go around and neutralize all the women that he'd ever been involved with. And she got her friends to be on the defense committee to protect him from the attacks."

Neutralize.

Now there's an interesting word. I wonder how The Clintons define the word "neutralize". Did they pay these women off? Did they threaten them? Do they define it as "by any means necessary? It's certainly worthy of investigation.

I mentioned this point in response to a comment on another post but I wanted to repeat it because there is so much dirt on The Clintons right out there in the public domain that it baffles me that Senator Obama has not yet obliterated their campaign. Why not simply state the obvious? The Clintons have been getting away with murder. How dare they make innuendos about Rezko with the mass grave of skeletons they have in their closet? There's so much to call The Clintons on from Mark Rich to Rwanda to their Good Cop/Bad Cop exploitation of women.

Hillary's no feminist icon. If you look at the facts, I'd Professor Power hit the nail on the head.

Barack Obama as "Protected Species"

Mark Wiznitzer — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:44:24 EDT

Lake Champlain, March 10. 2008

On April 20, 1982, the Vermont House of Representatives passed Resolution H.R. 19 protecting Champ, the legendary lake monster, “from any willful act resulting in death, injury or harassment.” A similar resolution was adopted in the same year by the State Assembly of New York. One theory is that Champ, whose sighting predates the famous Loch Ness monster, is a plesiosaurus, a prehistoric water-dwelling reptile that escaped extinction in Lake Champlain, which lies between Vermont and New York.

Vermont Democrats, who last week voted 59% to 39% to make Barack Obama their party's nominee for President, are now considering a new resolution similarly declaring their candidate a "protected species" to provide him the same legal safeguards as Champ. The fear is that Obama has had his mojo stolen and may be eaten alive by his opponent. And so she would prematurely bring to an end the career of a new breed of politician intent on fundamentally changing Washington.

There is some evidence to support their concerns. After Vermont, Hillary Clinton won primaries in Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio. And the 3AM phone call ad and NAFTA-gate that contributed to her victories are still actively discussed in the media. On top of all that, one of Obama's two top female foreign policy advisors, Samantha Power was forced to resign late last week after she called the former First Lady a "monster".

It is interesting that the comparison of Hillary Clinton to a monster did not come out until after the Vermont primary. But it does raise some questions. Was the former First Lady's decision to move to New York affected in any way by that state's resolution protecting the lake monster? Just asking. It appears Hillary has not suffered "death, injury or harassment" since she migrated to NY; probably pure coincidence. Is Hillary in fact a carnivorous Plesiotsuris (from the Greek plesio and Yiddish tsuris, meaning "similar to trouble") who is taking advantage of the legal protections intended for Champ, whose friendly image serves as mascot of the minor league Lake Monsters baseball team? To quote Hillary: "There is nothing to base that on, as far as I know."

Elsewhere, NY Governor Eliot Spitzer, a super delegate who endorsed Hillary Clinton, announced he may not vote for her in Denver after all.

The Monster: A Loyal Clinton Soldier Turns in His Badge

C Dornfeld — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:04:27 EDT

Great article in the Huffington Post - wanted to share a little.

She has no idea.

She has no idea how many times I defended her. How many right-leaning friends and relatives I battled with. How many times I played down her shady business deals and penchant for scandals -- whether it was Whitewater, Travelgate, Vince Foster, Cattle Futures, Web Hubbell, or Norman Hsu. She has no idea how frequently I dismissed her husband's serial adultery as an unfortunate trait of an otherwise brilliant man. For sixteen years, I was a proud soldier in the legion of "Clinton apologists" -- who believed that peace and prosperity were more important than regrettable personality traits.

And then she ran for president.

After seven years of George W. Bush, America is hungry for change. Big change. And let's face it -- Hillary Clinton, the party standard-bearer and former White House denizen -- isn't it. But even after voters coalesced around Barack Obama, handing him eleven straight primaries (twelve, if you count Vermont), she refused to accept the possibility -though math, money and momentum were clearly against her -- that the Bush/Clinton Family Band might not be #1 on America's Billboard chart anymore.

So, rather than step aside and become the hero of her party, she made a strategy decision to go negative in advance of Ohio and Texas. Not just negative -- personal. She cynically chided Mr. Obama's message of hope. She played the victim card. The gender card. The Muslim card. She cried "shame on you, Barack Obama" for his campaign tactics, while (if we're to believe Matt Drudge) simultaneously floating a picture of him in Somali garb to stir up questions of his patriotism.

She accused Mr. Obama of his own shady business deals (the irony of which nearly ripped a hole in the fabric of space/time). She accused him of being two-faced on NAFTA, when it was her campaign that had winked at the Canadians. She demanded that he "reject" the endorsement of Louis Farrakhan, but remained silent when Rush Limbaugh stirred up votes for her in Texas. And she crafted the now-infamous "3am" attack ad -- which used scare tactics to highlight Senator Obama's perceived lack of experience in foreign affairs. Straight out of the ol' Atwater/Rove playbook. Of course, all of this paled in comparison to her husband's patronizing, racially insensitive comments earlier in the primary season.

Was this the same Hillary Clinton whose husband ran on the idea that hope was more powerful than fear? The wife of a president who had less foreign policy experience than Barack Obama when he was elected? And exactly which crisis is she referring to when she claims to have more experience? And while we're at it, where the hell are those tax returns?

Read entire article by Seth Grahame-Smith

Samantha Power

Andrew Pulrang — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:57:04 EST

1. Samantha Power messed up by calling Sen. Clinton a "monster" while a reporter's tape was running.

2. The reporter was fully within her rights to quote her.

3. Power was right to offer to resign.

4. Sen. Obama should not have accepted her resignation.

In retrospect, this incident was an opportunity for Sen. Obama to differentiate between things people say in a hard-fought campaign and things people say that are calculated to appeal to peoples' worst instincts and Republican-type fears. He should have said the comment was unwise and apologized for it. Power would have apologized, too, and made clear that she has always admired Clinton when she did right, but was frustrated by her doing bad ... she's essentially already said all this quite well.

Obama would then have been able to suggest some helpful rules for the discourse over then next several weeks ... don't use Republican talking points against fellow Democrats, don't dredge up old rumors and sexist or racist stereotypes, but go ahead and criticize policies when criticism is called for.

These rules would effectively place out of bounds 2/3 of Clinton's recent attacks on Obama, and would be further evidence that Obama knows that "bringing people together" and "ending bitter partisanship" doesn't mean giving in to the other side or otherwise being mealy-mouthed on important issues.

Maybe he can walk this back and still do this. Maybe he should invite Ms. Power back into his campaign.

OBAMA POWER

Steve — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:18:50 EST

The powerful contributions of unpaid Obama advisor Samantha Power have underscored my faith in this campaign. The clarity, judgment, and vision of this Pulitzer Prize winning Harvard professor demonstrates the possibility of leadership formed from the interplay of multiple gifted, fair minded, and common sense individuals.

Considering her resume, I completely reject a politics which expels her for one mortal gaffe, especially when she both retracted it immediately and later issued an eloquent apology. Politics of the past has given us snakes adept at weaving mistruths and watching their own backs. If we are to expect the truth from government, then we must expect to see mistakes. When we see a confession of mortal imperfection, we can finally see honesty but if we want to see it again, we must be willing to offer forgiveness. If we do not have the compassion to accept a genuine apology, then we are perpetuating the deceptiveness of politics as usual.

Frankly, I like the ring of an OBAMA POWER ticket!

Samantha Power Resignation

LW76 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:55:27 EST

I was disappointed and sad to hear that Samantha Power resigned. Her resignation may have been a nice gesture to deflect a media and Clinton campaign hissy fit. Nonetheless, it's foolish for the Obama campaign to let her go. She's a brilliant foreign policy mind whose central concern throughout her career has been human rights.

I don't particularly think Hillary Clinton is a monster, and I think Ms. Power had a childish, ridiculous moment in saying that she [Ms. Clinton] was. But Ms. Power's foreign policy agenda--human rights--is exactly what should be at the center of Obama's candidacy and, hopefully, presidency.

Calling Out The "Monster"? Hey Wait, That's My Job!

Mark Wiznitzer — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:29:41 EST

Anyone who has been as deeply involved in this campaign as we here on OMS knows the feelings that pushed Samantha Power to call Hillary Clinton a monster. After all, even Tina Fay, who is unabashedly pro-Hillary, used much stronger language on Saturday Night Live to describe the former First Lady.

One of the main reasons I have been very happy to serve -- and I have done so with the strongest of commitments -- as a volunteer supporter of the Obama campaign was because it reserved for me the freedom of expression that is just not possible for those who have formal roles as staff or advisors. And having worked for the Bill Clinton Administration and some of its appointees, rest assured, I have strong feelings about the Clintons that are often difficult to contain. But if you're a senior policy advisor to the candidate, you have no choice but to keep such feelings out of the public domain.

So, it's too bad. Samantha Power's angry outburst reported by a foreign journalist has lead to her resignation from the campaign. Just in case it is not yet clear to her, this means that her role in an Obama Administration will probably be limited at least initially to a position that does not require Senate confirmation. There are lots of those at the NSC and State Department for a brilliant policy professional like Ms. Power, especially with her background on the crises in Darfur and the Balkans. In fact, she would find a precedent and suitable match in Bill Clinton's appointment of Sam Brown to head our delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has had a major institutional role in Kosovo, Chechnya, and as far away as Central Asia.

Brown's radical past and prior record at ACTION made it impossible to get Jesse Helms' approval for an ambassadorial appointment. So Brown served a full tour as the Head of Delegation, without the rank of ambassador, to the US Mission to the OSCE in Vienna. Intent on leaving government service with the title of Ambassador, however, Brown reached out to his former secretary Betty Curry, Bill Clinton's personal secretary in the White House (who had an interesting role herself in the Monica Lewinsky scandal), for help. She made sure that the President gave Brown an "interim" appointment, a temporary measure permitted under law while the Congress is in recess, that gave Sam Brown the title, but not rank, of Ambassador.

So Samantha Power, while things may look bleak today, you are now free to speak out, and still look forward to a fruitful role and position in the Obama Administration.

Please Don't Accept Samantha Power's Resignation!

Don — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:25:27 EST

Samantha Power has resigned due to the leak of her off-the-record comments to The Scotsman on Monday. I think that's a real shame, and I would be proud if the Obama campaign organization would refuse to accept it, and convince her to stay on. Ms. Power is a valuable asset, and I don't think we need to kowtow in any way to the demands of the Clinton camp.

Ms. Power's remarks were not, of course, the most "politically correct" things to say, by any means, but here's something else she said, to the graduating class of Santa Clara in 2006:

... if the shapers of US foreign policy looked out for the human consequences of their decisions, the world and the United States would be far better off. ... the trick is never to confuse means and ends. Cold-blooded reason is a tool that you can employ on behalf of what you believe in. But if you employ reason too soon, it can pre-empt feeling, and you can end up believing nothing at all. Lesson Number Two, then, is "Let reason be your tool, but let justice be your cause."

I can't condemn Ms. Power because she expressed her feeling. The truth is, I feel exactly the same way. She has apologized for the remarks, and the demands from the Clinton camp are, as usual, petty and self-serving. Why should we listen to them?

I will have my differences with Ms. Power, and Senator Obama for that matter, in the future. But I know a valuable asset when I see one, and I urge Senator Obama and Ms. Power to reconcile and continue working together in this campaign.

Don't let them win, folks! Don't let them win anywhere! The apology is sufficient, and Ms. Power is the same positive influence she was before. Would I be so passionate if she were less beautiful? Don't confuse me! Yes, I believe I would be, because you and I can make decisions based on principle, and I strongly believe that Senator Obama and Ms. Power are better when they work together.

Samantha Power

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:31:04 EST

Samantha Power's resignation from Obama's campaign leaves a void that will b e hard to fill. She was Barack's greatest spokesperson, and will be missed...

Loss of Words

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:22:37 EST

We lost Samantha Power, but we're winning the nomination. Let's stay focused...

Good Bye, Samantha Power

Benjamin Vos, Nashville — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:04:22 EST

Samantha Power is an award-winning truth teller who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for her important work on American foreign policy and genocide during the 20th century.

While her comments, calling Hillary Clinton a "monster," were out of line, her message remains. The Clinton campaign was complicit in allowing the genocide in Rwanda during the 1990s. When they had the power to do something, they actually encouraged UN Peacekeepers to move out of the region, helping diplomats escape while their house stewards were raped and murdered.

You might remember this story from the movie, "Hotel Rwanda," which depicted the work of Paul Rusesabagina to prevent the genocide and respond to the crisis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYwuXvA589A

Samantha Power spoke the truth. Unfortunately, many in the United States are still ignorant to the continuing genocide in the Darfur region, as well as the humanitarian crisis created by the Iraq invasion by US troops in 2003.

Sadly, by speaking out in insulting terms against Hillary Clinton, Samantha Power broke the rules of diplomacy. Her violation is miniscule compared to the atrocities tolerated by the Clintons. As Jesus once said, "You strain a gnat and swallow a camel."

Gods and Monsters

James D — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:52:26 EST

Yahoo! news today reported that Samantha Power has resigned from the campaign after referring to Senator Clinton as "a monster" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080307/ap_on_el_pr/obama_adviser).

The article goes on to say:

"Senator Obama has called for change, and a new kind of politics," said New York Rep. Gregory Meeks. "This is the worst kind of politics."

Interesting. I guess that 1) there isn't anything more important for Representative Meeks to do in New York, and 2) the expectation is that reaction from the Obama campaign should be near-instantaneous. With all due respect, the Representative needs to start doing his job and let Senator Clinton manage the high-level stuff (it's ridiculous to even call this an "issue").

...further, the article states:

(Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson) defended his own comparison of Obama to independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr, saying he'd been responding to "attacks" from the Obama campaign regarding Clinton's tax returns and real estate transactions. That, he said, was a clear reference to Whitewater and so it was appropriate to bring up Starr in that context.

Oh, that makes it clear, Howard - the difference is that it's ok when you do it. Kind of like the "Florida and Michigan votes must count" thing where the other campaigns followed the rules while Senator Clinton's did not, right?

While both campaigns need to rein-in their people to a degree I continue to be amazed by the lack of courtesy and decorum from a campaign supposedly run by the "solutions candidate," the one with all the supposed experience. And for goodness sake, Hillary, stop wearing that yellow suit...it makes you look washed-out!

Samantha Power on Obama's view of the world

Taube — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:51:43 EST

Shaping Obama’s view of the world: Samantha Power, a senior foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama, was born in Ireland, won a Pulitzer prize for her book on genocide and has played basketball with George Clooney. She is keen to preserve the special relationship with Britain and says that, contrary to reports, Gordon Brown didn’t snub Obama

Sarah Baxter (London Times) meets Samantha Power

With her long, straight auburn hair, blue eyes and freckles, Samantha Power looks as though she has stepped out of a photograph of the Kennedy clan. She was born in Ireland, lives in Massachusetts and shares the admiration of America’s royal family for the candidate they regard as the new JFK.

I wonder: could she be a relation of Caroline Kennedy from the wrong side of the blanket?

She laughs: “Maybe it’s the hair. I don’t have any Kennedy blood, stock or power.”

Power came to America at the age of nine with her mother – a doctor who left her father for another man at a time when Ireland did not allow divorce – and has risen to become a senior foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama, the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

If he continues his dazzling ascent to the White House, she could have a great deal of power and dominion over the rest of us.

Last summer Obama told her she should write a book about her life. “Barack thinks everyone with an interesting life story should write a memoir,” she teases. Power, 37, is engagingly frank, but insists: “I’m more interested in other people’s stories.”

Her Pulitzer prize-winning book on genocide first captured Obama’s attention in 2005 and he may well reward her with a trusted place in his new Camelot. She once referred to herself as the “genocide chick” and, although the subject lacks glamour, it does have its perks. One of these was playing basket-ball with George Clooney – “She’s the best I’ve ever played against,” he says gallantly.

Power, for her part, describes the Hollywood star as a brilliant “one-man diplomat” for Darfur.

“I’d like to say, for the record, that I did not get into issues of genocide for the privilege of meeting George Clooney,” she says with mock solemnity over a coffee in Washington.

“He’s more than a celebrity. He’s doing things that both the US and British governments should be doing. It shouldn’t take a celebrity to go door to door for contributors for troop commitments. I’ve been blown away by him.”

She is also thrilled by the impact Obama is already having on world affairs: “I have a friend who just came back from Burma last week and said all that anybody is talking about on the streets of Rangoon is Barack Obama. What is incredible is how many constituencies he can appeal to, how many boundaries he can cross effortlessly – of race, of age, of geography and of religion.”

“Obamamania”, she believes, owes much to the building of a movement by dedicated supporters. “The only way we were going to win was to have organisers who were willing to freeze their asses off in rural Iowa when it seemed like there was going to be no political payoff. The corollary is that those who are helping Obama do so with quasi-evangel-ical fervour. I think Obama supporters, by and large, do not see this as mere politics. They see this as the future of the world.”

What does Power – who is much sought after by ambassadors because of her closeness to the Illinois senator – think of the report last week that Gordon Brown had badly misjudged Obama’s electoral appeal and was now desperately trying to play catchup after snubbing him in deference to the fading Hillary Clinton? “It’s not fair,” she says staunchly. “He’s not a fair-weather friend who has only just realised Obama is for real.”

At any rate, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, our man in Washington, got in touch with Power almost as soon as he arrived last autumn and met Obama a couple of weeks ago in Maryland.

Hitherto, the principal conduit between Britain and the candidate has been Lord Malloch-Brown, the junior foreign minister, whom Obama came to admire when he was deputy secretary-general of the United Nations.

“He was really taken with him,” says Power, in what will undoubtedly be viewed by American conservatives as a desperately bad sign. “It’s a relationship that has persisted and they have talked a number of times since.”

Power spent her twenties as a reporter in trouble spots such as Kosovo, Rwanda, East Timor and Sudan before helping to found the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University in 1999.

It was as a journalist that she met the subject of her latest book, Sergio Vieira de Mello, a close friend of Malloch-Brown who served as the UN mission chief in Iraq and was a victim of the first big Al-Qaeda suicide attack in Baghdad in 2003.

The dashing Brazilian diplomat was invariably sent to wherever there was a nasty war being fought or a precarious peace to be kept and ordered to make the best of it, which he usually did.

Power and de Mello had dinner together at a seafood restaurant in Croatia when Nato began bombing the Serbs for the first time in 1994. She gave him the opportunity to cancel, but he said insouciantly: “The sky is falling but a man has got to eat, hasn't he? If world war three starts while we’re having dinner, we won’t order a second bottle of wine.”

She was charmed, as were many women who met de Mello; but there was a tough, pragmatic side to the humanitarian that fascinated her. Wherever he found himself, from Bosnia to Rwanda, East Timor, Cambodia and Baghdad, he would do business with warlords and rebels, occupiers and insurgents – whatever it took to rummage up food and shelter for people at risk.

Power has chronicled his life in Chasing the Flame, an intellectually ambitious biography to be published next week.

She writes honestly of his capricious love life – for most of his career he had a loyal wife and two sons quartered in Geneva while he often had girlfriends in trouble zones with him – and movingly details his final hours trapped alive in the rubble of the UN headquarters.

Her passion, however, is the exploration of the art of the possible in foreign affairs. De Mello had little time for UN bureaucracy but loved working in the field. Power is impressed by the “strand of dignity, freedom from fear and impulse towards service” running through his career.

De Mello started out as a “denunciator” who participated in the student battles in Paris in 1968 but became “an accommodator”. Power talked about him at length with Obama while she researched her book and believes that the two men have a lot in common.

“Both guys have thought more about broken people and broken places than just about anybody in public life. Most presidential candidates haven’t lived in broken places. They may have interned in a broken place for the summer. This is in his [Obama’s] blood.”

By the end of de Mello’s life – he died at 55 – she thinks he “may have reached the best balance possible, which was to be willing to walk into a room to see if there is anything you can extract from the unconciliatory”.

She adds: “Neither Sergio nor Barack is ambivalent about the use of force. In East Timor, Sergio was the person who gave shoot-to-kill orders, toughening up the rules of engagement for UN peacekeepers against the judgment of a lot of pacifists at UN headquarters.”

Obama has been criticised for saying he would meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, without preconditions; but Power counters that “definitions of toughness have to be rethought”. It is tougher, she believes, “to be in a room with Ahmadinejad than lobbing verbal hand grenades against him from 5,000 miles away” – a position now being adopted by some neoconservatives who are urging President George W Bush himself to open talks.

Power shocked some friends by opposing the invasion of Iraq. “Some people said, ‘How could you write about genocide and not support the war?’ It felt like one was sentencing the Iraqi people to life imprisonment under a brutal regime.”

She decided, however, that there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein was planning a new round of slaughter and the costs and benefits of war were not worth the risk. Now she admits the question is: “If we leave, could it get worse?”

Power believes that Obama would do all he could to prevent large-scale civilian deaths by a meticulously planned withdrawal from Iraq. “If a systematic campaign of genocide were to unfold, he would try to get other countries to join the US to go back in order to stave it off. What you are talking about is a massive crime against humanity and the hope would be that humanity would step forward.”

She knows, however, that “with the record of stepping forward in Rwanda or Darfur or in the Holocaust, it is going to be very difficult”.

Just as de Mello’s good intentions did not save him from Al-Qaeda’s nihilism, so Obama’s message of hope could be met with cynicism. So far he has triumphed over every expectation. If his luck holds, perhaps Obama-mania could sweep the world.

From The Sunday Times (London)

February 24, 2008

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3422315.ece

Samantha Power

Shawn O'Donnell — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:12:52 EST

Check out this interview with a foreign policy advisor for Barack Obama

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/10/16/1/a-conversation-with-samantha-power

Why Obama Makes a Better "Foreign Policy" President?

Connie — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:49:02 EST

If you still have questions about Obama's ability in overseeing America's foreign affairs, or if you have friends who have doubts, or if you need to enrich your own knowledge to better support Obama, watch Harvard professor and Obama advisor, Samantha Power's conversation with Charlie Rose on PBS:

Click here: Why Obama makes a better "foreign policy" president than Hillary?

Obama Foreign Policy Dream Ticket: Edwards and S Power

blu — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:17:21 EST

I'm starting to visualize my Obama dream ticket - Edwards comes on as VP and Samantha Power comes aboard as Secretary of State. Wow! - this is the ticket we need to overthrow the Neocon coup that had taken over our country. Edwards was one of the only presidential candidates to go after the Neocons by name - if anybody missed his white hot but underreported U of Iowa Speech 11 05 07, here's a couple of paragraphs and the link - it's well worth the read and showed true bravery:
http://johnedwards.com/news/press-releases/20071105-a-new-strategy-for-iran/

"George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the neocon warmongers used 9/11 to start a war with Iraq and now they're trying to use Iraq to start a war with Iran. And we have to stop them. We owe our American heroes -- the men and women in our armed services who are fighting so bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan today -- no less."

"In the spring of 2002, the nation was struggling to recover from the devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11. At the same time, a group of Bush Administration neoconservatives, like Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz, were strategizing for ways to start a war with Iraq. And suddenly, instead of reacting to 9/11 by working to protect America from terrorists, they saw a political opportunity to promote their right-wing ideological agenda and demonize anyone who disagreed with them.

"And here's what you need to know about George Bush's foreign policy -- it's written by these neocons, lock, stock, and barrel."

I love that Samantha is at the Kennedy School of Government along with Stephen Walt - Walt being the coauthor of the seminal work on 'The Israel Lobby' along with Mearsheimer. Samantha is a perfect choice for stopping our neocon-led phoney war on terror EVERYBODY KNOWS is really a 'war of terror for Israel' but just about everybody in academia or politics simply don't have the cojones to say. Edwards and Samantha are visionary enough to have the guts to overcome the 'Israel Lobby's' kibosh on discussing these truths.

Obama Advisor Samantha Power Visits Rock Hill, SC

T. Neil Sroka — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:25:11 EST

It's not every day that a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and chief foreign policy advisor for the next President of the United Sates walks into your local coffee shop and starts talking world politics.

Nonetheless, that's exactly what happened this afternoon when one of Barack's closest advisors, Samantha Power, visited Cupps Cafe in Rock Hill to talk to supporters and patrons about Barack's plan to secure America and restore our standing in the world.

Having been in the Sudan when he gave his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Power said she didn't know too much about Barack when he first asked to meet with her almost immediately following his inauguration to the Senate in January 2005.

When Power finally had her one-hour meeting with the Senator a couple of months later, she was shocked.

"I was supposed to meet with him for an hour and it ended up being four hours and I don't think, in my life, I've ever been subjected to as intense of a policy discussion [as I was that night]. I was literally bled dry. I had nothing left by the end of the evening... And as the third hour gave rise to the fourth hour, perhaps because I had run out of steam, I heard myself saying, "How would you feel if I left my job at Harvard and came down to work as an intern in your office, or whatever, for a year?" ... It's just the combination of [talents he has], they just don't come in one person and I felt like I had to get involved."

The next morning, Power made good on her offer, asked the Dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government if she could take a leave of absence from her postion as the Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy and spent the next year, from early 2005 to 2006, advising Barack in the U.S. Senate.

The audience at Cupps asked Power a variety of questions ranging from Barack's stance on decreasing our dependence on foreign oil to his plan to fight global poverty.

Towards the end of the discussion, Power noted that it is Barack's unique ability to work with those who disagree with him and inspire individuals to action that makes him the candidate best equipped to help us confront global challenges, like climate change or the AIDS Pandemic, and return America to a place of prominence on the world stage.

"Only a leader who can pull the country together and inspire people to action is going to be able to confront the challenges ahead of us. We don't have time to waste -- with proliferating terrorists, with the rotten school and health care systems, with polar ice caps melting... People are ready to make sacrifices, they want to make sacrifices, but idea of sacrificing is often easier to adjust to than the reality of sacrificing... and that's why having a leader, like Barack, who doesn't polarize the country and that people respect and actually want to listen to is so important."

Foreign Policy Forum

Chip Roberson in Sonoma, CA — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:34:19 EST

Last Friday I had an opportunity to attend a Forum Policy Forum at the University of Nevada, Reno, held by two of Barack Obama's foreign policy advisors: Samantha Power and General McPeak. This forum was both energizing and inspiring. Power and McPeak said so much that resonated with what I have felt is very important for this country.

Nevada: General Tony McPeak and Samantha Power in Reno

Zachary Scott Edwards — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:26:01 EST

This morning in Reno, The Obama campaign held a Foreign Policy Summit with two of Barack’s top advisors General Tony McPeak and Samantha Power.

General McPeak is a retired four-star general and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Samantha Power is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide and a professor of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard.

Both distinguished advisors discussed Barack Obama’s judgment to lead, and his vision for a strong and principled new direction for American foreign policy.

McPeak and Power were introduced by one of our field organizers, David, an Iraq War veteran, and a strong supporter of Barack’s commitment to international relations and increased diplomatic activity.

Richard Siegel, one of Nevada’s community leaders and a professor emeritus at UNLV, was given the opportunity to ask one of the questions to McPeak and Power

General Mcpeak also took the time to stop by our Reno office to talk to some of our volunteers and staff.

Barack is the leader that can get our country back on track and help us move forward… but we need your support to make it happen!

Get involved now and help get supporters out to the Nevada Caucus on January 19th.

Foreign Policy Summit in Reno

Zachary Scott Edwards — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:45:37 EST

The Obama campaign in Nevada is proud to announce that this Friday morning, January 11th; we will be holding a foreign policy summit in Reno with two of Barack’s top foreign policy advisors, General Tony McPeak and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Samantha Power. They will be meeting with Reno residents to discuss Barack Obama’s judgment to lead and his vision for a strong and principled new direction for American foreign policy.

Get more details and RSVP here.

General McPeak is a retired four-star general and was the Air Force Chief of Staff during the first gulf war.

Check out this video from his last visit to the Silver State for a town hall meeting in Pahrump.

Get more details and RSVP here.

Samantha Power is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” and a professor of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard.

Check out this video from her last visit to Las Vegas when she attended a foreign policy house party in Sun City.

This is a going to be a really special event for Northern Nevada residents, and we hope you can make it out this Friday, January 11th-- the doors open at 9:45 AM. Get more details and RSVP here.

There isn’t much time before the January 19th Nevada caucus—now is the time to Stand Up and Get Involved. Together we take back Washington.

Join Us and Our Movement for Change.

Samantha Power Visits Nevada -- Wrap Up

Michael Pipe — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:35:45 EST

This past weekend, Samantha Power, one of Barack Obama’s top foreign policy advisors, spent the day sharing Barack's vision of the world here in Nevada. Ms. Power is a professor at Harvard and won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for her book entitled "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide. Here’s a brief recap of the weekend’s events:

Ms. Power began the day at a foreign policy forum sponsored by the One Campaign at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. Throughout the discussion she stressed that Barack has long been championing the major foreign policy issues of the twenty-first century. Click here to read Zach’s recap of the forum.

After departing UNLV, Ms. Power stopped by two house parties in Southern Nevada - one in Sun City Las Vegas and another in Henderson. Here’s a video from the Sun City house party:

House Parties with Samantha Power

Michael Pipe — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:51:20 EST

In addition to speaking at a forum on Darfur and Africa yesterday, Samantha Power (Harvard professor, award-winning author, and foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama) spent quality time with undecided caucus-goers and Obama supporters at two house parties in Nevada.

At each house party Ms. Power gave a short introduction about herself and Barack’s vision for a post-Bush administration world. She then welcomed the audience to ask her whatever was on their minds and promised to relay Nevadans’ concerns to Barack himself. She was asked, “When should we stop negotiating with dictators?” Here’s her answer:

"There’s plenty bad to say about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but to say it from here, from Washington, from America and throw these verbal grenades – the idea that that’s tough but going in the room is somehow weak and naïve? When have we ever achieved anything in the way of diplomacy or peace making by lobbing verbal grenades from far way and not by meeting with theses guys? Nixon went to China and met with Mao. Kennedy talked to Khrushchev. We will not diffuse global tensions unless we’re willing to get in the room and Obama was the first candidate who was prepared to say and do that."

Ms. Power began at a gathering in Sun City Las Vegas.

And finished the day with a house party in Henderson.

Check back in with the Nevada HQ Blog for video from Samantha Power's visit to Nevada.

Vision for Change-- Samantha Power Discusses Obama Foreign Policy

Zachary Scott Edwards — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:08:41 EST

Today in Las Vegas, the Obama campaign and members of the One campaign were honored to hear from one of Barack's top foriegn policy advisors, Samantha Power, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her book "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide.

During the question and answer session, Power discussed the genocide in Darfur and conflicts around the world that require a fresh perspective and new leadership in order to make substantial progress. Power reiterated the strongly held conviction among diplomats and experts in foreign relations that our next president must engage in vigorous dialogues and negotiations in order to move past the last 7 years of diminished diplomatic authority, and our inability to mobilize worldwide coalitions that can address genocide in Darfur, worldwide hunger, and diseases like AIDS and malaria.

Power was an advisor to Senator Obama from 2005-2006, and her leadership and advice molded Barack’s decisions to co-sponsor legislation with Republican Senator Sam Brownback to address the genocide that has been ravaging Darfur. Brownback and Obama also co-wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Times titled, “Policy Adrift on Darfur.”

Senator Obama believes that we should be working with Republicans to address these types of serious global concerns and he has consistently reached across party lines to sponsor legislation that can bring about real change.

The advice of experts like Samantha Power are helping to shape Barack’s campaign, and they are working to bring people together, in order to do what is necessary, to address some of the most important issues of our time.

Samantha Power has been leading the fight to end the genocide in Darfur, and she has publicly stated that Barack has the vision to put America back on the right track.

“American foreign policy is broken. It has been broken by people who supported the Iraq War, opposed talking to our adversaries, failed to finish the job with al Qaeda, and alienated the world with our belligerence. Yet conventional wisdom holds that people whose experience includes taking these positions are held up as examples of what America needs in times of trouble.
Barack Obama says we have to turn the page. We cannot afford any more of this kind of bankrupt conventional wisdom. He has laid out a foreign policy that is bold, clear, principled, and tailored for the 21st century. End a war we should never have fought, concentrate our resources against terrorists who threaten America. End the counter-productive policy of lumping together our adversaries and avoiding talking to our foes. End the era of politics that is all sound-bites and no substance, and offer the American people the change that they need.
Barack Obama's judgment is right. It is conventional wisdom that has to change.”
--Samantha Power August 3rd 2007

Samantha Power with members of the One Campaign—both fighting to end genocide in Darfur

Obama Senior Policy Advisor Samantha Power stumps in SC

Alex Baker, SC Obama Staff — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:40:43 EST

Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power, a senior policy advisor to Senator Obama, held a series of foreign policy discussions across South Carolina yesterday and today.

Ms. Power spoke at the University of South Carolina's Law School yesterday about the Rwandan genocide and the crisis in Darfur and the Sudan. In particular, she discussed how the anniversary of the Rwandan genocide might help people remember how we could attack atrocities differently with a new generation of activists.

We're already seeing the power of those activists today, Power said. Implemented in large part by groups, such as S.T.A.N.D., dedicated to taking action against the crimes in Darfur, a new grading program is being implemented that holds US policy-makers accountable for the atrocities that occure in Sub-Saharan Africa under their watch and shows the real cost of not supporting peace efforts.

The [Darfur] movement has had a profound effect.

Just the same, Power noted, there is still a great deal of work to be done, especially concerning how our own government impacts the situation in Darfur.

Despite speaking sincerely about its desire to bring an end to the "campaign of atrocities" in the Sudan, failures in leadership throughout the Bush administration has prevented the United States from directly dealing with the crisis in Darfur.

Chief among these failures has been the administration's execution of a needless war in Iraq which, Power said, has "created a very vivid picture of how foreign interventions can be, how dangerous and deadly the are" that has ultimately limited our ability to respond to legitimate crisis around the world.

Our next President, Power said, must have the good judgment, like Barack Obama, to avoid traps like Iraq, so the United States can fully respond to the real human atrocities that continue to plague the globe.

Barack Obama Campaign to Host Issues Forum on Darfur and Africa with Samantha Power

Zachary Scott Edwards — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:26:04 EST

Pulitzer Prize Winner and Key Policy Advisor to Discuss Obama’s Global Agenda.
Join the Obama campaign for this amazing opportunity to attend a discussion with one of Barack's top foreign policy advisor's, Samantha Power.

What:
Issues Forum on Darfur and Africa

When:
This Saturday, December 15th at 1:30 PM

Where:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Student Union room 208A

Address: (click for Map)
4505 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89154
Moyer Student Union-208 A

Invite your undecided friends, get your questions answered, and have a good time on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

Power is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” and a professor of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Power will discuss the crisis in Darfur, the current geopolitical situation in Africa, and Senator Obama’s plan to fight global poverty and disease as part of his larger foreign policy platform.

Check out these great video's with Samantha Power discussing Barack and his approach to Foreign Policy.

Samantha Power on Charlie Rose Part 1

Samantha Power on Charlie Rose Part 2

Please join us for this amazing opportunity for a discussion with Samantha Power.

Don't forget to RSVP

The Judgment to Lead: The Portsmouth Foreign Policy Forum Wrap-Up

Michael Negron — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:37:44 EST

Barack’s senior foreign policy advisors gathered in Portsmouth this morning for a forum on the challenges our next president will face. Demonstrating Barack’s commitment to open and transparent decision-making and diplomacy, the three panels began with statements from the panelists but closed with questions from the audience. Barack and his team of advisors made a clear and convincing case that he will be ready to lead the nation in these troubled times from the moment he is sworn in.

The Urgency of Now: Samantha Power Visits New Hampshire

Michael Negron — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:52:30 EST

“Why now? Barack is young compared to the rest of the field—why should he be president now?” Samantha Power asked a gathering of more twenty voters at a house party in New London.

Samantha is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a professor of foreign policy and human rights at the Kennedy School of Government, and Founding Executive Director of the Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. She has also been a senior foreign policy advisor to Barack since he first arrived in the Senate. Today, at house parties and roundtable discussions in Merrimack, Concord and New London, she gave a convincing answer to her own question as to why the country and the world so urgently need Barack Obama as President.

As Samantha explained, a large swath of humanity in failing states throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East is being left behind, even with increased globalization. These states are brewing current and future threats to global peace, she said, and Barack is the one candidate in the field with the judgment and vision to provide the leadership so urgently needed.

Referring to Barack’s background as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, she said:

So many of our foreign policy challenges are about failing states and broken people… crumbling states where corruption is the norm. We don't have anyone running for president other than Obama who has worked firsthand with broken cities, broken people. He's got dirt under his fingernails.

After listening to Samantha speak during a lunchtime discussion, Elaine from Concord said, “[She] made me really consider the humanity of these policies and the people affected by our choices."

In New London, local resident Francis said, “Barack’s most appealing quality is his life experience, which really shows on issues of war and peace.”

While in the state, she also took the time to post on local blog Blue Hampshire about how Barack, with his recent proposed legislation on Iran, “is standing up to the rush to war, and standing instead for tough, direct, and principled diplomacy.”

As she writes in her post:

Barack Obama continues to demonstrate the leadership that America needs to end the war in Iraq, to help stabilize the Middle East, and to turn the page on a foreign policy that has made the United States less safe.

Samantha Power interviewed on Charlie Rose

Gray Brooks — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:18:28 EDT

Yesterday, senior foreign policy advisor Samantha Power appeared as a guest of Charlie Rose, speaking on a wide range of topics important to America and the world. Several times, their conversation turned to the Senator and Samantha eloquently explained the fundamental reasons that Barack is the change that America needs as a country and a community.

Obama's Policy Team Loaded With All-Stars

Lisa Beyer — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:53:22 EDT

Obama's Policy Team Loaded With All-Stars, September 17, 2007

_________________________________________________________________________

Thank you,

Lisa Beyer

Precinct Deputy Captain in Las Vegas Precinct 6475

Why I Support Barack Obama for President
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Elevating the Debate on Iraq

Matt Lehrich, NH Obama Staff — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:35:18 EDT

Barack continued his leadership in opposition to the Iraq war today with a major policy address. He outlined his plan to end the war and called for a new surge in diplomacy devoid of the Washington conventional thinking that led us into the greatest foreign policy disaster of a generation.

Following the speech, bloggers nationwide, including from Blue Hampshire and Granite Grok, were invited to discuss the strategy with two Obama foreign policy advisors -- renowned Human Rights expert and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Samantha Power, and former Clinton Administration Deputy Secretary of Defense, Sarah Sewall via a conference call.

On the call, Power and Sewall lauded Barack for rejecting the Bush Administration’s narrow framing of the debate and addressing Iraq in a broader foreign policy context.

Power began by expressing frustration with the oversimplification that our options only include “suspend[ing] judgment until the surge has demonstrably failed” or believing “that if we leave, there will be no consequences or the consequences are not our problem.”

“It was classic Senator Obama,” Sewall added, “to challenge conventional wisdom and refusing to get trapped in the administration’s false dichotomy.”

Power and Sewall also praised Barack’s judgment in recognizing that the humanitarian crisis in Iraq is escalating into a strategic crisis that is destabilizing neighboring countries as well.

Lamenting that “we’ve been focusing on Iraq a la carte,” Power praised Barack’s commitment to “diplomacy in the region, engaging Iran and Syria and not being afraid to do so just because you may not agree with the character of the regimes.”

Sewall expanded:

“By and large, the political response has been one of accepting terms of the debate…and talking about the timing of desurging rather than more broadly thinking about ‘what are American interests in the region as a whole’…

[Obama] has elevated up to the strategic questions and the questions about prioritization and interests.”

Obama Rally at Copley in Boston, MA

Jemma McPherson — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:45:31 EST

A bit of a delayed post about yesterday's rally at Copley Square. The rally started two hours after Senator Obama's (terrific) announcement in Springfield. I arrived at 1 PM and maybe 100 people were already on the Square. As the speakers got going, more people stopped and stood with us - it seems as though the people who were planning to be there arrived by 1 and most people who arrived afterwards stopped because they saw us and were interested.

Samantha Power made great comments about how ready Senator Obama is, especially with foreign policy and made a good point regarding the Senator's leadership in ethics reforms.

While the speakers were on stage, a lot of people who were driving by were honking - it was hard to tell if they were honking in support! Someone yelled "yay ethanol!" which got a lot of laughs.

Although the turnout was smaller than I expected (since Barack Obama is a big draw, presidential candidate or not)it may be a good thing. It felt very "church basementy" according to one person but that can be great - the kind of people who show up to that kind of rally are committed. It is personal and memorable. Sure it is great to be in a crowd of thousands but it is also important, especially in this campaign, to feel like it is your own and not just a mob's.