Sunday, April 29, 2007

Denoucing Bush

A popular topic at the Democratic convention in California was the war in Iraq and it's grave mishandling by the Bush administration. Obama, as well as Clinton, were well-received for the jabbing remarks they made about misleading the country into war and Bush's promise to veto the bill passed by both houses of Congress. Obama vowed to "turn the page on this Iraq disaster."

Obama did not miss the opportunity to remind the left-leaning crowd that he is the only candidate to have denouced the war from the start. The remark is a continual sting to Clinton who voted in 2002 to authorize the invasion in Iraq. Obama has made his early opposition to the Iraq conflict a central theme of his campaign, and he told delegates he was proud to have bucked popular opinion at the time.

Both candidates also seized the opportunity to call for Bush to saw the bill, instead of vetoing a withdrawl timeline for Iraq.

With California moving its primary into February, like so many other states, it now has even more political clout than previously with its huge electoral college numbers.

Obama wowed California Democrats at their annual convention on the weekend, drawing a more passionate welcome than Hillary Clinton received hours earlier, a New Zealand online source says.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Obama Out-Manuevers Clinton

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Clinton has had to rebuild her strategy for campaigning ever since Obama's fundraising matched what she raised, a shock to the Clinton campaign and many Americans alike. Quietly Obama has snuck up on Clinton, who was believed to be the front-runner and unsurmountable. Obama is not on the defense as is Clinton at this point. His grassroots campaign continues to grow and an additional 45,000 donors have contributed since the March 31 first quarter reporting.

What startled Clinton's team was not just Obama's totals or his success at drumming up contributions over the Internet, but also how much he is collecting from the big donors who have fueled Clinton enterprises for the past decade and a half. "It was a real wake-up call," says a Clinton strategist.

As her campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe, discovered, Obama "works the phones like a dog. He probably did three to four times the number of events she did" in the first quarter. "No matter who I call," McAuliffe says, "he has already called them three or four times."

But her team says she is not yet ready to begin challenging Obama directly. That's because going on the attack could further boost her negatives and create an opening for Edwards, who has offered far more detailed plans than she has on issues like health care. "They are worried about both Obama and Edwards," says an outside adviser. "They think if Obama flames out, Edwards rises." And if that happens, Hillary's team will have to consider a course correction once again.


Read the full story from CNN.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Gap Narrows

Obama continues to close in on Clinton. According to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll doubts over Obama's electability are diminishing more everyday. Just last month Obama lagged 12 percentage points behind Clinton. Yet today he is within five percentage points. When the poll's margin of error is factored in, the two are neck in neck!

In the matchup featuring the most vivid contrast on views on Iraq, Obama leads McCain, a steadfast supporter of the war effort, by 45% to 39%.

The poll also shows that voters don't perceive a wide gap between the two front-runners in their ability to defeat the Republican nominee in next year's general election; 39% say Clinton has the "best chance," while 32% say Obama does. The finding indicates that, just as Obama's early fund-raising has undercut one of Clinton's presumed advantages, his relative inexperience hasn't emerged as a major impediment.

America is slowing catching on to the trend that is Obama!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Republicans DO NOT Make Us Safer

In a rare reaction to Rudy Giuliani's comments today, Obama, Edwards and Clinton struck back. Obama actually issued a statement with comments directly aimed at Giuliani and actually using his name. The step of issuing a statement retalating to another candidates remarks is rare, but justified in this case.

Giuliani actually said “America will be safer with a Republican president.” Unbelievable. He went on to elaborate that only a Republican president will protect the people from terrorists and be on the offense, whereas a Democratic president would only be on the defense the cost and number of deaths will be greater. I don't see how he can make that claim, since the Republicans don't want to withdraw, thus spending more money to finance the war and more war casualties as well. And, didn't September 11 happen under a Republican president and Republican New York City mayor? Obviously the Republicans aren't the great offensive force Giuliani claims. Read his full comments.

While Clinton issued a statement, she did not actually name Giuliani. But Obama had the guts to name him specifically, and Edwards later did as well. Obama said: "Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low and I believe Americans are ready to reject those kind of politics. America’s mayor should know that when it comes to 9/11 and fighting terrorists, America is united. We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure. I think we should focus on strengthening our intelligence, working with local authorities and doing all the things we haven’t yet done to keep Americans safe. The threat we face is real, and deserves better than to be the punchline of another political attack.”

Giuliani, you're creating back-lash you cannot afford at this point. He is clearly working to attract more conservatives from the Republican Party, but in doing so, he's making bold and stupid claims he cannot back up. And I don't think the American people truly believe a Republican president will make us safer, instead they're ready to give Bush the boot in a hurry in order to get a fresh perspective on the war and finally end it. Only a Democrat has the courage and smarts to do just that.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Straight from the Horse's Mouth

I continue to share with you e-mails I receive from Barack Obama's campaign. I think it's beneficial to hear the news straight from the horse's mouth from time to time instead of as interrupted by others. This echoes my post from earlier today on Obama's comments during a speech in Chicago that Bush has let America down and has not been a leader.

Here's part of the e-mail that I share with you:
Our foreign policy shapes America's image abroad, but America's role in the world is deeply personal for many of us here at home. We remember how it felt when the American president had the moral authority to speak for free people everywhere.

Maybe you've traveled abroad and seen firsthand how in a few years George Bush has squandered the goodwill America earned over half a century. Maybe the decisions George Bush has made has sent your friend or family member into a war that should have never happened in the first place.

Barack wants to know why a new direction for our foreign policy and restoring America's moral leadership in the world is personal for you. Share your story.

Today Barack gave a major address about why our role in the world is personal for him.

He's been to the border of the Darfur region and seen first-hand what happens when America will not step up and lead. He's seen first-hand that weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union have not been secured under this president. He's met with Israelis and Palestinians who told him that true peace won't be achieved without an American president committed to making it happen.

And he's got concrete plans to right our course and rebuild America's global leadership. Today he laid out five initiatives that an Obama Administration will pursue:

*Bring a responsible end to this war in Iraq and refocus on the critical challenges in the broader region:
*Modernize our overstretched armed forces, building the first truly 21st century military and show wisdom in how we deploy it
*Marshal a global effort to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction
*Rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats
*Invest in our common humanity to ensure that those who live in fear and want today can live with dignity and opportunity tomorrow

As Barack pointed out today, the position of "leader of the free world" has been vacant for some time. For too long we've seen the consequences of a foreign policy based on a flawed ideology, and a belief that tough talk can replace real strength and vision. How many millions of Americans and our allies abroad winced when Senator John McCain gleefully sang a tune about starting another war by bombing Iran?

As the Republican presidential candidates repeat the same tired White House talking points, one thing is becoming clear: Democrats have the obligation to turn the page and lead America into a new chapter in history.


And here is his full speech he gave today.

Bush Comes Up Short

Obama made a bold, but true, announcement today on Bush's lack of leadership and irresponsible decision-making. Obama flat out said that Bush has fallen short of his role as leader of the free world, but the 2008 election is just the opportunity to change that.

"This president may occupy the White House, but for the last six years the position of leader of the free world has remained open. And it's time to fill that role once more," Obama said, according to excerpts of his speech prepared for delivery to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

"The disappointment that so many around the world feel toward America right now is only a testament to the high expectations they hold for us. We must meet those expectations again, not because being respected is an end in itself, but because the security of America and the wider world demands it," according to the speech.

In a March speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan pro-Israel lobby, Obama blamed the Bush administration failings in Iraq for strengthening the strategic position of Iran. He called for a reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq, during a November address before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.


Obama has been consistent in his disapproval of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Time for a Gun Law Change

It's not surprising in the wake of the Virgina Tech shootings that gun laws have become a hot-button issue again. While McCain and other Republicans do not believe a change is needed, Democrats have taken the opportunity to speak out and re-address concerns over current laws. They argue the current laws make it too easy to acquire a gun, and with a new Congress in town, maybe now is the chance to finally do something about it. Obama said the shooting highlights serious shortcomings with gun control.

"We're still selling handguns to crazy people," Obama said during a campaign stop at a Nashua senior center on Friday. "We're supposed to have a system that these people are screened out. What's clear is the background check system in this case failed entirely."

Obama is not a hunter, and while he has said he will not take away hunters' or sportsmen's rights, he did say there must be a reasonable balance between those rights and public safety.

"(Cho) had a semiautomatic weapon with a clip that allowed him to take 19 shots in a row," Obama said. "I don't know any self-respecting hunter that needs 19 rounds of anything. The only reason you have 19 rounds is potentially to do physical harm to people. You don't shoot 19 rounds at a deer. And if you do, you shouldn't be hunting."

In an interview with the syndicated radio program "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" Obama said gun laws have to change to prevent the type of killings seen this week at Virginia Tech and on a daily basis in urban areas. The senator says "some common sense" changes are needed, among them, he wants gun laws changed for those who are mentally ill.

Watch what he had to say on the day of the shootings.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

People Are Stupid

With 24 hour news programs and flashing news stories when logging on to e-mail, how do people not even know who is the country's VP?! A Pew Research Center poll shows that on average, people today are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as nearly 20 years ago. The new survey includes nine questions that are either identical or roughly comparable to questions asked in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2007, somewhat fewer were able to name their governor, the vice president, and the president of Russia, but more respondents than in the earlier era gave correct answers to questions pertaining to national politics.

In 1989, for example, 74% could come up with Dan Quayle's name when asked who the vice president is. Today, somewhat fewer (69%) are able to recall Dick Cheney. Okay, so people don't know the VP but know that the chief justice of the Supreme Court is generally considered a conservative and that Democrats control Congress than knew these things in 1989. That seems ironic to me, but maybe that indicates the country is more politically divided? Also odd to me is that people who watch the Colbert Report or John Stewart show know more about current events (54%) than those who watch CNN (41%)!

A majority of people know who Barack Obama is (61%) but more know Arnold Schwarzenegger as the California governor or a former action-movie star (91%) and football player Peyton Manning (62%). Sad.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Up in Smoke

Obama offered his energy proposal yesterday at the University of New Hampshire and has introduced a bill in the Senate. California has already introduced an effective initiative to lower carbon content, and Obama's plan for the whole country mirrors that of California's. He says the fuel used to power automobiles should contain less of the carbon that pollutes the air - enough to make the same impact as taking 32 million cars off the road.

It's nice to see someone in the government recognize that fossil fuels and global warming are a problem that need to be dealt with, unlike Bush who has choosen not to listen to ANY experts in the field and ignore the problem.

Specifically, Obama wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars by 5 percent in 2015 and 10 percent in 2020. Obama's plan counts on new limits to force increased production of renewable biofuels, such as corn and cellulosic ethanol, which naturally have lower emissions. The plan would create incentives for increased research, investment in cleaner fuels and flexible-fuel vehicles that can run on ethanol.

The campaign says a national fuel standard would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 200 million tons in 2020 compared with 2007 levels - the equivalent of taking about 32 million cars off the road in 2020The campaign also estimates the annual consumption of gasoline derived from foreign oil imports would drop by about 30 billion gallons in 2020.

The bill he introduced would raise fuel efficiency standards. If that were enacted and combined with his carbon program, it would cut about 583 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2020, the equivalent of taking about 96 million cars off the road.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Right Wins an Alarming One

Today the Supreme Court pleased the right-wing, anti-abortionists by giving them a victory in what could become one step toward overturning Roe v. Wade altogether. The court's conservative majority ruling bans a controversial abortion procedure of partial-birth abortion. This marks the first time since the 1973 ruling that women had the right to choose that the court has ruled in favor of limiting abortion laws.

The 5-4 decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

The law is constitutional despite not containing an exception that would allow the procedure if needed to preserve a woman's health, Kennedy said. "The law need not give abortion doctors unfettered choice in the course of their medical practice," he wrote in the majority opinion. Doctors who violate the law face up to two years in federal prison.


Of course Bush's reaction was that this is progress toward his administration's "sanctity of life" position. And joining the conservative majority decision were Bush's two new appointees Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito. No doubt they fell into party line, and this decision has the potential to make huge waves in overturning Roe v. Wade, giving conservatives the ultimate win and women the ultimate loss.

"Today's decision is alarming," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in dissent. She said the ruling "refuses to take ... seriously" previous Supreme Court decisions on abortion.

Said Eve Gartner of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America: "This ruling flies in the face of 30 years of Supreme Court precedent and the best interest of women's health and safety. ... This ruling tells women that politicians, not doctors, will make their health care decisions for them." She had argued that point before the justices.

Obama said the decision is a dramatic departure from precedents safeguarding women's health. "I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman's right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women," he said.

Likewise, Clinton and Edwards also denounced the decision. Guiliani, who has been back and forth on abortion, said he was happy with the decision.

Movement in the Polls


A new national Gallup poll finds that Obama is gaining ground, and a lot of it, on chief rival Clinton. Previously leading Obama by 19 percent (38 percent to 19 percent), Clinton lead over Obama has slipped to just five percent (31 to his 26 percent) Edwards trails at 16 percent and Gore at 15 percent. The un-candidate surpasses all the other Democrats who do not have more than 3 percent. Clinton's current 45% favorable rating with the American public is her third consecutive reading below 50% in the past two months, and is one of the lowest Gallup has measured for her since 1993. And the poll shows the growing distate with Clinton is broad-based across all races, partys, age groups and both sexes.

Perhaps more troublesome for Clinton is that 52 percent have an unfavorable opinion of her in the poll, versus 45% who have a favorable view. By comparison, Obama has a 52%-27% fav/unfav rating. That means that are a lot of people who have yet to form an opinion on him and can easily be swayed to form a favorable opinion of him.

In the GOP field, Giuliani is at 35%, McCain at 22%, Fred Thompson at 10%, and Romney at 9%. Again, a non-candidate, Thompson, tops a majority of the field of candidates.

The poll also shows that just 36% approve of Bush's job; only 25% approve of Alberto Gonzales' job; and just 26% believe the troop surge in Iraq is making the situation there better.

The fact that Obama never approved of the war, the only candidate with that stance, is a help to him, as the Iraq war continues to be a hot buttom issue. The fact that 74 percent of people are dissatisfied with the troop surge and how the war is being handled he can easily work to his advantage and rope this voters onto his team.

And he's one of the few candidates who got their start working with the American public as a "regular Joe" which will continue to work to his advantage as Clinton continues to poll that she can't relate to the American people, Guiliani doesn't know the cost of daily necessities because he's out of touch and Edwards uses campaign funds for $400 haircuts.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

On Hold

All candidates, including Obama, postphoned all political events today in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy. He was scheduled to speak at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs today. This is the right thing to do, and I commend the candidates. At the same time, I wonder, what are their motivations for doing so? It is truly out of respect?

In visiting the Web sites of the top three Democrats and Republicans in the polls, Obama and Edwards changed the entry to the Web site so that a black screen with support for victims is all that appears; Clinton's site had a big message as part of the page as did Guiliani. McCain's message was buried on his site after the page about donating and Romney had no message at all. I think part of how they respond is a demonstration to the American public how they will react when/if president to major disasters and tragedies.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Numbers Game

Yesterday the Federal Election Committee finishing counting and double-counting the amount raised by Obama in the first quarter, and it was even more than originally reported. His campaign raised more than $25 million, and the original 100,000 donors was actually 104,000. Yet his campaign touts that the real story is the amount of giving in the two weeks since the end of the first quarter. Since that time, more than 18,400 donors have given, and 90 percent of those are for the first time.

An e-mail from his campaign had this to say:
With the news of our historic start, the Washington chattering class is nervous. Those invested in the status quo have a hard time grasping that a movement made up of people who want a new kind of politics can actually change things. Now's the time for every person who supports Barack Obama to make one thing perfectly clear: we're here, we're serious about change, and we're going to be heard.


And with the up-swing in donating, continues an increase in online support. Of the 18,000 donors, 15,000 gave online!

Recognizing that the support of women is also crucial to meet the numbers, Obama officially launched an initiative aimed at women today during a Women for Obama luncheon, where he raised $750,000 and once again made a statement by intruding on "Hillary's turf." And over the weekend he rallied in Atlanta and South Carolina. The Atlanta rally drew 20,000 supporters, more than have ever attended one rally in the city's history. And he entered Edwards turf in the Carolinas. All bets are off in Obama's campaign, proving that he really does a fresh way of doing things.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

My Video

View the video I made and posted on YouTube. Share it with your friends!

Obama and McCain Trade Barbs

McCain and Obama continue their presidential campaign battle over the Iraq War.

In a speech at Virginia Military Institute, McCain derided Democratic anti-war efforts including calls for a U.S. withdrawal. The Republican said he'd rather lose the 2008 presidential contest than have the U.S. fail in Iraq. To that, I say HA. And his stance on the war will lose him the presidency, so no fear there McCain!

"No matter how much this administration wishes it to be true, the idea that the situation in Iraq is improving because it only takes a security detail of 100 soldiers, three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships to walk through a market in the middle of Baghdad is simply not credible or reflective of the facts on the ground," said Obama in a statement Wednesday referring to a recent McCain visit.

"A power vacuum in Iraq would invite further interference from Iran at a time when Tehran already feels emboldened enough to develop nuclear weapons, threaten Israel and America, and kidnap British sailors," McCain said of the exit timetable proposed by Obama and other Democrats. "If the government collapses in Iraq, which it surely will if we leave prematurely, Iraq's neighbors, from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Egypt, will feel pressure to intervene on the side of their favored factions. This uncertain swirl of events could cause the region to explode and foreclose the opportunity for millions of Muslims and their children to achieve freedom. We could face a terrible choice: Watch the region burn, the price of oil escalate dramatically and our economy decline, watch the terrorists establish new base camps or send American troops back to Iraq, with the odds against our success much worse than they are today."

"What we need today is a surge in honesty," Obama said. "The truth is, the Iraqis have made little progress toward the political solution between Shiia and Sunni which is the last, best hope to end this war. I believe that letting the Iraqi government know America will not be there forever is the best way to pressure the warring factions toward this political settlement."

"Everything's fine," said McCain. "We're moving on, we're moving on, we're moving on."


On Monday, McCain unleashed an unusually biting and blunt broadside against Obama, accusing him of backtracking on a previous commitment to work with McCain in developing a bipartisan proposal for lobbying and ethics reform.

In a letter to Obama on Monday, McCain -- upset by his colleague's support for a reform bill put forward by Democratic leaders as well as a suggestion that McCain's approach might delay the process -- accused Obama of "self-interested partisan posturing" and "disingenuousness."

McCain also told Obama "I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party's efforts to exploit this issue must seem to a freshman senator, and I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness. I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics, the public interest isn't always a priority for every one of us," McCain wrote. "Good luck to you, senator." If McCain wanted to focus on public interest, maybe he'd do what the public wanted, not what he wanted. The public wants the war to end, but McCain has fallen into party line with the "stay the course rhetoric.


In response, Obama sent a letter back to McCain, saying he was "puzzled" by McCain's reaction and insisting he still supported a bipartisan approach to ethics reform.
"The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put aside politics for the public interest is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you, nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem," Obama wrote.


What set off McCain was a letter Obama sent him late last week, after he and several other Democrats attended a meeting hosted by McCain to discuss a bipartisan approach to lobbying and ethics reform.

In that letter, Obama expressed support for a reform bill being pushed by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, rather than McCain's proposal for a bipartisan task force to look at legislation.

"I know you have expressed an interest in creating a task force to further study and discuss these matters, but I and others in the Democratic caucus believe the more effective and timely course is to allow the committees of jurisdiction (in the Senate) to roll up their sleeves and get to work on writing ethics and lobbying reform legislation that a majority of the Senate can support," Obama wrote.

In the letter he sent Monday, McCain accused the Democratic leadership of wanting "to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections." And he denied that his task force was designed to short-circuit the Senate committee process.

Obama said he made it clear during last week's meeting that the Democratic caucus would insist that any reform plan go through the normal committee process -- and that he believes Reid's bill "should be the basis for a bipartisan solution."


Substituting for Rush Limbaugh on Limbaugh's radio show, Roger Hedgecock said that the dispute between Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain shows "how Democrats treat African-American" officeholders. According to Hedgecock, "[T]hey get put back on the plantation."

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Obama Gets Imus Fired?

I find it interesting that after Obama declared Imus should be fired, MSNBC did just that.

"I believe that NBC should not be having hosts like Don Imus who are making derogatory statements toward women and minorities," Obama, who is of African descent, said in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "The Situation Room." "I've got two young daughters who I hope will be athletes, and the notion that somehow they would be degraded and insulted and that that would pass as humor and that NBC would be running that over the public airwaves, I think, is atrocious."

Obama, who appeared once on Imus' show, said: "I have no intention of returning."

Friday, April 13, 2007

Obama On Top


Barack Obama is the candidate most likely to lead the country out of Iraq, according to an online straw poll of members of the liberal activist group MoveOn.org.

Obama won nearly 28 percent of the 42,882 votes cast by MoveOn's 3.2 million members. Edwards, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, was second with almost 25 percent. Clinton , who appears to be leading the field in national opinion polls but has been criticized for refusing to call her 2002 vote to authorize the Iraq war a mistake, was fifth with nearly 11 percent, finishing behind both Kucinich, an antiwar candidate who was third with 17 percent, and Richardson, who was fourth with 12 percent.

The survey, which asked which candidate would be best able to lead the United States out of Iraq, was conducted by the group after a MoveOn forum Tuesday night in which seven Democratic candidates answered questions about the war. The answers were aired online and broadcast on the liberal talk-radio network Air America.

It seems campaigning and debating online is the wave of the future, and the future is here.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Giddyup Gallup

According to a Gallup poll this week, voters are on a learning curve when it comes to Obama. His name ID has risen from 53% in December to 77% today. So far, his favorability has remained positive, although his negatives have risen from 11% in December to 24% today. Obama's great appeal to voters is his youth and freshness. He is also seen as likable. Voters also cite his inexperience as his biggest weakness. Well more than 9 in 10 voters say Obama's race would not be a factor in their vote.

Both Obama and Clinton are competing for the black Democratic vote, a minor factor in early primary and caucus states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, but of significant importance in South Carolina and others. Best current estimates are that the two are roughly tied among black Democrats.

It's still early in the process. Poll results at this phase -- 10 months before the first primaries and caucuses and less than 20 months before the general election -- do not necessarily bear a strong relationship to the reality that unfolds in the election year itself. This has historically been true for the Democratic Party in particular. Bill Clinton, Michael Dukakis, Jimmy Carter, and George McGovern were all virtual unknowns who rose from obscurity to take their party's nomination.

Three-quarters of voters in March indicated that they did not yet have a good idea for whom they will vote next year. Half have not given it much thought. A recent USA Today/Gallup poll finds slightly fewer than 4 in 10 Americans saying they would like to see Gore run for president in 2008; the majority of Americans do not want to see him run.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Live On Letterman

Last night Barack Obama fulfilled his promise to return to the David Letterman show when or if he decided to run for president. When Letterman introduced him, he received a roaring applause from the New York audience. Letterman said that he believes Clinton and Obama will go head-to-head for the party's nomination and "it will be tremendously exciting."

When telling jokes in the opening, Letterman joked that during one of his lines Obama raised another $25 million during that time. Obama, wearing a suit, atypical of his campaign style, was impressive in his responses. Letterman remarked that he had on a great suit, one which makes him electable and Letterman would vote for.

For anyone who argues he is charismatic but lacks substance, he gave meaty answers on the proposed phased-withdrawl of Iraq, what we've learned there and what he will push for if elected. "We can't be as careless exiting as we were careless entering." One point during the discussion on Iraq, Obama was interrupted by applause from the audience. He reiterated that we cannot stay the course we are currently on.

When Letterman asked about the possibly of an Obama/Clinton ticket, Obama asked in which order and then responded no one is running for second. Letterman also gave him several opportunities to make other candidates look bad, and Obama responded well that there are some great people running and avoided discussing the Clinton spat with David Geffen, saying his constituents aren't worried about that, but rather that they're jobs are moving to China and they have no health care.

When asked if campaiging was taking away from his job as senator, he defended his voting record, noting he's only missed three votes. He did say he would like to get back to Chicago more to see his family.

Additionally, Obama was asked whether he is still smoking, and has said he is now chewing Nicotine gum in an effort to quit. Letterman joked it'd be cool to have a president who smokes and can blow the smoke in people's faces.

Obama made quite an appearance, and his quotes are popping up in every major news outlet. He also managed to fit in three fundraises in New York City that same day, entering Hillary's stomping ground and making a statement that all of New York is not for her.

Coming Home


Yesterday Obama unveiled a housing program for veterans. He plans to introduce the legislation in Congress that he calls Homes for Heroes, which would establish grant and voucher programs to encourage development of affordable housing targeted for veterans. During a three-day trip to Iowa, (where's he's now visited 20 different counties), he made vets a top priority.

"Veterans are far more likely to be homeless than nonveterans and part of it is because we're not providing services to them as they transition out of the service," Obama said in an interview Friday before a campaign rally. "Part of it is because there is just not enough affordable housing."

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that as many as 200,000 are living on the streets or in shelters and perhaps twice as many are homeless at some time in the course of a year.

Obama, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, concluded a three-day trip to Iowa by touring the Iowa Veterans Home and focusing on veterans issues. He said the government spends billions on the war but has consistently shortchanged programs for veterans, whose needs should be a top priority.

Obama said he chose to visit the Iowa Veterans Home because of its solid reputation. The center is essentially a state-financed retirement home for veterans, which Obama believes is a model for the rest of the country.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Not Up for Debate


Today Obama announced he will not participate in the Fox News and Congressional Black Caucus-sponsored Democratic debate this fall, joining Edwards who three days ago announced his refusal to participate. Obama said he would instead participate in the Congressional Black Caucus' debate that will be hosted by CNN in January.

Democrats have been under pressure from liberal activists, such as Jesse Jackson, a supporter of Obama, to avoid Fox-hosted debates. Last month, the Nevada Democratic Party canceled a debate that Fox was to co-sponsor in August. Democratic critics complain that the network displays a conservative bias in its news broadcasts. Last week the Democratic National Committee sanctioned six debates before the 2008 primary season, but did not include the Fox-CBC Institute debate among them.


Although the debates are still scheduled as of now, two major contenders are out, and ColorOfChange.org, an online organization of black activists, is urging Clinton to also pull out of the debate on Fox.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Hillary Endorsers

Hillary has received several endorsements over the last week, among them an endorsement from Iowa's Governor, Tom Vilsack, who until last month, was also running for president. Nine additional state representatives from New Hampshire also announced their endorsement of Clinton, bringing the total number NH state reps for Clinton to 29. The governor of New Jersey and two congressmen also officially announced their support. More than a dozen state officials in New Jersey are now behind her. While none of these people are so significant that these endorsements spell ruin for Obama and others, they are leaders in their states, states which have very early primaries.

Saturday, April 7, 2007

More Bush?! Help Us All

It's a bit early, and rather presumptous to begin naming potential running mates for vice president, but that's exactly what Mitt Romney did yesterday. Among the three names he gave, Florida Governor Jeb Bush was on the list! If a Bush can find a way to be in the White House, he will leave no stone unturned. And Florida just has to make a mess of another election. This is all around bad for everyone, and I can't help but think this will hurt him. The story, however, was disappointly buried in the news.

Iowa = Illinois

In Iowa yesterday, Obama said he thinks he may have an advantage in Iowa: the fact that he lives next door.

"I feel like I'm home," Obama told the Associated Press. "Illinois is basically Iowa, and then we have Chicago."

Plenty of coastal residents lump all the Midwest provinces together, as "those square states" one flies over on the way from one shore to another. But it's unusual to hear folks from the Heartland do it themselves.


I doubt people in Iowa are going to like the comment that it's basically the same as Illinois. And people in Illinois but not in Chicago continously complained they're forgotten to Chicago.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Ground Up


A story from the New York Times explains Obama's fundraising campaign philosophy as a grass-roots, bottoms up campaign. I agree, and think it it very note-worthy that only individual contributions have been accepted, keeping PACs from buying his vote. Below is a synopsis of the story.

Two and a half years after he had taken quite a “spanking,” as he put it, in his bid to unseat an incumbent congressman, he was still struggling to pay off a $20,000 debt, eking out donations of $1,000 here, $2,000 there. His fund-raising prowess has helped make him the chief rival to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Interviews and campaign finance reports show Obama drew crucial early support from Chicago’s thriving black professional class, using it as a springboard to other rainmakers within the broader party establishment. Soon he was drawing money — and, just as valuable, buzz — among wealthy Chicago families, as well as friends from Harvard Law School and the University of Chicago.

Obama appears to have such a firm hold on so many of Chicago’s big donors that Clinton, who grew up in a Chicago suburb, did not even have a fund-raiser here during the crucial first quarter of this year. Obama’s campaign says its grass-roots support is expanding rapidly, in part through $25-a-ticket fund-raisers designed for a new generation of donors.


I have been asked what it is that people see in Obama, and I think this is a good summary from the New York Times:
Even as he cultivated an image as an unconventional candidate devoted to the people, not the establishment, he systematically built a sophisticated, and in many ways quite conventional, money machine.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

IOWA? A Hot Bed of Political Activity


Does anyone understand why Iowa is the political center of the American universe? I fail to understand why they have such a large pull over who is the party's candidate. Sure, they have the first caucus and primary, but why? Last year, by the time the Illinois primary was held, I had no choice in candidate, as there was only one candidate left in the running at that point. Obama held his Web cast in Onawa, Iowa, last week and is back in Iowa this week for several days. This certainly not his first or last trip to the state, and likewise for the seemingly thousands of candidates. I think there is almost one candidate running for each person living in Iowa. They should be the most informed voters in the country however, having the opportunity to attend hundreds of events featuring each candidate. Still, I fail to understand why the first primary is in Iowa. And can you imagine living in Iowa, receiving the multitude of political mail, soliciting phone calls and even people knocking on your door for nearly two years?!

With that said, a number of states are considering moving up their primary, or have already done so. A vote is currently before the Illinois Senate to move the primary to February 5, and it is expected to happen. California and New Jersey just moved theirs to February 5 as well, and Texas is considering doing likewise. Florida changed theirs to January 29. If Florida can mess up any political race, they will, injecting themselves once again. States that already have a February 5 primary: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Utah. Interesting that most of the states with early primaries or moving their primary up have a candidate running from their state. But again, there are so many candidates at this point that there are few states withOUT a candidate.

Oval Office For Sale

It seems the Oval Office of the White House is up for sale! After reading the startling campaign fundraising numbers, clearly the Oval Office is available for purchase. By the end of the election, it seems these candidates could single-handedly end the national debt!

I must admit that I am happy to see that Obama stole a bit of Clinton's thunder by tying her for money raised, making him a bigger threat than I think Clinton's camp originally estimated and bringing more attention from the American people. He is on par with once-supposed front-runner Clinton. What I respect about Obama's fundraising strategy is that none of the money was from PACs or corporations, but instead all from individuals. To me this shows his vote on hot issues can't be bought by the PAC willing to pay the most. And no one other candidate can say they didn't accept PAC money! And more than half the donors contributed online, demonstrating that online support is growing and quashing some of my earlier fears that online support wouldn't translate to offline support.

While Clinton has honed a vast national fundraising network through two Senate campaigns and her husband's eight years as president, Obama launched his bid for the White House with a relatively small donor base concentrated largely in Illinois, his home state. But his early opposition to the Iraq war and voter excitement over his quest to be the first black president quickly fueled a powerful fundraising machine.


I received this e-mail from Obama's campaign: "I'm proud to tell you that, after the first quarter of the campaign, we've exceeded all of our hopes and expectations. In less than three months, a staggering 100,000 Americans have contributed to our cause -- tens of thousands more than the number reported by any other campaign. That's on top of the hundreds of thousands who have attended rallies, started groups and shared their ideas and energy."

What was a surprise is that former MA Gov. Mitt Romney also raised about the same amount, coming seemingly out of nowhere to raise the most of Republicans. It is reported that a large amount of his donations are from Mormon groups. Help us.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

No Playing Chicken with Troops

Obama continues to distance himself from Hillary Clinton, by calling out that she refuses to repudiate her vote. This is a strategy that is working in Obama's favor due to the high number of Americans who now oppose the war and want the troops to come home.

If President Bush vetoes an Iraq war spending bill as promised, Congress quickly will provide the money without the withdrawal timeline the White House objects to because no lawmaker "wants to play chicken with our troops," Barack Obama said Sunday.

"My expectation is that we will continue to try to ratchet up the pressure on the president to change course," the Democratic presidential candidate said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I don't think that we will see a majority of the Senate vote to cut off funding at this stage."


Read the full story.

Savior Barack


A new art exhibit that looks like Barack Obama in Jesus' robe and halo is causing a stir in Chicago.

The artist says he did his senior art project depicting Obama as Jesus because,
"All of this is a response to what I've been witnessing and hearing, this idea that Barack is sort of a potential savior that might come and absolve the country of all its sins," Cordero said. "In a lot of ways it's about caution in assigning all these inflated expectations on one individual, and expecting them to change something that many hands have shaped."

Obama's thoughts on the exhibit? Well, his campaign is trying to steer clear of this one, saying they're for First Amendment rights but also cautious of offending people. Personally, I think it's rather funny and the artist does have a point in his comments.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Anyone Else?

So, does anyone else out there want to run for president?! Why not, as it seems everyone else is! It's the cool thing to do, I guess. Today two more Republican candidates joined the race.

Former Wisconsin Governor and Former Health and Human Services Secretary during Bush's first term, Tommy Thompson announed he is the "reliable conservative." He said his Iraq strategy would be "tremendously" different from Bush's and said he opposed the Democratic approach in Congress to start withdrawing U.S. troops based on timelines.

Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo also threw his name into the ring, declaring that he is unhappy with all of the current Republican candidates because they are too soft on immigration. His staunch stance against immigration has garnered publicity in recent years, and he has said that will be the focus of his campaign.

Tancredo, I've got news for you: there are greater concerns in our country right now than immigration reform. Sure, it's an issue, but the most important? C'mon. And with a name like Tancredo, can you oppose it?! And I don't understand these people who don't want to set a withdrawl from Iraq timeline. I guess they'd like us to stay permanently or until all of our soliders are dead?!

I also have to wonder with all of these people so busy campaigning nearly two years before the election if anything is being accomplished in Washington. Clearly they're never there, spending half of their time in Iowa and the other half everywhere else, so when do they vote on bills, represent the people of their state (where they now have no time to visit or make a priority) and make great things happen? We know the answer to that.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Social Darwinism


Barack Obama, as well as John Edwards and Hillary Clinton, spoke at the Communications Workers of America conference on Tuesday. He accused the Bush administration on of pursuing a policy of "social Darwinism" that leaves every man and woman struggling. He vowed to look out for average workers and changes if elected president.

"It's a strategy that we've seen this administration pursue over the last six years, that basically says government has no role to play in making sure that America is prosperous for all people and not just some," Obama said to applause during an appearance before the Communications Workers of America.

The Illinois senator said the attempt to "divvy up the government into individual tax breaks" may be tempting, but government research and investment is what has made advances possible in the United States.

Campaign by Web cast

Yesterday I attended a relatively new type of campaign rally and information session. Packed into the Democratic Party Headquarters in Oak Park, Illinois, about 75 people sat silently through a 75-minute question and answer session with Barack Obama. Obama wasn't in the room, yet he was. Broadcast live through his Web site, the Web cast was streamed live. In the tiny town of Onawa, Iowa, (it only has two stop lights) the presidential candidate took questions from a crowd gathered in the community library. This is a unique way to hold a town hall meeting all over the country simultaneously. His campaign said 5,000 similar events were being held in all 50 states to view the Web cast. I could have watched the Web cast at home, but part of the excitement was the atmosphere and seeing how people reacted to certain remarks. I compare it to being in the basement of some church or house leading up to the Revolution, plotting secretly and building excitement for the cause.

I was excited to hear him speak on the issues, yet walking away from the session, I feel as if I know no more about his stance on the issues than previously. He wants every American to have health care by the end of his first term, he is tired of outsourcing jobs to other countries, he thinks "No Child Left Behind" is not working and he wants to end our reliance on oil for gasoline. Don't we all, but how?! Obama did lay out his plan for phased redeployment and withdrawl from Iraq.

The downfall, as with any form is technology, is reliance on it working. For about the first 10 minutes as people logged onto the site to watch, there were intermittent delays or breaks between words. Throughout the Web cast, there were times when there were words but no picture. And 75 people sitting around a computer screen is a bit difficult. This speaks to the age group and demographics of Obama supporters, however.

I doubt an event of this nature would attract those who are unsure who they support or sway the vote of someone who is currently backing another candidate, but I think the primary objective in this instance was to excite and energize his loyal supporters and get them pumped to help him campaign, spread the word and thereby attract others to support Obama. I did come home and hang an Obama sign in my window for others to see as they passby, so I guess it kinda worked in that I'm spreading the word, maybe just not as actively as the Obama campaign would've liked.

The Washington Post story linked to this post talks about this specific problem and points out that while Howard Dean had 650,000 online registered supporters, they were unable to mobilize that online support into real offline support. The Obama campaign is optimistic they will be able to succeed where Dean failed. I think we'll just have to watch and see how it plays out as to whether these new mediums for campaigning are in fact making an impact.