| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
19 Oct 2007 07:15:26 PM |
| Object: |
Robot-Love |
Robot-Love
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/10/robot-love.html
18 Oct 2007 04:02 pm
They're getting more and more sophisticated:
She looked at me with her motion detectors as I rubbed the
piezoelectric sensor between her thighs. Then I spun the
potentiometers that jutted out from her chest like nipples. But it
wasn't until I stroked the piezosensor on the back of her neck that
she began to moan, first quietly and then loudly, like a thousand
women reaching orgasm together.
Obama's Eight Degrees of ***** Cheney
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/16/obamas_eight_degrees_of=
_dick_c.html
Vice President Cheney is related to Sen. Barack Obama.
At least that was the stunning announcement made yesterday by Lynne
Cheney, who said that the very white vice president from Wyoming is in
fact the eighth cousin of Obama, the Senate's only African American
member. She said she discovered the link, traced back to a French
Huguenot who figured prominently in Maryland history, while
researching her latest book.
Obama Hopes to "Close the Gap"
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/16/obama_hope_to_close_the=
_gap.html
Can bad fundraising news be potentially good?
Sen. Barack Obama seems to hope so. After reporting that he has less
cash on hand than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the end of the third
quarter this week, Obama sent a plea to his supporters to help "close
the gap" between the two campaigns.
Giuliani vs. Obama Round 1
http://cherryblueskies.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/giuliani-vs-obama-round-1/
October 16th, 2007
In what could be the future national election match-up, Giuliani took
his first swipe at the Democrat, Sen. Obama:
"I say this most respectfully, you're not Ronald Reagan," Giuliani
said, adding the Reagan called the Soviets the "evil empire" and
pointed intermediate range missiles at them before calling for
negotiations. "He made sure this country was negotiating from
strength."
Go ahead Giuliani, tell us, why is Barack Obama not like Ronny Reagan?
Is it because Obama uses his brain to make decisions? Is it because
Obama doesn't want to put our nation $3 trillion in to debt? Is it
because Obama's rise to fame wasn't via Hollywood? Or is this it -
he's black.
Obama fine-tunes Clinton criticism
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=3Den-us&fg=3Drss&vid=3D7502bdc6-6ca5-41e3-829c-4c=
e4b82f1eb0&from=3D34
Oct. 17: NBC's Political Director Chuck Todd gives his first read on
Obama's task and the primary calendar madness.
CNN Debunks False Obama 'Madrassa' Smear
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/01/22/cnn-obama-debunk/
Last week, Fox News and other Rupert Murdoch outlets amplified a right-
wing report alleging that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) attended an Islamic
"madrassa" school as a 6-year-old child. One Fox News caller
questioned whether Obama's schooling means that "maybe he doesn't
consider terrorists the enemy." Fox anchor Brian Kilmeade responded,
"Well, we'll see about that."
Obama campaign hits send button too soon
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/post_7.html
by Frank James
Someone in Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign mistakenly e-
mailed a copy of working draft of a campaign document which isn't
earth-shattering but still an interesting read. So onto The Swamp it
goes.
It's essentially an argument for why women should support Obama.
Whoever edited the document wisely crossed out an an abbreviated
reference to the website MyBarackObama.com which in the initial
version was written as "mybo.com."
Obama Networks on BlackPlanet.com
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/16/obama_networks_on_black=
planetc.html
The Barocket has taken off online, no doubt.
While Sen. Hillary Clinton has consistently dominated national polls,
Sen. Barack Obama has been the undeniable online frontrunner, with
more supporters on Facebook, MySpace and Eventful, etc., than any of
the Democratic candidates.
How to Build A Majority--2008
http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/10/how_to_build_a_majority2008_1.html
Posted by Joe Klein | Comments (65) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) |
Email This
John Judis has an interesting theory about why the Republicans did
better than expected (they still lost) in the special Congressional
race in Massachusetts this week.
A flawed companion piece appears in the Washington Post today about
Obama's difficulty selling bipartisanship to the Democratic Party's
base....flawed because bipartisanship can't be a blanket strategy.
There are issues where Democrats and Republicans have differences.
It's entirely appropriate for Democratic voters in Iowa to be ticked
off about Bush's SCHIP veto--an act of purposeful, incendiary
partisanship--and it would be appropriate for Obama to express some
anger about it. (Although I'd be happy with a compromise that puts
SCHIP eligibility at 300% of poverty and restricts the ability of
states--New York, for example--to move the income level higher.)
Obama Hearts Women Too!
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/10/obama_hearts_women_too=
..php
17 Oct 2007 01:00 pm
Barack Obama's women's outreach coordinator has written a memo
suggesting that Obama's campaign won't concede the women's vote to
Hillary Clinton. This, on the day that Clinton's campaign holds a
major fundraiser in Washington. This, on the week the Clinton campaign
is dedicating to voting women.
Political Thoughts Of The Day
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/10/political_thoughts_of_=
the_day.php
17 Oct 2007 05:20 pm
David Kuo:
have been vocal in decrying Republican attempts to seduce voters by
claiming Jesus for their policies. It is no better when a Democrat
does it. And that is exactly what is happening here. Is Sen. Obama
becoming a mirror image of George W. Bush - a man using his faith to
not only sell his politics but to sell himself no matter his politics?
The State Of The Race: The Democrats
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/10/the_state_of_the_race_=
the_demo_1.php
16 Oct 2007 11:20 am
As an introduction to our latest race rankings, here's an elaboration.
Here are some bullet points:
** Four consecutive reputable national polls show that Hillary Clinton
topping 50% of the vote in a multicandidate primary. These surverys
have been conducted as Democrats pay more and more attention to the
candidates.
How Hillary could tank
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/10/16/hillary_10/
From hubby Bill's uncharted role to the Karl Rove factor to her
scattered hawkish votes, the top 10 reasons why Clinton could take a
fatal dive in the '08 race.
By Walter Shapiro
Oct. 16, 2007 | It is a paradox of the presidential primary season:
Democratic voters -- and, yes, reporters -- claim to crave a wide-
open, spirited fight for the nomination, yet simultaneously are eager
to pronounce the race over before a single vote has been cast. From Ed
Muskie in 1972 to Howard Dean four years ago, history should have
taught handicappers that betting the mortgage money on the odds-on
favorite is a mug's game.
Hillary Clinton is the latest beneficiary of this premature rush to
certainty. Clinton's meet-her-again-for-the-first-time rollout has
softened her image, repositioned her as the Democrats' most
experienced candidate, airbrushed away her years of ambivalence on the
Iraq war and turned her 1994 healthcare reform debacle into a scars-to-
prove-it asset. At the same time, her campaign has shown
uncharacteristic flashes of boldness from small matters (putting
together a "Sopranos" parody video in a week, featuring Bill and
Hillary) to large (matching John Edwards with a full-coverage-for-
everyone healthcare plan).
Late-Night Obama
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/late-night-obama/
Senator Barack Obama has held his tongue when given the chance to
criticize his rivals. The same rules may not apply on late-night
television.
Obama Campaign Spending Report Incomplete
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/us/politics/18obama.html?_r=3D1&ref=3Dpol=
itics&oref=3Dslogin
By JEFF ZELENY
The third-quarter financial report fails to provide a full accounting
for where the campaign spent money, but a spokesman said a corrected
report will be filed soon.
Obama on Leno: some new material, some old stuff
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/obama_on_leno_some_=
new_materia.html
by John McCormick, updated at 11:27 p.m. Eastern
A taped appearance will air this evening on NBC of Sen. Barack Obama
on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and the presidential candidate
clearly was ready for a question he knew he would be asked.
Leno: "I have to ask you about your family. ***** Cheney, you and he
are eighth cousins."
Sweet blog column extra: Obama on Leno jabs Hillary. Leno asks "You
would leave your wife alone with Bill Clinton?" Transcript.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/10/sweet_blog_column_extra_obama_1.html
CHICAGO--NBC Tonight Show host Jay Leno and White House hopeful Sen.
Barack Obama (D-Ill.) just discussed whether Obama draped his
underwear over a doorknob. Obama said he did not, would try it, and
asked Leno if that was his habit. But the best repartee had to do with
whether Obama would leave his wife alone with Bill Clinton.
The underwear bit was just part of Obama's schtick with Leno on a
Wednesday, a day Obama spent taping guest shots in Los Angeles.
Bush-Clinton Fatigue Inspires Obama Hopefuls in Tipton
http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3D1296
by: T.M. Lindsey
Wednesday (10/17) at 18:29 PM
While Cedar County farmers were out bringing in this year's harvest,
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama rolled into Tipton to
discuss his rural policy agenda, "Real Leadership for Rural America."
Those who gathered at the Cedar County Fairgrounds, however, were more
interested in hearing about the Illinois senator's "real leadership"
than the issues facing rural Americans. Most were drawn to the event
with the hope that Obama can deliver on his promise to put an end to
partisan politics.
Obama Lands a Solid Left Jab
http://capitalfax.blogspot.com/2007/10/obama-lands-solid-left-jab.html
- posted by Yellow Dog Democrat
Here's the e-mail I got signed by Barack Obama tonight:
Subject Line: Inevitable?
Yellow Dog Democrat,
I'm leaving the Tonight Show studio and I wanted to share something.
Jay Leno just asked if it bothers me that some of the Washington
pundits are declaring Hillary Clinton the winner of this election
before a single vote has been cast.
Obama's Plea For Funds Nets Over $1 Million -- In One Day
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/obamas_plea_for_funds_nets_over_1_mil=
lion.php
By Greg Sargent - October 17, 2007, 6:27PM
Yesterday we noted that Barack Obama had sent out a Web ad to
supporters that made an unusually direct and even plaintive plea for
contributions so he could "close the gap" with Hillary.
Ron Paul, Barack Obama Lead in Donations from Military Servicepersons
http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/ron-paul-barack-obama-le=
ad-in-donations-from-military-servicepersons/
The Houston Chronicle reports:
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, the congressman from the
Houston area who opposes the Iraq war, has gotten more contributions
than any other White House contender from donors identified as
affiliated with the military.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5223477.html
'I Am Not A Perfect Man': Obama Shares Jokes With Leno
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=3D6885
"When your name is Barack Obama, you're always the underdog."
Did you See Cosby on Oprah Today? Off Topic: Obama and VP Cheney are
Cousins - Aren't We All
http://whataboutourdaughters.blogspot.com/2007/10/off-topic-obama-and-vp-ch=
eney-are.html
So Cosby did his thing on Oprah today. What was up with the sunshades
indoors? Link to the Oprah Show page featuring Cosby.
BARACK OBAMA, STAND-UP COMIC...
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/?pid=3D243909
Barack Obama was pretty funny in his Wednesday appearance on the
Tonight Show. Asked whether Hillary Clinton has the nomination locked
up, he replied:
Hillary is not the first person in Washington to declare 'Mission
Accomplished' a little too soon.
Obama Raises $1 Million Online in 1 Day
http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/10/obama_raises_1_million_online.html
By CQ Staff | 6:56 PM; Oct. 17, 2007 | Email This Article
Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama
responded to his call Tuesday for help in closing the fundraising gap
with New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. From noon Tuesday to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, they donated more than $1 million online, according to his
campaign. The Illinois Senator sent out an e-mail message to backers
yesterday, setting a goal of raising $2.1 million to catch Clinton.
Gore can't decide, Obama hitting stride!w/poll
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/18/11120/328
by Drewid
Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 10:11:20 PM PDT
It is no secret many of us are holding our hopes out that Al Gore will
decide to run for president, myself included. But as I just got done
watching Barack Obama on The Tonight Show, and he killed, my decision
has at least been partially made, so I am going down to the campaign
office here in Columbia tomorrow. But that may change should Al enter,
but I'm done with hypotheticals and wishing.
Obama making his move?
http://www.thinkyouth.net/2007/10/17/obama-making-his-move/
By Jeff Pritchard on Oct 17, 2007 at 4:53 pm in Barack Obama, Hillary
Clinton, Election 2008
On October 16th, following the announcement that Hillary Clinton had
$2.1 million more than Barack Obama, Obama placed the above graphic on
his site. The picture depicts Hillary's support from lobbyists and
Obama's grassroots support. The graphic urges supporters to "Close the
Gap" between he and Hillary. A lot of pundits see this as Obama
finally explicitly going after Hillary for her Lobbyist support. In
the past few months, political pundits and commentators have
criticized Obama for being too light on Hillary, claiming he needs to
go after her in order to overcome this gigantic lead that she has
built in the polls.
As the above picture shows, after just one day of displaying the
graphic on the homepage of his site, Obama has raised just about $1.1
million.This is an incredible number for just twenty four hours. The
Obama camp has claimed that this project has brought in the most money
in such a short amount of time since Obama announced back in February.
Obama, More Than Anyone, Must Be Wary
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/obama_more_than_anyone_mu=
st_be.html
By Peter Brown
Barack Obama has a problem, and it's not just that he trails far
behind Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race for the Democratic
presidential nomination as the campaign heads into its final months.
Of course, nothing is certain in politics. Sen. Obama of Illinois
could turn things around. But he trails by more than 20 points in
national and most state polls. Not only that, Sen. Clinton's
supporters, according to polls, are more committed to her than are
those who support other Democratic candidates.
UNDERSTANDING OBAMA:
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the_plank?pid=3D152359
The Washington Post today has a front page story making the case that
Barack Obama's message of "a new era of consensus instead of partisan
divide" is out of touch with the Democratic mood. Michelle, below,
agrees.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/show_comments.mhtml?b=3Dthe_plank&pid=3D152359
Obama best choice for women?
http://usatoday.feedroom.com/index.jsp?fr_story=3D500b730c5e9579789b270d004=
f7123223e2c7e1c&rf=3Drss
Oct. 17- Sen. Obama responds to an Iowa questioner on why he's the
best candidate.
New Barack Obama Song on Youtube and New Ring tone! Spread the word!
http://talkbarackobama08.com/boards/index.php?topic=3D554.msg956#msg956
=AB on: October 11, 2007, 01:47:26 PM =BB
New Barack Obama Song on Youtube and New Ring tone! Spread the word!
To: (Brother & Sister)
Well Check out Why we feel like Barack Obama can win in this Nation!
We have come a with a Master Plan for him to win (New Obama Song)! I'm
an R&B singer who is doing some really big things here in Montgomery
Alabama! I have a sister that is a rapper and we have put together a
song and a Video for him called "Representin' Obama". You can go to
see it at the link below! We are going to send it everywhere so that
we can get the Young people to Vote! And whats the Best way the rear
the young people in to do something? Through Music, and that is what
we are about to do! and it never fails!!!
Thanks and keep sending me emails!
God Bless!
(Click on the link below to view the Video on youtube)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3DpzRdhqLUT0A
Barack Obama and Asian Americans
http://www.reappropriate.com/?p=3D838
Okay, so I've been extremely busy with the Obama '08 campaign, which
has eaten up virtually all of my non-working time. However, I had to
comment on a memo released earlier last week, detailing Barack Obama's
newest website... on AsianAvenue.com!
10/17: Will '08 Actually Be Competitive?
http://blogometer.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/10/1017_will_08_ac.html
Commenting on Niki Tsongas' (D) 51% - 45% win over ret. USAF Lt. Col.
Jim Ogonowski (R), a Talking Points Memo reader explains: "Among
progressives there was a lot of resentment that 1) Tsongas beat out a
great progressive candidate in the primary and that she 2) was
essentially crowned by the local Democratic machine, without having
done anything whatsoever to deserve it. Thus a lot of progressive
folks stayed home. I almost did, but thought better of it, held my
nose and then voted for her."
The meek shall inherit the earth from their friends, the scum
http://www.needlenose.com/node/view/4376
By Swopa
Oct 17 2007 - 9:37am
You've read about it here three weeks ago (and, to fair, probably
other places as well), and now it's on the front page of the
Washington Post:
Does Obama's Message Match the Moment?
A hush fell over the crowd as Sen. Barack Obama crossed the field, his
white shirt glowing in the sun, waves of cornstalks rustling behind
him. Once inside the open barn on the county fairgrounds here, he
offered a message as uplifting as the backdrop, promising a new era of
consensus instead of partisan divide.
Commas for Obama - "We Pause for Thought"
http://blackwomenforobama.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/commas-for-obama-we-paus=
e-for-thought-2/
Thursday, October 18th, 2007 in Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Did You
Know?, Hillary Clinton, Humor, Issues, Jesse Jackson, Oprah Winfrey,
Politics, The Campaign Trail by bfwo
If you've read any of the past "Commas for Obama" posts, you know that
the goal here is to seek out opportunities for dialog for the
political edification and reading pleasure of BWFO readers.
Awkward discussions of race and Obama
http://www.election.pro/blogs/2007/10/18/awkward-discussions-of-race-and-ob=
ama-34/
(updated below - updated again)
The luminous roundtable on Meet the Press yesterday had what appears
from the transcript to be a rather awkward discussion of the role of
race in Barack Obama's candidacy, with Howard Kurtz raising a question
with which people like Mickey Kaus and Glenn Reynolds seem strangely
obsessed: "Is [Obama] black enough to get support in the African-
American community?" In the middle of that discussion, the Politico's
Roger Simon said this:
If America actually nominates him and then votes for him for president
and elects him, this will be a sign that we are a good and decent
country that has healed its racial wounds. Now, Jesse Jackson had a
same subtext, but Barack Obama is a much different politician than
Jesse Jackson-much less threatening, much more appealing, and he
actually has the ability to carry this off.
Obama Hires A Rapid Responder
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/10/obama_hires_a_rapid_re=
sponder.php
18 Oct 2007 01:43 pm
"Much needed" and "long-awaited," Barack Obama's presidential campaign
has hired veteran Democratic strategist John Del Cecato to handle a
newly created rapid response portfolio.
A memo sent to campaign staff this morning by senior aide Dan Pfeiffer
says that Del Cecato will work with press secretary Bill Burton and
research director Devorah Adler to "help push back on attacks from the
media and our friends in rival campaigns."
Whom The Troops Support
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/10/whom-the-troop=
s=2Ehtml
18 Oct 2007 03:19 pm
Just one indicator, of course: campaign donations from active service
military members. And guess who's first? Ron Paul. Second? Barack
Obama. Those tasked to actually fighting this war get it, don't they?
Gore for Obama?
http://cinderellaferret.blogspot.com/2007/10/gore-for-obama.html
On the October 14,2007 edition of the Chris Matthews Show, New York
magazine feature writer John Heileman made this claim:
Mr. HEILEMANN: A guy I spent a lot of time with last year, Al Gore,
before his movie came out and right on the cusp of it, just won the
Nobel Prize. And there's going to be a lot of people who are going to
want to get him into this race. There always have been. It is not
going to happen. It is not going to happen. And he is going to endorse
Barack Obama.
Barack in a Box
http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/36536/
His advisers are at pains not to let Obama peak too soon. But if he
doesn't let loose, he loses.
By John Heilemann
The season now ending may not have been the summer of Barack Obama's
discontent, but no one-least of all the candidate himself-is likely to
remember it as his summer of love, either. At the end of June, Obama
was bathed in a chorus of hosannas over his fund-raising prowess, his
grassroots appeal, his message of reform. Two months later, he is
engulfed in a blaring cacophony of criticism over...well, pretty much
everything. His alleged foreign-policy gaffes. His supposedly
conciliatory comments about the role of lobbyists. And, of course, his
purported insufficiency of experience to hold the highest office in
the land. When ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked at the recent
Democratic debate in Iowa whether Obama is "ready" only one of his
fellow White House wannabes rose to defend him: Mike Gravel. (Gee,
thanks.)
As Hillary Clinton would tell you, being pounded like a pi=F1ata can be
a signifier of stature. But it can also be an indication that the
sharks smell blood in the water-and this is the case with Obama. After
a white-hot start seven months ago, the campaign of the junior
Illinois senator seems palpably to have stalled. Indeed, in Democratic
circles, the meme is spreading that he may turn out to be the Bill
Bradley of 2008: a cerebral, somewhat standoffish candidate with an
appeal to upscale, liberal voters (and the capacity to get them to
open their checkbooks) whose star burned brightly for a while but then
dimmed. Thus are Obama's rivals, in anticipation of his fall, jostling
to position themselves as the next-most-plausible alternative to
Clinton.
Does Clinton's Guru Know All?
http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/37653/
Mark Penn has helped Hillary build a commanding lead in national polls-
but she may have an Achilles' heel.
By John Heilemann
Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, knows as well as anyone
that a lot could change before the first votes are cast in the 2008
election-yet still he can't resist a bit of gloating about the current
standing of his client. "We've come a long way in the past six
months," he tells me one afternoon in his office in Washington.
"People looked at her and said she was starting at the top; there was
nowhere to go but down. And it's just turned out to be false."
A pollster by vocation, Penn is addicted to numbers-and he has plenty
at hand to buttress his optimism about Clinton. "She started out seven
or eight points behind McCain," he notes. "Now, McCain has collapsed
and she's a good six points ahead of Giuliani." As for the Democratic
nomination, Clinton holds a lead of roughly twenty points over Barack
Obama and is running ahead of both Obama and John Edwards (slightly)
in Iowa and (vastly) in New Hampshire. "Let's just say," Penn
concludes with a low chuckle, "I had a much more enjoyable Labor Day
weekend than anybody ever expected."
Fighting Rove's Last War
http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/36114/
Yes, he was a great tactician. But for Democrats, his tactics are a
trap.
By John Heilemann
Unlike his soon-to-be-ex-boss, Karl Rove has never claimed to be "a
uniter, not a divider." But with his announcement last week that he
would depart the White House at the end of this month, Rove provoked
an outpouring of political obituaries that were striking in their
degree of essential agreement. All gave props to his tactical prowess
and ruthless brilliance. All credited him with three successive, and
increasingly improbable, Republican electoral triumphs in 2000, 2002,
and 2004. And all concluded that he had failed utterly to achieve his
ultimate goal: an enduring national political realignment in favor of
his party. Indeed, the consensus view, even among conservatives, is
that the GOP is far weaker at the end of the reign of Rove than it was
at the beginning.
The only person who seems to demur at the last portion of this verdict
is Turd Blossom himself. In a slew of exit interviews last week, Rove
argued that his tenure advanced the cause of long-term Republican
dominance and that history would judge George W. Bush kindly,
particularly on Iraq. Much of what he had to say, of course, was
either pure fantasy or self-justifying ***** or a toxic combination
of the two. But Rove also made three points, I think, of great
relevance to the election that lies ahead-points that the Democrats
currently celebrating his exit would do well to take seriously.
The Chicago Cipher
http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/25641/
What do people see when they look at Barack Obama? Whatever they want
to see. But what happens when he has to define himself?
By John Heilemann
We had been on the phone for barely five minutes-talking about another
subject entirely, as it happened-when the political consultant Mark
McKinnon started spinning an elaborate and alluring fantasy about,
what else, Barack Obama and the presidency. "There's this great
documentary out right now about Barry Goldwater," said McKinnon, who
served until recently as media guru to George W. Bush and currently
advises John McCain. "And it reveals that Goldwater and John F.
Kennedy were having conversations about how, if they were the nominees
in 1964, they were going to jump on a plane and campaign together
around the country. Which is a really interesting idea, and the sort
of thing you could see Obama and McCain doing. I mean, wouldn't that
be great?"
Now, McKinnon isn't exactly your typical professional partisan: Before
taking up with Bush in 1998, he was a lifelong Democrat. And yet in
many quarters in Washington and beyond, his reverie-not in its quirky
specifics but in its expectant, roseate spirit-is the political dream
du jour. The dream of Obama's not simply running but transforming our
politics. Indeed, transforming the country.
Obama's Aura of Unreliability
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-saunders/obamas-aura-of-unreliabi_b_6900=
5=2Ehtml
Posted October 18, 2007 | 02:01 PM (EST)
Don't get me wrong. I like Barack Obama. If the primary were held
today, he'd probably get my vote. But the honeymoon is over in
Obamaland and it can't be written off with canned responses about how
unreliable early poll numbers are.
The New Yorker Festival: Samantha Power on Obama, Bush and What to Do
in Darfur
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-ciabattari/the-new-yorker-festival-_b_68=
880.html
Posted October 17, 2007 | 05:06 PM (EST)
After thanking everyone for taking time during a summery October
afternoon to think about genocide, Samantha Power, 2003 Pulitzer and
National Book Critics Circle nonfiction awardee for her book, A
Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, professor at
Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and sometime foreign policy
adviser to Sen. Barack Obama, planted her feet in front of a see-
through podium in a jammed theater at the Ailey school and lectured
passionately, nonstop, for an hour plus.
MORE ON OBAMA:
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the_plank?pid=3D152444
Let's be clear: I share Chait's view as to what Obama is going for
with his audacious message of hope. But my overwhelming bias is that,
where presidential elections are concerned, people vote with their gut
more than their brain. And for an outraged Democratic party, Obama
just ain't pushing the right buttons.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/show_comments.mhtml?b=3Dthe_plank&pid=3D152444
All the candidates' books
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2007/10/18/candidate_books/
The 2008 presidential contenders have written way too many books. A
readers guide to 18 of them, the Good, the Bad and the Cosmic.
By Salon staff
"The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" and
"Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" by Barack
Obama
I read both of Barack Obama's books thinking: Would I be reading this
if the author weren't running for president? The answer is no for
"Audacity," yes for "Dreams." As the title suggests, most of "Dreams"
is of course about his father, a Kenyan goat-herder who scrounged a
scholarship to the University of Hawaii, met and married Obama's
mother, and then took his education back to his family in Africa.
The story of Obama's trip to Kenya to learn about his late father is
fascinating and the heart of the book. But what was most interesting
to me was his unglamorous stint as a community organizer in the poor,
mostly black neighborhoods of Chicago. He draws a sympathetic but not
always flattering picture of the array of black activists he got to
know in that web. Through it all Obama is smart and never mean, as
critical of himself as anyone else.
Obama: Clinton's 'mission accomplished' premature
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/obama_clintons_m=
ission_accompl.html
by Andrew Malcolm
Well, the newer, tougher-talking Barack Obama came out smooth and
friendly last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. No campaign
attacks, no flagrant charges to jar sleepy Americans preparing for
bed.
Chatting with the jut-jawed Leno has become a presidential campaign
requirement. He's already had John McCain on and Bill Richardson and
Elizabeth and John Edwards and Fred Thompson (twice, but then he's
from an NBC show, Law & Order).
Obama chats about cousin Cheney with Leno
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama_weboct18,1,6280319=
..story
By John McCormick | Tribune staff reporter
11:02 PM CDT, October 17, 2007
A taped appearance aired Wednesday evening on NBC featuring Sen.
Barack Obama on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, and the Illinois
Democrat and presidential candidate clearly was ready for a question
he knew he would be asked.
Leno: "I have to ask you about your family. ***** Cheney, you and he
are eighth cousins."
Battle amid the corn
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3D9988652
Oct 18th 2007 | DES MOINES AND GREENFIELD
From The Economist print edition
The Democrats are slugging it out with not much more than two months
to go before the first presidential votes are cast
GREENFIELD, Iowa, is the sort of small, Midwestern town where the
local coffee shop closes at two in the afternoon. But on October 16th
the Brick Coffee House kept its doors open well past five to serve the
small throng of reporters waiting for John Edwards to arrive. "You are
the guardians of what kind of president we're going to have", the
former vice-presidential nominee told a motley crowd in Greenfield's
meeting hall, including a corn farmer in railroad engineer overalls.
"You're first. You are in a different place." This is not idle
pandering. Mr Edwards has staked his new candidacy on winning in Iowa
in January, when the state's Democrats will pick candidates at local
caucus meetings, and he is not the only one.
Ever since Jimmy Carter's 1976 victory in Iowa energised his campaign,
winning the first state in the nominating cycle has obsessed
presidential hopefuls. It was crucial for John Kerry in 2004, who
defeated the front-runner, Howard Dean, there. This time around,
Democrats John Edwards and Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are
betting big on the state. Iowa is "the whole shebang", David Plouffe,
Mr Obama's campaign manager, told the New Republic last month.
Is Clinton's Campaign Overconfident?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/18/politics/washingtonpost/main33819=
46.shtml
washingtonpost.com: Strategist Says Nothing Is Being Taken For
Granted, But Campaign Exudes Optimism
Oct. 18, 2007
(Washingtonpost.com) This story was written by Dan Balz in
washingtonpost.com's blog The Trail.
Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, sat down with a large
group of reporters Thursday morning for a status report on the
presidential campaign. "We are taking absolutely nothing for granted,"
he said soberly. Everything else Penn said during the hour-long
session pointed to a campaign that feels increasingly confident of its
position.
Penn's appearance at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast came
about 12 hours after Barack Obama joined Jay Leno in Burbank for the
Tonight Show. Asked by his host about how the campaign was going,
Obama invoked one of the more embarrassing moments of the Bush
presidency to tweak the Democratic frontrunner.
Edwards Takes on Clinton's Character
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/18/edwards_takes_on_clinto=
ns_char.html
Are the gloves finally coming off?
Former Sen. John Edwards has stepped up his criticism of Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton this week, aiming it about her character and
truthfulness as well as her substantive policies. This represents a
marked change for Edwards, who, even though he has been the attack dog
among the top-tier candidates, has gone after her mainly on the
question of electability (as he is doing again this week, on a four-
day electability tour).
Deval Patrick to Back Obama
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/17/deval_patrick_to_back_o=
bama.html
Governor Deval Patrick, a former Clinton administration official and
only the second African-American governor in modern history, is
planning to endorse Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential
campaign, aides to both lawmakers said late Thursday.
Obama pushes health plan
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1007/6431.html
By: Christopher Patton - The Daily Iowan
Oct 18, 2007 12:49 PM EST
AMANA, Iowa - Surrounded by cornstalks and pumpkins in the cold,
drafty Festhalle Barn in Amana, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) pledged
that as president he would unite the country and move it forward.
"People don't want to just be against something, but to be for
something," he said. "They want to get a sense that we can still come
together as a nation."
Obama wins Missouri/Kansas SEIU endorsements
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/by_john_mccormic=
k_when_it.html
by John McCormick
When it comes to endorsements outside of Iowa from the powerful
Service Employees Internation Union, Sen. Barack Obama's presidential
campaign started in the east with endorsements from the Illinois and
Indiana councils.
Now, it has covered Iowa's southern flank, with the backing of the
Missouri / Kansas State Council of the SEIU, his campaign announced
this afternoon.
Is There An Echo in Here?
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/is-there-an-echo-in-here/
By Leslie Wayne
The John Edwards campaign likes to say that it is the first to bring
up bold policy ideas, only to be followed by the other Democratic
candidates.
But when it comes to Democratic rhetoric, sometimes it is the other
way around.
Obama Camp Ramps Up Its War Room
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/obama-campaign-staffs-a-war-r=
oom/
The Democratic candidate hires a key strategist for what the campaign
calls a "rapid-response effort" in the heady final stretches of the
primary cycle.
10/18: He Likes Him, But He Doesn't Like Like Him
http://blogometer.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/10/1018_he_likes_h.html
With all due respect to Beltway Blogroll, and DailyKos' founder Markos
Moulitsas, we just don't agree with Blogroll that, "A presidential
endorsement from Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of Daily Kos could change the
dynamics of the Democratic race." First of all, as kos points out in
this Talking Points Memo interview, he's already pretty much announced
his support for Barack Obama (Hillary Clinton is way too 'insider' for
kos, John Edwards decision to accept matching funds makes him less
competitive in kos' eyes, and while kos likes Chris Dodd's rhetoric,
kos just doesn't think Dodd has a chance at the nomination). Also,
Daily Kos is nothing like the SEIU. There are no internal blogger
rules that forbid some readers members from supporting a candidate
after their favorite blogger announces support from someone else. This
is a pretty non-comformist bunch.
Obama On Cousin Cheney: "I Don't Want To Be Invited To The Family
Hunting Party"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/18/obama-on-cousin-cheney-_n_69020.ht=
ml
| October 18, 2007 03:30 PM
Barack Obama was fully loaded with ***** Cheney jokes before his
Tonight Show appearance on Wednesday -- "We're not kissing cousins,"
"I don't want to be invited to the family hunting party," and so on.
But the presidential hopeful was stopped in his tracks when Jay Leno
made a crack about the two potential first spouses, Michelle Obama and
former President Clinton. "You'd leave your wife alone with Bill
Clinton, would you?" Leno asked. After pausing several seconds to
laugh and presumably weigh his response: "Michelle can handle
herself," he responded. "She don't play."
Obama's Appeal
http://www.trueblueliberal.com/2007/10/18/obamas-appeal/
Thursday, October 18th, 2007 by RLR
From The Progressive
By Matthew Rothschild
I saw Barack Obama speak in Madison, Wisconsin, on October 15 to a
paying crowd of about 2,500. And the amazing thing is that about 1,500
of the people there were students, who forked over $15 just to get in.
Unlike any other candidate in the race, Obama electrifies young
people, and his audiences are diverse.
Obama Appearing Next on MTV & MySpace Presidential Dialogue
http://mashable.com/2007/10/18/obama-mtv-myspace-dialogues/#comment-964237
October 18, 2007 - 09:34 AM PDT - by Kristen Nicole - Share This
Obama will be featured on the next installment of MySpace and MTV's
presidential dialogue series, Monday, October 29 at 10:30 am PDT. This
one will be held at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The fun part of this all is the fact that viewers get to interact with
the live dialogue by submitting questions in real time using MySpace's
instant messaging tools, and MTV's Think social network. John Edwards
debuted the new program last month. Voting on Obama's responses on
various topics is powered by Flektor.
Obama to Throw Star-Powered Gospel Music Concerts
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071018/29747_Obama_to_Throw_Star-Pow=
ered_Gospel_Music_Concerts.htm
By Jennifer Riley
Christian Post Reporter
Thu, Oct. 18 2007 11:06 AM ET
Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is pulling all the
strings in his effort to appeal to religious voters, uniting top
Gospel artists later this month for a weekend concert series on his
campaign trail.
Obama is hosting "Embrace the Change! Gospel Series," which will bring
some of gospel music's top stars to the same stage in three South
Carolina cities - Charleston, Greenwood and Columbia - Oct. 26-28 .
Not Your Gramma's Debate: Obama
http://trailblazers.beloblog.com/archives/2007/10/not_your_grammas_debate_o=
bama_1.html
Ok, speaking of people-powered presidential debates, ya'll remember
the John Edwards MySpace-MTV deal a few weeks ago? He was at the
University of New Hampshire and took questions from MySpace IM'ers as
well as students in the audience.
As he answered, online viewers voted on whether they liked his answers
or not. Most everyone did, as, at the end of the hour, he wound up
with a 94 percent approval rate.
Hillary And Obama Battling Over Whether She'll Get Women's Vote
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/hillary_and_obama_battling_over_wheth=
er_shell_get_womens_vote.php
By Greg Sargent - October 18, 2007, 5:31PM
The Hillary and Obama campaigns are going at it again today -- this
time over the question of whether Hillary has a shot at cutting into
the Republican women's vote.
Sweet blog special: Obama fund-raising. California best state.
Chicago's 60614 best zip code.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/10/sweet_blog_special_obama_fundr.html
CHICAGO--White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has another
fund-raiser in the Los Angeles are this week; California continues to
be his most fertile ground to dig up campaign dollars. Goldman Sachs
remains one of the top employers of Obama givers.
But his friends and supporters Chicago lead in metro area giving. Most
specifially, Obama's best zip code is 60614. That near downtown
zipcode also scoops in people who list their office address on
official records instead of their residence.
How Can Obama Take Down Hillary
http://influencepeddler.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-can-obama-take-down-hillar=
y=2Ehtml
Jim Geraghty and Quin Hillyer debate what Obama can do to cut into
Hillary's poll lead. This is my proposal:
I've thought for a while that Hillary is VERY vulnerable in a general
election. The mood is for change and she's been in DC for 35 years
(her claim). Plus, I would hammer the 28 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush-
Clinton in the White House. Add to that her failure to excite the
base, her tone-deafness on health care reform, fundraising scandals,
and other issues. Then toss in the attacks that Republicans will bring
on (Bill) Clinton's inattention to AQ, and the personal peccadilloes
-- including Hillary's involvement in Whitewater, the White House
travel office, all of that. I think she can be beaten badly.
Obama and Endorsements
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/18/14611/444
by icebergslim
Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 01:00:54 PM PDT
Well, those who "know me", know that I think endorsements are, well,
not much. But, now as the campaign is heating up, I am looking at
endorsements, as "strategy".
Obama picked up the endorsement from Govenor Deval Patrick, yesterday.
I thought it was a good endorsement, because Massachusetts borders on
New Hampshire, but more was given to me, to look at this differently.
Obama on Leno: Michelle can take on Bill Clinton
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/18/obama-on-leno-michelle-can-=
take-on-bill-clinton/
WASHINGTON (CNN) - His chief rival for the Democratic nomination has a
famous husband, but White House hopeful Barack Obama said Wednesday
night his wife Michelle could go head-to-head with former President
Bill Clinton.
"My wife, is no slouch, you see - if there's a debate between Michelle
and Bill, you know, I'm putting my money on my girl," he said on the
Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Obama's rapid response
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1007/Obamas_rapid_response.html
Marc Ambinder has the scoop that Obama's campaign, which has been
casting about for a month or two for somebody to fill a "rapid
response" portfolio, has picked a partner of David Axelrod's for the
job.
NEWS: Barack Obama To Participate In MySpace/MTV Dialogue On October
29
http://think.mtv.com/044FDFFFF0098989A00160098A810/
Oct 18, 2007 11:02 AM
Gideon Yago, Sway Calloway and WashingtonPost.com's Chris Cillizza
will moderate second forum, taking place at Coe College in Iowa.
from MTVNews
By Gil Kaufman
Illinois Senator Barack Obama will be the next presidential candidate
to participate in a MySpace/MTV dialogue when he takes the stage on
October 29 at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Following on the
heels of the first forum with candidate John Edwards on September 27,
Obama will answer questions from the live audience and watch as his
responses are rated in real time by users weighing in over the
Internet.
Obama on The Tonight Show
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=3Den-us&fg=3Drss&vid=3D3b818ba4-9830-4dea-bbff-2b=
326bb4e117&from=3D34
Oct. 18: NBC's Deputy Political Director Mark Murray discusses Obama's
appearance on The Tonight Show and why he shouldn't be discouraged by
Clinton's lead in the polls.
The Death of the "Well at least Obama is tied in Iowa!" meme
http://democratsagainsthillary.blogspot.com/2007/10/death-of-well-at-least-=
obama-is-tied-in.html
The last 3 Iowa polls have Clinton up beyond the margin of error:
Obama: Hillary Clinton Shares Blame For Failed Health Care Reform
http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/10641212.html
Posted: 10:14 AM Oct 18, 2007
Last Updated: 4:27 PM Oct 18, 2007
Senator Barrack Obama stepped up his criticism of rival Democratic
presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton during a speech in reno today.
Obama says the Clinton administration's attempt to reform health care
in 1993 failed partly because the then-first worked only with "her own
people" and shut out other potential allies.
Facebook co-founder: Obama a 'regular guy'
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=3D177186
Campaign aims to reach younger voters
By EMILY KLEIN TH staff writer
Dressed in a blue button-down shirt, dark dress pants and black
sneakers, 23-year-old Chris Hughes might not have looked like a
typical campaign representative Wednesday when he walked into the
auditorium at the University of Dubuque, but he certainly knew how to
relate to his audience.
The co-founder of the wildly popular online social site Facebook spoke
to the crowd of more than 120 people about the power and
responsibility of social networks while also encouraging the group to
support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
A November Boost for Barack Obama
http://www.r8ny.com/blog/rock_hackshaw/a_november_boost_for_barack_obama.ht=
ml
posted by Rock Hackshaw
Thu, 10/18/2007 - 12:30pm
Many black political activists, some black nationalists and even a
sprinkling of black moderates, will celebrate Black Solidarity Day on
November 5th, 2007; and in keeping with the theme, a large group of
blacks intend to endorse Barack Obama for president on that day.
Included in that group is NYC councilmember Charles Barron and his
wife (and fellow-activist) Inez Barron. The fiery council member from
East New York, Brooklyn, intends to put together a group of
progressives of all races, nationalities and ethnicities, behind this
endorsement effort. He also intends to line up many anti-Iraq-War
activists, some veterans, many church and community leaders, and
hopefully also a few elected officials of all races, nationalities and
ethnicities.
Barack Obama interviewed by a blogger
http://nyenevada.blogspot.com/2007/10/barack-obama-interviewed-by-blogger.h=
tml
What you are about to read is a blogger's interview of Senator Barack
Obama in Iowa. The blogger's name is Beverly Davis. Her blog is one of
a growing network of bloggers which are getting their blog posts onto
Huffington Post via a program called Off the Bus. Off the Bus is
comprised of bloggers, just like me, not professional columnists or
journalists. Huffington Post is interested in getting the viewpoints
of ordinary people, just like you and me.
I'm pleased to inform you that last week I had a phone conversation
with Amanda Michel, Project Director of Off the Bus in New York City.
I was being invited to become one of the bloggers in the Off the Bus
program. I deferred signing up because of my own time committments but
I assure you I was flattered in being asked. To me it was akin to
being recruited to write for the New York Times or Washington Post,
the big leagues. I may do it yet dependent upon my own time problems.
Obama vs Clinton - How are they different?
http://www.positivelybarack.com/2007/10/18/obama-vs-clinton-how-are-they-di=
fferent/
Filed Under General
Let's take a look at the people working on their campaigns. Charlie
Rose recently interviewed Samantha Power and Mark Penn.
Her vision or his?
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-brownstein19oct19,1,=
1419221.column?coll=3Dla-news-comment
October 19, 2007
Proposal by proposal, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are
constructing policy agendas that present their party with mirror-image
choices.
On domestic policy, Obama has shown a much greater willingness than
Clinton to challenge liberal orthodoxy and the powerful Democratic
interest groups that defend it. On national security, though, Clinton
has pushed against the party's left-of-center consensus while Obama
has embraced it. One candidate offers conformity at home and apostasy
abroad; the other, the opposite.
Democrats refining strategies as primaries near
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/19/democrats_refining_st=
rategies_as_primaries_near/
Must decide where to spend time, money
By Scott Helman, Globe Staff | October 19, 2007
Senator Hillary Clinton of New York is working to show her warmer
side, blunt ever-sharper attacks from rivals, and avoid alienating
liberal primary voters. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois is trying to
demonstrate he is sufficiently experienced and knock Clinton off her
pedestal without sullying his image. Former North Carolina senator
John Edwards is concentrating on Iowa and seeking to capitalize on
Obama's unmoving poll numbers.
The Power of 'Madam President'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/18/AR200710180=
1702.html
By Eugene Robinson
Friday, October 19, 2007; Page A21
A friend of mine in New York -- a high-powered professional woman --
told me the other day that she thought the country had moved beyond
the point where women should want to vote for Hillary Clinton just
because she would be the first woman president. "Just vote for the
best person," she said, with what sounds like impeccable logic.
But Clinton, according to all the polls, is winning overwhelming
support from female voters. And the reason, I think, is that there's a
flaw in my friend's logic: Except in some sort of arcane higher-
dimensional geometry comprehensible only to mathematicians, you can't
get beyond a point that you've never actually reached.
Can Obama Criticize and Unite?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/10/16/alec_am_item.html?hpid=
=3Dtopnews
As David Axelrod, Barack Obama's chief strategist, was musing aloud
recently in response to a reporter's query, he found himself
articulating what may be one of the key questions of the Democratic
primary. "One hundred percent of Democrats," he said, want to get a
Democrat back in the White House. "But the question is whether that's
enough -- whether any Democrat will do...Or whether we have to do
something more."
Obama speaks to Nevada issues in one-on-one interview
http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3D7234944&nav=3D8faO
Oct 19, 2007 04:44 AM
Illinois Senator Barack Obama made a campaign stop in Reno on
Thursday. Obama took questions from a crowd of 2,000 supporters at the
Grand Sierra Resort.
Obama's plans to pull troops out of Iraq and his criticism of the Bush
administration brought the crowd to its feet.
Obama: Hillary Clinton shares blame for failed health care reform
http://www.kren.com/Global/story.asp?S=3D7234719&nav=3Dmenu616_2_4
Associated Press - October 18, 2007 8:45 PM ET
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Senator Barrack Obama stepped up his criticism of
rival Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton during a speech
in reno today.
Obama told about 2,000 people at the Grand Seirra Resort theater that
the Clinton administration's attempt to reform health care in 1993
failed partly because the then-First Lady worked only with "her own
people" and shut out other potential allies.
Obama's Grassroots Efforts Showing Up Even At Emory
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=3D24454
By Steve Golden Posted: 10/18/2007
To the editor:
As the 2008 election season heats up, students, like other voters
across the country, are carefully weighing their presidential options.
Much like the rest of America, we are concerned about the issues that
dominate the national debate, including Iraq and healthcare. We are
also looking for a candidate who speaks to our particular concerns,
who can talk with equal passion and insight about war and health care
as they can about student loans and genocide. And most importantly,
students are looking for a candidate who can talk about tomorrow as
well as today.
Obama made impressive choices
http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20071019/OPINION/71019=
0331/1029/OPINION03
Edwin Allard, Laconia
For the Monitor
October 19. 2007 12:56AM
Among many things that impress me about Barack Obama is the record of
his personal and public choices.
After his father left his family, Barack Obama could have edited him
out of his life. Instead, he went to Africa on a voyage of discovery,
learning about himself and about the world.
Illinois Senator No Lightweight When It Comes to Policy
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=3D24453
By Neal Addison Posted: 10/18/2007
To the editor:
Reading the Sept. 27 editorial in The Emory Wheel, "Obama Thin on
Policy, Big on Talk," I couldn't help but feel confused. Put simply, I
don't understand how Senator Obama's campaign could be seen as at all
lacking.
Senator Clinton has been receiving a huge amount of well-deserved
media coverage for her recently unveiled health care proposal. Keep in
mind, however, that Obama unveiled his own equally if not more
expansive program in May - four months before Clinton. Not only does
he have a complete plan - he beat her to the punch.
FITSNews Exclusive - Clinton's Claflin Crackdown October 18, 2007
http://fitsnews.com/2007/10/18/fitsnews-exclusive-clintons-claflin-crackdow=
n/
Posted by fitsnews in 2008 Presidential Primaries.
WOULD-BE "STUDENTS FOR BARACK OBAMA" TOLD ATTENDING HILLARY PRESS
CONFERENCE WAS "PART OF CLASS"
FITSNews - October 18, 2007 - Students at Claflin University, a
historically black college in Orangeburg, S.C., are accusing the
school's administration of prohibiting them from forming a "Students
for Barack Obama" chapter, yet simultaneously compelling them to
attend a press conference supporting his chief rival for the
Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton.
In fact, several students who serve as volunteers on Obama's
presidential campaign tell FITSNews that they were coerced into
holding Clinton signs and standing behind State Sen. John Matthews,
who unveiled Clinton's higher education plan at a press conference
held at the school last week.
Obama Touts Foreign Policy Record
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071019/obama/
KATHLEEN HENNESSEY | October 19, 2007 01:44 AM EST | AP
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Presidential hopeful Barack Obama said
Thursday his foreign policy record leaves him immune to Republican
attacks likely to be lodged in a general election campaign.
"My Republican opponent won't be able to say that we both supported
the war in Iraq, because I didn't," Obama told a crowd packed into a
high school gym.
Obama Comes Out Against Telecom Immunity Bill
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/obama_comes_out_against_telecom_immun=
ity_deal.php
By Greg Sargent - October 18, 2007, 7:18PM
Barack Obama's campaign has just sent us a statement condemning the
Senate FISA bill granting retroactive immunity to the telecoms:
"I have consistently opposed this Administration's efforts to use
debates about our national security to expand its own power, whether
that was on the Iraq war, or on its power grab to curb our civil
liberties through domestic surveillance programs. It is time to
restore oversight and accountability in the FISA program, and this
proposal -- with an unprecedented grant of retroactive immunity -- is
not the place to start."
Hillary And Obama Battling Over Whether She'll Get Women's Vote
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/hillary_and_obama_battling_over_wheth=
er_shell_get_womens_vote.php
By Greg Sargent - October 18, 2007, 5:31PM
The Hillary and Obama campaigns are going at it again today -- this
time over the question of whether Hillary has a shot at cutting into
the Republican women's vote.
CQ: Surveillance Bill Will Go to Senate Floor Next Month
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004502.php
By Spencer Ackerman - October 18, 2007, 5:01PM
Tim Starks of Congressional Quarterly reports that Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) plans to bring the Senate's surveillance bill
up for floor debate in mid-November. That's despite the hold that Sen.
Chris Dodd (D-CT) plans to place on the measure -- something first
reported by Election Central's Greg Sargent.
The Senate intelligence committee is still marking up the bill behind
closed doors, according to staffers. A joint statement from committee
leaders Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Kit Bond (R-MO) will follow when
the mark-up concludes, but that may not occur today.
Obama On Cousin Cheney: "I Don't Want To Be Invited To The Family
Hunting Party"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/18/obama-on-cousin-cheney-_n_69020.ht=
ml
| October 18, 2007 03:30 PM
Barack Obama was fully loaded with ***** Cheney jokes before his
Tonight Show appearance on Wednesday -- "We're not kissing cousins,"
"I don't want to be invited to the family hunting party," and so on.
But the presidential hopeful was stopped in his tracks when Jay Leno
made a crack about the two potential first spouses, Michelle Obama and
former President Clinton. "You'd leave your wife alone with Bill
Clinton, would you?" Leno asked. After pausing several seconds to
laugh and presumably weigh his response: "Michelle can handle
herself," he responded. "She don't play."
From the Obama Grassroots: Door-to-Door, Easier Said Than Done
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mayhill-fowler/from-the-obama-grassroots_b_68=
700.html
Posted October 16, 2007 | 04:34 PM (EST)
The following piece was produced by the Huffington Post's OffTheBus.
"Good luck, my minions! Go forth! Conquer!" And so Robert Schoumacher
marshals his troops for the Obama Canvass for Change. Easy for
Schoumacher to say. He sits in the Saturday shade at an Audubon Park
picnic table, issuing orders, while we, his foot soldiers, slog the
surrounding neighborhood, the day growing hotter, the homes farther
apart, the inhabitants crankier, human and canine alike.
OffTheBus Interview With Barack Obama
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-davis/inside-baracks-entourage_b_6878=
6=2Ehtml
Posted October 17, 2007 | 09:42 AM (EST)
I've finally snagged a one-on-one interview with the political rock
star of the 2008 cycle, Barack Obama, who while not number one in the
polls has raised mo' money and exudes more Mojo than any other
candidate on the trail and still sits in the top tier of the
Democratic presidential candidate circle.
Don't ask how I did it. All I can say is that it's been a combination
of persistence, patience, pleading (groveling? oh yeah) and a local
press pass didn't hurt, either.
Hillary's Macha Problem
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celeste-fremon/hillarys-macha-problem_b_68964=
..html
Posted October 18, 2007 | 10:24 AM (EST)
The following piece is published on the author's blog, WitnessLA, as
well as OffTheBus.
It has been clear for some time that, whenever she debates her
democratic rivals, Hillary Clinton is determined to position herself
as the toughest guy in the room. But, now that---rightly or wrongly---
she appears to believe she's headed for a lock on the Democratic
nomination, her advisors admit that she's begun campaigning beyond the
primaries to the general election. This means that, instead of merely
trying to out-macho Obama and Edwards, HRC is now focused on
demonstrating that she's a manlier man than Rudy Giuliani or Mitt
Romney. This would all be fine and dandy if it were not for the fact
that Hil's way of proving she is ultra buff---politically speaking---
has some very unfortunate downsides.
"Kid Nation" Kid Calls Bush Dumb
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/18/kid-nation-kid-calls-bu_n_69009.ht=
ml
Huffington Post | October 18, 2007 02:41 PM
On last night's "Kid Nation," the controversial CBS reality show
following 40 kids as they attempt to build an adult-free society, 11-
year old Kelsey was complaining that, although her Yellow Team
teammate Zach knew a lot about presidential history, it didn't qualify
him for the town council (he was running to unseat the incumbent
Taylor). To illustrate her point, she used the example of George Bush:
"Look at George W. Bush, he's not smart at all and he won the U.S.
President two times in a row."
Obama camp rebuts Penn's figure
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/18/418679.aspx
Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2007 4:05 PM by Mark Murray
Categories: 2008, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
From NBC's Mark Murray
The Obama campaign has just issued a memo to reporters rebutting
today's assertion by Clinton strategist Mark Penn that Hillary Clinton
could pick up 24% of Republican female voters in a general election.
Obama Has Learned From Failure of Dean Campaign in Iowa
http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=3D2279
Yesterday I looked at how John Edwards' campaign which extends to the
rural areas of Iowa leaves him with the possibility of winning in the
state. This does not mean that the other candidates are leaving the
state wide open for him. I don't think that anyone would doubt that
Clinton is organizing a full scale campaign, and Obama is also working
to avoid suffering the same fate as Howard Dean by making his campaign
more than an internet movement:
But aides said Obama's intensive ground operation also fits the
strategy of trying to leverage the enthusiasm he has generated among
his core supporters. With Obama's appeal to independents, he also
could benefit from expanding the universe of caucus and primary voters
beyond the most partisan Democrats. The campaign would especially like
to increase participation among historically low-turnout young and
minority voters, from whom Obama enjoys strong support.
Barack Obama--Insane or Smart?
http://politicalparsnip.blogspot.com/2007/10/barack-obama-insane-or-smart.h=
tml
IN SUMMARY
In a recent article on the web concerning the political talk show,
Tucker, the host stated that Barack Obama was "creepy."
What prompted Tucker Carlson to say such a thing?
Update: Troops donate more to Obama than to any other candidate,
Democratic or Republican
http://jewishatheist.blogspot.com/2007/10/update-troops-donate-more-to-obam=
a-than.html
In the previous post, I pointed out that people "affiliated with the
military" donated most to the two leading anti-war candidates, Paul
and Obama. As it turns out, when you narrow the people "affiliated
with the military" to actual "uniformed service members," Obama is the
clear winner, with $27,000! A distant second is Paul, with $19,250,
followed closely by McCain, with $18,600.
Memo to Obama: You've Made the Wrong Choice, Again
http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2007/10/memo_to_obama_youve_made_t=
he_w.html?xid=3Drss-rcp
Posted by STEVEN STARK | E-Mail This | Permalink | Email Author
A week ago, we took Barack Obama to task for going after Hillary
Clinton, instead of concentrating on laying out an alternative vision.
Apparently, his campaign can't help itself. Now, it's been reported in
several places that his new twist to turn the campaign around is to
hire an ace "rapid responder" to keep up with Hillary. Or as the New
York Times political blog headlined, "Obama Ramps Up Its War Room."
"Senator Clinton thinks in very conventional terms when it come to our
foreign policy," he said in an interview while visiting Nevada.
Obama swerves, aiming at Clinton
http://politics.lasvegassun.com/2007/10/obama-swerves-a.html
By J. Patrick Coolican, Las Vegas Sun
Published in the Sun on Oct. 19, 2007
Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign has moved in a new
direction, as evidenced by a rally on Thursday night in North Las
Vegas, where he delivered a sharp critique of Sen. Hillary Clinton -
without mentioning her by name.
Nevada Democrats, who on Jan. 19 will hold their presidential caucus,
have now seen the campaign of the first-term senator from Illinois
move through several stages.
Obama Touts Foreign Policy Record
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5isOFwdbq0tsqatW6vJpkDRTI1gMgD8SC49A80
By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY - 5 hours ago
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) - Presidential hopeful Barack Obama said
Thursday his foreign policy record leaves him immune to Republican
attacks likely to be lodged in a general election campaign.
"My Republican opponent won't be able to say that we both supported
the war in Iraq, because I didn't," Obama told a crowd packed into a
high school gym.
Obama blasts those who voted to authorize war
ANJEANETTE DAMON
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 10/19/2007
STORY CHAT(read or post comments)
Before a raucous crowd in a Reno casino amphitheater Thursday, U.S.
Sen. Barack Obama lambasted the judgment of Democrats who authorized
the Iraq war and sought to remind voters of his early opposition to
it.
Obama criticized the Bush administration for leading the country into
the "worst foreign policy disaster in a generation."
But he said a focus on the Republican missteps in executing the war
ignores the culpability of Democrats in Congress who voted to
authorize it.
"The American people were failed by a president who led us to war and
didn't tell us the whole truth," he said. "But the American people
were also failed by the majority of Congress, who voted to give the
president opened-ended authority to wage war that he uses to this day.
VISIT TO CHEYENNE HIGH SCHOOL: Obama points to new way
Clinton's views on foreign policy 'conventional'
http://www.lvrj.com/news/10666251.html
By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday criticized
rival Hillary Clinton for actions that he said contributed to an
apparent drumbeat for military confrontation with Iran.
"Senator Clinton thinks in very conventional terms when it come to our
foreign policy," he said in an interview while visiting Nevada.
This week's other anniversary
http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/las_vegas_gleaner/2007/10/this-weeks-othe.ht=
ml
Much to our surprise, the Harry Reid Media War Room and Democratic
Message Development Center did not put any words into Harry's mouth
Thursday in the form of a statement commemorating the fifth
anniversary of Congress cynically and shamefully giving the president
a blank check to invade Iraq and start the biggest fiasco in this
nation's history.
Obama steps up campaign against Lord Voldemort
http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/las_vegas_gleaner/2007/10/obama-steps-up-.ht=
ml
Just the other day, some area nimrod - the Gleaner, specifically - was
complaining that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, the
Republicans will hang her 2002 Iraq war vote around her neck, and "her
capacity to use the mind-numbing idiocy of the Iraq fiasco as an issue
in the general election will be severely compromised if not outright
neutralized."
So not surprisingly, we think that during his drop into Nevada
Thursday, this was Barack Obama's best stuff:
"When I'm the nominee of our party, the choice will be clear...My
Republican opponent won't be able to say that we both supported the
war in Iraq, because I didn't."
Support from the troops: The difference between Obama and Clinton
http://www.ablogistan.com/archives/2007/10/support_from_th.html
I think this bit of news epitomizes the differences between Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama as candidates: Both receive donations and
support from the "military-industrial complex," but Obama's tends to
come from the military side, whereas Hillary's comes from the defense
industry.
Specifically, Obama is getting support from the troops. Among
Democrats, he leads all candidates in donations received from donors
affiliated with the military. His $63,440 is topped only by Republican
candidate Ron Paul. The fact that two long-time vocal critics of the
war in Iraq are receiving donations from the military says something
about what "Support the troops" means to the troops themselves.
Obama Calls on DoJ to Fire Voting Rights Chief After Video-Taped
'Minorities Die First' Comment
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=3Dview_all&addr=
ess=3D102x3035275
Obama Calls on DoJ to Fire Voting Rights Chief After Video-Taped
'Minorities Die First' Comment
Letter to Acting Attorney General Says John Tanner's Recent Remarks
Are 'Patently Erroneous, Offensive, and Dangerous'
Comments, Video Taped and First Reported by BRAD BLOG, Have Been Given
to Judiciary Committee, Continue to Reverberate....
After recently stepping up, along with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), to
block the nomination to the FEC of insidious GOP "voter fraud" zealot
Hans Von Spakovsky, Illinois' Democratic Senator and Presidential
Candidate Barack Obama is calling for the head of the Voting Rights
Section chief of the DoJ's Civil Rights Division.
Barack Obama straddles different worlds
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/277568.html
Posted on Fri, Oct. 19, 2007
By SHARON COHEN
AP National Writer
CHICAGO -- It was a Wednesday night ritual for Barack Obama: After a
day of debating taxes, the death penalty or some other divisive issue,
he'd head to a meeting of "The Committee."
Lawmakers and lobbyists, Democrats and Republicans alike, would put
politics on hold and gather for ... their weekly poker game.
Obama on Winning the Black Vote
http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2007/10/obama_on_winning_the_black=
_vot.html?xid=3Drss-rcp
Posted by TOM BEVAN | E-Mail This | Permalink | Email Author
This clip of Obama talking about the black (via Ben Smith) is well
worth watching:
Fact-Checking Roland Martin's "Barack Obama's Black Wakeup Call"
http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/assumption-checking-rola=
nd-martins-barack-obamas-black-wakeup-call/
Are the mainstream media pundits covering our nation's politics paying
attention? I just read this new commentary by Roland Martin on CNN
called, "Barack Obama's Black Wakeup Call" that makes me wonder what
our media pundits are doing.
Will Clinton and Obama Join Dodd's Filibuster?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/19/134036/18
by MissLaura
Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 12:10:19 PM PDT
As mcjoan wrote earlier, Chris Dodd has said he will filibuster the
Senate FISA bill if it contains provisions for retroactive immunity
for telecom companies. Those provisions may yet be stripped out before
a filibuster is necessary, but they must not be allowed to go through.
It is not ok for Congress to say we live in a country in which
following George W. Bush's orders is an acceptable defense for any
illegal act any company or person commits.
Chris Dodd is leading on this issue. Where are the other Democratic
presidential candidates in the Senate? Obama and Biden have at least
both said they oppose the immunity provision. Clinton has yet to do
that.
Maybe She Wanted Obama's Signature
http://seanbraisted.blogspot.com/2007/10/maybe-she-wanted-obamas-signature.=
html
Drudge is reporting on the woman who purchased, for a cool 2.1 Million
Dollars, the letter given by Harry Reid, signed by 40 Senators, to
Rush Limbaugh denouncing his calling of troops who don't support the
war, "phony".
This Jayhawk's for Obama
http://www.american-election.com/2007/10/19/this-jayhawks-for-obama/
Bud Stallworth is a Kansas basketball legend. He once scored 50 points
in a game against rival Missouri and ranks among the all-time leading
scorers in University of Kansas hoop history. He's one of only three
Jayhwaks ever to be named an Academic All-American and a basketball
All-American. And in 2005, the University of Kansas cemented his place
in Jayhawk lore, retiring his his #15, which now hangs from the
rafters of the Allen Fieldhouse. Oh yeah, he also played for five
years in the NBA.
Obama: Fire Voting Rights Chief Now
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/19/obama-fire-voting-rights_n_69138.h=
tml
TPM Muckraker | October 19, 2007 12:38 PM
In a letter today, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) urged the acting attorney
general to fire voting rights section chief John Tanner. Citing
Tanner's remarks earlier this month that "minorities don't become
elderly the way white people do: They die first," Obama wrote that
"Through his inexcusable comments, Mr. Tanner has clearly demonstrated
that he possesses neither the character nor the judgment to be heading
the Voting Rights Section." He concluded: "For that reason, I
respectfully request that you remove him from his position."
In Light of Telecom Amnesty Bill, Some Dem. Fundraising Data
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/seanh/2007/oct/19/in_light_of_telecom_amnesty_b=
ill_some_dem_fundraising_data
By seanh | bio
Back in May, still early in the primary season, the Washington Post
published a story citing Senator Hillary Clinton as the big
fundraising winner among telecom employees. Framing that particular
article was Net Neutrality issue. According to the article, Hillary
and Obama had recently co-sponsored legislation that would have
enforced net neutrality. The author thought it strange that democrats
would be out raising Republicans with such visible and divisive issues
standing between telecos and Democrats. With all signs indicating
Democrats will be back in the White House in '08, employees of
telecommunications corporations (among others) continue to be shift
their fundraising dollars towards the presumptive victors.
Unparalleled achievement
http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20071019/OPINION/71019=
0332/1029/OPINION03
Rep. Judith Reever, Laconia
For the Monitor
October 19. 2007 12:56AM
I support Sen. Barack Obama for president. We need a leader with
experience in facing the challenges confronting ordinary Americans.
Obama has amassed an unparalleled record of achievement. He has
overcome the incredible odds he faced as a consequence of his biracial
heritage.
After earning his bachelor's degree at Columbia University, he went on
to Harvard Law School, becoming the first African-American elected
president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama committed himself to
community organizing on the South Side of Chicago, earning the respect
of his neighbors who elected him in 1996 to the Illinois Senate.
How to get primaries under control
http://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/610541,CST-EDT-HUNT19.article
October 19, 2007
STEVE HUNTLEY
Can you remember when the 2008 presidential campaign wasn't going full
blast? Me, neither. I think it got started sometime last winter
because I recall Barack Obama formally entering the race on a freezing
day in February. Of course even then the campaign was already under
way because Obama and Hillary Clinton already were unofficial
candidates.
Even someone like me who considers politics the ultimate spectator
sport has to acknowledge our presidential selection process is too,
too long. A number of reasons exist for the ever-expanding political
calendar. For example, this is the first election cycle in half a
century without a president running for re-election or a vice
president seeking the top job.
Obama Still Tops With Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/blogs/election/829/obama-still-tops-with-higher-educat=
ion
Sen. Barack Obama remains the favorite son of the higher-education
community.
The latest campaign-finance figures, released today by the Center for
Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, show
the Illinois Democrat with nearly $2.1-million in donations from
college administrators, faculty members, and other higher-education
employees.
He is the message
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1019fri1-19.html
Oct. 19, 2007 12:00 AM
Amid thunderous cheers and a rolling sea of placards bearing his name,
Barack Obama strode center stage to deliver the keynote address at the
2004 Democratic Convention in Boston.
The power and poignancy of Obama's words electrified the audience and
awakened the political world. "Tonight is a particular honor for me,"
said the senator from Illinois. "Because, let's face it, my presence
on this stage is pretty unlikely."
Obama Fights Back --- Re-affirms "the race" is on!
http://vernasmith.blogspot.com/2007/10/obama-fights-back-re-affirms-race-is=
-on.html
He preaches the politics of "Hope". But in the race to the White House
will hope save him? Eager to gain real traction on the political
playing field, the young Turk, Senator Obama, is on the attack against
Senator Hillary Clinton and for many in his camp throwing punches and
hoping for a TKO, comes far too late in the game. Now Obama fights
back, but will it change his standing in the polls?
Assorted Obama News and Videos
http://obamabarack.blogspot.com/2007/10/assorted-obama-news-and-videos.html
Here are some clips from Barack Obama's appearance on the Tavis Smiley
Show last night.
Christian Right Leaders To Meet Again About Defecting From GOP In '08
Salon | Michael Scherer | October 18, 2007 11:21 AM
Key conservative and religious leaders will continue discussing a mass
defection from the Republican Party in a private meeting at a
Washington hotel Saturday afternoon, just hours after the pro-choice
presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani speaks before thousands of pro-
life voters
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