Obama - Imus

From the Post-Chronicle

"Many civic and government leaders called for Imus's resignation or termination. Many will give Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson credit. Truth be told, they had nothing to do with it.

If it were not for the words of Democratic Presedential hopeful from Illinois, Sen. Barack Obama, Imus probably would have kept his job. Sharpton and Jackson's credibility is shaky at best and their theatrics are well documented.

No, it was the word of a soft-spoken man, a black man, vying for the most powerful post in the world that is responsible.

Sen. Barack Obama is the only 2008 presidential hopeful from either party to say that radio host Don Imus should be fired over the racial slurs. Sen. McCain, a regular on the Imus show in the past, simply accepted Imus's apology and thought the issue should die there. Rudolph Giuliani said the same after basically being hunted down like a dog.

Hillary Clinton caught flat-footed as usual, said basically nothing. She simply stated that she was never on his show and never would be.

Obama On Wednesday told ABC News he thought Imus should be fired and that he would never appear on the "Imus In The Morning" show again. Obama said Imus' remarks fed "some of the worst stereotypes" his own daughters face in America. Obama called the comments "degrading."

Obama is the new voice of Black America and the Democratic Presidential candidate just flexed his muscle."

Poll: Obama Most Likely to Get U.S. Out of Iraq

From Reuters via Yahoo News:
Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards are the 2008 White House contenders most likely to lead the country out of Iraq according to an online straw poll of members of the liberal activist group MoveOn.org.

Rangel: Obama Should Be Veep

From the New York Observer:

Here's the WNBC transcript of the interview, which will air on Sunday:

PRESSMAN: Would a Clinton-Obama ticket be very strong?

Rep. RANGEL: Wow. Well, I'm saying that.

PRESSMAN: You said wow.

Rep. RANGEL: Because I would find it very exciting. But I think that the
Republican bench is so weak that we could get by with more this time than if it was a very close election.

PRESSMAN: Would you lobby Obama to take the number two spot?

Rep. RANGEL: I don't do that. And besides, you know, as I do, that people running for president, they never say they're interested in the number two spot. I mean, they have to let you know that they're running for president and that's all they will consider.

PRESSMAN: Yeah, but all you're doing is sucking your thumb and sort of
thinking about the future. You're not he.

Rep. RANGEL: All I know is that I'm supporting Hillary and once we're over the hill, I'll be glad to get involved and see who would be the best candidate for us to win.

Obama Zeros in on McCain (sortof)

From the Los Angeles Times/AP

"The idea that the situation in Iraq is improving because it takes a security detail of 100 soldiers, three Black Hawk helicopters and a couple of Apache gunships to walk through a market in the middle of Baghdad is simply not credible and not reflective of the facts on the ground," Obama said in a taped interview broadcast as part of the forum sponsored by MoveOn.org.

While not mentioning McCain by name, Obama criticized comments made by the Arizona senator last week after touring Baghdad's Bab al-Shariq market. He and other members of a congressional delegation traveled in armored military vehicles and wore body armor during the hourlong excursion."

Obama Ethics Violation?

The "Corruption Chronicles" points to a "Drudge Report" post about a meeting the Senator had with chief campaign media adviser David Axelrod.

The CC says

"Barack Obama, the popular Illinois senator and top Democratic presidential candidate, has evidently violated Congressional ethics rules by using his taxpayer-funded Capitol Hill office for campaign activities."

Another Swing Thru NYC for Senator Obama

From gothamist.com

"Senator Barack Obama is coming back to New York City today, for some late TV night face time AND to raise even more money. While Senator Hillary Clinton's camp is playing it cool and Clinton strategist Howard Wolfson telling the Daily News. "We're thrilled with our hometown support," the Post lists all the former Clinton donors who are now supporting Obama. Obama has two fundraisers on his agenda and he'll be appearing on Late Night with David Letterman tonight. Pollsters and consultants say that as much money as Obama raises in New York, Clinton is sure to win the state primary. Which is true - but he can just take the NY cash and spend it elsewhere. And one of Obama's fund-raisers want him to go to Harlem to, as the Post suggests, "[seek] a beachhead in the neighborhood where Bill Clinton keeps an office."

Low-Key, High Impact Campaigner

From the International Herald Tribune

"COLO, Iowa: Senator Barack Obama is not big on what he calls red-meat applause lines when he campaigns in small communities like this one, just northeast of Des Moines. He does not tell many jokes. He talks in even, measured tones, and at times is so low-key that he lulls his audiences into long, if respectful, silences.

Obama likes to recount the chapters of his unusual life: growing up in Hawaii, living overseas, community organizing in Chicago, working in the Illinois Legislature, though not his years as a U.S. senator.

He talks - often in broad, general strokes - about an Obama White House that would provide health care to all, attack global warming, improve education, fix Social Security and end the war in Iraq.

His campaign events end almost as an afterthought, surprising voters used to the big finishes typically served up by the presidential candidates seeking their support. "Thank you very much, everybody; have a nice day," Obama said pleasantly in Dakota City, Iowa, one afternoon, with a leisurely wave of a hand. He headed over to a table where copies of his books, brought by audience members, had been neatly laid out, awaiting the slash of his left-handed autograph."

Obama's "Home for Heroes"

"The Illinois senator told The Associated Press he would introduce legislation Monday that he calls Homes for Heroes. The plan would establish grant and voucher programs to encourage development of affordable housing targeted for veterans.

"Veterans are far more likely to be homeless than non-veterans 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 before a campaign rally. "Part of it is because there is just not enough affordable housing."

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