From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Arianna Huffington says..."It's like being married, and suddenly you fall in love. You're a good person, and a loyal person ... you have a history with the Clintons,'' she said. "And you feel like you're cheating.''
If some Democrats have cheating on their minds, it coincides with the rise of Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, who has attracted big crowds and evidenced that elusive quality of political charisma, "something you cannot manufacture,'' Huffington said. "It is priceless -- and we haven't seen it for a long time.''
And that has posed trouble for the old love: Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York senator, front-runner for the Democratic nomination in 2008 and the wife of former President Bill Clinton.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Fidelity Fracas, Leaving Hillary for Barack
Tom Vilsack's Withdrawal Could Be Boon to Obama
Senator BO is already angling for Vilsackers left without jobs since the Iowa Governor is bowing out of the race.
From the San Jose Mercury News/AP:
"Other campaigns immediately began to seek out Vilsack's well-respected staff, hoping to pick up talented political operatives with experience in the first nominating state, and his political backers.
Gary Hirshberg, CEO and founder of Stonyfield Farm yogurt, was one of Vilsack's earliest and most prominent New Hampshire supporters. He said two minutes after Vilsack's announcement, Obama called seeking his support. Hirshberg told Obama he wasn't ready to commit to another candidate yet.
"Although we're absolutely undecided, I was very impressed," Hirshberg said. "Though we can wring our hands now about the role of money in these campaigns, it's still really vindicating to me to see, particularly here in New Hampshire, that grass-roots, house-to-house, person-to-person politics is still the order of the day. I think Senator Obama just proved that."
Obama Zero's-In on Cheney
Obama Riciducles Cheney's Iraq Comments (San Francisco Chronicle/AP) Obama, speaking at a massive outdoor rally in Austin, Texas, said British Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision this week to withdraw 1,600 troops is a recognition that Iraq's problems can't be solved militarily. "Now if Tony Blair can understand that, then why can't George Bush and Dick Cheney understand that?" Obama asked thousands of supporters who gathered in the rain to hear him. "In fact, Dick Cheney said this is all part of the plan (and) it was a good thing that Tony Blair was withdrawing, even as the administration is preparing to put 20,000 more of our young men and women in. "Now, keep in mind, this is the same guy that said we'd be greeted as liberators, the same guy that said that we're in the last throes. I'm sure he forecast sun today," Obama said to laughter from supporters holding campaign signs over their heads to keep dry. "When Dick Cheney says it's a good thing, you know that you've probably got some big problems."
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Maureen Dowd: "Baddest One Hit My Hand"
Professional pot-stirrer, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, adds fuel to the Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton fire-fight.
She starts her Wednesday column with a few words from movie-mogul-money-bags and Barack supporter David Geffen...
“Whoever is the nominee is going to win, so the stakes are very high,” says Mr. Geffen, the Hollywood mogul and sultan of “Dreamgirls,” as he sits by a crackling fire beneath a Jasper Johns flag and a matched pair of de Koonings in the house that Jack Warner built (which old-time Hollywood stars joked was the house that God would have built). “Not since the Vietnam War has there been this level of disappointment in the behavior of America throughout the world, and I don’t think that another incredibly polarizing figure, no matter how smart she is and no matter how ambitious she is — and God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton? — can bring the country together.
“Obama is inspirational, and he’s not from the Bush royal family or the Clinton royal family. Americans are dying every day in Iraq. And I’m tired of hearing James Carville on television.”
You gotta love it.
Call Don King, Barack and Hillary Stick and Move
Yes the Obama-Clinton jab-a-thon that's been going on for the past few days is fun times. But, the really interesting thing about this ABC News article is the part about John Edwards' appearance on Today.
"This morning, for example, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., said on NBC's "Today" show: "I think it's awfully early for that sort of sniping back and forth."
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!?!?!?
Just the night before Edwards was doing pah-lenty of sniping himself at a democratic candidate's forum in Nevada.
In fact it was New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, not Edwards, who took the high road at that event.
"I think if we're going to win we have to be positive," Richardson said. "I think these name-callings are not good."
John, make up your mind. You can't be attack dog AND diplomat at the same time.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Obama Apologizes for Saying U.S. Troops' Lives Wasted in Iraq.
From abcnews.com
"Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., entered the race for the White House over the weekend and is immediately feeling the hot spotlight of scrutiny that accompanies a presidential campaign.
Obama has twice apologized since implying that U.S. troops had died in vain, telling a rally crowd in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday, "We ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized, and should never been waged, and on which we have now spent $400 billion, and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted."
Barack on 60 Minutes
A clearly enamored Steve Kroft interviews Senator Barack Obama on the Big Sixty.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Obama Winning Myspace Race
From SFGate.com
In case you're counting, a new group blog called techPresident tracks, among other things, how many "friends" the leading presidential candidates have on MySpace.
Sen. Barack Obama is leading all Democrats with more than 38,000 friends. Sen. Hillary Clinton is in second place with about 12,000 even after a sudden plunge in the number of friends professing support. (That's John Edwards in third place on the techPresident graph, followed by other Democratic candidates.)
The Clinton MySpace page, which isn't an official campaign site, is back up and has posted the following message:
"For some reason MySpace deleted us recently. We are working to get back to 24,000 friends. Please re-add us send out a bulletin letting your friends know to support Hillary on MySpace."
Obama's Rapid Response to Aussie PM's Attack
Yes.
Team Obama has learned a lesson from the Madrassa Mess. Instead of letting negative comments from Australian Prime Minister John Howard marinate and generate more bad headlines than necessary - the Senator came out swinging immediately.
Sunday morning, Bush buddy Howard was bashing Barack's plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. But by early afternoon the Senator's staff had issued a very well crafted response. Then, by mid-afternoon...networks like CNN were airing comments from Obama himself, as he fired back from Iowa.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Barack Obama Snubs "Covenant With Black America"?
Hey David Axelrod.
Come here for a second.
Lookit.
Are there any Black people at AKP? If there are, do you listen to any of them? Because I'm sure they could have told you quick, fast, and in a hurry that the annual "Covenant With Black America" was today...and it is a HUGE deal. Not among Black people in general - because there are millions who don't care about Tavis Smiley's forum on all things Black - but among Black people who VOTE...it's big.
The Black peop...um person in your office would have told you that his aunts and uncles and cousins would not be standing out in the cold watching Barack Obama talk about Lincoln on Saturday. They would be bundled up in front of the TV watching Tavis...that is until PBS interrupted the proceedings to show the junior senator from Illinois.
No matter what you've told yourselves about not having Barack align himself with the steeped-in-the-civil-rights-movement-Black-power-vanguard...these folks matter.
Don't get me wrong. We get it...Obama has to be the candidate of inclusion, and he's got corporate money so he doesn't need little Black man money, etc. etc. But scheduling Obama's coming out party on the exact same day as the CWBA meeting was a slap in a collective and frowning Black face. See?
Even Obama supporter Charles Ogletree (Harvard Law Professor) says Barack made a mistake.
Fine Team Obama. Push ahead with your strategy and minimize the Jackson and Sharpton photo-ops. But don't do stuff to openly antagonize. Announcing on Presidents Day? Better. Sure, it is not a slow-news-day Saturday...but it is a holiday so none of the bigwigs would be in the offices at the newtorks - ensuring some fluffy coverage.
Believe me.
Or don't.
But just remember. Next year when you're trying to think of somewhere else to be, Hillary will be more than happy to take your seat at the "Covenant" table - or worse...she'll send the man who has already been dubbed America's First Black President to take her place.
Esteemed Black Historian Deems Obama's Lincoln-Heavy Speech Ironic
Senator Barack Obama made his announcement at the Old State Capitol in Springfield Illinois...where Abraham Lincoln gave his "House Divided " speech in 1858.
Obama said:
"And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States..."
"As Lincoln organized the forces arrayed against slavery, he was heard to say: "Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought to battle through."
That is our purpose here today.
That's why I'm in this race."
But at the annual Covenant With Black America gathering in Virginia, historian Lerone Bennett called Obama's constant evocation of Lincoln ironic. Watch.
It's Officially Official. Obama Officializes White House Run.
from CBS 2 Chicago
Guess What? Barack Obama is running for President of the United States.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Barack Hussein Obama Washington
From AP via the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
"The company (Family Forest) searched the ancestors of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, dating back many centuries.
He said the Family Forest shows Dunham having a number of her ancestral pathways leading back to early colonial Virginia and New England, and some extend back for many centuries into Europe.
One of her ancestral pathways leads to one of Obama's 12th great-grandfathers, the Hon. Laurence Washington, who built Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, England.
Over the course of five centuries, according to recorded history, he became the ancestor of Washington, Carter, Gen. George S. Patton, Gov. Adlai Stevenson and Quincy Jones, Harrison said."
The article sent Slate into a tizzy and it added it to its Obama Messiah Watch, a cache of "gratuitously adoring biographical details from newspaper, television, and magazine profiles". But in 2004, 'Family Forest' also traced the Bush and Kerry families and found out those two were distant relatives and for some reason Slate didn't find stories on that offensively fawning.
Go figure.
Gays Attack Christians for Attacking Obama
From PinkNews:
"His popularity has prompted radical pro-life group Christians for Social Justice to launch ObamaNation.Com, a website "exposing" Obama's positions on abortion and same-sex unions.
In a sign of the moral battles ahead, Pastor Clenard H. Childress, Jr. director of the group, said:
"60 percent of all new AIDS cases in America will be the result of the violation of Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:27 (men having sex with men).
"If he were to become President of the United States Sen. Obama's support of homosexual unions would pose a real health threat to African Americans."
Senator Obama Jumps On Gravy Train
Barack Obama follows the lead of his main rivals and says goodbye to the chump change of public campaign financing and helloooooo to the big bucks of private donations...or does he? From NewsMax.com "Following the lead of his chief rivals, Sen. Barack Obama will not accept public campaign financing for either the Democratic presidential primaries or the general election if he's the nominee. The Illinois senator has decided to forego the public funds, said an official close to the Obama campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The move allows him to raise and spend unlimited private money.
"Democratic Sen. Barack Obama is asking whether he can take money from donors who want him to be president, then give it back later.
The Federal Election Commission said Wednesday that it will look into the novel question.
Obama is indicating that he wants to at least keep the option of using the public financing system for his presidential campaign if he becomes the Democratic nominee. To do so, the Illinois senator could not spend any money from contributors for political purposes, but instead use federal funding that is expected to total about $85 million for next year's general election.
"Senator Obama has long been a proponent of public financing of campaigns, and we are asking the FEC to take a step that could preserve the public financing option for the party's nominees," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said."
Obama Express...Next Stop Iowa
Hey. What are YOU doing this weekend.
Senator Barack Obama's Post-Presidential Annoucement Trip to Iowa
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2007
- SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS
Obama to make announcement concerning presidential campaign
Location: Historic Old State Capitol , outdoors
South 6th and East Adams
Springfield, IL 62701
Doors open to Public: 9:00AM
Event start: 10:00 AM
Tickets: The event is free and open to the public.
Tickets are not required.
- CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
Iowa Town Hall Meeting
Location: Kennedy High School
4545 Wenig Road, NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Doors open to Public: 3:00 PM
Event start: 4:00 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers:
Jane Boyd Center
943 14th Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
319-366-0431
8:00AM-6:00PM Monday-Friday
African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa
55 12th Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-862-2101
10:00AM-4:00PM Monday-Saturday
IBEW 405/Hawkeye Labor Council
1211 Wiley Boulevard SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-396-8461
Kennedy High School
4545 Wenig Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
319-558-2251
10:00AM-5:00PM Monday-Friday
- WATERLOO, IOWA
Waterloo community meet-and-greet with Senator Obama
Location: Central Middle School Gymnasium
1350 Katoski Drive
Waterloo, IA 50701
Doors open to Public: 6:30 PM
Event start: 7:30 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers:
Central Middle School
1350 Katoski Drive
Waterloo, IA
8 AM to 2 PM daily
Black Hawk Labor Temple
1695 Burton Avenue
Waterloo, IA
8 AM to 5 PM daily
UNI Center for Multicultural Education
2401 College Street
Cedar Falls, IA
8 AM to 9 PM daily
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11
- AMES, IOWA
Obama Rally with Students and Community
Location: Beyer Gymnasium at Beyer Hall
Union Drive
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Doors open to Public: 11:00 AM
Event start: 12:00 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers:
Campustown-
Gateway Real Estate
119 Stanton Ave, 2nd Floor, Ames
Hours TBD
Campus-
Iowa State Memorial Union
Iowa State University
2229 Lincoln Way, Ames
10AM-2PM Wednesday Thursday and Friday
Downtown-
American Country
327 Main Street, Ames
515-232-7813
9:30AM-5:30PM Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
9:30AM-7:00PM Thursday
Smoke ‘N Antlers Bar-B-Q
4518 Mortenson Rd, Suite 104, Ames
515-232-1799
Wednesday and Thursday 11:00AM-2:00PM and 4:00-9:00PM
Friday 11:00AM-2:00PM and 4:00-11:00PM
Saturday 11:00AM-11:00PM
- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Obama Rally in Chicago
Location: University of Illinois - Chicago
Pavilion
525 South Racine Avenue
Chicago, IL 60607
Doors open to Public: 3:30 PM
Event start: 5:30 PM
Tickets: The public is invited to pick up free tickets at the
following distribution centers beginning Wednesday:
Public hotline number: 773-235-1773
E-mail Address: chicagorally@gmail.com
UNITE HERE
333 S Ashland, 60607
Wednesday - Friday 9am - 5pm
49th Ward Democratic Headquarters
1774 W Greenleaf, 60626
Wednesday - Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 2pm
Kane County Democratic Headquarters
700 E Main St, St Charles, 60174
Wednesday - Friday 5pm - 8pm
29th Ward Democratic Headquarters
5037 W Madison
Wednesday - Friday 9am- 5 pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm
4th Ward Democratic HQ
4659 Cottage Grove, Chicago
Wednesday - Friday 9a-8a
Saturday 1-5p
Oak Park Democratic Party
1243 Woodvine, Oak Park
Wednesday and Friday and Saturday 9am-12p
Wednesday, Thursday 6-9pm
Lake County Democratic Headquarters
709 N Ave., Waukegan
847 623 4656
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday 9am - 5pm
House of Hope Box Office
752 E 114th St, Chicago
Wednesday 2pm - 8pm
Thursday and Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 7pm
Obama, Snow...'Something Doesn't Add Up'
From AP via WREX-TV
| "Critics charge the military is obscuring the actual number of troops wounded in both Iraq and Afghanistan by leaving out soldiers and Marines who suffer non-combat injuries. The most frequently circulated number of those who've been wounded is about 23,000. But when troops hurt in other ways, including accidents, is added in, the number more than doubles to about 53,000. Senators Barack Obama and Olympia Snowe are introducing legislation to require what they call "honest numbers" about the wars' toll. Presidential hopeful Obama says the effects on soldiers and their families is the same whether the soldier is hit by enemy fire, injured in a crash or made sick by service in a war zone." |
Now if they could also get pictures to the public of all those flag-draped coffins that are coming back...
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