The 2008 Democrats: Barack Obama

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

Fired Up, Ready to Go

Randi Rhodes once mentioned that the primaries are a time for falling in love with your candidate while the time after that is for pulling together. Remember, at the beginning, when all this was fun. It is still exciting, breath-taking and very historic just not as enjoyable as it once was unless you happen to be a masochist.

After Dennis Kucinich had freed us former supporters, by his words in Iowa, to choose another candidate it became a wrestling match in my brain between the two candidates closest to my liking. When you consider the differences between Obama and Edwards, taking into account the likely make-up of Congress that they would have to deal with, there wasn't a lot there. They're similar on every issue but I would give the edge to Barack.

When it comes to legislation the Congress has ideas about every single little issue. Clinton, Biden and Dodd will play great roles on all of these from their Senate seats.

Sitting at the table still trying to make up my mind; the memory of a little elderly African- American lady from my first job as a bus boy crept into my mind. I've never forgotten her.

I was born in Saint Mary's hospital in East Saint Louis, IL. There was a white flight from there to the surrounding communities and strong racial tensions to this day although they have lessened some since my youth. When I was young it was ugly. My family dining table was volatile like so many from those days.

I thought about the other elderly African-Americans I worked along side of when I was younger who bore the brunt of hate filled discrimination of that time, who witnessed the hopes and dreams of Dr. King along with his death and whose eyes I looked into when discussing whatever topic of the day. I cannot turn away from those long gone eyes when I know how much Barack's presidency would mean to all of them and how much his presidency would mean for the whole nation.

That was the final straw that broke the back of the camel of my indecision.

Barack Obama would be a giant step in cleaning out a lot of old cobwebs while not only increasing civil and honorable diplomacy at home but throughout the world.

Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner - Barack Obama Speaks

This was the first caucus experience for my wife and me. It was very hard to get to. Only because the snow banks were so high in many places that only one car could pass at a time, especially with people parking on both sides of the snow and slush filled streets. We also couldn’t find the wheel chair ramp so we had to wobble up the stairs while our son brought our chairs up. The road conditions made it a little bit hard on everyone and the church where the meeting was held was packed solid. There was a record turnout (a little more than twice ‘04 which had its own record turnout). It was GREAT!!!

The room where our precinct met was packed. Every seat was filled all the way around the small room with one person sitting on the floor. We were thirty people. Most of us, including me, spoke up in favor of either Hillary or Barack. There was no bullying of anyone. After a couple of hours of going through the various procedures we had 20 votes for Obama and 10 votes for Clinton. Obama received six delegates while Hillary received three from our group with an alternate for every delegate. A small additional handful of Clinton people would have changed the outcome but there either weren't enough supporters available or they weren't concerned enough to show up.

For me the most important problems, disasters would probably be a better word, facing our nation is;

The occupation of Iraq along with all the serious infrastructure, health and refugee (both external and internal) inflicting the people of the country we shocked and awed;

A return to Constitutional order in the USA;

And our Bush-driven negative status in the world which affects us both diplomatically and economically.

I see Obama as dealing with all of the above much better than Hillary while being better to equal to the tasks involving domestic issues such as the cost of energy, inflation and health care while being far superior in the area of international trade.

I also see Obama as being able to work with both sides of the halls and aisles of Congress far better.

He is very plain on the issues (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/) and yes he will continue investigations of corruption, activity against the freedom of the American people, torture and other crimes at a time of war.

Barack Obama: 'A More Perfect Union'

I didn't vote for Hillary in our caucus because...

Hillary has willingly saddled herself up to her husbands’ legacy of NAFTA, permanent most favored trade status for China, welfare reform and the disastrous effect that Clintonian policy in Iraq had on the children there (thousands suffered & died).

I do not want to return to divisive politics. The slumlord comment, during an earlier debate, from Hillary bothered me a lot. The Clintons reached back as far as they could for some tiny tidbit they could distort Carl Rove style (it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not just say a distortion enough times and the public will perceive it as being true). We don’t need anymore of that. This is just one example of many of the Clinton's using corrupt Rovian political tactics.(Are Rove tactics being used against Barak? )

Her Rovian politics are steeped in lies, innuendo and now flirting with racist born hate. It's the same style of conducting themselves that we have been decrying throughout the long dark Neocon-absorbed Cheney/Bush years. I'm beginning to think that the difference between her and Bush-hugging McCain is much smaller than the growing gulf between her, solid Democrats and all fair minded Americans.

Keith Olbermann: Special Comment on Hillary Clinton

The way she has conducted herself, during this campaign, Hillary has shown that she has embraced the concept of 'the end justifies the means'. That's another Noecon/Rovian principle that caused us to run away from the war on those who attacked us and the promises we made to Afghanistan which landed us in preemptive war and a misguided nation building occupation in Iraq. She participated in that type of hazardous thinking when she voted for the Iraq war and when she voted to give Bush the excuse from Congress he needed to ' Shock and Awe' Iran.

Clinton has been demonstrating that she continues to embrace risky 'end justifies the means' method of problem solving by the way she is continuing to conduct herself during this campaign.
She is also reaping, with pride, hate radio and other right wing involvement in her few primary victories.

Rush Limbaugh: Operation Chaos

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Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity: Posioning Democracy with Vitriolic Hate
BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOGby Mark KarlinEditor and Publisher
April 27, 2008
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/085
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Hillary embraces a vast right wing conspiracy
By Leonard Doyle
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/the_campaign_trailers/2008/03/hillary-is-pump.html
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Why I think (suspect/worry) Hillary is doing what she's doing...

I'm beginning to believe that Clinton would gladly divide the Democratic Party in order to facilitate a future run for power or possibly that they are actually calculating their chances for a just barely squeaked out independent win in November. She knows this may facilitate a dangerous and disastrous GOP presidency for the nation.

The big news ( besides an umbrella for the Middle East) out of the ABC mugging of Obama is that Hillary emphatically believes that Barack Obama can win the Presidency. She also stated that she would work hard for the candidate winning the nomination. That would appear to put a halt to any thought of an independent ticket, unless she 'MISSPOKE', again. Misspeaking and bending the truth appears to be an alarming pattern within the Clinton campaign.
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FACT CHECK BARACK
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/
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Don't think Hillary is fighting dirty just for herself, because she is also a surrogate for the Democratic Leadership Council. The globalist Republican-like DLC will be in the back seat of the Democratic Party when Obama rightly claims the nomination for president. They can't let that happen and they will do anything to stop it including tearing apart the party and all who stand in their way.

All those who want to destroy any hope the average American people feel and would prefer to keep things just the way they are in Washington will never be happy letting a person of sincere motives rise to the top.

Republican Lite

When we all disagreed with Bush policies both domestic and international we were called traitors and un-American but we were also referred to repeatedly as Bush haters because we had a difference of opinion.
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Referring to those who prefer a different more, as we see it, progressive view as Hillary haters is another of a growing list of similarities between Clinton and the disreputable politics of the Bushies and their Neocon buddies.

I still worry she is considering an independent run for the presidency despite giving her word that she would support and work for the Democratic nominee.

Couldn't you just see her declaring at the convention and marching her delegates, led by Michigan and Florida, out with her.

Wrong 'democrat' wrong time.

However, Barack Obama handles all this with class and intelligence.

Barack Obama in Kokomo, IN

for three great policy speeches...

Obama - Good for America!!!

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from Rolling Stone...
The Queen of Pork
But of the three candidates, no one can touch Hillary Clinton for her expertise in dispensing federal pork. She is fast becoming a sort of Heavyweight Earmark Champion of the Beltway — one think-tank analyst has even dubbed her the "Queen of Pork"
more...
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20306341/the_queen_of_pork
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Hillary Strangelove
April 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/04/27/hillary_strangelove/?p1=email_to_a_friend
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Much to worry about an ill-advised attack on Iran!!!
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Barack Obama: Iran

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http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

The Cost of War

another in a series of great detailed speeches...

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
*

The second in a row of great speeches from Barack Obama.
from Raw Story with text and video...
Obama: US less safe because of Iraq war
RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday March 19, 2008
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_US_less_safe_because_of_0319.html

Dem candidate addresses race, history of slavery in speech

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_Wright_comments_were_profoundly_distorted_0318.html

Senator Webb has military knowledge and experience far superior to that of McCain. Since we have weekend our party, because of this long bloody primary, Webb would be the best choice for vice president to counter the McCain allure towards self defense.

John McCain vs. John McCain

John and George sitting in a tree...

I'm 51. There's still a lot of scars among my parents generation; scars the white population willing placed upon African Americans and upon themselves because of ingrained prejudice, racism and hate. Those old ways of thinking among many of that age has not died easily as some of us know from our own family experiences.

I would imagine the feelings of the struggle for basic human rights and equality along with what's still to be done have left some justifiably strong emotions.

I think it's best to remember the words of one of the greatest people, and there were many, of this time.

"Don't ever let anyone pull you so low as to hate them. We must use the weapon of love. We must have the compassion and understanding for those who hate us. We must realize so many people are taught to hate us that they are not totally responsible for their hate. But we stand in life at midnight; we are always on the threshold of a new dawn."
Rev. Martin Luther King

Obama Denounces Controversial Remarks

Reverend Otis Moss on Obama's Faith

Barack Obama's Church

I also think it's approriate to point out that Clinton has only gone part way in denouncing the highly racists comments of Ferraro while McCain still clings to his right-wing religious extremists.

Now lets get the country back to focusing on why Barack Obama is the right choice for all of America.

Another Angry Black Preacher
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, March 21, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/20/AR2008032003021.html

What happened?

I'm outrageously angry with the Clinton campaign because of her Rovian politics steeped in lies, innuendo and now hate. It's the same style of conducting themselves that we have been decrying throughout the long dark Neocon-absorbed Cheney/Bush years. I'm beginning to think that the difference between her and Bush-hugging McCain is much smaller than the growing gulf between her and solid Democrats along with all fair minded Americans.

I'm beginning to believe that she would gladly divide the Democratic Party in order to facilitate, what she knows would be a dangerous and disastrous gop presidency for the nation, a future run for power. I also believe a third party run is also possible for the same reason but I wouldn't be surprised if they are actually calculating their chances for a just barely squeaked out win in November.

She is reaping, with pride, hate radio involvement in her few primary victories.

Hillary and her husbands sadly fading legacy have embraced the concept of 'the end justifies the means'. That's another Noecon/Rovian principle that caused us to run away from the war on those who attacked us and the promises we made to Afghanistan which landed us in preemptive war and a misguided nation building occupation in Iraq. She participated in that type of hazardous thinking when she voted for the Iraq war and when she voted to give Bush the excuse from Congress he needed to ' Shock and Awe' Iran.

She is now demonstrating that she continues to embrace risky 'end justifies the means' method of problem solving.

Wrong 'democrat' wrong time.

Olbermann & Tim Russert on Geraldine Ferraro Obama Comment

Hillary Clinton is making it very hard to stand by my words below; even if I were to wear a clothes pin.

Anyone who refuses to work for the Democratic nominee or vote in the general election because they didn’t get the person of their choice is 'nuts' because they would be flirting with keeping the White house in the inept hands of the Republicans along with possibly allowing them more seats in Congress.

However, Barack Obama handles all this with class and intelligence.
Here he is on Hardball.

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

This was the first caucus experience for my wife and me. It was very hard to get to. Only because the snow banks were so high in many places that only one car could pass at a time especially with people parking on both sides of the snow and slush filled streets. We also couldn’t find the wheel chair ramp so we had to wobble up the stairs while our son brought our chairs up. The road conditions made it a little bit hard on everyone and the church where the meeting was held was packed solid. There was a record turnout (a little more than twice ‘04 which had its own record turnout). It was GREAT!!!

The room where our precinct met was packed. Every seat was filled all the way around the room with one person sitting on the floor. We were a little more than thirty people. Most people, including me, spoke up in favor of either Hillary or Barack. After a couple of hours of going through the various procedures we had 20 votes for Obama and 10 votes for Clinton. Obama received six delegates while Hillary received three from our group with an alternate for every delegate.

My wife and I are both alternates. So we will be attending the legislative district caucus. They didn’t have enough volunteers for the alternates so we jumped in. We didn’t plan for it or think something like that was even possible and it wouldn’t have had any chance of happening if we were just a primary state. Caucuses get more people involved in the party and the campaigns. So now we are alternate delegates, in an historic election, for the next president of the United States Senator Barack Obama.

Randi Rhodes mentioned that the primaries are a time for falling in love with your candidate while the time after that is for pulling together. I may be very critical of Hillary, mostly because of her own actions, but if she were to win the nomination I would be behind her. I would probably focus on areas of agreement and hope while being very critical of the, it looks like McCain, Republican nominee.

Anyone who refuses to work for the Democratic nominee or vote in the general election because they didn’t get the person of their choice is 'nuts' because they would be flirting with keeping the Whitehouse in the inept hands of the Republicans along with possibly allowing them more seats in Congress.
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Change We Can Believe In
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
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Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner - Barack Obama

MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
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Hillary has willingly saddled herself up to her husbands’ legacy of NAFTA, permanent most favored trade status for China, welfare reform and the disastrous effect that Clintonian policy in Iraq had on the children there (thousands suffered & died).
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A nation sagging under the weight of sanctions
Thousands of infants are dying
By LARRY JOHNSON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER FOREIGN DESK EDITOR
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/iraq/life1.shtml
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Squeezed to death
Saturday March 4, 2000
Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,232986,00.html
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Too Much Collateral Damage:'Smart Sanctions' Hurt Innocent Iraqis
It's time to dispense with the mirage of mitigation
by Hans von Sponeck
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0702-03.htm
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The Iraqi Church Cries Out
Images of 1990’s Operation Desert Storm linger, encouraging a less-than-friendly attitude toward Iraq. The indefatigable leader of that nation’s Catholics urges Americans to consider the children.
By Carol Ann Morrow
http://www.americancatholic.org/messenger/Feb2000/feature2.asp

I always figured I would be a Hillary person. I always felt she was much more likely to actually be a liberal in comparison to her husband.

I always figured she would separate herself from his policies.

I had always hoped she would approach her misguided vote in Iraq in some manner similar to Senator Edwards. I was greatly disappointed when she embraced the terrorism vote on Iran while once again failing to realize it would be used in the march to war by the Bushies and their Neocons.

She boldly hid behind group ignorance on the WMD issue in Iraq without anyone in opposition that I’ve heard of, raising the point that that was no valid excuse for invasion. It was well known from the times of desert storm of the multiple problems that would emerge from an invasion of Iraq, as it was also well known that Al Qeada was not involved in Iraq. It was also evident that we would be turning our backs on, running away from, the people of Afghanistan, our very public promises to them, our duty to justice for the people who died on that dreadful day, the conservatives so love to repeat, to bring to justice those who really did attack us.

For me the most important problems, disasters would probably be a better word, facing our nation is;

The occupation of Iraq along with all the serious infrastructure, health and refugee (both external and internal) inflicting the people of the country we shocked and awed;
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A return to Constitutional order in the USA;

And our status in the world which affects us both diplomatically and economically.

I see Obama as dealing with all of the above much better than Hillary while being better to equal to the tasks involving domestic issues.

I also see Obama as being able to work the halls and aisles of Congress far better.

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Barack Obama for America

Kennedy Endorsements of Barack Obama

I won’t vote for Hillary because I do not want to return to divisive politics. She has also willing saddled herself with her husbands’ legacy of NAFTA, permanent most favored trade status for China, and welfare reform. They are more Republican in nature than Democrats. Hillary, who was in a position to know better, also willingly voted for the war.

Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYATbsu2cP8

thanks Code Pink

http://www.codepink4peace.org/

Barack is being attacked Rove Style.

Clintons Making Statements Not Supported by the Facts
January 20, 2008 http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/01/20/clintons_making_statements_not.php
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Congressman to Bill Clinton: 'Chill a little bit'
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/21/congressman-to-bill-clinton-chill-a-little-bit/
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What's Gotten Into Bill?
By Eugene RobinsonTuesday, January 22
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/21/AR2008012101864_pf.html
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Know the Facts
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/
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Barack Obama - Change We Can Believe In
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
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Barack Obama for America
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Fox Attacks: Black America

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FOX ATTACKS OBAMA

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ABC News Badly Mischaracterizes Obama's Alleged "Testy Exchange" With Reporter
January 23, 2008
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2008/01/abc_news_badly.php
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The slumlord comment from Hillary bothered me a lot. The Clintons reached back as far as they could for some tiny tidbit they could distort Carl Rove style (it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not just say a distortion enough times and the public will perceive it as being true). We don’t need anymore of that. This is just one example of many of the Clinton's using Rovian corrupt political tactics.
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Chicago Tribune, Factcheck.Org, Washington Post: Obama Never Represented Tony Rezko
http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/01/23/chicago_tribune_factcheckorg_w_1.php

Clinton Booed After Slum Lord Barack Obama Attack