Experience vs. Judgment

From the blog Wilshire and Western: Mitchell Schwartz, Obama's new California campaign director, talks about Hillary's "experience."

Just remember, "experience" does not necessarily mean good judgment, vision, or leadership, all of which Obama has shown.

On Saturday, before a hip crowd at Falcon Restaurant, Obama's new California Campaign director Mitchell Schwartz perhaps offered a preview of harsh rhetoric to come when he "took the gloves off" and focused on Clinton's experience. He cited her stint in the late 1980s on the Wal-Mart board of directors, "While they perfected the art of denying health care and retirement benefits for their workers."

Schwartz continued, "In the 1990s, she headed the health care task force. She couldn't get anything through a Democratically controlled Congress. We had all of Congress and not one piece of legislation got through. Now there are more uninsured Americans that ever. Because of that debacle, we lost Congress, and I was there. I was working for the Clinton administration at the time. We lost Congress, there were a bunch of investigations, it led to impeachment and we wasted the last bunch of years of the Clinton administration. Now let's go to this decade. She voted to authorize the war in October of 2002. She didn't read the National Intelligence Estimate. This was something that was available to all 100 senators. And in fact it was so important that Bob Graham, who was the chairman of the intelligence committee then, he's a conservative Democrat, he read the report... and it convinced him to vote against it. She didn't bother reading it."

Elizabeth Edwards: Clinton Hatred Will "Energize" GOP

From CNN's Political Ticker. This is about the only thing Elizabeth Edwards and I agree on.

Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee is not only Karl Rove's dream, but would energize the entire Republican Party.

And my further prediction is that a Clinton presidency would refuel the scandals and unfinished grudges from her and Bill's political enemies.

Don't make me say, "I told you so."

Clinton Piles on Pentagon Earmarks

I tell a lot of people that Obama is the only Democratic candidate who has released his earmarks to the public, and how important this is.

Then I can tell by the looks on their faces that most of them don't really know what I'm talking about.

Let me explain:

Earmarks are commonly known as "pork-barrel spending," or is money inserted by politicians into appropriations bills, often under a cloud of secrecy. The politician does not have to get any public approval for this earmark and does not have to disclose to the public how many earmarks they're inserting. The problem with this is that this can be an under-the-radar means of paying back political favors with absolutely no public accountability.

From a Wall Street Journal piece posted on The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington website.

The growth of earmarking points to a shift in the way Congress works. Most federal spending originates in requests by departments and agencies. The Transportation Department might seek funds to build a highway interchange, for example, or the Pentagon might ask for new tanks. The spending proposals are then put into legislation which must win approval by Congress.

Earmarks are different because lawmakers can directly insert them into spending bills, often without public scrutiny. Many lobbyists and corporations have discovered in recent years that one of the fastest ways to get the spending they desire is to approach an individual lawmaker of either party on the House or Senate appropriation panel about an earmark. That has fed the growth in earmarks to an estimated $47.4 billion last year from $19.5 billion a decade earlier, according to the Congressional Research Service.

I applaud Obama's call for openness and transparency in government. If we don't know what our politicians are doing, how can we hold them accountable?

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has declined to release her earmarks to the public. And there's a seemingly good reason. She's got so many of them!

From The Hill:

Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has secured more earmarks in the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill than any other Democrat except for panel Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).

The bill contains about $5.4 billion in earmarks, or projects not requested by the Pentagon. With their slim majority, the Democrats on the panel claimed two-thirds of that sum. Clinton is among their more junior members.


By contrast, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), also a Democratic presidential candidate and Clinton’s rival for the nomination, has only one request in the defense bill.

How many of her political endorsements are also benefiting from a designated earmark?

And my question to you is:

If Hillary is giving more money to the Pentagon than any other Democrat (and is doing it in a way that she can come out publicly and say she hasn't "voted" on these increases)...then where is the motivation to pull out of Iraq in a timely manner?

The Pentagon is getting all this cash from her, isn't that like a tacit endorsement to keep spending it?

Obama Takes On Fraudulent Lenders

In the Financial Times, Obama addresses the subprime lending crash.

The real victims in this crisis are the millions of borrowers who followed the rules, whose only crime was taking out mortgages that lenders told them they could afford. Normally, these borrowers could avoid foreclosure by refinancing their mortgages or selling their homes. The problem today is that they cannot refinance because no one will lend to them, and they cannot sell because the housing market has fallen. With some arguing that the effects of the worst subprime loans will not be felt until 2008 and 2009, this may be just the beginning.

We need to help struggling borrowers to weather this storm. One way to protect innocent homeowners - at least until this crisis passes - is to establish a fund to help people refinance or sell to avoid foreclosure. We can partially pay for this fund by imposing penalties on lenders that acted irresponsibly or committed fraud.

Read more here


Why is this important? This is a problem that has national and international economic repercussions.

Reuters reports:

The risk of massive defaults on subprime mortgages and heavy debts now poses a bigger threat to U.S. economic prosperity than terrorism, a panel of U.S. business economists said on Monday.

"The combined threat of subprime loan defaults and excessive indebtedness has supplanted terrorism and the Middle East as the biggest short-term threat to the U.S. economy," the National Association for Business Economics said.

Obama Beats Giuliani and Thompson

From the latest Angus Reid Global Monitor poll:

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Democrat Barack Obama is leading two prospective Republican nominees in the United States, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 45 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator in the 2008 presidential election, while 43 per cent would vote for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Support for Obama in this match-up increased by one point since early August, while backing for Giuliani remained stable. In a separate contest, Obama holds a four-point edge over actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.

Read more here

Barack Obama on Rebuilding New Orleans

From the campaign, a video describing Obama's vision for New Orleans:

Get Your Obama-Kah Yarmulkes Today!

From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency:

Only Obama between his supporters and heaven

Jewish supporters of the presidential bid of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are selling "Obama '08" yarmulkes to raise funds.

The jewsforobama.blogspot.com Web site is marketing what it calls "Obama-kahs" for $5 plus $5 for shipping.

"The yarmulkes are professionally made of ivory white suede, with 'Obama '08' printed in blue, and the campaign's logo directly above the text," the Web site says. The aim is to distribute them before the High Holidays so they may be visible in synagogues.

Clinton Skeletons Ready to Come Flying Out of Closet

Come election time, anyone who has a bone to pick with either Hillary or her husband, is champing at the bit.

My prediction is that even if Hillary were able to squeak out a victory in 2008, the four years of her presidency will be filled with unfinished grudge matches from Republican longtime Clinton haters.

Whether true or not, the rumors and innuendos will be ongoing, and a great amount of time and energy will be spend defending, denying and trying to squash them.

This will distract everyone from the task at hand, and will render the administration ineffectual.

Thus guaranteeing a Republican victory in 2012.

From US News and World Report:

If Once Wasn't Good Enough...

Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign isn't only a boon for conservative fundraisers and critics. Those who have a bone to pick with Bubba or his wife are also planning to use the campaign to air their grievances again. First up: Kathleen Willey, who alleges that President Clinton pawed her in the Oval Office, then bullied her so that she wouldn't tell. Clinton denies her story. Willey adds to her allegations in Target: In the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Why write it now? "I was so misrepresented and maligned and I know it was a while back, but I think this is a real important time with elections coming up to tell this story."

Karl *heart* Hillary

Hillary Clinton is Karl Rove's favorite candidate.

Why? Because her negative ratings are so high, polls show that she can't win against a Republican candidate. See this Rasmussen poll for matchups against Republican candidates. Hillary either barely squeaks by, or is beaten by a Republican.

Obama, on the other hand, shows consistently positive numbers against the Republicans. He's the stronger candidate.

New Groups on Barack Obama site

I want to keep everyone informed about some recently formed groups on Barack Obama's campaign website:

Environmentalists for Obama

"We represent people from all walks of life who are eager for a leader who will promote innovative solutions and reach across partisan and societal divides in our race to save the planet. Join us now to support Barack Obama’s vision for a cleaner, more secure future."

First Americans for Obama

"Please spread the word about this exciting new site dedicated to our American Indian and Alaska Native tribal nations. As sovereign entities, tribes share a complex government-to-government relationship with the United States federal government. Barack Obama is committed to strengthening that relationship and addressing the unique set of issues facing tribal communities today. "

Generation Obama

"Generation Obama/GO is a locally-based but nationally coordinated grassroots movement led by young activists with a simple goal: electing Barack Obama the next President of the United States of America through field work, political organizing and fundraising."

Kids for Obama

"In the words of Senator Barack Obama, the "Obama for America Campaign is a different type of campaign". For the first time in campaign history, children ages 12 and under, have a place to go and actually vote - through their voice. What a great way to be introduced to politics and to express your support for Senator Obama."

LGBT for Obama

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

~ Barack Obama

People of Faith for Obama

"Faith Action Change is a community of people of faith who support Barack Obama and want to put their faith into action to change this country."

Students for Barack Obama

"Bring Senator Obama’s message of hope, action, change to your school today by finding a chapter at your school or creating your own chapter of Students for Barack Obama!"

Women for Obama

"Women for Obama will forcefully and enthusiastically engage women, enlist women and empower women to recognize the difference our candidate can make in the “08 race and the world – and the difference we as women can make for our futures."

Obama Strongest in Grassroots Organizing

As I wrote in a previous post, the Obama campaign is all about educating, inspiring and empowering regular, everyday people to get involved and take ownership in their own political process. I'm sure this comes from his background as a community organizer.

South Carolina newspaper The State writes about how the Obama campaign is organizing from the homes and backyards of regular Americans.

Read about it here.

Obama Dominates in Campaign Finance and Ethics

San Jose Mercury News reports on campaign finance reform, and how Obama is miles ahead of the other candidates on the issues of ethics and how presidential campaigns are run.

On this issue, Obama leads the pack... He helped pass a far-reaching ethics and campaign finance bill in the Illinois state Senate and made the issue a priority on arriving in Washington. Much to the displeasure of his colleagues, Obama promoted an outside commission to handle Senate ethics complaints. He co-authored the lobbying reform bill awaiting President Bush's signature and pushed - again to the dismay of some colleagues - to include a provision requiring lawmakers to report the names of their lobbyist-bundlers.

Read more here

Douglas Wilder, First Black Governor, Endorses Obama

Former Virginia governor, Douglas Wilder is endorsing Obama over Hillary, predicting that Obama could break the Republican Party's lock on the southern vote, and that Hillary is too polarizing a figure to win the election, especially calling her to task on her vote about the Iraq war.

Wilder also had a lot to say about race, and those black so-called leaders who have questioned Obama's "blackness" or his commitment to the black community.

From The Politico:

In a 90-minute interview, Wilder also denounced African-American activists who question whether Obama is "black enough" in his style or agenda, a criticism Wilder said comes simply because Obama does not share their interest in "the pimping of race."

He was also notably cool toward Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. He said that Clinton's explanations of her 2002 vote authorizing the Iraq war make no sense and that her polarizing personality makes her less electable than Obama in Virginia and similar moderate states.

Read more here

Obama Reaches Out to Republicans

If you haven't read The Audacity of Hope, stop what you're doing right now, click on the link and get yourself a copy.

Chapter One's "Republicans and Democrats," was what sold me on this candidate. In it, Obama calls for Democrats and Republicans to work together for the good of the country. Sounds simple, but unfortunately hasn't been a motif in politics since... well, I can't remember when.

But let me quote Obama himself:

But for those of us who believe that government has a role to play in promoting opportunity and prosperity for all Americans, a polarized electorate isn't good enough. Eking out a bare Democratic majority isn't good enough. What's needed is a broad majority of Americans--Democrats, Republicans, and independents of goodwill--who are reengaged in the prospect of national renewal, and who see their own self-interest as inextricably linked to the interests of others.

Newswise, the Washington Post reports on Obama's willingness to reach across party lines. Obama talks about Republican politicians he respects and is looking forward to working with once he's elected President.

Rove Roots for Clinton Victory

Republican activists are hoping for Clinton to be the Democratic nominee because her negatives are so high that virtually guarantees a Republican win in the next Presidential election.

From The Politico

INDIANAPOLIS — He may be on his way out the door at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in coming days. But the party Karl Rove has labored to build over the past eight years seems to have picked up his talking points on next year’s presidential race: Hillary Rodham Clinton is going to be the Democratic nominee and that could be the GOP’s saving grace in an otherwise uphill battle.

Read more here

Barack Obama, Community Organizer

U.S. News and World Report has a really nice profile about Obama that goes in depth about his experience as a community organizer.

If you look at the choices Obama's made in his life, to work in civil rights law and community organizing when he could have made a lot of money as a Harvard Law School grad, you get a real sense of the man's values.

As a community organizer in the Altgeld Gardens public housing project in the mid-1980s, Obama, then 23, quickly emerged as a tireless and pragmatic advocate for the community—traits that characterize the kind of president he says he wants to be. "His work as a community organizer was really a defining moment in his life, not just his career," his wife, Michelle, told U.S. News. It helped him decide "how he would impact the world"—assisting people in defining their mutual interests and working together to improve their lives.

Read more here

Bushies Game Obama's Chances

From US News and World Report:

Bushies Game Obama's Chances

Well, it seems that some of the president's political advisers are catching Obama-mania. Insiders tell us that the team that once thought Sen. Hillary Clinton had a headlock on the Democratic presidential nomination now believes that challenger Sen. Barack Obama's chances are rising as voters take a good look at him and his optimistic message. In fact, one Bush adviser who accurately predicted Bill Clinton would emerge from a crowded 1992 field put the odds at near even that Obama would eke out a victory. "He's been doing better," says the adviser, who adds that Obama has to prove that "he can walk over hot coals, because that's what it's going to take."

Scripture, Obama, and New Orleans

I was at church today, and the scripture reading really struck me. I thought specifically of Obama visiting New Orleans and the great amount of work that needs to be done there.

From Isaiah58:

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. God will guide you always; will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called the Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."

Obama's Plan to Rebuild New Orleans

It's nice that one of our presidential candidates cares about what happens to that great city.

Here's Obama's plan to help the Crescent City.

Today's New York Times writes about Obama's trip there.

Clinton Obsessed with Republican Attacks

From The Hill:

A top adviser for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said Friday that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), the front-runner for her party’s presidential nomination, is obsessed “with what she calls the Republican attack machine.”

“I think we need a candidate who is obsessed with unifying this country again,” said Obama adviser David Axelrod. He added that Obama could break “the sort of decades-long battle we’ve had over this jagged divide — red state, blue state, American against American — and try to bring people together and attract disaffected Republicans and attract independent voters so that we could build not just a victory, but a governing coalition in this country.

Read more here

Obama Only Democratic Candidate to Call for Transparency in White House

Obama is the only Democratic candidate to sign "The Oath of Presidential Transparency," which calls for financial accountability and openness to the American people.

This is consistent with his being the only Democratic presidential candidate to have released his earmarks.

From Reason Magazine:

"Every American has the right to know how the government spends their tax dollars, but for too long that information has been largely hidden from public view," says Sen. Obama, whose role in creating FFAT [Federal Funding and Tranparency Act] can't be overstated. "This historic law will lift the veil of secrecy in Washington and ensure that our government is transparent and accountable to the American people. And I will be proud to fully implement and enforce this law as president."

Read more here

Camp Obama -- Sign up Now!

Today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes about Camp Obama in Atlanta and how Obama supporters are being trained in running a campaign.

I attended Camp Obama in Burbank, which took place over three days. I came back energized and inspired.

Marshall Ganz led the workshops. He was an active organizer in the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez in the 1960s and '70s, and is currently a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Marshall gave us organizing history, tools, and techniques. He was phenomenal, and helped us all hone our message as to why we feel that Barack Obama is the best candidate for President of the United States.

If you have the opportunity to sign up for Camp Obama, do so today. It is an empowering experience, one that you'll always remember -- and one that might just change your life!

Barack Obama is the only candidate who is focused on creating transformed leaders and energized grassroots communities. This is because of his background as a community organizer. His campaign is not working the "top down" approach being waged by the competing candidates.

Obama said that his presidency would unleash a "transformation," and that's already happening in neighborhoods all over the United States.

Update: Brzezinski Interview

Just added, the Brzezinski interview on Bloomberg News about Obama and foreign policy. Also, read more about this important endorsement in the Washington Post and The New York Times.

Clinton Campaign Makes Volunteers Cry

Wow. Hillary Clinton's campaign in Iowa is treating people so badly, they're ending up in tears. (Can you imagine what a presidency would be like?)

Here's one volunteer describing the "abuse," and why seeing how the grassroots were ill-treated made him change his support to Barack Obama. From today's Des Moines Register.

Clinton campaign sends volunteer to Obama

I came to Iowa as a die-hard Hillary Clinton supporter/volunteer, who was ready to help elect the first woman president of the United States.

I had extra time to spend in Iowa before a trip to Fargo, so I decided to volunteer for a week before I went to Fargo and for two weeks afterward.

Within the first couple of days of arriving, I had seen three field workers cry because of the abuse they took. The volunteers were segregated and treated like second-class citizens. I left after my first week, hoping things would change, but they did not.

I was ignored, even though I asked many people for work to do. So I decided to leave the campaign as a volunteer, knowing that I have been supporting the wrong candidate.

As a former state president of College Democrats and having worked on numerous campaigns, I have never seen people treated so badly. I have officially changed my views: I believe Barack Obama will be the best president of United States.

- James Henson,
Oklahoma City, Okla.

Brzezinski Supports Barack's Foreign Policy Over Clinton's

Great news day for the campaign! Brzezinski, who has been called the "Democrat's Henry Kissinger," and was one of the few Washington DC foreign policy experts to speak out against the war in Iraq spoke to Bloomberg News, saying that he endorses Obama for President.

Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Zbigniew Brzezinski, one of the most influential foreign-policy experts in the Democratic Party, threw his support behind Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, saying the Illinois senator has a better global grasp than his chief rival, Hillary Clinton.

Obama ``recognizes that the challenge is a new face, a new sense of direction, a new definition of America's role in the world,'' Brzezinski said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt.''

``Obama is clearly more effective and has the upper hand,'' Brzezinski, who was President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, said. ``He has a sense of what is historically relevant, and what is needed from the United States in relationship to the world.''

Brzezinski, 79, dismissed the notion that Clinton, 59, a New York senator and the wife of former President Bill Clinton, is more seasoned than Obama, 46. ``Being a former first lady doesn't prepare you to be president. President Truman didn't have much experience before he came to office. Neither did John Kennedy,'' Brzezinski said.

Clinton's foreign-policy approach is ``very conventional,'' Brzezinski said. ``I don't think the country needs to go back to what we had eight years ago.''

Read more here

B-Rock Plays B-Ball!

B-Rock's got SKILLZ!

Check out this three-pointer on the basketball court.

Hillary's Surge

Hillary spoke before the Veterans of Foreign Wars, saying that the Iraq surge was "working," which is wrong.

Obama has rightly called our screwed-up Iraq policy a "failure."

But, let's not play politics with this one. Let's go directly to people who are there, young soldiers deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division, writing in a recent New York Times Op-Ed.

In their own words:

To believe that Americans, with an occupying force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-fetched. As responsible infantrymen and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home, we are skeptical of recent press coverage portraying the conflict as increasingly manageable and feel it has neglected the mounting civil, political and social unrest we see every day.

And that's just the first paragraph. This is a must read!

Read more here

Iowa Republicans for Obama!

Something that those of us who read Audacity of Hope already know... Obama has shown with his past experience that he is willing to work across party lines. As a matter of fact, he has pledged this to be an integral part of his presidency.

In Iowa, Obama has polled as being the third favorite candidate among Republicans, who see him as a uniter, not a divider.

Read the entire piece at Salon.com

Any political expert will tell you that polls don't mean much five months before the first caucus. But a pattern may be emerging. In part because of Clinton's high negatives among Republicans, it appears Obama is gaining momentum as a fresh candidate with a less divisive approach, by constantly appealing beyond the partisan lines of the last decade. His first television ad buy in Iowa included testimony from a Republican state lawmaker from Illinois talking up Obama and his ability to reach across party lines. As Obama reiterated in an appearance in Iowa last week, "The country is hungry for change. It wants something new. We want to chart a new direction for our nation."

It's a cliché message, but one that could have traction for Obama. "There is a segment of society that is desperately looking for a less partisan, less divisive approach," Luntz says of Obama. "For them, he is the perfect candidate." This segment may be cutting into Republican votes more than those of Democrats. Since 2004, the percentage of Americans identifying as Republican has declined from 29 percent to 25 percent, while the percentage identifying as Democrat has held steady at 33 percent, according to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. In Iowa, the lack of Republican enthusiasm is palpable. "It's been really hard for us to get likely Republican caucus goers," Redlawsk says about his polling operation.

Perhaps abetted by this decline in enthusiasm, Obama has been able to attract people like Joe Rowe, 63, a retired pharmacist in Raleigh, N.C., who describes himself as a lifelong Republican in favor of tort reform and privatizing Social Security. Though he says he has always voted for Republican presidents in the past, he now makes monthly contributions to the Obama campaign. "You have to make a stand sometime, and there is so much partisanship, and I would love to see someone who can be a reconciler," Rowe explained this week in a phone interview. "I think we can get a lot done with his approach."

Caucuses, Explained!

Ok, true confessions here. For someone who has been as avidly following the campaign as I have, whenever I heard mention of the word "caucus," I truly did not know what was going on... absolutely clueless.

All I knew was that Iowa had a "caucus," and only recently learned that Nevada had one too. A speaker at Camp Obama described it as "people standing in groups in a room, with each group supporting a candidate... Democracy at its best" HUH?

An Presidential candidate determined by having people stand in corners of the room? I don't get it. This is the 21st century...right?

Wow. I know Iowa is a small state and all, but I could never imagine anything like that happening in California.

First off, we'd kill each other. Not a good idea.

Anyway, I took some time to look up "caucus" on Google and got a Web definition as being "a closed meeting of legislators of one's own party."

Still confusing. This is "Democracy at its best"? The image that came to my mind is a bunch of Party Big Shots sitting in club chairs, knocking back Cognacs, chomping on cigars, and cutting deals.

But then I found this piece in the Des Moines Register that takes you through the caucus process step-by-step.

So, I guess I feel a little better about how Iowans run their elections (and determine our Presidents!), but my big-city self just can't imagine that there are are still places where people go to their churches, schools, auditoriums and discuss who they're voting for with their neighbors, and there's no bloodshed.

I guess if you just disagree with your neighbor's WRONG ideas, you just leave it at the caucus, let bygones be bygones and go home to share some coffeecake.

Iowa, I commend you! You're better people than I.

Michelle Obama on the Politics of Fear

Aren't we all tired of being manipulated by the politics of fear? Listen to Michelle in this clip. She's got it right.

Obama on Daily Show

From Chicago Tribune's "The Swamp" blog:

Obama on Daily Show: "Judgment" is everything

by Christi Parsons

Barack Obama took the oblique reference to new heights on the Daily Show last night, when host Jon Stewart asked how the young Democratic presidential candidate plans to challenge the notion that he is inexperienced.

"When people talk about experience, what they really want to know is, 'Does he have good judgment?'" Obama said.

One hopes that more experience means better judgment, he said, but "everybody knows a lot of 50-, 60- and 70-year-olds that don't have good judgment, because they keep on making the same mistakes over and over again."

Obama didn't have to say the words "Hillary Clinton" for any reasonable viewer to think, "Hmmm, Hillary's in that age range now, isn't she?"

That goes double for any viewer who knows the first line of the Obama narrative about Clinton, which is, "She voted for the Iraq war. I was against it from the start."

Friends of Hillary have been bristling in recent days about what they see as the Obama camp's attempt to have things both ways, criticizing Clinton subtly while still maintaining his claim on the sunny "politics of hope."

For instance, Clinton friends say Michelle Obama was indirectly criticizing their candidate a few days ago, when she said that a person can't run the White House if they can't run their own house.

Sen. Obama says Michelle Obama wasn't taking a shot at Clinton, placing the comment in the context of his wife's usual stump speech -- which, to be fair, focuses very heavily on stories of her own family and her personal attempts to maintain a health family life.

But you can see why Clinton supporters might be trying to read between the lines.

As usual, Stewart was much funnier than his guest last night. But what would you expect from an interview with a presidential candidate? For things to devolve into a silly water-splashing session between guest and host?

For that, you have to watch Steven Colbert interviewing billionaire Richard Branson.

Obama and JFK: "Naive" in Foreign Policy?

Writer Theodore Sorensen was presidential adviser to JFK. Many of the same criticisms being applied to Obama about his "naivete" in foreign policy were leveled against JFK in his time.

From the Des Moines Register

Obama's bold call for American action to seize Osama bin Laden in Pakistan - if our undemocratic, unpopular and unreliable ally the Musharraf regime will not - has been loudly castigated by Obama's Democratic and Republican opponents, using the same old Cold War rhetoric from the same old Washington experts who have dominated the capital's foreign-policy thinking throughout the 20 years that the Bush and Clinton families have controlled the White House.

Obama's critics have used such code words as "well-intended but naive" (Joe Biden), "ill-timed and ill-considered" (Mitt Romney), a subject "that should not be discussed" (Hillary Clinton), and "prompted by political consideration" (George W. Bush).

Obama is not the first young senator running for president to discomfort the Washington foreign-policy establishment by speaking frankly on a subject displeasing to an American ally. Fifty years ago this summer, a 40-year-old first-term senator, John F. Kennedy, called on the Senate floor for the U.S. government to pressure its French ally into halting its war against Algerian independence.

Obama Leading Foreign Policy Debate

From Washington Post Op-Ed columnist David Ignatius, in which he discusses Obama's skill in addressing foreign policy.

Obama is deftly managing to outflank his Democratic rivals on both the left and right on key foreign policy issues. That may be a piece of political opportunism on his part, but a top Obama adviser gives it a different spin, which may reveal the essence of the man: "He is totally pragmatic. He asks what would work and what wouldn't."

Read more here

Hillary Praises Iraq Results

For those who don't know... Hillary voted for this war, has never owned up to her mistake, and now is saying the surge is "working"?

'nuff said?

From CNN's "Political Ticker":

WASHINGTON (CNN) — White House hopeful Hillary Clinton is taking heat Tuesday from some of her Democratic rivals over recent comments suggesting the president's surge policy in Iraq is "working."

The remarks came during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention Monday, in which the New York Democrat said the president's Iraq policy was leading to success in "some areas."

"We've begun to change tactics in Iraq, and in some areas, particularly in Al Anbar province, it's working," she said. "We're just years too late in changing our tactics."

Read more here

Obama Says Iraq Is a Failure

Obama comes out strong against the war in Iraq in today's NY Times. There's no mistaking what his position is--no double talk. (See above post on Hillary's recent statement about how the war is "working"!)

America needs more leaders who say exactly what they mean, and who stick by their word.

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 21 — Senator Barack Obama said Tuesday that even if the military escalation in Iraq was showing limited signs of progress, efforts to stabilize the country had been a “complete failure” and American troops should not be entangled in the sectarian strife.

“No military surge, no matter how brilliantly performed, can succeed without political reconciliation and a surge of diplomacy in Iraq and the region,” Mr. Obama said. “Iraq’s leaders are not reconciling. They are not achieving political benchmarks.”

Mr. Obama, of Illinois, addressed the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars one day after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, one of his leading rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, addressed the group. In her speech, Mrs. Clinton, of New York, said elements of the Bush administration’s troop buildup in Iraq appeared to be working, particularly in Al Anbar Province.

Read more here

Multitasking Michelle

Here's my girl!

I had the privilege of meeting Michelle Obama at a fundraiser. And I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. First off, she's gorgeous in person. A real stunner at 5'11. Also, she seemed so down to earth and warm. She took the time to listen to each person who came up to talk with her. When she spoke of her husband's qualities, you got a better sense of the quality of man Barack Obama is, and how he is a strong and present father and husband.

Michelle is a real asset to her husband's campaign. Here is an LA Times profile that shows her in her role as a multitasking mom, juggling family and career, being pulled in multiple directions at once.

Something many women can relate to.

News Roundup

Today's New York Times "Political Caucus" blog posts a listing of some of the top news stories about Barack Obama.

Obama discusses everything from Cuba to black voter turnout to that annoying Obama Girl. (I always wondered what Michelle had to say about that one!)

Barack's Ahead of His Class

Time magazine praised Barack on his performance in Sunday's debate. He got an "A" on their debate report card. Teacher's pet?... I think not. He earned that grade.

Read more

Obama and Cuba

Obama takes on the Cuban embargo. Once again, Obama shows himself to be ahead of the pack in his ability to balance common sense with a humanitarian vision. From an AP story written by Laura Wides-Munoz:

Obama's campaign said Monday that, if elected, the Illinois senator would lift restrictions imposed by the Bush administration and allow Cuban-Americans to visit their relatives more frequently, as well as ease limits on the amount of money they can send to their families.

"Senator Obama feels that the Bush administration has made a humanitarian and a strategic blunder," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an e-mail. "His concern is that this has had a profoundly negative impact on the Cuban people, making them more dependent on the Castro regime, thus isolating them from the transformative message carried by Cuban-Americans.

Read more

Dems Pile on Obama (Bad Idea!)

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Aiming at Obama may backfire

Democratic presidential candidates, egged on by moderator George Stephanopoulus, again attacked Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as too inexperienced to sit in the White House during a debate on Sunday.
Politics is a contact sport, but in continuing to inflict blows on Obama they risk making him even more formidable. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is the clear front runner but she doesn't have Obama's likability. By sparring with Obama she risks increasing her negatives.
The other candidates are just clawing for air time. When they go after Obama they're only raising his profile even higher. Most of the news stories tomorrow will be about the Illinois senator, not the second tier candidates. Why? Because they made Sunday's debate about him.
Roger Simon at The Politico thinks Obama is just now getting comfortable on the campaign trail. That's bad news for the rest of the field.

Obama Wins Debate Hands Down!!!

This is from Fox News (a channel not generally noted for its pro-Obama coverage, putting it mildly). It's a focus group in Iowa immediately responding to the debate. Obama wins hands-down! Hillary supporters call her a "disappointment."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4aVFJ3FIrY

From USA Today

After a string of strong debate performances so far in the campaign, Clinton seemed a little off her game at ABC-TVs gathering Sunday morning.

That may be understandable, given that candidates had to get up around 4 a.m. in order to be at Drake University for the 8 a.m. program. The network asked me to ask a few questions and afterwards Barack Obama pulled me aside and said: "Let's do this again, but let's do it a little later in the day.") But the Sunday sunrise nature of the event didn't stop some of the others from having strong performances. Obama may be the biggest winner.

He was in the cross hairs for much of the early part of the session and he stood up well to the scrutiny over his foreign policy positions and questions of whether he's qualified to be president.

Obama's campaign was quick to tout the results of a focus group held during the debate in which the participants tapped him as the best performer who eased concerns about his ability to do the job.

He came off as knowledgeable and temperate. He looked presidential and unlike some of his earlier, halting debate performances, was much more polished and laid back in this one. At one point he joked: "To prepare for this debate, I rode the bumper cars at the State Fair."

Obama Scores in Debate

Nice roundup of the debate on Politico.com and how Obama addressed the “experience” question.

Many of the candidates running for president have numerous years of experience. But what they haven’t shown is leadership and vision. Obama has demonstrated both.

Here’s an excerpt. Read more here:

But while the debate pretty much stayed at sea level for all 90 minutes, there was a high point or two and I thought Barack Obama did the best in advancing his message.

His campaign accurately has identified his greatest weakness — lack of national experience — and has devised a strategy to turn it into a strong point.

Obama didn’t just exploit opportunities during the debate, he created them.

Thus, in a discussion about how many U.S. troops should be left behind in Iraq after a general withdrawal, Obama said: “But the thing I wish had happened was that all the people on this stage had asked these questions before they authorized us getting in. And I make that point because earlier on we were talking about the issue of experience. Nobody had more experience than Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and many of the people on this stage that authorized this war.”

In a discussion about political polarization in America, Obama responded: “If you're tired of the backbiting and the score-keeping and the special-interest-driven politics of Washington, if you want somebody who can bring the country together around a common purpose and rally us around a common destiny, then I’m your guy.”

And even in an off-the-wall discussion as to whether the power of prayer can stop hurricanes, bridge collapses and disease, Obama answered: “We don’t have the power to prevent illness in all cases, but we do have the power to make sure that every child gets a regular checkup and isn’t going to the emergency room for treatable illnesses like asthma.

“We may not have the power to prevent a hurricane, but we do have the power to make sure that the levees are properly reinforced and we’ve got a sound emergency plan.”

"Obama Is a Muslim" = Urban Legend

Believe in Bigfoot, how about the Loch Ness Monster? If so, DON'T click on the link below, because it dispels another urban legend making the email internet rounds, namely that Barack Obama is a Muslim, raised in a radical madrassa, focused on deceiving the American people about his "true" faith.

I don't know exactly which camp started this one, Republicans or Democrats, but regardless, it feeds on the ignorance of some Americans who don't read or get their facts from the news, but rather from hearsay. And to me it wouldn't matter whether he were a Muslim or not. Obama's international perspective is one that I value and feel could help the country in our foreign policy.

But let's get the facts straight.

So, here is the truth about the matter, from snopes.com, which is a website devoted to debunking urban myths.

Barack Obama on "Tone, Truth and the Democratic Party"

From Barack Obama's blog on Dailykos. This was written in 2005, before he planned on running for the presidency. However the ideas that he articulated in this piece gathered him almost uniform praise for his call for open dialogue between opposing political sides.

Tone, Truth, and the Democratic Party

by Barack Obama

Fri Sep 30, 2005 at 07:38:41 AM PDT

There is one way, over the long haul, to guarantee the appointment of judges that are sensitive to issues of social justice, and that is to win the right to appoint them by recapturing the presidency and the Senate. And I don't believe we get there by vilifying good allies, with a lifetime record of battling for progressive causes, over one vote or position. I am convinced that, our mutual frustrations and strongly-held beliefs notwithstanding, the strategy driving much of Democratic advocacy, and the tone of much of our rhetoric, is an impediment to creating a workable progressive majority in this country.

According to the storyline that drives many advocacy groups and Democratic activists - a storyline often reflected in comments on this blog - we are up against a sharply partisan, radically conservative, take-no-prisoners Republican party. They have beaten us twice by energizing their base with red meat rhetoric and single-minded devotion and discipline to their agenda. In order to beat them, it is necessary for Democrats to get some backbone, give as good as they get, brook no compromise, drive out Democrats who are interested in "appeasing" the right wing, and enforce a more clearly progressive agenda. The country, finally knowing what we stand for and seeing a sharp contrast, will rally to our side and thereby usher in a new progressive era.

I think this perspective misreads the American people. From traveling throughout Illinois and more recently around the country, I can tell you that Americans are suspicious of labels and suspicious of jargon. They don't think George Bush is mean-spirited or prejudiced, but have become aware that his administration is irresponsible and often incompetent. They don't think that corporations are inherently evil (a lot of them work in corporations), but they recognize that big business, unchecked, can fix the game to the detriment of working people and small entrepreneurs. They don't think America is an imperialist brute, but are angry that the case to invade Iraq was exaggerated, are worried that we have unnecessarily alienated existing and potential allies around the world, and are ashamed by events like those at Abu Ghraib which violate our ideals as a country.

Read more here

Washington Post -- Obama unites Democats and Republicans

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/15/post_14.html

 

What Republicans See in Obama

Barack Obama says he can unite the country in a way that Hillary Clinton cannot. (AP).

In an interview with the Washington Post this week, Barack Obama laid out as explicitly as he has to date what many believe is his strongest argument for his candidacy against that of Hillary Clinton: that he is a less polarizing figure on the national scene. "I believe I can bring the country together in a way she cannot do," Obama said. "If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be running."

In making this case, Obama can find both affirmation and reason for concern in an intriguing and overlooked nugget in the Post-ABC poll on the Democratic presidential race released late last month. Simply put: independents and Republicans seem to recognize that Obama has the potential to appeal to voters outside the Democratic base -- but Democratic voters themselves don't yet seem to be taking that fully into account in their thinking about whom to nominate.

Asked which Democratic candidate would have the "best chance to defeat the Republican nominee in the general election," 54 percent of Democrats polled said Clinton would, compared to 22 percent who said Obama would.

But when the same question was put to independents and Republicans -- which Democrat would have the best chance in 2008 -- those voters had a notably different view: 35 percent of independents said Clinton would have the best chance, and 29 percent said Obama would; 37 percent of Republicans said Clinton would have the best chance, compared with 33 percent who said Obama would. (John Edwards was deemed most electable by 9-10 percent of voters in all three groups of voters.)What to make of this 17-19 point gap in the estimation of Clinton's general election prospects between Democrats and other voters? One might surmise that independents and Republicans -- the very voters whose views matter most, come November 2008, in determining how electable a Democrat would be -- are basing their estimation of Clinton's chances on their own misgivings about her, and the misgivings of other independents and Republicans.

Democrats, on the other hand, appear so far not to be making as much of Clinton's unpopularity among many groups of voters. Whether there is an increased reckoning among Democrats on this score will likely help determine whether Obama is able to carve into Clinton's status as the party's frontrunner.

Chris Runkle, a 51-year-old analyst with the New Jersey Department of Criminal Justice, was among the Democrats who responded that Clinton would have the better chance. She said in an interview that she did worry that "the conservatives hate her," and that if Clinton wins the nomination "there's always the fear" that "there might be a vote against her as opposed to for whomever is the Republican candidate."

But Runkle also gave weight to Clinton's fundraising machine and the importance of name recogntion and experience in winning the general election. And she said she had been pleasantly surprised at how Clinton had won over people in New York after being elected to the Senate, and hoped that perhaps the same could happen nationwide.

" I thought she'd have trouble in New York, I thought, 'aw, jeez, it's all going to come up again,' but she seems to be handling herself well," said Runkle.

But Leslie Gallagher, an independent from Fairfax County, Va. has doubts about Clinton's ability to change people's minds about herself, and thinks Obama would have a better chance of winning in 2008.

"Too many people say, 'There's something about her I don't like,'" said Gallagher, a 50-year-old homemaker who voted for John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000. "She's been in the public eye for a long time, and everyone's had a long time to form opinions about her. I'm not sure she can turn it around."

--Alec MacGillis

NY Post: Hillary's Negative Ratings Climb -- New Gallup Poll

HILLARY'S POPULARITY RATINGS GO NEGATIVE

By IAN BISHOP Post Correspondent

April 19, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - A new national poll shows Hillary Rodham Clinton's favorable ratings sinking like a stone, and her negatives soaring - a terrifying trend for a campaign desperately trying to convince voters she's not too polarizing to be president.

The new USA Today/Gallup survey shows Clinton's favorability rating shrunken to 45 percent - down 9 points from a similar poll taken last month, and a 13-point drop from a survey taken shortly after she announced her White House bid.

More troubling for her White House hopes, her unfavorable ratings have climbed 12 points since she entered the race, and now stand at 52 percent - meaning more Americans now dislike her than like her.

"You don't see this type of straightforward pattern very often," Gallup's polling guru Frank Newport said.

The steady decline in favorability is exclusive to Clinton. Her rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards have bounced up and down in surveys over the past three months and have identical 52 percent approval - about where they started three months ago.

Clinton's skyrocketing negatives have wiped out her 19-point Democratic primary lead in a similar survey from earlier this month. Obama is now tight on her tail, 31 percent to 26 percent - within the poll's 5-point error margin.

The poll of 1,007 American adults shows Clinton's favorability even among Democrats dropping. It's down 8 points from January to 68 percent.

Her team is spinning it as normal primary poll tightening, saying that the favorability dip is typical for front-runners.

But some pros say her increased public profile is reminding voters of her negative image during her husband's presidency.

"It's like watching a rerun and remembering what you didn't like about the show in the first place," one Democratic campaign veteran said.

Obama Right About Pakistan

A piece by Clarence Page in today's Chicago Tribune

Obama's international melodrama

Senator, though right, takes flak from all sides

Clarence Page

August 12, 2007

Leave it to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to stir up an international incident by acknowledging something everyone already knew.

Obama's bombshell: If the Obama administration knows Osama bin Laden is in Pakistan and President Pervez Musharraf doesn't act to take him out, President Obama will. Obama's rivals in the race for the White House pounced, calling his stance naive and a sign of his lack of foreign policy experience. They didn't disagree with the policy. They didn't like the way he said it.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton launched the naive theme earlier when Obama suggested that he would meet with dictators from countries such as Cuba, Iran, Venezuela or North Korea in his first year as president. First you need preconditions to such meetings, she scolded, like a wise teacher setting a prized pupil straight.

This was Clinton's comeback to all of the points that Obama has scored as the voice for a new generation of leadership.

The gloves are coming off. We're seeing a new debate emerging in the dog days of summer that's centering on how much Obama has to learn about foreign policy. The former first lady and second-term senator, who has been widening her lead over Obama in polls, certainly has the edge on experience. But Obama has a big comeback of his own: If experience got us into the foreign policy mess we face today, that kind of experience is overrated.

Obama was criticized for declaring in a recent foreign policy speech that "if we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will."

Various reports indicate bin Laden probably is holed up somewhere in the lawless borderlands of western Pakistan and Afghanistan, where tribal chiefs have more control than the country's central government.

Does anyone doubt that the U.S. would launch a missile strike or an attack by U.S. Special Forces if we had actionable intelligence as to bin Laden's location? We've certainly done it before in other countries. In 2002, for example, the U.S. launched a Hellfire missile from a pilotless CIA spy plane that killed a top Al Qaeda official and six other Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen, another partner in our "war on terror." Yemen's president protested, but our relationship remained largely unshaken.

Yet, Clinton and other leading Democratic rivals, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, saw an opportunity to criticize Obama and they took it. So did former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the Republican roster.

Yet, Obama's critics acknowledged that his policy is already the Bush administration's policy. Furthermore, none of the leading candidates disagreed with it.

So what was the problem? The issue quickly became a question of international etiquette.

"You can think big," Sen. Clinton scolded Obama during a candidates' forum in Chicago, "but remember, you shouldn't always say everything you think if you're running for president, because it has consequences around the world."

Indeed, halfway around the world, Pakistani officials had called Obama's comments irresponsible and hundreds of protesters chanted anti-U.S. slogans and burned an American flag in protest, according to The Associated Press.

And that's how many countries often see our presidential campaigns. They presume our elections are all about them.

In fact, our election is about us, the American voters, and which candidate we think we can trust the most to look out for us, our families and our interests.

With that in mind, Obama is fortunate to be jousting over foreign policy during a time in the summer when voters are least engaged with the campaign. It is a great paradox of this election that foreign policy expertise alone doesn't get you very far. Otherwise Biden, whose foreign policy expertise wins praise from both parties, would be doing better than the 2 or 3 percent he usually gets in the polls.

Personally, I'd feel better about acting on "actionable intelligence," as Obama put it, if I had more confidence in what our intelligence apparatus calls "actionable." As Sen. Clinton said, we've had some bad experience with intelligence that proved to be faulty. Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction come to mind.

With that in mind, the foreign policy debate needs to be expanded into the question of how the candidates would improve intelligence gathering. Too often we don't know whether our actions based on actionable intelligence are justified until after we have acted.

People who got to sleep in the Clinton White House

Here is a link of people who were invited to sleep in the Clinton White House. How many of them are also endorsing Hillary for President?

This is new territory, politically. Hillary's running for president enables her to gather endorsements based on her HUSBAND'S presidency?


http://www.opensecrets.org/whitehouse/guests.asp

Obama Addresses NABJ

Check out the podcast from Obama's address at the National Association of Black Journalists

http://nabjonline.mypodcast.com/

Foreign Policy

Obama outlines his foreign policy in the July/Aug. issue of Foreign Affairs magazine.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/

Is He Finally Black Enough?

So, what I want to know is, if Barack Obama isn't black enough -- who exactly IS the blacker candidate... Hillary?


********************************************

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) – Sen. Barack Obama hasn’t been shy about his distaste for circumstances that call for one-liners and sound bites. But sitting among thousands at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention Friday afternoon, it was easy to see why Obama thrives in a setting where he can just talk, up close and personal.

Belying his past job as a law professor, “Professor Obama” appeared relaxed and at ease, engaging in an easygoing discussion on a variety of issues and often joking with moderator Byron Pitts, a national correspondent for CBS.

But then Pitts asked that last question: What gives Obama hope that America is ready for a black president? The room fell eerily silent. The barrage of camera shutters tapered off quickly. The cavernous ballroom was standing room only, a stark contrast to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, who spoke to a half-filled room.

Obama’s blackness has come up plenty of times before. He’s often asked whether he’s “black enough” by the African American community and his stock response – the one he deftly delivered during the CNN-YouTube Democratic Presidential debate – has been to joke that folks never ask that question when he’s trying to catch a cab in New York.

But that was hardly his answer Friday afternoon.

Instead – for the first time in more detail that I’ve ever seen – Obama took the opportunity to get at what he considers the heart of the matter, actually demanding that black journalists themselves are to blame for missing the point. Skin color, his record in public service, the issues – none of this suggests he’s not ‘black enough’ and yet questions over his blackness persist, he put to the crowd of black journalists.

It’s “puzzling,” he said. Why is this?

But the question was rhetorical. Professor Obama then stepped onto the stage, answering his own question, and suggesting that perhaps the real issue is a basic mistrust in black America of a black candidate.

“What it really does is really lay bare, I think, that we’re still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong,” he said, adding it’s the same sort of suspicion many blacks face when they attend a predominately white Ivy League institution.

And that’s when he issued this provocative challenge: Instead of asking Obama if he’s black enough, black journalists should dig deeper, and ask why there exists this mistrust in black America of a black man like Obama running for office?

Bottom line: Obama nailed it. The question of his blackness has always been a ridiculous one. And maybe now he won't have to answer it again.

What do you think? I’d like to her hear your opinion in the comments section below.

– CNN contributor Roland Martin

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/10/obama-enough-with-the-%e2%80%98black-enough%e2%80%99-talk/

Discussing Foreign Policy

CHICAGO — Sen. Barack Obama played his trump card against rivals who questioned his ability to run American foreign policy at a debate Tuesday night, reminding other leading presidential candidates that they — unlike him — voted for the Iraq invasion.

The rowdy, hometown audience for the debate in sweltering Soldier Field, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, welcomed Obama's response to the foreign policy criticism from fellow senators. First came Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who said Obama's threats to raid Pakistan in search of terrorists could destabilize a friendly but fragile regime.

"Well, look, I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield
and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism," Obama said to applause for the crowd.

Read the rest at: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5292.html

Drama at the Polls - Aug. 10, 2007

While the headline in this CNN piece trumpets Hillary as the "front runner," the real
numbers show a different side of the story.

*********************************************

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/09/2008.dems.poll/index.html?eref=rss_politics


"While Clinton appears to be firmly entrenched as the front-runner, there
is one important warning sign for the Clinton campaign.

Among Democrats who did not graduate from college, she leads Obama by 26 points,
but among Democrats with a college degree, Clinton has only a three-point edge.

Turnout is much higher among college graduates, particularly in the primary
season, so the Clinton camp may have to work harder to turn her lead in the polls
into victory at the ballot box.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll of Iowa voters released on August 3 had Clinton,
Obama and Edwards in a virtual tie in that key early caucus state. Obama led with
27 percent, while Clinton and Edwards both had 26 percent."

Clinton Contradicts Herself...Again

Here we go... first post.

This is my favorite news story of the day. Remember how Hillary Clinton was tsk tsking Barack because supposedly he overstepped by speaking about Pakistan and nuclear weapons.

Well, turns out she agrees with him. Go figure.

Read more here