Tuesday, May 6, 2008

An Open Letter to My Democrat Friends:

From Evan Sayet

I'm going to state the facts as best I can: Barack Obama is a virtual unknown. He's served less than one term in the United States Senate -- having announced his run for the Presidency before he was even eighteen months in office.

During that time we know almost nothing about his plans --much less what he will actually pursue if he became the most powerful person in human history and even less about what he'll be able to accomplish.

We know he favors "hope" over "fear" (but, of course, so did Neville Chamberlain.) We know he's a big fan of "change" yet change to what we're not quite sure. We know he speaks of being a "uniter" yet whenever the Senate saw efforts at bipartisanship -- such as the "gang of fourteen" -- not only was Obama nowhere to be found, his voting record is the most radical leftist of all US Senators.

While we don't know much more about Obama's plans or accomplishments we DO know the people who helped make him what he is today. We know that he's in bed with mobsters -- his home purchased only with the aid of Tony Rezko. We know that his longtime mentor is a Jew-hater, white-hater and an American hater who holds Louis Farrakhan in the highest regard. We DO know that he's a colleague, friend (and probably more) to unrepentant terrorists like William Ayers.

So, given his lack of experience, his refusal to work with people on the other side of the aisle, his close relationship with hatemongers, murderers and mobsters, just what exactly would it take to get you to question his candidacy and his elevation to the most powerful position in the history of the world?

Source





Is Obama in Trouble?

First Jeremiah Wright, then William Ayers, and lingering in the background is Tony Rezko. Barack Obama has some skeletons in his closet and when you add in recent polls, Tom Elia at The New Editor wonders if Obama is in bigger trouble than anyone thinks:
"The latest CBS News/New York Times poll contains an interesting tidbit (pdf file) about a potential Obama-McCain match-up, particularly considering the tilt of the poll.
According to the poll, "McCain now holds a three-point lead over Obama among women; last month, women gave Obama a 13-point margin."

As a point of comparison, the CNN exit poll after the 2004 presidential election showed Democrat John Kerry winning the women's vote by a three-point margin.

November's a long way off, but if that six-point swing among female voters holds up for McCain, it's a big, big development if Obama is the Dems' nominee."

Elia also notes that Gallup has McCain over Obama by 6 points.

We all know polls can be wrong which is why I have another test: A worried politician often puts his children on display to bolster the campaign. Chelsea Clinton went public on behalf of her mother after Obama became a factor in Iowa. Now it looks like Obama's girls are more involved, and that suggests to me Obama is feeling the heat.

Source





Spinning their own poll

The NY Times starts off by saying most voters are unaffected by the Rev. Wright meltdown and Obama's response, but buried in the story is this:
But nearly half of the voters surveyed, and a substantial part of the Democrats, said Mr. Obama had acted mainly because he thought it would help him politically, rather than because he had serious disagreements with his former pastor. The broader effect of the controversy on Mr. Obama's candidacy among Democratic primary voters was less clear in the poll, but enough of them expressed qualms about Mr. Obama's relationship with Mr. Wright to suggest it could sway a relatively small but potentially important group of voters in the remaining primaries....

Still, the survey suggested that Mr. Obama, of Illinois, had lost much or all of the once-commanding lead he had held over Mrs. Clinton, of New York, among Democratic voters on the question of which of them would be the strongest candidate against Mr. McCain, of Arizona....

In addition the poll appears to be significantly different from the Real Clear Politics averages in a match up with McCain. My guess is that this is the typical NY Times CBS polling which under represents Republicans. Other recent polls have actually shown McCain with a substantial lead and this one comes in like they just polled the members of MoveOn and the immediate families of the Democrat candidates.

Source




Obama's Legacy - "The Carlson Effect"

Newsweek in attempting to show us that it is time to "move on" with the Obama/Wright story screws it up by telling us that Barry, Barack, whatever, was and most likely isn't secure in his person. Going over the history of UCC and how Oprah Winfrey once attended but left in the mid-nineties - before discovering that she was the "Messiah", the writer hopes to draw a distinction between why she left but Obama stayed.
"Friends of Sen. Barack Obama, whose relationship with Wright has rocked his bid for the White House, insist that it would be unfair to compare Winfrey's decision to leave Trinity United with his own decision to stay. "[His] reasons for attending Trinity were totally different,'' said one campaign adviser, who declined to be named discussing the Illinois senator's sentiments. "Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man. Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America.



Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her.'' And while Winfrey, who has endorsed Obama and campaigned on his behalf, had long understood the perils of a close association with Wright, friends say she was blindsided by the pastor's personal assault on Obama. "She felt that Wright would never do anything to hurt a man who looked up to him as a father figure," said her close friend. "She also never thought he'd intentionally hurt someone trying to make history and change the lives of so many people."

My, my, a man who doesn't know where he is. Sort of a Carlson, you know the lame but funny character from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, always trying to fit in with "the brothers" only failing miserably.

Source





Clinton and Obama duel over Iran threat

Two days before their next electoral showdown, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton duelled today over their presidential ambitions and her threat to "obliterate" Iran. The bitter Democratic rivals took to the airwaves in the final approach to Wednesday's primaries in Indiana and North Carolina, with Senator Obama battling anew to knock his resurgent adversary out of the White House race.

Senator Obama went on NBC bidding to renew his soaring message of hope after a miserable April blighted by racially tinged remarks by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and by questions over his values and patriotism. Explaining his decision now to disown Rev Wright, Senator Obama said the controversial preacher had "put gasoline on the fire" last week with statements that were "fundamentally" at odds with his own vision of the country.

On his patriotism, the African-American Senator Obama said "I will not allow people to challenge mine" in a general election campaign. "I love this country," said the Illinois senator, 46. "It is what I have been fighting for, that America lives up to its values and its ideals."

Senator Clinton, the clear underdog, is still buzzing from her campaign-saving triumph in Pennsylvania last month. The former first lady was back stumping from dawn to midnight, in her latest last stand. "When the process finishes in early June, people can look at all the various factors and decide who will be the strongest candidate," the New York senator, 60, said on ABC News at a town-hall meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana.

She said she felt "very comfortable" taking on Republican John McCain in November's presidential election. "I feel like I am going to be able to stand up to Senator McCain," said Senator Clinton, who has promised a "game-changer" on Wednesday, after which only six contests will be left in the Democrats' exhausting nominating marathon.

In the overall race, Senator Obama appears to have a mathematical stranglehold. But Senator Clinton has used recent controversies, such as Reverend Wright, to question his viability in a general election matchup with Senator McCain.

A new Zogby poll gave Senator Obama the lead in North Carolina - 48 per cent to Senator Clinton's 39. But the race in Indiana, a true battleground, was much tighter with him on 43 per cent to her 41, well within the four-point margin of error.

Senator Clinton was asked whether she had any regrets about threatening to "totally obliterate" Iran if it used nuclear weapons against Israel, which prompted Tehran to complain to the United Nations last week. "Why would I have any regrets? I am asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for," she said. "I don't think it is time to equivocate about what we would do."

Senator Obama accused Senator Clinton of emulating what he called President George W. Bush's "foreign policy of bluster and sabre-rattling and tough talk". "Israel is an ally of ours, it is the most important ally we have in the region. And there is no doubt that we would act forcefully and appropriately on any attack against (Israel), nuclear or otherwise," he said. "But it is important that we use language that sends a signal to the world community that we're shifting from the sort of cowboy diplomacy, lack of diplomacy, that we've seen out of George Bush."

In a pan-Pacific warmup for Wednesday, Senator Obama eked out a victory in Guam's caucuses by seven votes yesterday, meaning the four pledged delegates up for grabs will likely be shared.

Senator Clinton trails Senator Obama in contests won and elected delegates. Conventional wisdom has it that she needs to win rust-belt Indiana, at least, to keep her improbable comeback bid alive. A double loss would likely spark an exodus of Democratic grandees called "superdelegates" towards Senator Obama, and leave her under intense pressure to quit. But a surprise Clinton win in North Carolina, or a closer-than-expected loss, could cast fresh doubts over Senator Obama's staying power heading into the final Democratic primaries in Montana and South Dakota on June 3.

Senator Obama said the nearly 800 superdelegates would be swayed not by "momentary snapshot polls," but by which candidate "can bring about change in America and can actually govern after the election".

Source





Michelle Obama: Barack has hit boiling point



Barack Obama is struggling to contain his anger and frustration over the constant barrage of questions about his character and judgment, his wife has revealed.

Michelle Obama lifted the lid on the irritation felt by the leading Democrat candidate for the White House at the way anti-American outbursts by his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, have dogged his campaign. He is said to be itching to turn all his fire on John McCain, the Republican candidate, who is benefiting most from Mr Obama's protracted tussle with Hillary Clinton.

Mrs Obama told a rally in Durham, North Carolina, on Friday that only her husband's desire to change US politics had helped him to control his feelings: "Barack is always thinking three steps ahead - what do we need to do to make change." Her husband was thinking "I can't let my ego, my anger, my frustration get in the way of the ultimate goal," she said. "Barack has been characterised as many things that have nothing to do with who he is."

Senator Obama has known the Rev Wright for more than 20 years, but he was forced to end their friendship last week over repeated claims by his pastor that America was to blame for the 9/11 attacks and for spreading the Aids virus. New polls show the affair may have derailed Mr Obama's chances of sealing a double win in Tuesday's North Carolina and Indiana primary elections, which might have ended Mrs Clinton's hopes. Instead, in just a week, Mrs Clinton has reversed a narrow Obama lead in Indiana and is closing fast in North Carolina, where Mr Obama had hoped for a convincing win.

A poll on Saturday found 58 per cent of voters believe his de-nunciation of the Rev Wright was merely an act of political expediency. The Rasmussen survey found 56 per cent of voters thought it likely that Obama shares some of his pastor's anti-American views.

A senior Democrat strategist privy to Obama's campaign said: "He's sick of the battle against Clinton. He wants to get stuck into McCain. His people have had to remind him that this thing isn't over yet and he needs to focus and put her away." In a press conference on Friday, Mr Obama conceded: "We've had a rough couple of weeks, I won't deny that. I don't think what happened with Rev Wright was helpful."

While Mr Obama retains an almost unassailable three-figure lead in pledged delegates from the round of primary elections, he still needs a strong showing on Tuesday, when the two largest states remaining in the Democratic contest vote, in order to slow Mrs Clinton's momentum - and with it her claims that she is emerging at the 11th hour as the stronger candidate. He needs to split the remaining half-dozen states that have yet to vote with the former First Lady, and to win the backing of at least a third of the remaining 300 undeclared super-delegates to secure the nomination.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, his chief strategist David Axelrod said the trickle of super-delegate endorsements would grow this week. He said Mr Obama had garnered the support of 100 more super-delegates since early February, and added: "You're going to see a lot more of that soon." Mr Axelrod said Mr Obama had been using games of basketball to let off steam. He said the Wright affair had undoubtedly had some impact on voters, but claimed his candidate was ready for the fight ahead. "He has enjoyed the chance to shoot a little ball. I think we're in a good groove," he said. And in a dig at Mrs Clinton and her husband Bill, he said: "We knew from the start of this race that we were taking on the most formidable machine in Democratic politics. "It's in full display right now. She's tenacious and she can multiply her reach because her husband is working just as hard as either of the candidates." .....

Doug Hattaway, a spokesman for Mrs Clinton, told The Sunday Telegraph: "We are surging. This is a big test for Obama. Super-delegates are looking at how the candidates are performing." Yet Mr Obama is still drawing enthusiastic crowds. His supporters made far more noise than Mrs Clinton's as they both addressed the dinner in Raleigh.

Source

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1 comment:

toe said...

it always amazes me that, with so many sources available to everyone via the internet, the library, and (heaven forbid) that you actually listen to the facts from the source! (obama)-
for you to claim that we know nothing of obama... you are either horrendously inept at research or entirely unable to read or hear... for your poor self educating abilities i will submit the following which not only addresses your ignorance as to obama's education and background, but also addresses his political successes and interests:


Education
Undergraduate
Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduate, 1981-1983

Columbia University
B.A. Political Science with specialization in international relations
Thesis topic: Soviet nuclear disarmament

Graduate
Harvard Law School
J.D. magna cum laude

President, Harvard Law Review

Organizing
1992 Led Chicago's Project Vote! push. This effort resulted in a record number of voter registrations, over 600,000 in Chicago. 1)
Teaching
1993-2004 Visiting Law and Government Fellow, then Senior Lecturer, in Constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.
Illinois Senate 1996-2004
chairman, Health and Human Services Committee
United States Senate 2004-present
Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs
Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Member, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Bills / Amendments Passed
S.AMDT.1041 to S.1082 To improve the safety and efficacy of genetic tests.
S.AMDT.3073 to H.R.1585 To provide for transparency and accountability in military and security contracting.
S.AMDT.3078 to H.R.1585 Relating to administrative separations of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder.
S.AMDT.41 to S.1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.
S.AMDT.524 to S.CON.RES.21 To provide $100 million for the Summer Term Education Program supporting summer learning opportunities for low-income students in the early grades to lessen summer learning losses that contribute to the achievement gaps separating low-income students from their middle-class peers.
S.AMDT.599 to S.CON.RES.21 To add $200 million for Function 270 (Energy) for the demonstration and monitoring of carbon capture and sequestration technology by the Department of Energy.
S.AMDT.905 to S.761 To require the Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education to establish a program to recruit and provide mentors for women and underrepresented minorities who are interested in careers in mathematics, science, and engineering.
S.AMDT.923 to S.761 To expand the pipeline of individuals entering the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to support United States innovation and competitiveness.
S.AMDT.924 to S.761 To establish summer term education programs.
S.AMDT.2519 to H.R.2638 To provide that one of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5 million or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing to the agency awarding the contract or grant that the contractor or grantee owes no past due Federal tax liability.
S.AMDT.2588 to H.R.976 To provide certain employment protections for family members who are caring for members of the Armed Forces recovering from illnesses and injuries incurred on active duty.
S.AMDT.2658 to H.R.2642 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
S.AMDT.2692 to H.R.2764 To require a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction and security plan.
S.AMDT.2799 to H.R.3074 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
S.AMDT.3137 to H.R.3222 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
S.AMDT.3234 to H.R.3093 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
S.AMDT.3331 to H.R.3043 To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal tax liability.
Senate Resolutions Passed:
S.RES.133 : A resolution celebrating the life of Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson.
S.RES.268 : A resolution designating July 12, 2007, as “National Summer Learning Day”.
Other Bills Introduced
S.J.RES.23: A joint resolution clarifying that the use of force against Iran is not authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law.
S. 453: Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007. The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R.1281), (S.453), would establish criminal penalties for acts of voter deception. Those who knowingly disseminate false information with the intention of keeping others from voting would face up to five years in prison under the legislation. The Act was sponsored by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and 60 cosponsors in the House, and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and 15 cosponsors in the Senate. (20 Cosponsors)
S. 2030: A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists. (1 Cosponsor)
S. 2111: Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act. A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools to increase implementation of early intervention services, particularly school-wide positive behavior supports. (3 Cosponsors)
S. 2066: Back to School: Improving Standards for Nutrition and Physical Education in Schools Act of 2007. A bill to establish nutrition and physical education standards for schools.
S. Con. Res. 46: A concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month
S. 2044: Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007. A bill to provide procedures for the proper classification of employees and independent contractors, and for other purposes. (6 Cosponsors)
S. 2519: Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2007. A bill to prohibit the awarding of a contract or grant in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing to the agency awarding the contract or grant that the contractor or grantee has no seriously delinquent tax debts, and for other purposes.
S. 2433: Global Poverty Act of 2007. A bill to require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day. (9 Cosponsors)
S. 2330: Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act. A bill to authorize a pilot program within the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development with the goal of preventing at-risk veterans and veteran families from falling into homelessness, and for other purposes. (1 Cosponsor)
....

there is SO much misinformation (being kind here) that you have drooled forth that require addressing, i am torn between helping you to not look as ignorant as you quite obviously are, or just leaving you out there so others might view what happens to someone when they do not take the time to actually do a little research.
i always wonder how people like you got that way... lazy? dropped on your head as a child? i really don't know.
the very fact that obama speaks towards working together - to get beyond the hate, the stereotypes, the lies, the corruption that has so long rested in washington - this seems to bother you somehow.
why is this, exactly? are you telling us that you prefer the lies, the activities of the current administration ?? certainly this cannot be the case.

i have watched every single "debate" both republican and democratic... (you might catch the spelling on that- it's "democratic"...for your future reference)... what about you? are you open to hearing other's views...or do these confuse you too terribly?
how do you defend torture? gitmo? no-bid contracts? the mess that will remain for years because of failed bush tactics and policies?

please take some time to educate yourself concerning the fallacy of
"trickle-down" economics- take the time to understand why we have separation of church and state... take the time to actually understand the essential differences between conservative and progressive thought...
and take the time to understand that different is neither good nor bad, just DIFFERENT.
and... above all else, try to not to read all sorts of code words into people's words ... sometimes a cigar really is JUST a cigar.

oh...and while you are busy educating yourself, you might tell me exactly (rather that mouthing fox noise) just what were these "liberal" votes cast by obama that cause you to feel the way you have been told to feel?
i have itemized his votes here to make it a bit easier for you... you might even look up who might have voted in the same manner...if it's not too difficult a strain.