Obama campaign rankles Indian community

[wyldwolf]

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign expressed regret Friday for the "tone" used in recently disclosed campaign documents that raised questions about rival Democrat Sen. Hillary Clinton's ties to India and Indian-Americans.

The statement from Obama's campaign manager came after complaints from an Indian-American group, whose leader complained about "anti-Indian-American stereotyping" in the documents.

"There cannot be a suggestion that Indian-Americans are somehow taboo," said Sanjay Puri, chairman of the 50,000-member U.S.-India Political Action Committee. "That is not the message we want any leader to be presenting."

In a letter to Obama's campaign, the group is asking the Illinois Democrat to "respond directly" to the reports and to "let us know if indeed your staff is promoting these hurtful stereotypes."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obamaindiajun16,1,2562045.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[glowing]

1. Oh, please... anyone with 1/2 a brain knows Obama was talking

about jobs being outsourced, not Indian-American(implying citizen)relations.

I am so tired of every group hitting the spin.... its no wonder democrats are labeled wishy-washy. Obama needs to say, I'm talking about outsourcing. I know an Indian-American who lost their job to outsourcing to India after being with the company for 10yrs. And he was bitching about outsourcing. Its one thing to have good relations, its another to undermine an entire country to for the perks to ceo's and record profits. I wouldn't apologize. I'd say I'm talking about outsourcing and that is wrong. Its destroying America.

[William769]

2. I hope he doesn't apologize.

[Ethelk2044]

3. Hillary's Team put the papers in the press

A copy of the documents was obtained by Sen. Clinton's campaign, which then provided them to the Tribune and other news organizations. Obama's campaign confirmed the authenticity of the documents.

"Barack Obama has been a longtime friend of the Indian-American community and our campaign is fortunate to have strong support from Indian-Americans across the country," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said in a statement. "The intent of the document was to discuss the issue of outsourcing, but we regret the tone that parts of the document took."

[wyldwolf]

4. right, so if you said something offensive, and I told everyone you said it...

...it would become MY fault. :rofl:

[Ethelk2044]

7. No it is just the Clinton campaign starting to try to smear early. Also she is the one that

Joked about the name. Therefore if you are so upset about the name. You should be contacting her campaign. Nope you are not doing that. That was a sensless careless joke she made. You are trying to turn it on Obama. Why? because he is coming up in the polls and you are trying to stop that. Anyone logically can see that. You have been on here now two days trying to smear him. It will not work. Yes, he is coming up in the polls and soon will tie. This will not be enough to stop him.

[wyldwolf]

8. right, so if you said something offensive, and I told everyone you said it...

it would become my fault.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

25. The Obama camp has been surreal on this nt

[glowing]

6. See, right there.... apologizing. Stand up and own something...

that's why I don't see obama as president, not yet. He needs to do what Gore should have, lead with his heart and his convictions and leave the advisor's at home. They are only hurting him. He's at the pinacle where he can go either way, conform and be bought, or lead and be great. So, I'm not sure he's ready... but in the next debate (unless he's planning on riding her coat tail into the white house on a vp ticket) I would start blasting her. She has proven her stripes, and if elected, I think people will believe she ought to be wearing them next to Bush. She's a liar. If she lies now, she'll lie again.

[Ethelk2044]

10. She will not get elected

The Right Wing will come out in force to make damn sure she will not get elected. Also, some dems will not vote for her. They are tired of the same old mess they want something different. New Fresh. We will have another repug in office if she gets to the general

[William769]

11. Obama won't even get the nomination!

:rofl:

[zulchzulu]

13. I suppose you're a betting person

$1000 says he will be the nominee...

Wanna bet?

[William769]

14. I am a betting man and so are alot of other people.

The betting organization William Hill is offering 11/10 odds in favor of Hillary Clinton becoming the next president. They are also offering 4/1 against Rudy Giuliani or Barack Obama, 12/1 against Al Gore, John McCain, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson.

[ripple]

38. And Hillary won't win the general election

I doubt you will be laughing then. I sure as hell won't.

[William769]

44. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[Tellurian]

18. Obama is afraid of Hillary..

He's afraid if he rattled her cage a little too much, she'd bury him.

[Ethelk2044]

19. No he is not. She is afraid of him

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272614088.shtml



The Obama campaign needs to investigate this if it is true. It will definitely prove who is afraid of who.

In her early 20s and of mixed Italian, German, Irish and Swedish descent, Ettinger has posed in Maxim, FHM, and Elle and has "done quite a few commercials," she says, referring new fans to her website Amberleeonline.com for more information.

So - she was paid to lust after Obama and many believe it was Hillary Clinton that paid her.

[Tellurian]

20. Ah...I don't think so...

more than likely what will be the end result is one of Obama's staffers or their brother is responsible. (for the commercial?) The lusty video only serves to cheapens Obama's image and is geared to imprinting college kid's short term memory to (try) and remember to vote.

ethel,you really have to back off blaming every little thing that blows up in Obama's campaign as Hillary's fault. As in my original post, Obama fears Hillary and would rather have her as a friend than an enemy. Obama's style is hoping his opponent drops his/her guard for just a moment...then he goes in for the kill. He did this in the last debate. He caught Edwards off guard nailing him with the comment..."you're 4 1/2 yr too late." Obama created the 'Dean Scream' moment with that sound byte portraying Edwards as weak. That was a defining moment..imo, for Edwards, as he stood mute to the charge. Edwards poll numbers have been dropping ever since. You can rest assured if Obama tried that stunt with Hillary, it would be something he'd regret for the rest of his life.

[dionysus]

37. "You can rest assured if Obama

tried that stunt with Hillary, it would be something he'd regret for the rest of his life."

that's hillarious on too many levels. Can you please share what's in your pipe man?

[Telly Savalas]

45. But my dad can beat up your dad

God, this shit is childish.

[BringBigDogBack]

22. I don't know about that...

[Tellurian]

24. I'll bite..

what do you know!

[dionysus]

39. I think he knows what we all know

she's running on name recognition, money, and DLC hype. If she does get the nom, and gets crushed by some shmuck repuke, will you at least own up to it then? If she does win I will freely admit i was wrong.

I don't dislike her as much as I think she will lose. Thats what's important to me. Edwards, Obama, Clinton, even Richardson would make good presidents. What's most important is that whoever it is beats the republican. I just dont think she can.

[Tellurian]

23. Obama's pinnacle was the 04' speech

as it turns out. He had the country eating out of the palm of his hand. He couldn't sustain the image because it was all wishful thinking and pretending (to himself) he could be Kennedyesque getting by on looks, personality and the gift of speech.

Obama underestimated the American people's need for substance not pipedreams or telling them what they want to hear and be done with it. His errors keep piling up and theres been little substantive response in the way of him reinforcing his credibility...imo..anyway.

[1776Forever]

36. You have got that right on the money!!!!!!!!!! Read the following on India outsourcing NYT article

New York Times article April, 2007: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/business/worldbusiness/04rupee.html?ex=1182225600&en=2ed14c318a8ac0ad&ei=5070

For years, most service industry jobs that were moved to countries like India were considered relatively low-skill tasks like answering customer inquiries. But that has been changing in recent years, and increasingly the jobs of Western white-collar elites in fields as diverse as investment banking, aircraft engineering and pharmaceutical research have begun flowing to India and a few other developing countries.

In the view of most specialists on the phenomenon, the kinds of jobs that cannot be outsourced are slowly evaporating.

Boeing and Airbus now employ hundreds of Indians in challenging tasks like writing software for next-generation cockpits and building systems to prevent airborne collisions. Investment banks like Morgan Stanley are hiring Indians to analyze American stocks, jobs that commonly pay six-figure salaries on Wall Street.

Alan S. Blinder, a former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve and economic adviser to President Bill Clinton, recently described outsourcing as a “third Industrial Revolution” that, by his estimate, poses a risk to the employment of as many as 28 million to 42 million workers in the United States.

“We have so far barely seen the tip of the offshoring iceberg, the eventual dimensions of which may be staggering,” he wrote in the journal Foreign Affairs .
*****************
This is the selling of our country which makes one wonder - at what cost?

[shenmue]

42. Well said

:applause:

[zulchzulu]

5. Has that group complained about this?

http://singhsons.funnypart.com/

OR...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9_iQim8Mtw

[Ethelk2044]

9. Good Point

[goodhue]

21. Were those prepared by the Obama campaign?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

26. Is Matt Groening running for president? nt

[zulchzulu]

12. Well, at least Senator Clinton is against outsourcing...

Oh wait...

Here's her stance:

"There is no way to legislate against reality. Outsourcing will continue," she said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1033864.cms

[William769]

16. As usual a thread about Obama, and you post about Hillary.

And we all know why.

[Ethelk2044]

17. Get Over it

[draft_mario_cuomo]

27. Obama says essentially the same thing in his book nt

[William769]

15. Self delete.

Wrong place.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

28. He can't even apologize

:eyes:

[TeamJordan23]

29. Obama spokeman said they had regrets about tone of memo. Also, coming from a South-Asian...

I don't think they owe an apology. There was nothing racist or offensive in the memo! Hillary had stated that she could be elected Senator in Punjab, and Obama's people put (D-Punjab) as a joke. I think its funny and witty.

And if you know anything about Punjab, its a region and has nothing to with ethnicity. Its like putting (D-California) or (D-New York). If I called you a New Yorker, would you find that racist and offensive. I sure wouldnt!

The reason that some Indian-Americans are mad is because of the policy issue underlying the memo. Most Indian-Americans are 100% in favor of outsourcing because it helps relatives and family members out in India (although a very small % of the population). Also benefits India's economy. The debate over outsourcing is a valid one but Indian-Americans are very much protectionists for outsourcing for their fellow Indians in India.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

30. I disagree completely--and I am a South Asian too

I respect you sharing your views and outlining your reasoning, though!

I think he was race-baiting by implying that HRC is in the pockets of EVUL BROWN PEOPLE! It was classic "old politics" race-baiting in which an opponent is painted as being in the pocket of another group. The implication is, vote for me. I will represent you, not THOSE PEOPLE. His campaign took a page straight out of the Republican playbook.

[TeamJordan23]

31. Well let that be your interpretation, I view it differently.

There was nothing about race-baiting in the memo. It was about the policy of Outsourcing. And its just a fact that India (and Brown People) are directly affected by Outsourcing policies. That is just the fact.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

32. Willie Horton

The infamous Willie Horton ad was ostensibly about crime but clearly played on racist attitudes of some toward African-Americans. I view this in a similar vein. The fact that it had some legitimate content does not mean it is inherently racism-free.

[JI7]

33. about as racist as Dems went after Bush for UAE port security deal

was it being anti arab then?

[TeamJordan23]

34. Well I don't see anything racist in the memo. If the attitude is that Brown People benfit from...

from outsourcing. I view that as fact, and nothing racist about it.

Again, you view the memo one way. I view it another.

[dionysus]

40. racist, no

the issue is people from some other country than us getting our jobs! If they outsourced my job to england i'd be pissed!

[fujiyama]

41. I don't agree about "most Indian-Americans

being 100% in favor of outsourcing" - being that Indian-Americans are well...American! And considering many Indian Americans are white collar professionals in fields like engineering, computer science, and IT, outsourcing doesn't help Indian-Americans a whole lot.

The concern by some in the Association is there was a hint of scapegoating in the memo - showing Hillary to be bought and paid for by Indians. Personally I read it and didn't find it offensive because it was pretty clear the intent was to attack Hillary on outsourcing...but as the Obama campaign said, and I agree, the tone was not right. Hillary's stance on outsourcing certainly is worth debating, but overall I think she has the right idea about India-US relations.

I think the discussion over outsourcing is important...but just as important is to steer away from any racial scapegoating xenophobia, etc.

[dionysus]

35. and so what if they did?

we need these PACs like we need a hole in the head. IPAC, AIPAC, fuck the both of them. They represent foriegn countries. If you live here to be here, you're an American. If you live here to leech to make another country better, you suck.

[The Backlash Cometh]

43. Indian-Americans: Well, at some point someone has to bring up

the fact that quite a few of our outsourced jobs, went to India; and I've even heard on this newsgroup, an Indian-American who was allowed to say derrogatory things about latin Americans. And odd as it may seem, an Indian- American came to my aid to confirm that there are competitive undercurrents that shouldn't be ignored. I'm putting that in a nice way.