OBAMA DAILY NEWS Thurs February 28 2008

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

WELCOME TO THE OBAMA DAILY NEWS THREAD

Thursday Feb-28-08



Esteemed DUer's, please consider taking a moment (or more)
to graciously participate by posting news and announcements about
the Obama campaign on this thread.


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providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster,too.



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4. Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page



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[WillYourVoteBCounted]

1. Hussein means "Handsome one"

Whats in a name? JeffLieber over at Daily Kos posted this brilliant essay on Barack Obama's middle name

"Hussein".

Wed Feb 27, 2008
Apparently Barack Obama has a middle name.

Well, I do as well. Mine is "Samuel".

...I spent my life HATING my middle name (after all you can't say Jeffrey Samuel Lieber without feeling like someone is about to get grounded) and yet there's something in the name's DNA which connects me to Great-Grandpa Brill during his Brooklyn Dodger years.

Hussein means "Handsome one" and I'm sure there's a story behind it.

I can't wait for Barack to TELL that story and watch the Republicans overplay their hand.

Because everyone has a name they never chose, which links them to their heritage... their doorway back... their DNA path.

So, go after "Hussein", cause... that'll work.

[ginnyinWI]

7. The RNC is warning against using Barack's middle name

From Talking Points Memo: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/180499.php


The higher-ups have decided that it's not a good idea!

[Bread and Circus]

15. We should start calling Obama - El Guapo

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. Ann Richards' sons object to Clinton campaign video

AP--Clinton campaign invokes the name of Ann Richards, gets slammed by Richards' sons.

Richards' sons object to Clinton video

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Feb 26, 11:30 PM ET

AUSTIN, Texas - The two sons of Ann Richards, the late former Texas governor, are objecting to an Internet video published by Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign that suggests their mother would have supported Clinton.

Clinton's campaign had permission from Richards' youngest daughter, Ellen, who said in a statement provided by the campaign that her mother was an "ardent feminist" who would be thrilled by her friend Hillary Clinton's candidacy.

"I believe that if my mom were alive today that she would be stumping across Texas and around the country supporting Hillary for president," her statement said.

Richards was governor from 1991-1995. She died in September 2006 at age 73. The two-minute video on Clinton's campaign Web site comes a week before the Texas primary and targets women voters in the state.

...

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

3. Penalties for not buying insurance in Massachusetts

Penalties for not buying insurance in Massachusetts:

Discussion here in Mass State DU forum

"I am a new resident of Massachusetts and am currently relying on the charity of family to pay the rent
and other expenses while I look for work. I consider myself lucky because without my family I would be on the street.
I moved here in November because I was unable to find work where I had been living and have been largely
unemployed now for over two years. The idea of being fined because I don't have health insurance is insulting.

I heard a radio discussion of the issue last month and the indication was that if I manage to find work which provides
insurance in June I would be fined $100 a month for the five months I went without. This makes me incredibly angry..."

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Why Hillary Clinton’s Iraq Vote Does Matter

Why Hillary Clinton’s Iraq Vote Does Matter
2008-02-25 By Stephen Zunes

Hillary Clinton’s decision to vote to authorize the invasion of Iraq in fact is of critical importance and should disqualify her - along with Senator John McCain, who also voted in favor of the war resolution - from ever becoming president

Posted here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4757253&mesg_id=4757253

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. WSJ: Young America May Lift Democrats, Shape Agendas

Elizabeth Holmes at The Wall Street Journal attributes an increase in the womens vote due to Sen Clinton's campaign, and an increase in the African-American and the youth vote to Sen Obama's campaign for President.

Young America May Lift Democrats, Shape Agendas

Under-30 Voters Help Bolster Issues Like Student Loans By ELIZABETH HOLMES February 28, 2008; Page A10 Wall Street Journal

...The growing youth vote is one of many ways in which the demographic makeup of the American electorate appears to be changing dramatically this year. Sen. Obama's candidacy also is boosting African-American turnout. Blacks made up 55% of the Democratic contest in South Carolina on Jan. 26, compared with 47% in 2004, exit polls show.



Sen. Clinton's candidacy is fueling a jump in the women's vote. In Arizona, female voters made up 62% of the electorate in the Feb. 5 Democratic primary, up from 59% in 2004, according to exit polls.

...This year, about 2.3 million voters younger than 30 participated in 18 Democratic contests, up 170% from 2004. In Connecticut's Feb. 5 Democratic primary, the number of voters age 18 to 29 increased nearly 420%. Wisconsin had among the lowest increases -- 59% -- but still saw nearly 54,000 more young voters go to the polls on Feb. 19.

Much of the increase has been attributed to excitement surrounding the 46-year-old Mr. Obama's campaign. He also has actively tried to cultivate those voters. Before the Wisconsin primary, he unveiled a plan to help improve community colleges at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau. He visited University of Wisconsin campuses in Madison, Green Bay and Oshkosh in the week before the state's primary and he drew a total of roughly 25,000 people. He garnered 70% of the youth vote and won that state handily.

....

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. Obama Aces Russert's Farrakhan Test

"The press may find covering an Obama administration more challenging than covering the secrecy-obssessed Bush crowd."

Obama Aces Russert's Farrakhan Test

Amy Alexander at The Nation|

OBAMA ACES RUSSERT'S FARRAKHAN TEST...In 1998, Grove Press published a nonfiction book, The Farrakhan Factor: African-American Writers on Leadership, Nationhood, and Minister Louis Farrakhan.

...Watching the Democratic presidential candidate's debate last night, the moment I've been dreading since Senator Barack Obama first announced his candidacy finally arrived: The Farrakhan Litmust Test, served up by a white male member of the establishment press, before an audience of millions.

...The anti-Semitism-by-association game that Russert attempted to play on Obama Barack failed, big time, in no small part because Obama has also been dreading that moment -- and preparing for it, too.

When Russert began This line of questioning, Obama showed the smarts and toughness required of any national leader, indulging Russert only to a point: Prodded by Russert, NBC Washington's Bureau Chief, and also by his opponent, Hillary Clinton, Obama "denounced and rejected" Farrakhan's beliefs. But wisely -- and bravely -- Obama did not throw Louis Farrakhan under that creaky bus. Being based in Chicago, Obama is probably keenly sensitive to the true standing of Farrakhan -- that of a symbolic figurehead, a bow-tied, bespectacled id for black Americans who cannot afford to say out loud what they often think about race relations in America. Also, as a 46 year-old black man who lived through the Black Power era and its aftermath, Obama is undoubtedly on to the insidious nature of the Farrakhan Litmus Test. He is not responsible for someone who decides to say publically that he is a "good guy," Obama pointed out, paraphrasing comments that Farrakhan made last weekend about the senator's candidacy

...

[babylonsister]

8. 'x' marks the spot so I can find you later.

:hi:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. To McCain: There Was No Al Qaeda In Iraq Before Your War

In other words, Sen McCain - All Your Wars Are Belong to YOU!

Obama To McCain: There Was No Al Qaeda In Iraq Before Your War

By Greg Sargent at TPM - February 27, 2008

So Obama hit back at McCain's mockery of him over Al Qaeda Iraq by saying what we'd hoped he'd say:

"I have some news for John McCain," Obama said, according to The Politico. "There was no Al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain" started their war.

That will likely become a stock message for Obama. He also uncorked this:

"John McCain may like to say he wants to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but so far all he’s done is follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq."

The Obama campaign has been arguing that he can draw a sharper contrast with McCain than Hillary can because of her support for the war. Such high-profile skirmishes over Iraq with McCain can only help Obama, because they do drive this point home while signaling to Dems that the GOP, at least, views his nomination as a foregone conclusion.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Rep John Lewis "primaried" for initial support of Clinton?[/

Rep John Lewis "primaried" for initial support of Clinton?

HRC's black supporters pressed to support Obama

By: Charles Mahtesian and Richard T. Cullen Feb 27, 2008

Georgia Rep. John Lewis may not be the last high-profile African American officeholder to change sides.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis, who Wednesday switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, may not be the last high-profile African American officeholder to change sides.

The pressure on Clinton’s black supporters to defect has been gradually mounting, rising to the point where some elected officials are being forced to consider whether their backing for Clinton will have adverse consequences for their own political fortunes.

“It’s atmospheric pressure, a change in mood in their communities,” says University of California at Los Angeles political scientist Mark Sawyer, who studies race, ethnicity and politics. “You see people that are going out to vote that have never voted before. Do you want to be on the other side of that?”

...But it’s also true that his decision to flip comes not long after he drew his first general or primary election opponent in nearly a decade—a challenge rooted in Lewis’s previous endorsement of Clinton.
...

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. 'John McSame': Meet Bush's Anti-Choice Clone

The Straight Talk Express derails on contraception stance.

'John McSame': Meet Bush's Anti-Choice Clone

By Cristina Page, Huffington Post. Posted February 26, 2008.

A look at his record on choice shows that John McCain is more extreme than many anti-choice voters.

In fact, the Straight Talk Express has skidded off the road that most Americans drive.
He is more extreme than even some who consider themselves "pro-life."
For example, most Americans would be stunned to learn McCain won't -- or can't --
say whether he even supports the right to use contraception. Last March, according to the New York Times,
McCain fumbled through this exchange about contraception with a reporter aboard his campaign bus;

...

Q: "What about grants for sex education in the United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush's policy, which is just abstinence?"

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "Ahhh. I think I support the president's policy."

Q: "So no contraception, no counseling on contraception. Just abstinence.
Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?"

Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "You've stumped me."


...The Coburn that McCain has chosen as his mentor on all things reproductive is
Senator Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, which is like having the Taliban head up the
Office for Women's Initiatives. (Think that's an extreme comparison?
Keep in mind Coburn wants the death penalty for abortion providers.)

...

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

12. Clinton Refuses To Renounce Or Reject Racist Supporter

Clinton double standard on "denouncing and rejecting" .

Clinton Refuses To Renounce Or Reject Racist Supporter

During a series of satellite television interviews, Clinton was questioned by Dallas station KTVT about comments by Adelfa Callejo, a local activist who supports Clinton candidacy. The interviewer quoted Callejo as saying "Obama's problem is he happens to be black" and asked Clinton to respond.
"Well obviously I want all of us judged on our merits," Clinton said. "I believe strongly that the fact we have an African American and a woman running for the Democratic nomination is historical and I'm very, very proud of that."

"I want people though to look beyond, look beyond race and gender, look at our records, look at what we stand for, look at what we've done and I think that's what most voters are looking for," she said.

The interviewer asked Clinton whether she rejected or denounced Callejo's comment.

"People have every reason to express their opinions, I just don't agree with that," she said, adding "You know, this is a free country. People get to express their opinions."

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

13. Clinton whining pays off: Media smearing Obama over Farrakhan

Geekesque at Daily Kos believes that Hillary has been successful at siccing the media on Obama and pushing the right wing smears on him....

(Updated X2) Clinton whining pays off: Media smearing Obama over Farrakhan

Wed Feb 27, 2008
Congratulations, Senator Clinton.

At long last, after much complaining from you, the media is launching rightwing smear attacks against Barack Obama, the likely Democratic nominee in the fall.

Senator Clinton's great contribution to our chances in the fall below the fold:

[ginnyinWI]

14. Need more Obama video?

Get it here: http://www.youtube.com/barackobama

[FrenchieCat]

36. I watched the one where Barack meets his Ohio supporters who

made 7,000 phone calls for him.

At .33 in the video, there is a guy who states that he was a Republican for 20 years voting for Barack this time. The guy then gives Barack a bracelet to commemorate his cousin who was killed in Iraq in 2006. Interesting short video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoMxaeRDsw4

[ginnyinWI]

39. that was a good one. n/t

[grantcart]

42. thank you for that

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. "I'm Hurt By Hillary"

davefromqueens over at Daily Kos describes his feelings of betrayal when Sen Clinton began attacking Senator Obama.
Dave is someone who has long supported the Clintons and voted for Hillary Clinton for US Senate.

I'm Hurt By Hillary

...Now had the Hillary campaign simply complimented Obama, touted him as more than capable to be President, stayed 98% positive about other Democrats, and not hired Mark Penn, she would have been the next President with Obama the likely VP. But then Hillary's campaign imploded while Obama has turned out to be the best Democratic candidate for President in at least 44 years.

When Obama closed to about 20 points in the poll, the Clinton campaign should have just stayed positive. Instead, they campaigned in kind Iowa with "turn up the heat slogans." I thought this was stupid but not grounds to not vote for her.

But then the Clintons decided to try and dig up dirt on Obama, some of which we've seen trotted out this past week.
So when the issue of ambition for President came up, Hillary simply should have acknowledged that people do strive to be President.
Instead she thought that to neutralize this non-existent issue, she would attack Obama as being overly ambitious.
So Mark Penn inexplicably released an essay of Barack Obama from kindergarten. Game over.
This was the turning moment of this campaign as it made Hillary look like a joke and a person who would do anything to win.
It was a big "straw" but my spine would still have supported her in the general.

But then Hillary lost me. Among her many sins were voter repression efforts in early states, the playing of the race card about South Carolina, and her misleading attacks on Obama. Then it got grotesque.
When it appeared that this nomination would be close, two simple things were asked of Hillary by me and millions of you.
1) Don't try to count Michigan and Florida when you agreed to these rules last Fall and
2) Should you lose the pledged delegate and popular vote, just go on record and say that you will support obama.
Ironically, had she done this (and Penn not sabotaged her) I think she would have still been the nominee.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

17. William F Buckley (just passed on) Quotes on the Candidates

William F Buckley Jr, (recently passed on)riffing on Iowa and the candidates. Buckley said McCain's support of the war hurt him. Said Obama was homely and in category of Lincoln, and Edwards too slick looking and sounding.

The Spectacle of Spectacle

By WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR. Universal Press Syndicate January 7, 2008

...But there was real poignancy in the middle group. John McCain made it to 13%, but that is losers' territory,
and he might have preferred to come in with his senatorial colleague Mr. Dodd. If there was sadness in Iowa when the votes were counted, much of it must have been over the rebuke to Mr. McCain. And there can have been only a single reason for it, namely his defense of the Iraq war.

...
The big winner was an affront to the common wisdom that looks matter most in the age of television. The dissenters were bound to support a homely man, and they found him on the Democratic side, giving Barack Obama 37.6% of the vote. Mr. Obama could think of himself as in the category of Abraham Lincoln. But he does Abe Lincoln one better by having a name that sounds as if he was on the playbill as the man who will bind the beautiful lady to the rails on which the great express will ride. Compare John Edwards. He is movie-star handsome, distinguishable only by his superfine haircut and Southern accent. He took 29.7% of the vote, nosing out Mrs. Clinton, who had 29.5%, and who had gone to Iowa hoping for great things.

Well, Iowa accomplished quite a lot, in politics and in theater.

[grantcart]

43. priceless

And it didn't require neglect by the press to effect alienation from the voters. Rudy Giuliani showed up with a burning city on his back, a single fire hose in his hand. He did better than Mr. Richardson, gaining 3.5% of Republican votes, as opposed to Mr. Richardson's 2.1% of Democratic votes. But, as someone remarked, he shouldn't be lonely; he has all those wives to return to.

[Hope And Change]

18. Toledo newspaper backs Obama in Ohio primary

Article published Thursday, February 28, 2008
AN EDITORIAL
Obama, for change


THE Blade has a long-established principle of seldom endorsing a candidate in any primary election. It's easy to see, however, that this isn't a typical year. For the first time in history, the outcome of the Ohio primary may well determine the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.

We are not yet ready to say who we will endorse in November. But we wholeheartedly agree with something our editorial board heard on Sunday: 'We have to have a government that works for ordinary people. We've got to be able to bring the country together so we have a working majority for change. We have to break down some of the ideologically driven polarization that prevents us from taking practical steps to make the country more competitive and to get opportunity to people.'

We urge Ohio Democrats to vote on Tuesday for the man who spoke those words, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. It has become clear during the year-long primary campaign that he eclipses Sen. Hillary Clinton as the strong­est possible candidate to run in the general election against the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain.

Moreover, we believe that Mr. Obama's inspiring life story, keen intellect, strong but quiet confidence, ready grasp of public policy issues, and his fresh and optimistic world view are what America needs after eight years of an administration that repeatedly has shown open contempt for the American people and for the Constitution.

Mr. Obama offers a breath of fresh air and new hope at a depressing time in the life of this nation. His selection would send an unmistakable signal to the world that America really may be living up to its promise of a just and truly pluralistic society.

The offspring of a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, young Obama grew up partly in Hawaii, partly in Indonesia. Were he to become president, we have no doubt that he would be seen — more than any previous occupant of the White House — as someone who is comfortably at home in the wider world. Yet his is the quintessential American story, that of the self-made man.

Those who object that he is too young overlook that he would, at 47, be a year older than Bill Clinton was when he was elected, and four years older than John F. Kennedy. Those who say that he is inexperienced in international affairs overlook that he sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The last two Democratic presidents, Mr. Clinton and Jimmy Carter, didn't have a day's service in Congress, much less foreign policy, before they took office, and it certainly hurt them.

Additionally, Mr. Obama, a younger and more physically vigorous man, will be in a far better position to push Americans into solving one of the biggest problems we face: that of an unhealthy, morbidly obese generation of young people, a health crisis that is costing the nation billions. We applaud the fact that, urged by his talented wife, Michelle, he has quit smoking. That alone should be an inspiration to millions.

There are those who resent Mr. Obama's relatively rapid rise on the national scene and link his growing support to ingrained bias against putting a woman in the Oval Office. Certainly there may be some misguided prejudice against women. But that isn't what is going on this year. We agree the nation is more than ready for a female president. But Hillary Clinton is handicapped by her own baggage, and it has to do with her character, not her gender.

Voters during this primary process have come to know the real Hillary Clinton, and many have not liked what they've seen. Try as she might to project a warm personal image, she has come across mostly as a coldly calculating individual.

Moreover, her candidacy reminds voters of how the Clintons in effect looted the White House of expensive china, furniture, and other items when they left in January, 2001. And, if that weren't enough, they set up a gift registry to furnish their new home in New York. In contrast to such political royalism, Mr. Obama, his wife, and their two daughters live much closer to the reality of ordinary people.

America is badly in need of something new. We need this election to mark, at last, the end of the Vietnam period. Hillary Clinton is a product of that era and is, in a sense, still fighting its battles.

Barack Obama would be, figuratively if not literally, the first president of the 21st Century, much as John F. Kennedy was the first president born in the 20th century — each necessary to his time, and each able to see the world with a fresh, clear view.

Again, this endorsement does not mark our final verdict for November. John McCain, the all-but-certain GOP nominee, is a far more admirable figure than George W. Bush, although his policies on the war and the economy merely mimic those of the incumbent.

We will be scrutinizing the candidates very carefully as the general election campaign progresses. But at this point we feel free to break with tradition and enthusiastically recommend that on Tuesday, Ohio Democrats cast their primary ballots for Barack Obama.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/NEWS09/525973365

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

19. Politico: "Insults, apologies fuel Obama's rise" (or why they fear insulting Obama)

This is why the GOP is afraid to insult Obama - it HELPS him! So far, 3 US senators, a former senator, CNN and some
Clinton supporters have all made apologies to Sen Obama.

Insults, apologies fuel Obama's rise

By: Ben Smith at Politico Feb 28, 2008

Attacks from GOP, fellow Dems mean campaign ritual of offense and forgiveness likely to be repeated.

AUSTIN —They are so sorry.

In the course of the primary campaign, and perhaps in a preview of the fall election drama, Senator Barack Obama has accepted the apologies of three United States senators, a former senator, CNN and various lower-level supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton.

Most of them have apologized for saying something insensitive about Obama’s race, his name, or his heritage. And the dynamic of outrage and offense this campaign has proved race to be a much touchier subject than gender. At times, Obama’s campaign has sought to downplay burgeoning outrage. At others, he’s stoked it for political advantage.

But most of the flaps ended the same way: With Obama forgiving the alleged offender. Sometimes he’s accepted the apologies graciously, sometimes sternly, but always in line with his message. And that message of reconciliation – often explicitly racial reconciliation – is a central part of his campaign’s appeal. With a general election that appears likely to open him to more Republican attacks, and more line-crossing, the campaign ritual of offense and forgiveness appears likely to be repeated often this year.

more at the link
...

[Hope And Change]

20. Heads Up: Watch Barack Obama hold a town hall meeting in Austin, Texas now!

Thursday, February 28

10:30 am
Barack Obama holds a town hall meeting to discuss strengthening America's economy in Austin, Texas


http://media.myfoxaustin.com/live/index.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

21. Clinton Supporter Rendell Needs to "Denounce & Reject" Farrakhan too

Will Clinton Supporter Ed Rendell, Gov of PA "denounce and reject" Farrakhan?

Clinton’s big Pa. backer reached out to Farrakhan

By Ami Eden on Feb 27, 2008

During Tuesday’s debate in Ohio Hillary Clinton argued that Barack Obama had not gone far enough in speaking out against Louis Farrakhan. After the debate her pollster, Mark Penn, was in the spin room arguing that Obama may have rejected and denounced Farrakhan, but he failed to criticize his pastor’s praise of the Nation of Islam leader.

Well, if this race makes it to Pennsylvania, it will be interesting to find out what Clinton has to say on the issue of Farrakhan to her most important backer in the state, Governor Ed Rendell.

Then the mayor of Philadelphia, Rendell not only made a controversial decision to share the stage with Farrakhan in an effort to diffuse racial tensions in the city, but then praised the NOI for its emphasis on family values and self-sufficiency (this, after ripping what he described as “so-called Jewish leaders” for criticizing the decision to give Farrakhan a platform).

Along similar lines, undoubtedly Jewish Republicans are taking notes on how to take aim at Obama over the Farrakhan question. They may want to check their back files — they’ll find this 2000 ad attacking Joe Lieberman (now McCain’s most prominent Jewish supporter) for saying he’d meet with Farrakhan.

...

[Hope And Change]

22. Pennsylvania: Clinton 46% Obama 42%

Pennsylvania Democratic Presidential Primary


Pennsylvania: Clinton 46% Obama 42%

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Pennsylvania shows Hillary Clinton with a very narrow advantage over Barack Obama in the Democratic Presidential Primary. Clinton earns 46% of the vote while Obama earns 42%. Earlier polling by other firms had shown Clinton with a much larger lead in a state that was once considered favorable to her.

Clinton leads by fifteen points among women but trails by fourteen among men.

The Pennsylvania Primary is scheduled for April 22 and could be very significant if Clinton win the Primaries in Texas and Ohio on March 4. On the other hand, if Obama wins either of those states, he is likely to be the Democratic nominee and the Pennsylvania voting will have little impact on the outcome.

Nationally, Obama leads Clinton in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

In the Keystone State, Clinton is viewed favorably by 74% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters. That figure includes favorable reviews from 80% of women and 65% of men.

Obama is viewed favorably by 71% overall.

more...

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/pennsylvania/pennsylvania_democratic_presidential_primary

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

23. Politico: "Calling Obama" (they called an Obama win early last year)

Ben Smith tells big names who've called an Obama win early last year

Calling Obama

February 28, 2008 Ben Smith, Politico.

I've been reading back to some of the coverage before it became clear, early last year, that Obama would enter the race, or that he would be as strong as he now is. And I thought it was worth giving some credit to writers and others who seem to have got it right -- about his strength, whether or not he closes the deal.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. John SIDNEY McCain was Born in Panama

John SIDNEY McCain was Born in Panama!

John SIDNEY McCain was Born in Panama!

By David Knowles Feb 28th 2008

From the muckraking International Herald Tribune comes confirmation of what many have suspected for a long time:
John SIDNEY McCain is a one man sleeper cell from Panama.
Oddly, no one seems to have noticed the fact that McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936,
which technically makes him ineligible to be elected president, maybe:

McCain's likely nomination as the Republican candidate for president and the happenstance of his birth in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936 are reviving a musty debate that has surfaced periodically since the founders first set quill to parchment and declared that only a "natural-born citizen" can hold the nation's highest office.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

25. SNL Writer Surprised By Clinton Remark, Ordered To Write More

SNL Writer Surprised By Clinton Remark, Ordered To Write More

DAVID BAUDER | Huffington Post. February 27, 2008

NEW YORK — James Downey knew something odd had happened when he stepped away from watching the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night to check on something in the kitchen and his phones started ringing.

Hillary Clinton had cited the "Saturday Night Live" skit Downey had written to complain about her treatment by moderators Brian Williams and Tim Russert.

"In the last several debates I seem to get the first question all the time," she said. "I don't mind. I'll be happy to field it. I just find it curious if anybody saw `Saturday Night Live,' maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow."

...While he loved getting his work noticed and understands what Clinton must be feeling, Downey said mentioning the skit might not have been her best move. "It might, on balance, make her look a little whiny," he said. "She might have been better off if other people pointed it out for them."

more at the link

[grantcart]

26. If your reading this post then you probably will want to read this

thread that goes into some detail on why Sen. Obama's lead is insurmountable (even though it appears modest) and why

We are approaching the Huckabee's Syndrome

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4806123

pls kick it to help it stay current

[babylonsister]

27. Obama focuses on education, McCain

Obama focuses on education, McCain
Feb. 28, 2008

By Ashley Killough
Reporter

SAN MARCOS -- The waves ripple through the crowd. Thousands cheered and chanted. The funky jazz band jammed on the brightly lit stage, while a podium decorated with a Texas flag stood waiting for the star of the show.

"It's like a Barack concert." Brandon Wilcox of New Braunfels said. Country music blared as the tall Illinois senator gracefully took the stage. The energetic audience went wild.

"Y'all do it big in Texas," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said. "What an unbelievable crowd."

In Sewell Park on the campus of Texas State University, the crowd was spilling over the banks of the San Marcos River.

"This is nuts," Wilcox said.

Obama called the support his campaign is receiving among young people "unprecedented."

more...

http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=49526

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

28. As Obama Security Rises, Lapses Remain

As Obama Security Rises, Lapses Remain

Security Corners Are Sometimes Cut to Get Large Crowds Into Rallies on Time

By MATTHEW JAFFE Feb. 28, 2008

Last May, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was issued a full-time Secret Service detail, an unusual event so early in the election season, but one that reflected the potential threat against him.

Yet, despite the intense security ring protecting the presidential candiate, questions remain about security, especially among the huge crowds the candidate draws.

...At a rally last week in Dallas, hundreds of supporters were allowed into the event without undergoing complete screening checks that are standard at Obama events. In an effort to accommodate the 17,000-strong crowd, Secret Service agents ordered local police to stop searching each supporter who entered the event — at least the third time reporters have noted such a lapse in recent months

...There are visible signs that security around the senator is increasing. On a few recent occasions, armed snipers were spotted on rooftops, including at an outdoor rally in Wilmington, Del., and another in Clemson, S.C., in January. Reporters traveling with the candidate have noted an increase in protective measures, with background checks performed on reporters who have already been with the campaign on a daily basis for months.

...more at the link (article is 3 pages long)

[grantcart]

29. Sen. Schumer implicityly admits Clinton cannot catch up to Obama

Schumer on Avoiding a 'Self-Destructive' End to Clinton Vs. Obama

http://www.observer.com/2008/schumer-avoiding-self-destructive-end-clinton-vs-obama

But he also said he doubted that one candidate would stay on long after it became clear he or she could not win the nomination.

"The number one thing that people worry about is that the candidates will cut each other up and make it harder to win the general," he said. "But I think that is not going to happen. Because everyone cares about winning so much. Not only the candidates, but the electorate. So if one candidate is doing something that is regarded as really self-destructive, of the ability to win, that's really going to hurt them."

"It would widely be regarded negatively in the electorate," he said.

Obviously, this isn’t to suggest, as the Obama campaign has, that there’s no legitimate way for Hillary Clinton to come back from her recent string of defeats. And the definition of “something that is regarded as really self-destructive” will vary widely, depending on who’s plotting the self-destructive act in question. But it’s worth keeping in mind if and when the Clinton campaign is faced with the choice of whether or not to try to win this thing based on superdelegates or the results of noncompetitive primaries in Florida and Michigan.

Schumer also suggested that the current system of awarding pledged delegates is flawed. "The delegate counts are so close, and you can win a state by quite a lot and you still don't win the delegates by quite a lot,” he said. "Maybe that's a flawed system. But that will be for the next election, not this one.

"I think if you win a district 55 to 45," he said. "The delegates shouldn't be three to three. Yes, I think proportional representation makes some sense but they sort of overdid it."

[Hope And Change]

30. Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll: Obama 49%, Clinton 40%

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll


Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows Barack Obama opening a nine-point lead over Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. Obama now earns support from 49% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters while Clinton attracts 40% (see recent daily results). Other polling data released today provides more good news for Obama--the national frontrunner continues to gain ground in Texas and now has a slight lead in that critical state.

Recent polling data shows that Clinton is still leading in Ohio, but her lead is smaller than before. The former First Lady Clinton leads in Rhode Island while Obama has the edge in Vermont. Looking down the road a bit, Clinton has only a four-point lead in Pennsylvania. In reviewing the last Clinton-Obama debate, Froma Harrop looks at the health care issue and concludes “It would make more sense to skip all this reliance on private coverage and go to a Medicare-style government plan paid for through taxes.”

Thursday’s data also shows John McCain continuing to lead both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in general election match-ups. McCain now leads Obama 46% to 43% and Clinton 47% to 44% (see recent daily results and summary of recent state general election polls). Daily tracking results are collected via nightly telephone surveys and reported on a four-day rolling average basis. The next Presidential Tracking Poll update is scheduled for Friday at 11:00 a.m.

Nationwide, Obama is viewed favorably by 51% and unfavorably by 48%. McCain’s numbers are 54% favorable, 43% unfavorable. Clinton earns positive reviews from 46% of Likely Voters nationwide and negative assessments from 52% (see recent daily results). Joe Conason looks at the race and sees “McCain’s Political Quagmire.” Larry Kudlow looks at the same race and sees “Obama’s Big Government Vision.”

more...

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

31. A Detailed Analysis of The Clinton/Obama Race in Cartoon Form

A Detailed Analysis of The Clinton/Obama Race in Cartoon Form February 28, 2008

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

32. NYT: "Hillary, Buckey Girl" (Why Hillary HAS to Win Ohio)

If Hillary were a state, she'd be Ohio. That is why if she doesn't win Ohio, she's done.

Hillary, Buckeye Girl

GAIL COLLINS New York Times. February 28, 2008

...If Hillary can win this one — and if she doesn’t, she is as cooked as reheated risotto — it will be because people here worry that Barack Obama is getting show-offy.

It’s not his fault. Contrary to rumor, he is not planting those people who faint from excitement at his rallies. Nevertheless, they continue to topple, and by now Barack is so used to this particular crisis that it has become almost a part of the rally routine. “If we have an E.M.T. in the house, I think somebody got faint,” he said calmly when a woman keeled over in front of the stage in Cincinnati. “They just need a little water and some juice.”

Back around Debate 10 — lo those many debates ago — Hillary routinely wiped the floor with Barack. He was reluctant and stumbling. She was confident and presidential. Then, as Adam Nagourney pointed out in The Times this week, he suddenly evolved. Now, he’s better than she is — calm and witty at crucial junctures, always to the point, never obsessing on the small stuff. After this week’s Debate 20, Hillary’s people gloated over the fact that Barack had said he agreed with her entirely on several key points, as if this was an admission of weakness rather than the key to his campaign — the promise to find whatever consensus there is and build on it.

If Hillary is stumbling, it may be because there just isn’t any good path to take. Nobody wants a bloodbath, and fighting against the first possible African-American president can be as tricky as going after the first possible woman. Still, she might have been able to handle all that, and the fact that he is a product of Kansas and Hawaii and Kenya, of Christians and Muslims, of a single mom on food stamps and Harvard Law, if he didn’t also turn out to have the best learning curve in political history.

You don’t often see a candidate on a trajectory like Obama’s, and at some point it will inevitably head down again. But until it does, even the original Bill Clinton would have a hard time beating him.

......

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

33. San Francisco Greens Ignore Nader, Support Obama (Nader irrelevent)

San Francisco Greens Ignore Nader, Support Obama Greg Dewar, of www.GregDewar.com

Epic FAIL: Nader's Running (again) But Local Greens Are With...Barack Obama!

So it looks like Ralph Nader's running for President again, and we're supposed to be worried or something, but I'm not.
True, I'm no fan of this charlatan. On my old blog, I wrote about his extreme dishonesty, and overall lack of ethics, and for a while got a bump on Google Searches. This time around, however, I think it's pretty obvious his time has passed, and he's so out of touch, his reasons for running just don't add up.

My favorite line today was the one about "people being disenchanted with Democrats and Republicans." Eeeyeahh. Funny thing though: Barack Obama is about to hit the one million donor mark (something Nader's greedy hands would love to have but won't because he sucks), and turnout in Democratic primaries have set new records, and blown doors off the turnout in the GOP primaries.

But the most telling sign of the total epic FAIL of Nader has been the response of local Green Party elected members to Nader the Liar. Green Party Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, Green Party College Board Member John Rizzo, and Green Party School Board Member Jane Kim have all come out in force for Barack Obama. Non-Greeen "Progressives" like Supervisors Daly and Peskin also support Obama. Hell, the Bay Guardian, usually the only refuge for disaster candidacies like Kucinich or Nader, endorsed Obama.

It says a lot when the folks who should be on board a supposedly great cause like Nader's bullsh*t are instead working for a candidate who's succeeding in ways Nader could never imagine. (Then again it shouldn't be a total surprise - Nader refused to campaign for Green poster-boy Matt Gonzalez in 2003, because, well, because Nader sucks.)

more at the link

[Hope And Change]

34. Congressman John Barrow Endorses Barack Obama

Congressman John Barrow Endorses Barack Obama


by Sam Graham-FelsenThursday, February 28, 2008 at 05:37 PM

Chicago, IL – Today, United States Congressman John Barrow (GA-12) endorsed Barack Obama, citing his success in the Georgia primary and his proven track record of bringing change that matters to working families.

Congressman Barrow said, “The voters in the 12th District of Georgia spoke on February 5, and the message came in loud and clear: They want Senator Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States, and I agree with them. Senator Obama has demonstrated that he can work with folks on all sides of an issue to find solutions that make sense for working families. That's what I've tried to do since I took office in 2005, and that's why I'm supporting him."

Senator Obama said, “I am grateful for Congressman Barrow’s support. Congressman Barrow knows through his years in local government and now representing the people of the 12th District what it takes to bring about real change in the lives of ordinary Americans. He has fought to make college more affordable and bring tax relief to working families. And I’m proud to stand with Congressman Barrow as we fight to bring about change all across our country."

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGggHZ#comments

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

35. Why is Hillary Losing to a 3rd-Year Senator?

Hillary's Close-Up

February 28, 2008 By Daniel Henninger at Real Clear Politics

...It's often said that she lacks Bill's political skills, whatever that means. Her retail skills are pretty darned good, though, good enough to defeat John Edwards or virtually any other Democrat one can imagine. So why is she losing to a three-year senator?

Partly because she's running in the wrong century.

Hillary's politics is the world of Eleanor Roosevelt, when it was all being born anew. The Washington of LBJ's Great Society in the mid-1960s was alive with policy debates -- among Democrats. By now, the Democratic Party's ideas are largely generic. Everyone noticed that the Democratic presidential candidates were largely singing from the same script. Health care, public schools, green energy, the eternal shafting of the middle class, the unions, protecting Social Security and Medicare. This common script means that the Democratic primaries are largely an audition. The candidates are reading for a role. The lines are known.

The part, however, is challenging. The Democratic platform may be familiar, but it is also infused with the quality of a dream.
Actually, the word "dream" gets used a lot in Democratic rhetoric. What are essentially bureaucratic arrangements, such as health insurance or after-school programs, are promised as "universal." Meanwhile, "the middle class" is being offered a version of never-never land -- total public protection from the traps and betrayals of the private sector, which has been reduced to a kind of Grimm's Fairy Tale abstraction, the wolves.

...The bitter irony is that what the Democrats want is someone like the original Clinton, another figure who can make the old-time religion sound not like a government program, but personally uplifting. She can't. In the Cleveland debate Tuesday, even Brian Williams couldn't resist noting "a 16-minute discussion on health care."

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

37. Clinton Needs to Secure `Overwhelming' Primary Wins

Clinton Needs to Secure `Overwhelming' Primary Wins

Hans Nichols and Catherine Dodge Thu Feb 28

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may be unable to match Barack Obama in the party's delegate race even if she pulls off wins in the Texas and Ohio primaries next week.

While the math says she can still catch him, the odds are daunting because the Democratic Party doesn't have winner-take- all contests. Clinton instead may need to rely on chemistry, a chain-reaction set off by big wins in the March 4 races and in Pennsylvania in April that will persuade wavering delegates that she's the stronger candidate to face the Republican nominee in November.

...``Because of proportional representation, if one candidate gets a significant lead of pledged delegates, it's difficult -- but not impossible -- for the trailing candidate to make up the delegate disadvantage,'' said Tad Devine, a strategist for Democratic Senator John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid. It would take ``overwhelming'' victories in the remaining primaries. ``You really need to beat someone by 20 percentage points.''

Obama is ahead of Clinton by as many as 156 pledged delegates, who will vote on the nomination at the Democratic convention in August, according to an unofficial count by NBC News. There are 370 delegates at stake on March 4, and party rules for how they are awarded make it unlikely Clinton will cut much, if at all, into his lead.

more at the link

[Hope And Change]

38. PCP Poll: Obama Opens Up Lead in Texas

PCP Poll: Obama Opens Up Lead in Texas


A new http://texaspolls.callvoyager.com/TexasPollResults.pdf">People Calling People survey in Texas shows Sen. Barack Obama with a 7-point lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton, 40% to 33%. The survey's margin of error is 2.42%.

However, in a poll of voters who said they had already cast ballots in early voting for the Democratic primary, Clinton led Obama, 41% to 38%, within the subset survey's margin of error.

February 28, 2008

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/02/28/pcp_poll_obama_opens_up_lead_in_texas.html">Link

[VenusRising]

40. Open letter from Obama on equality for LGBT

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/alexokrent/gGggJS

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

41. Crooks& Liars: Dick Gregory apologizes to the first Black President

Dick Gregory apologizes to the first Black President

Video posted at Crooks and Liars by: scarce on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Noted comedian and long time civil rights advocate Dick Gregory shook the house at last weekends’ State of the Black Union.

Gregory did so numerous times that afternoon, including this bit where he “apologizes” on behalf of all African Americans
for “confusing” the first Black President on just who is and who is not Black.

As with all brilliant satirists, Gregory spares no one, least of all those in attendance.

[grantcart]

44. His book "Nigger - an autobiography" changed my life when I was

14. The byline was "Mom every time you hear that word you know that they are advertising my book. Thanks for the link I was in tears when I watched it live.

[Hope And Change]

45. Obama Airs Spots In Jackson, Mississippi

3:02 p.m.: Obama Airs Spots In Jackson


POSTED: 3:01 pm CST February 28, 2008

JACKSON, Miss. -- Barack Obama’s campaign is spending money to place a TV ad in the Jackson market.

The commercials start Friday on WAPT. The Mississippi primary is set for March 11.

According to the station’s sales department’s research, Obama is the first presidential candidate to spend money on TV advertising in Mississippi since 1992.

http://www.wapt.com/news/15440963/detail.html?rss=jac&psp=news

[grantcart]

46. So far added 2 super delegates today for Obama 1 for Clinton

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4809460&mesg_id=4812007

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

47. Syrinx posted this: "Naomi Wolf: Why Barack Obama Got My Vote"

Syrinx posted this: "Naomi Wolf: Why Barack Obama Got My Vote"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4811956

[grantcart]

48. ***Breaking News 3 Candidates+ HRC now in race with Obama

Now in addition to HRC Obama is running against Sen. McCain and Pres. GW Bush - all of them attacking him at the same time -

Go Bama - didn't want to waste a thread on this just thought it was funny and the people in here, I know agree.

No wonder Bloomberg stayed out.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

49. Bush, McCain & Clinton Pile Up On Obama Over the Iraq War

McCain and Bush attack:

As Obama builds lead, Bush and McCain attack

International Herald Tribune, France - Bush's critical comments came a day after McCain had mocked Obama's grasp of realities in Iraq.

Bush Attacks:

Bush attacks Obama foreign policy plan
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4812038&mesg_id=4812038

Clinton attacks:

Clinton Attacks, Obama Parries
TheStreet.com - Feb 27, 2008

Obama counters he has had better judgment than Bush or Clinton. He points out that he opposed the Iraq war in 2002 -- a position few politicians can claim. ...

[Scurrilous]

50. Kick

:kick:

[grantcart]

51. New update on total delegates and superdelegates

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=132

Obama has an amazing + 7 superdelegates in 2 days

You know that if HRC had 2 superdelegates in a week that they would be making big big news about it and why it was so historical.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

52. Obama's General Synod speech prompts IRS to investigate UCC's tax_exempt status

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_j__benne_080228_obama_s_general_syno.htm


The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ's national offices in Cleveland, Ohio, that the IRS has opened an investigation into U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's address at the UCC's 2007 General Synod as the church engaging in "political activities."

In the IRS letter dated Feb. 20, the IRS said it was initiating a church tax inquiry "because reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax_exempt status."


The Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president, called the investigation "disturbing" but said the investigation would reveal that the church did nothing improper or illegal.

Obama, an active member of the United Church of Christ for more than 20 years, addressed the UCC's 50th anniversary General Synod in Hartford, Conn., on June 23, 2007, as one of 60 diverse speakers representing the arts, media, academia, science, technology, business and government. Each was asked to reflect on the intersection of their faith and their respective vocations or fields of expertise. The invitation to Obama was extended a year before he became a Democratic presidential candidate.

"The United Church of Christ took great care to ensure that Senator Obama's appearance before the 50th anniversary General Synod met appropriate legal and moral standards," Thomas told United Church News. "We are confident that the IRS investigation will confirm that no laws were violated."

Before Obama spoke to the national gathering of 10,000 UCC members, Associate General Minister Edith A. Guffey, who serves as administrator of the biennial General Synod, admonished the crowd that Obama's appearance was not to be a campaign_related event and that electioneering would not be tolerated. No political leaflets, signs or placards were allowed, and activity by the Obama campaign was barred from inside the Hartford Civic Center venue.

In an introduction before Obama's speech, Thomas said Obama was invited as "one of ours" to provide reflections on "how personal faith can be lived out in the public square, how personal faith and piety is reflected in the life of public service."