Thanks ABC Media - Prime example of why Obama CANNOT accept public financing.

[Skwmom]

Media talking heads on debate - I feel like I've entered the twilight zone. I think Obama did a great job last night handling the attacks. I'm stunned at all these idiots saying that Obama lost the debate and this proves Obama can't debate - as if saying something often enough the public will believe it. Oh wait a minute, that is what team Clinton and the Republicans do.

Sure Obama could have pointed out that the CLINTON POLICIES of sending jobs overseas, deregulation of financial institutions (leading to the sub-prime crisis), and other trade policies have DEVASTATED this country (even though the damage wasn't felt until AFTER Clinton left office). However, in telling the truth about the Clintons the media would spin it as attacking Clinton and would hurt the Democrats in the general election.

Great job ABC. You just gave team Obama one heck of an example of why they CANNOT accept public financing. The corporate media would love to silence the voice of the people so alone would be heard in the general election. I think Americans are smart enough to understand - McCain supports policies that are big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for the corporations who own our media. It would be stupid for Obama to give up his ability to hit back at the media and Republican 527s, especially when his message is being financed by THE PEOPLE.

[NJmaverick]

1. It would be foolish to turn down a big advantage

Not only could he easily outraise McCain (the republicans may vote for him, but they are not going to give him tons of $$$) but it would force the old man to work much much harder as he would have to do all sorts of fund raisers. That long term excertion will make him cranky and more likely to show his temper.

[northzax]

2. interesting, isn't it?

that Obama gets credit for not making points in a debate? I am sure he really had all this at hand, and just chose not to use it. Cause lord knows, we don't want a candidate who will actually go after the other candidate on positions they hold.

[Skwmom]

5. He can go after McCain. Clinton has lost already.

[northzax]

11. then he obviously wants her to stay around

if it's true he had the weapons to knock her out of the race, and chose NOT to use them, then that doesn't bode well for his fighting spirit, does it?

and what, in his history, gives you the idea that he will 'go after McCain'? he has shown no interest in going after anyone, in any campaign he has ever run. why would be break with tradition now?

[Skwmom]

16. Obama is a fighter - but a SMART fighter. He's not stupid. He understands that

he needs to bring the party together in the general election and Clinton and the Republicans are doing everything they can to keep that from happening.

I wish people would stop trying to bait Obama into acting stupid. Haven't they figured out that is doesn't work.

[northzax]

17. either that.

or he doesn’t have the killer instinct to actually win. He’s never had to attack anyone, Edwards took care of that early in the primary process.

And if, you say, this is all planned and such, then the Obama campaign doesn’t want Hillary to go away, so her presence isn’t ‘dividing the party’ or any such thing.

Those are your options: you can go with history and realize that he’s never had a debate focused on him and he didn’t handle it well, or you can think this is all part of a strategy. If it is part of the strategy, then all the people calling for Hillary to step down because she is destroying the party are obviously not on message with the ‘very smart’ Obama campaign. He either doesn’t want her to lose and drop out, or he doesn’t have the chops to make it happen when given the opportunity with a bow on it. Which one you want to pick?

[merh]

10. there was very little discussion of issues

that is what the problem was - the little discussion had on the issues was interrupted by the moderators frequently and they even debated the candidates and didn't allow the candidates the chance to address responses. (eg The way HRC went on about taxes and then said at the end "we'll figure it out somehow" or something like that - the mods turned the debate and didn't give Obama the chance to say "what does that mean").

[northzax]

12. lack of discussion on the issues is good for Obama

people might find out that Hillary is consistently more liberal than he is, if they actually talked about the issues. not to mention a whole hell of a lot better on those pesky little details about policy.

[merh]

13. LOL that's a load of horseshit

and funny thing is, Hillary is the one that has tried to negatively label Obama a "liberal", that didn't work the way she wanted it to. The pesky details you miss is that it it Hillary that won't discuss the issues, but it appears that doesn't matter much to you.

Here is what the debate looked like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWiDBr2qQ2k

[northzax]

14. right, ok

which is why their voting records in the Senate are identical, except for five votes. and in each of those five votes, Obame voted with the Republicans. but hey, you think what you want.

Where I come from, details are a liberal issue, government without details is the Bush Administration.

[merh]

15. disprove what I said

oh, you can't - as to the rest of your crap, well here ya go, do some reading

http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990809/kaminer
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15920730/
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2008/02/political_scientists_say_obama_might_be_more_liberal_than_hillary/
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2008/01/06/cnns-schneider-labels-obama-liberal-toobin-labels-very-liberal

Only for so long will Mr. Obama's sparkling personality help him avoid troubling questions about his ideological record. The fact that he originally opposed the war in Iraq would help him with primary voters, but it's unclear how many Democrats want to plump for someone who, according to National Journal, has a more liberal voting record than Hillary Clinton. Last year Mr. Obama had a perfect 100% voting record from both the Americans for Democratic Action and the AFL-CIO.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110009401

And tell me why the liberal hillary voted against the legislation banning cluster bombs?

Or why she sponsored a bill to ban flag burning?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/14/AR2005121401887.html

You are full of crap and your condescending comments prove only that you consider snark over substance, a very conservative style of debate indeed.

Read and be educated.

[northzax]

18. ok, here are some other ones

how about the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights? 85% for both.

how about the Human Rights Campaign? 89% for both.

oh, and as for opposition to the war. Fine. please tell me, how did Senator Obama vote on the IWR again? please provide a link to the evidence. oh, you can't? because he didn't have to vote on it? huh. and he said at the time that he didn't know how he'd vote if he actually had to? in fact, please demonstrate how Senator Obama has voted against the continuing funding of a war he is so opposed to? see? when you actually have to vote on things, different things happen. Obama is so opposed to the war that he has taken every chance to vote to continue it. that's some real courage there, don't you think?

[merh]

19. Sorry, my stats beat your stats

and you still refuse to admit that Hillary tried to smear Obama by calling him a *gasp* liberal -

Their policies are very similar BUT - hillary did sponsor the anti-flag burning legislation, she did support NAFTA before she was against it (for political reasons only); she did vote to allow the continued use of cluster bombs and yeah, she did vote for the war and up until this campaign, she supported all things about the war and GWB.

[Joyce78]

3. His "message" has been financed by some others ...

Candidate Watch
Obama's Rezko Connection

"Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was again drawn into Tony Rezko's corruption trial on Monday, when the prosecution's star witness placed Obama at a party for an Iraqi-born billionaire who was later barred entry to the United States."
--Chicago Sun-Times, April 15, 2008.

Proof of a meeting between Barack Obama and the Iraqi-born billionaire, Nadhmi Auchi, would be a blow for the Illinois senator's presidential campaign. Obama has repeatedly said that he cannot recollect any meeting with Auchi, a London-based businessman who is appealing a conviction for fraud in France. Auchi was a business contact of Antoin Rezko, a former Chicago developer and Obama fundraiser currently on trial for corruption.

With a fortune estimated at more than $5 billion, Auchi is one of the world's richest men. According to U.S. prosecutors, Rezko lobbied the U.S. government to get a visa for Auchi after he was banned from entering the country.

The Facts
So far this is a case of "he said, she said," or rather "he said, he said."

According to Stuart Levine, a former Rezko associate turned prosecution witness, both Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were among the guests at a April 3, 2004 party at Rezko's Chicago home for Auchi. At that time, Rezko was trying to impress Auchi with his political connections. The British billionaire would later buy part of Rezko's pizzeria business and invest $170 million in a prime piece of Chicago real estate that Rezko wanted to develop.

While acknowledging his friendship with Rezko, Obama has minimized their social dealings. Interviewed last month by the Chicago Tribune, he said that he and Rezko met for breakfast or lunch infrequently. He said that he attended a fundraising event at Rezko's home in Wilmette in 2003, but made no mention of the April 2004 party for Auchi.

On the other hand, legitimate questions have been raised about the credibility of Stuart Levine, the government's star witness in the Rezko case. The trial judge has ruled that Levine, a prominent GOP fundraiser, can be questioned about past drug use, ranging from cocaine to ecstasy to crystal meth. Defense lawyers have also questioned a plea bargaining arrangement under which Levine would be sentenced to a maximum of 5 1/2 years in prison instead of 30 years in return for cooperating with prosecutors.

After Monday's court hearing, a spokesman for Obama said that he had "no recollection" of the April 2004 event at Rezko's Wilmette home. Obama recently acknowledged stopping by the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago on another occasion when Rezko was hosting a small private dinner for two Qatar bankers in February 2004. At the time, Obama was in the middle of his U.S. Senate race.

A lawyer for Auchi, Alasdair Pepper, told me by phone from London that his client also had "no recollection" of any meeting with either Obama or his wife.

The Pinocchio Test
We will have to wait to see how this story plays out. It took many months for Obama to answer questions about his dealings with Rezko from Chicago newspapers, and new details about the relationship have dribbled out over time. On the other hand, Levine's rather sketchy testimony about the alleged April 2004 meeting with Auchi is far from conclusive.

[davidpdx]

8. Repeating the Hillaryis44 talking points

Tsk tsk....

http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=575

[crankychatter]

4. precisely.. McCain will get a megamillion dollar free ride in the media

Obama needs our money

[Skwmom]

6. Just like Clinton has. I laugh when they say Obama is outspending her.

They really do think we are idiots.

[DUyellow]

7. There is no way he can accept public financing

[davidpdx]

9. I tend to agree with you

if Obama is consistently raising $30-50 million a month, he should opt out of public financing. McCain has already screwed himself by taking a loan and using public money to guarantee it. The truth is McCain is going to have to work harder and raise a lot more then he is or try to take the high road and stick with public financing.