HavenWorks.com/people/a-z/o/obama-barack Barack Obama News

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Barack Obama News, Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Hussein Obama News
2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama News

OBAMA SPEECH:
"A More Perfect Union."

Watch
Speech:

Obama SPEECHES: "World Beyond Iraq: On Iraq and National Security." "The Cost of War." "Renewing the American Economy." "AFL-CIO."

HavenWorks

Illinois

2008 Election

Barack Obama News.
Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Obama News
Congress.gov biography: "OBAMA, Barack, a Senator from Illinois; born in Honolulu, Hawaii, August 4, 1961; obtained early education in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Hawaii; continued education at Occidental College, Los Angeles, Calif.; received a B.A. in 1983 from Columbia University, New York City; worked as a community organizer in Chicago, Ill.; studied law at Harvard University, where he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, and received J.D. in 1991; lecturer on constitutional law, University of Chicago; member, Illinois State senate 1997-2004; elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 2004 for term beginning January 3, 2005."

-Congress.gov

Barack Obama

BARACK OBAMA News:

20080516

Opinion - John McCain - Clinton - Obama - US - 2008 Election - Israel - Palestine - Military - Terrorism - Politics - "[McCain] Hypocrisy on Hamas: McCain Was for Talking Before He Was Against It." ... "Two years ago, just after Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections, I interviewed [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain for the British network Sky News's "World News Tonight" program. Here is the crucial part of our exchange:" ... "I asked: "Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?"" ... "McCain answered: "They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."" ... "Given that exchange, the new John McCain might say that Hamas should be rooting for the old John McCain to win the presidential election. The old John McCain, it appears, was ready to do business with a Hamas-led government, while both [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidates Hillary] Clinton and [Barack] Obama have said that Hamas must change its policies toward Israel and terrorism before it can have diplomatic relations with the United States." ... "Even if McCain had not favored doing business with Hamas two years ago, he had no business smearing Barack Obama. But given his stated position then, it is either the height of hypocrisy or a case of political amnesia for McCain to inject Hamas into the American election." -By James P. Rubin -WashingtonPost
WATCH "McCain on Hamas in 2006: Going to Have to Deal With Them." John McCain: "They're the government; and sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, in one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas is because of their dedication to violence and the the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. And I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, then they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."
Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - New York - South Dakota - Illinois - Nevada - California - US - Israel - Iran - Syria - Military - Terrorism - Politics - History - 2008 Election - "Bush Assails ‘Appeasement,’ Touching Off Storm." ... "[Republican] President Bush used a speech to the Israeli Parliament on Thursday to liken those who would negotiate with “terrorists and radicals” to appeasers of the Nazis — a remark widely interpreted as a rebuke to [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama, who has advocated greater engagement with countries like Iran and Syria." ... "The comments created an angry tussle back home, as Democrats accused Mr. Bush of breaching protocol by playing partisan politics overseas." ... "Mr. Obama delivered a quick and pointed response, saying in an e-mail statement to reporters that he had no intention of dealing with terrorists and accusing Mr. Bush of using his visit, timed for the 60th anniversary of Israel’s independence, to “launch a false political attack.”" ... "On Thursday, other Democrats leapt to the Illinois senator’s defense. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, called Mr. Bush’s remarks “reckless and irresponsible.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said Mr. Bush had behaved in a manner “beneath the dignity of the office of president.” Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic caucus, accused Mr. Bush of violating the unwritten rule against playing politics overseas." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York] Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mr. Obama’s rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, joined him in taking issue with Mr. Bush. Weighing in from South Dakota, Mrs. Clinton said: “President Bush’s comparison of any Democrat to Nazi appeasers is offensive and outrageous, especially in the light of his failures in foreign policy. This is the kind of statement that has no place in any presidential address.”" -By Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Jim Rutenberg -NYTimes
WATCH Pelosi's comment on Bush's criticism of Democrats while in Israel, "What the President did in that regard is beneath the dignity of the office of the President and unworthy of our representation at that observance in Israel. And I would hope that any serious person would disassociate themselves from the President's remarks who aspires to leadership in our country."

20080514

John McCain - Hillary Clinton - Barack Obama - US- Iraq - Afghanistan - Military - People - Money - Legislation - Politics - 2008 Election - Ariz - Ill - NY - "McCain, Military Oppose Expanding GI Bill." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. [Republican-Arizona], the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, seemed to give a thumbs down to bipartisan legislation that would greatly expand educational benefits for members of the military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan under the GI Bill." ... "Both [2008 Election] Democratic presidential candidates — Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill. [Democratic-Illinois], and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. [Democratic-New York], — have signed on as co-sponsors, and the bill has gained bipartisan support from 54 senators on Capitol Hill in addition to [Virginia Democratic Senator Jim] Webb. A vote on the proposal is expected before the summer." ... "But the bill, which would dramatically increase educational compensation for American troops, has run into some unexpected resistance, both at the Pentagon and now from McCain, who has remained silent on the issue, saying he had not studied the bill close enough." ... "Pressure had mounted on McCain to support the bill — a veterans group, which backs the legislation, delivered a petition to McCain's Senate office, signed by 30,000 veterans." ... "[Matt] Flavin joined the military out of patriotism shortly after 9/11, went to Officer Candidate School and, over the next five years, served tours in Bosnia, Afghanistan and with Naval special forces in Iraq." ... "While he did not join the military specifically to get benefits from the GI Bill and does not think most troops do, Flavin supports the legislation." ... ""We owe them something," Flavin said of his comrades. "They've given life, limb, everything there is to give. The people who bore the most pain and suffering are the people who could use these benefits."" (1, 2, 3) -By Z. Byron Wolf with contributions by Bret Hovell -ABCNEWS.com
John Edwards - Barack Obama - 2008 Election - North Carolina - Illinois - Michigan - Clinton - "Edwards Endorses Obama." ... "John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina who bowed out of the [2008 Election] presidential race in January, endorsed [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama at a rally here tonight." ... "“The reason I am here tonight is because the Democratic voters in America have made their choice, and so have I,” Mr. Edwards said. " ... [WATCH: John Edwards: "There is one man who knows and understands that this is the time for bold leadership. There is one man that knows how to create the change, the lasting change, that you have to build from the ground up. There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two, and that man is Barack Obama."]

Edwards Obama

[NYTimes photo]

"Officials announced the news of Mr. Edwards’s endorsement shortly after Mr. Obama landed here [in Michigan] late this afternoon." ... "Mr. Edwards began by paying tribute to [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary] Mrs. Clinton. “It is very, very hard to get up every day and do what she’s done,” Mr. Edwards Mrs. Clinton. “It is hard to go out there and fight and speak up when the odds turn against you. What she has shown is strength and character.”" ... "He said Mrs. Clinton is a “woman who is made of steel. She is a leader in this country not because of her husband but because of what she has done.”" -By Jim Rutenberg and Julie Bosman with contributions by Jeff Zeleny

-NYTimes

WATCH full video: "John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama."

Barack Obama - Government - Financial - Law - Illinois - New York - 2008 Election - "Obama to Receive Endorsement Of 3 Former SEC Chairmen." ... "Three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission will publicly endorse Democratic [2008 Election Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the presidency Wednesday, including one who served under [Republican] President Bush." ... "William Donaldson, who was SEC [Securities and Exchange Commissio] chairman for about 2½ years from early 2003, along with [Democratic President Bill] Clinton and [Republican President Ronald] Reagan appointees Arthur Levitt and David Ruder, will join former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker in endorsing Sen. Obama, his campaign said. Mr. Volcker endorsed Sen. Obama in January." ... "In a statement released by the campaign, the four men said they believed Sen. Obama would take a "reasoned approach" to "balanced regulatory reform."" ... "The endorsements, especially that of Republican appointee Mr. Donaldson, could give a boost to Mr. Obama in the general election this fall." ... "Mr. Donaldson, a former Wall Street banker, also is a former head of the New York Stock Exchange. In government, Mr. Donaldson's tenure was marked by his push for greater regulation of hedge funds. The SEC eventually passed a hedge-fund-regulation package, in the face of vocal critics. A federal court later overturned the regulation." ... "In an interview Tuesday, Mr. Donaldson said he was struck by a speech Sen. Obama gave calling for a revamping of regulation for any business that borrows money from the government. Sen. Obama, he said, saw the "need to take a good hard look at how things are organized" and "just exactly what went wrong in terms of the regulatory oversight that we have."" -By Christopher Cooper and Kara Scannell -WSJ.com

20080510

Barack Obama - John McCain - 2008 Election - Oregon - Energy - Technology - US - Iraq - Military - Health Care - "Obama eager to campaign with McCain." ... "Acting even more like he has clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama said on Saturday he would be willing to campaign jointly with Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate] John McCain and acknowledged he needed to better introduce himself to Americans." ... "After a stop at a solar technology company in this central Oregon town [Bend, Oregon], Obama was asked if he supported a suggestion that he campaign with McCain and hold joint town hall meetings in the run-up to the November [2008] general election." ... ""I think that's a great idea. Obviously we'd have to think through the logistics on this," Obama said. "Should I be the nominee, if I have the opportunity to debate substantive issues before the voters with John McCain, that's something I'm going to welcome."" ... "Obama, who took a commanding lead in the Democratic race last week, said he looked forward to pointing out his differences with McCain, including views on the energy crisis, the Iraq war and health care." ... ""We haven't finished this primary yet so it's premature to start projecting how the general election's going to play out," he said at the news conference." (1, 2, 3) -By Deborah Charles wtih contributions by by Chris Baltimore and Todd Eastham -Reuters

20080508

Barack Obama - John McCain - 2008 Election - Military - Terrorism - Israel - Palestine - Iraq - Pakistan - US - Indiana - North Carolina - "Obama: McCain is 'losing his bearings'." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama chastised [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain Thursday for engaging in “smear” politics, and defended himself from critics who question whether he is capable of being commander-in-chief, during a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer — his first sit-down since the Indiana and North Carolina primaries." ... "“This is offensive, and I think it's disappointing,” Obama told Blitzer, when asked his thoughts about McCain’s comments that the terrorist organization Hamas wants Obama to be president. “Because John McCain always says ‘I am not going to run that kind of politics,’ and to engage in that kind of smear is unfortunate, particularly because my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his." ... "“I’ve said it’s a terrorist organization and we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and unless they are willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis. So for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don’t need name calling in this debate.”" ... "(Related: Obama: World wants to see U.S. lead)" ... "On the topic of national security, Obama said that the American people are looking for a leader with “good judgment” — a trait the Democratic presidential hopeful said he possessed." ... "“Whether it’s my judgment on Iraq and recognizing that that was going to be a strategic blunder, to my insistence that we need to talk not just to countries we like, but countries we don’t, to my assessment in terms of how we had over-invested in the Musharraf government in Pakistan and that was going to be setting us up for failure later on,” Obama said. “I think I’ve consistently displayed the kind of judgment that the American people are looking for in the next president.”" -By Mark Preston and Alexander Mooney -CNN

20080502

Ron Paul - John McCain - Barack Obama - US - Iraq - Foreign - Military - Federal - Dollars - Law - Book - 2008 Election - Texas - Arizona - Illinois - "Paul: Not ready to endorse McCain, likes Obama's foreign policy." ... "Having a Republican win the upcoming presidential election is “secondary” for [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Texas Representative Ron] Paul who is more interested in defending the Constitution, having the country go in what he considers the right direction, having a sound currency, and achieving balanced budgets. Paul parts ways with [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator John] McCain over McCain’s support for the Iraq war, his approach to U.S. [United States] foreign policy in the Middle East and his willingness to spend federal dollars to support military operations in Iraq." ... "Instead, Paul favors [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama because of positions on foreign policy. “But that’s doesn’t mean that’s an endorsement,” Paul quickly added." ... "Paul recently released a new book titled “The Revolution: a Manifesto.” “Unfortunately, it is revolutionary to talk about obeying the Constitution,” Paul said of the book’s title." -CNN

20080430

Clinton - McCain - Obama - Infrastructure - Auto - Transportation - North Carolina - 2008 Election - Oil - Companies - Politics - "Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea." ... "The [gas] tax is used to fund the Highway Trust Fund that builds and maintains roads and bridges." ... "Economists said that since refineries cannot increase their supply of gasoline in the space of a few summer months, lower prices will just boost demand and the benefits will flow to oil companies, not consumers." ... ""You are just going to push up the price of gas by almost the size of the tax cut," said Eric Toder, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama criticized the plan as pure politics and said the only way to lower the price of gas is to use less oil." ... ""It would last for three months and it would save you on average half a tank of gas, $25 to $30. That's what Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are proposing to deal with the gas crisis," he said on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina." ... ""This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's an idea designed to get them through an election."" (1, 2, 3) -By Alister Bull with contributions by Bill Trott -Reuters

20080429

McCain - Clinton - Obama - Transportation - Infrastructure - Federal - Money - Arizona - New York - Illinois - 2008 Election - Labor_Day - Memorial Day - Consumer - Car - Gas - Politics - "What a gas: Candidates seem far less presidential when they talk about 'gas tax holidays' rather than the nation's ongoing needs." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's idea to give Americans a summer holiday from federal gas taxes is about as weighty as a Barbie Dream Car, yet he can't stop driving it into the ground." ... "Neither can [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Clinton. The two presidential contenders can't resist the chance to pander to voters and, as a bonus, paint [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama as an elitist. By doing so, they're missing an opportunity to show leadership on some major long-term challenges -- such as updating the nation's crowded roads and aging bridges." ... "In a speech on April 15, McCain proposed that the federal government suspend the 18.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax and the 24.4-cent-per-gallon diesel tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day. ... "McCain's idea is problematic on several levels. First, it would begin and end several months before the next president takes office, so it's more of a thought balloon than a plan. Second, the tax relief would save the typical American family only about $40 per car, while also siphoning $10 billion from the cash-strapped federal highway fund." ... "What's more, leading economists say the tax break would do little to lower the prices at the pump. More likely, the slightly lower prices would lead to higher demand, which would push the prices back up, allowing oil companies to make more money while federal tax coffers go hungry." ... "This is an election-year sop, not a plan for the future." -Oregonian
Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Media - Politics - Religion - 2008 Election - Maryland - "Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?" ... "The [Reverend] Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't have done more damage to Barack Obama's campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that's just what one friend of Wright wanted." ... "Shortly before he rose to deliver his rambling, angry, sarcastic remarks at the National Press Club Monday, Wright sat next to, and chatted with, Barbara Reynolds." ... "It also turns out that Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club "who organized" the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter." ... "On a blog linked to her Web site- www.reynoldsnews.com- Reynolds said in a February post: "My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you" to Clinton and her husband for the successes of Bill Clinton's presidency." ... "Wright has, unquestionably, been caricatured and vilified unfairly. The feeding programs, prison outreach and other social services he has built over more than 30 years are commendable, and his reading of the Judeo-Christian tradition as an epic story of people trying to escape slavery is far more right than wrong - and not something to be caricatured or compressed into a 10-second sound bite." ... "But Wright should have known - and his friend and ally Reynolds, a media professional, surely knew - that bickering with the press can only harm Wright and, by extension, Obama. " -By Errol Louis -NYDailyNews.com
Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Religion - Politics - "The Pastor Casts a Shadow." ... "The [Reverend] Rev. Jeremiah Wright went to Washington on Monday not to praise Barack Obama, but to bury him." ... "Smiling, cracking corny jokes, mugging it up for the big-time news media — this reverend is never going away. He’s found himself a national platform, and he’s loving it." ... "It’s a twofer. Feeling dissed by Senator Obama, Mr. Wright gets revenge on his former follower while bathed in a spotlight brighter than any he could ever have imagined. He’s living a narcissist’s dream. At long last, his 15 minutes have arrived." ... "The question that cries out for an answer from Mr. Wright is why — if he is so passionately committed to liberating and empowering blacks — does he seem so insistent on wrecking the campaign of the only African-American ever to have had a legitimate shot at the presidency." -By Bob Herbert -NYTimes
Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Accounting - Indiana - North Carolina - Illinois - New York - Colorado - 2008 Election - "Obama Heads for Superdelegate Edge." ... "The 795 superdelegates, who can vote for any nominee, fall into one of two groups -- the elected and the unelected." ... "The elected are the party's 28 governors, 234 House members, 49 senators and assorted big-city mayors and state officeholders." ... "The nonelected superdelegates are the more than 400 national and state party officers of the Democratic National Committee." ... "Among elected officials, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator Barack] Sen. Obama leads in endorsements from governors and senators. He is behind among House members by one, but both camps expect him to pull ahead unless he does badly in next Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries. If he doesn't stumble, enough elected Democrats are expected to back Sen. Obama after the last primaries June 3 to give him the delegate majority needed for nomination." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator Hillary] Sen. Clinton still leads in endorsements from nonelected officials. Many have known her and former [Democratic] President Clinton since the couple's White House years, or worked for them then." ... "About 300 of the 795 superdelegates remain uncommitted; they don't have to endorse anyone until [August] Aug. 27 at the Democrats' Denver [Colorado] convention." -By Jackie Calmes -WSJ.com

20080427

Elizabeth Edwards - Edwards - Biden - Barack Obama - Media - Television - Corporations - Sports - Politics - 2008 Election - Pennsylvania - Freedom - Health - "Bowling 1, Health Care 0." ... "For the last month, news media attention was focused on Pennsylvania and its [2008 Election] Democratic primary. Given the gargantuan effort, what did we learn?" ... "Well, the rancor of the campaign was covered. The amount of money spent was covered. But in Pennsylvania, as in the rest of the country this political season, the information about the candidates’ priorities, policies and principles — information that voters will need to choose the next president — too often did not make the cut. After having spent more than a year on the campaign trail with my husband, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards, I’m not surprised." ... "Why? Here’s my guess: The vigorous press that was deemed an essential part of democracy at our country’s inception is now consigned to smaller venues, to the Internet and, in the mainstream media, to occasional articles. I am not suggesting that every journalist for a mainstream media outlet is neglecting his or her duties to the public. And I know that serious newspapers and magazines run analytical articles, and public television broadcasts longer, more probing segments." ... "But I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture." ... "Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Joe Biden’s health care plan? Anything at all? But let me guess, you know [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama’s bowling score. We are choosing a president, the next leader of the free world. We are not buying soap, and we are not choosing a court clerk with primarily administrative duties." ... "What’s more, the news media cut candidates like Joe Biden out of the process even before they got started." ... "News is different from other programming on television or other content in print. It is essential to an informed electorate. And an informed electorate is essential to freedom itself. But as long as corporations to which news gathering is not the primary source of income or expertise get to decide what information about the candidates “sells,” we are not functioning as well as we could if we had the engaged, skeptical press we deserve." ... "If voters want a vibrant, vigorous press, apparently we will have to demand it." (1, 2) -By Elizabeth Edwards -NYTimes

20080425

Obama - McCain - Clinton - Law - Politics - 2008 Election - "Obama-DNC Fundraising Deal." ... "After a series of discussions, the [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have decided to file papers with the Federal Election Commission establishing a “joint fundraising agreement.” Under the law, such a committee can accept up to $28,500 from individuals, most of which would go to the DNC." ... "[2008 Election] Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has already formed such an alliance with the Republican National Committee." ... "The fact that the Obama campaign is moving forward and Clinton is not at this time reflects certain important realities: Obama’s team is more confident that he will win the nomination than is Clinton’s — and Obama’s campaign has the necessity and luxury of thinking about and planning for the general election to come." -By Mark Halperin -TIME.com

20080423

John McCain - Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Working - Women - Families - Poverty - Homes - Gasoline - Groceries - Corporate - Politics - Arizona - Nev - Illinois - New York - New Orleans - Louisiana - 2008 Election - "McCain opposes equal pay bill in Senate." ... "Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits." ... "Senate Republicans killed the bill Wednesday night on a 56-42 vote that denied the measure the 60 votes needed to advance it to full debate and a vote. [Nevada Democratic Representative and] Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.[Democratic-Nevada], had delayed the vote to give McCain's Democratic rivals, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Senators of New York and Illinois] Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, time to return to Washington to support the measure, which would make it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination." ... "McCain skipped the vote to campaign in New Orleans [Louisiana]." ... ""Senator McCain has yet again fallen in line with President Bush while middle-class families are falling by the wayside," Clinton said in a statement following the vote. "Women are earning less, but Senator McCain is offering more of the same."" ... "Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney said: "At a time when American families are struggling to keep their homes and jobs while paying more for everything from gasoline to groceries, how on Earth would anyone who thinks they can lead our country also think it's acceptable to oppose equal pay for America's mothers, wives and daughters?"" -By Libby Quaid -AP via -SeattlePI
Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Workers - Pay - Legislation - Women - Minorities - 2008 Election - "Republicans block pay discrimination bill." ... "U.S. [United States] Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked legislation to reverse a Supreme Court ruling that makes it tougher for workers to sue for pay discrimination." ... "[2008 Election] Democratic presidential rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton interrupted their campaigns to return to the Senate to vote for the bill. The measure would lift tight time restraints to file claims that could expire before workers realize they were treated unfairly." ... "It is opposed by the [Republican President Bush] White House and business groups, which warn it would trigger an explosion of lawsuits and allow suits to be filed years and even decades after alleged offenses." ... "On average in the United States, women are paid about 23 percent less than men, while minorities receive even less -- despite laws that mandate equal pay for equal work." (1, 2) -By Thomas Ferraro with contributions by Richard Cowan and Peter Cooney -Reuters
Barack Obama - Hillary Rodham Clinton - Karl Rove - Terrorism - Politics - Osama bin Laden - Television - Ad - Money - History - Pennsylvania - Illinois - New York - Iran - Israel - US - Military - 2008 Election - "The Low Road to Victory." ... "The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it." ... "Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work. It is past time for [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York] Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election." ... "If nothing else, self interest should push her in that direction. Mrs. Clinton did not get the big win in Pennsylvania that she needed to challenge the calculus of the Democratic race. It is true that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama outspent her 2-to-1. But Mrs. Clinton and her advisers should mainly blame themselves, because, as the political operatives say, they went heavily negative and ended up squandering a good part of what was once a 20-point lead." ... "On the eve of this crucial primary, Mrs. Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad — torn right from Karl Rove’s playbook — evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war and the 9/11 attacks, complete with video of Osama bin Laden. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” the narrator intoned." ... "If that was supposed to bolster Mrs. Clinton’s argument that she is the better prepared to be president in a dangerous world, she sent the opposite message on Tuesday morning by declaring in an interview on ABC News that if Iran attacked Israel while she were president: “We would be able to totally obliterate them.”" -NYTimes

20080419

Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Politics - Illinois - Pennsylvania - US - Military - Economy - Global - Planet - "Obama Draws Record Crowd in Philadelphia." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama drew what may be his biggest crowd yet here [in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] Friday. His campaign, quoting Frank Friel, director of security at the Independence Visitor Center, pegged the number at 35,000." ... "And Mr. Obama took the opportunity to declare his “independence” from the politics of the past — and from “the say-anything, do-anything politics that’s all about how to win and not about why we should.”" ... "Here are some excerpts from his speech, as prepared for delivery:"

"This is a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. Our economy is in recession…. [M]ost of all, we’ve lost faith that our leaders can or will do anything about this; we don’t believe that anyone in Washington is listening to us, or standing up for us, or fighting for us." ... "That’s why this election is our chance to declare our independence from the broken politics of Washington, the cynical politics that puts spin ahead of solutions and the special interests ahead of our interests; the politics that’s all about tearing each other down when what we need is to lift this country up."

" -By Katharine Q. Seelye

-NYTimes

20080418

John McCain - Money - Accounting - Politics - - Arizona - Illinois - New York - Obama - Clinton - 2008 Election - "CNN chart purporting to compare candidates' "wealth" omitted Cindy McCain, who is reportedly worth $100 million." ... "Summary: On [TIME WARNER/CNN TV show] The Situation Room, an on-screen chart showed [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's income to be significantly lower than that of [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidates and Senators from Illinois and New York] Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton when combined with the income of their spouses. However, the chart did not include any income earned by McCain's wife, Cindy. As Dana Bash reported moments earlier of Cindy McCain, "Some estimates actually put her worth at about $100 million."" ... "Earlier in the program, Bash compared the portion of McCain's income that he gave to charity with the portion given by the Clintons and Obamas -- without noting that McCain presumably benefits from his wife's wealth and from her income from her separate property, a figure that she has not released." -MediaMatters.org
Barack Obama - United States - Social Security - Health Care - Housing -