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by John McCormick
ELKO, Nev. -- As he campaigned in northern Nevada today, Sen. Barack Obama was clearly trying to make sure there were no misunderstandings, at least from his point of view, before Saturday's caucuses.
In doing so, he repeated a riff he also delivered last night in Las Vegas, where he recounts a question from a debate earlier this week. An extended excerpt from the bit, which he delivers as if it were something of a comedy routine:
"I was asked, what are your weaknesses…I said I'm not good at shuffling paper. My desk is a mess. I also need help filing things, and keeping on schedule. And so, then they went to the other candidates. One of them said, my biggest weakness is I am just too passionate about helping poor people. And then, the other person said, well, I'm just too impatient to fix all the problems here in America. And so, I said -- what I wanted to say -- was I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question. I thought that you said, what are you biggest weaknesses. And I thought that meant, what are you biggest weaknesses. But now that I understand how Washington works, actually my biggest weakness is that I like to help old ladies across the street. I use that example, only because that is how Washington talks. They don't say what they mean. They don't answer the question, and so now, we're seeing all these criticisms from some other candidates that don't make sense."
Obama also responded here to an ad being run by Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign that suggests she is the strongest opponent of a proposed nuclear waste storage site at Yucca Mountain, a hot-button issue in Nevada.
The ad suggests Obama is "hip deep in financial ties" to Chicago-based Exelon Corp., a nuclear plant operator that supports the Yucca site.
The Associated Press reported that executives and employees of Exelon have contributed more than $200,000 to Obama's campaigns since 2004, citing PoliticalMoneyLine.com, which tracks campaign money.
"Sen. Clinton is putting out an advertisement implying that I'm in favor of Yucca Mountain," Obama responded. "Now, I've never been in favor of Yucca Mountain, never voted for Yucca Mountain. I kept on saying, I'm opposed to Yucca Mountain. So, when you say that I'm in favor of Yucca Mountain, and I have repeatedly said, I'm not. What part of I'm not in favor of Yucca Mountain do you not understand? But that's how politics works."
Obama's wife, Michelle, meanwhile, seemed to be making a veiled reference to Sen. Hillary Clinton, when she argued that she and her husband have had to struggle all their lives to get where they are today, while others have claimed to be "more prepared" or have more of a "right to power."
Comments
Obama and Edwards = The people's politicians.
George Bush and Hillary Clinton = The Corporations' politicians.
Posted by: VoteSensibly | January 18, 2008 11:04 PM
Hillary Clinton may be distoring Obama's position on Yucca Mountain, but she's distorting her own position too. In 2007 she cosponsored a bill to remove high level radioactive waste from NY to a "federal repository". Yucca is the only federal repository under consideration in this country.
Posted by: ron | January 18, 2008 11:38 PM
It's not that easy to find out what Democratic candidates think of issues that might have special relevance to Florida. The candidates not only pledged not to campaign here, they don't answer questions from reporters they recognize as being from Florida. I would guess they did the same to Michigan, which also did not obey the bylaws of the Democratic party and instead exercised the rights given State Legislatures by Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution.
I have learned a few things about Mr. Obama's proposed programs. He favors either postponing or perhaps not pursuing the space program's eventual efforts to reach Mars. This will mean not only job loss in Florida, Louisiana and Houston, but reduction of scientific progress in the US. Mr. Obama also (according to St. Pete Times) sent an angry memo to national media indicating that Florida is meaningless in the process of identifying the Democratic candidate.
To me, this means if he is the nominee, he will make certain that no Florida delegates would ever be allowed to attend the nominating convention.
Of course, he favored the continuation of federal ag subsidy to Iowa's corn farms. Iowa gets the lion's share of the billions in corn subsidy, so we can have even more corn syrup to support our obesity, and corn ethanol production that uses up more energy than it generates. The subsidies go directly to big Ag corporate farms, not to little family farms.
So much for being a 'change' candidate and a candidate of 'the people'. The US is 17% rural. Iowa is 45%. Where is are Mr. Obama and Mr. Edwards concerning the cap that's been put on loans and grants to urban areas to replace decaying regional bridges, sewer lines, etc. that the US DOT and EPA insisted had to be built as regional -- too big and costly for one local government to repair?
We don't know, and won't know. I don't think any politician who can turn his or her back on the voters of three states (Michigan, Wyoming and Florida) in their own party is a 'people's politician'.
Posted by: Soon-to-be-ex Democrat | January 19, 2008 1:31 AM
Hillary Clinton is the real candidate of Hope! She says, 'I voted for it, but I hoped it wouldn't pass', just like she said, I voted for the Iraq war, but I hoped Bush wouldn't use it. There's real hopemongering for you! As Bill Clinton says, 'Give me a break!' Im tired of all this Washington speak and Washington do. Give us the genuine article- Barack Obama.
Posted by: katharine | January 19, 2008 3:46 AM
More than 120,000 individuals have donated to the Obama Campaign in 2008 alone. In order to donate you need to state your job location and pledge:
-I am a United States citizen or a lawfully-admitted permanent resident.
-I am at least 16 years old.
-This contribution is not made from the general treasury funds of a corporation, labor organization or national bank.
-This contribution is not made from the funds of a political action committee.
-This contribution is not made from the treasury of an entity or person who is a federal contractor.
-This contribution is not made from the funds of an individual registered as a federal lobbyist or a foreign agent, or an entity that is a federally registered lobbying firm or foreign agent.
-The funds I am donating are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution.
Barack Obama takes no money from PACs or Lobbyists. These are individual donations. One of the reason we can track the donations is because of the visionary legislation Senator Obama passed in the US Senate. People have to work somewhere- I guess some Democrats work in the energy industry. Maybe they support Sen. Obama because they also don't want their company going into Yucca Mountain. Maybe they support him for a myriad of other reasons. Either way, individuals have a right to support a candidate, and a right to vote, no matter where they work. Or isn't that they way its 'sposed to be?
Posted by: katharine | January 19, 2008 4:10 AM
More and more people are tired and turned off by staged polititcians - like the answers given the other night at the deabe--Hillary's greatest weakness is how much she cares for the people. Edwards also gave a phony answer which seemed more about his compassion than a weakness. GIVE ME A BREAK! Politicians who give these contrived and phony answers are more concerned about them and not about you, the people. They are not trying to connect with you in any meaningful way, but trying to manipulate you -- by staged and phony answers, Washingtonian Answers.
In this era of the Greening of America, people are moving toward a more holistic way of living: organic foods and household items free of pesticides and chemicals, more effecient appliances to aid in the cleaning up of greenhouse gases among other things, solar and wind -- clean energy. However, we also want more Efficient and Cleaner Politicians. Ones we can believe in and ones we know are speaking to us, not at us, who are not trying to control and manipulate the us, the masses, for their own personal gains. That's how we get into wars by politicians who go along to get along for their OWN PERSONAL GAIN and not concerned about the degradation of what will happen to You, the Planet, and -- to the PEOPLE!
Posted by: Bacalove | January 19, 2008 9:06 AM
Soon-2-b-ex-Democrat:
Representatives of the Florida and Michigan Democratic Parties participated in the process of determining the Democratic Party's voting calendar. This was done according to the Party's constitution and bylaws.
If Florida and Michigan had played by the rules the candidates would be in Florida campaigning now.
Or are you a proponent of living by what ever rules suit you?
I mean, I'd gladly withhold by tax dollars from going to that rat hole formally called Iraq if I could pick and choose.
Posted by: Doug Zook | January 19, 2008 9:19 AM
Clinton's primary campaign tactics have already caused great rifts in NH, and are now doing so in NV. I'm horrified to imagine what the Democratic party could be reduced to the wake of her campaign.
These examples of divisive leadership, the abortion flyer in NH and the attempt to disenfranchise voters in NV are bad enough. When considered in conjunction with Clinton's alternating distortion and adoption of Obama's campaign platform, one can only be appalled.
I would have hoped that the first viable female candidate for the US Presidency would have at least left SOME room for us to respect and celebrate her venture.
Regrettably, at this juncture, one must be willing to suspend reason to do so.
Posted by: Kirstie Stramler | January 19, 2008 9:31 AM
Since Clinton and Obama both do not support the use of Yucca mountain, do they have another proposal for diposal of used nuclear fuel? If they don't, then you can eliminate the expansion of nuclear power as a method of achieving energy independence. Saying "no" to everything is no answer.
Posted by: Terry | January 19, 2008 4:21 PM
HRC takes PAC money from nuclear plants and company.
Enough said
Posted by: Hipster Sarah | January 19, 2008 9:46 PM