Obama delivers blistering attack on Clinton

When Obama says we don't need more "tit-for-tat" politics, does he mean like the four (4) page talking points he was confronted with at the last date. You know - the ones that try to paint Hillary like a biggot?

I was a fan of his out of Iowa. It was amazing that race was never discussed in the campaign until the face headed to SC and now his campaign has deliberately tried to attract blacks by insulting the Clintons. I'm very disappointed and will stand with HILLARY !

When Obama says we don't need more "tit-for-tat" politics, does he mean like the four (4) page talking points he was confronted with at the last date. You know - the ones that try to paint Hillary like a biggot?

I was a fan of his out of Iowa. It was amazing that race was never discussed in the campaign until the race headed to SC and now his campaign has deliberately tried to attract blacks by insulting the Clintons. I'm very disappointed and will stand with HILLARY !

Why are we surprised that Hillary is stealing his lines. She has been doing so since Iowa. Change is one of them, she recently tried "blue states..red states"..the tax rebate was not on the table for her but as soon as Barack said they need to be on the stimulus package..she changed tune. One message is clear for me. Barack leads, she follows.

Yippee!! You, go, Barack! "I actually voted for it, but I was against it" -- this is reminiscent of what we've heard before from the rank-and-file! It's time for a change -- and Barack is the candidate to make that change!

It was 10 years ago on Jan. 12 that Linda Tripp notified Whitewater Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's office that she had audiotapes of Monica Lewinsky telling her that she'd had an affair with President Bill Clinton

He sure is inspired a lot of "hope" and "change" with his campaigning style. When does Illinois get all the "change" he prattles on about? Last time I looked he endorses the same old corrupt, unqualified Daleys and Strogers.

In 2008, the Democrats don?t need to choose the lesser of the evils; this time around, it?s the GOP voters who find themselves in that position. Democrats have a field of qualified, experienced, intelligent, viable candidates, while Republicans are scrambling to determine whose skeletons are least likely to fall out of the closet before the general election.

The Clinton campaign has made a big to-do about Obama?s supposed lack of experience, and his relatively short tenure in Washington, D.C.

Given the corruption that runneth over in the nation?s capitol, I?m not entirely certain that lack of years in Washington is a negative quality. In fact, I think it?s one of Barack?s strongest advantages.

Barack Obama is a candidate that the average American voter can relate to. He wasn?t born into wealth, or a political family, or big business. His mother and grandparents were from Kansas, his father a student from Africa, and he was born in Hawaii, a state known even in the tumultuous 1960s for its tolerance and acceptance of diversity. Like most of us, he went through a phase in which he partied and experimented with drugs, but ultimately his intelligence and drive led him on a path away from temptation and towards great academic success. He was the first African American editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. He established himself as a civil rights lawyer, and taught at the University of Chicago. He got elected to the state legislature in Illinois, fighting for health care and welfare reform and an end to racial profiling by law officers. He won his U.S. Senate seat with 70% of the vote and became a household name after his moving speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

He didn?t spend eight years in the White House as the spouse of the President. He?s been in the Senate only four years shorter than Hillary. He didn?t tour the world as Hillary did in her role as First Lady, he lived abroad, in Indonesia. There?s something to be said of experience, the kind of experience that Senators Biden and Dodd have after decades in the Senate. But Hillary?s attacks on Barack?s experience are unfounded, particularly when her own experience is not so involved as she often makes it seem. There is a great deal to be said for real world experience, the kind that Barack had while Hillary?s husband (not Hillary) ran this country from 1992-2000. Indeed, Hillary has served in the Senate a few years more. But Barack has served as an elected official since 1997, and his understanding of the political process is every bit as developed as hers.

Real world vs. Washington experience is why I believe Barack is the best candidate for the Democratic nomination. Hillary has been in the public eye and Washington for 15 years, and with that comes a degree of protection that makes walking down the street impossible. Barack has spent more time, more recently, with everyday people. Before 2004, he was everyday people. His anti-lobbying stance has helped him elude the number of special interest friends and enemies the Clintons and other Washingtonian politicos have made.

I think Barack Obama is the candidate most likely to bring a fresh, untainted perspective to the presidency. We need that, in this day and age where all the friends in high places and experience cannot guarantee our safety from our enemies or a balanced budget. I?m tired of the old establishment. I don?t feel 20+ years of Bush and Clinton presidencies will bring about any significant degree of change in the way the rest of the world views our nation, or peace in the Middle East. If Hillary Clinton is such a foreign policy expert, why have many of Clinton?s advisors decided to lend their support to Barack Obama and not their former boss?s wife?

Hillary?s campaign has taken ugly turn after ugly turn since Obama?s recent surge in the polls, and I?m not a fan of Democrats who focus to much of their attack on their Democratic colleagues in the primaries. The big picture is, can you beat Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Fred Thompson? Many feel Hillary has the best chance because of her noteriety across America. I think she is vulnerable to attacks from the GOP that will make the Swift Boat ad look like child?s play.

Republicans HATE the Clintons. They sought to destroy everything the Clintons stood for during Bill?s administration, and they will stop at nothing to destroy Hillary?s chances at the presidency. If she is elected, she will face the same music Bush did, a Congress unwilling to sign blank checks at the president?s bidding. Even if the Democrats maintain a slight majority, it?s clear that a slight majority in Congress, especially if Joe Lieberman is considered part of that majority, is worth little when it comes to controversial legislation.

Barack Obama conducts himself with a calm, collected, level-headed demeanor. He speaks openly and honestly, admitting to past mistakes like his drug use with a frankness Americans aren?t used to hearing from their leaders. He is a deliberate debator, and while many consider the pauses in his speech to be a sign of unpreparedness or stage fright, I believe he is the kind of candidate who likes to think about what he?s saying to you. He?s not spewing talking points hashed by a team of advisors and debate prep staff. He listens, he thinks, and then he talks. He doesn?t have the rapid-fire responses Hillary has, and I believe that helps him avoid damaging missteps in debates and Q&As.

I like that he?s young. I like that he?s new. I like his open-mindedness, his honesty, his sense of humor, his intelligence, his diverse background which has given him an original perspective. I like him, which is a lot more than I can say about many politicians in Washington.

Simply because I?m not supporting Hillary Clinton doesn?t mean I don?t want a woman in the White House someday. But America is at a critical junction, and so much is at stake in this election. I believe now isn?t the time to vote based on gender, race, or religion. It?s time to vote for a change. Out of the entire candidate pool, GOP and Democratic, I feel Obama is the one most likely to bring about change for our nation.

On February 5, 2007, in the Illinois primary, I will proudly cast my vote for Barack Obama, and I encourage each and every one of you to do the same.

P.S. - and as far as foreign policy experience goes I give you the George W. Bush administration as exhibit 1A of it not meaning squat.

See ya in Nevada y'all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cBtidHIdMA

That's hardly blistering. I'd call it needling.

Forget Obama and Hillary. Edwards is for the middle class--he wants to help us all not die out in America. Edwards also said he will take us out of Iraq. We can't afford that money pit--let the Bushes, the Cheneys and their friends pay from now on. Heck, they can pick up the 2T credit card tab already do, too. Hey top 5-10 percent--who will pay the taxes once the middle class is gone? Edwards is above the snarling Hillbama fray. No more Hillbama doo doo. John Edwards is the one to dig us out of the hole that Cheney/Bush decided to throw us in.

P.S. - and as far as foreign policy experience goes I give you the George W. Bush administration as exhibit 1A of it not meaning squat.

Which is WHY WE DO NOT really want to continue the trend?

I thought we flushed the Johns in 2004, yet Edwards is back like that annoying turd that refuses to go. Dems suk, Repubs all the way!!

Blistering??? Come on.... And What has he done for the taxpayers in the State of IL - you know HIS EMPLOYERS....

I'm not a Hillary fan by any means, but at least she voted something - didn't do an Obama and vote 'present'.

I've been a Democrat for as long as I can remember. I voted for Bill.

Although I have a LOT of reservations about Hillary, I cannot see voting for her.

In addition to bringing along too many changes in her "positions", I cannot imagine what politics in Washington would be like.

Assume she was elected. That's a stretch because of the huge negative vote out there. IF she was elected, can you imagine the Republicans in Congress? They'd be going crazy again. That's assuming a Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate (which I think/hope will happen).

.S. - and as far as foreign policy experience goes I give you the George W. Bush administration as exhibit 1A of it not meaning squat.
Which is WHY WE DO NOT really want to continue the trend?

Posted by: Anonymous | January 18, 2008 4:06 PM

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Wasn't this the same guy who said when he first got to the senate that we needed support our troops and vote to fully fund them, despite the misguided policies of the Bush administration?

Isn't this the same guy who put politics above Americas security and missed a vote on what he claims is authorization for military action on Iran?

Did they talk about tax-rebates like they talked about nuclear options in Pakistan - scratch that - was he told to talk about tax-rebates?

Does Obama really think he invented the thoughts of tax-rebates?

Isn't someone who attends a 'Afro-centric' church that seems to care more about politics than the gospel looking just a little hypocritical, and sounding a little hysterical?

Next thing we will learn is that with his four formative years on an Indonesia playground is that Gore didn't invent the internet - it was Obama - and who said he didn't have the credentials to run this country or live out a fairytale?

If Senator Obama looks closely he will see that Hillary has been stalking him for a long time going back to March 07 when he announced that he would be giving the keynote address at a Selma Ala commemoration service honoring the march. Not to be outdone, Hillary announced the following week she would be going, and after that Big Bill announced that he would be going there too to prance before a Black gathering.

/www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/01/AR2007030101877.html

During a debate, Hillary said the Senator was naive for suggesting that he would talk with disagreeable foreign leaders. A week later:

"....Hillary is changing her colors once again. She now is taking a page out of Obama's playbook and says she will negotiate with Iran 'with no preconditions'. When Obama said the same thing, Hillary slammed him as being 'naive'.

www.digg.com/politics/Hillary_pulls_an_Obama_play_Will_talk_to_Iran_with_no_conditions

You can bet that since Hillary feels she is owed the Black vote she will be shadowing each and every utterance the Senator makes on the subject and trying to trump him.

Does this mean Obama really doesn't want to be Hillary's Vice-president after all?

I'm mostly serious here, folks. To Hillary, politics is personal much the way it was with Richard Nixon. She divides the world into good and evil, and puts herself and those who agree with her on the side of truth and justice. Get on her wrong side, and you become her enemy; someone she views as evil and unjust.

Mark my words, Obama’s criticism of Hillary, deserved or not, is going to make the tone of this campaign a darn sight uglier before it ever gets close to being civilized again.

Kucinich!

Jeff,
How many years did Daley get sentenced to in his corruption trial?

Have you noticed the Republican media now going all out to use Hillary and Obama against each other? I guess it's supposed to make the unhinged Republican candidates appear at least semi-sane.

Mr Obama is consistent with his message. Mrs Clinton seems to be saying whatever she needs to say in order to get votes. I vote Obama.

Obama's veracity gets its test in Illinois. In order to "restore trust in politicians" Mr Obama must address the corrupt Daley Adminisitration, the incompetent and corrupt Crook County administration, and the goofy, incompetent, and soon to be indicted governor of Illinois. If he doesn't, he's lying and he knows it. All he has to do to refresh his memory is read the Tribune archives.

As Hillary herself mentioned, she found her voice by campaigning!Likewise she is impatient. Impateince brought about Iraq. We didnt do our homework before we acted. And it took her to be on the campaign trail to find her voice! What was she doing all the while. Obama had his voice from the beginning. Its only fair he states his case, if everybody is bashing him with the help of the press. Hillary planted this race thing, Obama never did. She steals his mantra and as american its shameful that we cant even read through all that and most importantly act on it. What can I say God bless America... hopefully with Obama. Enough of the fakers and power hungr people... Who is next Bush's nephew I presume... since we insit on having a monarchy

Well said, Vivian. Edwards/Obama '08.

On the commenter who says Obama is a person the average voter can relate to - who is this mythical "average voter"?

I don't relate to Obama because he comes across as a condescending prick. He had advantages I never had like the best prep school in Hawaii and Harvard, and yet he dares to pretend he's slummed it because he did a little blow and made "only" 12k a year during a year or two of playing activist (does he really think that's slumming it?)

The more we see of Obama, the less we like him. That does not bode well for the general election. The more we see of Hillary - and I mean her, not her detractors - the more she looks like Madame President to me.

I want a Sox fan in the White House! Sox fans love and respect underdogs. God knows we are an underdog now thanks to Bush and his cronies.

Obama 08!!!!!!!!!

Obama has always been up front since day one on what he thinks is good for America. He was the first to come out about Pakistan and pressure to be put on Musharraf before bhutto was assasinated. He was the first to mention tax rebate. He was the first to mention CHANGE. He was the first to mention UNIFY. I mean the man has been the first on a lot of issues.
PS His 4 pages of talking points previously mentioned are nothing compared to Clinton's.

well, well, well...Obama says he isn't racially devisive and wants race not to be a consideration of his candidacy, but, he now has gone so over the top to get the black vote in SC, and everywhere else, that he has lost me as a supporter. I still can't contemplate how the Clintons (yes, I know I'm lumping them together) can be so completely dismissed by blacks at this juncture. Latest polls indicate an overwhelming switch over to Obama by blacks who used to admire and were loyal to the Clintons...amazing to me that black voters in those numbers (look at the polls) are flocking behind a black candidate...if Hillary can't get a black vote, bet your life blacks would never vote for a white person running against an african american man...Hillary, i'm with you girl, much more than ever!

Obama doesn't have to stoop to Hillary's level with the tit-for-tact politics. He is very sharp and smart. Obama needs to save his energy to talk about the issues in American like, the war, health care etc. Hillary is a phony!!!! Always has been and always will be a phony!!! Hillary is a biggot and cetain black poltiicans are her slaves. She donates money to their campaign and they talk down about Obama. He has never insulted the Clintons, they have always insulted him. Bill called Obama a "boy". He is a smart black man with on a mission to help improve American. If you don't see that, you never will!

Hillary is terribly dishonest, and her attacks on him have been far worse so far. I haven't seen any Obama advisers having to constantly apologize, but I cannot count the number of Clinton advisers who have.

What precisely does Hillary stand for other than what she thinks will sound good to the voters today as opposed to her view yesterday? Obama and Edwards have been consistent for the most part with their views while she changes when the wind blows. At one time I thought Hillary would make a good President, now however I have seen through her spin and realized she is just not any different then the status quo.

All I can say as this campaigning goes on further and further is BEWARE THE FALSE PROPHET!!! I don't like it when the candidates talk of change because that's all it is - talk! There needs to be something to look at, and Barack has none of that. He got into office and immediately went out on the campaign trail for the presidency. I think that is all he has wanted. The voters who put him in are left with the representation they are suppose to get from their elected officials - which, by the way, is nothing new (where is the change???). He really hasn't stood very astrong on any issue. He's rather wishy washy, just in a kinder, gentlier way. He is not the clear choice to me. I am less sure of who to vote for than at any other time in my voting career. Have we Americans really lost touch with our Democracy?

In my opinion Barack has looked the part of a President from the start and he has in a lot of ways acted the part and each day that goes by he confirms my feeling that I am voting for the right candidate.

Both Obama and Clinton have bad plans to stimulate the economy. Since they are stealing economic plans they might want to take President Bush's plan. It will give each American taxpayer a rebate of $800.00. That is a lot better than the $250.00 rebate that Clinton and Obama are offering. And this will probably do more to stimulate the economy. Clinton and Obama need to get back the the real world. Their plans sound like a big "fairy tale."

Lost in all this is the tax rebates - sounds rather republican. In fact, the Bush administration tried the exact same thing in 2001 and it did not stimulate the economy.

It is further truth that neither candidate has any new ideas. What change are these Washington goons going to bring? Really?

I can't stand the Clintons! Hasn't their use-by date expired YET????

Get your tickets! Get your tickets!
Watch them implode, watch them flip and flop, watch them lie, cheat and steal...

Are you people serious? There is not one of you that can tell me what any of these people will do...it changes with the polls.
oh..maybe you can tell me one thing...they will do anything to get votes.

I am voting for Barack Obama on February 12th in the Maryland Primary. Here's why:

The first time I heard the name Barack Obama was in 2004. I was watching the Democratic National Convention. The announcer said, "Now Illinois State Senator Barack Obama will give the keynote address." I have worked for two state senators before, so I was curious. I wanted to compare this State Senator’s oratory with my former bosses. I figured that this State Senator would bumble his lines, and shrivel in the national spot light—as local politicians tend to do. I was wrong, and I was blown away.

Obama proceeded to give the best speech of the convention. His speech was a call for unity in times of division. Obama rejected cynicism and the negative ads that come with it. He famously said:

"Even as we speak, there are those that seek to divide us—the spin masters and the negative ad peddlers. The pundits like to slice and dice American into Red States and Blue States...but we are one people, we are the United States of America."

Four years later, the spin masters and the negative ad peddlers are still seeking to divide us. A pattern that seeks to divide this nation along traditional divides has emerged. The pattern continued to take shape today, as an anonymous Clinton adviser told the Guardian:

"If you have a social need, you're with Hillary. If you want Obama to be your imaginary hip black friend and you're young and you have no social needs, then he's cool."

I am white with a hispanic name, and I have plenty of close, real friends who are black and Latino. I don’t need imaginary ones. The operative word there is real. Nor am I supporting Senator Obama because he is black. His election will shatter an achievement ceiling in America, which would be a good thing; but so would Hillary Clinton’s election. I am supporting Senator Obama because he is the best person for the moment.

Senator Obama opposed the War of Iraq from the start. No matter how many times Bill Clinton alleges that this was a "fairy tale," the fact is that Obama took a courageous stand. I just finished reading Obama: From Promise to Power by David Mendell (a good read). Mendell, who was covering Chicago politics in 2002, makes it clear that Obama was an opponent of the war behind the scenes. Yet Obama was considering a run for the US Senate in 2004, and was being advised to be cautious with his public statements. In the end, he decided to stake his political career on what he believed in his heart, and publicly opposed the war. His 2002 speech was an accurate assessment of the consequences of the Iraq War.

I agree with Senator Obama, who opposes private health insurance mandates, on health care. I believe health insurance mandates are a burden on working Americans. Further, I believe that mandates could be disastrous for those of us with chronic illnesses. Further, like Senator Obama, I believe that high costs are the biggest problem with the medical system.

Senator Obama is a broadly experienced man. He has seen poverty abroad. Worked to improve the impoverished South Side of Chicago as an idealistic twenty-something; and taken the idealism—and fundamental goodness—into the halls of power to fight for what he sees to be right. Since his experience as a community organizer, Obama has been President of the Harvard Law Review, a Civil Rights Lawyer, Law Professor, State Senator, and US Senator. In his career, Obama has come into contact with all of America.

A President Obama wouldn’t need to announce, as George W. Bush infamously did, that he "intends to be the President of All Americans." A President Obama would go a long way towards ending the rancor and partisanship that has divided this country for a generation. A President Obama might be able to get Americans to understand that it's good that have different ideas, and that orthodoxy—which is weak because it prevents ideas from being exposed to the intellectual market place—should be rejected in favor of unity. I am voting for Barack Obama on February 12th. I hope the readers of this blog will vote for him when their states hold primaries.

I'm not for Hillary Clinton at all because Barack is right. She tends to say one thing about a specific topic but then says another thing about it. She contradicts herself, especially in the Democratic Debates on television. Barack has been right on point since day one. Hillary is just not the right person for the presidency.

What the Democrats need in this election is not another divisive race, but one that unites the party to get this President out of office. Obama's comment on Hillary today are completely uncalled for. Ok, so maybe Hillary copied his plan, shouldn't it be fantastic that she thinks it's a good idea?! Shouldn't it be wonderful if two Democrats agree on a plan that will actual benefit the people of this country?!

When the media and the candidates are obsessed over Independent voters, these comments are bound to make a difference. Independent voters want to see a strong candidate, a strong Democratic party that will work to get this country back to its greatness. We don't need our democrats to being playing blame games and attacking each other. The truth is, both of these candidates are strong, articulate, smart, hardworking and want to do right by their people. Either will be a great President. There is no need for them to attack one another, they will garner votes on their own accounts and on people's feelings.

I would like to see them all stop attacking each other. It's not very flattering. And if it spoils the whole election for the Democratic Party, then I'm moving to Canada.

"Republican media "

What planet are you on?
Yet another example of the "well" informed Democrat army.

Duncan Hunter is best conservative- consider him before you go to the polls- the media won't give him much coverage- He is not a flip flopper and knows a thing about national security-

From commment above:"He has never insulted the Clintons, they have always insulted him. Bill called Obama a "boy""

Did you even read the column above? This is why Obama lost me. He pretends to be above the old style politics, but he's been caught quite a few times in the past months being behind the media's attacks on Clinton. Everytime his campaign goes negative against Hillary, what does he do? He blames his staff and says he wasn't aware. This has happened at least twice for the past 6 months. I have a boss like this; I don't need a president treating the people under him the same way!

Yes, Clinton has went negative on Obama as well, but she as never claimed to have been separate from those attacks. Sometimes you have to point out the negatives. She gets this. He pretends he doesn't. A vote for Obama is a vote for hypocrisy.

John, glad you asked. Daley's handpicked patronage chief, Robert Sorich, was convicted of two counts of mail fraud and is serving nearly four years (42 months) in federal prison. Thanks for asking.

It becomes more apparent every day that Toddler Stroger, he of the Obama endorsement, is incapable of fixing the mess that is Cook County government and longtime John Stroger Ally John Daley has been no help. If Obama is serious about change he needs to start with the state he supposedly represents.

"To Hillary, politics is personal much the way it was with Richard Nixon. She divides the world into good and evil, and puts herself and those who agree with her on the side of truth and justice. Get on her wrong side, and you become her enemy; someone she views as evil and unjust."

This sounds a lot like what we have had the last 7 Years.

OK Depot Jim, you are really going to give W credit for the stimulus package proposed. He deferred to the Fed chief to make the suggestion and backed it. Hill and Obama had no advisors suggest this rather had to stick their own necks out to suggest this; whilst if you read the financial pages even the 140-150B package is not expected to really do much and to have a clown in office all you want is 800 bucks. I'll give you 1 grand perhaps I can be President too. People are darn right foolish.

Obama seems to be saying all the right things. I wonder if he is going to be able to follow through on all these campaign promises he is making, or is this just campaign rhetoric to get elected?

"Isn't someone who attends a 'Afro-centric' church that seems to care more about politics than the gospel looking just a little hypocritical, and sounding a little hysterical?"

Gee Chris, I wasn't aware you and Obama went to the same church, is that how you became an expert on 'Afro-Centric' churches or are you attending a 'white-centric' church?

By the way, this was hardly a "blistering attack" by Obama, more like pointing out differences.

Ron Felty: Please go back in your hole, stop spouting the company line. After IA, it was quite clear that the Clinton II campaign wanted to paint Obama as a "black candidate," rather than a "candidate who is black."

Now you (and many others like you) are trying to make this bogus complaint to provoke fears and divide the country. If you can only understand things in partisan terms, get this. Obama can do for the Dems what Reagan did for the Repugs: create a new coalition of the middle class and unite the country. He will sweep in Dems to Congress by the boatload. Hillary will cost the Dems the majority by riling up the Hill-haters.

Why do you think the Faux news is shaking in their boots, and that Rove all-but-endorsed Hillary? They know she's meat.

Jeff,
Sorich is not serving time anywhere outside Bridgeport. A rare appeal was granted by the appelate court because the presiding judge does not believe the conviction will hold up on appeal! Get your facts straight.

Obama's a Sox fan, sure, but let's stay focused on what we all have in common. We're all disappointed Bears fans who want to see a new general manager and repair the Bears' standing in the world.

"In 2008, the Democrats don't need to choose the lesser of the evils...Democrats have a field of qualified, experienced, intelligent, viable candidates."

Did you say this because it sounds nice or because you meant it. If you meant it then I have no idea why you backed it up by killing Clinton's leadership, and pedestaling Obama's lack of experience.

"Real world vs. Washington experience"

Real world experience is Washington experience. DC experience doesn't happen in an imaginary realm. The question is what real world experience you have and how well that translates to where you are headed...Washington.

"Before 2004, he was everyday people."

I would hardly call a politician everyday people.

"I don?t feel 20+ years of Bush and Clinton presidencies will bring about any significant degree of change in the way the rest of the world views our nation, or peace in the Middle East."

Why? I thought Obama and Clinton could not promise a withdrawal from Iraq until - forever if you ask me. The world will look better upon us when we go into Pakistan uninvited, should they and they will not cooperate.

"The big picture is, can you beat Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Fred Thompson? Many feel Hillary has the best chance because of her notoriety across America. I think she is vulnerable to attacks from the GOP that will make the Swift Boat ad look like child?s play."

How can you say that and insist this...

"Hillary?s campaign has taken ugly turn after ugly turn since Obama?s recent surge in the polls, and I?m not a fan of Democrats who focus to much of their attack on their Democratic colleagues in the primaries."

"Republicans HATE the Clintons."

Wow and they love Obama. I must have missed the memo. Where's that other one on Barak Hussein Obama and the Muslim school in Indonesia.

"If she is elected, she will face the same music Bush did, a Congress unwilling to sign blank checks at the president?s bidding."

So when Obama is elected he won't inherit Iraq and Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden and Iran ... Repugs will stop insisting we take it their way(they will rather fund "socialized medicine" v Islamo-fasiscts...The Afg and Iraq Wars will disappear and the Repugs will not insist everything is all part of his "inexperience."

"He?s not spewing talking points hashed by a team of advisers and debate prep staff.

"He listens, he thinks, and then he talks. He doesn't have the rapid-fire responses Hillary has, and I believe that helps him avoid damaging missteps in debates and Q&As."

I don't think it is about how fast you answer the question like it is about how you answer the question and I've heard some Obama gaffes and Clinton gaffes so....hmmm

PS. "Barack Obama is a candidate that the average American voter can relate to"

So was Bush, and your exhibit 1A proves that point. Bush had beer, and he had no foreign policy experience. "Ask Condi about that." Living or vacationing in another country does not count as foreign policy experience. Unless you lived there as part of some foreign policy related matter. If living one country until 10 or visiting it on vacation mattered then there would be no point in foreigners or global trotters to major in foreign relations before moving on to international institutions. They'd get a pass to lead areas of major policy...

As far the article is concerned I think this (Obama Hillary) race is definitely going to get heated, but I think it will be mostly of "that was my idea/no my idea" "I said this/you said that." Which is funny I don't think they are that different in their intentions. Details sure- so as usual perfecting plans or saying the same thing but in a better way will be equated with flip flopping. Personally, I think it shows the ability to take risks and put yourself out there, and being able to adapt-listen to criticism (Bush had a hard time doing that- principles, no polls). That is why, know there aren't many like me, I can't knock Hillary on the Iraq vote or revolutionary guard. She was doing the right thing at the time, and she did it knowing that the publics attitude with Bush would make it hard for her to do so without being cast out.

It was 10 years ago on Jan. 12 that Linda Tripp notified Whitewater Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's office that she had audiotapes of Monica Lewinsky telling her that she'd had an affair with President Bill Clinton
Posted by: akarmin | January 18, 2008 3:50 PM

So we can all take a moment and mourn the 10's of millions of dollars that were wasted on the ensuing witch hunt and the trial that made us the laughing stock of the world. It's been 10 years...why not get over it? Or is it just so juicy that you can't stop thinking about it?

Contrastingly, of Obama, Swamp reports Hillary saying today, "...he is an extraordinary man and he has so much to give our country and I hope that however this works out that he will be a major figure in American politics for years to come... I certainly support that."

Yet Obama draws constant, unwarranted praise as being positive while nearly every statement Hillary utters is likewise labeled negative. I'm sure there are Obama supporters/Hillary haters who would twist even the quote above negatively.

The real question is: Do you want Bill Clinton padding around the White House
steno pool hitting on young interns with Hillary's attention diverted from the real questions of the country tying to keep him in line? That soap opera has been played before.

Ummm people.....with gas prices where they are and fod prices climbing $800 will NOT stimulate the economy. These politicians do not care about the American people. And certainly thier "stimulus package" is to little to late.

*****

"I'm sure there are Obama supporters/Hillary haters who would twist even the quote above negatively."

Posted by: Biggdawg | January 18, 2008 6:05 PM

Absolutely. To all but the most gullible, it's obvious that she means: "I mean him well as long as he comes in second." And it didn’t take any twisting to arrive at this message. Go back a couple threads and you will find where she says she wants him to be her VP. That’s hardly hoping for an Obama nomination for President.

Here's why Senator Obama has earned my vote:

Civil Rights Enforcement

As in every other area of government, the Bush administration has filled civil rights enforcement positions with those who are either incompetent or represented employers fighting against civil-rights laws (similar to filling environmental positions with those from the mining & drilling industry, among others).

As a result, despite ample complaints, the Bush administration has taken next to no action in enforcing civil rights laws in employment (Equal Employment Opportunity), Housing, and voting rights.

Obama plans to do the following as president to rectify this problem and ensure that those lawyers in charge of protecting our civil rights are actually civil rights lawyers:

Write an Executive Order With the Following Requirements:
A. Hires Must Sign a Form Certifying they were not hired for political reasons.
B. All Employees involved in hiring must sign a form certifying they do not hire based on political affiliation
C. Creates a more effective method of enforcing the Hatch Act's ban on the use of federal office for political reasons. It allows all regular career civil servants to submit a complaint to the Inspector General, who will be required to investigate it within 60 days. If it involves an agency head or other high-ranking official, the report will be made directly to Obama. In either case, if the complaint is found to have merit, measures up to and including termination of the offender will be taken.

Change the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division's stance to focus more on Larry Craig, other public officials committing sexual offenses. They will also be required to start focusing again on those bombing or otherwise defacing or threatening abortion clinics, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and any other place of worship.
Enforce Employment Laws by Strengthening the Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Pass Laws to Fight Pay Discrimination
A. Promote paycheck equity by gender
B. Remove the Caps on Damages That Prevent Those Subjected to Racial and gender discrimination from fully recovering from wrongs

Voting Rights

This is a particularly important area, given that this cycle, it hasn't just been Republicans behind vote suppression. Democratic candidates in Iowa and Nevada have engaged in voter suppression.

Senator Obama has already accomplished quite a bit in this area.

Obama demanded that the Bush administration fire voting rights section of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice John Tanner for using false racial stereotypes to justify Georgia's voter ID law.
Thanks to Senator Obama's leadership, Mr. Tanner actually resigned from the Civil Rights Division (unfortunately, he's still employed by the administration, but not in a civil rights-related capacity).

Obama put a hold on the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky, notorious for having engineered purges of eligible voters in Florida, and thanks to the pro-forma sessions held by the Senate, Bush has been unable to make a recess appointment, so Spakovsky is being kept off of the FEC.
Obama's Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 passed the House and the Senate Judiciary Committee Unanimously, although for some reason Senator Reid hasn't moved on it (it's been placed on the legislative calendar). Hopefully he'll do so after the primaries are over.
It does the following:

Amends the Revised Statutes and federal criminal law to prohibit any person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, from knowingly deceiving any other person regarding: (1) the time, place, or manner of conducting any federal election; or (2) the qualifications for or restrictions on voter eligibility for any such election. Makes intent to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote an essential element of the offense. Creates a private right of action for any person aggrieved by a violation of such prohibition.

And there is, of course, the 150,000 new African-American voters in Chicago he registered in 1992.
As president, he will continue to lead in this area and ensure that the Voting Rights Act is vigorously enforced.

Criminal Justice System Reform

From his plan:

Barack Obama believes that it’s not enough to be "tough on crime" – we have to be tough and smart. Laws with racially discriminatory impact that have little success in rehabilitating offenders and reducing recidivism rates are not "smart." And refusing to address the hard work of preventing crime, supporting police and prosecutors and supporting ex-offenders once they are released is not "tough." As president, Obama will address the flaws in our system that have left 74 percent of African Americans believing that the system is biased against them – a particularly disturbing statistic in light of the fact that African-Americans make up approximately 50 percent of the nation’s homicide victims.

He specifically focuses on changes to our drug policy.

Details of this plan:

Eliminate the crack/powder cocaine disparity Not only will he work to eliminate the disparity, he will work to repeal the mandatory minimum for first-time convictions of possession of crack, as crack is the only drug such that possession by a first-time nonviolent offender gets a mandatory minimum sentence.

Increase the Use of Drug Courts Drug courts "have proven successful in dealing with non-violent offenders. These courts offer a mix of
treatment and sanctions, in lieu of traditional incarceration." In New York, those completing drug court were 29 percent less likely than comparable offenders to be rearrested.

Loan Forgiveness for Public Defenders By doing this, Obama will ensure that the Sixth amendment right to adequate counsel is protected

End Racial Profiling Obama's been fighting for this since he was a state Senator in Illinois. As president, he'll be in a position to finally get it done.

Death Penalty Reform Although I'd prefer the reforms accomplished by my home state of New Jersey (i.e. eliminating it), Obama plans to push states to adopt reforms like those he pushed through in Illinois. They should help make the death penalty de facto repealed like it was in New Jersey (which made it easier to get the law to repeal it passed).

Ensure that Ex-Offenders Get Help to Rejoin Communities and Prevent Recidivism Obama plans to push for a prison-to-work incentive program along with funding for counseling, substance abuse, and job training.

Reform Mandatory Minimum Sentences Adam B explained several months ago why progressives should be against mandatory minimums. Obama wants to reform and end them especially when it comes to "the ineffective warehousing of non-violent drug offenders.

Despite the common-sense nature of this plan, Senator Clinton chose to attack Obama for his plan on mandatory minimums, leading the American Civil Liberties Union to issue a press release rebuking Clinton's comments and calling her "mistaken when she called ending mandatory minimum sentences a controversial position."

It's unsurprising that the ACLU would come out in favor of Obama's position. They prefer him on civil liberties as well. But that's for another diary.

OBAMA 08!

I CAN'T STAND BARACK! Obama has done nothing but copy Hillary's plans from the start. His lies increase and its time we all switched to supporting Hillary Clinton.

Now we have the Repubs against the Dems in Congress if OBAM wins it will be the blacks against the whites from the way he sounds now.
I'm reading above about all Hillary's lies, but nothing specific. You can accuse, but it means nothing unless you come across with actual specifics. OBAM ODAM.

to Obama girl: thanks for saying everything I wanted to say ... my thoughts EXACTLY!!! (But it would have taken me forever to type it out!) Also, to Jamison : VERY GOOD POINT... think about it!!!

Barack Obama is a member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine, with Wright's daughters now serving as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan.

Maybe for Wright and some others, Farrakhan "epitomized greatness." For most Americans, Farrakhan epitomizes racism, particularly in the form of anti-Semitism. Over the years, he has compiled an awesome record of offensive statements, even denigrating the Holocaust by falsely attributing it to Jewish cooperation with Hitler -- "They helped him get the Third Reich on the road." His history is a rancid stew of lies.

describing the September 11 attacks as a “wake-up call” to America for ignoring the concerns of “people of colour”, and for claiming that Americans “believe in white supremacy and black inferiority . . . more than we believe in God”.
., Obama offers white voters a chance to free themselves from white guilt!

unbelievable and he is running on uniting all people

Robert, does that mean he's not a convicted felon? No, it doesn't. George Ryan got to cheat justice for awhile "on appea," too. He'll have to serve his time eventually.

All the democrats are alike. Tax and spend liberals, telling America what they want to hear.

What we need is fiscal conservatism returning to Washington DC. What we need is less government spending. Get back to what the government was intended to be, at all levels, not just the federal level.

We have too much government. Too much paid in taxes. We do not need TAX AND SPEND LIBERALS in the White House.

Does Hillary check her own material? On her website, Reagan is listed as one of her favorite presidents:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4674

It is hard to belive that the American people are so easily mis-lead and stupid. What is wrong with all of the Obama supporters? Have all these people lost their minds? This guy is a nobody who passes himself of as the answer to all problems facing this country. Will Obama bring the same kind of leadership to the Whitehouse that he brought to Illinois and to the US Senate? To quote the Honorable Mayor Richard J. Daley, "what trees have you planted"? The answer is none? He talks about change and leadership and knows nothing about either and stands for nothing other the the SOS. "Wake Up" you Obama supporters. This guys is a hollow suit that stands for nothing, panders to the young who don't recognize political BS when the hear or see it, and to the old who will believe in anyhting that promises them something. Just because a person speaks softly and promises things doesn't make it so. If anyone seriously thinks this country needs any kind of fixing, just wait and see what happens if this person gets elected as President of the USA. Fixed beyond repair. All of us are in deep trouble.

$250.00 does not solve anything for the average American...

'I'm sure there are Obama supporters/Hillary haters who would twist even the quote above negatively.'

Posted by: Biggdawg | January 18, 2008 6:05 PM

"Absolutely. To all but the most gullible, it's obvious that she means: 'I mean him well as long as he comes in second.' And it didn’t take any twisting to arrive at this message. Go back a couple threads and you will find where she says she wants him to be her VP. That’s hardly hoping for an Obama nomination for President."

Thank you, John W for so enthusiastically proving my point and misrepresenting the facts in the process. I saw the post, except it says Hillary was ASKED whether Obama could be her VP, a question she didn't answer "yes" or "no". Hello! But then, never let the facts get in the way of Obama worship or Hillary hating do we, huh John W. Sounds like Obamaville through and through.

And by the way, Hillary and Obama are running against each other for the presidency. So most of the country would find it quite obvious that Hillary is "hardly hoping for an Obama nomination for President" as you post. That IS the point, you know.

And the thing that gets me is you actually seem proud of your post...

Hey Vivian,

The top 5 - 10% account for 90% of all take revenues paid, so we'd probably be just fine with it.

It is all political mud slinging anyway. They are politicians and regardless of party, they will say whatever they have to in order to get the votes and make the other person look bad. If the elections and our political system were based on honor and accountability, George Bush would have never been elected. Read between the lines, get the real story, and vote for who you think is the best person for the job.

John B,

Bush's damage will be realized years from now, with our huge honkin deficit and our invasion, now fighting on 2 fronts and destabilizing the region further. We have bookends now, let’s go for the middle!

The Obama supporters need to learn to make their point or points a bit more consisely. However, they are just like Obama. They think a whole bunch of words strung together is intelligent and articulate. It is just the opposite, it is all BS and they know it. They all make me SICK TO MY STOMACH with their BS. They are the same group of idiots that helped get other politicians like Obama elected. Wise Up!!

You know I cannot remember who struck John concerning these two. The only thing I can say for sure is that Obama will most likely garner alot of sour black votes because he is just as vicious as the black population today. Birds of a feather flock together.

It's a shame that he did that. If he had read "A Team of Rivals" he would have seen how Abraham Lincoln ,who was a unknown like Obama, avoided all the "mud slinging, name calling" that is associated with elections and went on to win the Repubican nomination. To bad...I had hoped he would be above that.

It's a shame that he did that. If he had read "A Team of Rivals" he would have seen how Abraham Lincoln ,who was a unknown like Obama, avoided all the "mud slinging, name calling" that is associated with elections and went on to win the Repubican nomination. To bad...I had hoped he would be above that.

Hillary steals Edward's ideas and lines as well. She gives women a bad name.

Senator Obama has my vote.

It's taken me years to realize, but the Republicans were right -the Clintons are scumbags.

Let's make a deal, Republicans... no more Clintons, no more Bushes.

There are no good Republican candidates, I'm voting for Obama.

He's a little wet behind the ears but at least he's trustworthy, and he's looking for a fair deal for everyone.

Plus, he knew Iraq was B.S. before America invaded.

Getting war right is the most important thing a president will ever do.

Bonnie is a white bird, eh?

"Other politicians" like President Doofus?

oprah started the race thing by showing her face in iowa

Obama lost any chance of getting my vote when he called Todd Stroger a "progressive" while endorsing Stroger for Cook County President. Obama also endorsed Dorothy Tillman in the aldermanic election, showing that although he claims to be above the fray, Obama jumps on whatever squirrelly bandwagon passes by when it comes to garnering votes. And the citizens of Illinois deserve a much better State Treasurer than that stooge Alexi Giannoulias, who Obama propped up after young Alexi's family donated to his campaign. I'm resigned to politics as usual in Illinois, but I can't stomach Obama's attempt to pass himself off as something that he's not.

Micheal Jordon is a big fan of Obama. Since Clinton's are playing Magic Johnson card
he should play Michael Jordon
Card. Dirty Clintons!!!!!

Obama’s opponents are now trying to make a big deal of his observation–certainly historically correct–that Ronald Reagan’s type of leadership created a sea-change (for good or for ill) in the American polity.

Obama was also pointing to the fact that Reagan was an excellent communicator who connected with the public in a way that many others–like Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton–did not.

Furthermore, Obama’s questioning of the relevance of Hillary Clinton’s type of “experience” in confronting the new challenges the United States faces receives validation from an interesting case in American history.

It also points to why Obama’s outsider status might actually be just what is needed to successfully restore the U.S. to international political creditworthiness.

Lincoln biographer David Herbert Donald showed how what might have been perceived as the Great Emancipator’s serious shortcomings as a war president and commander in chief actually turned out to be some of his greatest assets.

Remember, Lincoln came to the presidency having only meager experience–much less than Sen. Obama’s–in public office, let alone experience in the Executive Branch. (Lincoln’s experience in the military was limited to little more than two months service during the Black Hawk War.)

According to Donald, Lincoln was also fortunately unburdened by convention, precedent, and standard operating procedures in facing war’s challenge. (The parallels with Obama kind of leap from the page, no?)

However, Lincoln was also a quick study who grew into greatness through trial and error in pursuing the most significant of his goals.

Lincoln also knew democracy’s ancient lessons. When Cicero finished speaking, the people said, “My, how well he spoke.” But when Demosthenes finished speaking the people said, “Let us march!”

“Public sentiment is everything,” Lincoln noted. “With it, nothing can fail, against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever moulds public sentiment, goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions. He makes possible the enforcement of these, else impossible.”

Martin Edwin Andersen, Churchton, Maryland

P.S. Memo to Hillary: Next Monday we will be celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, not Lyndon Johnson Day.

Obama is so unfit for office.

So much for the 'high road'...huh NObama?

Yes, it is an Afro Centric Church! No, we do not need that. Think of who supports the Church and Obama. Jackson, Sharpton and Louis Farakhan. All righteous fair minded Blacks.

Here is re-cap of the Clinton’s performance so far:
1. On the NH debate, Hillary extended an olive branch to Edwards, accusing Obama being inconsistent with Edwards (hoping Edwards would be grateful to her for this accusation.) Good for Edwards. Edwards rejected her olive br