The Ugly Truth About McCain:

-Google “the Keating 5″

-Google why McCain ditched his disabled wife for his multi-millionaire mistress

Is Toni Morrison gambling his career?

Will all these people rushing to endorse Obama continue to endorse him after he tells everyone what he stands for on the issues? Do these people understand that not all changes are for the better? Or is it because the Clintons cannot be trusted? Will someone please tell everyone all the things the Clintons did for America and for the blacks in particular?

I think you forget some of what the Clinton’s did to America. Hillary’s failed health care plans, Bill’s near-impeachment. The Clinton era wasn’t as idyllic as Clinton supporters would have people believe.

“After all, Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald’s-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas.”

As a black Ameircna male -independent and conservative. This was one of the most sophmoric statment made I have ever heard. But anyway, I wont be voting for Barak or Hillary. However, Obama wining would make Cindy sheen, Micheal moore , most of hollywood and the rest of the liberal loons extremely happy. The loony liberal base is very sceptical of Hillary. She might compromise. Barak will assure a leftist agenda policy for this nation , which would be , in my view, an awful vision for the future of the United Sates Of America.

Yes, Obama’s vision is unique and new. He stands for…uh…

And…umm..

What does he stand for again? I know he likes change, but I haven’t a clue how he will change our country. I guess I should check HillaryClinton.com for Obama’s ideas.

Obamamama, I remember clearly what he did for us. Gas was below a dollar, nations were not treating us as a world pariah, the dollar was astonishingly strong, the stock market skyrocketed, Republicans did all they could to stop his progress, and our budget was balanced.

What has Obama done for America other than inform us that to be black you have to be able to dance.

“Black people have always been used as a buffer in this country between powers to prevent class war.”
~ Toni Morrison

Dear Toni Morrison,

“The fundamental existence of the African American can only be defined by the African American experience from generation to generation.”
~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

The only difference between Senator Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards is the color of their skin.
Have you read the letter Martin Luther King, III, sent to Hon. John Edwards?

The brilliant recitation of paraphrased quotes is not the evidence of intelligence or wisdom, but the clever display of the gift of the gab.

“Politicians of the new generation are carefully coached by their spin doctors to produce on-demand sound bites which are clear and to the point.”
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundbite

I know that you know nothing more about Barack Obama than his well rehearsed and well acted victory speeches in Iowa and South Carolina, and apparently have only seen him from your poetic point of view.
No more, no less.

It is nothing short of ignorance to judge a man by his appearance from a distance.
A man should be judged by his works and not by his looks or by his speech.
For his looks will fade like the Morning Glory before the sunset and his mere words will only become echoes in our heads.
Only our works will testify of our intelligence, competence, diligence and service to humanity, even when the echoes of our best speeches can no longer be heard.

What has Senator Barack Obama done so far to prove his wisdom and intelligence?
Have you been to his constituents in Illinois?
Have you checked Barack Obama’s Record in the Illinois Senate?
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html
Or is it his erroneous transaction with the indicted estate developer, Antoin Rezko, his political godfather?

“Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader.”
~ Toni Morrison

Senator Hillary Clinton is the only Democratic Presidential Candidate left in the presidential race who has taken responsibility for leadership and not making excuses.

How do you judge wisdom?
By “boneheadedness” in the erroneous and ambiguous statements or being economical with the facts on financial transactions based on nepotism?
How can you say a man has inntelligence when he lacks competence and has a poor record of diligence from Illinois to Capitol?

You decision to endorse Senator Barack Obama is not based on truth, but on your romantic summation of his stage craft, because God knows that your knowledge of him is based on mere hearsay and not on facts.

For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.
~ <>

Cheers and God bless.

With regards,
Orikinla Osinachi

i think oprah threatend not to promote Toni’s books on her show unlesss she endorsed obama. Seriously, I’d like her to explain what she means by creative imagination? I think Toni Morrison’s equation of wisdom, is, to say the least, uniswise, and overstated.

I especially want to coment on her arguing, that Obama has “courage instead of conviction.” This is when I realized that Ms. Morrison is not only writing fiction, she is also living it. W

mn, that’s the Obama way. It doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to sound nice.

It amazes me how many people talk about not knowing the plans Obama has. It is as easy as going to barackobama.com and downloading The Blueprint for Change. In it he outlines everything Civil Rights, Disabilities, Economy, Education, Energy & Environment, Ethics, Faith, Family, Fiscal, Foreign Policy, Healthcare, Homeland Security, Immigration, Iraq, Poverty, Rural, Service, Seniors & Social Security, Technology, Veterans. All it takes is a little research, or is that too much to ask: after all we are trying to pick who we want to lead our country. But I understand if all you want to get is a little sound bite here or there, or let the media choose what they are going to allow you to see or hear. The bottom line is this, If you don’t know what the man stands for it’s your own fault.

I think Oprah probably threatened not to promote Toni’s books is she endorsed Clinton. Through this statement, Ms. Morrison reveals that she is not only writing fiction but also living it. Her endorsement overstates Obama’s positions by making him seem like some kind of Hero who will save America by screaming “change.” In a desperate attempt to find words which will bring substance to her hollow endorsement, Ms Morrison argues that Mr Obama has a magical power called “creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom.” How wise of her, she is not only making en endorsement of Obama, but also defining one of the most elusive personal and philosophical concepts in history-wisdom. But i think we whould escuse her for letting her idealism coupled with her arogance define her wisdom equation.

Her weak manifesto only leaves me questioning not only Ms Morrison’s wisdom, but her understanding of the difference between courage and ambition. In her article she emplies tha Mr Obama is lead by courage and not by ambition. I don’t know about the rest of you but when a half term senator, whose only claim to fame is getting over doing a few lines of Coke, and having the audacity to compare himself to Dr. King -minus the anything significant, decides to run for president, I think you can make a case that this particular individual is quite ambitious, then again he might also be courageous.

Christopher, as someone who supports Obama, you should know these things and be able to articulate them as reasons you support him.

I shouldn’t have to go to his website to know what he wants to do. I should know it because he has told us. Instead, all the intelligent voters know is that he wants change. That is the message he wants everyone to know, not that he has plans.

Toni shows her own insight and wisdom in this piece. I completely agree with her.

Jack, to be honest I haven’t been to one speech or rally. The news I get is from watching the TV, and I couldn’t tell you what any of them wants to do just from watching the news. I do get a feel for the candidate from the newscasts and that in turn causes me to investigate their stance on the issues. Research is important when making important decisions. When buying a car I’m not going to just take the salesman’s word. I’m sure he has read all of the brochures and is well versed in product knowledge, but I’m going to find out for myself. It’s like people who buy a Buick because my father always had a Buick you end up with the same problems your father had.

I could tell you my reasons for supporting him, but it would do no good. Everyone has their own reasons. I’ll give you a few though.

On the issues they are pretty much the same. I didn’t say the same, but there is no huge difference.

1. I don’t believe he will be a puppet for special interest groups. I know he hasn’t taken millions from governments in the middle east. ( Saudi Arabia, Dubai)

2. I believe he has the best chance of working across the isle.

3. I believe he inspires Americans in a way that no other politician does. He speaks to our hopes and dreams.

With that being said, I don’t think politics can change people, people change politics. We need inspiration.

Jack - would you stop willfully trying to cast him as an empty suit? There is plenty of information on the web, not just on his website, about what his plans are. I get so frustrated, also, by people who say ‘he wants change, how is he going to change things, I want the specifics’. Well apart from the policies already outlined, change is a collective enterprise - it listens to the people, is shaped by their energies and evolves over time. Obama inspires us to that journey, a journey that we are all part of. Some people can’t be happy unless they have someone say ‘tell me what to think, tell me what you will do to me, tell me the way it is’. And to be sure, Obama tells you these are our challenges, these are policies around these challenges - and in this he is not much different from the content of Hillary. But here is how he is different from hillary - he has removed himself from the potentially corrupting influence of lobbyists and corporations by having a grass roots fund raising campaign and he endorses a spirit of unity rather than division in order to get things done. He believes that the leader of a country should be of good moral character and truthful and not lacking in morality and telling lies ‘for our own good’. He uses the language of ‘we will’ and not ‘I will’. The people select presidents to lead them but the power is always in the people and the Government works for the people.

I remember talking to older German people when I was a teenager in the 60’s who clearly said that Adolf Hitler was a wonderful moving speaker who inspired the Germans toward eventually doing terrible things the citizens of Germany still regret today. So I don’t believe being an inspiriational speaker is a good basis for choosing a leader. We need to be level headed and choose with our heads based on defined policy and records of service and choose a leader that will bring America back to our democratic principles. Somone who will guarantee to restore the basic freedoms back to American people that our patriot fathers fought and died for and the freedoms that the Republicans unbelievablly negotiated away from us by using fear and emotions. So far I see only smoke and mirrors in Obama, no substance. I don’t want to trust the future of a great country like America to smoke and mirrors.

I’m sorry you feel that way Julia - I do see substance - substance on so many levels, and an incredibly intelligent man. We hear of this ‘experience’ but rather than saying one person is an empty suit and the other experienced - have you laid their experience, their effectiveness, the influence of their personalities on others, have you laid these all out side by side or do you just buy the spin?

Or do you have to be from a certain generation or of a certain age to be classed as having experience?

On Saturday Jan 26 Senator Barack Obama won a stunning 2 to 1 victory in South Carolina. The voting results were: Obama 55%, Clinton 28%, and Edwards17%. The current CNN Pledged Delegate Estimate for Democrats is: Obama 63, Clinton 48, and Edwards 26.
On Tuesday Feb. 5 -“Super Tuesday” - some 22 states will hold presidential primary elections or caucuses. Many Super Tuesday voters are very interested in learning more about Barack Obama.
In his books Barack Obama has told the story of the family into which he was born, about a father from Kenya whom he barely knew and about his young American mother who along with his father were college students in Hawaii. By age 6 young Barack was already living in Jakarta with his mother and his Indonesian step father before abruptly moving back to Hawaii at age 10 to be raised by his maternal grandparents when his mother and her second husband divorced.
Over the years Barack Obama had bonding experiences with white and black relatives and with Asian family members amidst an understandable struggle to find his own identity. Through it all he developed a keen ability to understand and to resonate with people of various ethnic backgrounds. Barack Obama worked his way through the racial complexities into which he was born to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School and become president of the Harvard Law Review. He served in the Illinois State Senate for 8 years and in 2004 won a 70 % landslide election to become a United States Senator.Barack Obama has had 46 years of personal experience in understanding how perceptions of ethnicity and judgments about race can divide people and he is uniquely qualified to bring a sense of unity and common purpose to all Americans, and to appropriately reintroduce America to the rest of the world.

In 1963 (when Obama was just 2 years old) on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech that included the familiar phrase of “not being judged by the color of one’s skin but by the content of one’s character.” That speech, of course, helped prompt passage of the 1964 US Civil rights Act and the next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. If the people of America elect Barack Obama to be their 44th President in November of this year King’s dream will have become much more than just a dream.
Was Barack Obama’s reported opposition to America initiating the Iraq war a “fairytale” and has his position on the war been “inconsistent”?
Senator Barack Obama, then an Illinois state senator, delivered these remarks October 2, 2002 at the Federal Plaza in Chicago: “I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil.
I Don’t Oppose All Wars
I don’t oppose all wars. My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil. I don’t oppose all wars. After September 11, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration’s pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again.
Opposed to Dumb, Rash Wars
I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne. What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income, to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.
On Saddam Hussein
Now let me be clear: I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power…. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors…and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars. So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president.
You Want a Fight, President Bush?
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that…we vigorously enforce a nonproliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.”
Barack Obama delivered his powerful speech at the Federal Plaza in Chicago October 2, 2002 against the US beginning war in Iraq while later that same month Hillary Clinton voted for the authorization to begin US military action in Iraq. Once US troops were actually in Iraq and fighting a war, of course, it would be irresponsible for Obama to be against funding the troops. The key is that Barack Obama had the judgment to see the dumbness of the war in October 2002 and clearly said so. Hillary Clinton did not and voted for funds authorizing the start the Iraq War.

Bill and Hillary Clinton’s tactic of trying to paint Obama’s war position as “a fairy tale” or as “inconsistent” is typical “Clinton politics” and clearly demonstrates why America badly needs the enormous breath of fresh air Barack Obama provides. At one time Senator Kerry from Nebraska referred to the Clinton’s as “clever liars” several years before President Bill Clinton told America: “I did not have sex with that woman!” or as Jay Leno quipped, “He didn’t have sex with her, she had it with him!”
Barack Obama made an appearance — via satellite while campaigning in Beaufort, South Carolina — on David Letterman’s “Late Show” on Thursday Jan 24 to read the show’s traditional “Top 10″ list.
The Top 10 Barack Obama campaign promises:
10. To keep the budget balanced, I’ll rent the Situation Room for sweet 16s.
9. I will double your tax money at the craps table.
8. I will appoint Mitt Romney secretary of lookin’ good.
7. If you bring a gator to the White House, I’ll wrassle it.
6. I’ll put Regis on the nickel.
5. I’ll rename the 10th month of the year “Barack-tober.”
4. I won’t let Apple release the new and improved iPod the day after you bought the previous model.
3. I’ll find money in the budget to buy Letterman a decent hairpiece.
2. I will pronounce the word nuclear, nuclear.
1. Three words: Vice President Oprah!
When the Top 10 was finished, Letterman said, “Sen. Barack Obama, thank you very much for helping us out, senator. Good luck with the campaign.”Obama replied, “Thank you so much, David, but you can’t muss my hair” — a reference to Letterman messing up rival John Edwards hair during his Late Show appearance on Tuesday Jan 22. Said Letterman, “OK, whatever you say.”
Below are 3 significant newspaper editorial board endorsements for Barack Obama:

Posted on Sat, Jan. 26, 2008
Philadelphia Inquirer’s Democratic endorsement for president: Obama
Change.
Democrats are so sure Americans want a change from the eight years they have endured under President Bush that the party thinks winning back the White House from the Republicans is virtually guaranteed.
But only if the right nominee is chosen for the office.
Barely a month into the calendar of caucuses and primaries, the field has been winnowed. Gone are Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich. Quixotic is the only way to describe Mike Gravel’s campaign heading to Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, when more than 20 states, including New Jersey and Delaware, will hold their caucuses and primaries.
John Edwards’ hopes had hinged on the outcome of yesterday’s primary in his home state of South Carolina. On the party’s ticket for vice president in 2004, Edwards’ populist style might have made him a formidable candidate in any other presidential election.
But not this one.
This year it’s been hard for anyone to get traction against two candidates who would make history no matter which one is nominated - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In them, Democrats could choose as their nominee either the first woman or the first African American to become president.
But the choice is hard.
In some respects, Clinton is much better prepared than was her husband, Bill, when he, as Arkansas governor, was elected president in 1992. The senator from New York could be a strong leader, comparable to Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, but with a compassion for children’s issues that could glue the nation’s focus on its most precious asset.
But in an election where change is the operative word, would the former first lady represent that? After two Bush presidencies, many Americans don’t see change in a Clinton dynasty. Hillary’s high negatives in polls may have more to do with her husband’s behavior as president than anything she has done since. But those negatives suggest she could be a catalyst for division when the nation longs for unity.
Given that, BARACK OBAMA is the best Democrat to lead this nation past the nasty, partisan, Washington-as-usual politics that have blocked consensus on Iraq; politics that never blinked at the greedy, subprime mortgage schemes that could spawn a recession; politics that have greatly diminished our country’s stature in the world.
Obama inspires people to action. And while inspiration alone isn’t enough to get a job done, it’s a necessary ingredient to begin the hard work.
Obama’s appeal to Americans to have the audacity to hope, even in the face of tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, has fallen on fertile ground. Americans want desperately to believe they can overcome any difficulty - given the right leadership.
But the Illinois senator has shown on the campaign trail that he offers more than pretty words. In debates and speeches, he has provided details of a White House program that, with adjustments, could produce the outcomes this nation needs.
On the war, Obama wants to have all combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months, while maintaining a force in the region for targeted strikes on al-Qaeda. On the economy, he proposes tax credits for working families and a mortgage credit to help lower-income homeowners. He proposes a national health insurance exchange to help individuals purchase coverage. He wants to do better than No Child Left Behind to improve education.
The question is whether a first-term U.S. senator with no major record as an Illinois legislator is ready to be president. His life story says yes. This former community organizer knows how to bring people together to beat the odds. Others who seemed an unlikely fit rose to the occasion once in the Oval Office. Obama could do that, too.

Posted on Wed, Jan. 23, 2008
The New York Observer

Endorsement of Barack Obama

Lost amid the sound and fury of this year’s primary season is the certainty, not the promise, of change. For the first time since 1952, there is no heir apparent to the administration in power.
The stakes have rarely been higher in a presidential election. The question is not if there will be change in American leadership, but what kind.
And the change that is being offered has a focus and intelligence that is kindred to the best American traditions. It is embodied by one candidate in the Democratic Party who is offering a reinvigorated America: Senator Barack Obama.

The New York Observer urges New York Democrats to support Mr. Obama in the state’s presidential primary on Feb 5.

New Yorkers might ask why they should not pull a lever for our junior senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton. While Mrs. Clinton is an extraordinary United States senator for New York, we believe that Mr. Obama can be a great president for the United States of America.
Most of the other candidates have absorbed, assimilated or appropriated Mr. Obama’s issue of change. It is a powerful concept. But a great deal of the argument for Mr. Obama’s candidacy is about one great issue in American life: restoring and reinvigorating American democracy.
Democracy is the greatest strength of this still-young nation. Its living enactment is our gift to the world. It is the product of our best instincts and most powerful ideals. But it has been polluted, sullied and compromised by an obstructive administration that seems to have to have no particular regard for its attributes.
It is difficult to remember the last national candidate who has charged and jazzed the democratic system as Mr. Obama has. Partly as a result of his candidacy, college campuses have remembered why they are proud of the United States, kids are going door to door, runners are handing out leaflets on weekends, racial lines have been culturally melted and the electoral approach to presidential campaigning has been reborn.
And, as more than one commentator has said, America is being reintroduced to the world.
Because of who he is and what he stands for, a former constitutional law teacher with few ties to the Washington establishment yet a sophisticated respect for it, Mr. Obama stands the best chance of restoring the essential relationship between power and the American people. He is not flanked and blocked by an existing, entrenched power structure; his words are not muddied by layers of handlers; he still says what he means.
We believe that Mr. Obama’s idealism and fresh ideas would ensure that the end of the Bush era would also mean an end to government by secrecy, Cheneyism, arrogance, oligarchy; an end to mindless armed unilateralism abroad; an end to the blustering, rank partisan disputes of the last quarter-century.
Mr. Obama has found his strength in the generation that succeeded the baby boomers, speaking for the frustrations of those who wish that their leaders would get over themselves, get over the 1960’s, get on with resolving issues that threaten our global leadership. Mr. Obama is an inclusive figure at a time when our popular culture demands that we embrace a new America while still comprehending the lessons of hard-won history—from World War II through the fall of the Berlin Wall—that have brought us to a free world in 2008.
He is also determined to mend this nation. Mr. Obama, as Walt Whitman did, hears America singing, not snarling. Too many candidates have turned opponents into traitors, critics into jackals. Mr. Obama believes the nation yearns to see hope and inspiration and courage emerge victorious from the era’s gauntlet of hypocrisy and lies and false bravado. Imagine, for a moment, any other candidate this year saying what Mr. Obama said at the 2004 Democratic National Convention:
“The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into red states and blue states; red states for Republicans, blue states for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red states. We coach Little League in the blue states and yes, we got some gay friends in the red states. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”
That is a song we have not heard for too long a time. It is the kind of song that can make citizens of spectators, Americans of couch potatoes, patriots of slackers.
Mr. Obama would also be the most formidable Democrat in the general election. He has demonstrated a capacity to energize young people and attract new voters, and is the only candidate in the Democratic Party who attracts independents, who are the fastest-growing part of the electorate. His refusal to demonize the Republican Party as a right-wing attack machine will appeal to those independents as well as moderate Republicans.
Mr. Obama, it is true, is hardly an experienced Washington hand, which surely explains the freshness of his vision and the power of his life experience. His opponents have hit this issue hard. But as far as experience goes, to those Americans who celebrated finding ourselves with our first M.B.A. president in 2000—we can only advise them to look at the $9 trillion national debt in 2008.
And when George W. Bush was driving a bleary, shocked nation into war with bait-and-switch deceptions in 2003, where was our experienced leadership? Meanwhile, in the west, an Illinois state senator—who has since served three years in the Senate, the same Congressional period that a fellow Midwesterner, Abraham Lincoln, had served when he sought the presidency—rose to exhibit courage and public judgment on that deceptive adventure, stating, “I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.”
Now we have paid the price many times over, and there are no clear paths in Baghdad. But there may be one in Washington. Mr. Obama is the emblem of a new America. He has risen too quickly for his opponents’ taste; that fact is nothing less than a recommendation.
His relationship to truth and plain speaking and public transparency is the first step toward reviving democracy in the United States of America. Barack Obama of Illinois is the future. New York’s Democrats should embrace him (End of endorsement).

Posted on Tue, Jan. 22, 2008
The State
Endorsement of Barack Obama in the Democratic Presidential Primary Election
THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY in South Carolina this year offers voters an unusual choice. Earlier votes have winnowed out the most experienced candidates, leaving a field with fewer accomplishments and differences on policy, but including two candidates who come with the promise to make history just because of who they are.
Looking at the remaining field: Rep. Dennis Kucinich offers a bold plan on health care, but his platform is an odd fit for us and for many in South Carolina. John Edwards has morphed away from the optimist who won South Carolina in 2004. The candidate who stayed mostly above the fray four years ago is angry now, and pushing hard to turn working-class angst into political opportunity. He also has tried to one-up the other top Democrats with the least prudent plan for withdrawing from Iraq.
On positions from Iraq to health care, the policy differences between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are minute. Much of the debate between them has involved making these molehills look mountainous or clashing over who-shifted-when.
The one most significant difference between them can be found in how they would approach the presidency - and how the nation might respond.
Hillary Clinton has been a policy wonk most of her life, a trait she has carried into the U.S. Senate. As her debate performances have shown, she has intelligence and a deep understanding of many issues. Her efforts in New York focused first on learning her adopted state’s issues in detail, and pursuing legislation that would not necessarily grab headlines.
But we also have a good idea what a Clinton presidency would look like. The restoration of the Clintons to the White House would trigger a new wave of all-out political warfare. That is not all Bill and Hillary’s fault - but it exists, whomever you blame, and cannot be ignored. Hillary Clinton doesn’t pretend that it won’t happen; she simply vows to persevere, in the hope that her side can win. Indeed, the Clintons’ joint career in public life seems oriented toward securing victory and personal vindication.
Sen. Obama’s campaign is an argument for a more unifying style of leadership. In a time of great partisanship, he is careful to talk about winning over independents and even Republicans. He is harsh on the failures of the current administration - and most of that critique well-deserved. But he doesn’t use his considerable rhetorical gifts to demonize Republicans. He’s not neglecting his core values; he defends his progressive vision with vigorous integrity. But for him, American unity - transcending party - is a core value in itself.
Can such unity be restored, in this poisonous political culture? Not unless that is a nominee’s goal from the outset. It will be a difficult challenge for any candidate; but we wait in the hope that someone really will try. There is no other hope for rescuing our republic from the mire.
Sen. Obama would also have the best chance to repair the damage to America’s global reputation. A leader with his biography - including his roots in Africa and his years spent growing up overseas - could transform the world’s view of America. He would seize that opportunity.
He would close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, which has damaged America’s moral standing, and strive to rebuild many diplomatic relationships.
Despite America’s bitter partisan divide, all sides should agree on this: In such an environment, little gets done. Congress has been largely useless under both Republican and Democratic leadership. Setting aside the ideological conflict for conflict’s sake to get anything worthwhile done has fallen severely out of fashion.
And America certainly has things to get done.
From terrorism and climate change to runaway federal entitlement spending, there are big challenges to be faced. Sen. Obama is the only Democrat who plausibly can say that he wants to work with Americans across the political spectrum to address such subjects - and he has the integrity and the skills of persuasion that make him the best-qualified among the remaining Democratic hopefuls to address these challenges.
He would be a groundbreaking nominee. More to the point, he makes a solid case that he is ready to lead the whole country. We see Sen. Barack Obama as the best choice in Saturday’s Democratic primary. (End of Endorsement)

It occurred to me this morning upon hearing of all the endorsements that now back Barack that perhaps it is time to inspect what influence Barack and Oprah, two outstanding black individuals have accomplished in the many years they have lived in the Chicago area regarding the plight of the black individual. So for all his community leadership and Oprah’s money and influence I would imagine that the actual lives of blacks in Chicago have been raised considerably. When a candidate with amazing oratory skills preaches that he can offer change and hope to all Americans, especially the black community, I should be able to see verifiable results in the Chicago area so that I can be assured that Barack is not all words and no action. Why isn’t the media touting all the successes seen for blacks in the Chicago area. I know first-hand having lived there for a number of years that there were plenty of communities that needed a big lift up from the successful blacks that not only have the money to make things happen but have the power. Oops, I forgot. Oprah decided that her 40 million could be better spent in Africa where the black children were more motivated to take that lift up and excel. I think I have adequately paraphrased Oprah correctly. Was it not said that blacks in Chicago cared more for sneakers than they did for the books. See…she was probably right. The thing is though the black kids in Chicago were more of a challenge and probably evoked some fury on the part of the benefactor whereas the kids in Africa really came from nothing. The challenge is to figure out a way to motivate the US kids to want a better life and to want to help and serve others . So was Barack and Oprah able to make the difference in Chicago they are promising to voters today?

Well, I think we should send the house wives to iraq to make quilts for the iraqi people and listen to elton john all day because he is my favorite artist along with the village people and tato and the peches. Und barrack obama ist mein leiblings essen!!!!!!!!

The Clinton’s can’t be trusted now or ever. They are professional liars and will step on you, me and anyone else to get into power AGAIN. Hillary is a nasty @%#@# and Bill is nothing but a wanna be ladies man…who will screw you over in a heart beat. Hillary says Bill’s actions this weekend were because of his love and respect for me - BS, they don’t have a clue what love is and we can all see through them - at least some of us. Like Tony Montana said “First you get the power” then everything else will follow….this country has had enough of the Clinton’s…Black or White Clinton….whichever you prefer

Hmmmm I guess better late than never Toni Morrison. Where were you BEFORE South Carolina? That’s OK, us white independents spoke out for Obama.

[...] Clinton’s comparison between Obama and Jackson is racist. At least, that’s what the pundit’s are saying when they announce Morrison’s support of Obama, which, coincidentally, they [...]

JK and others, then tell me what Obama stands for. Stop telling me to look it up. You, a supporter, tell me his plan.

You can’t, because you don’t care about his plan. You only care about his detail-less rhetoric and abstract ideas that have absolutely no reality behind them. Empty promises and meaningless rhetoric aren’t a change. They’re the same useless politics.

Obama is the same politics as usual.

Jack:

No one here is under any obligation to defend his or her choice to you. If you truly want to know Barack Obama’s stance on the issues, I agree with JK and the others–go look it up. Instead of attacking our choice and/or our freedom to choose, why not shore up your anti-Barack Obama opinion and share it? You won’t because YOU can’t. You are only here to castigate people who are fervently against the idea that we should reward liars and thieves and discordant defenders of the status quo. You would rather see anyone, I repeat, anyone in the Oval Office but a black man and bigotry, couched as it is in your so called disdain for rhetoric, is why. You and the millions who support you are the reason America is going to hell in a handbasket.

bobbie, if you do not know his stances on any issues, just admit it.

I’m also amused that you believe I dislike Obama because I’m a racist. This is the politics of hope? This is change? This is uniting the country?

My problem with Obama is his blatant hypocritical racism on the trail. He pretends to be for all Americans, but calls himself ” a brother”. His wife divides states by if they’re black or white. That is disgusting to me. It is racist.

His plans are often shallow, with little hope for actually working because you can’t say “I’ll cut taxes and the economy will improve”. Obama’s candidacy is built upon this empty rhetoric, and we have experienced that empty, baseless rhetoric for 8 years. We heard it tonight for 2 hours. It is time for this country to take a path away from ideologues and empty promises. We need a real leader who wants to turn this country around, not a follower who wants to allow others to do the work for him.

I do not care about Obama’s race. I do not care about Clinton’s sex. I do not care about Edwards’ background. I care about their ideas, and Clinton has the ideas that most match mine when it comes to economy, education, Iraq, and health care.

So do me a favor, bobbie. Next time you decide to label someone a racist because they don’t blindly back your opinion…look in the mirror. The real propagator of hatred is staring at you. The real person dividing our nation is staring at you. If anyone here is a bigot, it is you, because you hate me because I don’t support Obama. I don’t hate you, though. I pity you for actually being so brainless as to follow such a hollow man.

Jack I agree with you, we do need a leader that can turn this country around. That’s why I support Barack Obama. I’ve said before that the two of them when it comes to the issues are pretty much the same. My opposition to Sen Clinton is because she is not as respected as Sen. Obama across the isle. She talks about bi partisan politics but her actions are contrary to her speech. She looks forward to fighting the Republicans, when she should be looking forward to working with the Republicans. Why don’t we have a better health care system now when she had 8 years to try and get it done when Saint Bill was in the White House? Because she refused to work with anybody and came up with a lamebrain plan that didn’t work. It failed miserably. If that was what she cared about why didn’t she try again? If she didn’t want to work with anybody when she didn’t have any real power how is she going to work with people as commander in chief? Those kind of politics should be a thing of the past, but I’m afraid if Sen. Clinton is President it will be more of the same.

When I worked free-lance in the U.S. Capitol during the early days of the Clinton Administration, I saw Mrs. Clinton working hard to get Health Care reform through. She was resented by some elected officials, I believe because she was appointed, not elected, and of course, because she had access to the president, something that many under the dome wanted (and can be jealous about), and she was challenging the health care money making machine. Big business health care lobbyists worked very hard against her as well. She did not get a health care initiative through. As a free lance worker, I paid for my own health insurance, Blue Cross/Blue Shield charged me $325 per month. I finally had to drop them because I just could not afford it. Within 4 months of her even trying to secure health care/health care insurance reform, BCBS sent a letter asking me if I would be interested in a new plan, it had lower rates yet comparable coverage to my former plan. It was $110/month. They had lowered their rates and asked me to come back. I heard this kind of story from both full time employees and free-lancers with BCBS plans as well as with other health care insurance providers. Rates went down across the board. No one had really taken the time to do anything before Mrs. Clinton tried, and even though she failed to get a plan through, and believe me, big business health care certainly wouldn’t want that, she put forth the effort and that effort was enough to effect change.

Does this really require a newspaper heading? Is anyone surprised? Toni Morrison is a good friend of Opran Winfrey, Oprah made her famous. Of course, she is for Obama. That’s a no-brainer.

Seriously folks, we should not have to go onto the internet to research Obama’s plans for our country! What about the people who do not have internet access? Obama should be “verbalizing” his plan instead of dancing around the hope and change song that contains no substance! Every other candidate has stood on his or her platform and stated the facts and explained what their plan is for our country, should they become president.

Let me get on board with Julia. I also lived in Munich, Germany, and heard first hand from its citizens the conditions of their country at the emergence of the Hitler regime. As they told me, “The young people in Germany were unmotivated, uninspired, looking only to be entertained while they walked in the park and smoked cigarettes.” Then along came Adolf Hitler. He spoke brilliantly, motivationally, inspiring them to follow his path to a bright future. Which they did. Right to the human ovens. I’m not going to say “Heil, Obama” yet. But we need to look deep into personalities and find the true nature of their characters. Words are just that…words. Our politicians are excellent “wordsmiths.” Let’s hold them accountable for their past actions and hold their feet to the fire with their elaborate and dramatic promises. Personally, I’m getting tired of all of this malarky. I think I’ll vote for …Britney. Now, there’s a personality for you.

The fact is that if you really want to know you will find the information you need. An informed decision about anything requires research. That’s the problem with the american people we want everything fed to us. Why should I have to go look for it? Because you want it. Oh, I get it, you don’t really want the information you just want to complain about not getting it. Knowledge is power don’t neglect it!

How many of us will go out and spend 30,000 or more on a new car just because it looks good and the salesman said it was a good car? Only to find out that the maintenance is 20% higher and the gas mileage is terrible. You just spent money on something that a little research could have told you.

Just as an aside, I do believe Obama has done the same as the other candidates. I have heard something about the issues in every debate that has solidified my decision. You have to understand the media though. When they show the other candidates giving their stump speeches they are showing that because that is all they have to show. They show Obama’s inspirational sound bites because it is something different, something that hasn’t been seen in politics for quite some time.

Chris Porter. I got a million dollars 4 you. “hahahaha”. You will believe anything . I bet you still think Christopher Columbus discovered America,the civil war was all because of slavery, man evolved from ape etc… Just because it’s written doesn’t mean it’s true. Maybe it’s written because that’s what they want u to believe. Please read all the post before u post another ludicrous comment. The information is endless. News papers, magazines,books etc.are like your analogy of Car salesman vs research. They tell people what they want them 2 here. Why? 2 sale it and make $. Actions speak louder than words.(This is 4 the real racist) Martin Luther King had a dream but somehow the real racist twisted,manipulated his ideas.

Jim,

You assume reading means researching. Researching involves searching for the truth. Reading amounts to information gathering. The analogy of the car salesman was to say that you can’t believe one source. to get the full picture you have to also examine all of the information for and the information against. If you just listen to or read one persons ideas or plans without even studying the others that’s ignorant and you are not making an informed decision. It is plain to see that the Clintons are supported by fake intellectuals and people lacking critical thinking skills.