Obama Gives First Interview to Al-Arabiya

In what is being touted as a "significant" and "symbolic" move, President Obama has given his first TV interview to Al-Arabiya, a station with a large Arab and Muslim audience (Saudi-sponsored, previously criticized by Rumsfeld as "anti-American").



With his characteristic balance, Obama drew a distinction between terrorists and the Muslim world that the previous administration failed to do. He also advocated a diplomatic and, at the same time, "listening" approach.

Among his quotables,

"I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that the language we use matters," he said, according to a transcript provided by the White House. "We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down. But to the broader Muslim world what we are going to be offering is a hand of friendship."

Why Brand Obama Is Good for America: Top 10 Reasons

Barack Hussein Obama may be the first president who is actually a brand. So it's rather amazing that he is also one of the most popular brands on the planet. It's spilling over into every aspect of life - and, contrary to the sense of the word "brand" as an advertising gimmick, a commercialization of what should have "deeper" value, it's making things better wherever it goes.

On a business trip to Miami and Orlando, I noticed in the hotel lobby a large group of - maybe Lithuanians? - people, dressed like businesspeople, who spoke some Germano-Russian-sounding language, who were all smiling, enthusiastic, and chanting. Yes, chanting "Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!..."

What was this all about? Or the news article out of Orlando about Obama being a "hit" throughout the Caribbean Islands:

Radio stations across the Caribbean are tuning into U.S. politics, broadcasting rapper and reggae songs celebrating Barack Obama's victory. "Black Man Redemption" by Rapper Tony Rebel, "Yes We Can" by Reggae singer Cocoa Tea and "The Obama Song" by rapper Tyrical are dominating the airwaves in Jamaica. Trinidadians, meanwhile, are enchanted by "Barack the Magnificent," a creation of Calypso legend Mighty Sparrow.Antiguans are singing along with "Barack We Love You," by native calypso singer King Short Shirt.

Followed by a page of letters from local elementary students asking questions directed to the President-Elect. And meanwhile, back in Columbia, the people are "looking forward" to Obama's presidency.

Of course, we know already how excited Africans are for their "native son". Not to mention his unprecedentedly enthusiastic and massive reception in Berlin. But what about China? Hands down - he's an "overwhelming hit" there where last October,

an online poll conducted on China Daily's website by the US embassy, shows Obama enjoys the support of 75 percent among the Chinese.

We know that the name "Obama" tastefully included in any product name is, to borrow a Blogojovitchism, "golden" - spikes sales exponentially. It's just a superlative brand that connotes all that's good about humanity.

What better representation for the United States after years of eroded-to-zilch public image? It's gotten so bad that friends of mine pretend not to be American when at cafes in, say, the Netherlands, so as not to receive dirty looks and bad prices. Even more, the Obama brand incites people to almost-lunatic enthusiasm, joy, hope, action.... good stuff, that.

So, the Top Ten Reasons Why:

1. When you're on the precipice, you need balance. President-elect Obama has balance. Lots of it. Nobody else comes close. And that inspires more balance in others. Weigh the two sides, find a fair solution, be willing to compromise, talk about it, balance your emotions with your mind... Pretty transformative, that! Helps when you're hanging on the edge of an economic, ecological, and otherwise...cliff.

2. Nothing combats depression like inspiration. Obama just walks into a room, and people get inspired. But it's not merely charisma, or oratory. He represents overcoming impossible odds, challenges, achieving the Impossible Dream by hard work and incremental success. He also represents overcoming oppression, a locked-in-steel status quo, a power structure that seems insurmountable, a nasty social attitude in the air, a neocon warmongering mania that nobody can seem to get rid of...and everything you need to get back on your feet in a crisis. Nobody else means "Yes We Can" quite like Obama.

3. He's one of us. He has this amazing ability to identify with Everyman, Everywoman, in Everycountry, while maintaining his American identity. People have this feeling that he understands them, personally. That he cares about them, about what happens to them. He succeeded to have a mass personal relationship with not all, but many on the planet. Maybe it's just lack of pretense, and being down to earth. And something else... je n'sais quoi.

4. When the world is in turmoil, we need someone with an even keel. It's that incredible, unflappable temperament, that pulled Obama through the election process, and that we all hope will pull us through the critical, dangerous days ahead.

5. A brilliant mind: that human gift, and responsibility. Obama has a great mind, and better yet, he actually uses it responsibly. When the challenges get tough, it's not enough to just "get going", as we have seen. It needs a great mind to intelligently work our way through complex issues. No sycophant will do any more. So for Obama to represent the best of the mind does us a world of good. Smart is cool again. Finally.

6. Flexibility, willingness to cooperate. This is essential to building goodwill in world affairs, as well as domestic ones. We've suffered too long through ill will, divisiveness, and "us" vs. "them". The results have been catastrophic. Democracy without cooperation is not democracy. It's a failed state.

7. Obama is a multicultural success story. He blends continents, wildly varying cultures from Kansas to Hawaii to Indonesia, plus of course, Africa, and yet it all somehow works into a very superior "product". He therefore gives us hope that although we are all very different, the common bond is nonetheless intact, and that very diversity contributes toward strength. This is a boon to people against inbreeding, Us v. Them, etc.

8. When we've been sitting on a Ponzi scheme, thinking ourselves rich and powerful, it really helps to find someone with genuine core integrity. Solid ethics. Trustworthiness. Honesty. The high ground. Making good on promises - not just for PR, but just because it's right. Wow, now that's downright refreshing! Barack Obama, from his loving domestic relations with his wife and daughters and other relations, to his making good on promises, to his clean and democratically-run campaign, to his thoughtful, honest relationships with others in government as well as campaigners and those in "Main Street", is the absolute epitome of One Good Man. Not some idealized idol, just a regular guy who works very hard to do things right, and has very high standards.

The net result? Obama made being righteous very, very cool. Bring it on! Which brings us to

9. Pres-elect Obama is just, simply very, very cool. This is an intangible. It's God-given. It's something you either have, or don't have. It may be the "aura" of all of the above. But it's also because he's always working to stay in touch with what's going on around him. He knows technology and uses it. He knows the language, the songs, the music, the culture of everyday Americans. He may not know bowling and country music. But that's OK, because he's cool with what he knows. He goes above and beyond a specific culture, by virtue of his multicultural background added to his being "one of us", added to his cooperative stance, taken to another level by his intelligence. It's everything rolled together in a way that simply ... works.

We're dog tired of things that don't work. And people who make them not work.

10. And at last, Obama resurrects the work ethic. Hard work is part of his success story, and it's not only something that's true, that people can relate to, but it's also very good for the economy. After all, work is how economies are ultimately built - not merely by investing money, that essentially fake/representative thing, but investing actual work. Instead of encouraging people to spend, we find ourselves inspired to sweat. It's very basic, and being enthusiastic about it makes it far more likely to succeed. After all, what's work without a motive? The profit motive just won't cut it any more.

As we watch the incredible scene of President-elect Barack Obama taking the oath of office, and all that goes with it, no one can help but be amazed at how it all got put together, and how one man came to symbolize so much in one unimaginably critical moment. This is a "brand" that will go down in history in more ways than ten. And that can't help but be good for America, and I hope, the world.

Is Obama's Security Team Too Right-Wing Hawkish?

Many are now expressing dismay over President-elect Obama's choices for a security team, including Bushco's Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as being far too hawkish to give us hope for "change" when it comes to conduct of the wars and foreign policy. As this article put it,

The assembly of Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, Susan Rice and Joe Biden is a kettle of hawks with a proven track record of support for the Iraq war, militaristic interventionism, neoliberal economic policies and a worldview consistent with the foreign policy arch that stretches from George HW Bush's time in office to the present.

Although Rachel Maddow in her 12/2 Show brought out the brighter side of this, being that all the undersecretaries and lower level posts in Defense will not be Bush appointees and will be changed, and that these positions have considerable power when it comes to what goes down on the ground - this does not necessarily bode well if Obama's choices are consistently hawkish. If that's the case, it means Obama himself is leaning to the right on security. And that is something we should not be shocked about.

Even during the VERY FIRST DEBATE when all the Democratic hopefuls were given a voice, Obama stood out as pretty strong on security, a moment many in the media and the general population took as a sign of "strength" and "leadership" and, in fact, highlighted as one of the "high points" of the debate. Mike Gravel's anti-war arguments, on the other hand, were roundly castigated as "extremist".

Being as Obama always has to fight off false assumptions that he could be "extremist", "Muslim sympathizer" and "liberal" (read "peacenik") in order to have any slight hope to be elected, I'm sure that moment stuck in his mind as a tack he'd be well-advised to take.

It's also been widely reported that Obama and Robt Gates somehow hit it off, a sort of mutual respect. At the same time, there's something to be said for experience, even if that experience is under a discredited Administration. In the military, continuity is particularly essential, because one's adversary must not perceive that a change in government means a "gap" in security has been created through which that adversary could drive a wedge.

Note I said "adversary", not "enemy". Even if it wasn't a war, even if lives weren't at stake, not to mention other people's countries, even if it was just an adversarial contest, "winning" or the perception of "winning" is critical. And the perception of winning cannot be obtained if there is a simultaneous perception that one's side is undergoing some sort of upheaval. So now, if there are lives at stake, how much more important is continuity, the perception of one unified team, and that an Obama-led US will be just as strong as, if not stronger than, the Bush-led nation?

I believe that Obama's choice is reasonable and reflects his style, given that he is presenting an image to the world - an image of a strong nation, not backing down, run by someone new who nonetheless holds his alliegiance to the United States, not the world. It's easy for him to gain kudos as a more liberal, understanding and intelligent guy. What he's working hard on is gaining respect as a security-conscious, fearless, and no-pushover leader, who at the same time has more diplomacy possibilities up his sleeve, should the adversary decide the military option wasn't really working.

But one could have trepidations, nonetheless:

Karl Rove, "Bush's Brain", called Obama's cabinet selections, "reassuring", which itself is disconcerting, but neoconservative leader and former McCain campaign staffer Max Boot summed it up best. "I am gobsmacked by these appointments, most of which could just as easily have come from a President McCain," Boot wrote. The appointment of General Jones and the retention of Gates at defence "all but puts an end to the 16-month timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, the unconditional summits with dictators and other foolishness that once emanated from the Obama campaign."

Boot added that Hillary Clinton will be a "powerful" voice "for 'neoliberalism' which is not so different in many respects from 'neoconservativism.'" Boot's buddy, Michael Goldfarb, wrote in The Weekly Standard, the official organ of the neoconservative movement, that he sees "certainly nothing that represents a drastic change in how Washington does business. The expectation is that Obama is set to continue the course set by Bush in his second term."

Was Obama's voice for peace and change and hope just an image to gain votes? Somehow, I refuse to believe that.

But we really need to see how all these hawkish appointments play out in the conduct of foreign policy. Rahm Emanuel's hawkish-on-Israel stance and Biden's I-am-a-Zionist stance does NOT bring cause for hope to Palestinians, for example. Let's hope what I believe to be Obama's core compassionate streak overpowers his big guns in places like Darfur, Somalia, and Burma, as well as Palestine.

Others have said,

Obama's familiar-looking team of national security fixer-uppers does not inspire confidence. Nor do his vague answers to detailed questions on specific policies. "We're going to have to bring the full force of our power, not only military but also diplomatic, economic and political, to deal with those threats not only to keep America safe, but also to ensure that peace and prosperity will exist around the world," he told reporters. Obama seems to think he can wish away the world's evils with his eloquence and charm.

With a "strong" team, it doesn't seem that he is "wishing away the world's evils". I think it's more like a tour de force to show the world he's no wimp. From that position of strength, we hope to see the other "diplomatic, economic and political" efforts coming into play. It's too soon to say what will actually happen.

We don't want all this hope to just fall flat...do we? After all, the strongest security comes from diplomacy, NOT guns. Let'e hope Obama puts this team on the path of intelligent diplomacy, not "intelligence"-engendered war-mongering.

Obama Opens With Bang: First, Rebuild US

President-elect Barack Obama is not just "hitting the ground running" - he's been getting ready for his presidency since last September, according to Time mag. And now he's unveiled how he'll tackle job one: the economy.

The President-Elect has also signaled the country what he wants to do: enact an "Economic Recovery Plan" that will mean 2.5 million more jobs by January of 2011. In his words (from Saturday's radio address) a plan "big enough to meet the challenges we face ... a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy." Again, I have no inside knowledge, but I'd expect it to be about $600 to $700 billion.

Its focus will be on infrastructure of a sort that will not only put people to work but also improve the productivity of the economy. His words: "We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels; fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead."

People have been complaining about lack of investment in infrastructure for years, and it's a great sign that Obama is planning to shore up the economy the old-fashioned way.

By putting his economic team in place barely three weeks after he was elected, and telling the nation what he plans to do immediately after he takes office, the President-Elect is asserting leadership at a time when the the Bush administration has all but abdicated.

Even the markets are looking to Obama now rather than the fast-fading Bush. Obama's leadership shows signs of both strength and direction/purpose. That's cause for optimism, something I didn't have during Bush's reign. Many others, I'm sure, agree.

Obama's Presidency: Let the Transformation Begin...

Leonard Pitts wrote this memorable column on the transformational effect of Obama's presidency:

''For the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.'' -- Michelle Obama, Feb. 18, 2008

I always thought I understood what Michelle Obama was trying to say.

You are familiar, of course, with what she actually did say, which is quoted above. It provided weeks of red meat for her husband's opponents, who took to making ostentatious proclamations of their own unwavering pride in country.

But again, I think I know what the lady meant to say. Namely, that with her husband, this brown-skinned guy with the funny name, making a credible run for the highest office in the land, she could believe, for the first time, that ''we the people'' included her.

It is, for African Americans, an intoxicating thought almost too wonderful for thinking. Yet, there it is. And here we are, waking up this morning to find Barack Obama president-elect of these United States.

In a sense, it is unfair -- to him, to us -- to make Tuesday's election about race. Whatever appeal Obama may have had to African Americans and white liberals eager to vote for a black candidate, is, I believe, dwarfed by his appeal to Americans of all stripes who have simply had enough of the politics of addition by division as practiced by Karl Rove and his disciples, enough of the free floating anger, the holiday from accountability, the nastiness masquerading as righteousness, the sheer intellectual dishonesty, that have characterized the era of American politics that ends here.

But in the end, after all that, there still is race.

And it would be a sin against our history, a sin against John Lewis and Viola Liuzzo, against James Reeb and Lyndon Johnson, against Fannie Lou Hamer and Martin Luther King, against all those everyday heroes who marched, bled and died 40 years ago to secure black people's right to vote, not to pause on this pinnacle and savor what it means. It would be a sin against our generations, against slaves and freedmen, against housemen and washerwomen, against porters and domestics, against charred bodies hanging in southern trees, not to be still and acknowledge that something has happened here and it is sacred and profound.

For most of the years of the American experiment, ''we the people'' did not include African Americans. We were not included in ''we.'' We were not even included in ``people.''

What made it galling was all the flowery words to the contrary, all the perfumed lies about equality and opportunity. This was, people kept saying, a nation where any boy might grow up and become president. Which was only true, we knew, as long as it was indeed a boy and as long as the boy was white.

But as of today, we don't know that anymore. What this election tells us is that the nation has changed in ways that would have been unthinkable, unimaginable, flat out preposterous, just 40 years ago. And that we, black, white and otherwise, better recalibrate our sense of the possible.

There was something bittersweet in watching Michelle Obama lectured on American pride this year, in seeing African Americans asked to prove their Americanness when our ancestors were in this country before this country was. There was something in it that was hard to take, knowing that we have loved America when America did not love us, defended America when it would not defend us, believed in American ideals that were larger than skies, yet never large enough to include us.

We did this. For years unto centuries, we did this. Because our love for this country is deep and profound. And complicated and contradictory. And cynical and hard.

Now it has delivered us to this singular moment. Barack Obama is president-elect of the United States.

And we the people should be proud.

The World Embraces President Obama, Mississippi Censors Him

This from Electronic Village:

Did you see where school officials down in Mississippi threatened children with expulsion from busses and classrooms if they uttered the word, "Obama"?

and mentions

I imagine that there are still some folks who will have difficult time dealing with a Black president. I imagine it will hurt some of the officials and judges that run federal buildings and federal courtrooms when they have to place a portrait photo of the incoming president on the walls.

From the original:

On Thursday, the Pearl Schools superintendent said that a school bus driver and a coach were disciplined for allegedly telling students not to say President-elect Barack Obama’s name.

Guess some people, like the little newspaper in TX that didn't even print the news of Obama's election (apparently they didn't know Texas was part of the United States?), think we are still in the late 1800's, there isn't a recession, and they weren't descended from Adam or Eve in Africa. And why does any African heritage automatically cause a person to be "black" but any European heritage doesn't cause them to be in any sense "white" or even "multi-racial"??? Obviously, being "black" is much stronger than being "white". And preferable. Otherwise, why would you want the numbers of "black" to increase? Because it's a matter of survival of the fittest, and being "black" must mean more "fit" - except those in Mississippi are in denial of the confusion in their own actions. Maybe like Sarah Palin, they think Africa is a nation, somewhere between Fiji and India. Isn't that where the Indians come from?

What better role model for all students could there be than Barack Obama - and his family?

Good news about the racists, though. They are shrinking, vastly outnumbered by everybody else. There has never been such an outpouring of admiration and excitement as leaders and people all over the world embrace the name, and the man, Barack Obama.

"Murder Obama" Graffitti in P'Cola "No Credible Threat", Sign of Times

When great change is about to roll over, the roaches crawl out. In flaming red (neck) Pensacola, as in other places (where even more abominable acts have been committed) - such as yesterday's busted Neo-Nazi assassination plot, more racist, violence-edged action reared its ugly head. This time, a CSX (train) bridge in Pensacola, Florida was spray-paintedwith "MURDER OBAMA" grafitti - and quickly painted over on Monday evening.

It was linked in spirit, if not in actual connections, to the skinhead plot to kill Barack Obama - a cameraderie of the cockroach? no, that's unfair to cockroaches - in a kind of union of hate-mongers and racists. Is that all the John McCain has left? Not exactly, but...

All the lies and rumors do affect and influence the minds of the ignorant. Just check out the comments to the above-linked extremely brief article. But rebuttals to the ignorant are there in the same comments, showing that for every redneck, there's an equal and opposite blueneck. Or, if the polls mean anything, about ten equal and opposite bluenecks.

Fortunately, the all-wise Pensacola Police Department's Chip Simmons says

"We don't deem it as a credible threat to a presidential candidate," Simmons said. "We will forward the information to the Secret Service."

And now some of my registered-independent family members are being bombarded by non-McCain endorsed lies, published in dark blacks and browns, with sinister threats associated with Obama:
"He'll take your money away and spread it around" - "He's gonna take your guns away" - "He's gonna cut-n-run in Iraq" - "He's got bad friends..." - with pictures of Ayers, Wright, and, in a featured pamphlet all by himself, Tony Rezko, who is pictured as doing a quid-pro-quo for Obama, presumably to counter the Ted Stevens thing. But at least in this neck of the woods, it's not swaying anyone but those whose conspiracy theories run in the evangelical vein, those who feel that Sarah Palin was "chosen by God to save America", and who believe Obama is Muslim and about to take over America and give it to "Islam" - whatever, wherever and whoever that may be. All they need to know is Palin says "we're" in "America" and "they" are in that "liberal Islamic evil empire" that is definitely out of the loop when it comes to The Rapture.

And if these are his "constituents", with many thinking Republicans jumping ship, what does that say about an America he would supposedly "lead"? It would be a fringe, ignorant, fearful, emotionally-volatile, violence-prone, frozen-in-time nation that makes the 1984 "nation" look at least civil. If the scare tactics aren't working with McCain's bid for highest office, they are working to incite those at the lowest level. Gives even right-wing thinkers pause as to where he would "lead" the country.

Blast from the North: Anchorage Daily News Endorses Obama

This endorsement should send a chill down the McCain/Palin camp's spine.

Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.

And about Gov. Palin?

Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.

Which leaves McCain out in the cold.

Republicans Jump Ship: Scott McClellan, Colin Powell, and the List Goes On...

Today Scott McClellan, that famous former Bush Press Secretary, announced that he's going to vote for Barack Obama for President!

We already heard the much-expected endorsement of Colin Powell, Bush's former Defense Secretary, and then there's this list:

McCain campaign advance team (Thu Oct 23):
The McCain campaign advance team is setting up an unusual election night event, one that doesn't even feature the candidate, perhaps with the expectation of a loss. The AP reports that while supporters will have the usual election-night party in Arizona, McCain will not be physically present: "Only a small press "pool" -- mostly those who have traveled regularly with the candidate on his campaign plane, plus a few local Arizona reporters and other guests -- will be physically present when McCain speaks."

Just a little question, though: How will McCain "speak" when he's not "physically present"? Guess it will be a big screen event...

Alison Goldwater (Thu Oct 23):
Alison Goldwater, granddaughter of Arizonan and Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, early voted for Barack Obama, saying of John McCain, "I don't have respect for him." (John McCain has frequently called himself a "Barry Goldwater" Republican.)

National Republican Senatorial Committee (Thu Oct 23):
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is advertising on behalf of Republican senate candidates across the country, is now running ads that presume that McCain will lose. Their argument is that voters should pick Republican senate candidates because otherwise Obama will "get a blank check."

Arne Carlson (Thu Oct 23):
Arne Carlson, former Republican Governor of Minnesota, endorsed Obama for president, saying "He has laid out for this nation a vision for a national purpose."

That's a lot of ship-jumping for one day! But there's more, lots more...

Ken Adelman (Mon Oct 20):
Donald Rumsfeld's right hand man, Ken Adelman, is the last Republican you'd think would jump ship. His reasons? Temperament and judgment. He says about Sarah Palin: "Not only is Sarah Palin not close to being acceptable in high office--I would not have hired her for even a mid-level post in the arms-control agency."
Florida GOP (Sun Oct 19):
The Florida GOP is planning to withhold about $2 million that it was planning on spending to help John McCain win the state. Instead, "Florida Republicans already are looking ahead to 2010 when Crist runs for re-election."
Colin Powell (Sun Oct 19):
Colin Powell, former 4-star general, Reagan national security adviser, Bush Sr. chairman of the joint chiefs, and secretary of state, gave a full throated endorsement of Barack Obama and indictment of the McCain campaign and the Republican party.
Frank Luntz (Sat Oct 18):
Frank Luntz, GOP pollster and language expert, states bluntly: "I think Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the United States." He adds: "John McCain cannot communicate. Stevie Wonder reads a teleprompter better than John McCain."
Susan Collins (Fri Oct 17):
Embattled Republican Sen. Susan Collins is calling on John McCain to stop paying for automated phone calls which describe Barack Obama as having "worked closely" with "domestic terrorist Bill Ayers". "These kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics," said Collins spokesman Kevin Kelley. "Sen. Collins urges the McCain campaign to stop these calls immediately."
Michael Smerconish (Fri Oct 17):
On his talk show on WPHT today, conservative Philadelphian Michael Smerconish endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Chicago Tribune Editorial Board (Fri Oct 17):
For the first time in the 161 year history of the Chicago Tribune, the paper has endorsed a Democratic presidential nominee: Barack Obama.
Peter Spaulding (Fri Oct 17):
McCain's New Hampshire state chairman slams the campaign's tactic of launching robocalls accusing Obama of links to terrorists.
Kathleen Parker (Fri Oct 17):
National Review writer Kathleen Parker takes another big step away from the GOP, declaring that Republicans "do not, in fact, deserve to win this time, and someone [Chris Buckley] had to remind them why."
Richard Lugar (Wed Oct 15):
Richard Lugar, the seniormost Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, came close to a full endorsement of Obama by endorsing his approach to foreign policy - specifically, his emphasis on diplomacy..
RNC (in Wisconsin) (Wed Oct 15):
The RNC is giving up on McCain in Wisconsin. TV stations report that they've stopped airing ads attacking Obama, and won't comment on the pullout.
Rush Limbaugh (Tue Oct 14):
Rush Limbaugh all but accepted the fact that John McCain had lost this election, asking Sarah Palin "have you even thought about a political future beyond this campaign?" Obviously, if Limbaugh thought McCain could win...her political future would be as Vice President.
Heather Mac Donald (Tue Oct 14):
Conservative pundit Heather Mac Donald systematically disassembles McCain's VP pick and concludes that "conservatives should not sacrifice standards for political advantage."
Matthew Dowd (Tue Oct 14):
Matthew Dowd, a former Bush strategist, let the cat out of the bag: "They didn't let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP...[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that."
Dennis Hopper (Mon Oct 13):
Loyal Republican actor-director Dennis Hopper is giving up on his party, at least for this election, complaining of the "lies" of the current administration and saying "I voted for Bush, father and son, but this time I'll vote for Obama."
Mickey Edwards (Mon Oct 13):
Republican Mickey Edwards, formerly a congressman from Oklahoma, distances himself from McCain, saying "today, thanks to a campaign apparently managed by Moe, Curly, and Larry, he comes across as erratic (Obama's word, but it fits), impulsive, befuddled, and ill-tempered, and apparently unable to utter any words other than 'surge' and 'earmarks.'" Edwards also plays the blame game very explicitly: "If Obama gets a big win, it will be McCain himself, and the Three Stooges calling the shots at his headquarters who will deserve whatever blame is attached for transforming a viable and energetic Obama campaign into a steamroller grinding the Republican Party into the ground."
David Frum (Mon Oct 13):
David "axis of evil" Frum gets his "I told you so" ready at the National Review and rebukes his critics who complain that he isn't cheerleading for McCain enough. He concludes: "Perhaps it is our job at NRO is tell our readers only what they want to hear, without much regard to whether it is true. Perhaps it is our duty just to keep smiling and to insist that everything is dandy - that John McCain's economic policies make sense, that his selection of Sarah Palin was an act of statesmanship, that she herself is the second coming of Anna Schwartz, and that nobody but an over-educated snob would ever suggest otherwise."
Ray LaHood (Mon Oct 13):
Rep. LaHood, who has represented Illinois' 18th district for seven terms and is retiring in January, told WBBM Radio that Palin should control the racially-charged heckling at her rallies: "Look it. This doesn't befit the office that she's running for. And frankly, people don't like it."
Michelle Malkin (Mon Oct 13):
Michelle Malkin expresses her disappointment in McCain after learning that "John McCain had no problem calling ACORN members his friends during his ill-fated illegal alien shamnesty crusade." She concludes, "We're Screwed '08."
Erick Erickson (Mon Oct 13):
Erick Erickson, "editor in chief" of RedState.com, is giving up on McCain: "With only a few weeks left until election day, let's be blunt: McCain-Palin '08 does not seem to be making headway against the polling." He suggests that McCain needs to choose between himself and senate/house Republicans, and suggests that his readers focus on downballot races: "The Republican numbers in the House and Senate can be salvaged, but in the next few weeks there must be a realistic assessment from the McCain campaign regarding winning his own race versus helping Congressional Republicans mitigate their losses."
Ed Rollins (Mon Oct 13):
Rollins, who managed Reagan's 1984 campaign: "And while chaos and disarray reigned supreme in Sen. Barack Obama's opponents' campaigns, the steady, disciplined and strategically driven Obama campaign marches forward toward likely victory."
Bill Kristol (Mon Oct 13):
Kristol: "It's time for John McCain to fire his campaign. He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama's."
Lee Terry (Mon Oct 13):
In Nebraska, a Republican representative, Lee Terry, ran a newspaper ad featuring support from a woman who called herself an "Obama-Terry voter."
Linda Smith (Sun Oct 12):
Linda Smith, Republican chairwoman in Clark County, Ohio. "I have to blame the McCain camp for not pushing it hard enough," added Smith, whose rural county lies between Dayton and Columbus. "It's so ingrained in people's minds that Republicans are good on national security, but Democrats are good on the economy, and it's very hard to counter that."
Tom Ellis (Sun Oct 12):
Tom Ellis, GOP chairman in Butler County, Ohio, a key Republican stronghold in 2004, said there had been "some slippage" for McCain in recent weeks. He said Republicans were finding it "hard to penetrate" the torrent of bad economic news and deliver an effective pitch to independents. And the Arizona senator's attacks on Obama's past links to former radical William Ayers, he said, "do not garner him any advantage" with swing voters. "There's a sense of frustration at this point," Ellis said. "What I hear is people are expecting more of the Republican ticket. They've got to speak directly to the economic issues. People want to hear specific solutions from Sen. McCain."
Roger Stone (Sun Oct 12):
Roger Stone, a longtime McCain supporter, said the state party and the national campaign bear almost equal blame. ''This effort lacks coordination and a cooperative spirit and it's showing,'' Stone said. "But it's more than mechanics. The campaign has no consistent message.''
George LeMieux (Sun Oct 12):
George LeMieux, Crist's former campaign manager and staff chief, said McCain erred in not choosing Crist as running mate. ''If Gov. Crist was the vice presidential nominee, John McCain would be winning Florida,'' he said.
Charlie Crist (Sun Oct 12):
"Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World."
Bill Kristol (Sun Oct 12):
On FOX News Sunday, Kristol said the McCain campaign was "stupid...pathetic...flailing."
Patrick Ruffini (Sat Oct 11):
Conservative columnist Patrick Ruffini argues that the RNC needs to give up on McCain and try to save Republican house and senate seats, and that "McCain should start explicitly making the argument for divided government, with him as the only hope of preserving it. This is unlikely to be a voting issue at the Presidential level, but we need to get the idea percolating that we are about to elect Obama with unchecked, unlimited power." That is, Ruffini wants to sacrifice McCain to save congressional Republicans.
Mitt Romney (Sat Oct 11):
Mitt Romney said McCain, who has offered scattershot proposals on the economy, should present a broad vision of how he would lead the country through the economic crisis. "I'm talking about standing above the tactical alternatives that are being considered," Romney said, "and establish an economic vision that is able to convince the American people that he really knows how to strengthen the economy."
Robert A. Gleason Jr. (Sat Oct 11):
Robert A. Gleason Jr., the Republican chairman in Pennsylvania, said he was concerned that Mr. McCain's increasingly aggressive tone was not working with moderate voters and women in the important southeastern part of a state that is at the top of Mr. McCain's must-win list.
Tommy Thompson (Sat Oct 11):
Former Republican Governor of Wisconsin, said it would be difficult for Mr. McCain to win in his state but not impossible, particularly if he campaigned in conservative Democratic parts of the state. Asked if he was happy with Mr. McCain's campaign, Mr. Thompson replied, "No," and he added, "I don't know who is."
Saul Anuzis (Sat Oct 11):
Saul Anuzis, the Republican chairman in Michigan, said "I think you're seeing a turning point, you're starting to feel real frustration because we are running out of time. Our message, the campaign's message, isn't connecting."
Norm Coleman (Fri Oct 10):
Coleman bails on McCain rally: "[Norm] Coleman told reporters that he would not be appearing at a planned rally with McCain this afternoon. Could it be McCain's sliding polling numbers in Minnesota? His attacks on Obama?"
Christopher Buckley (Fri Oct 10):
Christopher Buckley, son of National Review founder William F. Buckley, and columnist for the National Review himself, endorsed Barack Obama, saying "this campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic."
Bob Eleveld (Fri Oct 10):
Bob Eleveld, former Kent County Republican chairman who led McCain's West Michigan campaign in 2000, said: "I'm not supporting either of them [McCain or Obama] at this point. I think the straight talk is gone."
William Milliken (Fri Oct 10):
Former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken, who endorsed McCain during the primaries, said: "He is not the McCain I endorsed; he keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me. I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."
Ed Rollins (Fri Oct 10):
Ed Rollins ran Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign in 1984, so he knows a thing or two about landslides -- and he's predicting one for Barack Obama. At this point, he says the only question left to answer is whether John McCain will take the Republican Party down with him.
Joshua Trevino (Fri Oct 10):
Joshua Trevino, co-founder of RedState.com, wrote on his blog: "In the end, I couldn't do it...I opened it fully intending to vote for John McCain...Do I believe in John McCain? Not as much as I used to. Do I believe in Sarah Palin? Despite my early enthusiasm for her, now not at all. Do I believe in the national Republican Party? Not in the slightest -- even though I see no meaningful alternative to it. So, my choice for President in 2008, scrawled in my ballot as an act of futile protest, is Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana."
Matt Lewis (Fri Oct 10):
Matt Lewis, a contributing writer for the conservative Web site Townhall.com, told CNN the plan only further riles conservatives upset with McCain's backing of the massive government bailout plan passed last week. "Fundamentally, the problem is John McCain accepts a lot of liberal notions, unfortunately. There is somewhat of a populist streak," he said. "Most conservatives really did not like the bailout to begin with, and this was really kind of picking at the scab."
Michelle Laxalt (Thu Oct 9):
Republican Laxalt slams the McCain campaign's tactics.
Michigan GOP (Thu Oct 9):
The Michigan GOP is in disarray, and said the following about those jumping ship in an email they sent to local supporters: "In the meantime, there have been several individuals, including some disgruntled former employees, who have tried to take advantage of the situation by stealing cell phones, and other electronic equipment, as well as substantial amounts of collateral materials. In at least one instance there was an employee who vandalized their victory center on the way out the door.
National Review Editorial Board (Thu Oct 9):
"We never thought we would defend the Frank-Dodd legislation, which we bitterly opposed last summer. But it looks downright prudent compared to what McCain has proposed. McCain's plan is a full bailout for lenders."
Perry Diaz (Wed Oct 8):
Perry Diaz, chairman of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans, resigned from his post and withdrew his endorsement, saying "I endorsed McCain before the California primary believing that he was the right man for the job. I was wrong. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate and his decision a few days ago to resort to personal attacks on Obama's character and integrity run counter to my personal beliefs and core values. I have lost my respect for McCain and I believe that a McCain/Palin administration would only worsen the economic situation in the country."
David Brooks (Wed Oct 8):
David Brooks rips apart McCain's pick for VP, saying "Sarah Palin represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party."
George Will (Wed Oct 8):
George Will laments McCain's campaign and quotes an Orioles manager: "Are you going to get any better or is this it?" His takeaway? "Obama in a romp in November? Don't be surprised"
Lilibet Hagel (Tue Oct 7):
Lilibet Hagel, wife of Republican senator Chuck Hagel, appeared with Susan Eisenhower to endorse Barack Obama, saying that this election is "not about fighting phantom issues churned out by a top-notch slander machine. Most importantly it is not about distracting the public - you and me - with whatever slurs someone thinks will stick."
Michelle Malkin (Tue Oct 7):
Malkin is outraged by McCain's new mortgage giveway plan.
Jack Waldvogel (Sun Oct 5):
Jack Waldvogel, GOP chairman for Emmet County, Michigan, is furious that McCain and Palin announced their intention to pull out of Michigan, saying "Just don't formally announce that you are 'pulling out' of Michigan, and then come back two days later asking the base core of support to 'keep working.' What a slap in the face to all the thousands of people who have been energized by the addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket. I've been involved in County Party politics and organization for 40 years, and this is the biggest dumbass stunt I have ever seen."
Kathleen Parker (Fri Sep 26):
Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in the National Review that Sarah Palin is "out of her league" and should step down for the good of her country.

Wick Allison (Mon Sep 22):
Wick Allison, former publisher of the National Review and current editor-in-chief of D magazine, endorses Obama and writes "I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses. But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history."
George Will (Sun Sep 21):
"I suppose the McCain campaign's hope is that when there's a big crisis, people will go for age and experience," said Will. "The question is, who in this crisis looked more presidential, calm and un-flustered? It wasn't John McCain who, as usual, substituting vehemence for coherence, said 'let's fire somebody.' And picked one of the most experienced and conservative people in the administration, Chris Cox, and for no apparent reason... It was un-presidential behavior by a presidential candidate."
WSJ Editorial Board (Fri Sep 19):
In a crisis, voters want steady, calm leadership, not easy, misleading answers that will do nothing to help. Mr. McCain is sounding like a candidate searching for a political foil rather than a genuine solution. He'll never beat Mr. Obama by running as an angry populist like Al Gore, circa 2000.
Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy (Wed Sep 3):
Noonan and Murphy get caught on an open mic griping about the choice of Sarah Palin. Noonan says "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullsh** about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and that's not what they're good at, they blow it." Murphy adds that the choice was "cynical" and "gimmicky."

That gives me hope for the human mind...

Debates Ignore 12 Million People: Where's the Discussion of Immigration?

There may be a lot of reasons for this, but isn't it absurd that the Presidential debates have so far totally ignored the issue of immigration? Is that because it's too hot-button? Or because they hope they can get elected without dealing with it? Angela Kelley brings this issue up:

Latino community to immigration advocates to probing journalists have been eagerly awaiting to hear more about what the two candidates plan to do about the 12 million undocumented people living in the United States. To date, they've heard very little.

Are the candidates afraid that this will explode in their faces?

Our immigration problem isn't going to disappear just by not talking about it. As Barack Obama and John McCain were preparing for their debate last night, 300 workers were rounded up in an immigration raid at a chicken processing plant in South Carolina. In fact, as the two candidates were taking shots at one another, we can guess about 100 children in South Carolina--both citizens and non-citizens--were still left stranded, not knowing where their parents were or when they would see them again.

Obama and McCain haven't been afraid to talk about who is to blame for the demise of 2007's immigration bill. In dueling Spanish-language ads, McCain has unfairly accused Obama of trying to block the major immigration bill that he supported. Obama retaliated with an equally questionable ad tying McCain to immigration hardliners like Rush Limbaugh who McCain has generally stood up to. Yet amidst all of this finger-pointing, neither candidate has adequately addressed the bottom line: what would they do, as president, to fix our broken immigration system?

I discussed this back-and-forth earlier and disagree that Obama's ad was "equally questionable", but do agree that the candidates have not given any specifics or made themselves very clear on the issue.

Nonetheless, Obama's general approach to politics appears that it has more compassion and therefore will do a better job, if compassion is still included, of dealing with migrant issues humanely and in a balanced way without getting sidetracked by hate-mongering extremists.

So there are 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
That's no small number.

So why don't the candidates address the issues involving those 12 million people?

• What is realistic and what should be done about the 12 million immigrants here in the U.S. without papers?
• What should be done with the employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers, take advantage of them, and undercut their competitors: what should be done about them?
• Opponents of reform say anything that provides legal status to those here illegally is amnesty: how do you define amnesty? Do you support amnesty? If not, what do you support?
• How do you make sure that we actually solve the problem rather than pass reforms that perpetuate the problem and lead to another 12 million coming in illegally in the future?

Actually, then, there's more than 12 million people involved: there's the Latino vote, significant in swing states, involved.

With anti-immigrant fervor plaguing Latinos--both citizen and non-citizen--immigration has become one of the most pressing issues for Latino voters. That's why you'd think that the two camps would be eager to win over the unprecedented number of Latinos prepared to vote for the first time in battle ground states by sharing their solutions to our immigration system breakdown and not tip-toeing past the 12 million elephants in the room.

Could someone answer why this critical voting bloc is essentially being ignored on a key issue that actually affects all Americans? It is a critical factor to the economy - the labor issue - and at the same time it is a moral issue - mistreatment of undocumented migrants is unconscionable, especially when it goes under the guise of "patriotism". Where is "liberty and justice for all" when not having certain papers is equated with crimes like theft and murder? The anti-immigration backlash is just another facet of the Grand Old Party's legacy of hate and division painted over with the colors of a flag.

Obama Gets 11-Point Lead

Firedoglake reports that Obama has an eleven point lead in the polls following his performance in the 2nd Presidential Debates. That looks like a win to me. (Original source of the poll is here at Gallup.)

Obama Wins Debate II: But Here's an Interesting Analysis

Check out this minute-by-minute analysis, which is notably only watching McCain.

Experts: McCain's Style "Depressing"; So Palin Gives Him "Manic" Side

Going into the debates, it makes sense to look at the potential effect of the two candidates' speaking styles, and experts have been watching and analyzing. New software into whether or not political candidates are being honest or just spinning based on speech and verbal patterns, inflections, style, etc., came to this unexpected conclusion - honesty aside - about John McCain's style:

"The voice analysis profile for McCain looks very much like someone who is clinically depressed," says Pollermann, a psychologist who uses voice analysis software in her work with patients. Previous research on mirror neurons has shown that listening to depressed voices can make others feel depressed themselves, she says.

So that's why he picked Sarah Palin! Someone who, in contrast to his "depressed" and depressing monotone style, is the closest one could possibly get in politics to totally "manic".

David Skillicorn, a mathematics and computer science researcher at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, developed the software that analyzes word usage within the text of a conversation or speech to determine when a person (in this case, a politician) "presents themselves or their content in a way that does not necessarily reflect what they know to be true".

The study conducted by Pollerman using this software not only reveals why McCain is so ineffective as a speaker, contrasting sharply with the powerful appeal of Obama's speaking style, but also

Pollermann uses auditory analysis software to map seven parameters of a person's speech, including pitch modulation, volume and fluency, to create a voice profile. She then compares that profile with the speaker's facial expressions, using as a guide a set of facial expressions mapped out by Paul Ekman, (an expert on facial expression analysis) called the Facial Action Coding System, to develop an overall picture of how they express themselves.

Her analysis shows that McCain's voice changes little in pitch as he speaks, and so conveys very little emotion or impact. Whether he is addressing positive prospects or discussing sad facts, his voice always sounds the same.
Additionally, McCain's voice and facial movements often do not match up, says Pollermann, and he often smiles in a manner that commonly conveys sarcasm when addressing controversial statements. "That might lead to what I would call a lack of credibility."

People are unlikely to trust statements made in a flat tone, particularly when they do not match the person's facial expressions. According to Pollermann's analysis, it may not make any difference that McCain does not pepper his speeches with spin, if the way he talks does not strike people as believable.

Obama, by comparison, speaks with greater pitch modulation, and his facial expressions correlate very well with what he is saying. His one facial foible may be a tendency to furrow his brow, she says, conveying constant concern. This is similar to the UK prime minister Gordon Brown, whose expressions tend to be limited to sadness, anger and disgust, according to the Vox Institute's analysis. But Obama's fluency, high speech rate and good use of pitch make him a dynamic speaker.

This bodes well for Obama's wide appeal and ability to transcend racial prejudices and political boundaries. At the same time, in terms of actual "spin", Obama ranks much higher than McCain. This does not translate into "dishonesty", but rather, I believe, to be an indicator of rhetorical ability, where the politician "creates" an image. McCain is not adept at creating his image rhetorically, and relies instead on a set of images, such as the "maverick" image, made by others and accumulated over the years. He has a greater need for an enthusiastic, expressive surrogate. Preferably a woman. Enter Sarah Palin.

In general ... Obama's speeches contain considerably higher spin than either McCain or (Hillary) Clinton. For example, for their speeches accepting their party's nomination for president, Obama's speech scored a spin value of 6.7 - where 0 is the average level of spin within all the political speeches analysed, and positive values represent higher spin. In contrast, McCain's speech scored -7.58, while Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention scored 0.15. Skillicorn also found that Sarah Palin's speeches contain slightly more spin than average.

So the analysis appears to back up McCain's claim that he is a "straight talker". However, for the purposes of political speech-making this may not be an entirely good thing for him. "Obama uses spin in his speeches very well," says Skillicorn. For example, Obama's spin level skyrockets when facing problems in the press, such as when Jeremiah Wright, the reverend of his former church, made controversial comments to the press.

And in reality, people need leaders who can "spin" well without compromising basic principles. McCain lies as well as the next guy, but he doesn't spin well. That makes him an uninspiring candidate who doesn't create concern or motivate people on a large public scale. That in turn does not bode well for him as a leader in a nation where confidence alone can make or break an economy, support for a cause such as war or peace, or cooperation between parties. Both McCain and Bush share this inability to inspire, which inability has led, in the past eight GOP years, to a huge increase in conflicts and divisiveness both domestically and internationally.

Even though, Obama would do well to note that there's such a thing as "overspin", where he looks almost too "rhetorical" and generalizing, not connecting enough with people straight on. Then again, in tough times, which is what we have now, inspiration definitely trumps your classic monotone.

And as for the methods of determining that Obama's rhetorical skills are somehow indicative of dishonesty, while McCain's use of "I" as opposed to "we" is a "sign" of "straight talk", well, we have the facts that show otherwise. Or as a wise commenter on this article said:

...this article and the researchers it quotes seemingly tend to conflate rhetorical sophistication with dishonesty. But liars can be plain-spoken, too, and oratorical prowess doesn't necessarily signal deception.

According to my analysis, the studies referenced in this article merit a pseudo-science quotient of 7.582350146 on the Taural feces index. Computer science researchers should leave the study of political speech-making to rhetoricians.

So we'll take from these experts their observations about McCain's depressing style - a hard observation to dismiss, with all the overwhelming evidence we all can attest to - rather than their "conclusions" regarding "spin" vs. "straight talk".

Because it's overwhelmingly obvious who is talking the desperate lies under the guise of "straight-talk". And it's clear that a depression-talking pol needs a manic running mate. And in Sarah Palin, McCain has met his match. Depressing McCain whose expression is always the same, matched with Manic Palin, whose expression is also always the same, just more hyped-up and dramatized/energized. And they're on the same page when it comes to lies. Feed her the lies, she processes them quite predictably, in her own manic style. As for McCain, he has a special gift for hypocrisy and position-changing that will keep them both lying, Bush-style, all the way. Does this Manic-Depression thing mean we have, on the GOP side, Team Bipolar???

Well, gosh darn it...(wink)... YOU BETCHA! But it's a Bi-Polar Team of Mavericks!

Class Act: Obama Wins Debate

Polls show people believe Obama won. Pundits may cry it's a draw, but the facts say otherwise...

GOP Convention a Lie-Fest Unchallenged by Media

The Republican Party's "strategy" is blatant lying about the Other Party and its Candidate, having nothing of its own to offer except the failed "concepts" of giving tax breaks to the rich, euphemistically referred to as "business" - note: neither "small" nor "big" - and pouring what's left - the lifeblood of the middle class - into overseas military adventures that benefit a few war profiteers in the upper crust of Republicandom and spill the blood of countless people for whom they care, apparently, more about as places to drape flags when they die and can be "praised for their sacrifice" than their actual life-problems.

The lies about Obama are grotesque, obvious, and need to be attacked, because nobody in the media is apparently interested in truth enough to do it.

Lie #1, from Bush-speechwriter-mouthpiece Sarah Palin:

"There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or even a reform, not even in the state senate."

Oh yeah? What about this:

Here are three numbers every Obama supporter needs to know by heart:

820 and 427 and 152

820 is the number of 4laws Obama sponsored in the Illinois State Senate.
427 is the current count of the number of bills Obama has co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate.
152 is the most recent tally of the number of bills that Senator Obama has authored.
You can see his current legislative record here. Three of them, including S. 3558 ("A bill to provide for enhanced food-borne illness surveillance and food safety capacity") were moved upon just last week.

Actually, it's not hard to find bills by Obama that qualify both as major, and as reforms. As Andrew Sullivan points out:

...it seems extremely weird that she should believe that Obama's record is a total zero.

At her first press conference, why not ask her why she said that Obama has never passed a single reform, when he passed the 2007 Ethics Reform, described by many as the most sweeping package of its kind since Watergate. Of course, she doesn't know. She was given this speech. But she should be asked to respond to the question of why she said something patently untrue to the entire country.

As for Obama's community organizer experience, which Palin dismissed as being comparable to her stint as mayor of Wasilla, AK, check this out:

Governor Palin, Senator McCain and the whole RNC should be ashamed of themselves. They call themselves Christians and having high moral standards, but then they slam Senator Obama for not having executive experience when he was community organizing as the original Director of Developing Communities Project. For those of you who don't know what the project is, go here: Barack Obama not only grew the DCP from himself as the sole person to 13 total employees in his three years there, he also increased revenue from $70,000 annually to $400,000 annually. The area he served has well over 100,000 people. He did this all at the age of 22 while Governor Pailin was still a teenager.

The DCP is alive and well today with 32 employees and directors. It provides literacy assistance to the poor, anti-drug education to the young, and leadership training for young women as well as helping to empower the people of the South Side of Chicago to take control over their lives. Besides their children, has either Senator McCain or Governor Palin started something from scratch and built it into something independent of themselves. In three years from age 22 to 25 Senator Obama did something that most business leaders only dream of: created a self-sustaining entity, did it with the support of the community, for the benefit of all involved and that is alive and well after 23 years.

And say, did anyone mention the impressive feat of grassroots organizing that brought Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States? That alone shows leadership skills - the sort of skill needed in a democracy, not an autocracy - that makes John McCain, he of many "across the aisle" years, look inexperienced.

Speaking of which, how about this:

Go to http://thomas.loc.gov and "Browse Bills By Sponsors" in the middle of the page - from there, you can see the bills currently in congress sponsored by each member. In this tally, could you guess who has more bills sponsored - Obama or McSame?

The count is 129 - 38. Obama wins AGAIN!

NYT: Barack Obama Rocks the House & Off Come the Gloves

Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party presidential nomination on Thursday, declaring that the “American promise has been threatened” by eight years under President Bush and that John McCain represented a continuation of policies that undermined the nation’s economy and imperiled its standing around the world.

The speech by Senator Obama, in front of an audience of nearly 80,000 people on a warm night in a football stadium refashioned into a vast political stage for television viewers, left little doubt how he intended to press his campaign against Mr. McCain this fall.

In cutting language, and to cheers that echoed across the stadium, he linked Mr. McCain to what he described as the “failed presidency of George W. Bush” and — reflecting what has been a central theme of his campaign since he entered the race —“the broken politics in Washington.”

And just one little note, here's a memorable quote from Barack's speech:

But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives – on health care and education and the economy – Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made “great progress” under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors – the man who wrote his economic plan – was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a “mental recession,” and that we’ve become, and I quote, “a nation of whiners.”

Read more...

Obama's Got Math: Media, Face It...

This post from Jack & Jill Politics is so good, I'll just redirect you to it from the title.

Inspiration, Moving Mountains, & Barack Obama in Berlin

This is one of those moments that should lift the spirit. Not everyone is ready, or in the mood. But consider this: what US Presidential candidate in the last 40 years has inspired people, I mean inspired people around the world? What is more important, the ability to impress military commanders and people who fear foreigners or the ability to inspire cooperation and a sense of hope? Especially after being raked by fear and run by a gang that invades sovereign nations, tortures, and builds a gulag of prisons, secret and public. Here is more hope than "the man from Hope" ever brought.

Look Again: Obama Still on Higher Plane than We've Seen in a Long Time

Some excerpts from Obama's speech to the NAACP found on this great blog showcase Obama's eloquence, and his commitment to things that are normally not so high on the political/corporate agenda:

What Dr. King and Roy Wilkins understood is that it matters little if you have the right to sit at the front of the bus if you can’t afford the bus fare; it matters little if you have the right to sit at the lunch counter if you can’t afford the lunch. What they understood is that so long as Americans are denied the decent wages, and good benefits, and fair treatment they deserve, the dream for which so many gave so much will remain out of reach; that to live up to our founding promise of equality for all, we have to make sure that opportunity is open to all Americans.

That is what I’ve been fighting to do throughout my over 20 years in public service. That’s why I’ve fought in the Senate to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create good jobs here in America. That’s why I brought Democrats and Republicans together in Illinois to put $100 million in tax cuts into the pockets of hardworking families, to expand health care to 150,000 children and parents, and to end the outrage of black women making just 62 cents for every dollar that many of their male coworkers make.

And here’s what else we’ll do - we’ll make sure that every child in this country gets a world-class education from the day they’re born until the day they graduate from college. Now, I understand that Senator McCain is going to be coming here in a couple of days and talking about education, and I’m glad to hear it. But the fact is, what he’s offering amounts to little more than the same tired rhetoric about vouchers. Well, I believe we need to move beyond the same debate we’ve been having for the past 30 years when we haven’t gotten anything done. We need to fix and improve our public schools, not throw our hands up and walk away from them. We need to uphold the ideal of public education, but we also need reform.

That’s why I’ve introduced a comprehensive strategy to recruit an army of new qualified teachers to our communities - and to pay them more and give them more support. And we’ll invest in early childhood education programs so that our kids don’t begin the race of life behind the starting line and offer a $4,000 tax credit to make college affordable for anyone who wants to go. Because as the NAACP knows better than anyone, the fight for social justice and economic justice begins in the classroom.

Let's hope he remains committed, let's hope he achieves the Presidency and then is enabled to work on the issues he's claimed like health care and education, and taking money out of wars and into rebuilding the civilian structure so essential to life, and hope that his foreign policies will not be so militaristic and heavy-handed. Surely McCain has assured us he will provide typical Republican military-first, civilians-second leadership, and continue adventurism until we go bankrupt.

George McGovern backs Obama, Urges Clinto to Quit

From the Washington Post:

Former Sen. George McGovern, an early supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton, urged her to drop out of the Democratic presidential race and endorsed her rival, Barack Obama. After watching the returns from the North Carolina and Indiana primaries Tuesday night, McGovern said Wednesday it's virtually impossible for Clinton to win the nomination. The 1972 Democratic presidential nominee said he had a call in to former President Clinton to tell him of the decision, adding that he remains close friends with the Clintons.

He's not a superdelegate, but the 85-year-old former Presidential
nominee expresses the general consensus that it's time to put the bickering
behind and unite the Democratic Party.

Realism rules.