HILLARY CLINTON (D-PUNJAB)’S PERSONAL FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL TIES TO INDIA

[OhioChick]

The Clintons have reaped significant financial rewards from their relationship with the Indian community, both in their personal finances and Hillary’s campaign fundraising. Hillary Clinton, who is the co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, has drawn criticism from anti-offshoring groups for her vocal support of Indian businessand unwillingness to protect American jobs. Bill Clinton has invested tens of thousands of dollars in an Indian bill payment company, while Hillary Clinton has taken tens of thousands from companies that outsource jobs to India. Workers who have been laid off in upstate New York might not think that her recent joke that she could be elected to the Senate seat in Punjab is that funny.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
PERSONAL HOLDINGS
2006: Bill Clinton Invested Tens of Thousands In An Indian Bill Payment Company.

According to Hillary Clinton’s personal financial disclosure form, as part his ownership of WJC Investments, LP LLC, Bill Clinton held between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of stock in Easy Bill Limited, an Indian company. According to the company’s website, “Functioning as a one-stop bill payment shop, Easy Bill facilitates payment of utility bills as well as recharging of pre-paid mobile connections at a place the consumer is already familiar and comfortable with the neighbourhood store.” In addition to providing terminals throughout India where customers may pay their bills, the company also maintains a call center described as “a dedicated response centre for efficient customer service.” http://www.easybillindia.com/>

2006: Bill Clinton Collected $300,000 From Cisco In 2006.
Hillary’s personal financial disclosure forms indicate that Bill Clinton gave two speeches to Cisco Systems, each for $150,000 on 5/18/06 and 8/17/06.



CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING
Hillary Clinton Accepted Almost $60,000 In Contributions From Employees Of Cisco Systems, Which
Laid Off American Workers to Hire Indian “Techies.”

Clinton’s Presidential Exploratory Committee took $39,450 from Cisco employees during the first quarter of 2007. Cisco employees have also donated $18,900 to Clinton’s Senate committee between 1999 and 2006. Forbes reported, in a feature called “A Tale of Two Cities” that Cisco was laying off $60,000-a-year “techies,” while hiring new employees in Bangalore, India. “Cisco used only a few Infosys workers in Bangalore six years ago ; almost 300 contract staff, plus 550 full-fledged employees in its own Bangalore office.” In 2006, Newsweek reported that “for Cisco, India is the new frontier, where it’s investing $1.2 billion to build a gleaming R&D campus that will employ 3,000 people.”


Clinton Donor, Sant Singh Chatwal, Cited Clinton’s India Caucus Work Vowed To Raise $5 Million. In March 2007, the Economic Times wrote, “ has roped in New York-based hotelier Sant Chatwal as cochair of her recently formed presidential exploratory committee to run for the 2008 White House race. <…> He is also creating an organization called Indian Americans for Hillary 2008.” In April 2007, Mangalorean reported that Indian Americans for Hillary 2008 (IAFH) had already raised $1 million and “aimed to raise at least five million dollars.” A major fund raiser on June 24 hosted by Chatwal, the founder of IAFH; steel baron, Lakshmi Mittal, and businessman SP Hindujas, was expected to pull more than 1,000 guests. In June 2007, The New York Times reported that “two Indo-American receptions have a total of $450,000 in commitments.” In the picture (right), Sen. Clinton speaks at a reception hosted to push forward the US-India nuclear deal while Sant Singh Chatwal listens carefully.


Chatwal Owed The City Of New York More Than $2 Million In Back Taxes, Fled Prosecution For
Fraud But Was Arrested During Visit to India With Bill Clinton.

Sant Singh Chatwal, who raised more $200,000 for Sen. Clinton in 2000, owed New York City $2.4 million in back property taxes. In addition, during a visit to India with Bill Clinton, in May 2001, Chatwal was arrested by authorities there and charged with defrauding the New York City branch of the Bank of India out of $9 million he borrowed in 1994. He posted bail, then fled India, boarding a flight to Vienna despite an attempt by authorities to detain him. .



FDIC Charged Chatwal With Obtaining Improper Loans.

In a separate 1996 case, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. charged Chatwal with obtaining improper loans from the First New York Bank for Business, causing the bank to lose more than $25 million. Chatwal, who was a director of the bank, arranged more than $14 million in loans to himself and his businesses, often with no collateral, said the FDIC. He didn't repay the loans and the bank failed. 11/7/00]


CLINTON AND THE SENATE INDIA CAUCUS

Clinton Co-Founded The Senate India Caucus, A Project Of The U.S. India Political Action Committee.

In 2004, Clinton co-founded and became the co-chair of the Senate India Caucus which was coordinated by the U.S. India Political Action Committee (USINPAC). Roll Call reported, “The goals of the caucus, which already has 31 members, include increasing trade with India and improving security against global terrorism.” Sen. Clinton said, “It is imperative that the Unites States do everything possible to reach out to India. This Caucus is dedicated to expanding areas of agreement with India and engaging in a candid dialogue of differences.” photo at USINPAC website, accessed 4/17/07; Roll Call, 4/28/04; PR Newswire, 4/29/04]

CLINTON WINS “WEASEL AWARD” FOR COMMENTS ON INDIA

2005: Anti-Offshoring Advocacy Group Gave Sen. Clinton A “Weasel Award,” Citing Pro-Outsourcing
Comments Clinton Made In India.

The Press Trust of India wrote, “An American anti-offshoring advocacy group has awarded its first ‘Weasel Award of 2005’ to Democrat Senator Hillary Clinton for her recent remarks
supporting outsourcing. The Delaware-based IT Professionals Association of America (ITPAA) representing over 1,200 IT professionals nationwide, said on its Web site that it presented this award to business and political leaders that it believes ‘betray the trust of the American people.’ Scott Kirwin, founder of the organization claimed that people were ‘tired of Democrats pretending they care about the problems facing average Americans. Senator Clinton’s actions prove they clearly do not.’ The ITPAA based its award on press reports of Hilary Clinton supporting outsourcing and assuring political and business leaders in India that the US would not attempt to save the jobs lost. ‘Outsourcing will continue. There is no way to legislate against reality. We are not in favor of putting up fences.’ Hillary had said on Feb 28 in India, according to a report by the Asia Times. Kirwin also cited her position as co-chair of the ‘Friends of India Caucus’ in the Senate, a group of senators that supports issues important to India, including outsourcing and H-1B and L-1 visas, as another reason behind the ITPAA's decision to give the award to the prospective Democrat presidential nominee.”


2/05: On India Trip, Clinton Allayed India’s Fears That Outsourcing Would End. The India Review wrote, “Senator Clinton allayed apprehensions in India that there would be a bar on outsourcing. ‘There is no way to legislate against reality. Outsourcing will continue,” she said.

Sen. Clinton (D-Punjab) Joked That She Was Senator From The Punjab Region In India.

“At the fundraiser hosted by Dr Rajwant Singh at his Potomac, Maryland, home, and which raised nearly $50,000 for her re-election campaign, Clinton began by joking that, ‘'I can certainly run for the Senate seat in Punjab and win easily,’ after being introduced by Singh as the Senator not only from New York but also Punjab.”


CLINTON CLAIMS OUTSOURCING “WORKS BOTH WAYS…IT ACTUALLY BROUGHT JOBS TO BUFFALO.”

Clinton Says “Outsourcing Does Work Both Ways.”

Crain’s New York Business wrote, “Mrs. Clinton may be motivated by a desire to uphold the free trade legacy of the Clinton years. <…> In an appearance on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, she boasted about attracting 10 jobs to New York from India-based Tata Consulting. When Mr. Dobbs inquired if she had understood the degree to which Tata, which helps U.S. companies outsource, was stealing American jobs, Mrs. Clinton rejoined: ‘They’ve actually brought jobs to Buffalo. Outsourcing does work both ways.’”


In An Interview With Lou Dobbs, Senator Clinton Defended Her Support Of Tata Consulting, A
Company That Brought Ten Jobs To Native Buffalo Residents But Destroyed Thousands Of Jobs Over
The Years.

Lou Dobbs asked Clinton, “Senator, a number of people pointed out to us, e-mailing us and calling
us, saying, ask the senator about her helping Tata Consulting, a well-known outsourcer, open jobs -- and office in Buffalo, New York. I’m asking you, did you really understand the degree to which they were involved in outsourcing jobs when you were there?” Clinton replied, “Well, of course I know that they outsource jobs, that they’ve actually brought jobs to Buffalo. They’ve created 10 jobs in Buffalo and have told me and the Buffalo community that they intend to be a source of new jobs in the area, because, you know, outsourcing does work both ways.”


Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Is Famous For Pioneering The Business Practice Of Off-shoring.
The San Jose Mercury News wrote, “TCS, however, will go down in the annals of offshoring as the original hightech body shop. Starting in the early 1990s, TCS blanketed the American landscape with legions of itinerant software programmers from India. <…> Tata pioneered an industry that eventually evolved into the dynamo of offshoring, or sending work to cheap labor markets overseas. <…> Tata’s methods have not been popular among U.S. technology workers, however, who complain guest workers suppress local wages and offshoring takes good jobs overseas.”


Tata’s Buffalo, N.Y. Training Center Caters To The Needs Of The Company’s 8,000 Employees In The
United States, 80 Percent Of Whom Are Workers From India.

India Abroad wrote, “At the Chrysalis Center TCS will host new employees in month-long training sessions to make them aware of the company’s history and culture and to hone their core IT skills that will bridge existing knowledge with advanced skills necessary to work on innovative projects for customers.” The center will also cater to the training needs of the more than 8,000 TCS employees across the US, 80 percent of whom are from India, according to Buffalo News.



Gupta Said Democrats’ Stand On Outsourcing Was Poll-Year Rhetoric.

The Economic Times wrote, “Vinod ‘Vin’ Gupta <…> also believes that the Democratic Party’s stand on outsourcing is more poll year rhetoric than any serious economic policy statement. ‘We have to compete globally and US has to find the best product and services at the best cost. Tapping global resources will obviously make the US economy stronger,’ says Gupta whose own company InfoUSA outsources both technology support and database work to vendors in India. Gupta, who has helped Hillary Clinton and Al Gore in fund-raising efforts for their campaigns, is now involved in fund raising efforts for Senator Kerry.”



http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/memo1.pdf

[OhioChick]

1. More:

Subject: more on Hillary

To: H-1B/L-1/offshoring e-newsletter

Two articles enclosed here, both from the Indian press.

The first article chronicles Senator referral to her is as "Former First Lady" instead of "Senator"]
Clinton's appearance on the Lou Dobbs Show on CNN a few weeks ago. The
author feels that Dobbs "ambushed" Clinton. Unfortunately, the article
does not provide the context for this.

Many of you will recall what happened. Clinton was going on and on,
saying how awful offshoring is, and especially saying how awful Bush is
for allowing it. But then Dobbs pointed out that Clinton herself was
very closely allied with Tata Consultancy Services, an Indian offshoring
giant. Clinton looked obviously startled and nervous, and then agreed
that TCS is indeed an offshoring giant.

Clinton tried to justify herself by pointing out that Tata had created
10 jobs in Buffalo, NY after Clinton had helped Tata established itself
there. Gee, 10 whole jobs! Remember, TCS has thousands of H-1Bs and
L-1s in the U.S. But even if that number 10 does grow, the key point is
that those jobs won't be filled by Americans. Tata has admitted that
most of the jobs it opens in the U.S. are filled with Indians. (See
http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/Archive/Tata.txt)

The second article is about a Friends of India organization recently
formed in the U.S. Senate. No surprisingly, Sen. Clinton is co-chair of
the body.

As can be seen here, the Indian-American physicians are among the real
activists here. This puts the 60 Minutes puff piece on the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) in interesting context. If you recall,
there was Brand IIT public relations campaign being conducted at the
time. According to the producer of the 60 Minutes piece, the piece had
been suggested to 60 Minutes by "an Indian doctor."

This part is interesting:

At a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, House lawmakers grilled
administration officials over granting Pakistan a ''major non-NATO
ally'' status despite the ongoing probe into the country's
involvement in nuclear proliferation.

''Do you think that the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO
ally should wait until we've made that determination?'' Democrat
legislator Gary Ackerman asked sharply.

On the surface, it's nice to hear the Rep. Ackerman is concerned about
nuclear proliferation. But the article here raises the possibility that
his "sharp" tone is more a product of Indian-American campaign
contributions than anything else.

I don't condemn the Indian-American activism. This is the American way,
and more power to them. But it is important to understand the dynamics
of the politics of the offshoring issue. And I would point out that
these activists do not necessarily represent the points of view of the
Indian-American population at large. A whole lot of Indian-Americans
are being hurt by H-1B and outsourcing.

Norm

Hillary Clinton stands up for Tatas, outsourcing
CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK, FRIDAY, MARCH 05, 2004

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/538674.cms

WASHINGTON: Former First Lady Hillary Clinton on Wednesday defended the
general principles of free trade and outsourcing, while rejecting
suggestions that she was allowing Indian info-tech major Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS) to take away jobs from the state that elected her to the
Senate.

The New York Senator was ambushed by CNN's Lou Dobbs on his show, a daily
outlet for anti-free trade rants, with questions about a TCS center she
opened last year in Buffalo in upstate New York despite the company's
reputation as an 'outsourcer.'

"Of course, I know they outsource," Clinton retorted. "But they have also
brought jobs and they intend to be a source of new jobs in the state."

Outsourcing works both ways, she told Dobbs and his constituency of
anti-free traders who tried to corner her on the issue. While not minimizing
the problems of job flight, she said free trade also provided opportunities
for the US to attract jobs from around the world if they got the domestic
diagnosis right.

The administration and the Congress needed to figure out changes in tax
codes and trade laws to provide incentives for companies to keep jobs at
home and create new jobs instead of blindly striking out against
outsourcing.

"We are not against all outsourcing; we are not in favour of putting up
fences," Clinton said firmly, adding that Americans were capable of
competing against anyone if they summoned the will.

TCS opened a 10-person center in Buffalo last March at the prompting of the
former First Lady and local officials eager to generate local employment.
The company also collaborates closely with the University of Buffalo on
various projects aimed at galvanising the local sci-tech economy.

But anti-outsourcing elements have targeted the office, arguing that TCS
will simply outsource the jobs to India or bring in Indian hands to Buffalo
to do the work.

They have also attacked Clinton for inviting TCS, and in some instances
accused her of working with what one anti-outsourcing website described as
the 'enemy.'

But the New York Senator dismissed the fears on Wednesday, and instead
offered various prescriptions aimed at creating more jobs at home, including
creating a 'Manufacturing Research Agency.'

Her proposals, amid a slew of other prescriptions and legislations by other
lawmakers, prompted speculation that she was moving center-stage with an eye
on the vice-presidential ticket alongside John Kerry. But the former First
Lady laughed away the suggestion saying she was happy with her work as a
Senator.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/593175.cms

Senators form 'Friends of India'
CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK< WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2004 08:30:48 PM >


WASHINGTON: A new bipartisan group called 'Friends of India' has been
formed in the US Senate on the lines of the decade-old Congressional
Caucus of India and Indian-Americans in the House of Representatives.

About 20 Senators have signed up for the new caucus, the first
country-specific body in the Senate. It will be led by Texas Senator
John Cornyn and co-chaired by New York's Hillary Clinton.

Senate Majority Leader and Tennessee Republican Bill Frist and Minority
Leader and South Dakota Democrat Thomas Daschle will also be members of
the group, Cornyn said at a Capitol Hill Gala Dinner hosted by the
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) on Tuesday
night.

The Senate caucus addresses the long-standing feeling among community
activists that while India lobbied effectively on the House side, it
lacked punch in the Senate, where lawmakers have often been uncaring or
unapprised about India's concerns. The India Caucus in the House has
nearly 150 members.

Indian community activists worked to push for the Senate Caucus at a
time when the Bush administration is seen as having gone totally
overboard in its support and promotion of the military dictatorship of
Pakistan. There is also concern in the community over the unexpected
backlash against India over the issue of outsourcing.

At a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, House lawmakers grilled
administration officials over granting Pakistan a ''major non-NATO
ally'' status despite the ongoing probe into the country's involvement
in nuclear proliferation.

''Do you think that the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally
should wait until we've made that determination?'' Democrat legislator
Gary Ackerman asked sharply.

But US officials, who have been giving an almost daily serial
certification of Pakistan's good behavior on terrorism and proliferation
issues in the face of searching questions from many quarters, contended
that the granting of the status was based on ''other factors'' - an
oblique reference to Islamabad's help in hunting for al Al Qaeda
elements.

However, there is apprehension among Indian activists that their efforts
on the Hill will amount to little if the administration itself continues
to bat for Pakistan in the manner it has done so far. At the AAPI event,
everyone made the right noises even though the Bush administration's
actions over the past few weeks have frayed Indo-US ties significantly.

Cornyn, who is a freshman senator, said he undertook the job of creating
an India Caucus in the US Senate because of the importance of US-India
relations and the incredible experiences he had on a recent visit to
India. Harking back to the worn out recollection of poor Indo-US ties
during the Cold War, Cornyn said ''We have to make up for lost time.''

But Indian officials say privately that while the two countries did make
up for lost time in the recent years, Washington had lost the plot yet
again.


http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/Archive/Hillary5.txt

[ChromeFoundry]

3. Funny

how the FACTUAL posts get no responses. Wonder why?

[Stephanie]

2. All this info was ignored because Hillary the Victim balked at (D) Punjab

So the media conveniently ignored the substance of the material.

[KittyWampus]

14. and yet apparently she used that joke herself.

[bigtree]

18. funny how those ethnic slurs turn folks off

. . . and make them doubt the sincerity of a candidate who's running on 'unity' and a break from 'politics as usual'

[OhioChick]

19. What "slurs?"

Do tell.

[KittyWampus]

24. Slurs? It turns out your girl used the epithet herself. Is that the slur you're talking about?

[NashVegas]

27. (D) Punjab - That's When Obama Was Going Negative, Wasn't It

Several weeks, months even, before Hillary did.

I don't mind you're doing it now, just don't sit there and try to claim the high ground, dearies.

[OhioChick]

29. HRC said it first....

Read above: "Sen. Clinton (D-Punjab) Joked That She Was Senator From The Punjab Region In India."

[NashVegas]

70. Nonetheless, It Was Used As a Negative Attack From the Obama Campaign, Wasn't It?

IIRC.

[antigop]

4. She was co-founder of the Senate India caucus -- along with JOHN CORNYN

Yes, THAT, John Cornyn.

'nuff said.


Thanks, Ohiochick.

[OhioChick]

5. Amazing How No One Wants to Hear

About These Issues, Isn't it? Wonder why.....because they're FACTUAL?

[antigop]

6. Yes, amazing, isn't it? n/t

[AtomicKitten]

7. This is a real slap in the face to the blue collar lower income workers that support her.

Her switcheroo NAFTA/Canada dirty trick was just awful. And as far as I can tell, only Keith Olbermann covered it in any depth. She is a corporatist trying to pass herself off as a populist.
She's well on her way to earning a pink tu-tu.

edited for K&R :)

[OhioChick]

9. Keith's repeat show is on here in 1/2 hour....

I heard it was very good. Can't wait to watch to hear the truth. :)

[AtomicKitten]

10. It's pretty breathtaking, really.

People are really starting to get pissed off.

:hi:

[OhioChick]

11. Why?

Keith was always a god of sorts for years to members on this forum. I assume that now "some" hate him because he spoke the truth and it was not well taken?

:hi:

[AtomicKitten]

It was the unvarnished truth and we aren't used to seeing that sh*t up close.

Keith Olbermann appears to be an actual journalist. :)

[OhioChick]

16. I've Always Liked Keith....

Even if he said something negative about my candidate. I am not a fair-weather admirer of Keith.

Have to go....Keith's on in less than 10 minutes! :)

[OhioChick]

17. Keith Rocked Last Night!

I heard that tonight's show is supposed to be just as good, too. Nothing like true journalism that is based on fact! :patriot:

[zulchzulu]

8. Gee, I wonder why the Clintons won't release their records?

:shrug:

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

12. Those two have been busy these last few years...experience counts I reckon

[Skwmom]

13. Nothing like selling out the middle class worker. But don't worry the Clintons feel

your pain.

[OhioChick]

15. I'm Sure They Do...

:sarcasm:

[MyNameGoesHere]

20. Hmm would this be acceptable Obama (D Indonesia) ?

Just saying.

[Vinca]

22. Thank you for continuing the Fox News terrorist slur. nt

[MyNameGoesHere]

32. No worse than OP saying HRC was bought by India. Fairs fair. I never mentioned terror. So no cigar

for you.

[OhioChick]

35. The "OP" didn't "say it."

The article was supplied with FACTS. Read and research them.

[MyNameGoesHere]

42. Oh let me get right on that ............ nah n/t

[OhioChick]

47. Don't Want to Research for the Truth...I See.

Explains a lot.

[MyNameGoesHere]

50. Maybe i did and i reject your reality? n/t

[OhioChick]

51. Oh, Please Do Share......

Links Please, so We Can Decide for Ourselves.

[MyNameGoesHere]

52. I grow tired of tit for tat. Go vote for Obama (D-Indonesia) and

I will vote for HRC (D-Punjab) See there ya go.

Hmm now i want to watch a Bollywood movie see what you did?

[OhioChick]

53. Can't Supply Facts....

Color me Surprised.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[redqueen]

60. Did you ever get around to this post?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4935982&mesg_id=4947108

If it's a smear, it came from HRC herself, so please direct your outrage accordingly.

[OhioChick]

65. From Hillary's Mouth to Your Ears....

"Sen. Clinton (D-Punjab) Joked That She Was Senator From The Punjab Region In India."

I guess Hillary either smeared herself.....or made a factual remark. Your call.

Discussion Forum Rules

4. Content: Do not post messages that are inflammatory, extreme, divisive, incoherent, or otherwise inappropriate. Do not engage in anti-social, disruptive, or trolling behavior. Do not post broad-brush, bigoted statements.

Still waiting for those links.......

[ChromeFoundry]

55. Waiting for those links...

I like reading factual information. I'm glad you found some and are willing to share.

[MyNameGoesHere]

73. What links am i supposed to get for your lazy ass?

Your computer broke of something? I don't need links, like you my mind is made up. You aren't going to change it even with the D-Punjab slime. So take your Obama (D-Indonesia or Kenya) and roll it up and smoke it.

[OhioChick]

74. .....

"Your computer broke of something?"

No, My Computer is Not Broke OF Something.

:rofl:

BTW.....I don't have a lazy ass. I provided factual links and you said that you read material that suggested otherwise. I politely asked you to please supply them.

[MyNameGoesHere]

87. Yes the links were somewhat factual. And very much

no big deal. What pisses me off is your D Punjab racist comment. So right back at you. Your candidate has personal ties to Indonesia and Kenya so go vote for Obama (D-Indonesia/Kenya)

[OhioChick]

90. I'm Glad You Finally Admitted the Factual Article.

Quote: "What pisses me off is your D Punjab racist comment."

If you read this entire thread, you will see that I never made any such comment.

The Comment You Mention was Made by Hillary, Herself.

Read the Article Again. From Hillary's Lips to Your Ears:

“At the fundraiser hosted by Dr Rajwant Singh at his Potomac, Maryland, home, and which raised nearly $50,000 for her re-election campaign, Clinton began by joking that, ‘'I can certainly run for the Senate seat in Punjab and win easily,’ after being introduced by Singh as the Senator not only from New York but also Punjab.”

Now Where Exactly Did You Read That "I" Made That Comment?

[Binka]

56. As A Clinton Supporter I'd Be Careful With The Cigar Comments If I Were You

[Ino]

45. Obama never said...

"I'm delighted to be the Senator from Indonesia as well as Illlinois," did he? Hmmm?

Just saying.

http://www.sikhcouncilusa.org/article.aspx?article=evtdinner
Washington May 18th - “I am delighted to be the Senator from Punjab as well as from New York” said Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and the former first lady of the United States of America.

[MyNameGoesHere]

88. read the OP again and

get back to me. If Clinton is D-Punjab then Obama is D-Indonesia/Kenya

[Josiah1982]

49. yes that would be acceptable here on DU the way this place seems to sling stuff

but the obama camp thinks their insults are fair and insults against him are not.:shrug:

[redqueen]

62. HRC came up with the term... so as soon as Obama says such things about himself...

sure, it'd be quite fair.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4935982&mesg_id=4947108

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. I Am Very Sad

I am very sad that you want to cast dispersions on my Indian brother and sisters...

Other than that I will not dignify your calumny with a response...

[OhioChick]

23. "Other than that I will not dignify your calumny with a response..."

Then why did you?

I'm posting factual information. It can be found anywhere.

[ChromeFoundry]

25. Playing the race card again, I see. n/t

[catgirl]

26. Race card? LOL

This is about Hillary's disregard for american workers, then lying to them by
claiming she will fight for them.

[ChromeFoundry]

30. I agree with you....

I was referring to posts #21 & #28.
The race card is usually pulled when some don't agree/like the facts.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

28. Race Card

I'm not the one who targeted our Indian brothers and sister for opprobrium and censure...Look into your own conscience...

And the "race card" is a right wing constuction to censure any minority who has the temerity to assert his or her rights...

[OhioChick]

31. Look into My Conscience? Look into Yours....

I am looking out for ALL of my brothers and sisters losing their jobs to overseas slave labor competition. The problem does NOT lie with the citizens of India, China, etc., but with US corporations and "those" who support them. Do you NOT care about the jobless and poor here in the US....as well as those allowing this to happen?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. I Care About Anybody That's Hurting

A person's suffering isn't any less important to them or me if it's my next door neighbor or my world neighbor in the slums of Calcutta...

[OhioChick]

36. Then We Likely Agree....

Go After the Corporations that are Causing the Suffering of the People, as Well as Those Who are Supporting the Corporations. No One Anywhere Should Suffer for CEO's and Politicians to Line Their Pockets.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. I Don't Have The Answer To Outsourcing

If one was going to be a purist on globalization and such issues he or she would probably vote for Nader...I don't think you or I want to go there...

[OhioChick]

38. Do You Agree With Post # 36?

It's Regarding Humanitarianism/Ethics. If So, There is no Need to Continue This Conversation.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

39. I Agree With Post Thirty Six

What I see on this board is a disturbing habit of calling out Senator Clinton for playing the games that all politicians plays...It's a form of selective political prosecution...

[redqueen]

63. Did you see this part?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4935982&mesg_id=4947108

[SoCalDem]

34. Uh oh.. is she a Hindu?? she "says" she's not...but.. see for yourself

[antigop]

40. EVERYONE, WATCH THESE VIDEOS ON HRC AND SEND THEM TO EVERYONE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLBSLLIhUs
Hillary pushes for more h1-b visas and outsourcing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLNOSGM2jK4
Lou Dobbs: Hillary Clinton's hypocrisy (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgdrh2Bc95M
Lou Dobbs: Hillary Clinton's hypocrisy (part 2)

[stillcool]

85. wow...money, money, money...

don't like 'out-source'?..Okay..we'll 'in-source'!

[Dems Will Win]

41. I wish I could give this a 1000 recs!

[goodhue]

43. I'm an Obama supporter, but this stale hatemongering against South Asians really pisses me off

Please don't!
Obama already had to apologize for this about six months ago, it does no good to revisit.

[stillcool]

44. Perhaps you could help me?

I've scanned through the OP and I see nothing about hate-mongering against South Asians. Can you explain what it is I missed, or are you referring to something that is not posted?

Clintons' InfoUSA Ties Scrutinized
by Peter Overby

Last year, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton took the unusual step of renting out some of her lists. The transaction once again highlights the Clintons' connections to a businessman who now faces questions from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Reports from Clinton's campaign show that on Dec. 3, it collected payment for renting out three mailing lists, the sale of which netted them $8,225.

It was an unusual transaction, according to Roger Craver, a liberal guru of the political direct-mail industry.
----------------------------------------
According to one direct-mail professional, $800,000 would have seemed like a more plausible price for a quality list...

Vin Gupta has a long history of giving and raising campaign money for the Clintons, and gave $1 million for the 2000 Millennium Celebration, a New Year's Party thrown by the Clintons.
------
After the Clintons left the White House, Gupta hired Bill Clinton as a consultant. It's one of two continuing business relationships he has had since leaving office, and it has been worth $3.3 million, in addition to the options on 100,000 shares of stock.
--------------------------------
The corporate spending on behalf of the Clintons helped fuel a shareholder lawsuit against Gupta and 10 corporate directors.

There are plenty of other allegations in the suit about homes, cars, and a yacht for Gupta. A Delaware chancery court judge dismissed some of the allegations involving the Clintons. But the case is still proceeding. It has led to an informal inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is also asking if Gupta misspent corporate funds.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18958566

Clinton Global Initiative
ORGANIZATION
Founded 2005, "a non-partisan catalyst for action, bringing together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges."

Official Website:
http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org /

Susan E. Arnold Global Business President, Proctor & Gamble
Richard Branson Founder of Virgin chain
Laura Bush First Lady under George W. Bush
Bill Clinton 42nd US President, 1993-2001
Edward Djerejian US Ambassador to Israel, 1994
Vin Gupta CEO, InfoUSA
Norman Hsu Notorious Democratic donor
Julian H. Robertson, Jr. Tiger Management
Hector Ruiz Chairman and CEO, AMD
http://www.nndb.com/org/780/000119423 /

[OhioChick]

46. "I see nothing about hate-mongering against South Asians"

Thank You. :)

[stillcool]

84. It boggles the mind...

I'm not sure what the goal is anymore. It has nothing to do with 'we the people' and everything to do with winning an election by any means possible. And that, is what matters. No wonder why we are so fucked.

[goodhue]

57. I'm sorry you miss the inherent hate; nonetheless Obama apologized for this on June 18, 2007

Senator Obama Responds to the Indian American Community

Monday, June 18, 2007

On Monday, June 18, Senator Barack Obama issued the following statement in response to the concerns expressed by the Indian American community regarding the Hillary Clinton opposition research memo. Senator Obama personally requested that we distribute this letter to the entire SAFO community:

I wanted to respond personally to the concerns you expressed regarding the recent research memo that our campaign put into circulation.

I believe that your concerns with the memo are justified. To begin with, the memo did not reflect my own views on the importance of America’s relationship with India. I have long believed that the best way to promote U.S. economic growth and opportunity for American workers is to continually improve the skills of our own workforce and invest in our own scientific research, technological capacity and infrastructure, rather than to try to insulate ourselves from the global economy.

More importantly, the memo’s caustic tone, and its focus on contributions by Indian-Americans to the Clinton campaign, was potentially hurtful, and as such, unacceptable. The memo also ignored my own long-standing relationship to – and support from – the Indian-American community.

In sum, our campaign made a mistake. Although I was not aware of the contents of the memo prior to its distribution, I consider the entire campaign – and in particular myself – responsible for the mistake. We have taken appropriate action to prevent errors like this from happening in the future.

Please feel free to share this letter with other members of your organization or leaders in the Indian-American community. I look forward to our continued friendship and exchange of ideas – during the course of this campaign, and beyond.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

http://www.safo2008.com/news_view.aspx?ArticleID=15

[stillcool]

82. Yup....I wish you would have posted

research memo. I seem to recall it, but I guess there has been so much inherent hate to deal with since then........A little closer to home (for some of us)..check this out:

December 10, 2007
Third Clinton Volunteer Knew Of Smear E-Mail

A third volunteer for Hillary Clinton's campaign was aware of a propaganda e-mail alleging that Barack Obama is a Muslim who plans on "destroying the U.S. from the inside out."

"Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential Candidacy," the email reads. "Please forward to everyone you know. The Muslims have said they Plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out, what better way to start than at The highest level."

Two Clinton volunteers, Linda Olson and Judy Rose, have already been asked to resign from the campaign for their roles in forwarding the e-mail. The AP reported yesterday that Olson, a volunteer coordinator in Iowa County, sent a version of the e-mail to people, including Ben Young, a regional field director for Chris Dodd's campaign. Young passed it on to the AP.
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/12/third_clinton_v.html

Kerrey Apologizes to Obama Over Remark
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4031436
Kerrey's mention of Obama's middle name and his Muslim roots raised eyebrows because they are also used as part of a smear campaign on the Internet that falsely suggests Obama is a Muslim who wants to bring jihad to the United States.

Obama is a Christian.

The Clinton campaign has already fired two volunteer county coordinators in Iowa for forwarding hoax e-mails with the debunked claim. Last week, a national Clinton campaign co-chairman resigned for raising questions about whether Obama's teenage drug use could be used against him, so Kerrey's comments raised questions about whether the Clinton campaign might be using another high-profile surrogate to smear Obama.

Hillary: Sorry for Any Offense Campaign (Bill) Has Caused
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB65wJ6Rcfs

Bill Clinton Asks for a Second Chance
By Liz Halloran
Posted February 11, 2008

The morning after his wife, Hillary, was routed in three state contests by Sen. Barack Obama in their dead-heat battle for the Democratic nomination, former President Bill Clinton made his case for her before a packed Sunday service at one of the largest black churches in Washington, D.C.
But first he offered an apology of sorts for racially tinged comments he made about Obama and his candidacy that have triggered a backlash in the black community and among many other Democrats.

Clinton invoked his "worship of a God of second chances" in pronouncing himself glad to be at the Temple of Praise, which claims nearly 15,000 members. His invocation of second chances echoed comments he made early last week at black churches in California, where he campaigned for his wife before that state's Super Tuesday primary, which she won.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/02/11/bill-clinton-asks-for-a-second-chance.html

Bill Clinton To Apologize At LA Black Churches
Once again, Bill Clinton is ready to repent.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/02/bill-clinton-to-apologize_n_84573.html
On Sunday the former president is scheduled to visit black churches in South Central Los Angeles, where he's expected to offer a mea culpa to those who "dearly loved him" when he was their president, Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) says.

Watson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), tells us she'll usher the former president to more than half a dozen churches in her district where she says he needs to "renew his relationship" with congregants who were turned off by his racially tinged comments in the days leading up to and following the South Carolina primary. (Such as when Clinton compared Sen. Barack Obama's landslide victory to Jesse Jackson's wins in 1984 and 1988.)

http://graphics.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20080112_nevada_lawsuit.pdf
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/a-feisty-bill-clinton-defends-nevada-lawsuit/
CLINTON ALLIES SUPPRESS THE VOTE IN NEVADA...
On Meet the Press on Sunday, Hillary Clinton said her campaign had nothing to do with a lawsuit--written about by Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel--that threatens to prevent thousands of workers from voting in the Nevada caucus on Saturday.
Back in March, the Nevada Democratic Party agreed to set up caucus locations on the Vegas strip for low-income shift workers, many of them members of the state's influential Culinary Union, who commute long distances to work and wouldn't be able to get home in time to caucus. It was an uncontroversial idea until the Culinary Union endorsed Barack Obama and the Nevada State Education Association, whose top officials support Clinton, sued to shut down the caucus sites.
The Clinton camp played dumb until yesterday, when President Clinton came out in favor of the lawsuit.
Clinton's comments drew a heated response from D. Taylor, the head of Nevada's Culinary Union, on MSNBC's Hardball. "He is in support of disenfranchising thousands upon thousands of workers, not even just our members," Taylor said of Clinton. "The teachers union is just being used here. We understand that This is the Clinton campaign. They tried to disenfranchise students in Iowa. Now they're trying to disenfranchise people here in Nevada, who are union members and people of color and women."
Rank-and-file members of Nevada's teachers union also come out against the lawsuit filed by their leadership. "We never thought our union and Senator Clinton would put politics ahead of what's right for our students, but that's exactly what they're doing," the letter stated. "As teachers, and proud Democrats, we hope they will drop this undemocratic lawsuit and help all Nevadans caucus, no matter which candidate they support."
The lawsuit's opponents make a persuasive point. Creating obstacles to voting is what the GOP does to Democrats, not what Democrats should be doing to other Democrats.

Clinton adviser steps down after drug use comments
Earlier Thursday, Clinton personally apologized to rival Obama for Shaheen's remarks.
Obama accepted her apology, according to David Axelrod, the top political strategist for the Obama campaign.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/13/clinton.obama/index.html

January 6, 2008, 5:18 pm
Edwards: No Conscience in Clinton Campaign
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/edwards-no-conscience-in-clinton-campaign/
By Julie Bosman
KEENE, N.H. – John Edwards angrily took on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton at two news conferences in a row on Sunday, saying that her campaign “doesn’t seem to have a conscience.”

COMPTON, Calif. (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton and her campaign tried to mend ties to black voters Thursday when a key supporter apologized to her chief rival, Barack Obama, for comments that hinted at Obama's drug use as a teenager. The candidate herself, meanwhile, praised the Rev. Martin Luther King and promised to assist with the rebirth of this troubled, largely black city.

Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, apologized for comments he made at a Clinton campaign rally in South Carolina on Sunday that hinted at Obama's use of drugs as a teenager.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-01-17-johnson-apology_N.htm?csp=34

Clinton Surrogate Compares Obama Ad to Nazi March
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080201/cm_thenation/45278988_1
Fri Feb 1, 2:23 PM ET

The Nation -- On a media conference call organized by the Hillary Clinton campaign today, Clinton surrogate Len Nichols compared an Obama health care ad to Nazis.
----------

Accusing political opponents of Nazism is an outrageous smear. Raising the specter of a Nazi march in response to a health care mailer that evokes the insurance industry is so absurd, it would be hard to take the attack seriously, were it not launched from a high profile national campaign conference call in this crucial stretch of the presidential race. And political observers know, of course, that the Clinton Campaign regularly arranges opportunities for surrogates to launch these kind of smears, which are later followed up with apologies. (See: Bob Johnson, Bill Shaheen, Bob Kerrey, and Francine Torge, to name the most recent offenders.) For his part, Nichols did not immediately return a call requesting further comment.
-------------------------
Len Nichols, Director of New America's Health Policy Program, stated, "For nearly 17 years I have worked tirelessly to reform our nation's struggling health system. Today my passion overwhelmed me. I chose an analogy that was wholly inappropriate. I am deeply sorry for any offense that my unfortunate comments may have caused.

[OhioChick]

83. Wow....Thanks for Posting.

What a Wealth of Information, I'll be Busy the Rest of the Evening. :)

[rinsd]

59. Maybe you missed that the OP only posts outsourcing articles focusing on India.

As if India were the only country getting outsourcing contracts.

OP seems to think that playing on racist tendencies will get outsourcing more attention.

[OhioChick]

48. "hatemongering against South Asians"

I Did No Such Thing. Just Posted Facts.

[rinsd]

61. BS. every single post you do on outsourcing has a near exclusive India focus.

I think it would be ironic if your job were ulitmately outsourced to Ireland.

[OhioChick]

72. "every single post you do on outsourcing has a near exclusive India focus"

Here is Your Answer:

India is the Top Outsourcing Destination for US Corporations.

Try to Comprehend This:

India is the #1 Outsourcing destination for US Corporations. Google is Your Friend.


N. Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state, a top outsourcing destination for US corporations, recently met a group of visiting US congressmen in Hyderabad and urged them to defeat anti-outsourcing regulations.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/23/1077384668937.html?from=storyrhs

[goodhue]

71. Your original post is the memo that Obama disavowed and apologized for last June

Posting it now is entirelly unhelpful to the Obama campaign, and tends to turn off folks with ties to the Indian American community.

http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/004510.html

June 15, 2007
Obama Just Got Less "Brown" Friendly

News
UPDATE: Obama has now distanced himself from this memo. See Anna’s post from 6/18/07 for more details

Today’s New York Times has a story (thanks, anonymous tipster) about the Clintons’ recent financial disclosures, and their decision to liquidate all their stock holdings. Fine; makes sense.

But what’s really remarkable about this story is the questionable anonymous memo issued by the Obama campaign in response to the Clinton disclosures. The memo amounts attempts to smear Clinton as being too friendly to India, and is laced with xenophobic sentiments and insinuations.It starts with the title of the memo itself: “HILLARY CLINTON (D-PUNJAB)’S PERSONAL FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL TIES TO INDIA.”

And it goes downhill from there. Obama’s campaign memo (read the whole thing) accuses the Clintons of a number of things:

They start out by stating that the Clintons own stock in an Indian company called “Easy Bill,” which is actually just a company that allows Indians to automate their bill payments. This is not a BPO type company, but a service for Indians within India, so one wonders why is this even included.

They then go after the Clintons for accepting speaking fees from Cisco (this is Bill) and campaign donations from Cisco employees (Hillary). Cisco may be more guilty than many software companies of dumping its U.S. based workforce in favor of cheaper Indian engineers in the early 2000s, but it’s nevertheless the case that U.S. high tech job market is in pretty good shape again overall — outsourcing hasn’t created the apocalypse that was feared. So this accusation is a little bit strange: I doubt that many Americans outside of Silicon Valley actively think of Cisco as an evil outsourcer.

They find fault with Clinton’s relationship with the hotel tycoon Sant Singh Chatwal, whose family has been discussed many times here at SM. Chatwal has organized two big fundraisers for her, netting a total of $1 million in donations. Chatwal also started “Indian Americans for Hillary 2008,” which ought not to be an issue (doesn’t Obama have South Asians for Obama hosted on his campaign website?). The Obama campaign’s memo underlines Chatwal’s various legal difficulties, general financial shadiness, and pending court cases, to make it all look like some kind of shady back-room deal. This accusation seems strange to me, since the fundraisers are completely legit, even if Chatwal himself is in trouble.

Finally, they quote Lou “Keep Em Out” Dobbs several times, as he mocked Hillary in 2004 for saying that “outsourcing cuts both ways” (as in, it creates some American jobs as well as sending others overseas). In fact, though her particular example of “10 new jobs in Buffalo” was a bit weak, Hillary was right about this: companies like TCS are opening up a number of U.S. offices, and more generally, the greater efficiency enabled by BPO helps keep American companies competitive on a global scale, and has, in my view, actually helped the U.S. economy. (All of Hillary’s quotes about “outsourcing cutting both ways” are from the 2004 campaign season, incidentally.)

So now the question is, how aware was Obama himself of the contents of this “anonymous” memo? If Obama doesn’t distance himself from the memo immediately, this macaca is going to be sending his moolah to “Hillary Clinton, D-Punjab.”

UPDATE: Obama has now distanced himself from this memo. See Anna’s post from 6/18

[stillcool]

86. Money makes the world go round...

I had no idea the Clinton's were that heavily invested and indebted personally, with both out-sourcing, and in-sourcing through it's ties to India. I should not be surprised, as it really is what our government and it's officials is all about. Quite standard fare.

[Name removed]

58. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dems Will Win]

66. Don;t worry, we'll be moving on to her support of the WTO and Permanent Trade Approval for China

Then you'll be happy...

[rinsd]

67. The problem is not you but the OP.

You've been consistent on all facets of trade.

OP only posts anti-India BS.

[OhioChick]

69. Once Again:

As I Have Continuously Repeated to You in Another Thread: (Obviously to No Avail)

Try to Comprehend This:

India is the #1 Outsourcing destination for US Corporations. Google is Your Friend.


N. Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state, a top outsourcing destination for US corporations, recently met a group of visiting US congressmen in Hyderabad and urged them to defeat anti-outsourcing regulations.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/23/1077384668937.html?from=storyrhs

From:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3200346#3201290

Read Over the Other Posts Directed at You. You Always Seem to be a "Hit and Run" with Other Members.

[ChromeFoundry]

77. Maybe you are the problem

The OP posts news articles that relate to her area of interest. Since you have no factual content/links posted to support your claims of the OP is being a racist, all of your posts are just personal targeted BS. If you feel so strongly about how great outsourcing is for this country, then make your point and back it up... the OP has!

[rinsd]

79. Sorry I don't talk to lampchops.

[ChromeFoundry]

80. fine by me...

I don't usually like to waste too much of my time trying to teach a chimp to read.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OhioChick]

76. I Said Nothing "Racist Against Indians."

I merely posted a factual article.

If you have something to add regarding the article, that's great.
No need to resort to naive name-calling.

[ChromeFoundry]

78. hey-stop wasting space

there is nothing racist about posting articles.

[goodhue]

68. Obama Op-Ed on Indo-US relations . . .

http://www.safo2008.com/Media/India_Abroad_Op-Ed_Feb_29_2008.pdf

[goodhue]

75. Exclusive: Obama: We screwed up

Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC | June 19, 2007 05:22 IST

United States Senator Barack Obama told rediff.com in an exclusive interview that the controversial document his campaign circulated last week, attacking his Democratic rival Senator Hillary Clinton's Indian links, "was not a memo that reflected my views or my attitudes, and didn't reflect my long-standing friendship with the Indian-American community."

The document attacked Clinton's record on outsourcing, on protecting American jobs, in addition to the Indian-American fund-raisers of her campaign. It dubbed her the 'Democrat from Punjab.'

As the Senator and his campaign came under attack from the Indian-American community, Obama acknowledged that "the concerns are entirely justified."

He told rediff.com "I was furious when I heard about it," and noted that "we are taking corrective action to make sure that people understand how this could be potentially hurtful."

Obama pointed out that "I have always been, as somebody who myself comes from a multi-cultural background, promoted the most inclusive politics possible."

"My support among Indian Americans, South Asians, and Asian Americans generally, has been very strong and that's the culture within which I was raised, as having grown up in Hawaii and Asia myself," he added.

Obama said, "this is just an example of I think (where) staff were trying to make a point, they made it clumsily. I don't believe they understood how it came to be interpreted, but they should have understood it. I hope and trust that all my friends in the Indian-American community understand that it did not reflect my views, either on the complex issue of outsourcing or on my attitude towards the enormous contributions of the Indian-American community that they have made to this country."

He explained that "I think what happened was that the people who were writing the memo thought that to quote back Hillary Clinton was clever somehow. They were wrong and I let them know in no uncertain terms that this was unacceptable."

Obama acknowledged he had no idea about the document that was being circulated by some members of his campaign staff till the controversy erupted, when the Indian-American community was in uproar and his Indian-American supporters contacted his campaign expressing their concern.

Asked what kind of corrective measures he intended to put in place, the Illinois Senator asserted, "The main thing is just to make certain that anything that goes out under my name or goes out under our campaign's name -- whether it's for attribution or otherwise -- is screened by all senior staff to make sure that we don't make mistakes like this in the first place."

"The other thing I am obviously doing is reaching out to all my supporters in the Indian-American community to assure them this isn't reflective of my views," he said.

Obama said he hoped that "people recognise that this is just an anomalous situation as opposed to any more serious issue in terms of my grasp and understanding of the importance of the Indian-American community and the relationship between the United States and India."

In a message to the mushrooming South Asians for Obama chapters across the US, the majority of whom are young second-generation Indian Americans, Obama said, "I want them to know how much I appreciate their support, I want them to know how much their involvement means to our campaign."

"Look, part of the reason, I think, there has been so much of interest and excitement on their part has to do with the fact that they recognise that I was very similar to many of them just a few years ago," he said. "Somebody, who was able to take advantage of a good education, who doesn't look like the traditional presidential candidate, doesn't have a traditional name, but loves the United States, loves the idea of public service and believes in an America that is tolerant and provides equal opportunity to all people."

Obama declared that "my commitment to principles has never changed and my regard and concern for the South Asian community in general and young members of that community who are interested in public service continues. So, I want them to understand that this is part of the process of a presidential campaign that when you have a large far-flung operation, mistakes are going to be made and that people need to understand that these are not reflective of who I am and what my core values are."

"My core values are ones that I share with them and I take this as hopefully a good learning opportunity -- certainly it is for me -- in terms of recognising how important it is for me to make sure that we have good quality control in terms of anything that is produced in our office. I have the opportunity to teach members of my staff how they need to approach issues."

Obama acknowledged that in the rough and tumble of politics, particularly a presidential campaign, he could understand if the Hillary Clinton camp went to town with this mistake by his campaign and his unequivocal apology, saying, "I think whenever we make a mistake, our competitors will try to take advantage of it. I don't blame them for that. I think it's just a matter of us making sure that we don't compound the mistake by trying to pretend that we didn't screw up."

"And," Obama added, "I want to make sure that I take responsibility for it because ultimately that's going to be my job, and when I am President, you know it's going to be important for me to make clear when we do make mistakes that hopefully one of the strengths of our campaign is that we learn from them."

http://ia.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/19aziz.htm

[ihavenobias]

81. Bump n/t

[JTFrog]

89. kick. n/t