Obama is a great candidate. He's run a primary campaign unlike anything I recall in my

[John Q. Citizen]

50+ years. It's better, more fun, and more creative than Clinton's campaign.

We are very lucky to have Obama as our nominee.

He's going to kick McMac's ass.

[libnnc]

1. Momentum.

His campaign has momentum. And in the words of dear Molly Ivins, "He's got the Elvis."

Ironically, she said that about Bill.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. It is astounding, isn't it?

I am amazed at his political acumen. He's smart and I think he's surrounded himself with some sharp people. Bodes well for the White House in 2008.

[bhikkhu]

3. K&R, for sheer simplicity and truth.

[anamandujano]

4. Talk clean and play dirty. Have the MSM at your back.

Works every time.

[maddiejoan]

11. Obama is rolling now!

[anamandujano]

26. .

:rofl:

[CatnHat]

12. Obama

equals GWB. Wasn't it GWB who ran on compassion, unity, change. Yeah, that got him two terms. Look where that got our country!! Campaign run on emotion rather than on issues, must be Rove's friends working behind the scenes for Obama.

[40ozDonkey]

17. "Yeah, that got him two terms."

You are a terrible salesperson.
:rofl:

[CatnHat]

23. Guess you didn't

bother to read my last sentence. Keep dreaming . . .

[Ino]

37. Oh? How do you explain this, then?

http://tinyurl.com/2kxz4r

The former Bush White House communications director, who worked closely with Rove, said that Clinton "has almost operationalized the whole idea of turning your weakness into strength, message discipline that is almost pathological -- she does not get off message for any reason -- and never skipping an opportunity to exploit her opponent's weaknesses."


Clinton's campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, seems to agree with that assessment, having effectively vowed to run her operation much as Rove did his two successful national campaigns. "She expresses admiration for the way George W. Bush's campaign team controlled its message, and, given her druthers, would run this race no differently," Michelle Cottle writes this month in New York magazine. " 'We are a very disciplined group, and I am very proud of it,' she says with a defiant edge."

(snip)

The Clintons recognize the skill Rove has brought to politics and admire his craft, if not his ideology. Just days after the November 2004 election, Bill Clinton pulled Rove aside at the dedication of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. "Hey, you did a marvelous job, it was just marvelous what you did," Clinton told Rove, according to the book "The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008," by John F. Harris and Mark Halperin. "I want to get you down to the library. I want to talk politics with you. You just did an incredible job, and I'd like to really get together with you and I think we could have a great conversation."

(snip)

Harris and Halperin wrote last year that Rove and the Clintons shared some of the same understandings of how politics work, and the two authors even crafted a list they titled "What Hillary Clinton and Karl Rove Know About the Way to Win the White House in 2008." Clinton, they wrote, has "borrowed some strategies" from Rove for dealing with the news media, enemies and anticipated attacks. "Like Karl Rove," they wrote, "Hillary Clinton knows that playing offense is better than playing defense. . . . Hillary Clinton obviously dislikes Bush's policy goals, but she appreciates some of the methods he has used to achieve them."

[davidinalameda]

14. maybe if you stomp your feet and hold your breath

people might pay attention to your rants

[anamandujano]

19. I got three responses (make that 5) without breaking a sweat. No need to stomp.

Truth be told, I would if I could. And yeah, I held my breath throughout.

[libnnc]

18. Well, the MSM is Bill's fault.

Had he not signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we wouldn't have had 12 years of Shit-Co. Inc.

Where was she then?

[Cant trust em]

20. Sounds like a brilliant strategy

Like in a basketball game, if the refs are going to let the players play physically, why not go with it?

[Cha]

5. He's learned from past hurdles of

our other Dems.. putting it to good use fighting a three prong attack and coming out stronger than ever!

[PseudoIntellect]

6. He really seems authentic when he talks, and I hope he is as truthful as he sells himself to be.

I love when he talks about transparency and the fact that he wants to be able to have people that disagree with him on issues so that he can work with them and listen to different opinions. And he said he wants to listen to the bad news and not screen it out before listening to the good news.

[babylonsister]

7. It's better, more fun, and more real to me. His personality shines.

And yes, he will kick McC's ass!

[Muttocracy]

8. I don't know how much is directly from him vs. hiring great campaign staff and volunteers

And I'm sure it's some of all three... I wonder if this is a place where community organizing experience is paying off?

[flor de jasmim]

10. I've read some of his early speeches (and postings at daily kos from 2005...

or 2006--long before he had a Pres. campaign staff). I even read something from 1996. He is amazingly consistent in his view. I get the impression that Hillary is managed by her staff, but that he manages his. That is also telling!!

[John Q. Citizen]

16. His organizing experience is shining through. He trusts people.

I'm on an Obama list here in Western Montana, and a woman just posted that she signed up for an event on his website, and since she was the first to sign up, they asked her if she wanted to organize it. She accepted and is totally stoked. So the campaign has a local person on the ground organizing there event, and the locals are taking ownership over the event. That's brilliant.

Hillary wouldn't begin to be able to do that, because Hillary doesn't know who she can trust.

[babylonsister]

35. I'm reading his first book; very frank, smart, and the man learned a lot

of lessons, or took them to heart. He's as good a writer as he is a speaker; very smart. How refreshing!

[JimGinPA]

9. Yes, He Is

K&R

[Symarip]

13. He's solid

His skills are superb, no doubt about it. He really puts it out there. He has all the potential to become a great president. And with all due respect, even after she was shot at by imaginary snipers, I think Mrs. Clinton would also make a fine president.

But what I'm drawn to is his demeanor. I saw some bullshit post earlier about how he's passive aggressive and effectively a wimp. I don't see that at all. I see a man who doesn't react haphazardly under pressure. He takes control of the conversation without having to raise his voice to talk over his detractors. He has an innate ability to show people that just because people are screaming doesn't mean they have something of value for you to listen to.

Oh, and he promised me a pony. I haven't figured out what I'm going to name it yet.

[FrenchieCat]

15. The guy's got game!

[StevieM]

21. He hasn't run a great campaign IMO. He dominated the caucuses due to money and upper-income voters

and he tore his opponent apart on a personal level.

Steve

[anamandujano]

24. He thinks it was brilliant because the MSM tells him so.

[libnnc]

30. If the MSM is not to the Clinton's liking

It's their own fault. Bill set the MSM up quite nicely in '96.

Short memories around here.

[anamandujano]

36. The main point is that the MSM is poised to do an about face, unless

Obama is Rove's candidate this time around.

[John Q. Citizen]

31. Yes, that and the delegate count, the states won, the popular vote and the polls.

But you are right. He's probably actually losing as I type. Hillary's magic voodoo is sure to kick in some time soon. Any second now.

[Symarip]

25. Millions of upper income voters

donating 20 dollars or less at a time. The nerve of those swine. Real Americans (tm) vote for a lady who gets flown around Iowa in the Hillicopter.

[anamandujano]

28. Exelon, Goldman Sachs, Tony . . . . .

[PseudoIntellect]

27. How do you think he got that money? From running a bad campaign and not getting supporters/donors?

Hillary is the one worth over 30 million. As for your second comment, I suppose when Clinton's campaign degrades Obama, it's all good political game that we should expect from Republicans later on and thus prepare for, but when Obama retaliates, he's just out of line there.

[anamandujano]

29. How did she degrade him?

[PseudoIntellect]

32. by saying that all he ever did was give a speech six years ago.

Remember the three different interviews in which she said both she and McCain offered a lifetime of experience, while Senator Obama offered nothing more than a speech in 2002.

[anamandujano]

33. In all fairness, he gives speeches regularly but not much else.

He has the thinest resume on tap.

He took credit for other's work in the state senate and tried to do it in the US Senate also. All the info is in other threads that I trust you've been reading.

edit to add--labeling the Clintons racist was the lowest of the low.

Also, sorry to whoever answered first, you are on ignore. :)

[FrenchieCat]

34. Lies! Just his short stint in the US Senate makes Hillary's 7 years Pale in comparison

(is that our dearly departed pic in your sig pic- You know, Herman?)

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS:
Obama holds assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs, and he is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

-------------------------

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In August 2005, he traveled to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. The trip focused on strategies to control the world's supply of conventional weapons, biological weapons, and weapons of mass destruction as a first defense against potential terrorist attacks.<61>

Following meetings with U.S. military in Kuwait and Iraq in January 2006, Obama visited Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.

He left for his third official trip in August 2006, traveling to South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Chad. In a nationally televised speech at the University of Nairobi, he spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries and corruption in Kenya.

Obama worked with Russ Feingold (D–WI) to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress and require disclosure of bundled campaign contributions under the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act", which was signed into law in September 2007.

He joined Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in sponsoring S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections, including fraudulent flyers and automated phone calls, as witnessed in the 2006 midterm elections.

Obama also introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act", a bill to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008.<68>

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored with Kit Bond (R-MO) an amendment to the 2008 Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges, and calling for a review by the Government Accountability Office following reports that the procedure had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs.

joined Chuck Hagel (R-NE) in introducing legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.A provision from the Obama-Hagel bill was passed by Congress in December 2007 as an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries. After passing both houses of Congress with bipartisan majorities, SCHIP was vetoed by President Bush in early October 2007, a move Obama said "shows a callousness of priorities that is offensive to the ideals we hold as Americans."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

THESE ARE BARACK'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE U.S. SENATE TO DATE:

** First legislation, the HOPE Act, which increased Pell Grants to $5100, and later joined Senator Kennedy on the Higher Education legislation that passed July 20, by a vote of 78-18. That legislation also included funding for Predominantly Black Colleges to assist with counseling, tutoring and other needs of low income students. It also creates the Teaching Residency Act which will create a school-based teacher preparation program in high needs schools to provide each teacher with a mentor, content instruction, classroom management skills, a master’s degree and state certification, and a 2 year follow-up program.


**The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006
is an act that requires the full disclosure of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2007 on a website maintained by the Office of Management and Budget.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Funding_Accountability_and_Transparency_Act_of_2006


**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act
Authored by U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), the Lugar-Obama initiative expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction.
Signed into Law on January 11, 2007.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/chrisblask/gGCPsK


**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_17/news/19664-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
http://www.commonblog.com/story/2007/9/14/164837/331

** The “Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-2125

** S116 - Summer Learning demonstration project to provide summer learning grants and encourage new teaching methods.
http://www.pasesetter.org/demonstrationPrograms/nasd.html

and this one, moved out of committee just a few days ago:
Obama's Global Poverty Act of 2007, passed out of committee just a few days ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) today hailed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage of the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), which requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive policy to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015 through aid, trade, debt relief, and coordination with the international community, businesses and NGOs. This legislation was introduced in December. Smith and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) sponsored the House version of the bill (H.R. 1302), which passed the House last September.
http://obama.senate.gov /



Amendments, that have all passed:

S.Amdt.159 to S.Con.Res.18 - To prevent and, if necessary, respond to an international outbreak of the avian flu.

S.Amdt.390 to H.R.1268 - To provide meal and telephone benefits for members of the Armed Forces who are recuperating from injuries incurred on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

S.Amdt.670 to H.R.3 - To provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) refueling capability at new and existing refueling station facilities to promote energy security and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

S.Amdt.808 to H.R.6 - To establish a program to develop Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal.

S.Amdt.851 to H.R.6 - To require the Secretary to establish a Joint Flexible Fuel/Hybrid Vehicle Commercialization Initiative, and for other purposes.

S.Amdt.1362 to S.1042 - To require a report on the Department of Defense Composite Health Care System II.

S.Amdt.1453 to S.1402 - To ensure the protection of military and civilian personnel in the Department of Defense from an influenza pandemic, including an avian influenza pandemic.

S.Amdt.2301 to H.R.3010 - To increase funds to the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity Program and to the Office of Special Education Programs of the Department of Education for the purposes of expanding positive behavioral interventions and supports.

S.Amdt.2605 to S.2020 - Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should immediately address issues relating to no-bid contracting.

S.Amdt.2930 to S.2349 - To clarify that availability of legislation does not include nonbusiness days.
S.Amdt.3144 to S.Con.Res.83 - To provide a $40 million increase in FY 2007 for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and to improve job services for hard-to-place veterans

S. Amdt 41 to S. 1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.

----------------------------------------------

Barack has Written a total of 890 Bills and Co-sponsored Another 1096 since he started serving in the U.S. Senate.

[grantcart]

22. some day these days will be remember as the good old days.

[SeattleGirl]

38. I totally get that, JQC!

It's the kind of excitement I haven't felt since RFK was running for president.

I don't care if other people knock "hope", because that's what we need. And that's not what it's all about, either.

And I love how much the younger people have been inspired by him.

[FlyingSquirrel]

39. Woot

[jgraz]

40. Poor J. Sidney McSame won't know what hit him

[anamandujano]

41. Bama won't be able to use the same sh*t on McCain as he did on

Hillary. First off, the MSM will call him on it instead of helping him trash Hillary.

I can't wait until he tries to label McCain a racist.

[jgraz]

42. What sh*t are you referring to?

Oh, you mean that shit where he's a better campaigner, better fundraiser, better leader, better speaker, better tactician, better strategist and all-around better human being than she is?

Actually, I think that's exactly the shit he's going to use on McCain. My guess is it will work just as well on him as it has on Hillary.

[C_U_L8R]

43. Same

Almost 50 as well... never seen anything like him.
We're fortunate to have him on our side !

[Sensitivity]

44. BUUTTT, BUUTTT .........He;s BLACK

[TexasLady]

45. I keep hearing the stories of college kids explaining

to their parents why they should vote for him...it was the other way round here! Im so excited that my voting aged kids are backing Obama. And despite that study about young men who like rock voting red, my son's band is nice and blue, too!

[quantass]

46. Pretty Cool!