Obama: I'm No V.P.

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., shakes hands as he enters a town hall meeting at the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Miss., Monday, March 10, 2008.(AP.)

By Peter Slevin
COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Sen. Barack Obama set out this morning to puncture the idea of a Clinton-Obama ticket, calling the suggestion an example of "gamesmanship" and "doubletalk" by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton, who said here Saturday that a ticket with Clinton on top and Obama as vice president would be "an almost unstoppable force."

The very idea is presumptuous, Obama said, pointing out that he has won more states, more votes and more Democratic delegates than Clinton. He also said, with evident delight, that their notion undermines the Clintons's central challenge to his candidacy -- that he is not prepared to be president.

"I don't understand," Obama said, playing the moment as the crowd cheered, "if I'm not ready, how is it you think I would be such a great vice president?"

Obama pointed to a CBS News interview in May 1992, when candidate Bill Clinton said his most important criterion in choosing a vice president was "someone who would be a good president if, God forbid, something happened to me a week after I took office."

"You all know the okey-dokey, when someone's trying to bamboozle you, when they're trying to hoodwink you?" Obama said to the crowd at the Mississippi University for Women. "You can't say that, 'He's not ready on day one unless he's willing to be your vice president, then he's ready on day one.'"

He went on, to growing crescendos of cheers, "I want everybody to be absolutely clear. I'm not running for vice president. I'm running for president of the United States of America! I'm running to be commander in chief."

Less than two hours earlier, Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson found himself in the position of saying that Obama has not proven his ability to be president, but could be on the Democratic ticket if Clinton overtakes him and wins the nomination in Denver in August.

"Senator Obama has not passed the commander in chief test," Wolfson said before adding that an invitation to become vice president "is not something that she would rule out at this point."

Asked what Obama could do to prove his worth by August, Wolfson avoided the question.

Although the Clintons insist the idea of a Clinton-Obama ticket is genuine -- "that may be where this is headed," Hillary Clinton said last week -- the notion has always been implausible, at best.

Obama and Clinton have become fierce rivals in the past 13 months, barely disguising their growing disdain for one another. Their positions on many issues are strikingly similar, from health care to strategies to end the Iraq war, yet their approaches to leadership and to the campaign itself could hardly be more different.

The message of the Clintons's recent offensive is that he does not have enough experience to be president. A Clinton campaign advertisement asking voters whom they would trust to answer a ringing White House telephone at 3 a.m. was the most prominent element of her effort to raise doubts.

"This was designed to feed into your fears," Obama said at a campaign event in Wyoming on Friday. "I mean, what do people think I'm going to do? I'm going to answer the phone. I will find out what's going on. And I won't be browbeaten into launching a war that was not necessary."

Twenty-five minutes into his stump speech here in Mississippi, which holds its primary on Tuesday, Obama paused to add a fresh riff telegraphed by his advisers. He said he had heard that the Clintons "repeatedly talked about how I would be a great vice president."

Boos from the crowd of more than 1,700.

"First of all, with all due respect, I've won twice as many states as Senator Clinton."

Loud ovation, cheers.

"I've won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton," Obama went on. "I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So, I don't know how somebody who's in second place is offering the vice presidency to somebody who's in first place."

Standing ovation.

Obama went on to describe Bill Clinton's 1992 interview, then targeted talked about why he is running for president, and commander in chief.

"The reason I'm running to be commander in chief is because I believe that the most important thing when you answer that phone call at 3 in the morning is what kind of judgment you have, not how long you've been in Washington...And I believe that I have shown better judgment than Senator Clinton."

He talked about Clinton's vote to authorize the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and her decision to target Iran's Republican Guard, which he called saber-rattling, then concluded with a another reference to the talk of an Obama vice presidency.

"This kind of gamesmanship" Obama said, "is exactly the kind of doublespeak, doubletalk, that Washington is very good at, that people who spend a lot of time in Washington have a lot of experience at. But it's not going to solve the problems of the country."

Posted at 2:48 PM ET on Mar 10, 2008
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the hillary crowd is definitely the past... ignorant, grouchy and loud. your days of living off fat, lies and fear are over.

the world is in deep trouble and we the young diverse and enlightened are now stepping in to tackle the problems you 20th century types created.

so back off, we have work to do. you'll be thanking us in 20 years.

Posted by: telyawot | March 12, 2008 11:25 PM

msophia writes: "Nice site Pastor Gene but I wasn't saying anything about election polls. I said Electoral. As in Electoral College.

Here's a site for you to do your own math at.... without Mi or Fl it's 226 Hillary, 176 Obama."

msophia, allow me to update your political education. Electoral College math only applies in the general election and not in the primaries. In the general election it will not be Hillary vs. Obama. It will be either Hillary or Obama vs. McCain. So the electoral vote polls are the most relevant measure of that. Winning or not winning a state in the primaries is not necessarily predictive of a win or loss in the general election. The dynamics are vastly different.

So yes, in the general election it is electoral votes that determine the winner. But in the primaries, it is the number of delegates won. Those two processes need to be kept clearly distinct from one another.

Posted by: PastorGene | March 11, 2008 8:31 PM

kamilia - luv it!!! thanks for the homework... :)

& AB68 - hahaha!! Our friend Eliot just showed how much, exactly, he has in common with Bill!!! hahahahaha...

Posted by: jennifer.c.martinez | March 11, 2008 4:39 PM

Major Political Scandal!!!

Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Because they feel he would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. And because they feel that a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket would be unbeatable. And also because with a Clinton and Obama ticket you are almost 100% certain to get quality, affordable universal health care very fast.

You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don't want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care. So they can make more profit for them-self.

Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama's. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!

As much as 30% of Obama's primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help.

If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. Because the vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. All of this vote fraud and republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is. YOUNG PEOPLE. DON'T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose.

The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. I suggest a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket now! All democrats need to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton. So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.

Fortunately the Clinton's have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic comebacks of Hillary Clinton's. Only the Clinton's are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen.

You should be angry America. "This is not a game" (Hillary Clinton)

Sincerely

jacksmith...

Posted by: JackSmith1 | March 11, 2008 12:15 PM

A better politician would answer and the correct answer would be:

"Let the people of Democratic Party decide who is running for the president, and I am here to serve the country and the people."

Posted by: foreveryoungiv | March 11, 2008 9:31 AM

Obama is a self-center, selfish, arrogant and perhaps most inexperienced that I have seen in the last 3 decades. He is unfit for being the President of the US. Unfit to be my president! Unfit to be president of the Americans!

1. In the time of international turmoil and national economic uncertainty, he is unwilling to give himself. He ridiculed at the hint of being a VP of the United States, disregard that his role could help the Democratic Party to win the election, and to change the country. How would he serve the country? For the country or for his SELF-INTEREST?

2. His rhetoric of change and dream are great in speech and book, but change in politic requires compromising, dealing and working with people from inside. He has only 7-yr of experience at state level of politic (Illinois), 4-yr at national (US Senate) --inexperience and lack of inside network for making effective changes.

3. He never went to war. He has never being in war. He has no experience in defending the United States. He is unwilling to offer himself for the cause, and taking no considerate for greater cause to HELP our country. He thinks only of himself.

I was awaiting for the Democrat Party to propose the platform of Clinton and Obama vice versa, but at this point in time, Obama is unfit for being a president and EVEN UNFIT for a VICE-PRESIDENT. I am ashamed of the Democrat Party for allow such petty rivalry to go on when we had a better reason to unite. Millions of dollars went to waste.

Posted by: foreveryoungiv | March 11, 2008 9:25 AM

Sadly, Obama shows his naiveté [or naïveté n. The state or quality of being inexperienced or unsophisticated.]

He should just pretend to be flattered and keep on gliding, navigating above the fray, as he did at the beginning of this race. People are trying to bully him into being tough. BUT Barack WAS tough, before, when nothing could touch his gentlemanly manners. But now he comes out swinging and he just looks grouchy and arrogant.

He was unbeatable while he was still using his manners.

Posted by: thinktank | March 11, 2008 5:37 AM

masterconnieiam is an idiot
get some rest

Posted by: hhkeller | March 11, 2008 1:50 AM

If Barack Hussein Obama wins...He will start World War III for our Country...
What is not tell all his fans...Is what he really has in store for our is he will become a leader in a Third World county too; his goal is to unite the other Third World countries and then he will have the powers to BREAKDOWN THE UNITED STATES WITH NUCLEAR WEAPON JUST LIKE HUSSEIN WANTS HIM TO DO TO US AMERICAN PEOPLE AND OUR COUNTRY....JUST THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE IT CAN HAPPEN TO US....BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IS AN IRANIAN AGENT FOR HUSSEIN...SO ALL YOU OBAMA FANS JUST THINK ABOUT THIS...
PRESIDENT BUSH JUST COULD BE SO TRUE....

Posted by: masterconnieiam | March 11, 2008 1:10 AM

He's cute and can cut a paste a great speech but I odubt he will live up to he words. He's already signed onto Bushes extended war. He's already back pedaling on his NAFTA talk. Obama is more ego and theatre than problem solver.

His one vote to extend the war with no strings attached was the clincher for me.

Posted by: hhkeller | March 11, 2008 12:52 AM

What is it with all the Hillary surrogates. Norman Hsu was a fugitive Clinton confident. He went to jail. Now the Governor of her state new York who is a Hillary surrogate is going to go to jail for running a prostitution ring.

Posted by: JohnMcCormick | March 11, 2008 12:45 AM

So, Senator Obama isn't ready to serve as Commander-in-Chief, on Day One, especially in the event that the red phone in the White House rings at 3a.m. But, he is ready to serve just a heartbeat away from the presidency - as Hillary's vice president.

Bear witness, America, to the irrational judgement that 35 years of plotting and scheming yield.

Put it all in a slammin' TV ad, Senator Obama. ASAP.

Posted by: j.sankey | March 11, 2008 12:21 AM

Barack Hussein Obama is not fit to be a Senator and not to mention the next President of our Country.....
If he become our President there will be World War III on this Country hand not good at all.
What he is not telling the American People...What he really has in store for us is..His main goal is to unite all the Third World countries....and then War will began for United States... This comes from my heart and deepest feeling I have for this Man... I just wish others would see this too. Thank you for your time Connie

Posted by: masterconnieiam | March 10, 2008 11:54 PM

Posted by: masterconnieiam | March 10, 2008 11:51 PM

what are the MEN AND WOMEN IN IRAQ DYING AND LOSING BODY PARTS FOR??????

OIL and drug trafficking...

AND !!!,

are the United States Soldiers getting a cut, of _t_h_a_t_

____________________ M O N E Y ? _____________________no

no, they are getting their legs blown off, getting medals of honor and waiting two years to be declared disabled as they lose homes that they can't make mortgage payments on.

READ THIS:
Just as the Iran-Contra scandal evolved to include drug smuggling, the Iraq War also is closely related to drug smuggling. While the Bush regime has so far managed to keep the drug smuggling aspects of the war from reaching the media, evidence is beginning to emerge. The evidence comes largely from a former FBI translator turned whistle-blower, Sibel Edmonds. Hired to translate intercepted messages soon after 9/11 this Turkish lady first blew the whistle on the FBI for dragging its feet. She has state emphatically that she has seen documents that prove the Bush administration was fully aware of the terrorist attack before 9/11. While ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT, has imposed a gag order on her, this courageous lady has only been able to speak in generalized terms. However, she has repeatedly stated that when viewed as an international drug smuggling operation the picture becomes clear.

Sibel Edmonds has provided a huge clue in her generalized statements, a clue that points directly at the BUSH FAMILY and DICK CHENEY. Haliburton the oil services company formerly headed by CHENEY has a long history of involvement in drug smuggling and gunrunning especially through its Brown and Root subsidiary. Brown and Root also has a long history of providing cover for CIA agents. In the late 1970s Brown and Root was implicated in drug smuggling and gunrunning from oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico built by Brown and Root and using ships owned by Brown and Root. In the 1990s Brown and Root was implicated in smuggling heroin to Europe through Russia. The heroin originated in Laos.

The Russian incident surfaced in 1995 after thieves stole sacks of heroin concealed as sugar from a rail container leased by Alfa Echo. Authorities were alerted to the problem after residents of Khabarovsk, a Siberian city became intoxicated from consuming the heroin. Alfa Echo is part of the Russian Alfa group of companies controlled by Mikhail Fridman and Pyotr Aven. The FSB, the Russian equivalent of the FBI firmly proved a solid link between Alfa Tyumen and drug smuggling. The drug smuggling route was further exposed after the Ministry of Internal Affairs raided Alfa Eko buildings and found drugs and other compromising documentation. Under Cheney's leadership of Haliburton, Brown and Root received a taxpayer insured loan through the Export-Import Bank of $292 million dollars for Brown and Root to refurbish a Siberian oil field owned by Alfa Tyumen. The Alfa Bank is also implicated in money laundering for the Colombian cocaine cartels.

THERE IS $80 BILLION IN UNRECORDED PROFITS IN THE FIRST STEP OF AFGHANI OPIUM COLLECTION, refinement...three steps later it could be worth $400 BILLION, in unrecorded profits...

for the bush family and friends...

selling drugs to your poor, as you pay for their addictions....

whoooooooooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeee !

Posted by: a_bigone | March 10, 2008 11:16 PM

REMEMBER the current fiasco/regime STARTED?

probably not, it was actually more than a few years ago.

key player:
GEORGE H.W. Bush Sr., son of NAZI SUPPORTERS DURING WARTIME, hehas purportedly been involved inthe CIA since BAY OF PIGS, Zapata OIL days....connections through his fathers and families interests and CIA/MAFIA/OIL/DRUGS since the early 1950's...

George H.W. Bush Sr.:
sent APRIL GLASPIE to Iraq, who with a nod and a wink told Saddam that his border dispute with Kuwait could be settled with military force and the U.S. would look the "other way." a lie, aruse, a deceit.

Saddam invades Kuwait, we now have an official reason to be there....HOT DAWG!!!
looks like we'll establish a presence in Kuwait, we already have one in Saudi/Turkey...our CIA trains al QUEADA, did bushes CIA train the 9/11 pilots.

Saudi Royals were given the rights to Saudi Arabia by the Brits after WWII, the SAUDI Royals were put into power BYTHEBRITS...

Protecting the Kuwaiti's??????????:
We go into Iraq with Stormin Norman....and kill 400,000 thousand Iraqis and

STOP SHORT OF Bagdhad....you know why, WE'RE GOING BACK...that's why we stopped...

and now that we occupy, are embedded in Kuwait,
we put the country of Iraq into a stasis with embargoes, until we need to harvest it,

the world economy is shifting and things are ripe....China Pakistan, and India are emerging...

THEN, the family needed to intervene....in this case the international riche, which includes the Saudis, Kuwaitis, and the US Affluent that stand to make a bit of cash....mind you the Germans, English and French have their hands in this...but your buddy dubya, is the gawdfathers only VISIBLE son....but the others worked behind the scences...opening security systems, fixing elections...

so U.S.A. intervenes on NATIONAL TELEVISION...bombs going off, constant coverage, city surrounded, surveillance on every living thing that's bigger than a booger..

and somehow, miracle of miracles, like the virgin mary turning up on your french toast:
Saddam escapes from Bagdhad with THREE [3] tractor trailer LOADs of cash.

$9 BILLION$ in CASH right? Anyone in dubyas extended family gotten riche lately?

the museums were emptied right? ha ha ha...that's rich.

as far as conspiracy goes,

there never was a CIA/NORIEGA/BUSH Sr. connection right? and the Chilean president wasn't asassinated in DC with full CIA knowledge, while POOPPY WAS DIRECTOR, and where'd that white up George W. Bushes nose come from? NORIEGA????

the thing of it is,
the United States suckered, under George H.W. Bush, Saddam Hussein into attacking Kuwait, so we could be the "heroes", and become military occupiers...to lead us to this point....

walking down the road with no impetus to replacing our dependence on oil, a non-renewable resource....because it's not to the benefit of the countries leaders

this has a lot to do with _families_ working together _not related by blood_, as well as politics that don't include you as a positive recipient of thier efforts, as well as...

helping you to understand that it isn't all cowboy hats and honesty leading you...

Saddam was deliberately mislead into attacking Kuwiat, by President George H.W. Bush, we indicated that we would look the other way if Saddam wanted to reacquire some land and oil wells that he thought the Kuwiatis had taken.....so we would have an excuse to extend our influence.

did we tell Saddam Hussein the truth?

no.

it wasn't to our advantage.

the bushes intimately understand the middle eastern tribe mentality, they have trbal mentality, they protect and work with their own....they use the government to get what they want for their tribe

ps. you're not included in their tribe....

morons in charge and morons voted them in...using demagoguery as a political tool needs to be exposed....predjudice as a tool.

you want a better country quit pandering to morons and pandering to hate.....

the point of it is, the bush family, is trying to bury some information that needs to be understood

the ultimate threat to this country is dis_information and people who spew it.

I would suggest that those who would use thier governmental office for personal gain at the expense of the citizens lose thier citizenship, and be charged with treason and their properties confiscated....

intimidation as control shouldn't be tolerated....
read the bill of rights, the right to bear arms was specifically inserted into the Bill of Rights to prevent the United States from being taken over from within, which is what has happened....

that's the point, a dictatorship and a congress that takes advantage of citizens, doesn't deserve to serve....

Posted by: a_bigone | March 10, 2008 11:09 PM

It is an aweful dumb idea to vote for someone because of the person's race. That is one heck of a presidential qualification. I entirely wish our system was not based on such symbolism. I think that is a major slap in the face for the mother who carried him in her womb and helped give him life. Half of Obama's family is white. Therefore, he is mixed.

I wish the news would stop talking about the black voters as though they're the only ones voting for Obama. There are scores of whites, asians, whatever races exists whom are voting for Obama by the numbers with the same vision and he couldn't have gotten where he is today without them altogether.

Noone makes such statement with all the other candidates and suddenly this here man runs, and suddenly it's a racial factor.

That's like saying how Hillary would look, being a female, if her policies weren't skewed toward women.

Grant it, there are some controversies that still exists today, but there's bigger things going on right now and they're both proposing to take on the tasks. Obama's no less qualified than Hillary though, only he's not married to a former president if that's the case.

There's no way McCain's taking office with the things he speaks of, well unless some of these people hand the nomination to him condemning people of this country. Where are the senses??

Posted by: lilofoxlet | March 10, 2008 11:09 PM

Hillary offer the vice presidency to Barack Hussein Obama,not he is qualified, it is to prevent the Democratic Party from splitting, thus McCain will have a chance.It takes a mature and courageous person to do that. What die she get in return? nothing but insults. What a spoiled brat! Obama will never be my prsident. If Obama gets nominated, I will definitely vote for McCain, and I have not voted for GOP all my life. Obama is not even to fit shine Hillary's shoes,so there.

Posted by: johnycheng1 | March 10, 2008 11:07 PM

oh,

here's that a major teddy article I was looking for:

Voice of the White House February 28, 2005
TBR News.org February 28, 2005

"An absolute non-issue with the American print and TV media is the control by very powerful gays of the top policy levels of the White House. Growingly pointed comments inside the Beltway social clubs, homes and watering places about Karl Rove's "good friend" 'Jeff Gannon' are being very thoroughly ignored by the mainline press.

There are two reasons for this crashing silence. One is the fact that a large number of powerful and wealthy Republicans are gay and do not want their wives and children to discover that they put on leather underwear and spend their spare time at the Eagle over on New York Avenue or getting rough trade action at the Crew Club. Fat Karl Rove was seen by one of my people entering a private homosexual orgy at a five-star Washington hotel over the Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) weekend last year. All the self-hating loyal Republican gays at the no-pants party, many of them Senatorial aides and military types, of course pretended they didn't recognize him, and who can blame them - imagine how repulsive Fat Karl must look without his clothes. The report that came back was that Fat Karl greatly enjoyed the supervision of a certain hairy 350-lb.

Leather Dominator, who had won the

Miss Virginia Daddy Bear

title at the MAL festivities.

Karl used hang out at JR's, which is on 17th between P&S, before he became so well-known. This is a "respectable" gay bar for discreet people who do not wear mesh panties, high-heeled pumps and wear terrible wigs. How many people know about these activities? In Washington, a hell of a lot of the prominent. But very few of them dare to open their mouths because of their own small problems.

.small problems.

Obama Accuses Clinton of Deception ?????

tax records???? wow is it APRIL 15th already...this is serious, I've lost a whole month...FOAD

how about let's look at the books for

Halliburton
Bechtel
KBR
DynCorp
Blackwater
Carlyle Group????

you repulsive scammers posing as democrats

it won't happen if you don't elect Hillary, 'cause the bama saying it don't mattah

you know after Nixon was ousted in the 70's

everyone wanted someone that wasn't crooked and had no Washington D.C. connections...

listen closely, no Washington D.C. connections or understanding translates to

no support.

Jimmy Carter was a great thinker, and ahead of his time in working towards peace. He was the antithesis of a war monger. He didn't fit in with the Washington D.C. Military Industrial Complex, though he had been a commander of a submarine and had a degree in engineering.

He thought that because he had been elected President that people in Washington would treat him special, and with respect.

they didn't.

I don't want to waste four years with Obama finding out that it takes more than rhetoric to survive and get things done. And a democratic congress made up of elitists forging for thier own class isn't much better than a repulsive scammer congress....spending every dime on themselves.

Obama, hasn't faced what it takes to be president in these transitory times. Slamming the one person willing to address "today," as a person living in the past shows

his ignorance.

Posted by: a_bigone | March 10, 2008 11:00 PM

ABOUT TERRORISM, and fooling you oncet'

If personal motives, such as control of public perception, existed for the president to have covered up his "indirect" involvement with Sheikh Mahfouz, then Bush's claimed reason for the 911 report censorship could be a lie. Willful presidential deception would have occurred when Bush stated as the reason for his censorship, the need "to protect intelligence 'sources and methods'".

In politics, truth is often stranger than fiction: Sheikh Mahfouz's sister is actually one of four wives of Osama bin Laden, making the two men brothers-in-law, a fact that former CIA Director James Woolsey revealed in 1998 Senate testimony. Thus, Osama bin Laden is sleeping with the sister of Bush's business partner. Really.

Oil-related business deals between George W. Bush and several powerful Saudi Sheikhs, from 1979 to 1991, lacked both ethical integrity and Congressional intelligence oversight, since Bush used the same Saudi-controlled global banking network that was also used by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and by Osama bin Laden. once a CIA asset. Yet, several abbreviated FBI and Congressional investigations later, this explosive truth still remains mostly hidden from the American public.

Consider the facts. For decades the current President's father, former President George H. W. Bush, has had publicly close ties to the oil-enriched Saudi royal family in regards to both politics and business. Then consider that the bin Laden family is the most entrusted of all families by the Saudi Royal household. For many decades, every Saudi King has granted the bin Laden's giant construction conglomerate exclusive contacts to restore all castles and holy sites within the country, and for numerous public works and infrastructure projects.

Also, consider that soon after bin Laden's September 11 attacks, it was public knowledge that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, as was critical funding for bin Laden's al Qaeda network and for his earlier Arabic anti-Soviet fighters in Afganistan. Al Qaeda's predecesor was, in fact, bin Laden's 50,000 highly disciplined "Arab-Afghan" mujahideen, who were the most elite among Ronald Reagan's famous "freedom fighters", that were covertly given massive U.S. CIA support.

What is not generally known is that in years past, George W. Bush had several important business relationships with principle cohorts of Osama bin Laden's long-term financial sponsor, the powerful Saudi multibillionaire and banker to the king, Sheikh Khalid bin Mahfouz.

Bush's Deal with Saudi Sheikhs: A Reason to Cover-Up
This amazing story centers around and begins with the fraud-enshrouded Saudi National Commercial Bank (NCB), until recently owned by Sheikh Mahfouz. Following Osama bin Laden's U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa in 1998, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told the Saudi Arabian Defense Minister, Prince Sultan, that Mahfouz had channelled tens of millions of dollars into terrorist accounts in London and New York. While treasurer to the Saudi King, Mahfouz plundered 2 billion dollars of the 21 billion dollar National Commercial Bank, of which he was then president.

The Saudi National Commercial Bank was affiliated with a global network of many Mahfouz-connected banks, including the InterMaritime Bank of Geneva and New York, whose vice-president brokered a 25 million dollar investment into George W. Bush's Harken Oil and Gas in 1987. Thus, the InterMaritime Bank was once related to the current President Bush through its Mahfouz-connected VP, a man named Dr. Alfred Hartmann. The InterMaritime Bank was also involved in multiple covert CIA operations.

During the 1980's, Sheikh Mahfouz's banking syndicate performed major CIA-inspired banking operations for such former CIA assets as Osama bin Laden, as well as for Saddam Hussein, Manuel Noriega and other drug dealing generals, such as in Pakistan. Much of this is documented in the 1992 U.S. Congressional testimony of Senator John Kerry.

George W. Bush, for his part, had important business relationships not only with Dr. Hartmann, but with a total of nine prominent individuals that are central to Mahfouz's financial empire, including both the "Godfather of Saudi Intelligence" and his partner, a billionaire Bush campaign donor.

If George W. Bush and Sheikh Mahfouz were ever coexisting in each others financial network, then the question is begged as to whether any personal or political reasons exist for the President to have censored the Saudi section of the Senate's report on bin Laden's September 11 attacks.

When two principal individuals are directly connected to the same group of nine persons --

with each of the the eighteen subsequent relationships having ZERO degrees of separation --

then one would say that a "network" exists that profoundly connects the two principals in question.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ????

COLLUSION w/bush families and the SAUDIS

Posted by: a_bigone | March 10, 2008 10:49 PM

HEAD OF DHS, "We support terrorism as a way of avoiding jailtime."

Chertoff is a master of cover-up. He defended a financier of Osama bin Laden and kept him out of jail. He looked the other way during the investigation into the death of White House lawyer Vince Foster. Chertoff advised the White House and CIA on the legality of torture. No one said a word about any of this, and now Chertoff is in Bush's Cabinet as Director of Homeland Security.

The 9/11 Money
The June 20, 2000 Bergen County Record reported that attorney Michael Chertoff defended Dr. Magdy Elamir, a suspected terrorist financier. Dr. Elamir's HMO was sued by the State of New Jersey to recoup $16.7 million in losses. At least $5.7 million was unaccounted for, funneled "to unknown parties ... by means of wire transfers to bank accounts where the beneficial owner of the account is unknown."

Magdy Elamir financially supported the Al Salam Mosque, where the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman preached before he was arrested for his alleged role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

This is the same Dr. Magdy Elamir who was featured in the Dateline NBC investigation with Randy Glass. In fact, Glass said he had spoken with Dr. Elamir as part of his under-cover infiltration of the ISI-linked arms dealers. "Dateline" reported that intelligence reports accused Dr. Elamir of having "had financial ties with Osama bin Laden for years." During a recorded telephone conversation with Glass Elamir's brother, Mohamed, tried to purchase "small arms and ammunition."

In the words of attorney Lynne Stewart, even the most despicable deserve representation. But as Stewart knows, unless you have White House connections, defending the despised carries a high price. Stewart faces 30 years in prison for actions taken in defense of the Blind Sheikh. Dr. Elamir was a suspect in a highly-monitored, sensitive operation at the center of the secret history of 9/11. But thanks to Michael Chertoff, Elamir was not charged.

"Dateline" reported that Dr. Elamir and his corporations paid at least $5,000 to arms dealer Diaa Moshen. In an ambush interview on camera, Dr. Elamir referred to Moshen as "a family friend."

"By the time Operation Diamondback culminated in arrests in the summer of 2001, Michael Chertoff was the assistant attorney general in charge of the criminal division. Operation Diamondback would have fallen under his purview since it was a criminal case and not a counterterrorism case," said researcher Allan Duncan.

That means that after defending an alleged financier of 9/11, Chertoff became a prosecutor who should have prosecuted the same financier. In fact, there was a brief period before the verdict on Elamir came in and after Chertoff was nominated, in which there was an overlap between the two.

Chertoff served as assistant attorney general of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice from 2001 to 2003. The post is the same one Robert Mueller held when he stymied Senator John Kerry's investigation into BCCI.

Master of Finances
In October 2001, fresh from his defense of El-Amir, Chertoff was picked by the White House to head Operation Green Quest, the multi-agency initiative to target sources of funding for terrorist organizations. Chertoff told the Associated Press on Oct. 25, 2001 that, "The lifeblood of terrorism is money, and if we cut the money we cut the blood supply."

Two years later, former White House terrorism expert Richard Clarke stated, "The US effort to shut down financial support for terrorist networks is being seriously hampered by a government reorganization that has left the most experienced agencies without any real power." Clarke was a counter-terrorism expert in the Clinton and Bush administrations until he left government in disgust in 2003. "The decision to put the Federal Bureau of Investigation in charge of terror finance investigations, and to give new powers to the Department of Homeland Security, [has] set the campaign back." (1)

In Congressional testimony, Clarke seemed to agree with Glass's assessment of the FBI: "Having the current structure where the FBI is in charge and tells everybody else what to do, is a recipe, I think for failure...The FBI by tradition doesn't co-operate well with other federal agencies and it doesn't share information. It treats other federal agencies as second-class participants in the overall effort."

While head of Green Quest, Michael Chertoff played a central role in formulating U.S. anti-terrorism policy, which included a vast expansion of police powers and the secret detention of hundreds of Middle Easterners in the United States.

Chertoff was one of the chief architects of Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act, also known as the International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001.

_______________________________

Chertoff and Bush know all about Money Laundering,

and HILLARY knows all about _them_

does, the 'bama gama yama

Posted by: a_bigone | March 10, 2008 10:40 PM

The Houses of Bush, Sabah, and Maktoum
By Wayne Madsen

February 21 -- The Houses of Bush, Sabah, and Maktoum. The Bush Crime Family's close business dealings with the royal houses of Kuwait (the Sabah family) and Dubai (the Maktoum family) either borders on or is treason according to information received from U.S. military and Persian Gulf sources by WMR.

The Sabah family and their business cohorts are reportedly SKIMMING 100's of $MILLIONS$ of dollars from the shipping of UNITED STATES MILITARY material, directed to go through KUWAIT BY THE BUSH FAMILY, as the material passes through Kuwait to UNITED STATES forces in stationed in IRAQ.

Moreover, much of this SKIMMED money is being used to FUND the Sunni insurgency in Iraq that is directed against U.S. troops...causing many to be maimed and killed.

______________________________________________________

so who is making money off of IRAQ,

the bush crime family and friends and they ain't all american

are they ??????

SEARCH ON BUSH, HARKEN OIL

SEARCH ON BUSH, cuba, mafia

ps. you couldn't make this stuff up. and any middle schooler could find the bush family and friends doing the

war profiteer dance since the late 1800's and back to 1790, if you knew where to look...

they don't know how to work, they do know how to INFLUENCE PEDDLE...

what does war profiteering have to do with O'bama being a inadequate personality to be president ?????

he calls history "the past," instead of

what he has to work with.

What does he think? The Military Industrial Complex is going away overnight ???? Ask JFK how he feels about the Military Industrial Complex...

you can't? why is that?

.could I fix it? yes. could Hillary and her team fix it? yes.

Could Obama fix it?

how? to him the problem doesn't exist. it's below his radar he'll fix it when he gets elected....how the same way he fixes things in Chicago

he outsmarts some stupid ordinary people...

like he's convincing the people to vote for image alone

Posted by: a_bigone | March 10, 2008 10:38 PM

Monica for President!!!

Posted by: KAM3 | March 10, 2008 10:35 PM

cheersdk,

Bill spent many nights on the couch and in bed with other women as well.

Posted by: KAM3 | March 10, 2008 10:34 PM

If Democrats want to win back the White House to prevent an extension of another 4 years of George W Bush's failed policies, they should vote Hillary Clinton.

Here is why, the most compelling reason is Barack Obama is too arrogant to accept having Hillary Clinton as VP and worse now he proclaims he is running for presidency and would not accept being the running mate for Hillary Clinton.

This inflexible and high and mighty stance gives an indication of the kind of presidency we can expect of Barack Obama.

This is yet another indication of he saying one thing and doing another. He proclaimed that if elected he would unite America and fix the woes of the world.

This means working with the Republicans who would certainly attack him far, far worse than what Hillary's campaign had done so far and world leaders who may not agree with him or even readily accept a black president, bearing in mind not everyone in this world owes the black Americans a debt like white Americans. (This is not how I feel personally, but it is a sad reality that we still live in a racist world)

If he can't stand working with Hillary Clinton, how then is he going to work with far nastier people?

So far two of Barack Obama's top aids had given us behind the scene indications of the thinking of the Obama campaign on NAFTA and pulling out of American troops from Iraq. Yet he accuses time and again that Hillary would do anything to get elected.

Hillary is doing it to him but he is doing it to the rest of the world. That is far worse.

By voting for Obama, Democrats are in effect perpetuating the racial divide, sexism and idealism.

Can you imagine what the Black Americans will do to him if his policies as president are not skewed towards them?

White American males will continue to marginalize American women when the rest of the world had moved on. Look at Britain, Germany and India just to name a few countries.

Young Americans will continue to live in their own fantasy world, believing that Obama will talk his way out of all problems facing the US and the world and praying for Utopia.

Obama, with his affiliation with the Muslim, being born to a Muslim Kenyan father and a step-father who is also Muslim and a Muslim middle name of Hussein may be able to sort out some of the Middle Eastern and African problems. However, what about Russia? What about China? What about EU? What about Latin America?

Posted by: tgtteo | March 10, 2008 10:30 PM

Svreader,

Check out the link to a picture of your friends. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Sorry to burst your bubble. But Hillary is really evil.

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/photos_surfaces_of_hillary_cli.html

Posted by: KAM3 | March 10, 2008 10:29 PM

Hillary passed the Commander in Chief test during Bill Clinton's presidency. She slept in the same bed with Bill and was available to coach and advise President Bill Clinton without him having to pick up the phone.

Whereas, if you saw the report from this past Saturday Night Live show, you will realize how annoying Obama is even when he needs the heat in the White House fixed. Hillary had to tell him step by step what to do.

Posted by: cheersdk | March 10, 2008 10:29 PM

Obama Supporters --

You never watched the video, did you?

You're in denial. Watch the Video.

Obama let the people who elected him in Chicago rot in slums when he was supposed to get them decent housing and he funneled $100M to his friend Rezko.

It was Obama's responsibility to make sure his voters got what they paid for.

He didn't do his job.

He didn't care what happened to them.

He only cared about himself.

Does winning the primaries mean so much to Obama's groupies that they abandon all principle?

How can they even THINK of supporting a man who did what Obama did in Chicago to the poorest of the poor who elected him???

Please Watch this report on Obama, Obama's slums, Rezko, and $100M of wasted taxpayer money, from Chicago's most respected TV news program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDHsHM0laT8&feature=related

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the real Obama is a really bad guy

Posted by: svreader | March 10, 2008 10:26 PM

As an Obama supporter I am firmly opposed to a joint Obama hillary ticket. First of all its not fair to Obama who won fair and square, he has most states, delgates and votes. Hillary is trying to ride his coat tails because she feels she is privliged and spoilt and used to getting her way, demanding the black man to allow the white lady to join him, as if she was doing some favor to him.

Hillary is a power hungry, desperately greedy woman who is blinded by her mad passion to be the first woman president, this is why she in her delusion keeps saying Obama can be her VP...hahahaha!

You have to be very sick mentally to be in second place and seriously demand Obama to be her Number 2... excuse me? First of all Obama supporters hate you, secondly you would be lucky if Obama felt sorry fo ryou and even allowed you a cabinte position forget Veep.

Where do these Clintons get off with their absolute disgusting arrogance?

Get off Obamas back and F off.

Posted by: mildbrew | March 10, 2008 10:25 PM

There is no way Hillary would have come this far without Bill, she's just too negative.

I think we would all know who Barack Obama and John Edwards are, but if Bill Clinton had never married Hillary Rodham no one would have ever heard of her.

She just _can't_ do it without him.

Posted by: illclinton | March 10, 2008 10:24 PM

HRC is brilliant. She is trying to plant a seed by using Obama's strength against him. Give people a two for one, so to speak.

Interesting indeed.

This is an interesting race, I am excited to see ow it all turns out.

What disturbs me more than anything are the quips and jibes I see in these post.

To have passion for a candidate is awesome, to show disdain and disrespect against those who do not share your political views is immature at best.

I've said it before and I will say it again.

For those of you who have the knowledge and tools to do REAL research into the Democratic candidates, do so.

Use REAL sources with cred.

Make a decision based on that and that alone.

Anything else is irresponsible.

Vance McDaniel

Posted by: vance1 | March 10, 2008 10:20 PM

Svreader, you're back!!

Check out the link to a picture of your friends. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words.

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/photos_surfaces_of_hillary_cli.html

Posted by: KAM3 | March 10, 2008 10:16 PM

HAS ANYONE ELSE EVER POSTED A COMMENT AND HAD IT DISAPPEAR?

I JUST SPENT HALF AN HOUR TYPING A RESPONSE AND THEN HIT SUBMIT, BUT THE COMMENT IS NOT ON THE POST.

Posted by: chersplace | March 10, 2008 10:14 PM

The SNL video on the 3am phone call to President OBAMA.

See it now before they take it off

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=227156

Posted by: mjno | March 10, 2008 10:13 PM

For Obama Supporters too lazy to watch the video --

The video, which is of a Chicago TV news report based on information published in the Chicago Sun Times explicitly says that the buildings that Obama got Rezko the $100M contract to repair during the time Obama was a state senator were never repaired, and that 11 of those buildings were in Obama's district itself.

Obama got Rezko the contracts.

Obama was supposed to follow up on the work to make sure it was being done according to the contract.

Obama didn't care and didn't follow up on any of the work, as he was required to do, including 11 of the worst buildings that were in Obama's own district.

The last group of people to fall for Obama's charm and sales pitch, the poorest of the poor in Chicago, got totally shafted by him.

The good news is that everyone in Chicago knows what a lousy job Obama did and there will be many articles and TV news shows that will describe for Americans, in detail, just how poor job Obama did, and the needless human suffering his arrogance and incompetence caused the poorest of the poor people of color who made the mistake of believing in and trusting snake oil super-salesman Barry Obama.

Most Obama supporters will come to their senses when they see the video posted here or read the news stories that will follow in the press.

Some will not.

In the end it won't matter either way.

Enough people will wake up and smell the coffee, and Barak Obama will never be President of the United States of America.

Posted by: svreader | March 10, 2008 10:10 PM

Obama's grandma, who still lives in Kenya, refuse to show her face to the camera, or talk to reporters. She knows the danger.

Posted by: work2play | March 10, 2008 05:19 PM
-----------------------------
I've seen several TV interviews with Obama's grandmother. Stop making things up.

Posted by: smc91 | March 10, 2008 10:08 PM

mdeal:

Good job, however the "big speech" was in 2002 in Chicago. The 2004 convention speech was good, but not the one Rodham is blabbing incessantly about.

Posted by: michael4 | March 10, 2008 10:07 PM

Either candidate would do the country and our fellow American soldiers better than McCain contuing Bush's bullcrap. It doesn't make sense to vote for him because Hillary may or may not lose in either case (or Obama likewise), knowing people, KNOWING what he (McCain) has admitted he was going to do. Have we no conscience when it comes to voting? Is some petty Hillary/Obama election (specifically the childish thought if my candidate loses, I'm flipping the nomination), worth more than bringing our people home in some way or another ASAP? I didn't say NOW, I said ASAP which would be sooner than McCain proposes compared to the other two candidates.

I am curious, is there some President 101 college course that Hillary took that Obama skipped? Or is she qualified moreso because she's married to Bill? (I like Bill-outstanding President) I can understand how someone would vote for Hillary with that information. I'll vote for her if Obama loses. However, I'm not comfortable with the possibility that we should expect Bill to take over her job duties as president instead of her doing it herself. I'm not saying she can't do it, but I doubt she has any more or less ability than Obama has. Technically NOBODY has had presidential experience until they indeed got the presidential job. All agreed? Agreed.

I do like Hillary, but right now I'm pro Obama first as are a lot of other people. I am impressed with Hillary's experience, but I'm impressed with Obama's as well. Hillary has pretty much only passed a bunch of calendar days with all of her experience. Obama was aiding in passing some acts with his shorter experience, or shorter time served shall I say than Hillary.

I'm not so much concerned with him being present on the war vote, but I am moreso concerned with the fact that he knew better period. He had the wisdom to know why it'd be a bad idea to go into this war for all the reasons that exists in our current situation today. Sometimes the silent indeed has more wisdom than those who talk too much. I trust his wisdom. I know he knows more about things that shouldn't be allowed to continue in the white house, more than any of us here knows. He's educated enough to know what sounds like bull. He appears to have some common sense as well. As far as voting on the war, all he would have done is cancelled out Hillary's (positive 1 and a negative 1 cancels out even). Hillary, with her foreign experience, should not have voted for the war. We're in it now, ok, we need to get things back on track the way it should be.

We should step out of comfort zone to get it there. I really do believe that Obama is sincere and he has things to fix. He ignores no state. He appeals to every person whom will receive him. Why does Hillary not find every state important?

As Bill said, "If one is trying to get you to fear, and the other one wants you to think and hope, you'd better go for the one who wants you to think and hope." I don't understand why Hillary mocked Obama on that. Things 1st start with a dream, and you have to have hope as a component for action. Who goes about making some change without believing in it and hoping? If she doesn't believe and hope herself, I'm curious as to what she's really doing running. What other agendas is she running for if belief and hope aren't components within her campaign?

Posted by: lilofoxlet | March 10, 2008 10:01 PM

Hillary will name Sen. Byrd as her running mate. Why, he's got 70 years of experience! Maybe not, unlike Hillary, most of his is not vicarious.

Posted by: merganser | March 10, 2008 9:58 PM

RACISM IN POLITICAL CLOTHING.

This is politics/racism at it's sophisticated best. Clinton knows Ohama will not take this as a compliment so in rejecting the idea will be seen as ungracious, and uncompromising. Also, she and Bill know that it plants a seed of doubt that many voters are waiting for to help them vote for Hillary in good conscience. In other words: "Barack, people like you around here. You're educated, you speak well, you didn't support the war, you've inspired thousands of voters across the nation, you've rewrote the book on how to run a democratic campaign, you've reminded us that every state counts, but lets be realistic. The country aint ready for a black president. You need to get in line and wait your turn. Run when we tell you to run. So, we'll tell you what. How about we give you a nice title, like vice president? Hows that sound? Who knows, maybe after another 200 years of living together, fighting together, and dying together in every war, it could be your time. Thataboy." Hillary strategist are only attempting to sway the vote, and are counting on the American people not being smart enough to recognize her insincerity. These tactic are about as transparent of the play acting in professional wrestling. Sadly, the American voter won't be much better than the audience.

Posted by: pushkinon | March 10, 2008 9:54 PM

aamittal,

The Clintons' double speak and hypocricy drive me nuts. So it bothers you when Obama says "Yes We Can" and when Hillary says "Yes We Will" (let's not even talk about the irony here), it doesn't bother you?

Posted by: KAM3 | March 10, 2008 9:54 PM

Well done Barack! I will now make my second campaign contribution to Obama 08' because I believe you are responding to Clinton's attacks in a straightforward, convincing, and quantifiable manner (and in a reasonable tone).

P.s. I'm a student who can only give a little but have read both your books and believe that your are incredibly intelligent and will do the right thing for America.

Posted by: QueensNY | March 10, 2008 9:54 PM