The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

Now we know that Obama isn't fit to command -- he has Tony McPeak on his military advisor's staff. If Obama knew anything, he would have kept that name off of the list -- no credibility with the USAF veterans and current leaders.

thaimex-RUN and HIDE your deluded Head in SHAME-If, you know any.

Obasama's Minister has managed to let the whole World know what Obasama supports!

The cockamamie BS put out by the Communist News Network's Anderson Duper, does not Fly!

Obama's Minister was NOT a Supporter of Barack Insane.

Barack Insane Obasama, was a SUPPORTER of the Minister! Uncle, I believe the affection was! :-(

Barack, YOU, are FREE to LEAVE this Country! :-(

thaimex-RUN and HIDE your deluded Head in SHAME-If, you know any.

Obasama's Minister has managed to let the whole World know what Obasama supports!

The cockamamie BS put out by the Communist News Network's Anderson Duper, does not Fly!

Obama's Minister was NOT a Supporter of Barack Insane.

Barack Insane Obasama, was a SUPPORTER of the Minister! Uncle, I believe the affection was! :-(

Barack, YOU, are FREE to LEAVE this Country! :-(

So, which of the rants is more pointless and uninformed, CPCook or rat-the?

Not one of you has any idea of what a 3 a.m. call entails -- and neither do Hillary nor Obama.

Obama, at least, unlike Hillary, would not have to wait for Mark Penn to conduct a poll before he knew what he thought.

I'm waiting for the ads from the Republicans asking, "Why do nine retired generals and admirals want to surrender to the islamo-fascists? Why do so many retired senior Military men hate America? It's time for the retired military and veterans to stand up for the troops and denounce the Administration that put so many troops in harms way for nothing!

"Hindsight is 20-20."

True. And clear foresight is a rare gift. Obama's foresight on Iraq was almost prophetic.

Three Facts.

Hindsight is 20-20.

Barack Hussein would have Saddam Hussein still in possession of Iraq sending Blood Money to Evil Palestinian Families while providing the Vests they used to kill, and helping World Labor Party Leader's Countries with Oil in Violation of the UN Agreements-Which they used to organize Protests around the World against the US!

Barack Hussein IS NOT QUALIFIED to HANDLE a Crises!

CPCook,

Obama gives boatloads of "thought process and specifics".

Here's one example:
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070701faessay86401-p10/barack-obama/renewing-american-leadership.html

As for his stand against the war during his 2002 campaign for the senate, which was much more than a speech, please read this analysis of why it is strong evidence of solid judgment:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/the-case-for-obamas-read_b_90690.html

If you'd like to know, in excruciating detail, where Obama stands on all the issues, he's had it all in writing for some time now:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Please get to know Senator Obama, so you don't have to default to "the devil you know".

Why does Obama equate his opinion in 2002 with a US Senator's vote? His is not a vote. Although if he were to vote, he would have probably voted "present". Is it possible that the senators were privy to information he did not have?

It would have been nice if Obama were a senator then and voted against the war. But he was not a senator then. BTW, if you care about this issue, then please read his speech. Just as is today, it is full of slogan without giving detail on the thought process. Where is the judgment in the speech? I don't know.

But the election has little to do about the past and more of the future. Do you know his position in healthcare? He is not even for a universal healthcare despite slogans used to the contrary. What about the economy, our jobs and homes? Again, slogans without the thought process or specifics.

As much as I want to a Dem to the White House, I would rather vote McCain than Obama. Better the devil you know...

Barack has done america proud. Now that the kitchen sink is being dumped on him, it is up to the good people of America to reject the kitchen sink attack and demonize politics of the Clintons and their surrogates.

Barack Obama has as much experience in foreign affairs and domestic policy (or more) than Bill Clinton did when Mr. Clinton first ran for office of the President. Therefore, since most Democrats seem to feel that Mr. Clinton was a terrific President, they should entertain no concerns that Mr. Obama has the requisite experience.
Further, if you look at Hillary Clinton's experience, and subtract her 16 years working as a corporate lawyer representing corporate interests (including Walmart, Whitewater, her friends' failing Savings & Loans, etc.), and then subtract her 8 years as First Lady (where she was not an elected officer and held no security clearance and did not participate in meetings, deliberations or negotiations, relating to foreign policy (check the internet to see what the leaders of the parties to the Irish Peace talks, Balkans talks etc. have to say on Hillary's participation - i.e., she was not a party to those talks or negotiations, and only participated in the "ceremonial" (handshakes, cookies and tea) events relating to those negotiations), then you will realize that, in fact, Hillary has less experience than, in fact, Mr. Obama has. You will also note that Mr. Obama chose to practice law as a civil rights lawyer, in contrast to Ms. Clinton's decision to practice law as a corporate lawyer.
So cut the double standard and the spin on how much experience Ms. Cinton has compared to Mr. Obama, and move on to actual policy positions, solutions and the very real issue of what these candidates say they intend to do and how they intend to do it, or on their actual record on foreign and domestic policy.

Contrary to Hillary's year-long PR campaign to label Obama as inexperienced, he has more experience than her, and better judgement. I am sick and tired of people saying Obama isn't "ready" to be president, and that those who support him are vapid and naive.

Obama has held elected office for 11 years (four more than Hillary). Obama sponsored over 820 bills while serving in the Illinois senate (serving 8 years, from 1996-2004). He introduced 233 bills regarding Healthcare reform, 125 bills regarding Poverty and Public Assistance, 112 Crime fighting bills, 97 Economic bills, 62 Education bills, 60 Human Rights and Anti-discrimination bills, 21 Ethics bills, 20 Environmental bills, 15 Gun Control bills, 6 Veteran Affairs bills, and many, many others. He authored the most sweeping ethics reform bill passed into Illinois law in over 20 years. He sponsored a law enhancing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform and promoted increased subsidies for child care. Obama also led the passage of legislation mandating videotaping of homicide interrogations, and a law to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped.

In 2002 Obama spoke out publicly against the war in Iraq, saying he does not oppose all war, just dumb wars, and proceeded to accurately predict the quagmire of Iraq.

Obama was elected to the United States senate in 2004. In his first year (before he decided to run for president) he authored 152 bills, and co-sponsored another 427. These included the Coburn-Obama government Transparency Act of 2006 (signed into law by Bush), The Lugar-Obama initiatives (working with republican, Richard Lugar) aimed at nuclear non-proliferation and conventional weapons threat reduction. He is one of only 2 lawmakers sponsoring a campaign finance reform bill that currently sits in the senate. There are 890 bills in Obama's name since he entered the Senate. He has Cosponsored 1096.
Obama currently serves on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs. He has a degree in International Relations, a Law degree, and taught constitutional law for 10 years. On Obama's website you can read detailed information regarding his positions on all the current major issues.

Hillary was married to a president, and had NO security clearance. She has been in office what- 7 years? And has shown absolutley ZERO leadership or courage.

Here is an interesting article about Obama's readiness.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20080310/cm_huffpost/090690

Keep arguing.

I think the temperment issue is a very, very relevant but largely ignored issue in this campaign to date.
I have read many posts by women post to the fact that clinton is exhibiting all of the symptoms of menopause, is irritable and irrational at times.

Picture if you will, Clinton as president standing at the podium in the White House briefing room yelling "SHAME, SHAME ON YOU OSAMA BIN LADIN FOR YOUR TERRORIST ATTACK ON 9/11. Don't laugh - it happened two weeks ago except her target was her Democratic opposition. Makes you feel real safe doesn't it, to know this woman is getting the votes she does. Or rather PATHETIC. Or maybe even SCARY!!!!

if obama is so ready to lead - specifically citing his stance on iraq - then why is he not leading now or the past 5 years?

giving an anti-war speech, and being a critic does not make you a leader. if it did all of you would be a "leader" too.

i give obama credit for being a "critic" - i too marched against the war in the streets of NYC. but that doesn't make either of us more of a leader.

obama could have voted to end funding for the war many times - he chose not to. that is not leadership, that is political positioning.

political positioning is expected, in politics, but obama has put himself above washington politics. unfortunatly, it's patently clear he's a politician through and through.

he does not win this arguement with hillary and he most certainly won't win it with mccain, if he gets there.

priusdriver,

Obama is leading an extraordinarily sophisticated campaign. He's leading in votes. He's leading in delegates. He's leading in states.

On Iraq, he's leading on judgment. He's leading on temperament. He's leading on the approach he will take when he is in a position to lead on Iraq.

Ending funding is not a political calculation. It's the wrong thing to do. It's careless and heartless when you have a president who will go on with his quixotic adventure anyway.

I might ask you the same of Clinton: where's the evidence of her leadership? Everything she's pointed to is an exaggeration or a lie:
http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2008/03/team_obama_hits_clinton_on_exp.html

Emily - thankfully Obama extending his backyard by 10 meters didn't have the effect of over 4000 American troops dying - but if you are more worried about that then what the hey!

In my view, the Iraq war vote is just one in a series of bad judgments made by Clinton, including a number of bad judgments made in this campaign.

emily2,

You protested. Clinton, who is Obama's opponent, did not. Her judgment was to vote for war without reading the NIE.

What about Rezko? Still no wrongdoing on Obama's part, despite the lame attempts by Hillary to make it so. Again, a reflection of her poor judgment.

If the Clintons are back in the White House and the phone rings at 3am, it's probably Monica.

I'm tired of the "2002 judgment" reference. In Chicago in 2002, that was a no brainer. I lived there then and I was against the war too. I protested. I hardly think that shows better judgment than Hillary Clinton. I'm wondering about the judgment of the erstwhile Senator Obama when he made a house deal with his buddy Rezko in 2005. Where was his excellent judgment of 2002?

I am feeling that new Commander-in-Chief slogan for Obama.

"Steady, reliable -- No shock Barack; no drama Obama.

Unlike Hillary, you don't know which Hillary you get at 3am in the morning. Will it be the "I am honored to be on the stage with you Barack" Hillary, or teary-eyed New Hampshire Hillary or the Obama-mocking Hillary or the shrill "Shame on you Barack" Hillary?!?! Or will Hillary just hand the phone over to Bill Clinton at 3am, but Bill maybe sleeping in another bed.

That 3am phone call thing? I want someone who's smart enough to be *asleep* if the phone rings at 3am. I don't want them wide awake and playing solitaire on the computer.

Sleep deprivation seriously messes up judgment, and we've had way too many bad judgment calls from the White House as it is.

It's about time ex-members of the military stood up. The idea that somehow the military always supports Republicans, is a well hyped fantasy. How long before Adm Fallon winds up on that stage?

Having an endorsement from Gen. Merrill (Tony) McPeak may not be that good for Obama. McPeak was very eccentric and controversial general during his commands in the Pacific and on the Joint Chief of Staff. Ask any of your friends who served in the military during the late 80's early 90's. Not good judgement in my opinion. Obama should have done some checking.

"No Shock Barack" -I like that.

Obama is very right on this one. It also has been one of the driving factors behind his success on the Internet;

Hillary vs. Barack-
The Google Factor:

http://newsusa.myfeedportal.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=57