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Barack Obama

Oregon College Town Delivers a Standing O

By Jonathan Weisman
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- After what even he described as "a turbulent couple of weeks," Sen. Barack Obama flew all the way across the country to get a little West Coast love ... okay, a lot of love.

With the endorsement of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in hand, Obama paid a dusk visit Friday night to the American Dream pizzeria in Corvallis, home to Oregon State University. It was back to Rock Star Obama, as the candidate was mobbed. Lauren Beyer, 23, gushed that she is planning to change her lifelong Republican registration so she can vote for him in the May 20 Democratic primary. "It's all about change. It's someone who can come and actually talk to America," she swooned, as Obama made his way slowly around the restaurant. "It's hope. It's hope."

Jerry Middel, 50, had already switched his party registration from independent to Democrat for Obama's sake.

"He had a good day after all this knocking around," he said, watching the pandemonium with a satisfied smile.

It was not all bad news for Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Lillian Vazquez may have been enjoying herself, but at 76, she said she can't be swayed from her Clinton allegiance. "She's a woman," she said simply. "It's about time."

But in the tough string of contests that will finish the grueling Democratic primary season, Oregon looks like one of the easiest for Obama -- so easy that it was hard not to wonder why he had diverted his campaign from the rough-and-tumble East Coast to this haven for a day-long swing.

"It's important that he's here," insisted Kevin Boyle, a 53-year-old labor management consultant. "And it's important that he's here first."

Posted at 10:34 PM ET on Mar 21, 2008  | Category:  Barack Obama
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Comments



Has anybody checked on the validity of the claims in this news story on Obama?

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59456

Posted by: jdoyle29 | March 24, 2008 10:56 AM | Report abuse

Has anybody checked on the validity of the claims in this news story on Obama?

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59456

Posted by: jdoyle29 | March 24, 2008 10:56 AM | Report abuse

An Obama president will only ensure much GREATER DIVISIVENESS, as we already see happening, between people of different races and economic situations---far from adjudicating differences fairly, as we see, with Obama it will ALWAYS be in favor of Blacks! (That was quite clearly intimated at the end of his speech as well.) Our enemies will run rings around Obama and trick him into thinking they are "making nice" to the U.S. He just hasn't a clue! Furthermore, his hypocracy is too much to bear---e.g.,claiming it's his mixed DNA and blackness that makes him uniquely capable of mediating and helping the U.S. to re-earn the resepect of the world and yet when anyone says his race has something to do with why people want him for president, he proclaims they are racist!
with Obama, far from taking us into a post-racial consciousness, it will be a return to the extreme affirmative action policies of the past, but now with more diversity police and vast funding going into black history programs on our campuses (he has to repay the likes of Cornel West).

Posted by: mayod | March 23, 2008 5:48 PM | Report abuse

An Obama president will only ensure much GREATER DIVISIVENESS, as we already see happening, between people of different races and economic situations---far from adjudicating differences fairly, as we see, with Obama it will ALWAYS be in favor of Blacks! (That was quite clearly intimated at the end of his speech as well.) Our enemies will run rings around Obama and trick him into thinking they are "making nice" to the U.S. He just hasn't a clue! Furthermore, his hypocracy is too much to bear---e.g.,claiming it's his mixed DNA and blackness that makes him uniquely capable of mediating and helping the U.S. to re-earn the resepect of the world and yet when anyone says his race has something to do with why people want him for president, he proclaims they are racist!
with Obama, far from taking us into a post-racial consciousness, it will be a return to the extreme affirmative action policies of the past, but now with more diversity police and vast funding going into black history programs on our campuses (he has to repay the likes of Cornel West).

Posted by: mayod | March 23, 2008 5:42 PM | Report abuse

Lauren Beyer, 23, gushed that she is planning to change her lifelong Republican registration so she can vote for him in the May 20 Democratic primary. "It's all about change. It's someone who can come and actually talk to America," she swooned, as Obama made his way slowly around the restaurant. "It's hope. It's hope."

Mr. Weisman - Did this person actually "swoon" (i.e., faint)? Did she really "gush"? Is you bias showing? Is it impossible for you to describe without slanting? Or is cynicism and sniping just a part of your "journalistic style".
The days of WaPo hirinfg journalists who REPORT the news (rather than spin it)are long past. Yet, writers like yourself never cease to ofeend me. Give it up - go work for FOX - they pay more for dishonesty.

Posted by: chrisbauerobrien | March 23, 2008 3:31 PM | Report abuse

Michelle Obama should be ashamed.

"GLORK" Michelle Obama should be ashamed of her separatist-racist connection to Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. If Michelle Obama new what her husband -- the Hope-A-Dope, Fonster Monster -- Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama did in Harlem, she would wash her wide-open, Hus-suey loving MUSILM mouth out, with twenty-four (24) mule-team double-cross X-boX-BorraX. He is a MUSLIM "Glork" It's time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He's MAD!!!

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

THE SPEECH --

The Apologia has arrived and once again the self-indicting, separatist-racist Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama, promises to heal the wounds of the world. The speech is the rude awakening of mass messianism of his campaign. Apologetically, Obama the MUSLIM double-cross X-boX-BorraX has an astonishingly empty two-prawn echelon explanation of his misjudgment.
In the first prawn: with regard to his connection to separatist-racist Rev. Wright; Obama summons voodoo and juju to express slavery as beginning and ending with the Rev. Wright.
In the second prawn: Obama's speech takes credit for Ashley's dream. A dream of unity Martin Luther King, Jr. borrowed from Ashley for his historic "I Have A Dream" speech. In Obama's speech, the connective bond Ashley, the elderly black man and Obama's grandmother share; represents Obama's self-indicting rise to the Harvard Yard. For Obama, the grand flag of language is the semi-fore of words, bestowed upon our nation by the messiah-alumni from Harvard. Obama's Swoon-Song Apologia to the nation represents a failed hymn -- a hymn that fails to heal the nation, repair the world, or make this time different than all the rest. Obama's speech is a brilliant failure.

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

Posted by: jreno18 | March 23, 2008 3:20 PM | Report abuse


Obama wants to keep Florida and Michigan out which in terms of population is equal to keeping 20 states out ( like Arkansas, Kansas, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, WEst Virginia, Nebraska, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Washington DC and Wyoming). My 10 year old did the math and told me so

Shame on Obama and to the democratic party for RIGGING the elections and not letting FLORIDA and MICHIGAN count.

Posted by: vs_sv | March 23, 2008 2:29 PM | Report abuse

This election should not be about fear... it should be about changes. The government is not working well since decades. Big projets that are very needed require drastic changes in the way of doing politics. Republicans, independents and democracts need to work together. The Clintons have been polirizing figures in the '90s. Bush II has also be a polirizing figure. The governement is not working well and we must give a little bit of the power back to people. Obama has practical experience of this. As a community organizer, he has worked in the street directly with people. He has also an history of working with republicans since he was a senator in Illinois. And his campaign is inclusive, not divisive.

But his opponents are playing the fear card: What about his middle name? he must be a terrorist... What about his religion? he must be a muslim... What about his skin color? he must be half human... What about his patriotism?... he must be too much a citizen of the world...

As FDR said: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself". The political establishments and the voters should not be afraid of changes. We are the product of changes.

This election should also not be about religions, but this election may help to a better understanding of them. Countrary to some countries like Iran, in the U.S. there is, in principle, a separation of religion and potitics. Preachers are supposed to put God's issues before political issues. And one of God's commandement is that "one shall not murder". During the the Bush-McCain-Clinton war in Iraq, the U.S. has murdered prisonners after torturing them. When Saddam Hussein was an ally against Iran, the U.S. closed its eyes on a genocide against the kurdes that killed thousands of children and women (secretary of states Rumfeld at that time was meeting with Saddam giving him his benediction to solidify the alliance against Iran). There are too many examples of this type. Many preachers from the right and from the left can often not close their eyes on these types of events without criticizing the system responsible for them. Those who do close their eyes are not men of God, they are politicians.

A majority of voters such as the young voters of Oregon seem to understand that.

Posted by: Logan6 | March 23, 2008 2:20 PM | Report abuse

The depths to which Billary have sunk is truly deplorable. The one good thing about it is that the public will be innoculated about any negative on Obama, and he will be able to rise above it.

Clinton supporters continually justify the unethical campaigning by saying: "that is what it takes to beat the Republicans."

Beat them? Or is it really JOIN them?

Posted by: rjgwood | March 23, 2008 1:31 PM | Report abuse

The only way for Dems to get the WH back is to choose Hillary as their nominee. I will say again-- Obama has ZERO chance of winning in 2008.--I have studied polls from the beginning and there is no way Obama can win. Since 1948 I have predicted the winner each and every time, and some before the nominee was known. Despite what The Media is reporting, Hillary WILL BE OUR NEXT POTUS.

Posted by: lylepink | March 23, 2008 1:16 PM | Report abuse

This is really simple. Hillary enabled the war. That's the reason we will NEVER vote for her, other than everything else. Oregon is a bellweather state this time around, even though it's mostly bright crimson red.

Love, Oregon.

Posted by: lr757 | March 23, 2008 12:35 PM | Report abuse

Now that Hillary is doing well the press has decided she can't win again.

If she gets the popular vote or very close and Florida and Michigan all ready went for Hillary she will get the nomination.

She will be rightly seen as winning and Obama's only case will be number of states won and the fact that we can't count Florida and Michigan.

Posted by: mul | March 23, 2008 12:21 PM | Report abuse

OMG I put Sl*t in my message and WP got rid of the message.

They need to change this policy. Looking at Oregon it is clear the the Sl*ts, who have bad boyfriends, think Obama is there good boy friend.

There was a women with a picture of Obama waving a picture of Obama in the rally. We see obama and he is not your boyfriend.

Posted by: mul | March 23, 2008 12:02 PM | Report abuse

Wrights back in the US.

" IF " Obama becomes President.

Will he be the Whitehouse Clergy considering Obama DID NOT DENOUNCE HIM????

Will there be Sermons From The Capital with WRIGHT as the Preacher.

Will Obama Childrens Still be in attendance listening to Racist and Damning of American Government??

Will their be a new doctrine for All of us to adhear to.

What was Obamas and Wright's Plan that they started together over 2 years ago for the Whitehouse Bid. If anyone believes that Wright was not involved THINK AGAIN. Obama has openly stated his fealings for Wright and what he has meant to him all these years.

Wake up America " Wright " was Involved in Obamas Whitehouse Bid. The question is what part Wright was going to play after Obama was elected.
Obama was still attending Wrights Church and supported him UP to the Point the country viewed Wright as to what he is. Obama has not denounced him. Remember that America.

Another factor about Obama that everyone is not wanting to view. Is what has happened in Chicago Slums that Obama was responsible for making sure the Government monies were used as earmarked. People have died for his incompetence.

How Can Obama Stand and say to the American people that he did not vote for the war.. But he does not stand on the podium and tell you that he let people die in his own city. Froze to death in slums in which he had the money to correct. but" Retzko and Obama Company " Looked the Other way and " where's the money "?????????????????


Wake Up America

Posted by: wakeupamerica | March 23, 2008 10:45 AM | Report abuse

To deanderson03: I run into to many who would qoute just a section of what I am saying. To just spin nonsense during any dialog. Or some who just ignore the facts altogether and critique writing style. As an example of this tact I will demonstrate by qouting you "Have you heard of paragraph breaks and periods?" and what else did you say...


Just for you I decided give another example that I have posted on Chris Cillizza's Blog.

As a Hispanic this endorsement by Richardson is disgusting. As Richardson is aware of an ongoing racism against Hispanics that Barack Obama has been condoning for some time.
This is a basic text of a letter. I faxed to Governor Bill Richardson, after learning of his unconscionable endorsement.

Attention to; Governor Bill Richardson March 21, 2008

Ongoing Complaint and Notice

You are aware and it can be confirmed with full documentation that during the time you were a presidential candidate you and other former presidential candidates (i.e Senator Chris Dodd) were repeatedly placed on written notice that presidential candidate/Illinois US Senator Barack Obama and co-chair Obama 2008/Illinois US Senator Dick Durbin had been placed on prior repeated noticed that when I a Hispanic American citizen reported incidents of race discrimination towards me by Hormel foods Corp., UFCW, and Target Corp., the agencies the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (four instance, but not limited to) refused and are still continuing to refuse (even to the date) to afford me, a US American born citizen from the state of Illinois, the full language and the same full and equal protections under Title VII that non-Hispanics enjoy as a matter of record. You and other former presidential candidates (i.e., Senator Chris Dodd, who has already made it abundantly clear by endorsing Obama that he doesn't care about Hispanics/Latinos being treated unequally in Obama's own state of Illinois) were repeatedly placed on written notice about presidential candidates/Illinois US Senator Barack Obama's unwillingness to stop ongoing illegal discrimination. In his own state of Illinois as it relates to his Illinois constituents (who happened to be Hispanic/Latino) when they report race discrimination in Illinois, which are facts that can be verified. By endorsing Barack Obama you are helping Obama to facilitate this harm against Hispanic Americans, which makes this ongoing fight against this form of discrimination harder because you are Hispanic. Governor Bill Richardson, you are knowingly selling Hispanics out for whatever Barack Obama is promising you. I am not a governor I am just an average Hispanic American citizen in Illinois and in Barack Obama's own state of Illinois. If you identify yourself as being Hispanic and report race discrimination not as a governor you will run into the same discrimination and obstacles I am fighting against that without dispute prevent me, a Hispanic American natural born citizen, the same rights and language non-Hispanics enjoy as a matter of record when non-Hispanics assert race discrimination in Illinois, and having been placed on repeated written notice by me about this ongoing discrimination in Illinois against Hispanics/Latinos you are now being complicit in this discrimination against Hispanics/Latinos by endorsing Barack Obama as there can be no dispute this obstruction of justice and discrimination is ongoing in my particular case. Barack Obama has given a supposedly historic speech about race recently to defend his pastor's hate of America but Hispanics like me who love America cannot assert race discrimination because of Barack Obama's inaction. This should be more than a simple red flag, but with history on my side and facts that back up the true nature of Barack Obama you endorsing Obama will forever include you with Barack Obama's racist legacy.

cc: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Senate majority leader Harry Reid,
John Edwards

If any good reporter wants they can check this out! Included is a link to just one example (If you happen to be a Hispanic in Illinois you have no race and therefore cannot be a victim of race discrimination as I can atest) this is on IDHR's own website in the public domain.

http://www.state.il.us/dhr/Orders/2006/Oct_06/Zuniga,%20M.htm

This is nothing knew and Chris Cillizza has yet to report this despite me posting this verifible information on his blog as far back as april 2007. Barack Obama has gotton a free pass for to long wouldn't you agree.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/04/fix_picks_edwards_and_obama_un.html

Posted by: Chaos45i | March 23, 2008 1:16 AM | Report abuse

To deanderson03: I run into to many who would qoute just a section of what I am saying. To just spin nonsense during any dialog. Or some who just ignore the facts altogether and critique writing style. As an example of this tact I will demonstrate by qouting you "Have you heard of paragraph breaks and periods?" and what else did you say...


Just for you I decided give another example that I have posted on Chris Cillizza's Blog.

As a Hispanic this endorsement by Richardson is disgusting. As Richardson is aware of an ongoing racism against Hispanics that Barack Obama has been condoning for some time.
This is a basic text of a letter. I faxed to Governor Bill Richardson, after learning of his unconscionable endorsement.

Attention to; Governor Bill Richardson March 21, 2008

Ongoing Complaint and Notice

You are aware and it can be confirmed with full documentation that during the time you were a presidential candidate you and other former presidential candidates (i.e Senator Chris Dodd) were repeatedly placed on written notice that presidential candidate/Illinois US Senator Barack Obama and co-chair Obama 2008/Illinois US Senator Dick Durbin had been placed on prior repeated noticed that when I a Hispanic American citizen reported incidents of race discrimination towards me by Hormel foods Corp., UFCW, and Target Corp., the agencies the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (four instance, but not limited to) refused and are still continuing to refuse (even to the date) to afford me, a US American born citizen from the state of Illinois, the full language and the same full and equal protections under Title VII that non-Hispanics enjoy as a matter of record. You and other former presidential candidates (i.e., Senator Chris Dodd, who has already made it abundantly clear by endorsing Obama that he doesn't care about Hispanics/Latinos being treated unequally in Obama's own state of Illinois) were repeatedly placed on written notice about presidential candidates/Illinois US Senator Barack Obama's unwillingness to stop ongoing illegal discrimination. In his own state of Illinois as it relates to his Illinois constituents (who happened to be Hispanic/Latino) when they report race discrimination in Illinois, which are facts that can be verified. By endorsing Barack Obama you are helping Obama to facilitate this harm against Hispanic Americans, which makes this ongoing fight against this form of discrimination harder because you are Hispanic. Governor Bill Richardson, you are knowingly selling Hispanics out for whatever Barack Obama is promising you. I am not a governor I am just an average Hispanic American citizen in Illinois and in Barack Obama's own state of Illinois. If you identify yourself as being Hispanic and report race discrimination not as a governor you will run into the same discrimination and obstacles I am fighting against that without dispute prevent me, a Hispanic American natural born citizen, the same rights and language non-Hispanics enjoy as a matter of record when non-Hispanics assert race discrimination in Illinois, and having been placed on repeated written notice by me about this ongoing discrimination in Illinois against Hispanics/Latinos you are now being complicit in this discrimination against Hispanics/Latinos by endorsing Barack Obama as there can be no dispute this obstruction of justice and discrimination is ongoing in my particular case. Barack Obama has given a supposedly historic speech about race recently to defend his pastor's hate of America but Hispanics like me who love America cannot assert race discrimination because of Barack Obama's inaction. This should be more than a simple red flag, but with history on my side and facts that back up the true nature of Barack Obama you endorsing Obama will forever include you with Barack Obama's racist legacy.

cc: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Senate majority leader Harry Reid,
John Edwards

If any good reporter wants they can check this out! Included is a link to just one example (If you happen to be a Hispanic in Illinois you have no race and therefore cannot be a victim of race discrimination as I can atest) this is on IDHR's own website in the public domain.

http://www.state.il.us/dhr/Orders/2006/Oct_06/Zuniga,%20M.htm

This is nothing knew and Chris Cillizza has yet to report this despite me posting this verifible information on his blog as far back as april 2007. Barack Obama has gotton a free pass for to long wouldn't you agree.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/04/fix_picks_edwards_and_obama_un.html

Posted by: Chaos45i | March 23, 2008 1:14 AM | Report abuse

I found this great post today, I'm sorry I lost the poster's name.
------------------------------------------

--Obama wasn't honest. He was trying to save himself from 20 years of a bad decision. For the life of me I can't figure out why the media doesn't see what the rest of us do--we didn't hear a magnificent speech. We heard excuses. I'm a democrat and I can't excuse him. He had an obligation to walk away from that church and that man if he wants to be elected to govern all of America. You in the media keep crowing about 2.5 million people watching his speech on youtube. Do you know what they're doing? Many of them as watching and are disappointed--it's not that they are all watching it and embracing its message of justification and defensiveness. Obama let America down. He's had all the priviledges American can provide and yet he didn't stand up for his country and he didn't disavow hatred toward white america until forced to. The time for compelling speeches was sometime in the past 20 years.

Posted by: bnw173 | March 22, 2008 9:56 PM | Report abuse

I totally agree with Senator Obama that we need a congressional investigation into the passport breach for all three candidates. I think the Attorney General should also start an invetigation into the DOS debacle.

To be prudent, we need to have the US Senate Ethics Committee start looking into Sen Obama's relationships with people like Wright and Rezko NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT ONE OF HIS ADVISORS WAS BEHIND THE PASSPORT BREACH!

HOW MANY SPEECHES IS THIS GUY GOING TO HAVE GIVE EACH WEEK TO EXPLAIN AWAY ALL THESE PROBLEMS?

HOPE AND CHANGE: THIS IS TURNING INTO SHOCK AND AWE 5 YEARS LATER.

Posted by: Dave25 | March 22, 2008 9:29 PM | Report abuse

I totally agree with Senator Obama that we need a congressional investigation into the passport breach for all three candidates. I think the Attorney General should also start an invetigation into the DOS debacle.

To be prudent, we need to have the US Senate Ethics Committee start looking into Sen Obama's relationships with people like Wright and Rezko NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT ONE OF HIS ADVISORS WAS BEHIND THE PASSPORT BREACH!

HOW MANY SPPECHES IS THIS GUY GOING TO HAVE GIVE EACH WEEK TO EXPLAIN AWAY ALL THESE PROBLEMS?

HOPE AND CHANGE: THIS IS TURNING INTO SHOCK AND AWE 5 YEARS LATER.

Posted by: Dave25 | March 22, 2008 9:29 PM | Report abuse

2002 - While Barack cautioned that without clear rationale an invasion of Iraq would encourage the worst impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda, Hillary told Larry King she didn't regret her vote on the Iraq war resolution because like the Bush administration, the Clinton administration viewed Saddam Hussein as a threat to the international community.
___________________________________________

Would someone please answer these questions for me. In 2002 Obama is a little ole state senator in Illinois voting mostly present on any tough legislation> What is he doing going around the country spouting off about the war? And how do I know he would have voted against the Iraq resolution? Who asked him for an opinion? Man, that was a tough vote, and I don't believe they have a present vote in the real senate? Did he make his own speech and tape it? Who had ever heard of Obama in 2002?

Posted by: bnw173 | March 22, 2008 9:05 PM | Report abuse

To be honest, I voted for Clinton twice, and I think HE was a very good President. However, I have paid little attention to anything he has said since about 10 seconds after the Marc Rich pardon.

Posted by: steveboyington
---------------------------------------------

Same post three times. Are you a stut...stut...stutterer? I wish he could be president again. You get your drawers in a wad to easily. Everybody has to have a fault or two. At least he didn't call his grandmother a racist.

Posted by: bnw173 | March 22, 2008 8:52 PM | Report abuse

The superdelegates will see this and vote Obama.

Posted by: Logan6
------------------------------------------

After Fox gets through with Obama's relationship with Ayers and Farrakan they may see something else.
Call your own grandmother a racist. What a bonehead. His grandmother didn't get him into the political mess with Wright. He did it all by his lonesome. What a class act. How can some of you folks still vote for him.

Posted by: bnw173 | March 22, 2008 8:47 PM | Report abuse

To be honest, I voted for Clinton twice, and I think HE was a very good President. However, I have paid little attention to anything he has said since about 10 seconds after the Marc Rich pardon.

Posted by: steveboyington | March 22, 2008 7:50 PM | Report abuse

To be honest, I voted for Clinton twice, and I think HE was a very good President. However, I have paid little attention to anything he has said since about 10 seconds after the Marc Rich pardon.

Posted by: steveboyington | March 22, 2008 7:50 PM | Report abuse

To be honest, I voted for Clinton twice, and I think HE was a very good President. However, I have paid little attention to anything he has said since about 10 seconds after the Marc Rick pardon.

Posted by: steveboyington | March 22, 2008 7:50 PM | Report abuse

Buzz up!


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Meet the man who inspired Reverend Jeremiah Wright's now famous tirade about America's foreign policy inciting the terrorist attacks of September 11.

His name is Ambassador Edward Peck. And he is a retired, white, career U.S. diplomat who served 32-years in the U.S. Foreign Service and was chief of the U.S. mission to Iraq under Jimmy Carter -- hardly the black-rage image with which Wright has been stigmatized.

In fact, when Wright took the pulpit to give his post-9/11 address -- which has since become boiled down to a five second sound bite about "America's chickens coming home to roost" -- he prefaced his remarks as a "faith footnote," an indication that he was deviating from his sermon.

"I heard Ambassador Peck on an interview yesterday," Wright declared. "He was on Fox News. This is a white man and he was upsetting the Fox News commentators to no end. He pointed out, a white man, an ambassador, that what Malcolm X said when he got silenced by Elijah Muhammad was in fact true: America's chickens are coming home to roost."

Wright then went on to list more than a few U.S. foreign policy endeavors that, by the tone of his voice and manner of his expression, he viewed as more or less deplorable. This included, as has been demonstrated in the endless loop of clips from his sermon, bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki and nuking "far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye."

"Violence begets violence," Wright said, "hatred begets hatred, and terrorism begets terrorism."

And then he concluded by putting the comments on Peck's shoulders: "A white ambassador said that yall, not a black militant, not a reverend who preaches about racism, an ambassador whose eyes are wide open and is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice... the ambassador said that the people we have wounded don't have the military capability we have, but they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them... let me stop my faith footnote right there."

Watch the video (the relevant material starts around the 3:00 mark):

So it seems that while Wright did believe American held some responsibility for 9/11, his views, which have been described as radically outside the political mainstream, were actually influenced by a career foreign policy official.

Who is Peck? The ambassador, who has offered controversial criticism of Israeli policy in the West Bank but also warned against the Iraq War, was lecturing on a cruise ship and was unavailable for comment. But officials at Peck's former organization, the Council for the National Interest, a non-profit group that advocates reducing Israel's influence on U.S. Middle East policy, offered descriptions of the man.

"Peck is very outspoken," said Eugene Bird, who now heads CNI. "He is also very good at making phrases that have a resonance with the American people. When he came off of that Fox News, a few days later he said they would never invite me back again."

And what, exactly, did Peck say in that Fox News interview that inspired Wright's words?

Here are some quotes from an appearance the Ambassador made on the network on October 11, 2001, which may or may not have been the segment Wright was referring to. On the show, Peck said he thought it was illogical to tie Saddam Hussein to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and that while the then-Iraqi leader had "some very sound and logical reasons not to like [the United States]," he and Osama bin Laden had no other ties.

From there, Peck went on to ascribe motives for what prompted the 9/11 attacks. "Stopping the economic embargo and bombings of Iraq," he said, "things to which Osama bin Laden has alluded as the kinds of things he doesn't like. He doesn't think it's appropriate for the United States to be doing, from his perspective, all the terrible things that he sees us as having been doing, the same way Saddam Hussein feels. So from that perspective, they have a commonality of interests. But they also have a deeply divergent view of the role of Islam in government, which would be a problem."

Posted by: dropbrianaline | March 22, 2008 6:19 PM | Report abuse

Who cares what all those tree huggers, Black mask anarchist's and hold over hippy-yuppy-gruppys think in Oregon. They are so far out in La-La land, it's a wonder they haven't hurt themselves running in to each other.

Posted by: autowx | March 22, 2008 5:41 PM | Report abuse

Well, time for Obama maniacs to drink more Kool-aid. The latest poll from North Carolina has Hillary leading

Posted by: vs_sv | March 22, 2008 5:14 PM | Report abuse

Obama was mobbed by huge crowds all over Oregon- from the 15,000 in Portland's Coliseum, to Salem, Corvallis, Medford, and the real college-town Eugene's Mac Court which quickly filled to its capacity of 10,000 and leaving another four or five thousand outside. All ages, all races, and all very enthusiastic and boisterous. Take note- all of you who are still stuck in the racist messages and rumors propagated by the bigots and hate-mongers. Oregon, an overwhelmingly white state, is the beacon for the rest of the country.

Posted by: Munir1 | March 22, 2008 4:41 PM | Report abuse

It's very interesting to note that Obama never strays far from the college age audience, regardless of what state he's in. I wonder why. A lot of bloggers in Ohio and Texas noted that he never came anywhere near their small towns. And last night, ABC news had a story on a town full of Middle Americans in Penn. They went to a bowling alley there, and were unable to find ONE person who supported the Empty Suit.

Posted by: thinkwithyourbrain | March 22, 2008 4:32 PM | Report abuse

Michelle Obama should be ashamed.

"GLORK" Michelle Obama should be ashamed of her separatist-racist connection to Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. If Michelle Obama new what her husband -- the Hope-A-Dope, Fonster Monster -- Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama did in Harlem, she would wash her wide-open, Hus-suey loving MUSILM mouth out, with twenty-four (24) mule-team double-cross X-boX-BorraX. He is a MUSLIM "Glork" It's time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He's MAD!!!

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

THE SPEECH --

The Apologia has arrived and once again the self-indicting, separatist-racist Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama, promises to heal the wounds of the world. The speech is the rude awakening of mass messianism of his campaign. Apologetically, Obama the MUSLIM double-cross X-boX-BorraX has an astonishingly empty two-prawn echelon explanation of his misjudgment.
In the first prawn: with regard to his connection to separatist-racist Rev. Wright; Obama summons voodoo and juju to express slavery as beginning and ending with the Rev. Wright.
In the second prawn: Obama's speech takes credit for Ashley's dream. A dream of unity Martin Luther King, Jr. borrowed from Ashley for his historic "I Have A Dream" speech. In Obama's speech, the connective bond Ashley, the elderly black man and Obama's grandmother share; represents Obama's self-indicting rise to the Harvard Yard. For Obama, the grand flag of language is the semi-fore of words, bestowed upon our nation by the messiah-alumni from Harvard. Obama's Swoon-Song Apologia to the nation represents a failed hymn -- a hymn that fails to heal the nation, repair the world, or make this time different than all the rest. Obama's speech is a brilliant failure.

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

Posted by: jreno16 | March 22, 2008 4:18 PM | Report abuse

Greetings:

I am glad that Obama took the time to come to Oregon...(Or-E-gun) It makes us feel that we really do have a chance to make a change in how our goverment is run. Plus with only about 1682 black people in the whole state-He does stand out.

What? Yes, most of us people here in Oregon are clueless, but oddly enough we like it that way.

Posted by: allen.yeager | March 22, 2008 4:08 PM | Report abuse

Obama's efforts to connect to the Republican Party, specifically Bush, and Dick Chaney, of the Halliburton Company, dates back to the Presidents Grandfather, Prescott Bush, and indeed Chaney was once an executive officer of Halliburton.

The American military pounds Iraq with Artillary, bombs, and the like, destroying large sections of cities, and infra-structures, then Halliburton comes in to rebuild. Halliburton and Halliburton associated companies have raked in ten's of billions.

Obama is just like the BIG HALIBURTAN. Haliburton has contracted to build detention centers in the U.S. similiar to the one in Quantanammo Bay, Cuba. Halliburton does nothing to earn the Two Dollars for each meal an American Serviceman in Iraq eats.

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

Halliburton was scheduled to take control of the Dubai Ports in The United Arab Emiirate. The deal was canceled when Bush was unable to affect the transfer of the American Ports.

Now we see what some might suspect as similiar financial escapading from the Democrats.

Two years ago, Iraq's Ministry of Electricity gave a $50 million contract to a start-up security company - Companion- owned by now-indicted businessman (TONY REZKO) Tony Rezko and a onetime Chicago cop, Daniel T. Frawley, to train Iraqi power-plant guards in the United States. An Iraqi leadership change left the deal in limbo. Now the company, Companion Security, is working to revive its contract.
Involved along with Antoin "Tony" Rezco, long time friend and neighbor of Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and former cop Daniel T. Frawley, is Aiham Alsammarae. Alsammarae was accused of financial corruption by Iraqi authorities and jailed in Iraq last year before escaping and returning here.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON --
Recently, Obama's campaign staff have been vetted by the IRS to disclose his connection to the criminal money generating underworld. Besides, his connections to the REZCO MAFIA types, his up-coming tax fraud charges -- Obama needs to disclose why he is a MUSLIM "PATWANG-FWEEE" and disclose Obama's MUSLIM Farrakhan mob connection to Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church are trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. Obama should stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It's time to introduce this false, fake Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke "GLORK" Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He is MAD!!! --

OBAM YOU'RE NO JFK --

"GLORK" Obama looks like Alfred E. Newman: "Tales Calculated To Drive You." He is a MUSLIM "Glork" He's MAD!!! Alfred E. Neuman is the fictional mascot of Mad. The face had drifted through American pictography for decades before being claimed by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman after he spotted it on the bulletin board in the office of Ballantine Books editor Bernard Shir-Cliff, later a contributor to various magazines created by Kurtzman.
Obama needs to disclose why he is a MUSLIM "PATWANG-FWEEE" and stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It's time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek.

Michelle Obama should be ashamed.

"GLORK" Michelle Obama should be ashamed of her separatist-racist connection to Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. If Michelle Obama new what her husband -- the Hope-A-Dope, Fonster Monster -- Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama did in Harlem, she would wash her wide-open, Hus-suey loving MUSILM mouth out, with twenty-four (24) mule-team double-cross X-boX-BorraX. He is a MUSLIM "Glork" It's time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He's MAD!!!

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

THE SPEECH --

The Apologia has arrived and once again the self-indicting, separatist-racist Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama, promises to heal the wounds of the world. The speech is the rude awakening of mass messianism of his campaign. Apologetically, Obama the MUSLIM double-cross X-boX-BorraX has an astonishingly empty two-prawn echelon explanation of his misjudgment.
In the first prawn: with regard to his connection to separatist-racist Rev. Wright; Obama summons voodoo and juju to express slavery as beginning and ending with the Rev. Wright.
In the second prawn: Obama's speech takes credit for Ashley's dream. A dream of unity Martin Luther King, Jr. borrowed from Ashley for his historic "I Have A Dream" speech. In Obama's speech, the connective bond Ashley, the elderly black man and Obama's grandmother share; represents Obama's self-indicting rise to the Harvard Yard. For Obama, the grand flag of language is the semi-fore of words, bestowed upon our nation by the messiah-alumni from Harvard. Obama's Swoon-Song Apologia to the nation represents a failed hymn -- a hymn that fails to heal the nation, repair the world, or make this time different than all the rest. Obama's speech is a brilliant failure.

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

Posted by: jreno16 | March 22, 2008 3:09 PM | Report abuse

The biggest joke about this campaign is how the media has lost all focus on what the real color of interest is. It's not a black or white thing, but a matter of economics which makes it a green thing. Money is what drives the American agenda. And if you can help someone live better by offering ways to help them pay their bills and live righteous and comfortable, color really is a non-issue. NEXT!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Gharza | March 22, 2008 3:05 PM | Report abuse

More "reporting" from Jonathan Weisman. Has he even once questioned anything Obama has said? It's really not that difficult to pick his policies apart and reveal their flaws, but that's obviously something he's incapable of. Maybe a real journalist - that is, a regular citizen with a video camera - can ask Obama about the points made here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z0zfEXqND_s

Posted by: LonewackoDotCom | March 22, 2008 2:58 PM | Report abuse

When liberal whites & blacks view Obama's speech, they see the greatest exposition of oratory since MLK.

The average American today wasn't alive forty years ago on April 4,2008, the day when King was shot, let alone old enough to fathom the words he spoke.

When conservative Republican & independent whites view the same speech, they hear the complete opposite.

They see Obama lying about the fact that just one week before Obama said he was NOT PRESENT when ANY of Wright's volatile comments were made. They see Obama revealing to the world the racism of his grandmother. Who would dare do that to someone they claim to love so much? A conniving despicable con artist.

Get the picture? Republicans & conservatives, who might have been wavering about McCain because they view him as a MODERATE, have now solidified their opposition against Obama, and movement to McCain is rising above both Democrats.

The white majority is not going to vote for Obama, an extreme left-wing, black liberation radical, no matter how much Obama smiles, & speaks in articulate English which whites seldom hear from people of color.

Obama's mask has been removed. His silvery-tongued delivery just doesn't have that charm it did for those on the fence.

Not when an authentic American hero is on the ballot.

Posted by: dyend | March 22, 2008 2:29 PM | Report abuse

THIS IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE:

""Lillian Vazquez may have been enjoying herself, but at 76, she said she can't be swayed from her Clinton allegiance. "SHY's A WOMAN," she said simply. "It's about time.""

HILLARY IS ONLY IN THE RACE BECAUSE OF 2
(Two) FACTORS:
1) To be married to an ex-President and claiming his successes (but not his failures!!) as her own.
2) To be a Woman, which, as it is clearly visble from the Exit polls, made many more women as men to vote, and they did mainly for her, except the black ones.

OBAMA had the same advantage between the black voters, but then, there are many more women than afro-american !!

And there is a lot more justification for a black person than for women to be driven by the fact that one of them is finally able to reach to such a high position:

Both were discriminated in the past, but women were not submitted to slavery in a men society and still very recently not allowed to seat in the front of a bus !!!
(I am lily white !!)

caminito

Posted by: caminito | March 22, 2008 2:26 PM | Report abuse

It is not race it is the audacity of his lies. How dare he claim to be different then other politians when from the beginning he has run a negative campaign. Sure, it's easy to blame Clinton and point fingers at her but the facts show that it has been Obama who has been devisive and negative. He has proven himself to be a complete hypocrit and he does not deserve the nomination to be Commander in Chief. It is time for us all to support Clinton.

Posted by: TALVES | March 22, 2008 1:49 PM | Report abuse

Yes Jake D. It is okay to switch parties to vote for someone if you are doing it because you belive they would make the best President. It isn't okay if you are doing it as a way of election tampering. Nothing wrong with Repubs voting for Hillary if they want to elect her as POTUS, but it they are planning to vote McCain in Nov -- it is ILLEGAL.

The fact that you can't tell the difference highlights why you would support a candidate as 'morally challenged' as Hillary.

Posted by: newfapalooza | March 22, 2008 1:06 PM | Report abuse

Yes Jake 'troll' D. It is okay to switch parties to vote for someone if you are doing it because you belive they would make the best President. It isn't okay if you are doing it as a way of election tampering. Nothing wrong with Repubs voting for Hillary if they want to elect her as POTUS, but it they are planning to vote McCain in Nov -- it is ILLEGAL.

The fact that you can't tell the difference highlights why you would support a candidate as 'morally challenged' as Hillary.

Posted by: newfapalooza | March 22, 2008 1:06 PM | Report abuse

Why doesn't the Washington POST THIS STORY

Obama's Awful Week Gets Worse

Obama Church Published Hamas Terror Manifesto

It can be found on
http://www.reuters.com/news/politics

Stroll down and read this story for some reason it does not always go to page when copy/ paste but here it goes.
http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/politics?type=politicsNews&w1=B7ovpm21IaDoL40ZFnNfGe&w2=B7tmRCRJt2YFzDsa7MJ1CblL&src=blogBurst_politicsNews&bbPostId=Cz8ahHIIIQKdWB8CeO57FZmNVBDbjccdKp1jGB3XAwxTwD0HK&bbParentWidgetId=B7tmRCRJt2YFzDsa7MJ1CblL

Posted by: acjinvest | March 22, 2008 12:23 PM | Report abuse

Obama's supporters are going for him because of his qualities (unifier, near the people, intelligent, articulate, etc.) while Hillary's supporters are going for her because of Bill (for some latinos miss the '90s), her gender (for some feminists) and the color of her skin (for some racists). That's why Obama's supporters are more enthousiastics. And that's why Obama's numbers are going up when voters learn to know him, and that Hillary's numbers are going down in the same context.

The superdelegates will see this and vote Obama.


Posted by: Logan6 | March 22, 2008 11:59 AM | Report abuse

Obama/Richardson'08 would be a very good ticket. But there are several others. Obama/Clinton'08 is one of them despite the fact that I hate Hillary's campaign based on swiftboating. But Obama is such an unifier that if he is ready to work with republicans, he will be also ready to work with people like Hillary who tried swiftboating him. Obama is what is needed to get everydody (the good guys and the bad ones) working together.

Posted by: Logan6 | March 22, 2008 11:41 AM | Report abuse

Hillary:

Where are those tax records and earmark requests?

I am sure the superdelegates are wondering also. What gigantic problem is waiting to be "vetted"?

Posted by: dawnmcmillin | March 22, 2008 11:15 AM | Report abuse

If Hillary were to be elected (a very long shot) it would be politics as usual. I hate that I have such derrogatory thoughts about a candidate, but her Carl Rove politics have caused this. She has been so dirty in running her campaign, I have lost all respect for her. Although I would never vote for McCain (four more years of Bush) it would be hard to vote for anyone but Barack Obama. He represents us, cares for us and supports our needs.
We need our candidates to be able to talk about policies,issues, plans and ideas. Hillary, with her negative campaigning is not allowing this.
I pray our country will have the benefit of Barack being our next president.

Posted by: kathlenec | March 22, 2008 10:50 AM | Report abuse

Obama/Richardson '08!

The puffery of Hillary's recount of events and her outright lying about the Bosnian adventure illustrate her willingness to play fast and loose with the truth. Heck, we can keep the Bush cabal if we want to be lied to some more.

Begone, Bill and Hillary, anon!

Posted by: meldupree | March 22, 2008 10:01 AM | Report abuse

Guilt Free! Guilt Free! A vote for Obama will make us Guilt Free at Last!

Posted by: sam51 | March 22, 2008 9:53 AM | Report abuse

The Clintons by this point should be very ashamed of themselves.

If they weren't brilliant, super-intelligent people, and still among the highest of the high in the democratic party, I would say, who cares what they do or say.

But the fact is, Persident Clinton is even now after months of subterfuge and innuendo and dirty politics, still thought of highly and looked up to by millions of 'Blue collar' Dems.

His comments yesterday have driven another nail into the coffin of his hopes for a third term, in my opinion.

To suggest in a way that stunningly shows his hidden contempt for the average voter, Mr. Clinton clearly implies that Obama does not love this country, and clearly suggests (again!!!) that mcCain would make a better president.

The Clinton's behavior throughout this primary season has been beyond reprehensible; they are preying like wolves on the voters with average intelligence and not much time to digest what's going on in the most cynical, dirty, despicable way.

Obama is the best candidate by far, appealing to our higher nature and asking us to show compassion and patience.

I pray with all my heart and soul that people see you cannot lie and cheat and steal the Oval office and then expect things to change once you get there. That's what George W. Bush did, and look what happened.

The Clinton's should get out of the way of the future --- NOW.

Posted by: skyriak | March 22, 2008 9:46 AM | Report abuse

Barack Obama is simply the most impressive person to run for president since Robert Kennedy. Senator Clinton's "kitchen sink" approach to her attacks have been relentless. I like Mrs. Clinton, and she deserves credit for her tenacity. However, Senator Obama has taken it all without losing his cool, and it it is just one more affirmation of his credentials. Governor Richardson sees it, and I hope this opens a floodgate of significant super delegate endorsements.

DT Fishkill NY

Posted by: danieltappen | March 22, 2008 9:29 AM | Report abuse

Chaos45i,

Have you heard of paragraph breaks and periods? I for one, can't make heads nor tails of what your beef is. If this is the letter you've sent to the powers that be, I suggest a ghostwriter for all future correspondences if you actually desire a response.

Posted by: deanderson03 | March 22, 2008 8:13 AM | Report abuse

As a Hispanic this endorsement by Richardson is disgusting. As Richardson is aware of an ongoing racism against Hispanics that Barack Obama has been condoning for some time.
This is a basic text of a letter. I faxed to Governor Bill Richardson, after learning of his unconscionable endorsement.

Attention to; Governor Bill Richardson March 21, 2008

Ongoing Complaint and Notice

You are aware and it can be confirmed with full documentation that during the time you were a presidential candidate you and other former presidential candidates (i.e Senator Chris Dodd) were repeatedly placed on written notice that presidential candidate/Illinois US Senator Barack Obama and co-chair Obama 2008/Illinois US Senator Dick Durbin had been placed on prior repeated noticed that when I a Hispanic American citizen reported incidents of race discrimination towards me by Hormel foods Corp., UFCW, and Target Corp., the agencies the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (four instance, but not limited to) refused and are still continuing to refuse (even to the date) to afford me, a US American born citizen from the state of Illinois, the full language and the same full and equal protections under Title VII that non-Hispanics enjoy as a matter of record. You and other former presidential candidates (i.e., Senator Chris Dodd, who has already made it abundantly clear by endorsing Obama that he doesn't care about Hispanics/Latinos being treated unequally in Obama's own state of Illinois) were repeatedly placed on written notice about presidential candidates/Illinois US Senator Barack Obama's unwillingness to stop ongoing illegal discrimination. In his own state of Illinois as it relates to his Illinois constituents (who happened to be Hispanic/Latino) when they report race discrimination in Illinois, which are facts that can be verified. By endorsing Barack Obama you are helping Obama to facilitate this harm against Hispanic Americans, which makes this ongoing fight against this form of discrimination harder because you are Hispanic. Governor Bill Richardson, you are knowingly selling Hispanics out for whatever Barack Obama is promising you. I am not a governor I am just an average Hispanic American citizen in Illinois and in Barack Obama's own state of Illinois. If you identify yourself as being Hispanic and report race discrimination not as a governor you will run into the same discrimination and obstacles I am fighting against that without dispute prevent me, a Hispanic American natural born citizen, the same rights and language non-Hispanics enjoy as a matter of record when non-Hispanics assert race discrimination in Illinois, and having been placed on repeated written notice by me about this ongoing discrimination in Illinois against Hispanics/Latinos you are now being complicit in this discrimination against Hispanics/Latinos by endorsing Barack Obama as there can be no dispute this obstruction of justice and discrimination is ongoing in my particular case. Barack Obama has given a supposedly historic speech about race recently to defend his pastor's hate of America but Hispanics like me who love America cannot assert race discrimination because of Barack Obama's inaction. This should be more than a simple red flag, but with history on my side and facts that back up the true nature of Barack Obama you endorsing Obama will forever include you with Barack Obama's racist legacy.

cc: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Senate majority leader Harry Reid,
John Edwards

If any good reporter wants they can check this out!

Posted by: Chaos45i | March 22, 2008 6:30 AM | Report abuse

Why would the Clintons' traditional adversaries Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity now embrace Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party's nominee?

The simple answer is that when elected, Barack Obama threatens their wealth, power and position. Instead of using fear, division and rancor as instruments to maintain power and position in Washington, Barack Obama offers confidence, unity and reason as a means for governing. While the Clintons and John McCain are willing traders in the fear mongering marketplace, Barack Obama refuses to trade with them.

The Clintons would have us believe that Hillary and Bill have been thoroughly vetted. If that were true, then why don't we have answers for:

FOREIGN: How will Hillary know whether Bill's advice serves U.S. interests or the interests of his Russian, Chinese, Indian, Kazakhstan, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Brunei clients?

MONEY: Do the tax records for the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation, Clinton Library and Clinton campaign show a proper accounting for the sources and uses of funds?

PARDONS: Will Hillary "reject" contributions or compensation from persons she pardons unlike her husband Bill who accepted contributions from Marc Rich, partner of Viktor Bout (the merchant of death), and her brother Hugh Rodham who accepted compensation from drug lords who were pardoned by Bill?

If experience, wisdom and judgment may be relied upon to judge a presidential candidate's abilities to solve problems, then let's look at the records of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

2007 - While Barack Obama promoted a restoration of balance between work and wealth and criticized special interests for distorting U.S. tax codes, Hillary Clinton and her husband liquidated their blind trust of the nearly $50 million amassed during their years in public office.

2002 - While Barack cautioned that without clear rationale an invasion of Iraq would encourage the worst impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda, Hillary told Larry King she didn't regret her vote on the Iraq war resolution because like the Bush administration, the Clinton administration viewed Saddam Hussein as a threat to the international community.

1999 - While Barack secured bipartisan support for health-care reform and passage of low-income tax credits and child care subsidies in the Illinois legislature, Hillary supported her husband's Iraq "regime change" policy in order to divert public attention from the president's marital, legal and ethical infidelities.

1989 - While Barack Obama served as the Harvard Law Review's first black president, Hillary Clinton then wife of the Arkansas governor received payments from a law firm that was doing the state's business and received board of director payments from Wal-Mart where she remained silent about Wal-Mart's anti-labor union practices.

1979 - While Barack Obama was actively involved in the South African divestment movement to end apartheid, Hillary reaped profits of almost 10,000% in the futures markets and left taxpayers with her real-estate losses in the Savings & Loan bailout.

When political and military judgment mattered most to U.S. military personnel and the American people, John McCain and Hillary Clinton failed as U.S. Senators to demonstrate any commander-in-chief qualities when without competent questioning, they both accepted the faulty intelligence used to justify the Iraq war and misjudged the Bush administration's competencies to lead the war.

Barack Obama on the other hand demonstrated his superior judgment and commander-in-chief qualities when he took an unpopular position and cautioned that without clear rationale an invasion of Iraq would encourage the worst impulses of the Arab world and strengthen Al Qaeda's recruitment.

Now, John McCain advocates maintaining U.S. troops in Iraq indefinitely which does little to incentivize the Iraqi government to deliver the political reforms needed to promote civil unity whereas Barack Obama's threat to withdraw U.S. troops does more to incentivize the Iraqi government to deliver the necessary reforms.

When did Hillary Clinton deliver health-care reform or demonstrate her economic wisdom and foresight while Alan Greenspan was warning of irrational exuberance as the subprime housing loans were created and pandered during her husband's administration and her husband supported China's entry into the World Trade Organization without any conditions such as protecting the environment or labor and property rights to levels that are comparable to western standards?

Today China is not only a leading contributor to environmental pollution and global warming (thank you very much Mr. Nobel Laureate, Al Gore), it's also pushing up oil and other commodity prices, taking our jobs and stealing our intellectual property.

It's refreshingly nice to see the better angels of America's character prevailing as voters reject the racial, religious and ethnic slurs being spewed by the divisive surrogates of Clinton, Limbaugh and Hannity.

As a Republican-leaning independent, I will vote for the Democratic nominee if it is Barack Obama but I will not vote for the Party's nominee if Hillary Clinton is on the ticket.

Posted by: jonura_smith | March 22, 2008 6:27 AM | Report abuse

Any more of this nomination process only ensures a third Bush term.

It's time for the Democratic Party to come together. Now.

Posted by: PulSamsara | March 22, 2008 3:16 AM | Report abuse

Obama's supporters are going for him because of his qualities (unifier, near the people, intelligent, articulate, etc.) while Hillary's supporters are going for ther because of Bill (like the latinos), her gender (like the angry feminists) and the color of her skin (like the racists). That's why Obama's supporters are more enthousiastics. And that's why Obama's numbers are going up when voters learn to know him, and that Hillary's number are going down in the same context.

The superdelegates will see this and vote Obama.

Posted by: Logan6 | March 22, 2008 2:12 AM | Report abuse

There's a difference between changing registration to vote for someone because you like them and doing it to get the poorest candidate from the other side. You are raising the risk that overall, you will get stuck with the poorest electee.

Posted by: majorteddy | March 22, 2008 1:14 AM | Report abuse

This article had me howling with laughter! Thanks for the smile, Mr Weisman.

Turbulent.... ya think?

Posted by: redhiker | March 22, 2008 12:31 AM | Report abuse

O'Brother,

The Washington O'Post,

With O'Nother,

O'Bomba,

O'Story!

O, God! ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz :-o

Posted by: rat-the | March 22, 2008 12:29 AM | Report abuse

So it is ok to switch from Republican or Independent to vote for Obama in Oregon but not for Hillary in Pennsylvania?

Posted by: JakeD | March 22, 2008 12:20 AM | Report abuse

Yahoo! I'm a native Oregonian and I'm delighted to see my state representing what it represents to in my memories of growing up there, straight-plain thinking and common-ground seeking, liar-sniffing-out independent thinkers and doers. Yay. I'm an Obama supporter; I think he's great. Imperfect; he's the first to admit and who is perfect? However, I have a belief in him, or a trust in him, that is so rare I can't remember ever experiencing it for a politician (I'm 36). So yay for Obama and yay for Oregon. Make me proud Oregonians!!

Posted by: hampson.sarah | March 21, 2008 11:56 PM | Report abuse

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