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Sen. Obama has publicly announced that he has cut all ties with his ex-pastor so Mayor Davis needs to pull that add. That will soon be water under the bridge. As for the "bitter" comment," he misspoke just like Sen. Clinton did about the Bosnia trip. Sen. Obama is moving on to bigger and better things. He is gaining endorsements left and 'wright' and hopefully will win in IN and NC and put all this nonsense to rest.Obama '08

Swift-boating is designed for Losers only!

Yes I think the ads will work. States like Ohio will not go for Obama. Working class whites will swing to McCain. These states are critical to a democratic victory and will be lost. This is similar to what happened to the Southern Democrats in the 60s. The swing shifted the country over to the Republican Party. The only two term president from the Democrats in 60 years was Bill Clinton and that was because he was a moderate. If the Democrats are to win they must appeal to all constituents, yes even non-college whites.Everyone seems to criticize HRC's appeal to this constituent group but ignore the fact that there are a large number of non-college educated blacks in the Obama camp. Some of the pundits like Chris Matthews have strongly hinted that there might be violence if the super delegates go for HRC and therein lies the DNC dilemma. Damned if you do,damned if you don't. I believe that Obama will win the Democratic nomination but the country's perception of him as a radical liberal will haunt him. It's not because of his race (think Colin Powell as a potential candidate), it's the Wright phenomenon.

Barack Obama caught in crooked money laundering scheme

'Smoking gun' prompts Andy Martin to say Obama should withdraw as presidential candidate

http://www.pr-inside.com/smoking-gun-prompts-andy-martin-to-r559376.htm

EXCERPTS

(NEW YORK)(April 27, 2008) The disclosure today in the Los Angeles Times that Barack Obama laundered money through a law firm to conceal the source of his income while an Illinois state senator is the 'smoking gun' that is going to doom his candidacy.
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-killerspin27apr27

The Times details how Obama was still 'of counsel' to his former law firm, but that he was not providing any services to that entity. Then Obama made a deal with Blackwell, and wanted to conceal that Blackwell was supporting him. So Obama 'laundered' the 'legal fees' by running them through the law firm and then issuing a list of the law firm's clients-none of which had anything to do with Obama--to disguise the Blackwell money in a laundry list of hundreds of unrelated 'clients.'

This was a classic case of money laundering and business fraud. Obama wanted to conceal the large sum he was receiving from Blackwell, so he concealed that Blackwell was the source of his income by pretending he was providing services to the law firm's other clients.

Utter fraud. 'Barry O' ain't stupid, he's slicky and tricky, and he's a ticking time bomb for the Democratic Party.

Obama's 'law firm' was also guilty of professional misconduct, because the lawyers knew that Obama had not provided services through the law firm, and was merely using the firm to obscure the fact that the major source of his personal income was one client on whose behalf Obama was later to advocate (there may have been earlier informal advocacy than the senate letter which has surfaced).

Since the law firm had no relationship with Blackwell, running Obama's fees through the firm was false and fraudulent.

Since Obama had nothing to do with the law firm's other clients, using a list of hundreds of unrelated clients to obscure that only one of those "clients" was paying him money was federal criminal mail fraud as well as a corruption of the ethics rules in Illinois.

Write and phone these traitors
to the concepts of Democracy @

www.house.org

and

www.senate.org

Posted by: Stop the Corp/Political criminals!!!

Who are you all? GOD? OR JUST A BUNCH DISGRUNTLED FOUR YEARS OLDS? IT'S GOING TO BE LONG SUMMER YA KNOW, HIGH GAS PRICES, FOOD PRICES, THEY ARE ALREADY RATIONING RICE AT SAMS CLUB AND COSTCO, THE HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE FULL IN THE CITIES,WE'RE LOSING DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS,KIDS ARE FAILING IN SCHOOL,SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING,ROADS ARE FAILING COSTING DRIVERS BIG BUCKS,AND BRIDGES HAVE STARTED FALLING,WE HAVE DRUNK DRIVERS KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE GOING FOR A SUNDAY DRIVE,WE HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO CHURCHES ON SUNDAYS AND COMMITING SINS ON MONDAYS THROUGH SATURDAY, BACK STABBING,COVETING,PUTTING THE FLAG ABOVE GOD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGENCE SAYS " UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE" A FLAG PIN IS A PIECE OF JEWLERY AND HOW MANY SPORTS EVENTS AND OTHER PLACES HAVE I SEEN PEOPLE LAUGHING JOKING DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS THAT RESPECT?I DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING REV. WRIGHT SAID ,IT WAS DISGUSTING, BUT I HEARD SIMULAR TRASH FOR YEARS WHEN AIDS WAS 1ST DIAGNOSED IT WAS SAID BY SOME MINISTERS THAT IT WAS GIVEN TO GAY MEN BY THE GOVERNMENT IN SAN FRANSISCO BATH HOUSES THAT WAS WAY BACK IN THE EARLY 80'S AND IN THE 60'S AND 70'S AMERICANS WERE GOING TO PAY FOR THEIR SINS OF FORNICATIONS, IN THE 50'S ELVIS WAS THE DEVIL,AND ROCK N ROLL WAS GOING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY AND THAT VIET NAM WAS GOING TO COME BACK ON US TEN FOLD, SO WHAT IS NEW HERE? AND I WAS REMINDED THE OTHER DAY THAT THE 90'S WEREN'T SO SWELL EITHER, SO HERE WE ARE AT 2008 AND HERE WE GO AGAIN, A NUT OUT THERE ACTING THE FOOL RILING US UP DIVIDING US AND WE ARE LETTING THE FOOL DO IT AND REV.WRIGHT YOU ARE AN OLD FOOL JUST LIKE IN THE BIBLE, AND IF BARACK CANNOT OR WONT FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DISOWN REVEREND WRIGHT I HAVE NO ROOM FOR A FOOL LIKE YOU OR ANY OTHER FOOLISH PEOPLE!!! IF BARACK WANTS ME OR ANYONE ELSE TO BELIEVE HE IS A STAND UP GUY IF HE DOESN'T THEN HE IS THE FOOL TOO!!!

typo *to

At the end of the day, they would probably have to resort to these low distraction tactics, because they know they (Repubs) cannot hold water to these candidates on the issues, knowing that many people are in disapproval. So, they want to take a detour away from the issues so that people aren't scrutinizing them instead, focusing on THEIR works. People, people, people take your blinders off and see past the fog. Regardless, don't let them distract you from the issues. That would be an insult to the intelligence of the many of us. Remain focused. I'm not talking about either candidate in this here post. I'm generally saying, keep your eyes open and don't fall short of distractions. Stand firm on the issues. Help this country change its current course. It seems to me, they're the weak ones, and they're getting free rides. I urge you, keep your blinders off and focus on what's going on. Do NOT be distracted. It would seem to me that they hope we're not intelligent enough to see past that. For that reason, I felt obligated to leave this post. The nod to all =) '08

Swift boating is a pathetic design made for those who can not win on their merits.

That's Pathetic.

Mrs. Obama said, "For the first time in her adult life she was REALLY proud of her country.

Mrs. Obama and many, many others were proud as well, because for the first time this country voted across racial lines without a problem and it sent a wonderful message to the world. It was a wonderful experience, extremely exciting to see and harmony was in the air. Everything was kool, until the racist roaches crawled out of the woodwork.

Anonymous (coward) posts:
"Reverend Wright is the tip of Obama's liberal iceberg. Take Mrs. Obama's self-professed lack of pride in her country."

It might help if you knew what she actually said instead of what you would prefer to believe (because it suports your bigotry). What she actually said was, "For the first time in my life, I am REALLY proud of my country." The emphasis is mine because it's the important word that keeps getting left out by cowards like you. She didn't say she had never been proud of the US before, but that this was the first time she felt REALLY proud. Big difference between never having been proud (which is how the anti-Obama mob insists was what she said) and a different level of pride, which is what she actually said.

Don't believe me? Here's a link to a video of her speech - http://www.breitbart.tv/html/49244.html

Though I know the truth will still not set you free.

Good Grief! The Democrats are going to be in the White House be it Hillary or Obama.

What happens if it doesn't work?

If the GOP can't win an election in Mississippi playing the race card, is a 40-seat gain by the Democrats really out of the question?

Using Rev Wright is a tactic to detract Obama from talking about the real issues facing America. Rev Wright is not an issue because he is an ego maniac, he is in his words a preacher. Preachers preach what's on their minds, but that doesn't mean intelligent people who listen to them take them literally. I can't remember any sermon that I have heard in in my 50 years. I think most people view the church as a holy place where they go to be in the presence of the higher being (and I don't look at a reverand as that higher being) and to commune with this higher through their thoughts and prayers, not to listen to the sermon.

The media is feeding Rev Wright's ego and is distracting Americans from how the candidate is going to deal with the real issues - the wars on two fronts, the economy, the environment, oil, possible world-wide food shortages. The media needs to stop focusing on Rev Wright.

The misguided keep stereotyping Obama as a Muslim because of his step father and living in Indonesia for 2 years when he was in elementary school. How many of you can remember being influenced by religious teachings when you were 7 years old?

If you're going to focus on Obama's Muslim ties then it's only fair that you also focus on Hillary's Muslim ties - one of her top aides since her days in the White House allegedly is Huma Adedin an American born Muslim who was raised in Saudia Arabia.

Dear TheFix: Can you enlighten us on the CW on this? When voters vote in one of these two-round runoff elections, and the results come close to mimicking a "normal" election (in this case, the two top-vote-getters got 49% to 47%), do we ever see real shifts in the outcome? Do voters who voted for one guy tend to change their minds 3 weeks later, or do the numbers typically hold up (so that the election is really driven by turnout). Or is the potential effect here not changing people's minds, but rather discouraging voters from coming out a second time? And on that note, does turnout usually go down in the second vote, or up?

Hillary's ex-pastor - a child abuser.

http://www.uticaod.com/homepage/x1637676857

As Stanley Kurtz of the Ethics and Public Policy Center notes, Trinity United Church of Christ "is arguably the most radical black church in the country." Its black liberation theology has been rejected by mainstream black churches, a source of frustration for its adherents.

This theology is at the root of all that Wright says, so the "context" is as radical as his highly publicized fulminations.

When Wright came to Trinity Church in Chicago in the 1970s -- invited to give the worship a more black inflection and foster stronger ties to the community -- the middle-class parishioners who had beckoned him left when they got a dose of his radicalism. The national United Church of Christ denomination considered distancing itself from the Wright-led church.

Yet Obama came -- and stayed.

mack his speech was bizarre and entertaining. I was particularly bothered by his stressing of our differences rather than celebrating what we as Americans believe are our similarities, all of us being god's children.
But his praising of Farrakan, as a leader of our time, the man who called my religion a gutter religion and Hitler a great guy, was certainly not the education I want or want my family exposed to. And you found that to be inspiring?

There is a madness in today's 'conservatives' -- a willingness to beleive anything their so-called leaders shove down their throats -- a sheeplike acquiesence to authority not seen since Stalin, Hitler, Mao. Seldom in this country's history have we seen a group as gullible, as mindless, as intent on destroying the Constution and the liberties and freedom it guarantees us.

They would have us spend our way into oblivion in bloody wars for oil, they would take away all our rights and squander our freedom from the tyranny of dictators. They would have us spied on in every way and every place. Nothing that we do or say would be without constant surveillance. They embrace fascism - they hate America. THEY are the enemy.

mark as i posted earlier I believe both would close Gitmo and would be a vast difference in how they run the Justice Dept.

Did you notice my post on Sunday where Obama bragged to Fox and Chris Wallace that they should be thrilled that he totally agrees with them about tort reform. In Texas that has been an utter disaster and done nothing but line the pockets of corporate insurance interests. I will be circulating that statement to as many trial lawyers as I know, it was sickening.

Wright is a distraction period. All those who spend their time ranting and raving over him, should turn that energy toward the candidates and ask them what they are going to do for us in this time of economic uncertainty and time of unwanted war.

The call Wright a terrorist, is that like a Timothy McVeigh who actually terrorized and killed. Language of this campaign is so loose sometimes as to be meaningless

It would be helpful if the press would take the time to actually listen to Reverend Wright, instead of watching the YouTube clips as endless loops.

I listened to his speech at the Detroit NAACP Freedom Dinner last night and found it both educational and inspiring.

At Al-Asad, a large waste dump and burn pit had many items that appeared to be in perfectly good condition, yet were discarded. I saw flack vests, black and green jungle style combat boots, olive drab field jackets, ammunition crates, tires, inner tubes, and a large volume of food items. These items were going to waste in the burn pits ...

I came to testify before you today because I saw how the troops suffered and put at greater risk because of the shoddy work by KBR employees and the wasteful spending of KBR management. I would do anything to help the military and I hope that my testimony today will make a difference for the troops.

Frank Cassady, a former contractor for KBR/Halliburton from 2004-2005 was also a witness.
I first served as an ice plant operator at Camp Webster at Al-Asad in Iraq and also worked in various locations on electrical projects, construction and laundry. I observed burn pits throughout my time in Iraq, which resulted in millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars being wasted. Burn pits were used by the military and others to dispose of still-useable equipment and items that were no longer needed for a particular project, might need minor repair, or were difficult to transport and find storage ..
These pits were burning 24 hours a day ...

I saw large, ten foot deep trenches dug in the sand where computers, electronic
equipment, and military items that could not be burned were buried. I asked military personal, "Why not send the wood and equipment to other bases?" I was told that it is cheaper to destroy everything and mark it off as destroyed by "the war" than to pay for the truck transport and find adequate storage...
In Fallujah, I saw explosives in the burn pits. There were times when these explosives would go off while I or my co-workers were disposing of waste items. In Fallujah, I observed Iraqis scavenging in the burn pits for items that they could use. They would jump in the back of my truck and try to remove items I was not discarding. Sometimes I had to physically remove them from my truck.

Then, with her voice nearly cracking:
The impact that year had on me has been profound, and there were many times when I was ashamed to be an American working in Iraq. I suffer from anxiety and depression as a result of my experience working for KBR. I was afraid to talk about these events and yet, when I returned to the states, I contacted Members of Congress
because our sons and daughters who are fighting over in Iraq, and dying in the sands, deserve better. My son, who was in Fallujah with me, serving in the Marines, deserves better. Every American must be ready to step up to the plate when called to serve our country, and not be afraid. Our men and women who have stepped up to the plate
deserve the best that we can give them. Please do something about contractor abuses.

From the first day I was in Baghdad, I noticed something happening which I felt to be very wrong. KBR employees who were contracted to perform construction duties inside the palaces and municipal buildings were looting. Not only were they looting, but they had a system in place to get the contraband out of the country so it could be sold on eBay. They stole art work, rugs, crystal and even melted down gold to make spurs for cowboy boots ...
All of the camps were the same. There appeared to be widespread corruption and no system of checks and balances. For instance, KBR allowed employees to use military convoys to get to the Baghdad International Airport to purchase alcohol. Another practice commonly referred to as a "drug deal" was rampant. A drug deal was a trade between KBR employees for goods stolen from the military. KBR employees would break into a "connex" box, which is a trailer full of supplies, and steal items, including lumber, air conditioners and tools meant for the troops. So instead of the troops using these items, KBR employees took them for their own use. Sometimes the KBR employees would trade these items with Iraqis ...

Heck Nader effectively cheered for the election of W, anything is possible."

my reference was to Wright's willingness to hurt the Obama campaign and take revenge against HC just like Nader did to Gore. Neither makes or made any sense but I wouldn't put it past Wright and effectively agreed to what you suggested. I also totally agreed that McCain and the 527s have reals of attack commercials in case HC should become the nomination. Anyone who would think that the Rs would avoid using the kitchen sink against either D in the general election would be living in a fantasy world.

So lets summarize: I have agreed with 90% of what bonjedi has posted today and went so far as saying that HC's handling of healthcare in 1994 is a perfectly legitimate issue now and certainly in the general. I have also acknowledged that I think it unlikely even though I strongly believe that Ds will come to regret that decision that she will be the nominee. That does not mean however that I will be wearing an Obama t-shirt or contributing to his campaign in the fall.

When the Democrats took over congress in January 2007 there was a lot of Republican angst over whether they would immediately turn Capitol Hill into a three-ring circus in an effort to roll back all the tax cuts, impeach the President and rip us out of Iraq. But any Democratic effort to turn tables on the GOP this year has been of minimal impact and drama - primarily because the so-called "MSM" has met it all with a distracted yawn. Republicans need not get exercised, they don't even have to show up - because the cameras ain't rolling.
Let's face it, unless Henry Waxman starts making his hearings look like Circus of the Stars, no one is going to give a flying fig.
That's why it's really disappointing when a truly informative, possibly damning, hearing is engaged and it has all the effect of a tree falling in a forest. Yesterday, while the press corps was squirming and wincing to the sounds of Rev. Jeremiah Wright at the National Press Club, Sen. Byron Dorgan, chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, heard from former Kellogg, Brown and Root employees about widespread contracting abuses in Iraq. The committee heard from two people who I'm sure White House supporters would deem "unpatriotic" for coming forward, but they sounded anything but. And what they had to say was disturbing.

Linda Warren, a 50-year-old Marine Corps veteran with three sons in the military, worked for KBR (then under Halliburton) in 2004. She was threatened with bodily harm, and then later fired, for speaking out about the abuses she saw. She testified before the committee yesterday:

Marc @ 5:39 AM writes:

"A good government does not need cheap popaganda [sic], but distributes the national wealth evenly. Look at the catastrophic social imbalance, the unjust health system etc and you see the real face of GOP."

I see you belong to the Socialist wing of the Dem party then.

You probably also agree with Obama's Marxist views on small town Americans, that "they cling to guns or religion, or antipathy toward people who aren't like them, or anti-immigrant sentiments, or anti-trade sentiments out of some sense of frustration".

The Liberal party has always claims to be the party of progress, but the more you regress towards a socialist platform, the less electable you will become.

There is a madness in today's liberal thinking, as evidenced by the left wing of your party. Liberals insist on policies that tie our hands to defend ourselves while giving free reign to the jihadists intent on killing us.

Having rejected God and the religious heritage of our civilization, liberals embrace instead a new order of beliefs of which Communism and Socialism are logical expressions. Senator Obama falls right into this trap, and has now shown himself to be too weak to extricate himself from the ugliness he has surrounded himself with for 20+ years.

That ad summarizes why so many real Republicans have left this hijacked Republican Party.

But you know what struck me as the oddest thing? The 'narrator' had a Northern accent.

Obama Says Gitmo Facility Should Close

More than 80 volunteer lawyers for Guantanamo Bay detainees today endorsed Illinois Senator Barack Obama's presidential bid.

The attorneys said in a joint statement that they believed Obama was the best choice to roll back the Bush-Cheney administration's detention policies in the war on terrorism and thereby to "restore the rule of law, demonstrate our commitment to human rights, and repair our reputation in the world community." The attorneys are representing the detainees in habeas corpus lawsuits, which are efforts to get individual hearings before federal judges in order to challenge the basis for their indefinite imprisonment without trial.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/01/lawyers_for_git.html

"The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. has wriggled out..."

Let's stop right there, people. On its front page, The New York Times has just compared Jeremiah Wright to a snake (and it's downhill from there). I sincerely doubt anyone can find over the past 7 years, say, a similar characterization of a white religious leader of Wright's stature in the news sections of the Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, or any other mainstream daily newspaper, including the Wall Street Journal.

Did even a phony like Randall Terry "wriggle" into the spotlight recently when he exploited the hapless Schiavo family? When was the last time anyone can recall the late, unlamented Jerry Falwell described this way by the New York Times? Or Pat Robertson? Or James Dobson? Was John Hagee, McCains bff who loathes Catholics so described?

Now, why do you think that is? It's not because they're conservative. The mainstream media is respectful to all religious leaders. Except when they're black.

Put another way, the mainstream press just proved one of Wright's seemingly most preposterous and narcissistic points. These really aren't attacks on him, but rather on the black church. What Wright calls the "corporate media" wouldn't dare characterize a white preacher like this. Ever.

Just to follow up on Tristero's piece on Rev. Wright, I completely agree that this is an attempt to silence liberal voices and make them an automatic political problem. That's certainly what we saw yesterday. Forgetting the fact that the revelation in Wright's weekend remarks was actually that the media misinterpreted practically everything he said, and taking the position that any appearance of the former Trinity Church pastor is simply incedniary regardless of content, the cable news was pretty much an uninterrupted parade of concern trolls warning that this independent individual's public appearances would be like death to Obama's presidential campaign. Because the speech was at the National Press Club in Washington it became real for the Village. He came to the center of THEIR universe, and dared to assail the media for their actions. In short, he trashed the place.

Hardball was of particular note. Tweety was breathing fire, jumping on these appearances, talking about how damaging they were without even really referring to them, asserting bluntly that Wright is now "the lead surrogate for the Obama campaign." His main point of contention was that - get this - Wright has a "raging ego." And he even brought on black minister Rev. Eugene Rivers, without of course mentioning that Rivers has been working with George Bush for the past two terms and wants to be the new voice of the African-American community of faith (he got particularly incensed when Wright deemed the attack on him as "an attack on the black church" - that's of course his role to speak for all black people of faith).

"Heck Nader effectively cheered for the election of W, anything is possible."

???

You're right, Leichtman, and I'm wrong. There is no way at all the GOP would use any of that stuff. Hillary would get a free ride on all of that, because none of her baggage has hurt her up to now. The day after Hillary's fantasy nomination, McCain will concede on the spot.

It's not like her negatives are topped only by Newt Gingrich, or anything.

of course the GOP would go after HC. Lets see Walmart, a 1976 story when Bill was AG in Ark, Whitewater a failed 70 million dollar story that is now 12 years old, and we all know how obssesed you are about monica again all deal with Bill and he is not on the ballot. Experience: Obama a state Senator for 4 years and a US Senator of little renown for less than 3, an easy comparison.

The healthcare debacle: absolutely a fair issue and curious why your campaign has refused to discuss it in 15 months. Perhaps b/c of HC's vast knowledge about HC, but you are absolutely right, debating HC's mishandling of healthcare in 1994 is perfectly legitimate, the rest ar 12-35 year old stories, before a large number of voters were even born, like arguing the merits of WWII, ancient history.

Rev Wright giving HC a free pass in a general election, only if he wants to drive African Americans to vote for McCain, but that is not beyond possible, he is both brilliant and borderline insane so I wouldn't put anything beyond him. Heck Nader effectively cheered for the election of W, anything is possible.

Note where this ad is playing, in Mississippi, where the exit polls showed a sharp black/white divide, if memory serves. Very good chance of being effective in such states.

Thanks for the link, Leichtman.

"last time I checked Mark Rich was pardoned by Bill, and Bill is not on the ballot."

I see. Hillary touts her experience from her husband's administration, but only that which doesn't taint her. Got it.

We're used to double standards and hypocrisy from the Clintons by now. Count only the votes that give her the nomination, demonstrate a commitment to enfranchising voters by twisting superdel arms in private, health care for everyone except campaign staff, be a stalwart defenders of unions while looking the other way while your pollsters and husband are on the take to lobby for freer trade, the list goes on and on.

In your fantasy world of Hillary's nomination, do you think that the GOP is going to continue to be hypnotized by Rev Wright? How insane are you to think that Rev Wright now would give Hillary a free pass in the fall? Whitewater, travelgate, Monica, the healthcare debacle, Walmart, Vince Foster, the earmarks, Bosnian snipers, Northern Ireland, Colombia, etc. the list goes on and on, and the GOP is itching to use it.

mark I believe both HC and Obama support closing of Gitmo and HC would transfer the inmates to Federal Civil jurisidication for trial.

http://www.senate.gov/~clinton/news/statements/record.cfm?id=273211

The more important question might be who they would choose for A.G., I pray it might by John Edwards. But we must as lawyers promote the delinking of our judiciary and prosecutors from all politics, D, R and Independents. I certainly don't want politics to be interjected in how my clients are treated when they go to court.

List of hillary lies

too long to print - will crash servers.

Leichtman - I agree that TX judicial races should be "non-partisan."

last time I checked Mark Rich was pardoned by Bill, and Bill is not on the ballot. Secondly Mark Rich is not going out giving controversial speeches to the NAACP and National Press Club. If he has please post those speeches b/c they might be relevant but clearly he has not.

Absolutely makes no sense your referance to JFK. Why would you think I would waste time telling you to to not support Obama.

Is it cynical to say that Rev Wright and his speeches are hurting the Obama campaig, even David Axelrod acknoweldged as much when interviewed this morning. I truly don't understand why Rev Wright who is part brilliant and part insane going out of his way to undermine Sen Obama's campaign, but if that is now his inclination what would stop him from doing so again in Oct and Nov, then what you go back and yell at HC? You as an Obama supporter should hope that he goes on a 6 month cruise, but with his ego now at issue how can we presume that will happen, that was my legitimate question.

Do I doubt McCain and the R 527s will pull out every possible attack on HC if she is the nominee, of course not.
But the question now is how the real diversion of Rev Wright will play next Tues and on Nov 4 and how it will effect some of our close souther D Congressional races.

The testimony of Col. Davis has been posted here twice this morning, but you Ds seem more interested in the personality profiles of your candidates, their supporters, their legal adveraries, and the crazy pastor.

So let me bring the true scandal of command influence at Gitmo to you in personal terms about your candidates.

The Senator who carries the water for the entire JAG corps as it fights command influence is Graham, R, SC. He brings with him McCain, R, AZ. McC has vowed to close Gitmo.

And what about your candidates? They have not been heard from on this matter, as far as I can tell. If either has, please post that info and its source. For an indie like me that would be more relevant than your idle speculation about the crazy pastor or the result of a hearing in L.A.

I check in here to learn stuff but y'all are failing me, miserably.

Obama is been pushed by the far left and the MSM (CNN, NBC, WSJ, MSNBC, CBS
and ABC) - Here are Obama LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES.

1.) Selma Got Me Born - LIAR, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965.

2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - LIAR, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.

3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - LIAR, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had

4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - LIAR, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya . It is the first widespread violence in decades.

5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - LIAR, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn't allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man.

6.) My Name is African Swahili - LIAR, your name is Arabic and 'Baraka' (from which Barack came) means 'blessed' in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.

7.) I Never Practiced Islam - LIAR, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run for office.

8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - LIAR, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book).

9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - LIAR, not one teacher says you could speak the language.

10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia , I Have More Foreign Experience - LIAR, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn't even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons.

11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - LIAR, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.

12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you were just fine.

13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist.

14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist.

15.) I Won't Run On A National Ticket In '08 - LIAR, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.

16.) Present Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.

17.) Oops, I Misvoted - LIAR, only when caught by church groups and democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.

18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.

20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn't write it, introduce it, change it, or create it.

21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days from start to finish.

22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - LIAR, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.

23.) I Have Released My State Records - LIAR, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.

24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - LIAR, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens . You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.

25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America - LIAR, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.

26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - LIAR, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.

27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - LIAR, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.

28.) No One Contacted Canada About NAFTA - LIAR, the Canadian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.

29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism - LIAR, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction of Israel .

30.) I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia , was found with a letter stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC recognized officially.

31.) I Didn't Run Ads In Florida - LIAR, you allowed national ads to run 8-12 times per day for two weeks - and you still lost.

32.) I Won Michigan - LIAR, no you didn't.

33.) I won Nevada - LIAR, no you did not.

34.) I Want All Votes To Count - LIAR, you said let the delegates decide.

35.) I Want Americans To Decide - LIAR, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.

36.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - LIAR, you passed 26, most of which you didn't write yourself.

37.) My Campaign Was Extorted By A Friend - LIAR, that friend is threatening to sue if you do not stop saying this. Obama has stopped saying this.

38.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - LIAR, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.

39.) I Don't Take PAC Money - LIAR, you take loads of it.

40.) I don't Have Lobbysists - LIAR, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.

41.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - LIAR, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.

42.) My Campaign Never Took Over MySpace - LIAR, Tom, who started MySpace issued a warning about this advertising to MySpace clients.

43.) I Inspire People With My Words - LIAR, you inspire people with other people's words.

44.) I Have Passed Bills In The U.S. Senate - LIAR, you have passed A BILL in the U.S. Senate - for Africa , which shows YOUR priorities.

45.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq - LIAR, you weren't in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time, unlike Kucinich, who seems to be out gutting you Obama. You also seem to be stepping back from your departure date - AGAIN.

46.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - LIAR, your plan leaves us all to pay the 15,000,000 who don't have to buy it.

47.) I Only Found Out About My Investment Conflicts Via Mail - LIAR, both companies you site as having sent you letters about this conflict have no record of any such letter ever being created or sent.

48.) I Am As Patriotic As Anyone - LIAR, you won't wear a flag pin and you don't put your hand over your heart during the Anthem.

49.) My Wife Didn't Mean What She Said About Pride In Country - LIAR, your wife's words follow lock-step in the vain of Wright and Farrahkan, in relation to their contempt and hatred of America .

50.) Wal-Mart Is A Company I Wouldn't Support - LIAR, your wife has received nearly a quater of a million dollars through Treehouse, which is connected to Wal-Mart.

51.) Treehouse Is A Small Company - LIAR, the CEO of Treehouse last year, made more than the CEO of Wal-Mart, according to public records.

52.) University Of Chicago Hospital Pay Is Fair - LIAR, your wife's pay raise was nearly 150% her already bloated rate and the hospital is a Non-Profit Hospital, which made $100,000,000 in the last 3 years. They overcharge blacks VS whites for services, and overcharge everyone in general by 538%!

53.)I Barely Know Rezko - Only 5 Billed Hours - LIAR, you have known him for 17 years, and decided to do a real estate deal with him during a time when he was proven to be under investigation. Despite this, you divided your property and had them take off $300K before the mortgage problems started. Then Rezko's wife buys the lot beside it that you can't afford, saving you $625,000.

54.) My Donations Have Been Checked Thoroughly - LIAR, you only gave back Hsu ($72K) and Rezko ($150K) their money when publically called on their involvement in your campaigns.

55.) My Church Is Like Any Other Christian Church - LIAR, your church is so extreme, the pastor who married you, Rev. Wright, just got done blaming the US for 9/11 and named Louis Farrahkan their person of the year.

56.) I Disagree With My Church All The Time - LIAR, you still have yet to repudiate Wright, who married you and your wife, and you still donate large sums of money to assist the church in furthering its message - hatred and revenge. You donated in 2006 alone, $22,500 to the church that you so terribly disagree with. That is nearly $500 PER WEEK - that sure is disagreement, Senator Obama.

57.) I Have Clean Connections Despite Rezko - LIAR, you are not only connected to Exelon and Rezko, you are also connected to Hillary PAC supporter Mr. Hsu, AND an Iraqi Billionaire of ill repute, Nadhmi Auchi, who ripped off people in the Food For Oil, Iraqi deal. Seems Mr. Auchi may have helped Obama buy his million dollar property long before Obama had millions of dollars. Wonder what favors Mr. Auchi expects, when Obama leaves Iraq free to be taken over by special interests such as him.

58.) I never heard sermons like Rev. Wright's, that have been in videos all day, You Tube - LIAR! 3 days later during your Mea Culpa BS speech you said "Did I hear controversial statements while I sat in that church? Yes I did."

This is the LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES.
Verifications -
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/wakeup.asp

mark that story remind me of how AG Alberto Gonzales interjected himself in the firing of US Attorneys. Its ridiculous what has happened with what is supposed to be our independent judiciary, not Chuck Rosenthal. mark are you aware of how states like Virginia select their state Justices, it non partisan. I am sick of 100% of our judges being Rs, and feeling that b/c of this disparity and lack of balance that I shouldn't vote for some of my R judge friends b/c they are Rs(which I won't do until balance is restored). As attorneys mark we should fight for the depolitization of our local judiciary and prosecutors and for nonpartisan elections of our judges like in Va.

Stop pouting! It's not you, it's me.... Yes, of course I love you.

sv, did you see what I did with the Cialis? I'm afraid I'm going to need it again.

"my post posed a real question, and your brilliant reponse: HC is evil."

Not a real question - a real DUMB question.

What is the point of your dumb question? Let me ask you this: what about Marc Rich coming forward? The small-business owners Hillary has stiffed? Heck, Bill Clinton has been the biggest millstone around anyone's neck. You know he'll be shooting his mouth off about something.

Clinton supporters flit from "scandal" to "scandal" like a bee from flower to flower. With nothing sticking, they are forced to regurgitate this idiotic crap, nonsense so absurd that even Newt Gingrich can see what a lunatic Wright is.

Leichtman - your argument is akin to saying in 1960 "Don't vote for Kennedy, becuase in three years some lunatic is going to pop up and take him out." It is indicative of the cynicism that pervades the more backward pockets of this country and Hillary has capitalized on.

I don't hate America, and I don't believe the U.S. government deliberately manufactured the AIDS virus. And I'm agnostic, so I can't really expect God to bless or damn anything. That said, there is at least some truth to each of the other statements below:

"I hate America.

We only fight wars for oil.

We torture people.

We are racist, sexist, violent pigs.

We cause terrorism and pick fights with the innocent.

We infect our own with AIDS, especially blacks.

It's not God Bless America... no, no, no.

God Damn America."

"Howard Dean is attempting to head off the Credentials Committee having any impact on the race."

Words of Wisdumb - Source, please.

bonjedi: my post posed a real question, and your brilliant reponse: HC is evil. Impressive. Again how would you feel if that happens Nov 1, or can you guarantee that Rev Wright will just go home and stay out of the Presidential race. As a known Obama apologist I would presume that that is exactly what you would want, or would you prefer that Rev Wright campaign with Senator this summer?

The New Math

Howard Dean is attempting to head off the Credentials Committee having any impact on the race.

That is against party rules and Dean should be stripped of all his votes (including those on the Credentials Committee) for this EARLY VOTING PLAN.

Early Voting is exactly what they claim Florida and Michigan are guilty of.

Clearly, now Howard Dean is guilty too.

Leichtman [and any other lawyers stopping by]
did you see this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/washington/29gitmo.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=washington&adxnnlx=1209484879-quzdTU3vEntw44abVPKvrw

Two lead paragraphs for those in a hurry:

"GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba -- The former chief prosecutor here took the witness stand on Monday on behalf of a detainee and testified that top Pentagon officials had pressured him in deciding which cases to prosecute and what evidence to use.

The prosecutor, Col. Morris D. Davis of the Air Force, testified that Pentagon officials had interfered with his work for political reasons and told him that charges against well-known detainees "could have real strategic political value" and that there could be no acquittals."

hey madhatter, since you are so quick to slander a marine who VOLUNTEERED to leave a prestigious college and put his life on the line, why don't you please tell us the details of how you have volunteered your military service to this country and the gun fire you have taken on in Iraq. And text messaging doesn't count as your military service.

"I am curious how his supporters would then feel if Rev Wright should decide to go on another speaking tour oh let's say on November 1 and sinks the nominee."

Here we go with this one again - Hillary should be the nominee because, while she is evil, all of her wickedness has been exposed.

Bring it on. Any country that falls for the naked race-baiting that Hillary has created and reveled in just to sate her narcissism is probably beyond redemption anyhow.

goddesscon2001 is completely correct in the posting that Obama now has a second chance to revisit the issue, this time with the right answer.

Obama messed up his speech last month - in fact the speech hurt Obama.

I sense that the Rev. Wright comments this weekend may have been a set-up - get Wright out there making outrageous remarks so Obama can say:

1) see how crazy this guy Wright is?

2) I do not believe in what he says.

3) Obama now can LIST all the things he disagrees with Rev. Wright on.

It is an opportunity.

I think it is a set-up.

To be specific, I think the Obama campaign cooked this whole thing up - sending Wright out there, so Obama would have an opportunity to be a more moderate voice.

Hey, its just a theory.

the madhatter demonstrates his name. the term comes from the 18th century, when the chemicals used in the manufacture of men's hats caused the hatters to become insane.

just so, the toxic chemistry of today's republican party make its members go insane -- so much so that they can swallow the crap their party shovels down their throats on a daily basis.

"In the 2004 election they nominated a similar America-hater- far left wing liberal Hanoi John Kerry who had slimed our country and our military before a Senate Committee. While all the liberals loved him during the primaries he then went down in flames in the general election."

First of all, it's clear you don't know anything about Kerry's war record, so shut your hole on that.

Second, the reason Kerry was edged in 2004 was his willingness to believe that the electorate would see through the dopiness of Swift Boaters, and a genuine earnestness in doing the right thing. Obama has that same earnestness, but this time he has some supporters willing to take on liars and bigots like you. So keep your dirty trap shut.

since all here universally believe that Senator Obama will be the nominee, I am curious how his supporters would then feel if Rev Wright should decide to go on another speaking tour oh let's say on November 1 and sinks the nominee. Then what, you go back and blame Sen. Clinton for another 4 years of a R administration. Sen Obama is now in a political box. In his speech on race he said he could no more leave his church, and conversely Rev Wright, then his own mom. So that means he won't throw him under the bus as Robinson has implored and we could all be dragged down in Nov.

Barack Obama was endorsed by the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, the new Black Panther Party, the Hamas terrorists in Palestine, Jimmy Carter, and just about every Islamic organization and enemy of America on the planet and the liberal Democrats all seem to believe the general public won't notice come November. Give me a break!
When all your enemies love a candidate, then there must be a reason. That reason can only be bad for America and real Americans who are patriotic and loyal to their country. The Democratic Party obviously is not bothered by this fact and hasn't learned their lesson from history. In the 2004 election they nominated a similar America-hater- far left wing liberal Hanoi John Kerry who had slimed our country and our military before a Senate Committee. While all the liberals loved him during the primaries he then went down in flames in the general election. Barack Obama's will be a repeat of that in the comming election. George Santana said it best when he said that 'if you haven't learned from history, then you are bound to repeat it'.

Leichtman, I agree. Obama has tried turning the other cheek and Wright has used this as his opening to go on his megalomanic spree.

Robinson is right.... Obama needs to totally disassociate himself from Wright.

http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com

Republicans doing nasty attacks against Democrats? Why, that's unheard of, it must be Obama's fault.

Get real. If the Republicans were running against God, their ads would say God's cat was a commie.

Republicans' theme these days seems to be: "You htink we've done a rotten job? This guy would do worse."
It was not a p[articularly sucessful theme in '06. I don't expect it to be particularly successful in '08.

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson offers Obama advice: "Politically, by surfacing now, he was throwing Barack Obama under the bus," he writes. "Sadly, it's time for Obama to return the favor."

and Robinson has been otherwise complimentary of Senator Obama; why then would Senator Obam simply ignore suggestions from one of his own respected supporters?

Thank you Reverend Wright. We could never bring ourselves to vote for a black man or woman for prez, even if he/she were hands-down the best qualified for the job.

Now we have our excuse to vote for the cracker, even if we are priming ourselves for four years of depression.

I am completely embarrassed by some of my fellow Americans expressions on here. Especially repeating Jeremiah Wrights words....you haven't seen the whole sermon and only show your ignorance by repeating the "tidbits". Barack Obama is our only hope. It horrifies me that people who are full of fear(the older white female vote), people who don't want their families members/friends sent back to Mexico, the Gay community and the undereducated people,all of who are Clintons main supporters, are deciding the fate of my country and my childs future!

Racism is alive and well in the good old USA. Shame on us.

the Republicans have nothing to offer, that's why they go on this smear campaign. I've talked to people that have voted Republican all their lives and they will not vote for McCain. The Republicans want to turn back the clock to an all white party. This is a losing proposition for them. This country has so many Asians , Latinos and Blacks and they are growing so fast as a percentage of the population that it is a surefire way to guarantee that they are a minority party for the foreseeable future.

(That's in the Bible)

I hate America.

We only fight wars for oil.

We torture people.

We are racist, sexist, violent pigs.

We cause terrorism and pick fights with the innocent.

We infect our own with AIDS, especially blacks.

It's not God Bless America... no, no, no.

God Damn America.

why we will never leave iraq and why we will have war with iran:

'OPEC's 13 members plan to spend $150 billion to expand their capacity by five million barrels a day by 2012. But OPEC will need to pump 60 million barrels a day by 2030, up from around 36 million barrels a day today, to meet the projected growth in demand. Analysts say that without Iran and Iraq -- where nearly 30 years of wars and sanctions have crippled oil production -- reaching that level will be impossible.'

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/business/worldbusiness/29oil.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

Good thing we have Fox News, because if we didn't we would never hear or read about news that had the potential to damage Barack Obama. The Democratic Party--controlled MSM would censor it because they want Obama elected president come November.

Nobody stays in a church for 20 years unless he agrees with their teachings. Obama not only stayed in Wright's church, he supported them with his money every time the collection plate was passed. Just before the do-do hit the fan over Wright's racist anti-white and anti-America rambling sermons (according to a recent column by Thomas Sowell), Obama gave $20,500 to Wright. Obama is as much a racist and America-hater as Wright and Farrakhan exept he's not as open about it

One of many questions that Chris Wallace failed to ask Barack Obama during his 45-minute interview on Foxaganda Sunday was what the Senator thought about David Barstow's devastating exposé in The New York Times the previous weekend.

No surprise. What would be the percentage in replacing one of the plethora of Jeremiah Wright questions with an inquiry about the megamedia's hiring of retired military officers who sexed up the case for the U.S. invasion of Iraq and then exaggerated, distorted and lied about what was happening when the war and subsequent occupation got underway? Would that help the bottom line? Nah. Hence, none of Wallace's pals at Foxaganda are talking about this. Indeed, mum's been the word on Barstow's bombshell throughout the megamedia. The talking point - or perhaps the memo from on high - seems to be: Don't talk.

Don't tell viewers that retired generals and colonels and majors engaged in a war-drumming, flag-waving perversion of patriotism. Or that those in the Pentagon who ordered special briefings for these analysts as part of a domestic propaganda campaign ought to get their mail deliveries slipped between the bars at Leavenworth for the next few years. Avoid the subject and maybe it will go away like so many other stories which have been disappeared as if they were dissidents in some backwater military dictatorship.

No news coverage, no commentary, no questions for any candidates. No abject apologies to viewers from station CEOs who paid double-dippers and triple-dippers to give an official patina to fabrications that have caused the killing and maiming of tens of thousands of Americans and other coalition soldiers. Plus millions of Iraqis. Business as usual. Even two days after the Pentagon suspended the briefings last Friday, Foxaganda was still employing retired Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney without disclosure.

The rub here is this: McCain does not want to leave Iraq. Period. He wants tens of thousands of troops to stay in Iraq permanently. He made a big point of this during the primaries when it was politically advantageous to do so. And he followed up with a qualifier explaining that it's okay because our occupation of Iraq will soon be like our presence in Germany and Japan where nobody gets killed. But there's little reason to believe our occupation of Iraq will ever be like that. We tried this in Lebanon; the French tried this in Algeria; the British even tried it in Iraq. Western countries have a very poor history garrisoning Muslim countries in the Middle East. Iraq isn't like Germany or Japan, not simply because of the history of the country but because both countries accepted decades-long US deployments as a counterweight to threatening neighbors. The relevant point is that McCain believes American troops should stay in Iraq permanently. His pipe dream about Iraq turning into Germany doesn't change that. It just shows his substitution of wishful thinking for sound strategic judgment.

If there is an unfair supposition at work here, there is a simple way to find out. Someone should ask McCain how long he's willing to have us stay in Iraq even if we are sustaining casualties. Since he believes it is in our strategic interests to stay there on a permanent basis I doubt very much he'll say that in that case he'd only be comfortable staying two or five or some other relatively short span of years. That is because he believe we should stay there on a permanent basis, ideally with no casualties but with casualties if that's what it takes. The New Yorker's Rick Hertzberg put it all quite elegantly back in January just after McCain started saying this. "McCain," he wrote, "wants to stay in Iraq until no more Americans are getting killed, no matter how long it takes and how many Americans get killed achieving that goal--that is, the goal of not getting any more Americans killed. And once that goal is achieved, we'll stay."

The Bush administration is undermining the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to determine health dangers of toxic chemicals by letting nonscientists have a bigger -- often secret -- role, congressional investigators say in a report obtained by The Associated Press.

The administration's decision to give the Defense Department and other agencies an early role in the process adds to years of delay in acting on harmful chemicals and jeopardizes the program's credibility, the Government Accountability Office concluded.

At issue is the EPA's screening of chemicals used in everything from household products to rocket fuel to determine if they pose serious risk of cancer or other illnesses.

A new review process begun by the White House in 2004 is adding more speed bumps for EPA scientists, the GAO said in its report, which will be the subject of a Senate Environment Committee hearing Tuesday. A formal policy effectively doubling the number of steps was adopted two weeks ago.

Cancer risk assessments for nearly a dozen major chemicals are now years overdue, the GAO said, blaming the new multiagency reviews for some of the delay. The EPA, for example, had promised to prepare assessments on 10 major toxic chemicals for external peer review by the end of 2007, but only two reached that stage.

GAO investigators said extensive involvement by EPA managers, White House budget officials and other agencies has eroded the independence of EPA scientists charged with determining the health risks posed by chemicals.

The Pentagon, the Energy Department, NASA and other agencies -- all of which could be severely affected by EPA risk findings -- are being allowed to participate "at almost every step in the assessment process," said the GAO.

In my opinion ..or maybe just a blind HOPE...
Obama has a second chance with this Wright issue..he can and should find a way of showing HOW DIFFERENT they are to each other...Wright is not pushing the more we are different ..the more we are the same..
Equality is respect..however, A word to the Rev...Respect is earned..
Obama has earned his own bit of respect by going above the regular politics.He can not continue to do so with mouthpieces flapping loudly .
We need a better perspective of our past ..we need to take a good hard look and note what has changed and what has stayed the same..
Obama can draw the separation of the two of them by doing so..
Rev Wright is the old school of race..scream loud enough and you get attention...
Obama goes about it in a more uniting way..
Then again..sometimes I wish Obama would remind the public as well as the media ..he is MIXED...He is not just a "Black" man..nor is he a "White" man... He is a creation of both and SHOULD be able to get the two to come together..
Perhaps Rev Wright agrees with G Ferraro..
Obama is "Lucky"..and the Rev is still licking wounds instead of trying to heal them...
Unfortunately..his media blitz that he thinks is bringing attention to HIS ISSUE..Rev Wright is starting to push the black movement to equality back about 40 years...
Obama can help the Rev wake up and see..a lot has changed...and more can change IF we elect a true American..one made up of race and culture .. It is a chance for America to be proud of how far we HAVE come..
So please Barack...please ..show the differences between you and Wright..remind them that (HE IS ANGRY) but you are NOT him..
Let us see YOU....

to JNoel002
I was referring to the 1990s as the time period in which we attempted to ignore the terrorists - we even delayed our reaction to the USS Cole in part because of change of administration.
Posted by: O Man | April 29, 2008 12:42 AM

Sure, but how are you justifying our presence in Iraq? Iraq had a flimsy at best tie to the threat to which you are referring. So, why is the war we were trying to ignore, as you stated, being fought in Iraq?

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba -- The former chief prosecutor here took the witness stand on Monday on behalf of a detainee and testified that top Pentagon officials had pressured him in deciding which cases to prosecute and what evidence to use.

The prosecutor, Col. Morris D. Davis of the Air Force, testified that Pentagon officials had interfered with his work for political reasons and told him that charges against well-known detainees "could have real strategic political value" and that there could be no acquittals.

It seems the AP has fallen for the McCain campaign's and the RNC's effort to prevent anyone from using McCain's own words against him during the 2008 presidential campaign. As noted earlier, what the McCain campaign is pushing for here is a standard in which any negative ad targeting McCain must be delivered with the McCain camp's own spin included in order to be within bounds -- a standard few politicians, to say the least, have ever been granted. And even though the political press has been highly indulgent of the McCain campaign on this issue, I don't think I've seen any news organization so egregiously buy into McCain's false statements as the Associated Press.

The AP article lede reads: "The Republican National Committee demanded Monday that television networks stop running a television ad by the Democratic Party that falsely suggests John McCain wants a 100-year war in Iraq."

So, as you can see, the AP begins by stating as fact the McCain camp's claim that the ad is false. Then it actually directly misstates what the ad says.

As you'll remember, there was some jousting a few weeks back over whether it was accurate to say that McCain is willing to continue the 'war' in Iraq for 50 or 100 years. This is because McCain adds the caveat that it's fine with him because he thinks that the occupation will soon be like our longstanding presence in Germany, Japan and Korea in which we have a substantial troop presence but no soldiers dying in hostile action since the population and governments are content to have us there. So is it really 'war' or only 'occupation' or 'presence'?

The truth is that McCain's wishful thinking doesn't change the fact that he's saying he's happy to have US troops stay in Iraq essentially forever (a century, in political terms, is essentially forever), something very few Americans think makes any sense. But the ad doesn't even get into this question of definitions or McCain's special pleading about whether it's 'war' or 'occupation' or 'presence' or whatever. The ad literally just has McCain speaking in his own voice.

Then, in the lead up to the New Hampshire primary, the senator famously said that he wouldn't mind seeing the U.S. in Iraq for a hundred years, "as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed." And when his political opponents used that statement against him, McCain responded by saying he was drawing an analogy to the current military presence in Japan, Germany and South Korea.

And yet, when he was asked by Matthews in 2005, if he "would you be happy with [Iraq] being the home of a U.S. garrison" like Germany, McCain again said no.

The McCain campaign did not return a request for comment.

They also run squarely against his image as having a steadfast, unwavering idea for U.S. policy in Iraq -- and provide further evidence to those, including some prominent GOP foreign policy figures in the "realist" camp, who believe McCain is increasingly adopting policies shared by neoconservatives.

Finally, the comments undercut much of the criticism the senator has launched at his Democratic and even Republican opponents.

On the campaign trail, for example, McCain has accused Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of a "failure of leadership" by advocating a policy of drawing down troops. But in the MSNBC interview, McCain was arguing that U.S. "visibility" was detrimental to the Iraq mission and that Iraqis were responding negatively to America's presence - positions held by both Obama and Clinton.

Somewhere along the way, McCain's position changed. Perhaps twice. As Think Progress reported, in August 2007, as the troops surge was underway, McCain told the Charlie Rose Show that the Korea model was "exactly" the right template for U.S. forces in Iraq. Only three months later, and on the same show, he completely reversed himself.

"Do you think that this - Korea, South Korea is an analogy of where Iraq might be," Rose asked in November 2007.

"I don't think so," replied McCain.

"Even if there are no casualties?" Rose chimed in.

"No," said McCain. "But I can see an American presence for a while. But eventually I think because of the nature of the society in Iraq and the religious aspects of it that America eventually withdraws."

When it comes to getting U.S. troops out of Iraq, Sen. John McCain was for the idea before he was against it.

Three years before the Arizona Republican argued on the campaign trail that U.S. forces could be in Iraq for 100 years in the absence of violence, he decried the very concept of a long-term troop presence.

In fact, when asked specifically if he thought the U.S. military should set up shop in Iraq along the lines of what has been established in post-WWII Germany or Japan -- something McCain has repeatedly advocated during the campaign -- the senator offered nothing short of a categorical "no."

"I would hope that we could bring them all home," he said on MSNBC. "I would hope that we would probably leave some military advisers, as we have in other countries, to help them with their training and equipment and that kind of stuff."

Host Chris Matthews pressed McCain on the issue. "You've heard the ideological argument to keep U.S. forces in the Middle East. I've heard it from the hawks. They say, keep United States military presence in the Middle East, like we have with the 7th Fleet in Asia. We have the German...the South Korean component. Do you think we could get along without it?"

McCain held fast, rejecting the very policy he urges today. "I not only think we could get along without it, but I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence," he responded. "And I don't pretend to know exactly Iraqi public opinion. But as soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be."

The January 2005 comments, which have not surfaced previously during the presidential campaign, represent a stunning contrast to McCain's current rhetoric.

Living in the shadows of the Reverend Wight and then getting exposed did it.

What is even worse is his refusal to distance himself from the Reverend saying instead that the Reverend is like family, and that makes it even worse.

I love it! Any criticism of Obama is "racist". Any criticism of Clinton is "sexist".

Save the race baiting for when it actually exists, the constant drone of "racism" when people have honest disagreement as to policy is insulting.

Just a reminder: The whole issue about freedom of speech is freedom of POLITICAL speech. I thought that the Dems were the friends of free speech...maybe I missed the memo that said that freedom of speech was only appropriate when directed against a Republican.

Gawd: I love the political season.

Black Liberation Theology, is liberation theology with the word "black" added.

The Pope condemed liberation theology and excommunicated priests who refused to abandon it's Marxist teachings.

At issue are the good Rev. Wright's comments about Marxist ideology - not some race thing, not a black v white issue, not a back chuch issue - it's about Obama kneeling and praying for 20 years at the alter of Marxist ideaology.

For years "Remember Chicago's Haymarket Square" was the rallying cry for the American Communist Party. Is it now "Change we can believe in" ?

Do these ads really work?
To me it depends on the actually candidate running..
What are the issues? Does this person represent my values..?
I do not interview my neighbors before I move into a community..nor do I do a background check on my boss or local school council PTA..but Woah..one of them was a prostitute 35 years ago..so that means I was also a prostitute as well?
Guilt by association goes both ways..
McCain and the GOP have their own religious wackos that will be their own detriment in the fall.. Calling Rev Hagee...Calling Rev Hagee... Oh and the Keating issue will also burn their behinds...
When one attacks..the other should just hold up a mirror....

This is just another sign of the collapse of the Republicn Party. It features:
1. No issues, and
2. half-truths
Then today the Republican Party seeks to stop an ad using John McCain's actual words and voice because, it says, it doesn't tell the whole story. Ijtellectually and morally bankrupt, without an energizing idea in its quiver, having abandoned fiscal restraint for huge government, the Republicans are looking for a bright shiny object to distract the electorate from the abysmal failures that John McCain pledges to continue.

*Obama agrees, Wright is a "legitimate political issue"

*Yet, he refuses to renounce his comments

*He admits to being "deeply offended" by his comments

*But doesn't say which those are

*While simultaneously denying hearing the same we've all heard

*And he equates this racist hatred to his under-the-bus grandmother

Moral equivalency, lies, scandal.

And to think, we had an alternative to another Clinton in the WH.

@ProudtobeGOP : There ist no causal relationship between economic progress and good governance. First, if this were the case, the USA can apply to become a chinese province, they excel in economic growth ! Second, every country worldwide has grown in the past 40 years, we all know this. Specifically, it was a merit of democrats to have stabilized the US economy, the GOP is transferring wealth to the upper class and some key sectors like war industry. The population will have to pay the bill for the huge public and private deficits. Propaganda tries to link sport, economy and scientific achievmeents to political superiority. A good government does not need cheap popaganda, but distributes the national wealth evenly. Look at the catastrophic social imbalance, the unjust health system etc and you see the real face of GOP.

O bomb For prex

A Smart Cookie that knows how to Slice his Cake.

The Democratic Party is the racist party so the Obamanistas will fit right in.

To the person that wrote this post:

IMPEACHMENT and NO REELECTION

I thought that all you Obama persons believed that super delegates should vote the way the State they represent voted. If that is so, what to do about the several Arizona super delegates that will vote for Obama (At least three and more "on the fence")even though Clinton won the primary in this State. Shall we drum them out of the party? Or how else can we rectify this gross negligence of the orders they were given.

Why didn't Obam just go to a undenominational church if he truly wanted to unite us instead of Trinity? Obams judgement? This just says alot.

Main Entry: de·nom·i·na·tion
Pronunciation: \di-ˌnä-mə-ˈnā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 15th century
1: an act of denominating
2: a value or size of a series of values or sizes (as of money)
3: name, designation; especially : a general name for a category
4: a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices

A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION WHOSE CONGREGATIONS ARE UNITED IN THERE ADHERENCE TO IT"S BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.

What, and now do Obama turn his back on his religion as well? On Rev. Wright?

WHERE DO YOU STAND BARACK?

Character, Sound Judgement, Courage of Convictions. Isn't that how we are measured?

HILLARY VOTED FOR THE WAR

Yes she did........Barack did Not.

One could say he didn't want his Brothers against the UNITED STATES harmed, as they will fight to destroy us. How patriotic of Obama.

Maybe Obama will just simply ask our enemies to "reconcile" themselves to us. I sorta don't think that hope and change tatic will work.

Posted by: | April 29, 2008 3:22 AM

I thought that all you Obama persons believed that super delegates should vote the way the State they represent voted. If that is so, what to do about the several Arizona super delegates that will vote for Obama (At least three and more "on the fence")even though Clinton won the primary in this State. Shall we drum them out of the party? Or how else can we rectify this gross negligence of the orders they were given.

whatever he says about his "former" pastor, obama is now (politically)a "dead man walking."

can the obama donors & superdelegates & howard dean & pelosi & carter & the kennedy clan & the male chauvinist kennedy publicist ted sorensen & all other head-over-heels salivating obama fanatics not see this?

two points are hardly incontrovertible in this l'affaire wright (who's very wrong). & this affair can hardly be dismissed as simply "guilt by association."

firstly, how can a supposedly smart (as obama likes to describe himself) guy got to nurture a relationship with a man he calls almost his uncle for well over two decades--& remained largely unaffected by it?

how could obama have regularly communed with his pastor wright for 20 years--& not imbibed his, no, not simply radical, but TOTALLY ANARCHISTIC POLITICAL VIEWS? (how can wright curse this "GOD DAMN AMERICA" which has taken him into her bosom for almost his entire life here in america--& not be called, no, no simply an ANACHRONISM, but, worse, an ANACONDA?)

now that it's politically mandatory (for his survival) to disown wright, obama has shed his decades-long friendship/relationship w/ his beloved "former" pastor, as if he were merely changing his handford briefs.

2nd point, & this is very revealing. obama himself admitted (in my in-depth research of his open admissions) that, once he had decided to make a full-time career out of being a politician, he (obama) decided to study the oratorical ways & techniques of preachers like wright & his likes. obama admits that he learned a lot from these 'religious" guys on how to move their audience--to tears, to laughter, to scorn, to pity; how to cajole, threaten, beg, & convince.

study obama's stage act during his declamation moments in this campaign--& you'll see, clearly, a wright clone. even the way obama pivots, or executes onstage his 360-turnaround (about face, showmanship-wise or politically) to show himself to all in the crowd is so wright-ish, i can, hardly, for the life of me, ever believe that obama hasn't completely immersed himself in everything that wright has taught him.

no, to repeat, obama isn't merely mortally wounded or badly damaged: he's (politically) a dead man walking. really. analyze this crucial point.****

I dont know how Howard Dean thinks he should be allowed to change the rules midstream - the Rules Committee has to make some rulings and the Credentials Committee has to be allowed to hear the case.

Let's try some quick calculations:

If Florida and Michigan, with 366 is reduced by 40% - half the pledge delegates and keeping all the superdelegates, which is the substance of the complaint -

First, the addition of 220 delegates would increase the number of delegates needed for nomination to 2135.

On the PLEDGED delegate side, Hillary would probably gain a net 35.

AND there would be about 72 additional superdelegates added to the mix.

OK If Hillary scores some big wins, she may be able to pick up 40-50 more pledged delegates, so she needs to catch up 50-60 of the additionals.

Remember 60 Add-on Superdelegates have yet to be chosen, Hillary may have the inside track there.

The 72 Superdelegates from Florida and Michigan and the 60 Add-on Superdelegates means that 132 Superdelegates which are not even in the mix right now would be there.

This is they mathematics behind Hillary - not the old math that the Obama people have been attempting to sell the country.

So Hillary has to net gain 70 out of the 370 - which is something like a 220-150 split which is not too crazy considering she has strong support in Florida and Michigan - and she might have a good track with the Add-on Superdelegates.

Thank you Goodbye.

to JNoel002

I was referring to the 1990s as the time period in which we attempted to ignore the terrorists - we even delayed our reaction to the USS Cole in part because of change of administration.

A doughy, racist scumbag plying his good ol' trade in the Confederacy of Dunces. Not much to see here. Except this:

I continue to be fascinated by the complete disappearance of George W Bush from the political landscape. What, for example, does W think of Greeag Day-vis? Is there an endorsement a-comin? Does Greg proudly stand with the C-in-C?

Because George W Bush is a man conservatives can trust.

I hate the campaign commercials right now. It is a matter of saturation. People are tired of these constant battles between networks and reactionary politicians making everyone part of the money to be made on politics. People are far more insightful than hacks percieve them to be.
Half of the story is not the truth in my book.

And what market are they in anyhow ? Someday, I would like a survey done to find out if say, an audience for a particular 24/7 blues and news reader are also consumers of National Enquirer ?

The other trick is to pretend a news organization of the frey by reporting on the reporting of these petty battles in a pluristic society. Watched one person today talk about talking about Rev. Wright for a half-hour today.

Anyway, to discount the effects of saturation would be a loss of revenues for many. I think radicalism on any side will be rejected eventually. Who will be first to say, we won't carry the spin risking a loss in ratings. Pssst in a populus movement, the people do the advertising.

Oh yeah, thinking like this is going to win you some elections all right. How come nobody before you ever had your brilliance?

Quote:

"By Novenmber 4 it will seem that 2008 america is more racist than kkk 1910 america.

You know why?

Thats cause it is!!!!!

Posted by: pvogel88 | April 28, 2008 10:26 PM "

Reverend Wright is the tip of Obama's liberal iceberg. Take Mrs. Obama's self-professed lack of pride in her country. Take Mr. Obama's conflating of faith, guns, xenophobia, and opposition to illegal immigration into one big faculty lounge stereotype of people in the heartland. Take Mr. Obama's plans to tax-and-spend us into further debt.

The idea that raising Rev. Wright against Obama is racist is just absurd. It's not the color of Rev. Wright's skin that is offensive, it's the content of his character. Rev. Wright says things that are just plain nuts -- paranoid, inflammatory, and Anti-American (I use the last adjective reluctantly, but if saying "God D-mn America" isn't by definition anti-American, I don't know what is).

Obama is the Republican party's dream -- the foreign policy naivete of a Jimmy Carter combined with the culture war sensibilities of Michael Dukakis. He is the 2008 incarnation of Connecticut's Ned Lamont -- he'll make news by riding the anti-war tide to the nomination and then get creamed by a moderate in the general.

Dems should realize that the only president they've elected for the past 30 years (an entire generation) was a southern moderate. This basic fact seems to elude them.

By Novenmber 4 it will seem that 2008 america is more racist than kkk 1910 america.

You know why?

Thats cause it is!!!!!

We tried to ignore this war, not fight and hope that it would go away.
Posted by: O Man | April 28, 2008 10:09 PM

Did we? Or did we go into Iraq looking for something that we never found, or wasn't ever there. Meanwhile, the real enemy you speak of was regrouping and continuing to exist.

It isn't quite as black and white as you seem to describe.

Response to legan00@ccny.cuny.edu

What are you talking about??? We all care abou