Clinton, Obama launch fresh Iowa ads
It's a full-on sprint in Iowa -- there's little left between now and the Jan. 3 caucuses but Christmas shopping, Christmas, New Year's, a little football, and a lot of eggnog. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, both claiming momentum in the closing weeks, each unveiled a new 30-second TV spot in the state today.
Clinton's ad highlights the big coup she scored over the weekend: winning the endorsement of The Des Moines Register, the state's most influential newspaper. The ad, called "Great Things," is a recitation of the editorial, in which the paper wrote, "We believe Hillary Rodham Clinton can do great things for our country."
Obama's ad, "Candor," seeks to sum up his appeal by quoting from a variety of papers and scribes, who use superlatives like "refreshing" and "scrupulous" to describe his character. The ad, set against an uplifting soundtrack, closes by saying Obama will bring "change we can believe in." It's trademark Axelrod, as in David Axelrod, Obama's media strategist.
Obama has also won the backing of Dave Loebsack, the last remaining Iowa congressman up for grabs in the endorsement race. Loebsack is an activist who taught political science at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa before winning election to Congress last year. In Iowa City this summer, he could have been mistaken for a Clinton supporter when he introduced her and her husband. He told the huge crowd that "a lot of us look back on the 1990s as pretty darn wonderful period in American history," urging voters to think about that history when they go to the polls.
The other leading Democrat, John Edwards, has picked up a key endorsement of his own, Mari Culver, Iowa's first lady. And Edwards also has a new ad up in Iowa.



hillary sucks, america is done with her as prez
On the contrary. she's going to be our next president! wohoooooo!
I bet that in a the next few minutes this article too will be filled with anit-hillary comments by paid Obama backers!
Obama is just talk and no substance..
Haha, Obama doesn't pay people to be anti-Hilldog. People have been anti-Hilldog for years.
As a former military officer with service in Bosnia and Afghanistan, I can tell you that almost no one in our military trusts Hillary Clinton. She is a divisive figure who many equate with Jane Fonda, draft-dogding, bra-burning and the 1960s in general. Hell, most of middle America sees her that way.
Obama on the other hand gives off an air of common sense, honesty and confidence. While concepts like "common sense", "honesty" and "confidence" are hard to pin down, anyone who actually knows anything about leadership understands that is at least half the battle -- whether you are leading soldiers, running a business, or serving as President.
And having served in various places abroad, I can say that how we are perceived is driven in no small measure by other people's perception of our leaders and who they are. We are of course the same way: when we think of Iran, we think of its crazy leadership. We don't think about the poor schmuck trying to get along by raising sheep on some mountainside.
The American "exceptionalism" that Bush has shoved down the rest of the world's throat is just a bastardization of something that really did set us apart, at least when I was a young military officer: people saw our country as different. We were different: we were idealists. We really were there to help.
So I think it would be huge to have as President an articulate black man with some international background, top of his class at Harvard Law, head of the Harvard Law Review, etc etc. It would communicate to the world that America really is an open and inclusive society, a place that still has some of that old idealism, a place where anyone can be President if they study, work hard and have the good of the people in mind. That's what electing Obama as President will communicate.
Electing Hillary, on the other hand, would communicate to the world that we are like any other place: we like to elect dynasties to power because we're brain-dead sheep.
All of this matters one hell of alot more than the fact Hillary knows how to find all the toilets in the White House, which, as far as I can tell, seems to be the basis for her claims of "experience."
And speaking of experience, Obama clearly has the judgement to pick smart people to advise him, and, after listening as long as he can, make calm, rational and objective decisions in the face of complexity. That's all you need, besides the political skills. The rest is symbolism.
As a former Republican, I'd support Barack Obama. But I'd vote for an actual donkey before I'd vote for Hillary Clinton, and there's one hell of alot of people in this county who think like me.
Bottom line, Democrats have their heads up their behinds if they think this country is going to elect Hillary Clinton.
As a manager I could hire people by their resume, but I don't. Too many take credit for success, when in fact they failed to "sell" programs that were direly needed, leading to crisis. Too many were in the position of power, yet nevertheless won't take responsibility for their deadly poor judgments. Paper qualifications and coached talking are all well and good, but when the country is desperate for honest leadership and courage, we need Obama, not a skirted Washington conniver.
Another paper said Hillary is trying to appear to be more "warm." I suggest she soak her manly pants suit in gasoline and ask for a light....
Any of you stupid enough to vote for her deserve what she does to you. The rest of us do not.
I think Hillary Clinton is ready to lead the first day she is elected a President. Barack is a capable person but he is not ready yet
Oops. I mean Comments 5 and 6...RIGHT ON!!!
It's sad to see that Obama attracts so many suckers. The vicious & sickening personal attacks on Hillary from these so-called Obama supporters sour my taste for Obama. I want nothing to do a candidate whom has himself encircled by so many mean spirited followers.
Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.
It's time for America to Rise and Shine again.
Now, I'd love to see a woman president JUST NOT HILLARY.
Please, please I hope you have not all forgotten the Clinton scandals of the early 90s? Whitewater anyone? Remember how so many people were SILENCED during that investigation?
Common Sense Individuals...male and female need to support someone who is NOT a career politician. Obama is the ONLY democrat who is not in politics for himself, just as Ron Paul is the ONLY republican who actually speaks common sense. Either of these two will do.
As a further note I want to just warn Barack Obama: BE CAREFUL WHILE RUNNING AGAINST HILLARY... DON'T FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO JFK JR WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS BID TO CHALLENGE HER FOR THE SENATE RACE IN NY. We all know that was NO ACCIDENT.
America, let's not fall for the same old lies. Don't elect the Clinton Regime back into power.
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