Obama on Spitzer, King, and veep speculation
Senator Barack Obama orders food during an impromptu stop at The Little Dooey restaurant in Columbus, Miss. today. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)
Barack Obama dropped by The Little Dooey restaurant in Columbus, Miss. today, an off-the-schedule stop during a campaign swing through Mississippi, whose primary he is expected to win tomorrow. After ordering some chicken and brisket for an aide, catfish tenders, hushpuppies, and a few other items, according to a media pool report, Obama took a few questions from reporters on New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, on apparently being on Hillary Clinton's short list for running mate, and on a comment US Representative Steve King made last week that terrorists would be "dancing in the streets" if Obama won the presidency.
On Spitzer's alleged links to a prostitution ring, Obama didn't say much. "I really haven’t seen the details of it, so I don’t know what’s going on," he said. "I’m a little in the dark."
On King, Obama said the Iowa Republican had it "backwards." "The fact that the continuation of a presence in Iraq as Senator McCain has suggested is exactly what, I think, will fan the flames of anti-American sentiment and make it more difficult for us to create a long-term and sustainable peace in the world," he said. "But I have to say that Mr. King and individuals like him thrive on offensive or controversial statements as a way to get in the papers, so I don’t take it too seriously. I would hope Senator McCain would want to distance himself from that kind of inflammatory and offensive remarks.”
Asked why he felt the need to address the vice presidential speculation today, Obama said, "The Clintons have spent all weekend talking about it, so I wanted to make sure there wasn’t any ambiguity about it."
Would he rule out being her running mate? "I am not running for vice president and don't intend to be vice president," he said. "My argument throughout this campaign is that we need to change how business is done in Washington. I don’t think Senator Clinton represents the kind of change that's needed. This has not been an empty exercise. I profoundly believe we have to shift Washington. And I believe I’m the best person to do that job."
This primary needs to end now if the Democrats want to preserve their perceived advantage in the general election. Every dollar spent here is a dollar that can’t be spent later. Notice how McCain’s calls for Obama to agree to public financing have dried up? That’s because the Republicans are stockpiling huge amounts of cash while Dems are frittering their resources away on a race that can’t change and primaries for states who cheated. Even if there was a do-over Hillary still could not erase Obama’s delegate lead. Why are Democrats even considering wasting money on an additional process for a candidate that can’t reasonably be expected to take the delegate lead (given the proportional allotment of delegates) especially when most national polls show that Hillary would do notably worse against McCain in the general election.
Make no mistake, given the state of the country’s woes the Democrats are standing at a historical crossroads in which they can cede the future to the divisive politics of the past (for which Clinton is a poster-child) or forge a progressive coalition that could last until the mid-century.
New Democratic Motto: Decide Now or Lose Later.
Honest, diplomatic, intelligent.
Here's what I think: Lump McCain and Hillary together and run hard against both of 'em! We don't even have to smear and distort because the record is tragically clear:
1) McCain and Hillary both employ lobbyists from the same parent company to run their campaigns. Mark Penn's company defended Blackwater before the congressional hearings, Charlie Black actually does lobbying while sitting on McCain's "straight talk express"! Since 1998, Black has made 57 million dollars lobbying guys like McCain, and now he's trying to get him elected President.
2) Hillary and McCain BOTH thought going to war in Iraq was a good idea. Now we have a plummeting dollar, $100 per barrel oil, a two TRILLION dollar war, an army stretched so thin that we couldn't react to an actual threat on another front right now, bin laden's group stronger than ever, and a recession staring us in the face. Had we chosen the RIGHT path with regard to Iraq, we would be in a much different position right now. Hillary voted yes. McCain voted yes. Period.
3) Hillary and McCain have both decided to "wink,wink" acknowledge that Obama is not a Muslim. This is a blatant attempt to, in Hillary's words, "create doubts" about Obama. Asking if he's been "vetted" then conveniently having a campaign spokesman mention his muslim ties. Then Cindy McCain slams Michelle for supposedly not being patriotic. The underground smear email came from one of those guys. So we have two camps that are seeking to attack the very principles upon which this country was founded, that we are all created equal, and that what we accomplish in this country should be decided by our efforts and talents rather than our birth circumstances. Obama is a Christian and has never been anything else. To suggest otherwise is a blatant lie.
4) Rezko is a symptom of a broken system. There are thousands waiting in line behind him hoping to influence those in power. Obama chose to fight to change the rules, attacking the problem at it's core. Obama knows that the best chance of getting rid of those influences, in addition to changing the rules, is to get the people involved in the democratic process again. When we pay attention and participate these things will diminish. Hillary and McCain play the game well, but the game is hurting America!
Obama O8,
Our best chance for change,
Our best chance to start funding health care instead of Halliburton.
Not withstanding Clintons ongoing fraud lawsuit in California, and 8, I repeat 8 years of undisclosed tax returns, when will America wake up to the liability the Clintons are? When will the DNC help expose them, so that the party won't suffer what it did in 1968? Doesn't America remember that 2 years into his first term, Clinton lost the house, the senate, then onto all the governerships across the country? During which the general public had to endure at nauseam, the scandals on the daily news, Not to mention the embarrassment in the eyes of the world. Most importantly during these distractions Bin Laden got away and went on to lay his plans for 9/11. If not for Clintons 9/11 would not have happened,ergo,neither would the Iraq war!I guess NAFTA should be mentioned as Clintons sold America down the river with their jobs.
History lessons for everyone please!! As your teachers every where tell you...history repeats it's self. Learn from the past to create a better future, before it's too late.
Barack Obama has made it perfectly clear that he is not running a
campaign based on negativity or hate.(He sure could've fooled
me!)This is shocking to say the least. The latest comment comes from
his late great Foreign Affairs Adviser. Unbelievable! Consequently, this
statement from Stephanie Powers calling Hillary a monster is coupled
with an earlier foreign affairs snafu with Canada over NATA and
Obama's Economic Adviser Austan Goolsbee.
Powers said... (Hillary Clinton)"She's a Monster!"
Obama said... "The communication with Canadian Government and
Mr. Goolsbee (Obama's Economic Advisor) concerning NAFTA, NEVER
HAPPENED."
Uh huh, sure!
Lies of the Mind!
Lies of the Heart!
Lies of ALL KINDS!
After you've heard lie upon lie... there can hardly be a question of
why.
Unfortunately, Barack Obama is NOT what he seems... at all!
way to go tell then you want no part of V.P. OBAMA ROR PRESS
Yes, we can
If Hillary would appoint him as VP doesn't that mean she thinks he has the experience to be president? Surely she wouldn't risk appointing someone who doesn't have the chops for the job...
Please read the following article...http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html?ref=politics
Obama does not sound like he is shifting or ready to shift anything in Washington or in Illinois.
Yes, he has the suitable qualifications to be the President--his sound and quick judgement and vision can be obviously substitute for the longevity in the Washington establishment. I hope his advisers will not advise him to be the joint ticket of Clinton-Obama as she has been saying for many days. When I decide which presidential candidates should I vote for, I make my decision to vote for the president, not VP. Go Sen. Obama for the Presidency.
on clinton and VP question: this is the only response he could make if he has been genuine about what he is saying about old style washington. it illustrates the essential point, we can't change without changing approach, no matter how similar the platforms. it shows he really believes in something new and different. if he didn't already have my vote, this would get it.
Obama would not dirty himself by getting involved with the Clintons. He would not, could not face himself , his wife or his supporters, if he did.
Hillary is such a cheat-Obama could not live with her ideas-I doubt he could even live with her foul language and treatment of her helpers and aids!
I can't even see him asking her to be the vice pres., after he really wins the nonimation!
More importantly; what do the Clinton's have to say about the Eliot Spitzer debacle? After all, he is one of their key supporters- and has been divisive in New York as they will be if elected.
Barack Obama will bring back international respect for America and be able to work across party lines to get our economy and our country moving again.
We can do without her "experience" of things past.
Obama is right.The renaissance American people claims can not be unsdertood and represented by Hillary.She is living in the past, we are living in the future.We need a new differend experince.Hillary is still speakig about the old experience.She is far from the reality .Life changes, so is American.We are having a new generation .Hillary and her generation can not realize that
The Washington-as-Usual sleaze and innuendo, the slights like Hillary's saying that Obama is Christian "as far as I know," and all other such undermining of respect demand a new broom, one sweeping out the dirt and opening transparency and participatory democracy.
The Mark Penn/Clinton team distortions will so degrade the Democratic nomination if Hillary wins that McCain will have a victory he could never achieve on his own.
The polls have been consistent: If the desire is to beat McCain, Obama is the one hope remaining for the Democrats.
It's funny how the title of the article makes it sound like Obama said something about Spitzer when clearly the opposite was true.
Great for Obama..... Hillary and Bill are truly monsters, belittling Obama to take "third place" after Hillary and Bill... The Clintons did more to diminish the morality of this country than anyone I could ever think of...... perhaps Nixon and Bush... and Obama must remind the country of this...and continue to hit hard, that Hillary is the same old, same old from Washington that will continue the horrendous mess this country finds itself. Without being negative, like Hillary, Obama must present the strength that the country needs, that he needs, to win the nomination and the presidency... by using diplomacy, truth.....firmness without being trapped into a defensive position..
I wonder how Hillary would feel about being the VP candidate with Obama at the top of the ticket? I don't think either one of them can close the deal based on the remaining primaries and I don't think Clinton can catch Obama on delegate counts. So it looks like the nomination is Obama's unless the Clintons pull off some backroom shenanigans at the convention. She needs him on the ticket more than he needs her. Realistically, do you want a VP who has spent the last month characterizing you as unprepared? It almost makes me wonder whether the Clintons have some party blessing to destroy Obama. She's running the kind of campaign that can't help but weaken Obama if he's the candidate in the fall election.
The Dem party have a difficult task ahead. They either go and feed the greed of the Clintons or accept that change is coming to America. Observations tell me that they are going for the former rather than the latter option. The press in the last few days have been supportive of the Clintons as if America belongs to them (the Clintons).
Do the Clintons own America? Does America owe the Clitnons anything? It is almost as if Hillary has to be the nominee of the Dem party otherwise no one else will or the sky will collapse. For Christ's sakes, let the sky drop. America has the right to do whatever it wants but America should not come dictating to the rest of the world because its (America's) democracy sucks. The behaviors of the Clintons suck.
All the manipulations by the Clintons, the smears, the fear-mongering, the dream ticket tactics, the Obama in African dress photo, the accusation of plagiarism, the manoeuvres to allocate to Hillary the Florida and Michigan delegates, the super-delegates arm-twisting supported by the Clintons etc ... all these things tell me that America is not the model of democracy it is preaching to impose to the rest of the world.
Obama SHOULD be the nominee. He can energize all parts of the party and take the democrats to victory. Clinton as VP would be fine with me if it assures the old line Dems are on board. She would probably do well presiding over a Democratic Senate and add "experience" to the ticket.
IF Clinton should pull off the nomination, Obama must accept the VP slot or risk having all these new people decide to sit it out.
Democrats have to keep their eye on the prize. We need Obama and Clinton clasping hands and raising them in unity on the convention dais!
Hillary is something else - she is such a typical politician - willing to win at any cost, throwing childish and ridiculous punches at Obama. All she can do is try and tear him down instead of just focusing on building herself up - unlike Obama who has shown amazing character in this campaign. She comes up very short on integrity, honesty and lacks true vision and ideas of a better tomorrow for us.
To the person that said Obama is not what he seems - I know WAY more about him than I do Hillary - the information about him is all over the news and the net and in his 2 books. I know who his parents are, where they grew up, where they met, where Obama was born, when his parents got divorced, every place Obama moved to and lived, every school he went to, the religious samplings his mother exposed him to in order to let him decide for himself and have a well rounded education, I know what Church he attends and the website to that CHRISTIAN church, I know his plans and ideas on the issues as they are all spelled out clearly on his website, I know when an advisor of his said something disrespectful about Hillary - he took IMMEDIATE action and let her go, I know he has stuck to his word and NOT taken money from Lobbyists - and when there was a question about that - he again took immediate action to make it right and donated that portion of the money to charity, he has released his tax forms EVERY year etc etc. He has been very transparent and has ran a fantastic and CLEAN campaign - not stooping to Hillarys dirty tactics.
Do you know this much about Hillary? What church does she go to? What relgious eduction did she have? Who are her parents and what was their relationship like? What traditions and philosophies did her family have and where are her parents and grandparents from? Where has she lived? Where did she go to school? I am sure some of this information is out there but nothing like it is with Obama.
And the FL and MI mess - Hillary wants to keep the original votes from FL and MI - even though Obama's name wasn't even on the MI ballot!! Somehow she thinks this would be the "right" thing to do! She does not care how much she hurts her party either. And my favorite one is how her and Bill have "graciously" offered Obama the VP position - when HE is the one clearly winning the race!! That one is laughable!!!
Don't feed into the fear tactics and the "fairytales" that the Republicans and Hillary are desperately throwing out there.
Go Obama!!!
YES, MR.OBAMA IS RIGHT, HE IS NOT INTENDING TO BE A VICE PRESIDENT.
AND HE IS RIGHT, WE NEED TO CHANGE HOW BUSINESS IS DONE IN
WASHINGTON. SO,I THINK A VICE PRESIDENT CAN NOT BRING THIS CHANGE.
BUT A "WISE" PRESIDENT LIKE MR.BARAK OBAMA CAN DEFINITELY BRING,
BRING A CHANGE, WHICH OUR COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE WORLD NEED IT
DESPERATELY.
I love The Little Dooey!
Obama is far more wiser than Hillary, the tatics that she is using to discredit Obama is disgusting She need to operate like an experience leader and not like a little child who crys everytime she do get the candy. It s time she start to demonstrate Leadership role. I looked at Obama and plainly you can see a man of respect and dignity. A role Model, A man with Moral principles, He has perfect Judgement, I can assure he will be there to pick of the phone. Its time for change and Oh yes with Obama we can. Hillary give it up for now, You can retun 2016
Clinton intends to take the entire Democratic party down with her so she can try to run next time since McCain may not maintain his health for a second term- she is the most selfish politician to come around in National democratic politics and she is an impediment to a woman ever becoming president! She plays the gender card at every opportunity and plays as dirty as she can without ending up on jail for fraud. If NY likes her so much, maybe they should make her governor and get her off Obama and the democrats back!!
it's time for you Americans of a deep change in your po9litical horizons..
can't you see your economy is in recession...
...what about the dollars ? 1,57 today agains euro
...and the oil price ? 107$
Still believing that this war is the best of all the possible choices ?
Still believing that SECURITY is the deus ex machina of your economy and your life ?
Antonio
Italy
I think Obama should throw in a towel and be a VP will Hillary Clinton. He has no chance of winning. Both candidates are wasting lots of money and destroying each other. Since Obama doesn't want to be a VP than Hillary should have John Edwards as a VP Obama lost his charisma. He talks about the same old stuff. Change. No new message. In addition his message of change is documented in court at the Rezko trial. This and other things that the Republicans will dig up in the months ahead. Edwards is a better VP for Hillary He has a clean image looks like a person you can tryst
Major Political Scandal!!!
Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Because they feel he would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. And because they feel that a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket would be unbeatable. And also because with a Clinton and Obama ticket you are almost 100% certain to get quality, affordable universal health care very fast.
You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don't want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care. So they can make more profit for them-self.
Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama's. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!
As much as 30% of Obama's primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help.
If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. Because the vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. All of this vote fraud and republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is. YOUNG PEOPLE. DON'T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose.
The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. I suggest a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket now! All democrats need to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton. So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.
Fortunately the Clinton's have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic comebacks of Hillary Clinton's. Only the Clinton's are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen.
You should be angry America. "This is not a game" (Hillary Clinton)
Sincerely
jacksmith...
I can see it coming 10 years from now when all the promise of change to come from Obama doesnt come in a way everyone thought it would come. And the real truth comes out about him and Hillary wont be the one everybody can point a finger at for playing dirty politics.You will be able to go out on the streets and ask anyone who they voted for in the primary of 2008 and only a minimal number will admit to supporting him. I have an associate who single handedly put President Nixon in the white house. Go Hillary! Hillary and Edwards all the way.
THE NEXT GENERATION HAS CAST THEIR VOTE
they prefer obama, OK. we understand. but now is the time to face real politics.
if clinton is not nominated, McCain will win. loosing this year is not the way to start the changes that obama wil, and can bring later
NY Times Paperback NonFiction Best Seller List:
#3 The Audacity of Hope
#4 Dreams from My Father
Read 'em and you'll find out what everyone is learning, which is that he's incredibly bright and sincere, has a strong understanding of history, the present needs of the U.S., and excellent ideas on how to go about making the kind of change that's needed. His message now is completely consistent with what he's written over the last few years.
How can someone accuse Obama entire campaign of being negative and full of hate by using the one example of his advisor calling Clinton "a monster"? Obama told Powers she had to go because that is not what his campaign is about. There are several examples of Clinton's campaign being negative:
1) What Bill Clinton said in South Carolina which he still hasn't apologized for. Being a former Bill fan, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I couldn't see how those Jesse Jackson remarks were anything but racial.
2)Hillary being nice to Barack one day, than less than 48 hours later she was blasting him "Shame on you Barack!!" about some healthcare flyers. Factcheck.org said that if Barack's mailers were misleading, Hillary's were just as misleading.
3)Hillary mocking Obama's speeches (aren't they both making speeches??). Hillary wishes she was as good at delivering her message. Why do people have to tear down others just to build themselves up?
4) The 3 am fear-tactic ad (funny now that the girl in the bed is a huge Obama supporter). People in the Clinton campaign were the only ones who said it wasn't a fear tactic. I guarantee you Nancy Pelosi is not happy about the way Clinton is campaigning.
5)When Powers called Clinton a monster, Clinton called for her resignation, then sent out an email to supporters asking for more money to fight Baracks "negative" campaigning. However, when Ferraro made those racial comments, all Clinton said was that she disagreed. She didn't denouce and reject the comments. Then her campaign advisor tried to put in back on Obama as causing controversy. It was an offensive thing to say. Obama didn't make her say it.
cindi barba..."i think obama should trow in the towel..."
Hillary did'nt quit when she was ahead. She has not quit even knowing that she can't overcome or even match Barak's delegate count.
would you throw in the towel if you were winning? i can't see how that would make any sence.
it would seem that the majority of EDUCATED people...those of us who can count and reason with objective minds support the better candiate. the one who is clearly winning....fair and square.
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