Clipmarks | BobbyDelray's 'barack obama' clips

Obama Says Single-Payer Health Care Makes Sense

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:38:54 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Barack Obama said he would consider embracing a single-payer health-care system sometime in the future as his plan for broader health coverage evolves, the WSJ’s Amy Chozick reports from the campaign trail.

“If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system,” Obama told some 1,800 people at a town-hall meeting on the economy in
Albuquerque, New Mexico.

But critics, including every Republican we can think of, cringe at the elimination of competition and deep government involvement in the private sector.

“People don’t have time to wait,” Obama said. “They need relief now. So my attitude is let’s build up the system we got, let’s make it more efficient, we may be over time—as we make the system more efficient and everybody’s covered—decide that there are other ways for us to provide care more effectively.”

Obama campaign used party rules to foil Clinton

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:00:43 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Obama's campaign mastered some of the most arcane rules in politics, and then used them to foil a front-runner who seemed to have every advantage - money, fame and a husband who had essentially run the Democratic Party for eight years as president.

Clip Source: apnews.myway.com

Unlike Hillary Rodham Clinton, rival Barack Obama planned for the long haul. Clinton hinged her whole campaign on an early knockout blow on Super Tuesday, while Obama's staff researched congressional districts in states with primaries that were months away. What they found were opportunities to win delegates, even in states they would eventually lose.

"Without a doubt, their understanding of the nominating process was one of the keys to their success," said Tad Devine, a Democratic strategist not aligned with either candidate. "They understood the nuances of it and approached it at a strategic level that the Clinton campaign did not."

Tags: obama, clinton

Students suspended for skipping class to meet Obama

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:18:33 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: hosted.ap.org

Two high school seniors in Scranton, Pa., are paying a high price for their interest in politics.

Colin Saltry and Joey Daniel say they skipped gym class on Monday to rush over to a diner where Sen. Barack Obama's motorcade had just pulled in for an impromptu breakfast stop.

The two met Obama, and they say he even signed excuse slips for them to show their teachers. That didn't work. Saltry and Daniel got one-day suspensions for leaving school grounds, and Saltry has been ordered to resign as senior class president.

Saltry says it was worth being suspended to meet Obama, but he didn't expect to be bounced from his class presidency.

Assistant Superintendent William King says the rules are clear, and adds that if the students had approached a teacher about wanting to leave campus, they probably would have been given permission.

Davis apologizes for calling Obama 'boy'

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:04:11 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: polwatchers.typepad.com

U.S. Rep Geoff Davis apologized Monday for calling presidential contender and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama “boy” during a Northern Kentucky dinner over the weekend.

He said in his remarks at the GOP dinner that he also recently participated in a “highly classified, national security simulation” with Obama.

“I'm going to tell you something: That boy's finger does not need to be on the button," Davis said. "He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”

Davis compared Obama, a Democratic contender for president, and his message to a “snake oil salesman.”

The offending comment was first reported on the Herald-Leader’s political blog, Pol Watchers. (Click here to listen to Davis' remarks.)

“My poor choice of words is regrettable and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity," Davis wrote in a letter that staffers said was hand-delivered to Obama’s U.S. Senate office. "I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Presidential Primary

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:16:16 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: rasmussenreports.com

Pennsylvania: Clinton 47% Obama 42%

Senator Hillary Clinton’s lead in the Pennsylvania Primary is shrinking.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Pennsylvania shows Clinton leading Barack Obama by just five percentage points, 47% to 42%. For Clinton, that five-point edge is down from a ten-point lead a week ago, a thirteen-point lead in mid-March and a fifteen-point advantage in early March.

Support for Clinton slipped from 52% early in March, to 51% in mid-month, 49% a week ago, and 47% today. During that same time frame, support for Obama has increased from 37% to 42%.

A separate survey found that both Democrats are in a competitive race with John McCain for Pennsylvania’s Electoral College votes. Nationally, McCain currently leads both Democrats in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. Looking at the Electoral College, the race is essentially a Toss-Up.

Tags: obama, clinton

Influential Democrats Waiting to Choose Sides

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:30:08 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's trio of victories over Sen. Barack Obama last week appears to have convinced a sizable number of uncommitted Democratic superdelegates to wait until the end of the primaries and caucuses before picking a candidate, according to a survey by The Washington Post.

Many of the 80 uncommitted superdelegates who were contacted over the past several days said they are reluctant to override the clear will of voters

At the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August, there will be 796 superdelegates

"You're going to see a lot of delegates remaining uncommitted," said Rep. Mike Doyle (Pa.), who has not endorsed either candidate. "There's a sense that this is going to Denver not resolved."

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

So far Clinton, with 242 superdelegates, has had more success soliciting their support than Obama, who has the backing of 210.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

"If superdelegates were just intended to automatically vote for the preference someone else expressed, there wouldn't be any purpose,"

Tags: clinton, obama, superdelegates

Pennsylvania’s Missed Opportunity

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:12:54 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: blogs.wsj.com

With Sen. Barack Obama narrowly leading Sen. Hillary Clinton in delegates after the Ohio and Texas votes (margins vary this morning, as they usually do, from 86 to 132), Pennsylvania’s April 22 primary looms as the biggest race remaining, with 158 delegates at stake.

It could have been even bigger.

Any state whose primary was held before April in 2004, and opted to hold this year’s primary in April, would gain a 15% bonus on their base delegate total. (It’s spelled out on the first two pages of the party’s call to the convention.) Move your primary from before May 1 to afterwards, and pick up a 30% bonus.

Pennsylvania was best-positioned to pick up a big bonus at little cost.

Instead it settled for April 22, and a 5% bonus.

That cost Pennsylvania 33 extra delegates to the convention

Abe Amoros, executive director of the Pennsylvania Democratic party, told me it was up to the legislature to set the primary date. “I have never heard the argument of moving it to May,

Tags: primary, pennsylvania, 2008, delegates

"We are the ones we have been waiting for"

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:10:15 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Notice Barack's demeanor at the end of the speech.

Clip Source: my.barackobama.com

[Video]

Here's the speech Barack delivered tonight in the great city of Chicago...

Tags: obama, clinton, super tuesday speech, "we are the ones we have been waiting for"

Do Politicians Lie?

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:43:49 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

In recent weeks, Ron Paul overstated the U.S. death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rudy Giuliani overstated the impact on national crime rates of declining New York rates during his mayoral tenure, Barack Obama overstated the potential impact of an increase in voter turnout among black voters in the South, and John Edwards chose the higher of two government estimates of the number of Americans without bank accounts to emphasize a point.

Those statistical stretches were identified and corrected by a pair of Web sites aiming to keep close tabs on the factual claims of the 2008 candidates. FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, monitored the last presidential race as well. It was joined two weeks ago by PolitiFact, a joint venture of the St. Petersburg Times and the Congressional Quarterly that rates candidates' claims on a so-called Truth-O-Meter, which has six settings ranging from "True" to "Pants on Fire."

Tags: facts, check, pnats on fire. factcheck, politifact, ron paul. paul, obama, clinton, edwards, giuliani

Obama: Expand Senior Volunteer Programs

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:11:52 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: ap.google.com

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday he wants to increase opportunities for older Americans to contribute to society by creating new volunteer programs.

The Illinois senator vowed to expand programs, such as the Senior Corps., which provides volunteer opportunities to seniors. About 500,000 seniors participate in that program.

"I believe that Americans of all age are still willing to serve this country in ways big and small," Obama said. "I think the problem is no one has asked you. That will change when I am president."

Tags: senior care, elder, volunteer, society, contribute, obama

Jesse Jackson says Obama 'acting like he's white'

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:56:24 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

The Rev. Jesse Jackson criticized Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for "acting like he's white" when it comes to the case of six young blacks who were charged with crimes in Jena, La., according to The (Charleston, S.C.) State.

Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, issued what the civil rights leader describes as a tepid response to the case, The State reports. “If I were a candidate, I’d be all over Jena,” Jackson tells the paper after giving a speech in Columbia.

“Jena is a defining moment, just like Selma was a defining moment,” Jackson adds.

He told the paper he didn't recall making the "acting like he's white" comment about his fellow Illinoisan.

Tags: jesse, jackson, obama, barack, democrat, jena, candidate

Obama needs an ace

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:47:39 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Generating enthusiasm for change isn't enough. To beat Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama will have to make

Clip Source: commentisfree.guardian.co.uk

So went the warm up act last week, when I saw Barack Obama speak in San Francisco to an adoring crowd of thousands. It was my first US Presidential rally, and a fascinating look at the fervour of American politics. The crowd yelled back their "Bama!" with unbridled vigour. And this was at lunchtime on a week day.

Americans retain a desire to believe in their leaders that apathy and cynicism has gnawed away in most other western democracies. Outsiders like me will always feel a little uncomfortable with the cult of personality this tends to generate, a willingness to transpose heroism onto their leaders - which goes all the way back to George Washington. On the other hand, such faith in democracy and in those who seek to serve as leaders is refreshing, especially given the deception of the current Presidency. If, as Billy Bragg has sung "cynicism's such a cop out", this crowd was all-in.

Tags: barack obama

Oprah legitimizes Clinton-Obama in '08

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:53:50 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Can you change the World? How?

Clip Source: www.orlandosentinel.com

Recently on the Oprah Winfrey Show I watched Bill Clinton wax eloquent asonly Bill Clinton can. Clinton's voice cracked and he choked back tears as heextolled the rewards of giving. His new book, Giving: How Each of Us CanChange the World, which he was promoting on the show, is an impassionedendorsement of selfless charity.

But why would one of the most savvy politicians (and one of the mostpopular former presidents) sit down to talk to one of the most influentialwomen in America -- when she has publicly thrown her support behind BarackObama, his wife's No. 1 obstacle to becoming the Democratic Party's nominee tobe the first female president?

Does Bill Clinton really need Oprah's endorsement to sell his books?

Tags: oprah winfrey show, bill clinton, barack obama, democratic party's nominee

War Critics Question Obama's Fervor

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:59:01 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Some Say Actions Don't Match Talk. Your opinion?

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

For antiwar Illinois Democrats, the speech that made them fall in love with Barack Obama was not the one he gave in Boston in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention, but one two years earlier at a hastily organized rally in Chicago on the eve of the congressional vote to authorize the Iraq war.

"I don't oppose all wars," Obama, then a state senator, said on Oct. 2, 2002. ". . . What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne."

Tags: illinois democrats, barack obama, democratic national convention, boston, chicago, iraq, war, richard perle, paul wolfowitz

Obama woos Iowa voters, aiming to close gap

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:24:45 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Sen. Barack Obama spent two days wooing Iowa voters in an effort to catch up with front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton before the state's caucuses in four months.

Clip Source: www.miamiherald.com

The first-term senator from Illinois has been stuck about 20 points behind front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in national polls and appears to be lagging even in South Carolina, a key early primary state, despite its large proportion of black voters, whom he is counting on there.

So he spent two days this week in Iowa angling to catch up. Iowa's caucuses four months from now make it the first state to choose party presidential nominees. Polls there show Obama within five points of Clinton and within three of former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, a frequent visitor since his 2004 run.

''I know that many of you are still shopping for a candidate,'' Obama told about 300 residents of Maquoketa, population 6,100, who gathered at a park on Thursday morning to hear him. ``But it's September now. You can feel that little chill in the air. It's time for us to really make some decisions.''

Tags: obama, clinton, democrats, oprah winfrey, petraeus, war