Clipmarks | masbury's 'obama' clips

What Obama's done in the US Senate, Part 1

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:17:50 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: It's a rather distinguished record for a four-year Senator.

Legislation

See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate

Obama introduced two initiatives bearing his name: "Lugar–Obama," which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons

and the "Coburn–Obama Transparency Act," which authorized the establishment of www.USAspending.gov, a web search engine.^[

Obama sponsored legislation requiring nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the "Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act," marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor

In January 2007, Obama co-sponsored the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.

He introduced S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections

Obama also introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007.

Tags: obama, senate

New progressive movement emerging from Denver?

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:15:13 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Beyond the spectacle, something deeper and more important was taking place.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

I can also report that this spectacle actually had value

it will likely be remembered as one of many events that helped forge a contemporary progressive movement.

the convention's value was most pronounced at the interpersonal level where liberal activists kibbutzed with campaign operatives, bloggers met politicians, and -- as I saw firsthand -- potential Obama administration officials began dialoguing with Congress' most committed progressive leaders.

Standing in the hot sun on the convention's third day, I happened to be arguing trade policy with Austan Goolsbee, the moderate University of Chicago professor who is Barack Obama's chief economic adviser. In the corner of my eye, I saw an old Capitol Hill acquaintance, Rep. Peter DeFazio -- the progressive champion from Oregon. I introduced the two, and within minutes they were finding points of agreement on economic issues.

I considered how many similar bridge-building conversations were happening all week

Tags: denver, dnc

Why polls understate Obama's lead

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:58:30 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Polls do not represent electoral votes. Electoral votes come from states, usually all-or-nothing. A 51%-49% win in most states means 100% of its electoral votes. Thus, the same election that appears close in polling, can be a landslide if the candidate focuses on winning the states he or she can actually win. I'm not saying that the American way of doing it is the best way. I'm simply saying that, at this point in history, the candidate who masters an electoral vote strategy wins. And it appears to be happening.

Clip Source: www.fivethirtyeight.com

Tags: electoral votes, obama, mccain

The Ron Paul counter-convention

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:23:28 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Media pitched "fracture" that never materialized during the DNC; Now there's a counter - rally of 10,000 people led by a Republican candidate, featuring Republican big names, in the same city as the RNC, and it doesn't make the news!

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

Fractured Party? Ron Paul Holds His Own Convention

During the Democratic National Convention, there was not a day of coverage that did not include breathless speculation on how fractured the Democratic Party and how at any time either Hillary Clinton or both of the Clintons would institute some sort of coup de grace and undermine Barack Obama

But not one mention that there is a whole other Republican rally going on right now

Why, media, why? The portion I watched on Tuesday had such names as Tucker Carlson, Bruce Fein and Grover Norquist speaking

Almost 9,800 tickets had been sold for the Rally for the Republic, being held in Minneapolis

Paul

considers the rally a celebration of traditional Republican values

But Paul has no speaking role at the GOP convention. He said his staff made overtures to the party, but nothing came of its efforts.

Tags: ron paul, rnc

Factcheck: McCain tax ads "a pattern of deceit"

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:01:44 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "The ad is plain wrong about higher taxes on working families. In fact, Obama's economic plan would produce a tax cut for the majority of American households, with middle-income earners benefiting most"

Clip Source: www.factcheck.org

McCain's new ad puts another stitch in what we've called his pattern of deceit on Obama's tax plan. This one claims Obama and congressional Democrats plan to push forward "painful tax increases on working American families" and that they will bring about "years of deficits," "no balanced budgets" and "billions in new government spending."

The ad is plain wrong about higher taxes on working families. In fact, Obama's economic plan would produce a tax cut for the majority of American households, with middle-income earners benefiting most. As for "years of deficits," exactly the same claim could be made about McCain's program. It's unlikely either Obama or McCain would balance the budget, and both are projected to increase the debt by trillions.

Under Obama's plan

people (or couples) making between

$37,595 and $66,354 a year would see an average savings of $1,118

Under McCain's plan, on the other hand, those same individuals would save $325 on average — $793 less

a "pattern of deceit"

Tags: mccain, taxes, politics

Super Tracker poll averages - note the trend

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:04:09 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Look at projection and trend since January and tell me which way we're headed.

Clip Source: www.fivethirtyeight.com

Tags: obama, mccain, polls, elections, supertracker

Obama to Media: "Back off!" Palin pregnancy

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:44:29 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Amen.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Obama To Media: "Back Off" Palin Pregnancy

At a brief press availability in Monroe, Mich., ABC News asked Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., if he had any response to Gov. Sarah Palin's statement that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant.

"Let me be a clear as possible: I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits," Obama said, "and people's children are especially off limits.

"This shouldn't be part of our politics," he continued, "It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor, or her potential performance as a vice president.

"And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories," he said. "You know my mother had me when she was 18, and how a family deals with issues and, you know, teenage children, that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that's off limits."

Tags: palin, obama

McCain on Palin and Obama

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:11:16 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Be honest, now.

Clip Source: talkingpointsmemo.com

When asked about criticisms of Sarah Palin's readiness to serve as president, McCain responded: "If they want to go down that route, in all candor, she has far, far more experience than Senator Obama does."

Set aside the bravado. Can McCain possibly believe that? And if he does, what are we supposed to think of his own fitness to serve? Sen. Obama is certainly new on the national scene. But he's serving his fourth year in the US senate. He's run a successful national primary campaign. He's deeply versed on all the relevant policy issues. Palin has been the governor of one of the smallest states in the country (by pop.) for 18 months. As recently as 2006, she said she hadn't focused enough on Iraq to have an opinion one way or another about the surge. Even now, her off-hand comments about Iraq are completely at odds with Sen. McCain's.

it says a lot about McCain that he says it.

Tags: mccain, palin, obama

Obama's recognitions/honors while a Senator

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:38:57 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Distinguished service recognitions received during his four years as a U.S. Senator.
You are certainly free to disagree with Obama, but the suggestion that his service as a Senator is less than exemplary is simply ill-informed propaganda.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

[edit] Recognition and honors

An October 2005 article in the British journal New Statesman listed Obama as one of "10 people who could change the world,"

the only politician included on the list

In 2005 and again in 2007, Time magazine named him one of "the world's most influential people."

During his first three years in the U.S. Senate, Obama received Honorary Doctorates of Law from Knox College (2005),

University of Massachusetts Boston (2006)

Northwestern University (2006)

Xavier University of Louisiana (2006)

Southern New Hampshire University (2007)

and Howard University (2007)

The audiobook edition of Dreams from My Father earned Obama the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2006.

He won the award a second time in 2008 for the spoken word edition of The Audacity of Hope

Tags: obama, honors

Obama's Senate service, Part 2

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:28:00 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Especially focused on foreign policy and veterans' affairs; becomes chair of Foreign Relations' Committee's subcommittee for European Affairs.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges

sponsored the "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act" supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry

co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism

sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries

Committees

assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations

Environment and Public Works

Veterans' Affairs

ook additional assignments with Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

has made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa

Tags: obama, senate

Personal responsibility AND care for each other

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:28:26 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Obama speech: government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves

Clip Source: sage

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves -- protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America -- the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Tags: obama, speech

Conservative Frum questions Palin choice

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:36:26 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Is it putting the "country first?"

Clip Source: frum.nationalreview.com

John McCain wanted a woman: good.

He wanted to keep conservatives and pro-lifers happy: naturally.

He wanted someone who looked young and dynamic: smart.

And he discovered that he could not reconcile all these imperatives with the stated goal of finding a running mate qualified to assume the duties of the presidency "on day one."

Sarah Palin may well have concealed inner reservoirs of greatness. I hope so!

But I'd guess that John McCain does not have a much better sense of who she is, what she believes, and the extent of her abilities than my enthusiastic friends over at the Corner

But maybe (and at least as likely) it will reinforce a theme that I'd be pounding home if I were the Obama campaign: that it's John McCain for all his white hair who represents the risky choice, while it is Barack Obama who offers cautious, steady, predictable governance.

you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?

Tags: palin, mccain

What a Hillary supporter saw at Invesco

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:33:07 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Someone ready to fight for what matters, not just inspire

Clip Source: sage

When Obama emphatically said "ENOUGH!" and began to demand that the
Republicans own their failures, I grew hopeful. When he talked about
watching his mother argue with insurance companies while she was in bed
dying of cancer, I felt his quiet, appropriate and protective rage. When he
looked straight into the camera and committed to fighting for equal pay for
equal work "because I want my daughters to have the exact same opportunities
as your sons," I believed him. And when he called John McCain out to have a
debate about who has "the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next
Commander-in-Chief," I trusted him to be capable of holding his own in such
a debate. Through his demeanor, Barack Obama did what no other person,
including Bill or Hillary Clinton, could do for him: he proved he has what
it takes not just to inspire but to protect and defend all of our lives and

rights.

Tags: obama, speech, hillary

Pat Buchanan cheers Obama speech!

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:49:40 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: “I stand with Obama! It was a genuinely outstanding speech, it was magnificent."

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

Pat Buchanan gushes over Obama speech, hell freezes over

Q: How do you know Obama’s speech was well-received?

A: Pat Buchanan can’t shut up about how much he loved it.

BUCHANAN: “I stand with Obama! It was a genuinely outstanding speech, it was magnificent. I saw Cuomo’s speech, I saw Kennedy in ‘80, I even saw Douglas MacArthur, I saw MLK; this is the greatest convention speech and probably the most important because unlike Cuomo and the others, this was an acceptance speech, this came out of the heart of America, and he went right at the heart of America. This wasn’t a liberal speech at all. This is a deeply, deeply centrist speech. It had wit, it had humor, and when he used the needle on McCain, he stuck it into McCain and it was funny. It was Kennedy’s speech in ‘80. I laughed with Kennedy when he was needling Ronald Reagan.”

Download | Play Download | Play (h/t Heather)

Tags: obama, buchanan

38 million watch Obama acceptance speech

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:03:37 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Not counting C-Span and PBS

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Obama’s speech watched by 38 million viewers.»

Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) acceptance speech last night reached a quarter of America’s households, according to Nielsen Media Research. In all, with over 38 million viewers, “more people watched Obama speak than watched the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, the final “American Idol” or the Academy Awards this year.” The AP notes that “Obama’s audience might be higher,” since Nielsen didn’t estimate how many people watched on PBS or C-SPAN.

Tags: obama, speech