In a debate during the Democratic primaries on February 26, 2008, Senator Obama agreed with Senator Clinton that the U.S. "should use the hammer of a potential opt-out as leverage" to force renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. In a June 18, 2008, report from Fortune magazine, Obama "backed off his harshest attacks on the free trade agreement and indicated he didn't want to unilaterally reopen negotiations on NAFTA." Because the conditions on the ground changed, or because he was speaking to Fortune magazine, whose readership largely favors NAFTA? Change we can believe in, or politics as usual?
"Anywhere, Anytime"
On May 16, 2008, Senator Obama pledged to meet Senator McCain to talk about foreign policy. He said, "If John McCain wants to meet me anywhere, anytime, to have a debate about our respective policies in Iraq, Iran, the Middle East or around the world, that is a conversation I am happy to have." Senator McCain offered to travel to Iraq with Senator Obama, but Senator Obama declined. (Anywhere?) Senator McCain proposed ten town hall meetings, free-form unscripted events with questions from voters rather than reporters, but Senator Obama declined, counter-proposing a single town hall meeting limited to the economy and held on July 4th, plus a single Lincoln-Douglas debate on foreign policy in August.
It's no secret that Senator Obama is strongest when giving speeches and rhetorically weakest when answering unscripted questions, and it's no secret that Senator McCain is very nearly the opposite. Of course, that's why Senator McCain prefers unscripted town hall meetings and Senator Obama prefers Lincoln-Douglas speeches. Both candidates obviously favor their own strengths, but is it really change we can believe in to say "anywhere, anytime" and then quietly negotiate as much as possible, or is it just politics as usual?
Campaign Financing
On June 19, Senator Obama announced that he would not be participating in the federal campaign finance program, becoming the first candidate to do so, breaking a previous pledge to use the public funds if his opponent would do the same.
Obama stated his support for public financing on June 29, 2006, and pledged in writing to accept public financing on November 27, 2007.
What would cause Senator Obama to break his promise? The public financing system hasn't changed since Obama first made his promise. Senator Obama claimed to be concerned about "so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations," but the only 527 groups that have been active so far are Obama allies like MoveOn.org, who have spent millions attacking Senator McCain. Those 527 groups have existed since before Obama first made his promise, too.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - jacksmith
I hope that all of us that can will do our best to help Hillary Clinton pay off ALL of her campaign debt quickly. She deserves that. You all knew Hillary, and Bill would go out on a limb for us if they felt they had too. That's what they do. :-) As I said before Hillary Clinton was STUNNING!!!
You witnessed the greatest political campaign struggle in American history. One for the textbooks, and the history books. Hillary Clinton fought her heart out against all odds to win for all of the American people. While at the same time doing her best to prepare Sen. Barack Obama to win in November if he was the nominee. STUNNING!!! WELL DONE HILLARY CLINTON. WELL DONE! Your AMAZING! :-)
Sen. Obama could not have had a better opponent than Hillary Clinton. Nor could he have had a better opponent to prepare him for the battle royal to come against John McCain and the Republicans ahead of the November elections. Hillary Clinton was like a big Mama cat determined to teach her kitten how to hunt, and hang with the big dogs for the fights ahead. The Clinton's have won the Whitehouse twice before. They know what it will take.
Hillary Clinton took Sen. Obama to every brawl, and cat fight she could find for him to develop his fight, and his chops. She even let her men (President Clinton, Governor Rendell, and many others) loose on Sen. Obama a little bit. So as to give Sen. Obama a taste of just how rough, and tough the big boys will be to do battle with. :-)
From sea to shining sea and US territories Hillary Clinton took Sen. Obama to see all of America. To meet, and greet all it's people. And to ask for their votes and support, which he will need if he becomes President. She took him to see what he will be fighting for. And to see what she and President Clinton have fought so heroically for over so many years. Sen. Obama could not have ask for any better. Nor had any better teachers.
Bill Clinton, Chelsea, Mrs. Rodham, and the whole Clinton team were magnificent. They really showed their metal. BRAVO! TEAM CLINTON... BRAVO!
And YOU! my fellow Americans. I'm so proud of you. And proud to be one of you. You showed what you are made of. And what makes America so great. You never gave up on your Champion Hillary Clinton. Time, and time again you eagerly waited your turn to vote for Hillary Clinton. To raise her up and pass her along down the line to the rest of your waiting fellow Americans.
You never gave up on her. Just as Hillary Clinton never gave up on you. No matter how many times they counted her out. No matter how many times her detractors, and attackers brutally knocked her down. You knew she would get back up and get after it. And when she did you were ready to support her. This is your role model America. AMERICA LOVES A FIGHTER. AMERICA UNDERSTANDS A FIGHTER. AMERICA IS A FIGHTER. I'M PROUD OF YOU AMERICA!
Sen. Clinton looked a little tired her first day back at work in the senate after her history making heroic campaign. She has good reason to be tired. Doesn't she America. But with time and good attention to the basics she, and you will recover. The basics are good well balanced nutrition, hydration, rest, exercise, recreation, POSITIVE! emotional support, and time (the greatest healer of all).
Y'all be good to President Clinton. I never saw a man fight so hard for a woman, and the American people as President Clinton fought for Hillary Clinton, and you. It's going to take Bill a while. No one except Hillary Clinton could have fought any harder than President Clinton did for you.
I imagine President Clinton still remembers how the American people wailed, reached, and cried out for him as he took that last flight home as your President on Air Force One after the 2000 elections. Yes, many of us knew back then what was coming for the American people under a republican administration. Back to living like dumb animals again. Fighting over territory, and scraps of meat. You are dieing like fly's now. Republicans too. But it's ok because some people are making a lot of money off of your needless deaths. :-(
As always, Hillary Clinton, and President Clinton did their best for all of us. It was an EPIC!
YOU MADE US VERY PROUD HILLARY CLINTON! HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH :-)
WE LOVE YOU. AND ADMIRE YOU...
jacksmith... Working Class :-)
2 - Phillip Winn
jacksmith (#1), gee, um, thanks!
3 - Leigh
To the author,
I can't get past the paragraph where you site, that ACT was fined for hiring criminals. I checked the links in your paragraph,they prove the statement to be misleading and false.They were fined because of the way they raised money, and there was heresay by someone else about some groups possibly hiring criminals. But I guess you must know this because you wrote the article??
I could use this example to show whats wrong with blog opinions, in my media class :-) Anyway Have a nice day.
4 - Phillip Winn
Leigh (#3), I hope the content of a single paragraph doesn't distract from the overall point that hiring Patrick Gaspard does not signal a new kind of outsider politics.
In fact, I changed the URL at the last minute, and probably shouldn't have. Nevertheless, I wouldn't call it "heresay [sic] by someone else about some groups possibly hiring criminals," since it was an independent AP investigation, and ACT acknowledged the fact. Mo Elleithee, a Washington-based spokesman for the group "confirmed that felons have been hired in Missouri, Florida and Ohio and said it is possible that felons have been hired in the other 14 states in which it's conducting its drive."
Still, while your specific claim with regard to ACT hiring felons is wrong, you are right that the article is currently misworded as well, stating that the fine was the result of hiring felons, when in fact it was for mismanaging funds.
I will look into revising that paragraph. Thanks!
5 - Phillip Winn
In the interest of an audit trail, the paragraph referenced by Leigh above originally described ACT as "a 527 group that was fined $775,000 by the federal government for hiring criminals convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary to collect personal information for voter registration."
This has now been changed to describe ACT as "a 527 group that hired criminals convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary to collect personal information for voter registration, and was fined $775,000 by the federal government for misusing campaign funds."
I regret the error.
6 - Jamal
Are the author's attacks on Sen. Obama legitimate or just another racist attack? It's obvious that he is holding Obama to a higher standard because of his race! This is what Obama warned us about..the Republicans playing the race card!
For too long blacks have had to deal with life on the white man's terms. Now that a brother is threatening the white man's power..they resort to racial attacks.
Obama is for real change. The black community will finally have "real power" to take back what is rightfully ours and change the white power structure in this country.
Jamal
7 - Phillip Winn
Jamal (#6), "the race card," really? Did you read the article at all?
I'm measuring Senator Obama by the standard he claims for himself, and although Senator McCain isn't the focus of this article, I can tell you: McCain is also a politician, with the same record of inconsistencies and flip-flops and pandering. The only reason this article is about Senator Obama and not Senator McCain is that Senator McCain doesn't pretend to be a new kind of politician.
For what it's worth, I like Senator Obama.
8 - Jamal
Phillp (#6),
Dont be so condescending...yea..next youl be telling me that "some of my best friends are black!"...
Obama didnt set a standard for himself the white polical power structure has set one for the white politician and one for the black polician...
Thats the facts of being black in America. When Obama wins he will right the course and open up opportunities that we have been deprived of for generations...education, jobs and wealth...
Get ready America..theres gonna be a new Sherif in town...
Jamal
9 - Phillip Winn
Jamal (#8), I'm glad you're happy with Senator Obama.
10 - Jamal
jacksmith (1)
What are you talking about. The Clintons did everything they could to scare the white folks of Obama being the Big Black Boogey Man!
Hillary insinuating that "hard working Americans" would not support Obama because he was Black was the lowest of lows...pure racism...
How can you support the Clintons for trying to keep Obama a proud black man from what America owes him and us!!!
Jamal
11 - Dr Dreadful
Just so everyone is aware, 'jacksmith' is a political shill. He has posted the above comment verbatim at least twice on Blogcritics and, as you will see if you Google a phrase or two from it, on several other sites as well.
12 - Phillip Winn
Dr Dreadful (#11), it's certainly unrelated to this article, but actually, most of the comments so far have been. :-)
13 - Baronius
Jamal, this article demonstrates pretty clearly that Obama set his own standards by declaring himself a different kind of candidate. He has subsequently done all the little political tricks that weigh down our current system of politics.
Does Leigh teach a media class?
14 - Jamal
Baroinus 13,
Applying the oppresive white mans social system's rules and standards to a man of color is just another form of racism. Why must you blame and indict Obama because he is doing what he needs to do according to the white mans political rules?
Our peoples suffering at the rules and law of the white man is just another example of the social injustice in this country. Obama is playing the way the brothers need to play...this is our turn..this is the pay back...we are going to get our reparation for the years of misery and dispair.
Jamal
15 - Phillip Winn
Jamal (#14), I'm neither blaming Senator Obama, nor indicting him. I fully expect him to play politics, because indeed, it's what any man or woman must do to get ahead in the political arena.
The only thing I'm calling him out on is his claim to *not* be playing political games, when it is obvious that he is. His claim to be above the fray is what misleads people into placing heavy expectations on him, which will lead to disappointment.
In fact, Senator Obama is a politician, and a good one. He has a reasonably consistent set of guiding principles, and is well-advised on what to say in order to appeal to the widest group possible without entirely compromising those principles. Those are the hallmarks of a good politician, and they've been characteristic of Senator Obama's career in Illinois as well as his Senate campaign and now his Presidential campaign. I expect that he will be our next President, in part because of his political savvy.
I hope, however, that voters walk into the ballot booth with eyes wide open, realizing that they're not choosing between a man and a superman, or between a politician and a savior, or between an insider and an outsider.
We will be choosing between a Democrat and a Republican. Both have great faith in the power of government to do good. (I have a slight libertarian bent myself, but neither candidate fits that bill.) We will choose between a left-wing politician and a right-wing politician. Neither is going to lead a great revolution, not in four or eight years. Certainly Senator Obama would break some new ground, and I for one would be quite happy about that.
If skin color is (apparently) the one issue you care about this election cycle, then more power to you. I'm glad you have that option this time around. I hope you're not disappointed when President Obama turns out to be human.
16 - Baronius
Jamal, I'm with Phillip on this one. If Obama wants to play by the rules of "payback", let him campaign on it. How about a new set of ads, with Obama complaining about white oppression?
Is there a white man's energy bill, or a racist Cuba policy? If so, Obama shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place, or shouldn't have switched sides to support it. Tell me one of the items on Phillip's list that Obama did because of the unfair burden of the black man. If not, you shouldn't inject race into the matter.
17 - Condor
Perhaps all that Jamal is trying to point out is that he views the world in black and white only. And I suppose that Obama should also be lumped within that same paradigm, as Obama has a portion of mother Africa flowing in his DNA.
So do I.
And I'm proud of it, not victimized by it. I also have Chinese (paid slave laborers for the railroad). Of which I am also proud of. And of course some kind of wierd white dude is in there too, a whoremonger no doubt letting off a little steam in a cat house some where in a California boom town. Maybe some Yuma, or Apache. But... I don't care. That's who I am. I am just glad to living in the U.S.A. and not some back water malarial infested civil war zone, with absolutely no income or anyway out save a gruesome death at the hands of an opposing warloard.
Ain't that right Brother Jamal?
Ain't it?
Obama is going to do just fine, and I really don't think he needs your help. Sorry, but you are just too negative and from what you are blowing, you're stuck in the muck. Shuck it and live a real life. Not one you've been told is all your worth living... Jesse and Al and all that twisted hype is dragging you down. Sadly they're making money off it.
Do you think Obama feels that way about himself? He wouldn't be where he is today if he was.
Obama is moving forward, you need to move with him. He's not being "too white" he's making his way in this world. Believe it.
18 - Jamal
Condor,
Are you for real? Are you posting in "Black Face"? Obama knows what the deal is. Hes South Side Before the white democratic leaders chased the Rev. Wright away the real story was playin out.
So dont try and do the work of the white man and shut the brother up! I know whats about to happen this is years in the making. The payback is a bitch!
Jamal
19 - Phillip Winn
EWO (#19), that's the kind of stuff that I consider nonsense. It's relatively easy to pull images and events out of context to make someone look bad.
Please, don't believe the nonsense.
20 - Lee Richards
Jamal may be for real or Jamal may be a ringer.
Ya pays your money and takes your choice.
21 - Condor
Too rich Jamal, go pull your oftah crap on some other fish.
Have fun in your little world. It wasn't big enough for me.
BTW it's brown face
22 - Clavos
So he didn't put his hand over his heart.
So fucking what?
What does that prove?
Nothing.
But all the furor raised over this sure does prove that a lot of people in this country are ignorant, and that "patriotism" [really] is "the last refuge of a scoundrel."
You believe in "patriotism," EWO? Go volunteer at a VA hospital.
23 - Bennett
Phillip, exceptionally well written artice, and your follow up comments have been measured and calmly convincing.
I too expect a politician to play by the rules of the political arena in order to get elected. Although I do like Senator Obama and hope he gets into the white house, I don't expect miracles to happen.
I'll be watching to see if he assembles a crew like Cheney and Rumsfeld. That would truly signal that the fix is in and there is no hope for anything but the status quo that we've had for eight years.
I have the personal audacity to hope that this isn't the case. But I won't be holding my breath.
Thanks for taking the time to pen this article.
24 - AMABO
Obama's middle name is Hussein.
His father was a Muslim (and a polygamist/bigamist).
"Obama Sr. grew up in Nyangoma-Kogelo. At 18, he married a young woman named Kezia in a tribal ceremony. They had four children, two of them after he returned to Kenya from the United States. He never divorced Kezia, who now lives in Bracknell, England."
"On February 2, 1961, Obama Sr. married a fellow student, Ann Dunham in Maui, Hawaii. She did not know that he already had a wife in Kenya."
His mother was a left-wing atheist who got knocked up before their (shotgun) wedding.
"Their son, Barack Obama, Jr., was born on August 4, 1961." [Barack Obama was born just six months after their marriage. Therefore, his mother was already knocked up when they married.]
"Dunham's best friend in high school has said that she "touted herself as an atheist, and it was something she'd read about and could argue."
"[S]he was a lonely witness for secular humanism, a soldier for New Deal, Peace Corps, position-paper liberalism."
His step-father was a Muslim.
"Religious beliefs: Muslim"
He lived in Indonesia (a Muslim country) for four years as a youth. He was registered there as a Muslim.
"Obama's four years as a child in Indonesia underscore how dramatically his background differs from that of past presidential hopefuls... "
"His former Roman Catholic and Muslim teachers, along with two people who were identified by Obama's grade-school teacher as childhood friends, say Obama was registered by his family as a Muslim at both of the schools he attended."
In Indonesia, he hung out at the Islamic Center, prayed to Allah at the local Mosque, and studied the Koran at school.
"As a boy in Indonesia, Barack Obama crisscrossed the religious divide ... In the neighborhood mosque, he bowed to Allah."
"That [Muslim] registration meant that during the third and fourth grades, Obama learned about Islam for two hours each week in religion class."
"The childhood friends say Obama sometimes went to Friday prayers at the local mosque."
"In his autobiography, Dreams From My Father, Obama briefly mentions Koranic study and describes his public school, which accepted students of all religions, as "a Muslim school.""
""His mother often went to the church, but Barry was Muslim. He went to the mosque," Adi said. "I remember him wearing a sarong.""
"The statement added that as a child, Obama had spent time in the neighborhood's Islamic center."
He also visited Pakistan while in college.
"In 1981 -- the year Obama transferred from Occidental College to Columbia University -- Obama visited his mother and sister Maya in Indonesia. After that visit, Obama traveled to Pakistan with a friend from college whose family was from there. The Obama campaign says Obama was in Pakistan for about three weeks..."
Obama's half-brother believes he is a Muslim, and showed photographs of Obama wearing Muslim garb on a trip to Kenya.
Obama's "church" was led by a radical anti-White and anti-American "Reverend" who was once a Black Muslim.
"Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:
1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System."
"After many lectures like this, Obama decided to take a second look at Wright's church. Older pastors warned him that Trinity was for "Buppies"--black urban professionals--and didn't have enough street cred. But Wright was a former Muslim and black nationalist who had studied at Howard and Chicago, and Trinity's guiding principles--what the church calls the "Black Value System"--included a "Disavowal of the Pursuit of 'Middleclassness.'""
The official church newsletter gave a "lifetime achievement award" to Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation Of Islam.
"Barack Obama's longtime minister, mentor, and sounding board has been a key supporter of Louis Farrakhan and last month honored the Nation of Islam leader for lifetime achievement.
Farrakhan has repeatedly made hate-filled statements targeting Jews, whites, America, and homosexuals. He has called whites "blue-eyed devils" and the "anti-Christ."
Obama's minister and friend, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. and his Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, honored Farrakhan at a gala, bestowing on him its Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Lifetime Achievement Trumpeteer award.
Obama has said he found religion through Wright in the 1980s and consulted him before deciding to run for president. He prayed privately with Wright before announcing his candidacy last year."
Obama attended Farrakhan's "Million Man March."
"In 1995, along with other prominent black leaders such as Al Sharpton and Barack Obama, Farrakhan helped lead the Million Man March on Washington."
Obama was endorsed by the Muslim terrorist group Hamas, and his campaign manager accepted the endorsement.
"Hamas has endorsed Barack Obama for President. Yousef said, "We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the election." Why? "He has a vision to change America.""
"Obama Campaign "Flattered" by Hamas Endorsement"
Do you "progressives" still feel comfortable supporting this guy?
And keep in mind, I left quite a few things out, such as Obama's friendship with an unrepentant left-wing domestic terrorist named William Ayers, and his close ties to the Syrian-born Tony Rezko, who was recently convicted of fraud and bribery. Or his wife's anti-American comments and anti-White senior thesis.
25 - AMABO
So he didn't put his hand over his heart.
So fucking what?
What does that prove?
Nothing.
******But why wouldn't he? The default position, what the vast majority of people do during the national anthem/pledge of allegiance, is to place their hands over their hearts. Obama chose not to do so. Why? Was he sending a signal to somebody? You may have noticed that all the America-haters overseas are just drooling over this guy. Why is that?******
But all the furor raised over this sure does prove that a lot of people in this country are ignorant, and that "patriotism" [really] is "the last refuge of a scoundrel."
******You don't even understand the meaning of this quote, do you? It doesn't mean that all patriots are a bunch of scoundrels; it means that scoundrels will wrap themselves in the flag in order to appear to have at least one redeeming quality.******
You believe in "patriotism," EWO? Go volunteer at a VA hospital.
******Let me see if I understand your line of reasoning here. Everybody who doesn't volunteer at a VA hospital is unpatriotic, BUT placing your hand on your crotch during the national anthem/pledge of allegiance isn't at all indicative of a lack of patriotism. Does that about sum your view up?******