McCain - "Obama's Enigma"

"The risk for [Obama] is if he also frustrates the voters who need to understand what makes him tick. They don't elect enigmas to the Oval Office." -- The Washington Post's David Broder

Obama's Enigma
David S. Broder
The Washington Post
July 13, 2008

John McCain is the candidate who actually had experience as a wartime flier, but Barack Obama is the one who has most successfully adapted a favorite tactic of those intrepid aviators. When the pilots were over a target heavily defended by antiaircraft guns, they would release a cloud of fine metal scraps, hoping to confuse the aim of the shells or missiles being fired in their direction.

In the weeks since he effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, the Illinois senator has done a similar trick, throwing out verbal hints of altered positions on any number of issues. This is creating quandaries for the Republicans who can't figure out where to aim.

In their effort to embarrass him, Republicans ask: Who is the real Barack Obama? Is he, as he claims, a fresh face, heralding a new era of post-partisan politics, or a cynical old-style pol making poll-driven adjustments with scant regard for principles? A protectionist or a free-trader? A corporate-basher or an ally of interest-group contributors? Is he a doctrinaire liberal, disguising himself as a late-blooming centrist?

Last week, the Republican National Committee, in a statement cataloguing some half-dozen recent Obama "flip-flops," threw up its hands without offering answers. The McCain campaign issued its own list of Obama's changed positions; it totaled 17 items but confessed that "nobody knows what Barack Obama truly believes."

I can do no better, and I confess that it is only speculation to suggest that Obama's recent performance is motivated by a desire to confuse the opposition. Candidates often change their emphasis, if not their basic positions, once they shift from running against others in their own party primaries and start thinking about a general election with millions more voters of all ideologies poised to weigh in. McCain has done some of that himself, most notably in the week when he campaigned in the traditionally Democratic territories of New Orleans; Selma, Ala.; and Appalachia.

But Obama's case is more challenging than the typical candidate's post-primary adjustment. For one thing, he is more opaque than the usual nominee. No one in recent decades has emerged as the party standard-bearer from so truncated a political career: four years in the U.S. Senate, during which he has yet to lead on any major domestic or foreign policy issue, preceded by largely anonymous service in the Illinois state Senate.

There have been few occasions when Obama's professed beliefs could be tested against his action. And in the fight for the nomination, virtually no issues emerged on which Obama's stands were seriously challenged by his opponents.

He won by convincing a narrow majority of Democratic voters that he could mobilize otherwise distrustful and alienated citizens with his promise to change Washington and to introduce a more open and less partisan brand of politics. Because his personal credibility was such a key to his success -- and remains so -- the changes now occurring in his positions have a significance far beyond themselves.

Few, if any, of those inclined to support him have been so deeply offended by his readiness to "refine" his pledge to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq in 16 months or his opting out of the public finance system he had once pledged to use (to cite the first two items on McCain's bill of particulars) that they are thinking of switching sides.

Obama will be in trouble only if the pattern continues to the point that undecided voters come to believe that he has a character problem -- that they really can't trust him. As Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster, repeatedly reports from his focus groups with independents, this campaign turns much more on voters' struggle to size up Obama than it does on McCain.

Obama is making it hard for the Republicans to figure out how to attack him. The risk for him is if he also frustrates the voters who need to understand what makes him tick. They don't elect enigmas to the Oval Office.

Read The Op-Ed.

Secretary of State Handel Applauds Denial of Georgia Democratic Party’s Motion to Block Use of Photo ID

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel issued the following statement today regarding Fulton County Superior Court Judge Tom Campbell’s denial of the Georgia Democratic Party’s motion for a Temporary Restraining Order to block the use of photo identification in the July 15, 2008 General Primary:

“I applaud Judge Campbell’s ruling to deny the Democratic Party’s frivolous motion to block the use of photo ID in the General Primary Election. Photo ID has been implemented without incident in eight elections, including the Presidential Preference Primary that featured record voter turnout.

“In the past year, the Georgia Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court in Rome and the U.S. Supreme Court have all rejected attacks on the constitutionality of the photo ID requirement. Opponents of photo ID have failed to produce even one voter who has been harmed by the requirement, despite years of scouring the state in search of such an individual.

“I remind voters that Georgia’s photo ID law remains in place. As required by the law, Georgia voters casting their ballots in-person on Election Day must bring one of the required six forms of photo ID to the polls on July 15.”

Obama to Host Economic Discussion with Democratic Governors on Friday

This Friday, June 20, Senator Barack Obama will host an economic discussion with Democratic governors in Chicago. At the meeting, Senator Obama and the governors will discuss working together to reverse the effect of eight years of the Bush economy on state budgets and looking beyond conventional Washington thinking to develop innovative solutions to the economic challenges the American people are facing every day.

Prominent Democrats and Independents Join "Citizens for McCain"

U.S. Senator John McCain's campaign today (June 14, 2008) announced a group of prominent Democratic and unaffiliated leaders and activists who have joined "Citizens for McCain," a new grassroots effort headed by Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to rally Americans of all political parties to support John McCain's candidacy.

"Citizens for McCain is an organization within the McCain campaign for people who put country before political party and support the presidential candidate who has a proven record of bipartisanship," said Senator Joe Lieberman.

As part of the campaign's continued effort to build on growing support from voters joining "Citizens for McCain," John McCain, along with RNC Victory Chair Carly Fiorina, will participate in a virtual town hall with Democrats and Independents today to discuss John McCain's record of putting country before political party. Many town hall participants are expected to be former supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign. The town hall will be held today Saturday, June 14th at 3:30pm EDT. To participate, the general public should please visit cityhall.johnmccain.com. Members of the media should email press@mccain08hq.com to receive call-in information.

Prominent democrats and independents join "Citizens for McCain"

Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson (Arizona)
Former Arizona State Legislator Phil Hubbard (Arizona)
Mammoth Mayor Craig Williams (Arizona)
Former Arizona LULAC Director Ray Gans (Arizona)
Democratic 25th Precinct Chair Silverio "Silver" Salazar (Colorado)
Adviser to Democratic Presidential Candidates and Georgetown University Professor Robert Lieber (District of Columbia)
Blogger on HillaryClinton.com Renee Slater (Florida)
Former Sheriff of Highlands County Howard Godwin (Florida)
Jewish Outreach Adviser to Senator Hillary Clinton Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs
Georgia Political Director for Gore-Lieberman '00 Joseph O'Farrell Jr. (Georgia)
Former Democratic Des Moines County Chair Bruce Shulte (Illinois)
Former State Representative Brian Golden (Massachusetts)
Commander of Newport Memorial-VFW Post 1119 Francis Harding, Jr. (Maine)
Former Palmyra Budget Committee Member Herb Bates (Maine)
Former Lt. Governor and State Supreme Court Justice Alexander "Sandy" Keith (Minnesota)
Former U.S Representative and 2002 Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny (Minnesota)
Former State Representative Steve Wenzel (Minnesota)
City Clerk Judi May (Mississippi)
County Supervisor Gary Dearman (Mississippi)
Alderman Bill Mosby (Mississippi)
Former State Representative Jim Gamache (Missouri)
Presiding Commissioner in New Madrid County, Clyde Hawes (Missouri)
Former Concord Mayor Bill Veroneau (New Hampshire)
Former Democratic Mayor of Waterford Township George Fallon (New J ersey)
Former Democratic Committeeman in Warren Township Jeffrey Golkin (New Jersey)
Former State Chair of Environmentalists for Clinton-Gore 1992 Roberta Weisbrod (New York)
Former Majority Leader in the State Senate David Carlin (Rhode Island)
Former Texas Democratic Party Chairman Roy Orr (Texas)
Elected National Delegate for Senator Hillary Clinton Debra Bartoshevich (Wisconsin)
Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Frye (West Virginia)

John McCain 2008 to Host Virtual Town Hall with Democratic and Independent Voters

U.S. Senator John McCain's campaign today announced that John McCain, along with RNC Victory Chair Carly Fiorina, will participate in a virtual town hall with Democrats and Independents this Saturday to discuss McCain's record of putting country before political party. Many town hall participants are expected to be former supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign.

The town hall is part of the campaign's effort to build on growing support from voters who are rapidly joining "Citizens for McCain," a new grassroots organization headed by Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to rally Americans of all political parties to support John McCain's candidacy.

"The American people know I have a long record of bipartisan problem solving," said John McCain. "They've seen me put our country before any president, before any party, before any special interest -- and before my own interest. They might think me an imperfect servant of our country, which I surely am, but I am her servant first, last and always. I look forward to talking to voters across the country of all parties to present them with my vision for the future of our great nation."

Saturday, June 14, 2008

WHAT: Virtual Town Hall Meeting

WHO: John McCain & RNC Victory Chair Carly Fiornia

WHEN: Saturday, June 14, 2008
3:30p.m. ET

PARTICIPATE: To participate, the general public should please visit cityhall.johnmccain.com. Members of the media should email press@mccain08hq.com to receive call-in information.

CNN sets debate criteria 1% above Kucinich’s latest poll results, campaign files complaint with Federal Communications Commission

The Kucinich for President campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission yesterday against CNN and its parent company, Time Warner, Inc., for arbitrarily establishing criteria for its scheduled Monday Presidential debate that will exclude the Democratic candidate from participation.

On Wednesday, the campaign was notified by CNN that its criteria included a showing of 5% or better in a national poll. In two polls completed earlier last week by CBS News/New York Times and by the Pew Research Center, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich scored 4%.

“The CNN criteria specifically exclude the diverse and anti-war voice of Mr. Kucinich and his grass-roots supporters,” according to the complaint. “The exclusion of Mr. Kucinich undermines the purpose of the (Federal Communications) Act and is a blatant violation of the Act, including its equal time provisions.” Also, “Mr. Kucinich is a successful candidate because of his anti-war message and strong criticism of the American healthcare system, issues that are not championed by his presidential primary opponents. In these and other policy issues, his opponents share very similar policy platforms that differ from Mr. Kucinich.”

The filing also points out that Kucinich was invited to participate in the upcoming South Carolina debate by the Congressional Black Caucus, which is co-sponsoring the event. The invitation, which he accepted on May 20, stated, in part that Kucinich “will be guaranteed a rare opportunity to present your message to millions of voters unfiltered by any political organization or by any news organization.”

The complaint also argues that the Monday event “is not a true presidential primary debate without including all credible candidates. Instead, it is effectively an endorsement of the candidates selected by CNN” and is a breach of the federal requirement “to operate in the public interest and to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of issues of public importance.”

The campaign is asking the FCC to order CNN to allow Kucinich to participate.

Obama Addresses Ebenezer Baptist Church

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
The Great Need of the Hour
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Sunday, January 20th, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia

The Scripture tells us that when Joshua and the Israelites arrived at the gates of Jericho, they could not enter. The walls of the city were too steep for any one person to climb; too strong to be taken down with brute force. And so they sat for days, unable to pass on through.

But God had a plan for his people. He told them to stand together and march together around the city, and on the seventh day he told them that when they heard the sound of the ram’s horn, they should speak with one voice. And at the chosen hour, when the horn sounded and a chorus of voices cried out together, the mighty walls of Jericho came tumbling down.

There are many lessons to take from this passage, just as there are many lessons to take from this day, just as there are many memories that fill the space of this church. As I was thinking about which ones we need to remember at this hour, my mind went back to the very beginning of the modern Civil Rights Era.

Because before Memphis and the mountaintop; before the bridge in Selma and the march on Washington; before Birmingham and the beatings; the fire hoses and the loss of those four little girls; before there was King the icon and his magnificent dream, there was King the young preacher and a people who found themselves suffering under the yolk of oppression.

And on the eve of the bus boycotts in Montgomery, at a time when many were still doubtful about the possibilities of change, a time when those in the black community mistrusted themselves, and at times mistrusted each other, King inspired with words not of anger, but of an urgency that still speaks to us today:

“Unity is the great need of the hour” is what King said. Unity is how we shall overcome.

What Dr. King understood is that if just one person chose to walk instead of ride the bus, those walls of oppression would not be moved. But maybe if a few more walked, the foundation might start to shake. If a few more women were willing to do what Rosa Parks had done, maybe the cracks would start to show. If teenagers took freedom rides from North to South, maybe a few bricks would come loose. Maybe if white folks marched because they had come to understand that their freedom too was at stake in the impending battle, the wall would begin to sway. And if enough Americans were awakened to the injustice; if they joined together, North and South, rich and poor, Christian and Jew, then perhaps that wall would come tumbling down, and justice would flow like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.

I’m not talking about a budget deficit. I’m not talking about a trade deficit. I’m not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.

I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.

We have an empathy deficit when we’re still sending our children down corridors of shame – schools in the forgotten corners of America where the color of your skin still affects the content of your education.

We have a deficit when CEOs are making more in ten minutes than some workers make in ten months; when families lose their homes so that lenders make a profit; when mothers can’t afford a doctor when their children get sick.

We have a deficit in this country when there is Scooter Libby justice for some and Jena justice for others; when our children see nooses hanging from a schoolyard tree today, in the present, in the twenty-first century.

We have a deficit when homeless veterans sleep on the streets of our cities; when innocents are slaughtered in the deserts of Darfur; when young Americans serve tour after tour of duty in a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged.

And we have a deficit when it takes a breach in our levees to reveal a breach in our compassion; when it takes a terrible storm to reveal the hungry that God calls on us to feed; the sick He calls on us to care for; the least of these He commands that we treat as our own.

So we have a deficit to close. We have walls – barriers to justice and equality – that must come down. And to do this, we know that unity is the great need of this hour.

Unfortunately, all too often when we talk about unity in this country, we’ve come to believe that it can be purchased on the cheap. We’ve come to believe that racial reconciliation can come easily – that it’s just a matter of a few ignorant people trapped in the prejudices of the past, and that if the demagogues and those who exploit our racial divisions will simply go away, then all our problems would be solved.

All too often, we seek to ignore the profound institutional barriers that stand in the way of ensuring opportunity for all children, or decent jobs for all people, or health care for those who are sick. We long for unity, but are unwilling to pay the price.

But of course, true unity cannot be so easily won. It starts with a change in attitudes – a broadening of our minds, and a broadening of our hearts.

It’s not easy to stand in somebody else’s shoes. It’s not easy to see past our differences. We’ve all encountered this in our own lives. But what makes it even more difficult is that we have a politics in this country that seeks to drive us apart – that puts up walls between us.

We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don’t think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant.

For most of this country’s history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.

And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.

Every day, our politics fuels and exploits this kind of division across all races and regions; across gender and party. It is played out on television. It is sensationalized by the media. And last week, it even crept into the campaign for President, with charges and counter-charges that served to obscure the issues instead of illuminating the critical choices we face as a nation.

So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others – all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face – war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.

Because if Dr. King could love his jailor; if he could call on the faithful who once sat where you do to forgive those who set dogs and fire hoses upon them, then surely we can look past what divides us in our time, and bind up our wounds, and erase the empathy deficit that exists in our hearts.

But if changing our hearts and minds is the first critical step, we cannot stop there. It is not enough to bemoan the plight of poor children in this country and remain unwilling to push our elected officials to provide the resources to fix our schools. It is not enough to decry the disparities of health care and yet allow the insurance companies and the drug companies to block much-needed reforms. It is not enough for us to abhor the costs of a misguided war, and yet allow ourselves to be driven by a politics of fear that sees the threat of attack as way to scare up votes instead of a call to come together around a common effort.

The Scripture tells us that we are judged not just by word, but by deed. And if we are to truly bring about the unity that is so crucial in this time, we must find it within ourselves to act on what we know; to understand that living up to this country’s ideals and its possibilities will require great effort and resources; sacrifice and stamina.

And that is what is at stake in the great political debate we are having today. The changes that are needed are not just a matter of tinkering at the edges, and they will not come if politicians simply tell us what we want to hear. All of us will be called upon to make some sacrifice. None of us will be exempt from responsibility. We will have to fight to fix our schools, but we will also have to challenge ourselves to be better parents. We will have to confront the biases in our criminal justice system, but we will also have to acknowledge the deep-seated violence that still resides in our own communities and marshal the will to break its grip.

That is how we will bring about the change we seek. That is how Dr. King led this country through the wilderness. He did it with words – words that he spoke not just to the children of slaves, but the children of slave owners. Words that inspired not just black but also white; not just the Christian but the Jew; not just the Southerner but also the Northerner.

He led with words, but he also led with deeds. He also led by example. He led by marching and going to jail and suffering threats and being away from his family. He led by taking a stand against a war, knowing full well that it would diminish his popularity. He led by challenging our economic structures, understanding that it would cause discomfort. Dr. King understood that unity cannot be won on the cheap; that we would have to earn it through great effort and determination.

That is the unity – the hard-earned unity – that we need right now. It is that effort, and that determination, that can transform blind optimism into hope – the hope to imagine, and work for, and fight for what seemed impossible before.

The stories that give me such hope don’t happen in the spotlight. They don’t happen on the presidential stage. They happen in the quiet corners of our lives. They happen in the moments we least expect. Let me give you an example of one of those stories.

There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organizes for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She’s been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and the other day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.

And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that’s when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.

She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.

She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.

So Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they’re supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who’s been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he’s there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, “I am here because of Ashley.”

By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.

But it is where we begin. It is why the walls in that room began to crack and shake.

And if they can shake in that room, they can shake in Atlanta.

And if they can shake in Atlanta, they can shake in Georgia.

And if they can shake in Georgia, they can shake all across America. And if enough of our voices join together; we can bring those walls tumbling down. The walls of Jericho can finally come tumbling down. That is our hope – but only if we pray together, and work together, and march together.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone.

In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone.

In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone

In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone.

So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all. May God bless the memory of the great pastor of this church, and may God bless the United States of America.

Senator Barack Obama Receives Endorsement of Senator John Kerry

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
John Kerry Endorsement
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
Charleston, South Carolina

I want to thank John Kerry for his support in this campaign and for his service to this nation.

This is a man who knows how much people who love their country can change it.

This is the man who sacrificed the comforts of youth to fight in the jungles of Vietnam; the young Lieutenant who extended his hand to a brother in arms, pulling him from a river as the bullets screamed by.

This is the hero who returned to a Washington where politicians continued a senseless war day after day; life after life because they were too afraid to challenge the conventional thinking; too consumed with their own careers and ambitions.

This is the patriot who saw all of this and said, “No more”; who posed a question to our leaders that challenged the conscience of a nation; who believed in his heart that change does not come from the halls of power, but from the power of a movement thousands of voices strong.

John Kerry is a man of courage; a man of conviction; and a man who’s life story has given him an intimate understanding of the kind of change we need right now.

This is a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations have fought for feels as if it’s slowly slipping away.

I’ve heard from seniors who were betrayed by CEOs who dumped their pensions while pocketing bonuses.

I’ve met Maytag workers who labored all their lives only to see their jobs shipped overseas; who should not be competing with their teenagers for $7-an-hour jobs at Wal-Mart.

And I’ve seen hope in the eyes of a young woman who works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t afford health care for a sister who’s ill; a young woman who still believes that this country will give her the chance to live out her dreams.

Many of you have experienced these struggles. You’ve seen the cost of Washington’s inaction and indifference in your own lives. And so you’ve come out in record numbers; in lines that stretch block after block because you know that we can’t afford the same old politics anymore. We can’t afford to settle anymore. In this election – at this moment – our time for change has come.

The time has come to tell the lobbyists who think their money and their influence speak louder than our voices that they don’t own this government, we do; and we’re here to take it back.

The time has come for a President who’ll be honest about the choices and the challenges we face; who’ll listen to you and learn from you even when we disagree; who won’t just tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to know.

The time has come to build a new majority that can lead this nation out of a long political darkness – Democrats, Independents and Republicans who are tired of the division and distraction that has clouded Washington; who know that we can disagree without being disagreeable; who understand that if we mobilize our voices to challenge the money and influence that’s stood in our way and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there’s no problem we can’t solve – no destiny we cannot fulfill. That’s why I’m running in this campaign, and that’s the kind of President I’ll be for America.

I’ll be a President who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American the same way I expanded health care in Illinois – by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to get the job done.

I’ll be a President who ends the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas and puts a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of the working Americans who deserve it.

I’ll be a President who stops sending our children to schools with corridors of shame and start putting them on a pathway to success. I’ll stop talking about how great teachers are and start rewarding them for their greatness.

I’ll be a President who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers and scientists; citizens and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.

And when I am President, we will end this war in Iraq and bring our troops home; we will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan; we will care for our veterans; and we will restore our moral standing in the world. And I’ll be a President who understands that 9/11 is not a way to scare up votes, but a challenge that should unite America and the world against the common threats of the twenty-first century: terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease.

I’m running because I believe that the size of these challenges has outgrown the capacity of our broken and divided politics to solve them; because I believe Americans of every political stripe are hungry for a new kind of politics, a politics that’s focused not just on how to win but why we should, a politics that’s focused on those values and ideals that we hold in common as Americans; a politics that favors common sense over ideology, straight talk over spin.

And I’m running because I believe the real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. That’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high. Our time for change has come.

This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must have caught on, because now everyone is talking about change.

But for me, change isn’t just the rhetoric of a campaign. It’s been the cause of my life.

It’s what led me to leave a job on Wall Street and take one as an organizer on the streets of Chicago so that I could fight joblessness and poverty when the local steel plant closed. It’s what led me to stand up as a civil rights lawyer for those who were denied opportunity on the job or justice at the voting booth because of what they looked like or where they came from. It’s what led me to take on lobbyists in Illinois and Washington – and win; passing historic ethics reform that no one thought was possible. And it’s the kind of change I will bring to this country as your next President – not just change as a slogan, but real change; fundamental change; change we can believe in.

Now, we have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we’ve been told that we’re not ready, or that we shouldn’t try, or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.

And so as this campaign continues; as we understand that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America’s story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea – Yes. We. Can.

Claremont Eagle Times Endorses Bill Richardson

Today, the Claremont Eagle Times endorsed New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for President, and three key Dodd supporters from the Granite State announced that they will be voting for Bill Richardson on Tuesday, January 8th.
In their endorsement, the Times writes: "Richardson is the most qualified candidate in the areas that will matter the most to our country over the next four years ... Democrats have a variety of choices before them Tuesday. None can match Richardson's experience."
The Eagle Times continues: "Presidents of both political parties have called on him to negotiate with foreign leaders in tense times. He has worked with dignitaries in countries ranging from Great Britain to North Korea. On Day 1 of his presidency, he would be able to handle any crisis that comes before the administration."
The Eagle Times endorsement follows Governor Richardson's recent endorsement from The Conway Daily Sun.
In dial groups conducted by WMUR-TV, voters gave Bill Richardson a clear edge over the other Democratic candidates in last night's debate when he discussed his foreign policy experience. Richardson also received high marks for reminding his opponents that they should remain positive and not engage in personal attacks. Click here to view the complete results of last night's dial groups.
Governor Richardson also has earned the support of three influential backers of Senator Chris Dodd's Presidential bid in the Granite State. State Representative and firefighter Dan Sullivan, State Representative Maureen Nagle, and State Representative David Smith all endorsed Richardson today, citing his unmatched experience and clear plan for getting all of our troops out of Iraq quickly and safely.
"I am supporting Governor Richardson because he has the domestic and international experience to create change," State Representative Nagle said. "Governor Richardson speaks with clarity on the war in Iraq and, as President, he will leverage the power of American diplomacy to end it."
Last night's ABC News/Facebook debate will be re-aired on CNN this evening starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Claremont Eagle Times endorsement follows:
http://www.eagletimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=12&ArticleID=5963
McCain, RichardsonEvery new president has some degree of on-the-job training but the more experience they bring to the job in important areas such as international diplomacy and national security, the shorter the learning curve and the more effective the policy.
In Tuesday's presidential primary, Republican John McCain and Democrat Bill Richardson are the most qualified candidates in the areas that will matter the most to our country over the next four years.
McCain will bring the sort of experience and integrity to the White House that can re-establish our international standing and repair the polarization in Congress that has come to define the effects of the current administration.
Americans are, of course, tired of the war in Iraq and the easiest campaign promise is to bring the troops home now, regardless of the long-term consequences such an ill-advised move would bring. McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, understands better than any candidate the need for victory in Iraq. Had the calls been heeded to leave when it appeared that no progress was being made on the ground, McCain has correctly stated that al-Qaida would have been announcing that it defeated America. That would embolden our enemies and make our friends less inclined to ever depend on us again. When many were saying leave Iraq, McCain pushed for an alternative strategy that would increase our military commitment and that strategy, commonly referred to as the "surge," has had outstanding results. It is that sort of leadership and understanding of how to win a conflict that our nation will desperately need.
Domestically, McCain's call for smaller government, fewer taxes, secure borders and market-oriented approaches to solving the problem of health care costs represent the positions that reject more government spending as a solution to a sluggish economy.
Voters looking for sound judgment, experience, courage and integrity should cast their vote for John McCain on Tuesday.
Democrats have a variety of choices before them Tuesday. None can match Richardson's experience.
He has served as a congressman where he was known for his ability to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans who respected him - though they often disagreed with his policies. He served as the United Nations ambassador and was secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, where he worked on policies aimed at reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
And he has for six years been governor of New Mexico where he has increased health care opportunities for children while balancing the budget every year.
Presidents of both political parties have called on him to negotiate with foreign leaders in tense times. He has worked with dignitaries in countries ranging from Great Britain to North Korea. On Day 1 of his presidency, he would be able to handle any crisis that comes before the administration.
In his trips to Claremont, he has impressed crowds with his knowledge of all kinds of domestic and foreign issues. He may lack the charisma of other candidates but none can top him in substance.
Voters will be lucky indeed if in November they have a choice between two intellectually honest, experienced men such as John McCain and Bill Richardson.

Clinton: Morning HUBdate: Rhetoric vs. Results

* If You Read One Thing Today: Over 3000 people jammed into a high school gymnasium in Nashua yesterday to see Hillary -- and the place was "rocking." David Brody reports: "Shouts of 'Hillary, Hillary' were everywhere. Even when Hillary started to speak, people here wouldn't stop shouting for her." Read it here
* Making News Today: Hillary continues her "Big Challenges - Real Solutions, Time to Pick a President" Tour in New Hampshire, attending a "Conversation with Undecided Voters" event in Portsmouth, as well as "Time to Pick a President" events in Dover and Salem. She also attends a "Time to Pick a President" Rally with President Clinton in Manchester.
* Recapping Yesterday: President Clinton hit the trail for Hillary, telling New Hampshire voters that this election doesn’t come down to change versus experience, but "words versus deeds, talk versus action, rhetoric versus reality"... State Rep. Jim Webber (D-Kensington), a former Biden supporter, announced his endorsement of Hillary, the third New Hampshire state representative to announce his support of Senator Clinton in recent days... Visit http://www.hillaryhub.com/ for more.
* Rhetoric vs. Results, Talk vs. Action:
As we approach the primary, New Hampshire voters are seeing the difference between talk versus action, rhetoric and results.
Hillary Clinton has a real record of making change and getting results for New Hampshire families. If you want to know what kind of change the candidates will make, look at the change they have already made.
She took the lead in the White House on ensuring that 6 million kids nationwide have health insurance, including 7,000 children in New Hampshire.
She worked with Republicans and helped pass legislation that guaranteed that every member of our National Guard and Reserves has access to health care.
As a result 2700 New Hampshire members of the Guards and Reserves have access to health care regardless of their deployment status.
She took the lead in passing legislation that helped ensure that up to 324,000 children in New Hampshire have been vaccinated.
She took the lead in passing legislation that helped double the number of adoptions out of foster care.
Hillary’s real record of action and results for New Hampshire families serves in sharp contrast to her opponents.
At the debate on Saturday it was clear when opponents were asked what change they had made:
Instead of telling New Hampshire voters what he had done for them, Barack Obama defended rhetoric and talk and cited legislation that bans sit-down meals with lobbyists but allows them to stand up and eat together.
Obama talked about government reform, but denied that the co-chair of his New Hampshire campaign is a lobbyist. He talked about energy reform but couldn’t defend his vote in favor of Dick Cheney’s energy plan that gave the big oil companies billions in tax breaks. He talked about his speech against the war, but didn't explain why he voted for 300 billion in funding for the war and why he said as late as 2004 that he didn’t know how he would have voted on the war.
And all John Edwards could point to on behalf of New Hampshire families was legislation that passed the Senate but never passed Congress and was never signed into law.
Hillary said no matter how beautifully presented, words are not action and pointed to real accomplishments that made real change for people.
The choice for New Hampshire voters is clear - Hillary Clinton’s action and results vs her opponents’ rhetoric and talk.

Edwards to Supporters

Dear Friend,

We're in the race of our lives -- and I'm asking for your help. We've got incredible momentum coming out of our powerful second-place showing in Iowa. We've been outspent 5-to-1 but John is staying strong because people know he's the fighter who will bring about the change we need. The two celebrity candidates who've raised $200 million are getting ready to throw everything they've got at John. They're going to try and drown out John's message of fighting for change and ending the corporate greed that has taken over our government.That's why I need you to make a contribution now, so we can expand our message and outreach efforts in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. We need you now, more than ever.

Click here to make a contribution.

John's a fighter. And he's the one candidate who can carry a message of change to every corner of this country -- and win.But as John said in his speech last night, you're the ones who have created the tidal wave of change that is sweeping from Iowa to New Hampshire, to Nevada and South Carolina. History is being made, and you are a part of it. Please make a contribution now -- and then ask five friends to contribute.

Click here to make a contribution.

I'm asking you to spread the word. I need you to tell everyone you know that finally we have a candidate who has the backbone, who has the strength, who has the courage to stand up for the middle class, and who is willing to stand up to corporate greed.That candidate is John Edwards -- and he's fighting for all of us.

Thanks for all you do.
--Joe Trippi Senior Advisor,
John Edwards for President
January 4, 2008

Bill Richardson Speaks with Pakistani Opposition Leader Regarding Crisis in Pakistan

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson earlier today and thanked him for supporting immediate democracy in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sharif and Governor Richardson discussed the modalities of an immediate transition to democracy in Pakistan and the steps necessary to guarantee free and fair elections.
"I think our national security is enhanced, not threatened, when we are true to our principles as Americans," Richardson said. "We supported the Shah of Iran until the bitter end and now our greatest national security threat is Iran. We supported the apartheid regime in South Africa, greatly harming our interests in the entire third world. And we supported numerous dictatorships in South America, making us pariahs in our own Hemisphere.

"You need a long-term strategic vision to protect our national security, not more foreign policy myopia."

Bill Richardson Makes Final Four

New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson finished in fourth place in today's Iowa caucuses, moving his campaign forward to the New Hampshire primary on January 8th.

"We made it to the final four," Richardson said. "My staff and volunteers worked their hearts out to get us here. Now we are going to take the fight to New Hampshire."

Richardson received 7 % of the vote in entrance polls. After watching the results at a rally in Des Moines, he boarded a plane for New Hampshire.

"It has been an honor to meet with Iowans and be a part of this extraordinary process," Richardson said. "I am the one candidate who has said we must end this war by getting all our troops out of Iraq. We cannot truly change this country until we end this war- and we can only do that by getting every US troop out. Americans who want to get us out of Iraq aren't giving up and neither am I. We cannot end the division in this country until we are out of Iraq and we cannot focus on fixing our problems at home and our image abroad until our troops are out of Iraq. We cannot wait until 2013 or longer."

"Thank you, Iowa. Now we go on to New Hampshire."

Statement from Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton Campaign Manager

Congratulations to Senator Obama and his campaign on their victory tonight. It’s been a hard fought race here in Iowa for the last year and all eyes now turn to New Hampshire.

Hillary is going to continue making the case that in these serious times when America faces big challenges, it will take a leader with the strength and experience to deliver real change.

This race begins tonight and ends when Democrats throughout America have their say. Our campaign was built for a marathon and we have the resources to run a national race in the weeks ahead.

Statement from Sen. Joe Biden:

(Des Moines, IA) January 3, 2008 – The Biden Campaign this evening released the following statement from Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE):

“I am not going away. I’m returning to the Senate as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and will continue to ensure that we protect the nation’s security and show our country that Democrats know how to keep America safe, keep our commitment to our troops and restore our country’s respect in the world.”

Note: Biden joins Chris Dodd in stepping out of the Presidential race.

Edwards to Supporters

It was a strong night for us - we finished second in Iowa, beating out the Clinton machine. Change won tonight - the status quo lost. But now the fight is on - and they're going to come after us, trying to drown out our message of change with their hundreds of millions of dollars. That's why I need you to make a contribution to my campaign today.

Click here to make a contribution.

What we saw in Iowa was two candidates who thought their money would make them inevitable. But what the Iowa caucus goers have shown us is that if you're willing to have a little backbone, to have the courage to speak for the middle class, to speak for those who have no voice, and if you're willing to stand up to corporate greed, then that message and the American people are unstoppable, no matter how much money is spent to prevent that message from getting out. That's why I need your support today, so those who believe in the status quo will not stop our message of change that this country so desperately needs.

Click here to make a contribution.

I am so proud of this cause - and so grateful for your support. It is your support that has sustained Elizabeth and me as we have campaigned across this country. You have created a tidal wave of change that will sweep from Iowa to New Hampshire, to Nevada and South Carolina. Continue to stand with me, so that when this wave of change is done, every one of us will be able to look our children in the eye and say, "We did for you what our parents did for us - we left America better for you than we found it."

Thank you for your support - the wave of change has begun.

Sincerely, John

What They Said About Joe Biden in ‘07

8 for ‘08
What They Said About Joe Biden in ‘07

Des Moines Register
Yepsen: Biden's vote for war funding a profile in courage
By DAVID YEPSEN
May 31, 2007

Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden is the only Democratic presidential candidate to have voted for the recent supplemental war-funding bill.

Creators Syndicated
He's Not Pre-Packaged
By MARK SHIELDS
June 23, 2007

Politicians - especially when they choose to duck a race for that next high office they have lusted after for years because they don't believe they can win it - regularly tell us that they "want to spend more time with (their) family." 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware is one politician who means it.

National Journal
Joe Biden, The Grown-Up In The Race
By JONATHAN RAUCH
September 28, 2007

Here's a fun puzzler for the whole family. The boxes to the right on this page contain quotations from two leading Democratic presidential contenders' plans for Iraq. One column excerpts a July speech in Iowa by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York; the other, a September speech, also in Iowa, by Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. See if you can tell which senator is which. (Answers at the end of this column.)


Boston Globe
Biden's gutsy proposal for Iraq
By Scot Lehigh
October 10, 2007

JOE BIDEN is baffled - and one can hardly blame him.

Cedar Rapids Gazette
Biden emerges as Dems’ foreign policy expert
By ROB BOSHART
November 24, 2007

DES MOINES — Six-term Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is aware he might not score the win in Iowa’s leadoff Democratic presidential caucuses in January, but he hopes to grab a much-coveted bounce.

Concord Monitor
Biden a smart guy who has lived his family values ; Tragedy didn't keep new senator from serving nation
By MIKE PRIDE
December 1, 2007

It was three minutes to show time at the Havenwood retirement community the other morning, and most of the chairs stood empty.


The Boston Herald
Op-Ed; '08 Comeback Kid should be Biden; Del. senator in dogged pursuit
By WAYNE WOODLIEF
December 6, 2007

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, ever the realist, admits he must ``run one, two or three'' - or maybe a closely bunched fourth - in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses to stay in the Democratic presidential race.

Washington Post
A Crisis Intrudes On Iowa
By E. J. DIONNE JR.
December 28, 2007

DES MOINES -- The assassination of Benazir Bhutto came as a brutal reminder of the gravity of the decision Iowa's voters will be rendering in their caucuses next Thursday night.

Biden: Growing Crowds

The Biden Campaign is generating real buzz. Our crowds are growing by leaps and bounds:

500+ people yesterday in Des Moines; a “first tier crowd”

300 Biden backers in Mason City

250 enthusiastic supporters in Dubuque; “a scene more typical of the events of democratic front-Runners”

An “energetic crowd” in Waterloo; leads to “an endorsement from a key Black Hawk County Democrat”

200-strong crowd in Council Bluffs

The growing support at these events are evidence of mounting support for the one candidate in the Democratic field that has the rare combination of experience, a history of pushing for change and a real record of action on the most pressing issues of our time.

These events also demonstrate the large pockets of support for Sen. Biden across Iowa. These immense swaths of enthusiastic Biden backers will make the Senator a viable candidate in many parts of the state. Our situation is far more favorable than the position of many Democratic candidates whose support is a mile wide but only so deep. Our rivals will face much larger hurdles with regard to viability tomorrow, as they struggle to garner 15 percent in any one Iowa precinct.

Our deep bench of legislative endorsers and local elected officials who have pledged their support for Sen. Biden are also of critical importance on caucus night. These community leaders have real experience participating in the caucus process and help rally already committed Biden backers as well as sway caucus-goers who are undecided or have to make a second choice when their primary choice does not reach viability.

Our events over the last few days further bolster the significance of our strategy going into Caucus Day. First, Iowans are generally late deciders and the growing ranks of enthusiastic supporters at every one of our recent events means that many Iowans are now choosing Joe Biden. Second, the Senator continues to attract the backing of committed, long-time caucus-goers, who are historically far more likely to caucus. This is an important point of distinction. For example, according to the latest Des Moines Register poll,

“All of the three leaders in Iowa draw a majority of support from new caucus-goers, although Obama benefits the most with 72 percent of his support coming from first-timers.” Each new committed, regular caucus-goer our campaign brings on board is another solid vote for Sen. Biden, and we will not have to worry about the possibility of them not showing up on caucus night.

In short, the Biden Campaign remains committed, forward-looking and optimistic headed into Caucus Day. The wind is at our back.

Clinton, Obama claim $100 million raised

WASHINGTON - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton will have raised more than $100 million this year for her presidential campaign, aides confirmed Monday evening, setting a historic new threshold in fundraising. Rival Barack Obama's campaign indicated it had reached that record-setting mark as well.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080101/ap_po/clinton_fundraising

Clinton set to ask Iowans for their vote

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton will make her closing argument to Iowa voters Wednesday evening during a televised message in which she tells them to "take the first step" toward changing the direction of the country by voting for her at the caucuses.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080102/ap_po/clinton_s_pitch