MICHAEL O. ALLEN

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Obama

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Elections


New York Daily News
DC meeting could bring compromise on Michigan, Florida delegates
New York Daily News – 1 hour ago
Busloads of Hillary Clinton supporters will swarm a meeting next week at a DC Marriott, where Democratic Party elders hope to forge a compromise over Florida and Michigan’s now-voided convention delegates.
Video: Victory is within reach: Obama RussiaTodayObama Says Nomination ‘Within Reach’ New York Times
Los Angeles TimesUSA TodayDetroit Free PressWashington Times
all 8,126 news articles »

PRESS TV
As host, McCain invites speculation
Boston Globe – 4 hours ago
WASHINGTON – Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain plans to host three potential running mates this weekend at his ranch in Sedona , Ariz.
McCain Looks to Fill Ticket, and 3 Hopefuls Step Up New York Times
Joe Lieberman assails Barack Obama on foreign policy Los Angeles Times
Philadelphia InquirerSarasota Herald-TribuneWashington PostBBC News
all 1,130 news articles »

PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Obama at Square One in Florida
Wall Street Journal – 2 hours ago
By CHRISTOPHER COOPER TAMPA, Fla. — One of the most tantalizing electoral prizes this fall for Sen. Barack Obama may be Florida, where he is campaigning and holding fund-raisers this week after a self-imposed exile of more than six months.
Liberals work to change McCain’s image San Francisco Chronicle
McCain to look over possible ticket mates Seattle Times
Washington PostCNNSan Jose Mercury NewsReuters
all 313 news articles »

CBS News
Ron Paul surge collects more GOP convention delegates
Los Angeles Times – 1 hour ago
While the world of politics waits around for Sen. Barack Obama to finally get the message and give up his hopeless chase of the Democratic nomination for president because he lost yet another heartland state to Hillary Clinton, Texas Rep.
Drug industry contributing more to Democrats The Associated Press
McCain, Romney Tied in Florida NewsOXY
PoliticoWall Street JournalSeattle TimesWashington Post
all 717 news articles »

Turkish Press
Jindal to visit McCain during holiday
The Times-Picayune – NOLA.com – 4 hours ago
By Bruce Alpert Gov. Bobby Jindal and his wife, Supriya, are among 10 couples invited to presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s Arizona home during the Memorial Day weekend, an invitation fueling speculation that Jindal is on a short
Weekend at McCain’s just the ticket? Washington Times
Is McCain’s guest list also his VP short list? Arizona Republic
The Associated PressBoston GlobeABC NewsBaltimore Sun
all 1,710 news articles »

WBT
Theme Persists: Obama Outraises Clinton
New York Times – 6 hours ago
By LESLIE WAYNE Though Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton raised an impressive $21 million in April, her campaign ended the month $20 million in debt and with Senator Barack Obama more than $30 million ahead of her in cash on hand for the primary season,
In Money Chase, McCain Can Rely on Party Boost Wall Street Journal
Barack Obama Sets $55 Million Record NewsOXY
ReutersLos Angeles TimesCBS NewsThe Associated Press
all 445 news articles »

CTV.ca
Women to the Barricades
San Francisco Chronicle – 7 hours ago
The following email leaked to us from a prominent supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton shows us firsthand the anger among the older women who are the mainstays of her campaign, and a necessary ingredient of a victory for rival Sen.
The ‘Not Clinton’ Excuse Washington Post
Hillary Clinton Thanks Saturday Night Live NewsOXY
Sioux Falls Argus LeaderEurweb.comHuffington PostSeattle Times
all 428 news articles »

TopNews
Clinton, Obama vie for superdelegates
Boston Globe – 19 hours ago
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton split Tuesday’s primaries, and so far today they have split the superdelegates who will likely determine who gets the nomination.
Democratic superdelegate Rep. Joe Courtney backs Obama Boston Herald
Superdelegate Courtney Announces For Obama Hartford Courant
Connecticut PostMSNBCAkron Beacon JournalTheDay
all 36 news articles »

Canoe.ca
Not the ticket of dreams
Boston Globe – 5 hours ago
MANY DEMOCRATS, including former New York governor Mario Cuomo on this page, have called for a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton ticket.
What Does Hillary Want? TIME
Barack Obama Slams Clinton Amid Mississippi Voting NewsOXY
Washington PostHuffington PostVoice of AmericaABC News
all 77 news articles »

Hartford Courant
Does the Libertarian Party Matter?
Wall Street Journal – 6 hours ago
By BRUCE BARTLETT Ron Paul’s unexpected success raising money and gaining votes in the Republican primaries – running on an explicitly libertarian platform – has made the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination something worth vying for this year.
Recent Converts Are Top Contenders for Libertarian Nod CQPolitics.com
google news commentComment by David Boaz Executive Vice President, Cato Institute
Colorado Springs GazetteWashington PostWashington TimesNolan Chart LLC
all 43 news articles »

News Talk AM 580 WDBO
Obama rocks, rolls into state
Daytona Beach News-Journal – 4 hours ago
By JAMES MILLER KISSIMMEE — Illinois Sen. Barack Obama rolled into town Wednesday, sounding like the Democratic presidential nominee and being treated like a rock star.
Obama Introduces Himself to Florida Voters CBS News
Obama suggests halving Florida delegation Tampabay.com
Huffington PostLocal6.comMarketWatchWESH.com
all 21 news articles »

PRESS TV
Obama inspires McCain aide to step down
Los Angeles Times – 3 hours ago
Mark McKinnon, John McCain’s media strategist and a member of the close-knit circle of five top advisors to the Republican presidential candidate, says he plans to be the Arizona senator’s “No.
Keeping Vow on Obama, McCain Adviser Resigns New York Times
McCain media consultant departs The Associated Press
FOXNewsWashington PostCBS News
all 101 news articles »

NewsOXY
7 Ore. superdelegates mum on presidential choices
USA Today – 10 hours ago
Now it’s time for the seven superdelegates still uncommitted to say whether they are backing Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for president.
Obama doubles Clinton in Wash. delegates Seattle Post Intelligencer
Obama closes in on Democratic nomination The Associated Press
NewsOXYWashington PostKTVZWWJ
all 1,010 news articles »
Some of Sen. Clinton’s remarks about seating Mich. and Fla.
Chicago Tribune – 12 hours ago
By AP Excerpts from prepared remarks Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton made Wednesday in Florida on why the disputed Michigan and Florida primary results should count and the delegations seated at the Democratic National
Clinton Invokes 2000 in Quest for Florida Support Washington Post
Obama, Clinton signal Florida boycott over The Associated Press
Waterbury Republican AmericanPalm Beach PostRealClearPoliticsNational Review Online
all 231 news articles »

CNN Political Ticker
Lieberman Op-Ed Raises Eyebrows
Washington Post – 13 hours ago
By Shailagh Murray The Connecticut senator describes himself as an “independent Democrat,” but today on the Wall Street Journal op-ed page, Lieberman called out Sen. Barack Obama by name as one of the “old voices of partisanship and peace at any price”
Top Nebraska Dem Downplays Obama-Hagel Ticket Talk Action 3 News
Hagel Assails McCain; Lieberman Assails Obama ABC News
The Carpetbagger ReportCNN Political TickerAOL News NewsbloggersTheDay
all 17 news articles »

Hackensack Chronicle
Foe launches age-old attack on Lautenberg
Philadelphia Inquirer – 3 hours ago
By Cynthia Burton With less than two weeks left in the edgy Democratic US Senate primary, US Rep. Rob Andrews has unveiled a television ad that spotlights the age issue in his race against US Sen. Frank Lautenberg.
GOP Senate debate tonight at Stockton Press of Atlantic City
Pennacchio eyes crossover voters in US Senate bid The Star-Ledger – NJ.com
Asbury Park PressThe Jersey Journal – NJ.comHackensack ChronicleNew Jersey Jewish News
all 74 news articles »

OPB News
Merkley hopes to ride anti-GOP tide in Ore. Senate race
KTVZ – 7 hours ago
AP – May 21, 2008 10:45 PM ET SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A day after winning the Democratic US Senate nomination, Jeff Merkley moved quickly into general election mode, linking Republican Sen. Gordon Smith to the Bush administration.
Schumer’s guys win in Kentucky, Oregon Politico
Senate Democrats gaining power News 10 Now
The Oregonian – OregonLive.comThe Register-GuardKATUCrosscut
all 111 news articles »

The Southern Ledger
Senator challenges Lunsford on issues
Kentucky.com – 3 hours ago
By Ryan Alessi Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell charged into general election mode by moving to define his opponent and by offering an issues test to his newly minted Democratic challenger, Bruce Lunsford.
Ky., Ore. voters choose US Senate candidates The Associated Press
Schumer-backed Senate Candidate Prevails In Kentucky CBS News
Huntington Herald DispatchMSNBCLouisville Courier-JournalRealClearPolitics
all 238 news articles »

Monsters and Critics.com
In photos: ‘USA Elections – Obama and Clinton May 21st’
Monsters and Critics.com – 11 hours ago
By M&C News May 21, 2008, 22:44 GMT Illinois Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event at the St.
Iorio endorses Obama at rally in Tampa WMNF
Obama: ‘It’s good to be back’ Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Tampa TribuneMyFox Tampa BayBradenton HeraldTampa Bay’s 10
all 19 news articles »

NewsOXY
Hillary Clinton Charges Barack Obama
NewsOXY – 2 hours ago
Hillary Clinton has accused Barack Obama of trying to keep people from voting for her as some backers have called for her to drop out of the presidential race.
President Bill Clinton Returning To SD Sunday KSFY
Presidential Campaign: SD’s Money Trail KELOLAND TV
Sioux Falls Argus LeaderRapid City JournalKELOLAND TVKELOLAND TV
all 12 news articles »
  • Republican presidential candidate John McCain speaks during a meeting May 20 in Miami, Florida. McCain is to meet this weekend with at least three potential vice-presidential candidates, US news media reported Wednesday.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Eric Thayer)
    Candidates seek centrist answers in Iraq AP – 2 hours, 1 minute agoWASHINGTON – Hard-core advocates for and against the Iraq war are losing leverage as John McCain and Barack Obama, having virtually secured their nominations, appeal to centrist voters who will decide the fall presidential election.
  • Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., arrives at a town hall meeting in Kissimmee, Fla., Wednesday, May 21, 2008.  (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
    Drug industry contributing more to Democrats AP – 2 hours, 20 minutes agoWASHINGTON – In a sharp reversal, drug and medical device companies are giving more money to Democrats than Republicans this election season, one more sign of the campaign difficulties the GOP could face this November.
  • In this Wednesday, May 14, 2008 file photo, Chelsea Clinton visits the Luisa Guadalupe Center for the elderly, on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Forget placards, stoic bodyguards and formal rallies. To win Puerto Rico's presidential primary, both the Clinton and Obama camps are campaigning in the boisterous, face-to-face 'boricua style' favored on this Caribbean island. (AP Photo/Ricardo Figueroa)
    Democrats adopt boisterous Puerto Rican style AP – 2 hours, 2 minutes agoSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Forget placards, stoic bodyguards and formal rallies. To win Puerto Rico’s presidential primary, both the Clinton and Obama camps are campaigning in the boisterous, face-to-face “boricua style” favored on this Caribbean island.
  • Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at a town hall meeting in Kissimmee, Fla., Wednesday, May 21, 2008.  (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
    Obama’s outreach to US foes is questionable AP – 2 hours, 5 minutes agoWASHINGTON – Barack Obama’s willingness to meet Iranian, Cuban and other hostile leaders who would not get face time from John McCain stands as a distinctive element of his foreign policy.
  • Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama delivers a speech to supporters during a town hall meeting in Kissimmee, Florida May 21, 2008. (Scott Audette/Reuters)
    Viral e-mails attack Obama’s life story Politico – Wed May 21, 8:12 PM ETThe main obstacle standing between Barack Obama and the White House was distilled into five words by a local television correspondent in South Charleston, W.Va., earlier this month.

White House News

  • President Bush makes a statement about Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., prior to signing the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
    Bush signs anti-discrimination bill AP – Wed May 21, 5:54 PM ETWASHINGTON – President Bush on Wednesday signed legislation to protect people from losing their jobs or health insurance when genetic testing reveals they are susceptible to costly diseases.
  • President Bush greets Olga Alonso  left, and Yamile Labrada Llanes, relatives of Cuban political prisoners, second from right, after the president spoke about Cuba, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
    US to let Americans send cell phones to Cuba AP – Wed May 21, 5:43 PM ETWASHINGTON – President Bush announced Wednesday that people living in the United States soon will be allowed to send cell phones to Cubans on the island nation — a move that he hopes will push the communist regime to increase freedom of expression for Cuban citizens.
  • A farmer working on his fields in Illinois. The US Senate on Thursday passed a mammoth 290 billion dollar farm bill with a veto-proof majority, which includes subsidies for farmers and help with food bills for the needy as prices rise.(AFP/Getty Images/File)
    Bush vetoes farm bill AP – Wed May 21, 3:27 PM ETWASHINGTON – President Bush vetoed the $300 billion farm bill on Wednesday, calling it a tax increase on regular Americans at a time of high food prices in the face of a near-certain override by Congress.
  • Bush heading to Europe in June AP – Tue May 20, 4:55 PM ETWASHINGTON – President Bush, traveling abroad more this year than at any time of his presidency, plans to head to Europe in June to confer with allies on matters of war, terrorism and trade.
  • US President George W. Bush, seen here at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Congress Center on May 18, 2008, will attend an EU-US summit in Slovenia in June as part of a European tour including stops in Germany, Italy, the Vatican, France and Britain, the White House announced Tuesday.(AFP/File/Jim Watson)
    White House denies story about attacking Iran AP – Tue May 20, 4:00 PM ETWASHINGTON – The White House on Tuesday denied a published report in Israel that said President Bush intends to attack Iran before the end of his term in January.

U.S. Congress News

  • This combination of 3 file photos shows, from left: Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, D-Mass., Edward Kennedy Jr., and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I. People in Massachusetts suddenly are thinking the unthinkable: Who possibly could succeed Sen. Edward Kennedy, patriarch of the famed political family that has dominated the state for more than four decades? (AP Photos)
    Thinking the unthinkable: Who follows Ted Kennedy? AP – 6 minutes agoWASHINGTON – People in Massachusetts suddenly are thinking the unthinkable: Who possibly could succeed Sen. Edward Kennedy, patriarch of the famed political family that has dominated the state for more than four decades?
  • Veteran US Senator Edward Kennedy (seen here earlier this year) has left hospital giving a thumbs up to waiting supporters a day after doctors announced he had a malignant brain tumor.(AFP/File/Paul J. Richards)
    Kennedy illness robs Senate of dealmaker AP – 57 minutes agoWASHINGTON – Sen. Edward Kennedy’s diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor has left Congress without its best dealmaker and boldest liberal, a politician known for his staunch positions and willingness to work with right-wing lawmakers.
  • Budget Director Jim Nussle briefs reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 21, 2008. President Bush vetoed the $300 billion farm bill on Wednesday, calling it a tax increase on regular Americans at a time of high food prices in the face of a near-certain override by Congress. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
    After gaffe, Democrats planning to redo farm bill AP – 1 hour, 1 minute agoWASHINGTON – Democrats are picking up the pieces after an embarrassing technical gaffe that delayed a triumphant rejection of President Bush’s veto of a massive farm bill.
  • Mix-up throws House veto override in doubt AP – 1 hour, 42 minutes agoWASHINGTON – The House overwhelmingly rejected President Bush’s veto Wednesday of a $290 billion farm bill, but what should have been a stinging defeat for the president became an embarrassment for Democrats.
  • In this Thursday, April 10, 2008 file photo, Gen. David Petraeus, left, listens to Ambassador Ryan Crocker, right, during a news conference in Washington. The position of Gen. David Petraeus, nominated to assume control of U.S. forces in the Middle East, and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, picked to replace Petraeus as the top commander in Iraq, all but guarantees that some 140,000 troops will be committed in Iraq for the remainder of the year. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
    Top Iraq generals defend pause in troop reductions AP – 1 hour, 54 minutes agoWASHINGTON – The U.S. must be careful not to withdraw forces from Iraq too quickly because security gains could be lost, warn the nation’s top two war generals.

U.S. Government News

  • Report says more kids drowning in pools, spas AP – Wed May 21, 9:03 PM ETWASHINGTON – A month before summer begins, a government report shows an increase in the number of children who drown in pools and spas.
  • In this Jan. 19, 2007, file photo, a Motorola Razr cell phone is seen at a consumer electronics store, in Gloucester, Mass. The U.S. government is quietly negotiating to help cell phone customers avoid expensive fees when they cancel contracts with wireless companies, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)
    Plan to trim cell phone cancellation fees draws criticism AP – Wed May 21, 6:11 PM ETWASHINGTON – A wireless industry proposal under consideration by the government that would make it easier for cell phone customers to break up with their service providers was met with withering criticism by consumer advocates on Wednesday.
  • A pedestrian passes in front of the Federal Reserve Building in Washington January 22, 2008. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
    Fed sees slower growth, higher unemployment in `08 AP – Wed May 21, 2:11 PM ETWASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve on Wednesday sharply lowered its projection for economic growth this year, citing blows from the housing and credit debacles along with zooming energy prices. It also expects higher unemployment and inflation.
  • Government ads to show consumers how hospitals rate AP – Wed May 21, 12:34 AM ETWASHINGTON – The federal government is spending nearly $1.9 million on newspaper ads around the country that disclose hospital satisfaction rates, part of a unique campaign to improve health care through the power of publicity.
  • Feds help ailing student loan program AP – Tue May 20, 7:48 PM ETWASHINGTON – The Bush administration is taking steps to ensure student lenders don’t walk away from the federal loan program, including offering to buy up student loans and make capital available to lenders.

World Politics News

  • A Merrill Lynch sign is seen in Toronto, April 29, 2008. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
    Merrill restarts talks to move to WTC site: WSJ Reuters – Thu May 22, 2:14 AM ET(Reuters) – Merrill Lynch & Co has restarted talks to move its headquarters to a planned skyscraper at the World Trade Center site, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
  • Group critices US military for child detentions AP – Wed May 21, 4:39 PM ETGENEVA – A rights group criticized the U.S. military Wednesday for holding hundreds of youths in Iraq, saying American forces aren’t living up to international standards.
  • Sri Lanka loses bid for UN human rights panel seat AP – Wed May 21, 4:06 PM ETUNITED NATIONS – Sri Lanka, which has been strongly criticized for its human rights record, lost its bid Wednesday for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, but four other countries with poor records won spots — Pakistan, Bahrain, Gabon and Zambia.
  • Report: Conflicts using child soldiers declines AP – Wed May 21, 7:32 AM ETUNITED NATIONS – The number of conflicts in which child soldiers were involved dropped sharply from 27 in 2004 to 17 at the end of last year, according to a report by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
  • United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon addresses the High-Level Segment of the 7th session of Human Rights Council in the Assembly Hall at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva March 3, 2008. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
    States vie for seats on disputed UN rights body Reuters – Wed May 21, 1:21 AM ETUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Gabon are among states vying for 15 seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday that rights watchdogs say are unfit to be on it.

Supreme Court News

  • Ban upheld on offering child porn The Christian Science Monitor – Tue May 20, 4:00 AM ETWashington – The US Supreme Court has upheld an effort by Congress to make it illegal to offer or promote child pornography – even when the photographs being offered or promoted don’t really exist or involve real children.
  • In this Feb. 28, 2005 file photo, John Demjanjuk arrives at the federal building in Cleveland for an immigration hearing. The Justice Department said Monday May 19, 2008 that the alleged former Nazi death camp guard has exhausted all legal avenues for trying to remain in the United States and the government remains committed to deporting him.  (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, file)
    Court rejects case involving alleged Nazi guard AP – Mon May 19, 7:42 PM ETWASHINGTON – The Justice Department said Monday that an alleged former Nazi death camp guard has exhausted all legal avenues for trying to remain in the United States and the government remains committed to deporting him.
  • The US Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 2003 law banning the promotion of child pornography, saying that the law was in line with the constitutional guarantee of free speech.(AFP/File/Tim Sloan)
    Court upholds part of child pornography law AP – Mon May 19, 6:29 PM ETWASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled Monday that leading someone to believe you have child pornography to show or exchange is a federal crime, brushing aside concerns that the law could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex, classic literature or even innocent e-mails that describe pictures of grandchildren.
  • Court upholds municipal bond tax exemption AP – Mon May 19, 5:48 PM ETWASHINGTON – The $2.5 trillion municipal bond market skirted a land mine Monday when the Supreme Court ruled that states could continue to give special tax breaks on the bonds that fund hospitals, roads, schools and other services.
  • Justices rule against man in terrorism case AP – Mon May 19, 1:11 PM ETWASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Monday ruled against an Algerian convicted of conspiring to detonate explosives at Los Angeles International Airport during the millenium holiday travel rush.

Most Popular Politics News

  • US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally in Tampa, Florida. Obama declared he was already on the cusp of the nomination, as he traded blows in the latest foreign policy flare-up of an evolving general election battle with Republican John McCain.(AFP/Getty Images/Robert Browman)
    Viral e-mails attack Obama’s life story Politico – Wed May 21, 8:12 PM ETThe main obstacle standing between Barack Obama and the White House was distilled into five words by a local television correspondent in South Charleston, W.Va., earlier this month.
  • Mix-up throws House veto override in doubt AP – 1 hour, 42 minutes agoWASHINGTON – The House overwhelmingly rejected President Bush’s veto Wednesday of a $290 billion farm bill, but what should have been a stinging defeat for the president became an embarrassment for Democrats.
  • Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) speaks at her Kentucky presidential primary night rally in Louisville, Kentucky, May 20, 2008. (Frankie Steele/Reuters)
    Clinton launches new Fla., Mich. offensives Politico – Wed May 21, 2:33 PM ETBOCA RATON, Fla. – With a bit of momentum from her landslide Kentucky victory and less lopsided Oregon loss, Hillary Clinton is turning her attention to two states that have already voted, Florida and Michigan, over two states and a territory that have yet to, South Dakota, Montana and Puerto Rico.
  • In this photo released by Warner Bros. talk show host Ellen DeGeneres welcomes presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., during a taping of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at the NBC lot in Burbank, Calif.  The episode is scheduled to air on Thursday, May 22.  (AP Photo/Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.)
    DeGeneres needles McCain on gay marriage AP – Wed May 21, 11:25 PM ETWASHINGTON – Republican John McCain says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and other purposes, but he opposes gay marriage and believes in “the unique status of marriage between and man and a woman.”
  • Budget Director Jim Nussle briefs reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 21, 2008. President Bush vetoed the $300 billion farm bill on Wednesday, calling it a tax increase on regular Americans at a time of high food prices in the face of a near-certain override by Congress. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
    Senate proposal seeks $165B for war AP – 2 hours, 42 minutes agoWASHINGTON – President Bush’s GOP allies in the Senate face election-season votes Thursday on both his long-pending war funding request and tens of billions of dollars backed by Democrats for veterans education and an assortment of domestic programs.

Obama Returns to Iowa

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What he said:

BARACK OBAMA: How’s it going, Iowa? (APPLAUSE)

It is good to be back in Iowa.

(APPLAUSE)

I love you back, Iowa.

(APPLAUSE)

First of all, let me say thank you to Candy Smeeter (ph) for the wonderful introduction and the unbelievable work that she did on behalf of our campaign, and still does.

There are too many good friends and people who work tirelessly on my behalf to thank. You know who you are individually.

I just want to say, first of all, thank you, to all of you, for the great work that you did in helping to kick off this campaign.

And I do want to take a point of personal privilege and just say that I sure have a nice-looking wife and kids.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, there is a spirit that brought us here tonight, a spirit of change, and hope, and possibility. And there are few people in this country who embody that spirit more than our friend and our champion, Senator Edward Kennedy.

(APPLAUSE)

He has spent his life in service to this country, not for the sake of glory or recognition, but because he cares, deeply in his gut, about the causes of justice, and equality, and opportunity.

So many of us here have benefited in some way or another because of the battles he’s waged and some of us are here because of them. And we know he’s not well right now, but we also know that he’s a fighter.

And as he takes on this fight, let us lift his spirits tonight by letting Ted Kennedy know that we are thinking of him, that we are praying for him, that we are standing with him and Vicky, and that we will be fighting with him every step of the way.

(APPLAUSE)

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Maybe We Can't

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The black case for Obama-skepticism

by Cinque Henderson, The New Republic, Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Ninety percent of black Democrats support Barack Obama. So that might leave an observer wondering: What the hell is up with that other 10 percent? Are they stupid? Do they hate their own race? Do they not understand the historical import of the moment?

I can shed some insight on this demographic anomaly. In gatherings of black people, I’m invariably the only one for the Dragon Lady. I’ll do my best to explain how those of us in the ever-shrinking minority of a minority came to our position.

But, before going any further, let me fully disclose my predispositions. I disliked Obama almost instantly. I never believed the central premises of his autobiography or his campaign. He is fueled by precisely the same brand of personal ambition as Bill Clinton. But, where Clinton is damned as “Slick Willie,” Obama is hailed as a post-racial Messiah. Do I believe that Obama had this whole yes-we-can deal planned from age 16? No, I would respond. He began plotting it at age 22. This predisposition, of course, doesn’t help me in making the case against Obama, especially not with black people. But, believe me, there’s a strong case to be made that he isn’t such a virtuous mediator of race. And it’s this skepticism about Obama’s racial posturing that has led us, the 10 percent, into dissent.

Let’s begin with the locus classicus of Obama love, Andrew Sullivan’s encomium in The Atlantic. He writes:

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Race in Oregon

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A friend sent me an e-mail yesterday that I’m only seeing just now. She said:

[A]s you’ll be reading this on primary day tomorrow, I wonder why so little coverage of Obama’s big lead in Oregon — considering it is a much whiter state that W. Virginia or some of the other states Hillary has done well in. Oregon has less than a 2% black population, but Obama is leading big. Could it be some white people actually will vote for him? Even working class ones from small states?

Good question. I don’t pretend to know the answer. I know a lot has been said about Appalachia and the poor whites of Scots-Irish stock who just won’t cotton to voting for a black candidate.

In the general election, when the debate is properly joined, I would like to see Sen. Barack Obama test this out. I want to see him persuade these voters that he’s a much better alternative to what the Republicans are offering.

In an interesting article in The New Republic, John B. Judis examined how race is used in elections and how it is likely to play in this election. History guarantees that Republicans will appeal to race in every way possible during the election. The lesson, he said, is for Obama not to become his own walking Willie Horton advertisement.

In The Big Race: Obama and the psychology of the color barrier, John B. Judis, a senior editor at The New Republic who has authored several interesting pieces on the contests between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, argues that Obama’s success in the general election may depend on what terms the debate is framed. Obama could hit electoral jackpot if he is able to change the subject to the Iraq war and the moribund state of the American economy, Judis wrote. He continues near the end:

Some of these have to do with abilities. A 1995 study found that voters believe black politicians “lack competence on major issues.” Other stereotypes relate to ideology.

Several studies have shown that if subjects compare a black and white candidate with roughly equal political positions, they will nevertheless see the black candidate as more liberal. Obama is already vulnerable to charges of inexperience, and, after Wright surfaced, he fell prey to an ideological stereotype as well. Whereas he benefited in the initial primaries and caucuses from being seen as middleof-the-road or even conservative, his strongest support has recently come from more liberal voters. In Pennsylvania, he defeated Clinton among voters who classified themselves as “very liberal” by 55 to 45 percent, but he lost “somewhat conservative” voters by 53 to 47 percent and moderates by 60 to 40 percent. In a national Pew poll, Obama’s support among “very liberal” voters jumped seven points between January and May, while his support among “moderates” dropped by two points. Since Obama’s actual policies are, on the whole, no more liberal than Clinton’s (his health care plan, for instance, is inarguably more conservative), these trends strongly suggest that some voters are stereotyping him because of his race.

If Obama wins the Democratic nomination, he should be able to inherit the white women who backed Hillary Clinton. As political psychologists have shown, these voters should be largely amenable to his candidacy. He should also continue to enjoy an advantage among white professionals. But Obama is likely to continue having trouble with white working-class voters in the Midwest–voters who tend to score high on racial resentment and implicit association tests and who, arguably, decided the 2004 election with their votes in Ohio. Obama will also have trouble with Latinos and Asians, groups that score high on both indexes, and that can be important in states like California. It’s not hard to quantify Obama’s problem: If 9 to 12 percent of Democratic primary voters in swing states have been reluctant to support him because he is black, one can assume that, in the general election, 15 to 20 percent of Democrats or Democratic-leaning Independents may not support him for the same reason.

Can Obama surmount these obstacles? If the strong version of Mendelberg’s thesis is correct, then the very fact that Obama is African American will undercut any appeals to racial fears or resentments. And, if elections were held in the manner of the Iowa caucus, where voters publicly debate their positions and where Obama won substantial white workingclass support, then Mendelberg’s stronger thesis might well prove true. But elections are held in the privacy of a voting booth, where a voter can give voice to fears and resentments without danger of being heard. Obama may be able to sway some white voters to his side by drawing attention to race, but probably not enough to fully compensate for the disadvantage he faces.

If addressing racial resentments directly is not the answer, what is? As Mendelberg also suggests, it’s changing the subject–doing what the Republicans of the 1870s and the Democrats of the 1990s did. This year, that means diverting voters’ attention from the politics of race to the plight of the economy and the continuing quagmire in Iraq.

In the end, the lesson of political psychology for Democrats is not to avoid nominating black candidates. It is simply to understand that America’s racial history continues to influence the calculations of voters–sometimes near the forefronts of their minds, sometimes in the deep recesses of their unconscious. For liberals, acknowledging these obstacles is the first step to blunting them. If Obama can focus the election on the economy and Iraq, he could very well win in spite of the angry words of Reverend Wright and 200 years of both old- fashioned racism and newfangled racial resentment. If he can’t, he is likely to suffer the same fate as Michael Dukakis–and this time it won’t take a Willie Horton commercial.

I have been vacillating between being optimistic and not so far this year. I will settle for Obama coming out alive, his family and integrity intact, whether he wins the election or not.

Obama seeks focus on end of primary campaign

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EUGENE, Oregon (AP) — Attempting to lay a symbolic claim to his party’s presidential nomination, Democrat Barack Obama will mark the latest round of primary voting with a rally in Iowa, where his solid win in January caucuses propelled him to his status as the front-runner.

Obama was campaigning Saturday for primaries Tuesday in Oregon and Kentucky as his aides announced the rally on primary night in Iowa, which they described as “a critical general election state that Democrats must win in November.”

Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton has a strong lead in polls in Kentucky, but Obama has the advantage in Oregon.

Obama has built a solid lead in Democratic National Convention delegates over Clinton, and is working overtime to cast an image of inevitability to his campaign for the nomination. In recent days, he has spent more time focused on his differences with certain Republican nominee John McCain than sparring with Clinton.

Iowa has been a swing state in recent elections. Democrat Al Gore narrowly carried the state in 2000, and President Bush collected the state’s seven electoral votes by just over 10,000 votes in 2004. Since that time, however, Democrats have build a substantial edge in registered voters, and turnout in the January precinct caucuses was at record levels.
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Florida, Michigan cannot save Clinton

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WASHINGTON (AP) – Michigan and Florida alone can’t save Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign.

Interviews with those considering how to handle the two states’ banished convention delegates found little interest in the former first lady’s best-case scenario. Her position, part of a formidable comeback challenge, is that all the delegates be seated in accordance with their disputed primaries.

Even if they were, it wouldn’t erase Barack Obama’s growing lead in delegates.

 The Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, a 30-member panel charged with interpreting and enforcing party rules, is to meet May 31 to consider how to handle Michigan and Florida’s 368 delegates.

Last year, the panel imposed the harshest punishment it could render against the two states after they scheduled primaries in January, even though they were instructed not to vote until Feb. 5 or later. Michigan and Florida lost all their delegates to the national convention, and all the Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign in the two states, stripping them of all the influence they were trying to build by voting early.

But now there is agreement on all sides that at least some of the delegates should be restored in a gesture of party unity and respect to voters in two general election battlegrounds.

Clinton has been arguing for full reinstatement, which would boost her standing. She won both states, even though they didn’t count toward the nomination and neither candidate campaigned in them. Obama even had his name pulled from Michigan’s ballot.

The Associated Press interviewed a third of the panel members and several other Democrats involved in the negotiations and found widespread agreement that the states must be punished for stepping out of line. If not, many members say, other states will do the same thing in four years.

“We certainly want to be fair to both candidates, and we want to be sure that we are fair to the 48 states who abided by the rules,” said Democratic National Committee Secretary Alice Germond, a panel member unaligned with either candidate. “We don’t want absolute chaos for 2012.

“We want to reach out to Michigan and Florida and seat some group of delegates in some manner, at least most of us do. These are two critical states for the general (election) and the voters of those states who were not the people who caused this awful conundrum to occur deserve our attention and deserve to be a part of our process and deserve to be at the convention,” she said.

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Obama takes on McCain/Bush

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Obama Hits Back: Debate With McCain And Bush Over Foreign Policy Is One “I Will Win” By Greg Sargent, May 16, 2008
In remarks in South Dakota just now, Barack Obama hit back hard at George Bush’s and John McCain’s foreign policy attacks yesterday, stating flatly that a debate with the two Republicans over foreign policy is a debate that “I will win.”

“George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for,” Obama said.

The fight is one that the Obama campaign is eager to have, because it accomplishes two things. First, it forces McCain to stand by Bush, making it easier to tie them together. And second, it puts Obama, sans Hillary, on the same stage as the current Republican president and his would-be successor, making the Dem primary seem a bit like a distant memory.

“If George Bush and John McCain want to have a debate about protecting the United States of America, that is a debate I am happy to have any time,” Obama said. “That is a debate that I will win.”

He proceeded to rattle off all the things Bush and McCain have to “answer for.” The unnecessary Iraq War. The phantom WMDs. The strengthening of Iran. The fact that “Hamas now controls Gaza.” And the fact that Osama Bin Laden is “sending out video tapes with impunity.”

Obama also slammed the notion that he’d ever supported any sort of negotiations with terrorists. “They’re trying to fool you, trying to scare you, and they’re not telling you the truth because they can’t win a foreign policy debate on the merits,” he said.

At times, Obama hit what I think is the right tone — ridicule and bemusement, rather than outrage. At one point, for instance, he noted that McCain has now promised an end to the war in 2013, after repeatedly suggesting a much longer open-ended commitment might be necessary.

“I think he noticed that it wasn’t polling well,” Obama joked.