Thursday, February 15, 2007

Iraq On My Mind











Badass Iraq vid










In The News

59 per cent women victim of domestic violence in Bihar: Survey Hindustan Times
Franken Confirms It; He’ll Run For Senate
Streaming Magazine
US Mint launching presidential $1 coin
The Decatur Daily
Vodafone has big plans lined up for rural India
Central Chronicle
Vodafone to invest £1bn in India Ireland Online
Al Qaida calls for attacks on US oil sources
Xinhua
China Passes Mexico as US Trade Partner; Democrats Concerned
Bloomberg
Shi'ite militia lies low in Baghdad, hides weapons
Reuters AlertNet
Ani-American cleric Sadr reported seen in Iraq Los Angeles Times
Troops Sweep 3 Shiite Areas in Baghdad PushNew York Times
Google Opens Gmail Service to Everyone
Top Tech News
People: Salman Rushdie, Robbie Williams, Amitabh Bachcha International Herald Tribune
British author aims to clear myths surrounding Big B
Telugu Portal
Another shake-up at troubled Dell
Times Online
Hamlin to leave Dell
Washington Business Journal
Suit: Intel paid Dell up to $1 billion a year not to use AMD CNNMoney.com
Darwin Mr Popular again in Kansas
Register
Study says spray flu vaccine better for children than shot
Boston Globe
Judge Says MySpace Isn't Responsible For Alleged Sexual Assault
MTV.com
Judge: MySpace Guiltless In Child Assault Washington Post
IBM Develops Faster Embedded RAM PC Magazine
Beyonce hits Swimsuit cover
iAfrica.com
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to Back Sen. Barack Obama NewsMax.com
Clinton warns Bush not to attack Iran without congressional OK
Seattle Times
Barack Obama travels around the world
Pravda
Version 2.0 of the Barack Obama Web site ready for prime time Chicago Tribune, IL
Obama and Clinton: Why They're "Not Enough" Huffington Post They have to live into stereotypes as they defy them. ..... Would Clinton have to prove she's "man enough" and "woman enough" simultaneously ..... Clinton has had to walk the line between projecting just the right level of femininity and warmth, as she retains her toughness. Of late, she has battled the "woman enough" perception by surrounding herself with children and talking about how she would be the first mother in the Oval Office. On the other side, she's proving her toughness with trips to Iraq and Afghanistan. ....... He told Charlie Rose, "If I'm outside your building trying to catch a cab, they're not saying, 'Oh, there's a mixed race guy.'" ..... "Is America too Racist for Barack? Too Sexist for Hillary?".
Clinton, Obama squabble over Iraq PopMatters Hillary Clinton’s presidential team took its first shot at Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday, criticizing her top rival for distorting her position on Iraq. ...... Obama, hitting Clinton in a sore spot for the second time, had belittled her plan to “cap” troops in Iraq, pointing out he wants to pull all forces from the country by March 31, 2008. ..... visiting the state on the heels of Clinton. ..... “Only Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the start and only Barack Obama has legislation that would, by force of law, begin a redeployment by May 1, 2007,” said spokesman Bill Burton.
Sen Barack Obama New face of US Politics
The Tide, Nigeria
Can Barack Obama Win the Black Vote?
NPR
Limbaugh: Obama Should ‘Renounce’ His Race And Just ‘Become White’ Think Progress
What Obama's Candidacy Will Mean For Black America Huffington Post Still others will want to know why he is raining on Hillary Clinton's parade. ....... will prove to be an uncomfortable test for African Americans because it will force Blacks to accept someone who is so different from the civil rights-based Black politics to which they are so accustomed........ the overwhelming majority of Black America will rally around Obama once they get to know him. ...... Universal health care, technological improvements for poor and rural communities, reforming the political system to make it fairer, energy independence, and ending the war in Iraq are all ideas that will play well in Black America. My point is that Obama, thankfully, represents a different picture of blackness. He is a worldly, well educated Black man married to a strong, well educated Black professional woman. Most rank-and-file Black people haven't had the variety of experiences that characterize Obama's life. ....... The extent to which Obama's candidacy is resonating with White America is amazing and seems to represent a sincere desire for something new and better in our politics. ...... There is no doubt that the sea of White faces that greeted Obama as he launched his campaign made some Blacks wonder how committed he is to Black people
Brown University coach is Obama's brother-in-law Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription)
Master tactician The Gold Coast Bulletin You don't get to rise like Lazarus the way he did in 1995 without the ability to choose your words carefully. ...... The trick for Howard is to steer the debate exactly where he wants it and if that means sending a rocket up the skirt of a US presidential candidate, then be sure that is exactly where he was aiming.
Sweet column: Hillary jabs Barack over his Iraq dig. Barack won't ...
Chicago Sun-Times, IL he will have his campaign "know" the records of his rivals "so we can compare and contrast." ...... Iraq is the defining issue at this opening stage of the 2008 presidential campaign and Clinton has had to defend the vote she made authorizing the war. ...... I think there's consensus among most Democrats that we shouldn't put more troops in, but I think where the American people are at and what I think good strategy dictates is that we begin the process of redeploying our troops." ...... "Only Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the start and only Barack Obama has legislation that would, by force of law, begin a redeployment by May 1, 2007, and have all combat forces out of Iraq by March 31, 2008."
The gloves come off Chicago Sun-Times, IL
Hawkish Hillary cooing like a dove Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL Hillary Clinton, now that she is running for president, has done a complete flip-flop on Iraq, reminiscent of John Kerry's "I voted for it before I voted against it" comment. ...... on Dec. 15, 2003, Hillary said, "I was one who supported giving President Bush the authority, if necessary, to use force against Saddam Hussein. I believe that was the right vote." ...... on Feb. 3 of this year, she said, "If I had been president in October of 2002, I would not have started this war." ....... To me, she's just another politician who is reading the latest public opinion polls.
Hillary Clinton Clashes With Barbra Streisand Over Cash? National Ledger, AZ Bill Clinton prevailed on him to help his wife. ...... Now it appears that Barbra Streisand is also a bit reluctant. .... Barbra is really impressed with Barack
Clinton, Obama squabble over Iraq PopMatters, IL
Excitement over Obama is justifiable Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC
Media Honeymoon Could Soon Be Over For Obama NBC5.com, IL as much as the media loves to create a darling, they also love to tear one down. ...... "We confront a set of decisions about the direction of our country that is going to determine where we go for the next generation, or two generations, or three generations," Obama said at the town hall meeting ......... the three-day campaign kickoff has lead to a bounce in the polls. ...... Clinton now leads Obama 28 to 23 points. ..... Obama will skip the first debate next week in Nevada ...... "The realities are that as a black man, Barack can get shot going to the gas station," Michelle Obama said. "You can't make decisions based on fear." ...... Michelle Obama added that her big request for her husband is for him to quit smoking. ..... "Please, America, watch," Obama said, laughing. "Keep an eye on him and call me if you see him smoking." ...... Many states are trying to move up their primaries, and Illinois leaders also want to do that. There is word that New York would also like to move up the state's primary, to help both Clinton and former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who would be on the Republican ballot.


Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Something Special Is Happening

Wikipedia icon David Plouffe

Dear Paramendra,

Watch the announcement videoOver 15,000 people showed up in Springfield, Illinois and thousands more watched online as Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president on Saturday.

If you missed it, you can watch the speech online right now:

http://www.BarackObama.com/tv/

This announcement was different from any other in history. That's because, as Barack announced the campaign's start, over 50,000 new supporters across the country signed up and hit the ground running.

What makes our campaign unique is that supporters instantly became leaders and organizers using the totally new BarackObama.com. The new site has all the information and tools you need to take this campaign into your own hands, and across the country thousands of people have already begun to put these tools to use.

The new web site empowers you to build your own profile, network with other supporters near you, find local events or plan your own, create your own or join a grassroots group, and take campaign fundraising into your own hands. You can even chronicle your campaign experience on your My.BarackObama.com blog.

Here's an astonishing fact, unmatched by any presidential campaign in history: in the first 48 hours, supporters founded over 1,500 unique local and national grassroots groups in support of Barack's campaign.

Something special is happening. If you want to be part of it please explore the new BarackObama.com:

http://www.BarackObama.com

There will be a lot more to share with you in the coming weeks and months, but right now I want to get out of the way and do what we're going to do for the duration of this campaign: let Barack Obama speak for himself. You'll find the text of his announcement speech below.

Thank you for being part of this.

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Donate


Full Text of Senator Barack Obama's Announcement for President

Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who've traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today.

We all made this journey for a reason. It's humbling, but in my heart I know you didn't come here just for me, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that's shut you out, that's told you to settle, that's divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building that more perfect union.

That's the journey we're on today. But let me tell you how I came to be here. As most of you know, I am not a native of this great state. I moved to Illinois over two decades ago. I was a young man then, just a year out of college; I knew no one in Chicago, was without money or family connections. But a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for $13,000 a year. And I accepted the job, sight unseen, motivated then by a single, simple, powerful idea - that I might play a small part in building a better America.

My work took me to some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. I joined with pastors and lay-people to deal with communities that had been ravaged by plant closings. I saw that the problems people faced weren't simply local in nature - that the decision to close a steel mill was made by distant executives; that the lack of textbooks and computers in schools could be traced to the skewed priorities of politicians a thousand miles away; and that when a child turns to violence, there's a hole in his heart no government could ever fill.

It was in these neighborhoods that I received the best education I ever had, and where I learned the true meaning of my Christian faith.

After three years of this work, I went to law school, because I wanted to understand how the law should work for those in need. I became a civil rights lawyer, and taught constitutional law, and after a time, I came to understand that our cherished rights of liberty and equality depend on the active participation of an awakened electorate. It was with these ideas in mind that I arrived in this capital city as a state Senator.

It was here, in Springfield, where I saw all that is America converge - farmers and teachers, businessmen and laborers, all of them with a story to tell, all of them seeking a seat at the table, all of them clamoring to be heard. I made lasting friendships here - friends that I see in the audience today.

It was here we learned to disagree without being disagreeable - that it's possible to compromise so long as you know those principles that can never be compromised; and that so long as we're willing to listen to each other, we can assume the best in people instead of the worst.

That's why we were able to reform a death penalty system that was broken. That's why we were able to give health insurance to children in need. That's why we made the tax system more fair and just for working families, and that's why we passed ethics reforms that the cynics said could never, ever be passed.

It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people - where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America.

And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States.

I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness - a certain audacity - to this announcement. I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change.

The genius of our founders is that they designed a system of government that can be changed. And we should take heart, because we've changed this country before. In the face of tyranny, a band of patriots brought an Empire to its knees. In the face of secession, we unified a nation and set the captives free. In the face of Depression, we put people back to work and lifted millions out of poverty. We welcomed immigrants to our shores, we opened railroads to the west, we landed a man on the moon, and we heard a King's call to let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more - and it is time for our generation to answer that call.

For that is our unyielding faith - that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it.

That's what Abraham Lincoln understood. He had his doubts. He had his defeats. He had his setbacks. But through his will and his words, he moved a nation and helped free a people. It is because of the millions who rallied to his cause that we are no longer divided, North and South, slave and free. It is because men and women of every race, from every walk of life, continued to march for freedom long after Lincoln was laid to rest, that today we have the chance to face the challenges of this millennium together, as one people - as Americans.

All of us know what those challenges are today - a war with no end, a dependence on oil that threatens our future, schools where too many children aren't learning, and families struggling paycheck to paycheck despite working as hard as they can. We know the challenges. We've heard them. We've talked about them for years.

What's stopped us from meeting these challenges is not the absence of sound policies and sensible plans. What's stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics - the ease with which we're distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle big problems.

For the last six years we've been told that our mounting debts don't matter, we've been told that the anxiety Americans feel about rising health care costs and stagnant wages are an illusion, we've been told that climate change is a hoax, and that tough talk and an ill-conceived war can replace diplomacy, and strategy, and foresight. And when all else fails, when Katrina happens, or the death toll in Iraq mounts, we've been told that our crises are somebody else's fault. We're distracted from our real failures, and told to blame the other party, or gay people, or immigrants.

And as people have looked away in disillusionment and frustration, we know what's filled the void. The cynics, and the lobbyists, and the special interests who've turned our government into a game only they can afford to play. They write the checks and you get stuck with the bills, they get the access while you get to write a letter, they think they own this government, but we're here today to take it back. The time for that politics is over. It's time to turn the page.

We've made some progress already. I was proud to help lead the fight in Congress that led to the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate.

But Washington has a long way to go. And it won't be easy. That's why we'll have to set priorities. We'll have to make hard choices. And although government will play a crucial role in bringing about the changes we need, more money and programs alone will not get us where we need to go. Each of us, in our own lives, will have to accept responsibility - for instilling an ethic of achievement in our children, for adapting to a more competitive economy, for strengthening our communities, and sharing some measure of sacrifice. So let us begin. Let us begin this hard work together. Let us transform this nation.

Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let's set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America.

And as our economy changes, let's be the generation that ensures our nation's workers are sharing in our prosperity. Let's protect the hard-earned benefits their companies have promised. Let's make it possible for hardworking Americans to save for retirement. And let's allow our unions and their organizers to lift up this country's middle-class again.

Let's be the generation that ends poverty in America. Every single person willing to work should be able to get job training that leads to a job, and earn a living wage that can pay the bills, and afford child care so their kids have a safe place to go when they work. Let's do this.

Let's be the generation that finally tackles our health care crisis. We can control costs by focusing on prevention, by providing better treatment to the chronically ill, and using technology to cut the bureaucracy. Let's be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president's first term.

Let's be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. We can harness homegrown, alternative fuels like ethanol and spur the production of more fuel-efficient cars. We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses that will serve as a model for the world. Let's be the generation that makes future generations proud of what we did here.

Most of all, let's be the generation that never forgets what happened on that September day and confront the terrorists with everything we've got. Politics doesn't have to divide us on this anymore - we can work together to keep our country safe. I've worked with Republican Senator Dick Lugar to pass a law that will secure and destroy some of the world's deadliest, unguarded weapons. We can work together to track terrorists down with a stronger military, we can tighten the net around their finances, and we can improve our intelligence capabilities. But let us also understand that ultimate victory against our enemies will come only by rebuilding our alliances and exporting those ideals that bring hope and opportunity to millions around the globe.

But all of this cannot come to pass until we bring an end to this war in Iraq. Most of you know I opposed this war from the start. I thought it was a tragic mistake. Today we grieve for the families who have lost loved ones, the hearts that have been broken, and the young lives that could have been. America, it's time to start bringing our troops home. It's time to admit that no amount of American lives can resolve the political disagreement that lies at the heart of someone else's civil war. That's why I have a plan that will bring our combat troops home by March of 2008. Letting the Iraqis know that we will not be there forever is our last, best hope to pressure the Sunni and Shia to come to the table and find peace.

Finally, there is one other thing that is not too late to get right about this war - and that is the homecoming of the men and women - our veterans - who have sacrificed the most. Let us honor their valor by providing the care they need and rebuilding the military they love. Let us be the generation that begins this work.

I know there are those who don't believe we can do all these things. I understand the skepticism. After all, every four years, candidates from both parties make similar promises, and I expect this year will be no different. All of us running for president will travel around the country offering ten-point plans and making grand speeches; all of us will trumpet those qualities we believe make us uniquely qualified to lead the country. But too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti is swept away, all those promises fade from memory, and the lobbyists and the special interests move in, and people turn away, disappointed as before, left to struggle on their own.

That is why this campaign can't only be about me. It must be about us - it must be about what we can do together. This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. It will take your time, your energy, and your advice - to push us forward when we're doing right, and to let us know when we're not. This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

By ourselves, this change will not happen. Divided, we are bound to fail.

But the life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible.

He tells us that there is power in words.

He tells us that there is power in conviction.

That beneath all the differences of race and region, faith and station, we are one people.

He tells us that there is power in hope.

As Lincoln organized the forces arrayed against slavery, he was heard to say: "Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought to battle through."

That is our purpose here today.

That's why I'm in this race.

Not just to hold an office, but to gather with you to transform a nation.

I want to win that next battle - for justice and opportunity.

I want to win that next battle - for better schools, and better jobs, and health care for all.

I want us to take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union, and building a better America.

And if you will join me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; if you sense, as I sense, that the time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our fear, and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I'm ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you. Together, starting today, let us finish the work that needs to be done, and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth.



Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Hillary Will Get The Black Vote, Obama Will Get The White Vote


A few months into 1992, most of America still thought Bill Clinton had a rich father. The guy reminded people of John Kennedy. It is called not having name recognition. It did not matter that the guy did not even have a father, let alone a rich father, the facts be damned as far as the voters were concerned.

Today half of America has never heard of Barack Obama. That is very okay at this stage. That is normal.

A few months back I was at this political event, and there was this young black professional from the music industry. And I witnessed he had never heard of Obama. At first I thought he was just pulling my leg. But he really did not know who Obama was. I was flabbergasted. Seeing that he asked me if I knew, and he said the name of some obscure music figure. I said no. He had made his point!

These blacks in South Carolina who have gone ahead and endorsed Clinton, they likely never have heard of Obama, and in their mind they probably think they are endorsing Bill Clinton. I would not be surprised.

Like this friend of mine from Albania, smart guy, went on to get a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, and it is late 1998, and it looks like Bush is going to run for president. I tell that to him. And he is like, come on, man, get a life, you lost once, that is enough. He thought it was the elder Bush who was running.

When most of America thinks Clinton, they think Bill Clinton. But Hillary is Hillary and Bill is Bill. Hillary is no Bill. She is probably smarter than Bill Clinton, as in SAT smart, but she does not have his political instincts. She is much less comfortable with retail politics.

And that dissonance is going to get clearer and clearer the more people see her on the campaign trail. So she has no way to go but down.

For Obama it is no way but up. When people get to know him, they like him. And he is the first Obama they ever heard of in life. So there will be no dissonance.

And Obama not being wildly popular with the blacks is probably a plus for Obama. He is not pretending to be a reincarnation of MLK. His offering is very postracial. He is saying I am applying for a specific job, and I am the best person for that job, hire me. He is not saying, black people, come with me, I will liberate you. That was MLK, that was another era.

Just like most whites, most blacks have never heard of Barack Obama. And that is okay for now. Give them time. They are not late. We are early.



In The News

Political Memo Clinton Reminds New Hampshire, I’m With Bill New York Times
Clinton on Iraq: Is nuance enough? Kansas.com
Kudos to ABC's Tapper: Shows Hillary Clinton's Flip-Flop on Iraq NewsBusters
2 key black SC leaders throw support to Clinton
Florida Times-Union
Clinton, Giuliani pull ahead in poll
USA Today
Sen. Hillary Clinton Refuses to Acknowledge Making Mistake Over ... Bay Area Indymedia
Senator Clinton Wraps Up Trip To New Hampshire NY1

State considers moving up primary Auburn Citizen
Early primary may boost Hillary, Rudy The Australian
Barack Obama v. John Howard The National Interest Online
Barack Obama: Inarticulate Gaff
Blogger News Network
Special Report Files Another Hit Job on Barack Obama News Hounds
Sen. Barack Obama Apologizes for Saying US Troops 'Wasted' NewsMax.com
MO'KELLY REPORT: The War on Barack Obama
Eurweb.com
The Ever-'Present' Obama Yahoo! News
Obama Apologizes for Saying Troops' Lives 'Wasted' ABC News
John McCain Fears Iraq 'Tet Offensive' Christian Broadcasting Network
The Weekly Worst Of McCain Huffington Post

S. Carolina Black Leaders Back Clinton Guardian Unlimited, UK
Endorsement raises doubts about Obama Boston Globe, MA
Endorsement Raises Doubts About Obama ABC News
S. Carolina Black Leaders Back Clinton CBS News, NY
S. Carolina Black Leaders Back Clinton ABC News
S. Carolina black leaders back Clinton San Jose Mercury News, CA
Many key Dems dislike Clinton 'caution' Chicago Sun-Times, IL
Two South Carolina black leaders back Clinton WLUC-TV, MI
Endorsement Raises Doubts About Obama Business Portal 24 (press release), Germany
Endorsement raises doubts about Obama Sacramento Bee, CA
AP: 2 Key Black SC Leaders Give Support To Clinton WCBS-TV New York, NY
Black leaders endorse Clinton over Obama WJBC News, IL
Clinton's presidential bid draws support from SC Poughkeepsie Journal, NY
Two State Senators Says They'll Support Hillary WLTX.com, SC
"Caution vs. Courage" The Conservative Voice, NC
Hillary Clinton & John Edwards: Caution vs. Courage National Ledger, AZ
An early scramble for money for Edwards Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription), TN
South Carolina black leaders throw support to Clinton ABC7Chicago.com, IL
State Senator: Obama Would Cause Every Democrat To Lose WCSH-TV, ME
2 Key Black South Carolina Leaders Support Clinton WCIV, SC
Edwards Stumbles Out of the Gate Human Events, DC
League of Her Own GovExec.com
Broder: Let's hope candidates keep debate going Topeka Capital Journal (subscription), KS
The Political Lynching of Barack Obama ThugLifeArmy.com, AZ
John Edwards Visits Dartmouth OpEdNews, PA
Hillary's Lead Down to Only 5 Pts? RealClearPolitics Blog
If you ain't from the South, son, Dem votes are tough Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription), TN
LeBoutillier: Hillary, Rudy and McCain NewsMax.com, FL
Fresh face in DC has made a believer out of me New York Daily News, NY
H. Brandt Ayers: Candidates — Y'all come Anniston Star (subscription), AL

S. Carolina black leaders back Clinton Boston Herald, MA
S. Carolina Black Leaders Back Clinton Washington Post Ford said he was swayed by calls from former President Clinton and Hillary Clinton.



Sunday, February 11, 2007

Jupiter And Obama








An astronomer can tell you where Planet Jupiter will be in 23 months. I am telling you Obama is the next President Of The United States. It is similar.

I am not going to pretend I am objective about Obama. His candidacy is highly emotional to me. My loyalty to Obama is tribal. It is a Third World thing to me.

But my Jupiter comparison is objective, or as objective as is possible in political dynamics. I am talking science.

So if you are someone who needs to place his or her bets, I am giving you a clear hint. Go with it and be a winner.

The New School Event: My Speech To Be Delivered
My Role In The April Revolution: The Butterfly Effect

On The Web

Jupiter orbit

In The News

Obama seeks ‘stay fresh’ formula as he tries to widen appeal Times Online
Obama Campaigns in Iowa After Announcing His Presidential Bid Bloomberg
Big turnout expected for Obama's Chicago rally ABC7Chicago.com
Harvard picks first woman president
Reuters
NH Voters Seek Clarity on Clinton Vote
Wyoming News
Clinton Terms Iraq Conflict a Civil War New York Times
In New Hampshire, Clinton Owns Up to Her Vote on Iraq War New York Times
Democratic Primary: State of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
Bayou Buzz
Obama draws contrast with Clinton over Iraq war
Reuters AlertNet
Obama draws contrast with Clinton over Iraq war Washington Post
Clinton and Obama: A Study in Contrasts ABC News
Hu's African tour a huge success: China
Hindu
Gates to Putin: 'One Cold War is enough' Houston Chronicle
Iran refuses to give up nuclear program
Houston Chronicle
Iran reformists want US to tone it down Los Angeles Times
Google encounters hurdles in selling radio ads CNET News.com
WiMAX set for Egypt debut ITP.net
Xerox works deal with startup to rival Google PC World Magazine
In a Search Refinement, a Chance to Rival Google New York Times
Powerset Aims to Leapfrog Google InternetNews.com
Aishwarya Rai need not quit movies: Amitabh Bachchan Apun Ka Choice
Hannibal Rising (18) Independent
A Ho-hum Hannibal TIME
Life of Young Hannibal Lecter Comes to Big Screen Voice of America












Obama Is Running For President Of The United States























In The News

Barack Obama vows to change the course of American politics
Hindu, India - 23 minutes ago
New York: On a day steeped in historical symbolism, Senator Barack Obama on Saturday officially launched his bid to become America's first black President with an emotional vow to fundamentally change American politics.
Like Lincoln Before Him, Barack Obama Looks to Save the Union AXcess News
Senator Barack Obama Launches White House Run Al-Jazeerah.info
Barack Obama launches US presidential bid Dominican Today

Australia PM Howard Rips Barack Obama Over Iraq
Bayou Buzz, LA - 2 hours ago
Don’t count Australia 's Prime Minister John Howard as a Barack Obama supporter. On Sunday Howard ripped into Obama over the American presidential candidate’s position on Iraq . Obama declared his candidacy in Springfield Illinois and said that Iraq ... "I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory," Howard said on Nine Network television. ..... "If I were running Al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."
Australia's PM Rips On Barack Obama WISC
Australia's PM Rips On Barack Obama NBC 11.com

Obama says voters curious on his faith
San Jose Mercury News, CA - 17 minutes ago
IOWA FALLS, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Sunday he does not think voters have a litmus test on religion, whether evangelical Christianity or his childhood years in the Muslim faith.
Obama calls name recognition big hurdle Boston Globe Obama noted that he has an Iraq war proposal, which he called "the most specific plan for getting out of Iraq." ..... The senator has called for capping the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and then beginning to withdraw them on May 1. He wants a complete pullout of combat brigades by March 31, 2008. ..... For those who seek to learn more about Obama's positions, he said his two best-selling books offer plenty of insight. ..... The books, he said, "offer a blueprint and more depth than anyone previously at this stage in a presidential campaign."
Obama Calls Name Recognition Big Hurdle Washington Post

On Biden And Obama
Post Chronicle - 2 hours ago
Senator Joe Biden shot his presidential campaign squarely in the foot recently when he referred to fellow senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a ...
The perils of Obama Coshocton Tribune
Grapsing Obama's big picture Chicago Sun-Times
Race at centre of Obama's candidacy Independent Online Joe Biden .... "Look," he declared, "you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." ..... The remark was of course profoundly politically incorrect, and profuse apologies were instantly on their way to Jesse Jackson, Alan Keyes and Al Sharpton, all blacks who have run for the White House in recent years. ..... to the white majority of the country he hardly seems black at all. .... a patented "Only in America" moment, a testament to the country's astonishing mobility, its endless flux, and its capacity to reinvent itself. ..... If he becomes the 44th, he will face challenges more subtle but in some respects as daunting as the Civil War: a country whose international reputation has never been lower, struggling to extricate itself from a disastrous foreign war, and whose global dominance is threatened by the ascent of China and India....... the most exciting politician of the day. ..... Three years ago, he was all but unknown. .... Obama's appeal is multi-layered ..... he was born in Hawaii - about as far away from Washington as it is possible to be born and still be eligible to run for president. ...... first black, and youngest, president of the Harvard Law Review. ....... Obama one of a select group of blacks - Tiger Woods and Colin Powell come to mind - who transcend race. Whites do not feel threatened by them. ..... African-Americans are not flocking to the Obama banner. And why should they? He does not share their slave ancestry, and grew up mainly among whites. ........ Obama counts on sidestepping the issue by making race irrelevant. He said last week, "If we do a good job in letting people know who I am and what I stand for, they'll make their judgment not on race but how well they think I can lead the country."

Google wins big as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle
ZDNet.com blogs - 1 hour ago
As the presidential contenders increasingly declare their candidacies, Google’s winnings increase as well. Since Hillary Clinton announced last month, Joe Biden, Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama have also announced their official presidential intentions.
Barack the Vote? Rolling Stone
Streisand Backs Three Democrats Jewtastic

Australian leader slams Barack Obama for Iraq policy
WQAD, IL - 15 hours ago
SYDNEY, Australia Australian Prime Minister John Howard slammed Senator Barack Obama (ber-AHK' oh-BAH'-muh) over his opposition to the Iraq War, saying that Obama's proposals would spell disaster for the Middle East.
AP Interview: Obama says name recognition biggest hurdle WQAD
Obama faces competition for SC black voters Rock Hill Herald
GOP Questions Obama's Lincoln References, Calls For Details WBBM780

Obama's dreams stir interest at HU event
Daily Press, VA - 12 hours ago
Barack Obama, D-Ill., did not receive an instant coronation at the gathering Saturday at Hampton University. The first-term senator announced Saturday morning in Springfield, Ill.
With Obama in mind, blacks told to vote, not on race, but on issues Buffalo News
Some wonder: Is Obama black enough? Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription)
'State of the Black Union' draws thousands Concord Monitor