Thursday, September 27, 2007

I Stand With Michelle: Iowa Must And Can Be Won


Coming in second in Iowa is plan B. That is not plan A. Michelle is right.

If we win Iowa, Hillary is history before January is over. We will not have to wait until even February 5.

The stated goal of Obama 2008 is to win Iowa.

As for plan B, we will cross that bridge if and when we get there.

February To September: Little Change

I think we will win Iowa. I really do. I mean, after this rally in New York City, anything is possible.

In The News

Edwards opts for public funding MSNBC
Michelle Obama: Iowa Or Bust CBS News
New Obama line of attack on Clinton
Chicago Sun-Times, United States that she does not have the personality to pass universal health care. ..... can “inspire” people to get things done. .... Obama is opening a new front as he appeals to independents and Republicans to come into the Democratic primary. ..... Here's how Obama bored into Clinton. All the leading Dems have health plans on the table. They are more alike than they are different. Obama said the issue is not who has the plans but “It has to do with who can inspire and mobilize the American people to get it done and open up the process. If it was lonely for Hillary, part of the reason it was lonely, Hillary, was because you closed the door to a lot of potential allies in that process. At that time, 80 percent of Americans already wanted universal health care, but they didn’t feel like they were let into the process.” ...... “He’ll approach major challenges like health care reform the same way he’s approached every challenge he’s faced through two decades of public service –- with an open, transparent process that brings people of differing views together to build a real consensus for change,” Plouffe said. ...... Obama's answer is yet another example of how he is casting himself as the consensus candidate. He has also made an interesting language adjustment. The issue is not his experience, he said. It is his "experiences" that make him ready to lead.
Obama team insists he still can catch Clinton Reuters Obama largely held his fire and stayed above the fray. .... the Illinois senator needed a breakthrough performance to shake up the race for the White House in November 2008. ..... Howard Dean, who was leading the polls at this stage of the 2004 Democratic campaign ...... Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, said Clinton even dodged a question on who she preferred to win the World Series, the Chicago Cubs in her home state of Illinois or the New York Yankees in her adopted state. "I'm a sports fan. I'm not for two teams," Mrs. Edwards said. .... "No one laid a glove on her," said Clinton strategist Mandy Grunwald.
Out of Reach? TIME
Obama Hopes the Kids are Alright Yahoo! News
Clinton Haters Outpace Obama Backers on Facebook
Wired News
Back in Kenya, a 'cousin' plays the Obama card in his electoral quest
International Herald Tribune, France
Obama Watch
Chicago Sun-Times, United States
The Nanny Is for Hillary-Obama
U.S. News & World Report, DC
They Can't Get Enough of Obama In Greenwood, SC
Wall Street Journal

Previewing Tonight's Debate Time The 27 electoral votes at play in the upper Midwest (Iowa, 7, Minnesota, 10, and Wisconsin, 10) are once again going to make these key battleground states. ........ In a campaign in which there are so many debates, a single engagement rarely makes much difference this early in the process. Relatively few will watch a debate on a minor cable network more than three months before the first vote is cast (Sorry, MSNBC). ...... frequent multi-candidate debates freeze a race - helping the front-runner immensely. ..... the first debate of the fall ..... a sense that Clinton is beginning to pull away .... Attacks on women candidates from aggressive men frequently backfire because they create sympathy for the candidate being criticized. ...... Sixty-second answers don't play to his strengths. ..... Obama needs to stop talking biography and agenda and start painting a picture of what an Obama-led America would look like that stands in sharp contrast to what the country would resemble, should any of his opponents prevail. Obama needs to make his effort a crusade, not a traditional campaign. Talking about an America that picks up the mantle of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King (yes they're from a different era but voters know them) is one way forward.

Why Ahmadinejad Loves New York Time Columbia University president Lee Bollinger — clearly stung by criticism of the institution for hosting Ahmadinejad — used his introduction to excoriate the Iranian leader as everything from a "cruel and petty dictator" to "astonishingly uneducated." ........ a national media event, in which the Iranian President had the microphone, unmolested, for the best part of an hour. ..... Ahmadinejad stayed on message, appearing relaxed, reasonable, open, even charismatic. ..... It was pure political jujitsu, using the momentum of your adversaries to your own advantage. ...... Challenged on his statements questioning the Holocaust, for example, Ahmadinejad cleverly turned the issue around, asking, "Why is it that the Palestinian people are paying the price for an event they had nothing to do with?" ...... the Iranian President faces reelection in 2009. ...... the breathless television coverage his visit has prompted in the U.S. won't do his domestic prospects any harm.
My Dinner There's Brian Williams across the room, and Christiane Amanpour a few seats down. ...... a bowing and smiling Mahmoud Admadinejad glides into the room. ..... Every year, during the U.N. General Assembly in New York, he plots out a media campaign that — in its shrewdness, relentlessness, and quest for attention — would rival Angelina Jolie on a movie junket. ...... In his calm and fluent voice — "dear friends," he calls us — he requests that we not ask questions, but make statements, so that he can react to them in a form of dialogue. ........ Throughout, Ahmadinejad is courtly, preternaturally calm, and fiercely articulate. ...... a half-hour ode to the relationship between man and God ..... He speaks with the quiet zeal of a not-very-flamboyant televangelist. "The pursuit of justice through love and kindness and human dignity can end all conflicts on earth," he says. "Inshallah." ....... In contrast with what he calls the lack of respect and dignity accorded to him at Columbia — where, he says, he found it odd that an academic institution which prizes tolerance would treat him without any — he addresses each person carefully and patiently. ....... Iran has not violated any of the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ahmadinejad says. He has proposed a multilateral uranium enrichment program with different nations, and can't understand why no one has taken up his offer. ........ The US and Iran can play a positive role together in Iraq. "If the US withdraws from Iraq, good things will happen," he says. "I believe that the Iraqi people can rule themselves." ....... In the Middle East, Ahmadinejad says the world must allow the Palestinians to decide their future for themselves: "That is the human solution to sixty years of instability." ...... Ahmadinejad claims there are thirty newspapers published in Iran that are opposed to his government ...... In answer to a question about how he viewed Hitler's legacy, he says, "I view Hitler's role as extremely negative, a despicably dark face." ...... Iran, he says, has never invaded anyone in its history. .... "Mr. Bush is interested in harming Iran. But I believe there are wise politicians in America who will prevent such a war. We hate war. We would not welcome it. But we are prepared for every scenario. Yet I don't think war will happen." ....... still composed ... he bows deeply and heads upstairs.

Witnesses say 3 shot in Myanmar protests Los Angeles Times security forces fired guns ..... Shots were fired after a crowd of 10,000 people, including "so-called monks" ..... the three wounded people were not hurt by gunshots but rather from being caught in a melee. ..... Dissident groups have claimed the casualty count is higher, with as many as five people killed, including Buddhist monks.
How To Spot A Corrupt Nation New York Times no nation is more in the corruption spotlight than Myanmar ...... “unsophisticated former field commanders who seem suspicious of the outside world” ....... the generals have maintained a policy of isolation for their country and have in turn isolated themselves from the population, a bunker within a bunker. ...... another nation tied it because of sheer chaos. Somalia, which spent the past year putting down an Islamist insurgency that at one point took control of the capital, also shares the distinction of the most corrupt government on earth. ...... “We even depend on foreign donors for our salaries.” ...... Somalia seems to be “quietly disintegrating into Africa’s worst humanitarian emergency” — nodded to the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, another nation at the bottom of the corruption list. ...... two front-page perennials: Iraq and Afghanistan
Nepal Party Supports Abolishing Monarchy The Associated Press
Anger at Giuliani 9/11 fundraiser BBC News
Criticism of Ahmadinejad May Help Him at Home
NPR
South Asia Scores Poorly on Corruption Index
Voice of America Berlin-based Transparency International ..... ranks military-ruled Burma as tied with the lawless East African country of Somalia as the world's most corrupt states. ..... Bangladesh ranks 162nd and Pakistan is 138th, seven spots below Nepal. ...... Bhutan has slipped compared to previous years, but it is best in the region at 46th. India is tied with China and six other countries at number 72 and ahead of Sri Lanka, which is 94th. ..... the cleanest in terms of public sector wrongdoing are New Zealand, Denmark, and Finland. The United States ranks 20th, between France and Belgium. ....... and here come the multi-nationals with briefcases full of cash
Clinton May Erase Obama's Fund-Raising Edge in Third Quarter Bloomberg both Clinton and Obama are set to report about $20 million in donations during the third quarter ..... Obama raised $33 million to her $27 million in the second quarter and ended up with more cash on hand for the primary elections. His campaign had aimed to be able to outspend her significantly in the last part of 2007 and early next year. ..... ``Everybody's talking about the kind of money we raised,'' Obama said in a speech to labor leaders last month in Iowa. ``We raised it the old-fashioned way -- $5, $10, $25.'' ..... Clinton's lead in the polls and strong performance in candidate debates is helping her with donors and fund-raisers ....... she's run an outstanding campaign ..... his competitive standing in early nominating states such as Iowa. ..... ``He gets better and better on his feet''
Clinton heads into NH debate tonight with big lead Baltimore Sun She is favored by 43 percent of likely Democratic voters in the nation’s first primary state. Trailing are Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at 20 percent ...... “Obama is now a lot closer to the pack than he is to Clinton” .... Only 17 percent of the state’s Democratic voters said they have definitely made up their mind on a choice
Clinton Global Initiative Begins The Associated Press former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, tennis star Andre Agassi and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. ...... — poverty relief, global health, and energy and climate change — .... fourth topic is education. ..... More than 857,000 children under 5 years old have gotten access to lifesaving medical treatment like vaccines. .... By the end of 2007, 34 million people will have been treated for neglected tropical diseases. .... More than 3.2 million people in the developing world have gained access to clean energy services.
FACTBOX: Clinton Global Initiative achievements Reuters More than 1,200 people from 72 countries, including 52 current and former heads of state, celebrities, aid workers and company chiefs, will attend the three-day brainstorm session. ...... pay a $15,000, although most charity groups are exempt. ..... During the past two years the initiative has avoided or reduced 20,070,524 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. ..... Three million additional small businesses have gained access to capital through the initiative.
Clinton sets sights on inspiring Asian philanthropy Reuters $10 billion of pledges made in the first two years of his summit. ..... www.mycommitment.org, a database of about one million volunteer groups globally to help people find a way to do good in their own communities. ...... Clinton will also target U.S. university students in a discussion with rock star and activist Bono, comedian Chris Rock and singers Alicia Keys and Shakira, to be aired by MTV. ..... Born out of his frustration while president from 1993 to 2001 at attending conferences that were more talk than action, Clinton has described the initiative as matching "people with ideas and those who have the means to see them through." ....... saw him come in at No. 6 on Vanity Fair magazine's 2007 top 100 power rankings. ...... helping restore America's "inspirational power," which he said was damaged by an overreaction from Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. ...... the America that exports its own fear and paranoia after 9/11 .... In his new book "Giving," Clinton said he hopes to continue the Global Initiative meetings for at least a decade.
Maoists say Nepal army planning coup to save monarchy AFP some analysts saying they are merely afraid of losing a popular vote. ...... Bhattarai said "the experience of revolutionary change elsewhere is that unless you restructure and democratise the army, there is a chance of a coup and the old set-up returning." .... The Maoist number two, an ideologue prone to drifting into lengthy discourses on Marxist-Leninist-Maoist semantics, asserted that his party was nevertheless "sticking by the ceasefire and peace accord." ...... a dark, dank hotel used as the movement's Kathmandu headquarters. ..... "We don't want to chop off his head," he said sternly. "We are not saying he should get out or he should be killed. He should just live like you and me."
Mumbai comes to a halt to welcome victorious Team India Hindustan Times India's main stock market rose to a record level on Wednesday morning, but for once residents of the country's financial capital were on a different high - the whole city poured out in the rain to welcome the Indian cricket team returning home from South Africa with the Twenty20 World Championships trophy. ...... the 30-km route from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport to the Wankhede Stadium. .... Several members of the 1983 World Cup winning squad were on hand to praise their triumphant successors. .... the team was loaded with cheques, shawls, garlands, bouquets, plaques and almost any other memento one could think of. There were no complaints of excess baggage. ...... Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was among those present at the airport to receive the cricketers.
Nonstop LAX-China flight plan stalled Los Angeles Times
US Airways gets Philly-China route San Jose Mercury News
China makes contingency plans for junta's fall
International Herald Tribune As China publicly calls for stability and reconciliation in Myanmar, it is also preparing for the possibility that the current protests could lead to the downfall of the military junta leading its resource-rich neighbor ...... Although China is Myanmar's most important trading partner, investor and strategic ally, Beijing has also maintained discreet links with opponents of its military rulers and tolerates the activity of some of exiled critics on Chinese soil ....... "If Aung San Suu Kyi became the leader of Burma tomorrow, China would be the first country to roll out the red carpet," said Bertil Lintner, an analyst of Myanmar politics based in Thailand. "But they wouldn't like to see it happen." ....... China has firsthand experience of the risks ahead for the junta if it turns to violence. Its governing Communist Party is still feeling the effects of international criticism over the military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989 in Beijing and other cities. ..... a country that has estimated reserves of three trillion cubic meters of natural gas and three billion barrels of crude oil. .... China would also like to keep a pliant government in place to develop strategically important access to the Indian Ocean ...... there is evidence that China has been hedging its bets on political developments in Myanmar for some years. ..... Beijing maintained unofficial contacts with exiled Myanmar opposition groups in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries in a bid to minimize their antagonism and to improve its understanding of political developments. ....... Beijing also tolerated the presence of these groups in Ruili, on the border with Myanmar in Yunnan Province, where some maintain unofficial offices. ..... China has doubts about the junta's survival. .... "One day, they expect the military will no longer be running the place" ..... Beijing wanted Myanmar to move toward "a democracy process that is appropriate for the country ..... it is prepared to use its influence with the junta to ease diplomatic tensions with the United States. ... In June, China arranged in Beijing the highest-level talks between the United States and Myanmar in five years.
China Nudges Myanmar on Protests The Associated Press
China could play crucial role in Myanmar crisis Reuters UK If there is one power that could pressure Myanmar to avoid a bloody crackdown on the country's biggest anti-government protests in 20 years, it is China. ...... wary of any domino effect that political liberalisation on its borders might have ......... "It's in their economic interests to preserve the status quo" .... "Than Shwe will not come under the thumb of any outside power, including the Chinese."
Google eyes Canada rollout of discreet Street View Reuters
Amitabh Bachchan invited to Iran
PRESS TV
Study: Firms Should Help Unhappy Workers
The Associated Press Investing in depressed employees — quickly getting them treatment and even offering telephone psychotherapy — can cut absenteeism while improving workers' health ....... Many employers view mental health coverage as a financial black hole ..... spending money on depression is a smart business move .... Employees who got the aggressive intervention worked on average about two weeks more during the yearlong study than those who got the usual care — advice to see their doctor or seek a mental health specialist. ..... savings from more hours worked averaged to about $1,800 per employee. That far exceeds the program's initial $100 to $400 per worker cost. ....... depression takes a hefty toll on the U.S. workplace, affecting about 6 percent of employees each year and costing over $30 billion annually in lost productivity ....... a bill before Congress that would require employers to offer mental health insurance coverage that is equal to that provided for physical illnesses ...... an online screening questionnaire that found signs of depression. ..... "It's not just the right thing to do, it also saves money for the company."

For general, Obama's character befits a commander in chief The Concord Monitor "He's not self-centered, he's reasonable, he's not trying to prove he's tougher than his daddy" ...... Obama's life experience makes up for any deficit. ..... decision-making abilities and judgment are more important than legislative experience. ...... Obama is "head and shoulders above everyone else." ..... Obama has good advisers, including Susan Rice, who was President Bill Clinton's assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser. ..... Obama's ability to inspire and his toughness ..... Although McPeak believes top military officials still favor the Republican Party, he said they have been turned off by the current administration and would welcome a president like Obama. ....... "Who's had experience the last seven years? Rumsfeld and Cheney. Look how that turned out," Allard said. "What's important is judgment. Can you make the right calls?" ..... "We're getting to the point where fewer and fewer candidates have any real military experience" ...... "Even foreign policy experience - there have been presidents not going into office with much experience." ...... "Reagan seemed to do fine in spite of a lack of experience," Masur said. "I don't think either Bush or Clinton will be remembered as great foreign policy administrations." ....... President Lyndon Johnson had plenty of experience, as vice president, and will not be remembered as a success in Vietnam. ..... "Sometimes, people with a lot of experience don't do well. There are people without a lot of experience who do" ...... Grover Cleveland paid a substitute to fight in his place during the Civil War. ...... "Americans oscillate between their fascination with military characters and their revulsion against them" ..... Obama could be successful in promoting his world experience and judgment ..... "Bush has been Mr. Tough Guy for six years and has been more successful in creating more enemies around the world," Bruno said. "It turns out military power and credentials can only take you so far."



Give Me A Huge Rally In This City Before Summer Is Over

Photos
Video: New York City For Barack Obama 6



"Of all the people in the country supporting this campaign, our New York area supporters have been among the proudest and best organized."

Barack Obama, September 18

Michelle Obama Is Just Fabulous







Michelle Obama Is Just Fabulous

I just got back from the second of the two after parties: I went to both. Jeff was nowhere to be seen. People were already saying we will all say some day we knew Jeff back in the days.

It made me feel so good to see Jeff on stage. Jeff Kurzon. He was representing New York, someone else was representing New Jersey.

Jeff deserved that. He is the only full time volunteer. He has taken a six month leave of absence to give all his time to Obama. What a dude.

I hope Barack Obama ends up in the White House, and I hope Jeff Kurzon ends up in Congress.

Barack In Brooklyn
Jeff Kurzon's Living Room, Union Sqaure, Times Square, King Arthur

What a day. What energy. Wow. I have been floating for the most part.

I had made a point to not be an official volunteer. I did not want to be an insider to the rally. I wanted to be with the masses. I did not want a badge. I did not want to be close to the stage necessarily. I have seen Barack, Barack has seen me. I wanted to see the Obama supporters, the people. I wanted to see their faces.
Mother, it is no gain, thy bondage of finery, if it keeps one shut off from the healthful dust of the earth, if it rob one of the right of entrance to the great fair of common human life. (Tagore's Gitanjali)
Some of the volunteers who have known me for a long time as one of the earliest supporters of Barack in the city were surprised to see me on the outside. They were not expecting that.

I showed up early. I had been hyper all day. Expectant. Can't wait kind of feeling. I attended a MeetUp in the morning, but I was there in body only, my mind was elsewhere. Then I went to the Strand bookstore near Union Square. I tried to read out of the Greenspan book. I could not concentrate.

Then I went to the McDonald's near the Square for a meal. Then I said okay, enough. Let me walk that way. I had left home before nine in the morning.

I got to Washington Square around four. I was surprised a line had already started to form. The gates were to open at five.

Secret service people were there, and a whole bunch of police officers.

I walked once round the park. I wanted to survey the scene. I wanted the empty park on video, if only to draw a contrast with later footage.

I was beside myself. What a day. Crowds do something to me. I love street fairs. This was to be a special crowd. My first political rally in America. Obama brags about "20,000 people in Austin." Politicians in Nepal would laugh. A 100,000 strong political rally is no big deal in Nepal. They don't do TV ads back there.

India is a whole different story. A major rally in Delhi can easily be a million people. Or in Patna. People from all over the state of Bihar would pour into the state capital Patna for a rally. People would travel all day to get there, by train.

20,000 in Austin? This has been the biggest rally by any candidate this election season. Obama beat his own record. Others don't even bother doing rallies. Since when did running for president become anything to do with the people, they seem to suggest through their disdain for rallies.

After walking around the park I got into line, but before that a police officer asked me what I was doing: my video camera. I liked the attention.

At one point this random guy cornered me to ask me if I was a Ron Paul supporter! Is that not the name of that Texas Republican? I think I have more MySpace friends than he does. But no, I am not a Ron Paul supporter. But I liked the attention.

In line I met some people who did not have tickets. I had four extra tickets. I gave those out to them. One was Nicole, a Law undergrad at LSE in London across the pond, originally from Singapore, hoping to do a Masters in Law at NYU. For her it had been an impromptu decision to join the rally. She had come to NYU to meet a professor, she saw the brouhaha, and she decided to get in.

There were fancy metal detectors in place. At first it looked like they will not be able to process everyone on time. But the gameplan seemed to be to loosen the security as more time passes. And so there were people everywhere, including up in the trees. Out in the streets. Some said 10,000, some said more. Some said 25,000. New York Times says 25,000. That is a pretty good paper. Can be trusted. I think it was more like 30.

I can't believe I just attended the largest political rally in American presidential campaign history. We will beat this record next summer when Barack is hammering his Republican opponent. Is Central Park available? We will get people from Boston to DC to show up. We will shoot for million strong.

My first political rally in America, my biggest. I have not ever even been to a major rock concert. I was digging it the entire time. Totally. I started on what would be Obama's right when he was on stage, but very far away. I could only see him when I zoomed in my camera, and that was fine by me. I was more interested in watching the faces of those others around me, I was more into the crowd than stage action. Then I went more to the front. I think I got great footage. When I captured him on video from the front, because there was this huge light right behind him, though high up, it made him look like a messiah who had descended from the heavens to deliver heavenly message.

The energy was palpable. You had to be there to feel it, there is no other way.

Nothing he said was new to me, including his story at the end about the Fired Up woman in South Carolina. I have been following him so closely. But that did not take away from the excitement. For me it was about the crowd. What a crowd.

The comedian has to do his routine. So does the politician. Obama has his standard lines and themes, and then there are the impromptu moments when he basically has a little chit chat with the crowd. He responds to hoots and hollers. And so each speech ends up being local and unique.

After it all ended, at one point I got very close to him, but was not able to reach out and touch. And that's fine. I give Barack to others. I have no remorse.

This rally is the beginning of the end of Hillary 2008.

Those of you who captured the rally on video, do not, I repeat, do not edit out anything. Put all of it online. On Google Video. Hours and hours. We need to share this with all those across the country who could not make it. They could not be there. But we have to help them feel like they were there.
Jeff Kurzon: "My neighbor and friend Raj, who lives right next door, asked me what I thought about Senator Obama in the beginning of January, and I didn't really know anything about him. Then I saw footage from an old interview with Barack in 2002, where he was voicing his opposition to the war, and it really got me interested. Raj started a Meetup group and then started ObamaNYC.com and all of these people came together and started talking about Obama and it made me realize that this guy was really special. I haven't met an Obama volunteer that I don't like -- it's really unique -- and I've been actively involved ever since."









In The News

Obama Rallies Huge Crowd in New York New York Times When Senator Barack Obama ran through the arch and strode onto stage tonight in Washington Square Park, he paused and sized up the crowd standing before him, many of whom were waving blue signs into the air emblazoned with his last name. “Look at this crowd!” Mr. Obama said. “It is good to be back in New York. Some of you know, I used to live in New York City. I used to hang out in Washington Square Park. I know a little something about Greenwich Village.” He added: “I was going to say I know some of the bars around here, but I think my communications director was trying to cut that off.” ...... he did seem as though he had taken an energy boost from his appearance at a debate Wednesday evening in New Hampshire. ...... Throughout the course of a 41-minute speech, Mr. Obama essentially asked voters to take a leap of faith on his candidacy. “There are easier choices to make in this election,” he said. ...... Bathed in the glow of floodlights, Mr. Obama addressed thousands of people who stood shoulder-to-shoulder, stretching from one side of the park to the other. ...... And tonight, he drew what the campaign said was 24,000 people to Washington Square Park. That number was impossible to verify – unlike the other locales, where police provided a crowd count – but the audience clearly was one of the largest of the year. ..... The New York primary on Feb. 5 – one of 21 states scheduled to cast votes that day – could offer a delegate boost. ..... Obama believes he can pick up enough delegates in New York
Obama Distances Himself From Clinton, on Her Turf New York Times In a giant rally in the backyard of Senator Hillary Rodham, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, drew distinctions between himself and his leading rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, insisting that only a fresh candidate could truly change Washington. Twice, he singled out Mrs. Clinton. “Even your senator from New York wasn’t clear about the Yankees,” he said, laughing at his own joke. “I know who I’m rooting for!” ..... suggesting voters should be dubious of any candidate who declined to acknowledge the prospect of raising taxes to fix Social Security. .... bathed in bright flood lights as he stood on a stage before a crowd stretching across Washington Square Park, struck a sharper tone than he has through much of his campaign .... The arguments he made, before an audience of supporters, were not articulated during a debate one night earlier. ...... The racially diverse crowd included Obama devotees who said they came specifically to increase attendance; Greenwich Village residents who had heard the commotion and followed it with dogs and yoga mats in tow; and nostalgists who beamed at the sight of thousands of mostly young people filling the park for a liberal, antiwar cause. ...... Obama has made at least 17 trips to New York City this year. ..... Initially, the crowds extended to the far borders of the park, massed behind metal detectors that were brought out for the first time in the 2008 campaign. Unable to hear the introductions, people started to leave. But after chants of “Let us in!” security gave up and the crowd filed in. ........ Obama’s aides said more than 20,000 people registered for the event through the campaign’s Web site. ..... view from the vantage point of an elevated lift seemed to reveal the gathering as one of the largest campaign events of the year. ...... Sophie Ragir, 18, a Columbia freshman, said, “It’s a social thing. Everyone on my floor was, like, are you going to the Obama thing?” ... We don’t vote for a little while yet; I’m on a fishing trip.”
Post-debate campus poll goes well for Obama Baltimore Sun Out of 618 students participating in an electronic poll, Clinton was chosen the winner with 192 votes. Obama followed with 153 votes and former Sen. John Edwards came in third with 117. ...... the survey provided better news for Obama when it asked students who they would vote for in the Democratic presidential primary. Obama came out the winner this time with 166 votes, ahead of Clinton, who tallied 121 votes. Edwards trailed badly, however, with just 39 votes.
Obama Camp Plays Down Wife's Comment The Associated Press Michelle Obama who said this week that her husband has to win Iowa. ...... During a visit Wednesday to Davenport, Iowa, Michelle Obama commented on the importance of a strong showing in the caucuses. ..... "Iowa will make the difference," she said. "If Barack doesn't win Iowa, it is just a dream. If we win Iowa then we can move to the world as it should be. And we need your help in making that happen." ...... On Thursday, Obama's campaign made it clear that they were optimistic about their chances in Iowa but didn't consider it essential that they win. ..... Historically, three candidates from each party remain viable after Iowa, with those who finish fourth or worse losing steam and quitting the race relatively soon. That process could be even faster this cycle because of a compressed campaign schedule that's jammed a series of primaries and caucuses earlier in the calendar.
Obama Draws Thousands to NYC Park The Associated Press
Seeking a Slice of New York
New York Times, United States The presidential campaign, for a few days this week, is expanding beyond the confines of Iowa and New Hampshire. And Senator Barack Obama’s eyes are fixed on New York. ..... On Monday, after collecting the endorsement of a New York City correction officers’ union, he spent the evening at a “Barack Obama on Broadway” fund-raiser. On Thursday, he returns for a taping of two television talk shows – “The View” and “The Tyra Banks Show” – and what his aides hope will be a huge rally in Washington Square Park. ...... In a drawn-out fight for the nomination, Mr. Obama believes he can pick up a cache of delegates in New York. There is an added bonus: New Jersey and Connecticut, which complete the tri-state media market, also vote on Feb. 5.
Unprecedented crowd of 25000 receive Obama in New York Blogger News Network set a new feat as the biggest crowd puller in the history of American politics. Estimates showed that over 25,000 attended the free rally. ...... The presidential hopeful himself wasted no time to point out the diversity in the multitude and the mammoth crowd itself as evidence that his stump message of hope and change was resonating and further that the whole country was hungry for radical change, and not just a change in political parties, and a continuation of the old ways of doing politics. ...... “You’ve got young people and old people,” he said. “You’ve got poor folk and not-so-poor folk. You’ve got blacks, whites, Asians, Native Americans. You’ve got gay and straight. You’ve got people with disabilities. You’ve got Democrats and independents, and, yes, you’ve even got some Republicans.” He remarked. ..... “….We are sick and tired of being sick and tired. We want something new. We want some change,” Obama added. ....... Almost every phrase from the candidate was accompanied by applause. One NY resident, 50 years old Matha Liz, who prior to the event had been contemplating between Clinton, Edwards and Obama, said after the rally that she was fired up by Obama, and will be voting for him during the primaries. ..... “He is fresh, inspiring, and committed to clean Washington…” Matha echoed, buying an Obama t-shirt, which read, “I love NY”. ..... Most significant is the fact that the rally was taking place in New York, the backyard of the presumably front-runner, Hillary Clinton, whose highest crowd in the state since the campaign began is just 2,500. .... Her campaign will have to be very worried about the eventual media coverage that may ensue from the event, and potentially overturn polls, which have put her on a lead so far. ..... The fact of the matter is that he has built the strongest grassroot movement in this race, amongst all the candidates running
Obama Hosts ‘Don’t Give Up’ Rally In Hillary's Backyard WNBC, NY Initially, only guests who signed up could attend the rally, but loudspeakers afforded people on the street a chance to listen to Obama's speech. ....... Kelsey Randall, a 20-year-old Parsons School of Design student, said she supported Obama for president. .. "It's my first election (to vote) so I don't want to cast my vote for someone I don't support 100 percent," said Randall, who stood in line for more than an hour to get into the rally. "There's nothing yet that I've disagreed with him on. He's so his own person." ...... Obama spoke for close to an hour ..... Obama said the reason many of those at the rally had come was they were fed up with the U.S. Constitution being treated as a "nuisance" rather than as the country's foundation and with a war "that never should've been authorized and has cost us thousands of lives." He received thunderous applause. ...... "We should never negotiate out of fear, but we should never fear to negotiate. Refusing to talk with our enemies doesn't make the United States look tough, it makes us look arrogant." ...... "I know what it's like to watch a loved one suffer not just from illness but from a broken health care system," he said, adding that every American should have health care. ..... he would address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, intervene in the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan and close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. ...... "I've got the experience America needs right now." Hillary Clinton appears to enjoy a comfortable lead in several national polls. The Obama team has insisted that he can catch up.
Barack Obama Rally At Washington Square Park myfoxny.com, NY more than 700 people showed up for an organizing meeting in Manhattan a few weeks ago and more than 1,500 people attended a community kickoff event in Brooklyn.
Singles will check out eligible candidates at Obama rally New York Daily News, NY Like-minded city singles are looking to tonight's Barack Obama rally as more than just a politically charged soiree: It'll be a raging pickup scene. ...... The rally from 5-8 p.m. in Washington Square Park, promises to draw a young, intelligent crowd. And what better time to hook up than a beautiful fall evening while waving a banner for democracy? ..... But when the sun goes down over NYU, the party really starts about 20 blocks north- the rally after-party. ..... The Obama campaign is in no way affiliated with the Official Barack in NYC After-party, set for 7:30 at the 4-0/40 Club in the Flatiron District, but you can bet the young and the restless will file up Fifth Ave. from the park to continue, well, showing their support. ..... "Look, you never meet good guys in a bar," she reasons. "Something like this naturally weeds out the losers for you. You aren't going to get some pickup artist at a political after-party." ..... One ardent Obama supporter (who declined to give his name because he works in politics) says he'll attend both the rally and the after-party, and he doesn't expect to be going home alone. ...... He's confident for a reason. ... "Let's face it: Leftie girls are easy," he says.







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Obama New York City Rally draws 50,000 ppl, he slams Clinton
Obama New York City Rally draws 50,000 ppl, he slams Clinton