Barack Obama takes on Mortgages

“While predatory lenders were driving low-income families into financial ruin, 10 of the country’s largest mortgage lenders were spending more than $185m (€136m, £92m) lobbying Washington to let them get away with it,” wrote Barack Obama.

Sounds like Obama is going to make mortgages a campaign issue. I still don't understand what his proposed solution is to the current mortgage crunch, but it is a hot topic for many families.

Smart timing on Barack's part... since the latest surveys show that home prices are falling like a rock and more and more families are struggling with housing. We'll see what Barack can come up with...

Barack Obama and the Gay Vote

All of the Dems were chasing the gay and lesbian community's support this week. There is a growing base of voters who support gay rights and gay marriage in particular.

But there is also a price to pay in winning those votes, as evidenced by the fact that not a single Republican candidate is willing to discuss the issue in debate. According to polls in three swing states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, most voters said that they would vote AGAINST any candidate that got endorsed by a gay-rights group.

Yikes. Tricky issue.

the fact is that most of the democratic base is socially liberal and securing the support of gay and lesbian groups will help, not hurt, in primary elections. But the real goal is to win the whitehouse, not win the primaries, and that will be a more difficult political maze to navigate.

Bring Obama Barack is Back

Sorry for the hiatus, I haven't written about Barack Obama in over a month. Summer time and the livings easy...

But it hasn't been easy for dear old Barack. His honeymoon as the underdog in this race seems to be over. He's now listed as a "front runner" but he's still behind Hillary in most polls.

Barack kicked up some dust over Pakistan this week. He basically said that if he was POTUS and he had concrete evidence of al Queda being protected in Pak, he'd bust in there to get them anyway. Hillary scolded him for being politically insensitive. The rest of the Dems tried to stay out of it.

The real story for Barack this month is Unions. More specifically union support - which he desperately needs. So far most unions seem to be supporting Hillary Clinton or John Edwards, and Barack is finding himself in the middle, which is a terrible place to be for a primary election. He needs to win over some of the big unions to secure grassroots support, and he needs to do that fast.

Obama outpacing Hillary in fundraising

Senator Obama raised $32.8m in the second quarter of 2007. Fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, who is ahead in most of the polls, raised only $27m. Might sound like a small difference, but that's almost $2 million PER MONTH more for Obama.

President Bush hits the lowest approval rating of his presidency

Sucking wind.

Only 26 percent of Americans, just over one in four, approve of the job President Bush is doing.

Yikes.

Bush's Girl vs Obama Girl

vs.

Obama wins...

Cost per person for the Iraq war

OK, let me get this straight. The new war funding bill gives Bush $95 billion, with a B, yes that is 000,000,000

And it only pays for the war effort till the end of THIS September.

That's about 100 days from now. So if my math is correct, and if you don't count whatever other funding and moneys already existed before this new bill passed, then the war in Iraq is costing us $1,000,000,000 per day. About $41 million (yup, $41,000,000) every single hour of every day.

So there are only about 300 million US citizens out there, including little infants and retired elderly and all that. So each and every one of us, including those little infants, is paying $1,000 per year for this war we have going.

$3,000-$4,000 per family.

That is a lot of money.

I don't mean to say that the war is all about financials. There are lives being lost, political turmoil, violence, you name it. But the fact is that money also matters, because this is $95,000,000,000 that we could be spending on revolutionizing public transportation or massively upgrading the technology in our schools or any number of public works projects that would have long term benefits for the country.

Depressing. Billions. Many billions. A billion every day. $40 million every hour. $3000-$4000 per family, your family, every family.

Depressing.

160,000 MySpace friends

Sounds like the Barack Obama campaign has finally won a debate with the volunteer who originally set up Barack's MySpace page. The official Obama campaign people wanted to better control the messaging and responses from Obaba's campaign MySpace page, but the guy who set it up wasn't keen to hand over the reigns.

MySpace officials had to get involved, and they decided to give the control to Barack Obama.

But will the 160,000+ friends get transfered as well? That is a lot of signups and makes the bulletin feature much more powerful. But if Obama has to start from scratch...that's a huge undertaking.

Barack Obama Security Detail

CNN is reporting the following:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, has been placed under the protection of the Secret Service, the agency said Thursday.

The government is not aware of any specific, credible threat against Obama, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the decision. But the campaign has received hate mail, calls and other "threatening materials" in the past and during his campaign, the source said.

Great Barack Obama quote

"This election offers us the chance to turn the page and open a new chapter in American leadership," Barack Obama said. "The disappointment that so many around the world feel toward America right now is only a testament to the high expectations they hold for us. We must meet those expectations again, not because being respected is an end in itself, but because the security of America and the wider world demands it."

Obama added: "This is going to require a new spirit, not of bluster and bombast, but of quiet confidence and sober intelligence, a spirit of care and renewed competence."

Barack Obama ties Hillary in the latest polls

Boston.com just put out an article with new poll data, and Barack Obama pulled into a tie for first place with Hillary Clinton. That is big news for a first-time senator with no "political family" ties to rely on for fundraising and national press.

Boston.com printed:
On the heels of a burst of successful fund-raising, Democratic 2008 presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama has pulled even with frontrunner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a new poll released on Monday found.

Obama, a firs-term senator from Illinois, has steadily gained on Clinton, a veteran on the national political scene, over the last month and each now polled 32 percent among likely Democratic voters, the survey by Rasmussen Reports found. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina was third in the poll with 17 percent.

In late March, New York's Clinton held a 12-point lead over Illinois' Obama in the Rasmussen poll.

Energy Security is National Security

This is the full text of a speech that Barack Obama delivered on February 28, 2006. Now that Barack Obama is beginning to outline his energy policy for the presidential election, I wanted to review what he had said in the past. I pulled it up off of his Obama 08 website.

Here is the full text:

In this year's State of the Union address, President Bush told us that it was time to get serious about America's addiction to foreign oil. The next day, we found out that his idea didn't sit too well with the Saudi Royal Family. A few hours later, Energy Secretary Bodman backtracked and assured the world that even though the President said he planned to reduce the amount of oil we import from the Middle East, he actually didn't mean that literally.

If there's a single example out there that encapsulates the ability of unstable, undemocratic governments to wield undue influence over America's national security just because of our dependence on oil, this is it.

Now, I could stand up here and give you all plenty of reasons why it's a good idea for this country to move away from an oil-based economy. I could cite studies from scientists and experts and even our own State Department detailing the dangers of global warming - how it can destroy our coastal areas and generate more deadly storms. I could talk forever about the economic consequences of dependence - how it's decimating our auto industry and costing us jobs and emptying our wallets at the pump. And I could talk about the millions of new jobs and entire new industries we could create by transitioning to an alternative-fuel economy.

But all we really need to know about the danger of our oil addiction comes directly from the mouths of our enemies:

"[Oil] is the umbilical cord and lifeline of the crusader community." These are the words of Al Qaeda.

"Focus your operations on oil, especially in Iraq and the Gulf area, since this will cause them to die off [on their own]." These are the words Osama bin Laden.

More than anything else, these comments represent a realization of American weakness shared by the rest of the world. It's a realization that for all of our military might and economic dominance, the Achilles heel of the most powerful country on Earth is the oil we cannot live without.

Oil single-handedly fuels 96% of our transportation needs, and it's also critical to the manufacture of millions of goods and products in this country. As we saw during Hurricane Katrina, this kind of dependency means that the loss of even a small amount of oil and refining capacity for just a few days can cause economic panic and soaring prices. A serious embargo or permanent loss could cause untold disaster.

It would be nice if we could produce our way out of this problem, but it's just not possible. We only have 3% of the world's oil reserves. We could start drilling in ANWR today, and at its peak, which would be more than a decade from now, it would give us enough oil to take care of our transportation needs for about a month.

As a result, every single hour we spend $18 million on foreign oil. It doesn't matter if these countries are budding democracies, despotic regimes, or havens for the madrassas that plant the seeds of terror in young minds - they get our money because we need their oil.

One need only glance at headlines around the world to understand how dangerous this addictive arrangement truly is.

In Iran, Islamic fundamentalists are forging ahead with their nuclear program, knowing full well that the world's response to their actions will be influenced by our need for their oil. In fact, reports of a $100 billion oil deal between Iran and China were soon followed by China's refusal to press for sanctions against Iran over its nuclear intentions.

In Nigeria, militant rebels have been attacking the country's oil pipelines in recent weeks, sending prices soaring and calling into question the political stability of a country that represents America's fifth-largest source of oil imports.

In Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda has been attempting attacks on that country's poorly defended oil refineries for years. On Friday, they almost succeeded as a truck full of explosives was detonated by the shots of security guards just before it entered the refinery. Even this minor damage caused oil prices to jump $2 in a single day. But a former CIA agent tells us that if terrorists ever succeeded in destroying an entire oil complex, it could take enough oil off the market to cause economic catastrophe in the United States.

Our enemies are fully aware that they can use oil as a weapon against America. And if we don't take this threat as seriously as the bombs they build or the guns they buy, we will be fighting the War on Terror with one hand tied behind our back.

Now, the good news about the President's decision to finally focus on energy independence after five years is that it helps build bipartisan consensus that our reliance on foreign oil is a problem and shows that he understands the potential of renewable fuels to make a difference.

The bad news is that the President's energy policy treats our dependence on oil as more of a nuisance than a serious threat.

Just one day after he told us in the State of the Union that renewable fuels were the key to an energy independent future, we learned that the President's budget cuts would force layoffs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Last week, this made for a rather awkward situation when the President wanted to use the lab for a photo-op - so awkward that the White House actually re-hired the laid-off researchers just to avoid the embarrassment.

This is only one example, but it tells the story of a larger weakness in the President's energy policy: it's simply not commensurate to the challenge.

There's a reason that some have compared the quest for energy independence to the Manhattan Project or the Apollo moon landing. Like those historic efforts, moving away from an oil economy is a major challenge that will require a sustained national commitment.

During World War II, we had an entire country working around the clock to produce enough planes and tanks to beat the Axis powers. In the middle of the Cold War, we built a national highway system so we had a quick way to transport military equipment across the country. When we wanted to beat the Russians into space, we poured millions into a national education initiative that graduated thousands of new scientists and engineers.

If we hope to strengthen our security and control our own foreign policy, we can offer no less of a commitment to energy independence.

But so far, President Bush seems like he is offering less - much less.

His funding for renewable fuels is at the same level it was the day he took office.

He refuses to call for even a modest increase in fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks.

His latest budget funds less then half of the energy bill he himself signed into law - leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in under-funded energy proposals.

And while he cannot seem to find the funding for any of these energy proposals, he has no problem allowing the oil companies to stiff taxpayers $7 billion in royalties that they owe us for drilling on public lands. These are the same oil companies that are currently enjoying the highest profits on record.

Again, this is just not a serious commitment to energy independence. The solutions are too timid - the reforms too small. America's dependence on oil is a major threat to our national security, and the American people deserve a bold commitment that has the full force of their government behind it.

This isn't to lay the blame for our energy problems entirely at the feet of our President. This is an issue that politicians from both parties clamor about when gas prices are the headline of the month, only to fall back into a trance of inaction once things calm down. And so we all need to get serious here. Automakers need to get serious about shifting their technology to greater fuel-efficiency, consumers need to get serious about buying hybrid cars, and Washington needs to get serious about working together to find a real solution to our energy crisis.

Such a solution is not only possible, it's already being implemented in other places around the world. Countries like Japan are creating jobs and slowing oil consumption by churning out and buying millions of fuel-efficient cars. Brazil, a nation that once relied on foreign countries to import 80% of its crude oil, will now be entirely self-sufficient in a few years thanks to its investment in biofuels.

So why can't we do this? Why can't we make energy security one of the great American projects of the 21st century?

The answer is, we can. The President's energy proposal would reduce our oil imports by 4.5 million barrels per day by 2025. Not only can we do better than that, we must do better than that if we hope to make a real dent in our oil dependency. With technology we have on the shelves right now and fuels we can grow right here in America, by 2025 we can reduce our oil imports by over 7.5. million barrels per day - an amount greater than all the oil we are expected to import from the entire Middle East.

We can do this by focusing on two things: the cars we drive and the fuels we use.

First, the cars. For years, we've hesitated to raise fuel economy standards as a nation in part because of a very legitimate concern - the impact it would have on Detroit. The auto industry is right when they argue that transitioning to more hybrid and fuel-efficient cars would require massive investment at a time when they're struggling under the weight of rising health care costs, sagging profits, and stiff competition.

But it's precisely because of that competition that they don't have a choice. China now has a higher fuel economy standard than we do, and Japan's Toyota is doubling production of the popular Prius to sell 100,000 in the U.S. this year.

There is now no doubt that fuel-efficient cars represent the future of the auto industry. If American car companies hope to be a part of that future - if they hope to survive - they must start building more of these cars.

But that's not to say we should leave the industry to face these costs on its own. Yes, we should raise fuel economy standards by 3% a year over the next fifteen years, starting in 2008. With the technology they already have, this should be an achievable goal for automakers. But we can help them get there.

Right now, one of the biggest costs facing auto manufacturers isn't the cars they make, it's the health care they provide. Health care costs make up $1,500 of the price of every GM car that's made - more than the cost of steel. Retiree health care alone cost the Big 3 automakers nearly $6.7 billion just last year.

So here's the deal we can make with the auto companies. It's a piece of legislation I introduced called "Health Care for Hybrids," and it would allow the federal government to pick up part of the tab for the auto companies' retiree health care costs. In exchange, the auto companies would then use some of that savings to build and invest in more fuel-efficient cars. It's a win-win proposal for the industry - their retirees will be taken care of, they'll save money on health care, and they'll be free to invest in the kind of fuel-efficient cars that are the key to their competitive future.

Now, building cars that use less oil is only one side of the equation. The other involves replacing the oil we use with home-grown biofuels. The Governors in this room have long known about this potential, and all of you have been leading the way on ethanol in your own states.

This coalition also knows that corn-based ethanol is only the beginning. If we truly want to harness the power of these fuels and the promise of this market, we can and must generate more cellulosic ethanol from agricultural products like corn stocks, switch grass and other crops our farmers grow.

Already, there are hundreds of fueling stations that use a blend of ethanol and gasoline known as E85, and there are millions of cars on the road with the flexible-fuel tanks necessary to use this fuel - including my own.

But the challenge we face with these biofuels is getting them out of the labs, out of the farms, and onto the wider commercial market. Every scientific study in the world could sing the praises of biofuels, but you might still be hard-pressed to find an investor willing to take the risk on a cellulosic ethanol plant or a brand-name petroleum company willing to build an E85 fueling station.

The federal government can help in two ways here. First, we can reduce the risk of investing. We already do this in a number of ways by funding projects critical to our national security. Energy independence should be no different. By developing an Energy Technology Program at the Defense Department, we can provide loan guarantees and venture capital to those with the best plans to develop and sell biofuels on a commercial market. The Defense Department will also hold a competition where private corporations get funding to see who can build the best new alternative-fuel plant. The Department can then use these new technologies to improve the energy security of our own military.

Once we take the risk out of investing, the second thing the government can do is to let the private sector know that there will always be a market for renewable fuels. We can do this in a few ways.

First, we should ramp up the renewable fuel standard and create an alternative diesel standard in this country so that by 2025, 65 billion gallons of alternative fuels per year will be blended into the petroleum supply.

Second, Washington should lead the way on energy independency by making sure that every single automobile the government purchases is a flexible-fuel vehicle - starting today. When it becomes possible in the coming years, we should make sure that every government car is a plug-in hybrid as well.

Third, I'm supporting legislation that would make sure every single new car in America is a flexible-fuel vehicle within a decade. Currently it costs manufacturers just $100 to add these tanks to each car. But we can do them one better. If they install flexible-fuel tanks in their cars before the decade's up, the government should provide them a $100 tax credit to do it - so there's no excuse for delay.

Fourth, there are already millions of people driving flexible-fuel vehicles who don't know it. The auto companies shouldn't get CAF'E credit for making these cars if they don't let buyers know about them, so I'd like to ask the industry to follow GM's lead and put a yellow gas cap on all flexible fuel vehicles starting today. Also, they should send a letter to those people who already have flexible-fuel vehicles so they can start filling up their tank at the closest E85 station.

Finally, since there are only around 500 fueling stations that pump E85 in the country, we recently passed legislation that would provide tax credits of up to $30,000 for those who want to install E85 pumps at their station. But we should do even more - we should make sure that in the coming years, E85 stations are as easy to find as your gas station is now.

Make no mistake - none of these reforms will come easy, and they won't happen overnight. But we can't continue to settle for piecemeal, bite-sized solutions to our energy crisis. We need a national commitment to energy security, and to emphasize that commitment, we should install a Director of Energy Security to oversee all of our efforts. Like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the National Intelligence Director, this person would be an advisor to the National Security Council and have the full authority to coordinate America's energy policy across all levels of government. He or she would approve all major budget decisions and provide a full report to Congress and the country every year detailing the progress we're making toward our 2025 goal.

In the days and months after September 11th, Americans were waiting to be called to something bigger than themselves. Just like their parents and grandparents of the Greatest Generation, they were willing to serve and defend their country - not only on the fields of war, but on the homefront too.

This is our chance to step up and serve. The war against international terrorism has pitted us against a new kind of enemy that wages terror in new and unconventional ways. At home, fighting that enemy won't require us to build the massive war machine that Franklin Roosevelt called for so many years ago, but it will require us to harness our own renewable forms of energy so that oil can never be used as a weapon against America. From farmers and scientists to entrepreneurs and governors, everyone has a role to play in this effort. In fact, this afternoon I'm sitting down with business and military leaders to discuss this very topic.

Now is the time for serious leadership to get us started down the path of energy independence. Now is the time for this call to arms. I hope some of the ideas I've laid out today can serve as a basis for this call, but I also hope that members of both parties and all levels of government can come together in the near future to launch this serious quest for energy independence. Thank you.

Barack Obama wants stronger gun laws

The entire nation is mourning the loss of 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech. A mentally ill student purchased guns and ammunition and went on a killing spree, Monday morning.

Barack Obama responded to questions about gun laws in relation to this tragedy. His reponse mad eit clear that Barack wants stronger gun laws to prevent the mentally ill from buying guns.

Barack Obama Proposes Low Carbon Fuels Initiative

Here is a new acronym for you - NLCFS. Get ready to see this in the press more and more often. National Low Carbon Fuel Standard (NLCFS).

This January, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used an executive order to establish a low carbon fuel standard for transportation fuels sold in the state of California. Barack Obama’s new proposal sides with the Republican Governor. Barack's new plan would create a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard (NLCFS) based on the California proposal.

Barack Obama announced his plan as part of an energy and environment discussion at the UNH-Durham Campus.

Boycotting the Fox News Channel

Barack Obama has joined with Hillary Clinton and John Edwards to boycott the Fox News debate that was scheduled for September 23, 2007. All three democratic front-runners point out that Fox is biased towards Republican and conservative candidates and that Fox's news coverage is not appropriate for the presidential debate format.

Barack Obama on Don Imus

"The comments of Don Imus were divisive, hurtful, and offensive to Americans of all backgrounds."

Barack Obama and the Madrassa Smear

Back in January, this article started a big controversy about Barack Obama's muslim upbringing:

http://www.insightmag.com/Media/MediaManager/Obama_2.htm

Well, now many months later, and after all of the major media outlets have investigated the article and declared it a "smear", I still hear people talking about Obama's "Madrassa" participation.

It was mud raking, smear fest, not true. Obama was a little boy. Come on...

But this shows something very powerful about smear campaigns and negative politics. The fact is, negative politics works. Doesn't matter if the statement is true. People don't read or don't remember the followup... they only remember the big breaking headline.

That's what happened to Kerry with the Swift Boat folks. It is happening now to Obama.

Barack Hussein Obama

It is an unfortunate middle name for someone who aspires to the White House. As the media is fond of reporting,the name "Hussein" tests the limits of American "nomenclatural tolerance".

"Hussein" is the name of a dictator and enemy.

"Obama" sounds a lot like the world's most wanted terrorist. Just ask Fox News' Roger Ailes who got heavily criticized for joking about the similarity between Osama and Obama.

It remains a big big BIG question - can America elect a man with the name barack Hussein Obama? It is an unfortunately prejudiced world out there and there are a lot of people who will slur and slander and make jokes about Obama's links to Muslim teachings and his "non-American" family uppringing.


Let's hope that America can look past a name and look into the issues.

Barack Obama T Shirt

Been looking around for cool Barack Obama T-shirts. These are some of the best one's I've found so far...

Barack Obama Podcast

There are a number of great Obama podcasts available. Here are a few sources for Barack Obama podcast:

His US Senate site

An oldie but goodie on Digg

Odeo's Barack Obama channel

Barack Obama Issues

I've been looking for more information on where Barack Obama stands on many key political issues. Here are some of the sources I've found so far.

Abortion Debate

Unions

War in Iraq

Faith and Politics

How to End the War in Iraq

Stem Cell Research

Environment

Energy

Schools and Education


Also, I found this summary of Dreams from my Father helpful.

The New Yorker

And this site has articles and news about the Barack Obama campaign:

Obamamania

Barack Obama Dreams from my Father

Barack Obama has published two books. His first book was titled "Dreams from my father" and is focused on his personal life and youth. Barack shares stories of his upbringing and explains his thinking around social and religious issues. He also addresses his experience as a black man in America.

Amazon.com has a number of fantastic reviews of the book, found here.

Barack Obama Campaign

A quick summary of the Barack Obama campaign's latest happenings:

- Barack announced that he raised $25 million between January and March of 2007. He was in second place behind Hillary Clinton on terms of Democratic fundraising for the quarter

- Polls are showing increased awareness of the Barack campaign

- Polls are also showing momentum in terms of the percentage of people who say they would vote for Barack in the primary.

- The "1984 Hillary Video" got a lot of attention from YouTube viewers as well as political pundits. The video was "home spun" and supported the Obama campaign.

Barack Obama fundraising - 25 big ones in Q107

Barack Obama raised $25 million in the first quarter of 2007. How do you like them apples?

Obama was only $1 million behind Hillary Clinton. Given that Clinton has a politico-celebrity husband and was the clear front-runner in Janaury... I'd say that Barack's outcome is surprisingly favorable for him. Hillary has got to be worried.

Now everyone is already looking towards results for Q2 fundraising. Can Barack keep up this pace? Will he pass Clinton? Is Barack Obama's fundraising too focused on the primary and not building enough of a war chest for the 2008 election?

Regardless, this is a job well done for Q107 and the Obama Fundraising Team should feel great and get a pat on the back.

Hillary 1984 Macintosh Spoof

Well, this is the video that seems to have everyone in the political blogosphere up in arms. "Vote Different" (aka the 1984 Hillary video) has over 2 million views already on YouTube.

The poor guy who created the video lost his job at Blue State Digital. Bummer dude.

Personally, I kind of like the video clip. Always liked this famous ad, and while i'm sure it was pretty easy to splice in the Hillary stuff, it still took some creative energy to come up with the idea. I think Hillary should hire the guy!

Here is the link to the youtube page with the original video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo

Hillary 1984 YouTube Video

Wow, this is a powerful video attacking Hillary Clinton and supporting Barack Obama. The imagery from the 1984 Macintosh Advertisement for Apple is strong stuff. This one's only had 100,000 or so views so far, but I'm sure it'll get more attention soon.

I expect to see more and more "home' videos impacting this presidential election cycle. It is so much easier to mashup videos and commercials to make a political statement now.

Roger Ailes, chairman of the Fox News network

In a letter to Fox, Nevada’s two most senior Democrats complained that Roger Ailes had gone “too far” when he joked on air that Barack Obama was “on the move” and that President George W Bush might call President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan to ask: “Why can’t we catch this guy?”

The joke flamed well known rivalries between conservative FoxNews and liberal groups. But it seems clear to me that Roger Ailes wasn't trying to push a conservatiev agenda. Instead, I think he was smack-talking to his main rival, CNN. CNN accidentally aired a "Where's Obama" title for a story about finding Osama bin Ladin.

I'm not part of the Democratic political machine, but if I were, I wouldn't make a big fuss about this remark. It just creates more news associating Obama and Osama. Forget it, move on, talk about the issues, point out all of the many many problems with the current administration's policies, and move on.

Barack Obama Parking Tickets Make the News

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge, MA between 1988 and 1991. Now, many many years later...those parking tickets are making the news.

The Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation office finally got paid in January of this year - just before Barack began his formal bid for the presidency. And this week, the news media picked up the story.

Personally, I don't think this matters. Who cares... I get parking tickets all the time. I forget to pay them all the time.

But, that's all the news available on Mr Obama today...so, tune in next week and hopefully there will be something better going down.

Why is Marack Obama my top referring keyword!

This is a relatively new blog about Barack Obama and his presidential race. So far I've posted mostly breaking news or short blurbs about his campaign trail.. I'm still personally learning about Barack as a candidate, so it is too early for me to write deep analysis yet.

But I've been watching my blog stats and noticed something kind of funny. My most popular search keyword so far is "Marack Obama"! Well, I guess M is close to B on the keyboard, but then I would have expected Narack Obama or Varack Obama. Oh well, I guess readers who can't type well are still better than no readers at all. For those of you with a typing problem, welcome to my blog!

I also noticed that the most popular post so far is the full text of Barack Obama's DNC speech. Yeah, it was a good one and worth reading for a second time.

I'll write more soon...

Barack Obama on the Scooter Libby verdict

Barack Obama made the following statement on the Scooter Libby verdict.

"The conviction today underscores what happens when our foreign and national security policies are subverted by politics and ideology. Leaks and innuendo in pursuit of a flawed policy lead to shameful episodes such as this. It should never happen again."

Barack Obama on Monday Night Football

This video clip is from back in December, but I just found it on YouTube and thought is was worth re-posting on my Bring Obama Barack blog.

Here ya go...

GOP voters are confused about Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani continues to enjoy a wide lead over his rivals for the Republican nomination for president in part because a large majority of GOP voters still don't know the former New York City mayor favors legalized abortion.

Newsweek found that Giuliani won in hypothetical head-to-head matchups against both Sen. John McCain and former Gov. Mitt Romney. However, only one third of Republicans who say they are social conservatives knew Giuliani is pro-abortion.

The Democratic ticket is more clear on this issue, with most Dem candidate supporting abortion rights. Barack Obama has been fighting for a woman's right to choose for over a decade.

Barack Obama reaches out to college newspapers

Bill Burton, national press secretary for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, held a conference call with college newspapers throughout the country.

“Young people have always, as Sen. Obama has said, put their shoulders to the wheel of history to make change,” Burton said at the opening of the call. “Sen. Obama has been committed to getting college students involved.”

If you remember, celebrity rapper Eminem tried to reach young voters during the 2004 election with his hit "Mosh". Perhaps this time around the college vote will turn out to vote in greater numbers.

Sen Hillary Clinton compliments Barack Obama

"It's excellent that we have a candidate like Barack Obama who embodies what all of you fought for here 42 years ago," Sen. Hillary Clinton said at a civil rights gathering. Barack Obama is "doing an excellent job for this country and we're going to be marching arm-in-arm."

John Edwards also speaks about civil rights

Presidential hopeful John Edwards referred to civil rights in his address in Berkeley California. "The fight for civil rights and equal rights and economic and social justice is more than just going to celebrations, even as wonderful as the one in Selma," John Edwards said in remarks prepared for delivery as he referred to Berkeley janitors' fight for a wage increase. "The fight is going on right here, right now."

Barack Obama and Selma

"If it hasn't been for Selma, I wouldn't be here," Barack Obama said. "This is the site of my conception. I am the fruits of your labor. I am the offspring of the movement. When people ask me whether I've been to Selma before, I tell them I'm coming home."

Barack Obama and Homeland Security

Barack Obama wants to change the government's formula for giving states money for homeland security. Barack's opinion is that the allocation of funding should be based on the degree of "terrorism risk" in each state. "Risk" would be determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

This strikes me as a reasonable guiding principle. Sen. Obama wants to give states with higher terrorist threat more federal homeland security budget. But it won't be easy to convince Senators from smaller states to go along with the plan. Politics, politics, politics.

Of course it helps Obama that his home state would get a big win-fall if his proposal goes through. Oh, and many of the early voting states that Barack hopes to win in the primary elections would also get a boost. Iowa would get an additional $119,000; Nevada would get $86,000 more; and South Carolina would receive $175,000 more funding.

Democratic presidential polls

A new Washington Post/ABC news poll suggests that support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is sharply increasing among African-Americans.

Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton 44% to 33% among black voters. Polls in December and January showed Hillary with a lead of 60% to 20% over Barack among black voters.

Hillary Clinton still has a 36-24 lead over Barack Obama overall. In early January she had a much wider margin of 41% vs. 17%

Barack Obama gains on Hillary Clinton

France Press is reporting on the latest polls. Hillary Clinton is losing ground to Barack Obama. Since the last poll:

Hillary dropped from 40% to 36%
Barack increased from 21% to 24%

The poll was held February 22 to 25 amid 1,082 residents of the United States.

Source: Kommersant

Barack Obama or Barach Obama or Barak Obama

I was just looking at Google's keyword suggestion tool. Interesting that 3 of the top 10 search terms related to Sen. Barack Obama are mis-spellings of his name.

I've personally heard multiple people ask me how to spell it. I wonder if his unfamiliar name will hurt his campaign in any way?

I suspect that it won't matter once people are looking at a ballot, but it might make it a bit more difficult for people to search for Internet content and blog posts about his campaign.

Here are the top 10 search phrases associated with "Barack Obama":

• barack obama
• barach obama
• barack obama 2008
• obama barack
• barack obama bio
• barak obama
• barrack obama
• senator barack obama
• barack obama biography
• barack obama book

Barack Obama draws a crowd in Austin

Barack Obama spoke in Austin this week and had a crowd of over 15,000 people. He's getting bigger and bigger audiences as he continues his early campaign for the Presidential race in 2008. He is building a lot of momentum, but I wonder if he can really keep up this pace for another year and a half. That's a long time to hold onto the "big mo"

One thing is for sure, he's catching up to Hillary

Tom Vilsack bows out of the race

Democrat Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa governor, abandoned his bid for the presidency after struggling against better-known, better-financed rivals. Obama and Clinton have too much momentum (in popularity and financial support) for Vilsack to rise above the din.

``It is money and only money that is the reason we are leaving today,'' Vilsack told reporters at a news conference. But I don't agree... it isn't only money. Money doesn't always lead, sometimes it follows. Obama wasn't a bank-rolled candidate in this race until he gained grassroots support and started to look like a viable winner. The big money donors are putting their money into the campaigns that have the best chance of beating the Republican ticket. Clearly, these financial backers didn't see Vilsack as a viable option.

Geffen, Obama, Clinton

Geffen, Obama, Clinton... seems that these three names are making the rounds in the political blogosphere. Geffen snubbed Clinton and picked Obama, Clinton put a shot over Obama's bow asking for him to diss Geffen, Obama shot back, and on and on....

The fact remains that Geffen is a big democratic donor and he decided to support Barack Obama's campaign. Let's move the discussion along and start talking about ISSUES

Why did Geffen choose Obama? Which policy issues drove the decision?

Tom Daschle picks Barack Obama

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle formally endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the 2008 Presidential race, according to the Associated Press.

Barack Obama 2008 Appearance in Las Vegas Nevada, Feb. 18, 2007

Video of his speech in Las Vegas last week.

David Geffen says bring Obama Barack!

DreamWorks movie studio founder David Geffen has decided to back Barack Obama for 2008.

This is newsworthy because Geffen was a big supporter of Bill Clinton back in the day. Shifting his alliance from the Clinton camp to the Obama camp is big news because it's a trend that will need to continue if Barack Obama hopes to raise a big enough war chest to compete with Hillary in the pending advertising wars.

TV advertising salesmen must feel like kids in a candy shop - just think how much money is going to be spent in this presidential race! Yikes.

I just wish more of that money could be spent on preserving open space or paying teachers' salaries or funding scientists.

Barack Obama on the War in Iraq

"A war that after half a trillion dollars and over 3,000 of our bravest young men and women lost, we actually find ourselves less safe than we were before."
** Barack Obama, February 2007

Barack is taking a more aggressive position on the Iraq War than democratic front-runner Sen Hillary Clinton. In new Hampshire last month, Sen. Clinton was asked (over and over and over) to call her vote in favor of the Iraq War a "mistake" --- but she refused.

The "War on Terror" and especially the strategy in Iraq seems to be dominating all of the presidential campaigns. While it is a VERY important topic, it isn't the only issue that we need to discuss and engage in. I'd like to hear Barack and Hillary talk more about the environment, education, international trade, relationships with Europe and Asia, etc

Let's hope that the debate deepens.

Something happening, and it's Obamamania

"The fact is that there's something happening in the country."
** Barack Obama, February 2007

Hollywood a-listers back Barack Obama

George Clooney, Eddie Murphy and Barbra Streisand... some big names in Hollywood lined up to support Barack Obama this week. He raised over $1 million in donations while in LA this week.

3 Hollywood big hitters, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, also planned a private fundraiser for "Obama 08". Tickets went for $2,300, the max donation allowed for a federal campaign.

Hollywood helps with money, but Hollywood also helps with buzz. Bring Obama Barack!

Barack Obama Speech at the DNC

Here is the transcipt of his famous DNC speech, original souce CNN:

On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.

My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before.

While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas.

Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor my grandfather signed up for duty, joined Patton's army and marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA, and moved west, all the way to Hawaii, in search of opportunity.

And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream, born of two continents.

My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.

They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.

They're both passed away now. And yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with pride.

And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two precious daughters.

I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on Earth, is my story even possible.

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted -- or at least, most of the time.

This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers and the promise of future generations.

And fellow Americans -- Democrats, Republicans, Independents -- I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. More work to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour. More to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back tears, wondering how he would pay $4,500 a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits that he counted on. More to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn't have the money to go to college.

Now don't get me wrong. The people I meet in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks, they don't expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead and they want to.

Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon.

Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach our kids to learn. They know that parents have to parent, that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. They know those things.

People don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice.

In this election, we offer that choice. Our party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. And that man is John Kerry.

John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and service, because they've defined his life. From his heroic service in Vietnam to his years as prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he has devoted himself to this country. Again and again, we've seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. His values and his record affirm what is best in us.

John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded. So instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he'll offer them to companies creating jobs here at home.

John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves.

John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren't held hostage to the profits of oil companies or the sabotage of foreign oil fields.

John Kerry believes in the constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties nor use faith as a wedge to divide us.

And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world, war must be an option sometimes, but it should never be the first option.

You know, a while back, I met a young man named Shamus at the VFW Hall in East Moline, Illinois. He was a good-looking kid, 6-2 or 6-3, clear eyed, with an easy smile. He told me he'd joined the Marines and was heading to Iraq the following week.

And as I listened to him explain why he'd enlisted, his absolute faith in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I thought this young man was all that any of us might hope for in a child. But then I asked myself: Are we serving Shamus as well as he was serving us?

I thought of the 900 men and women, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who will not be returning to their hometowns. I thought of families I had met who were struggling to get by without a loved one's full income, or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but who still lacked long-term health benefits because they were reservists.

When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.

Now let me be clear. Let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.

John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure.

John Kerry believes in America. And he knows that it's not enough for just some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga. A belief that we are all connected as one people.

If there's a child on the South Side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child.

If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent.

If there's an Arab-American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.

It is that fundamental belief -- it is that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper -- that makes this country work.

It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.

Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.

Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America.

There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America -- there is the United States of America.

The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue states; red states for Republicans, blue states for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states.

We coach Little League in the blue states and have gay friends in the red states.

There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it.

We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?

John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism here-the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it.

That's not what I'm talking [about]. I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a mill worker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.

Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope.

In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; a belief in things not seen; a belief that there are better days ahead.

I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.

I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.

I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs, and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face us.

America, tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do, if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as president. And John Edwards will be sworn in as vice president. And this country will reclaim its promise. And out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.

Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. Thank you.

Barack on a comparison with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan

In his October 2006 Time magazine cover story, Primary Colors author Joe Klein compared the cultural sources of Barack Obama's rapid rise and crossover appeal to those of U.S. celebrity icons Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan.

When he was asked to comment, Barack Obama said; "Figures like Oprah, Tiger, Michael Jordan give people a shortcut to express their better instincts" ... "I think it's healthy, a good instinct. I just don't want it to stop with Oprah. I'd rather say, If you feel good about me, there's a whole lot of young men out there who could be me if given the chance."

Strong answer and response from Obama.

Barack Obama's Books

Barack Obama's 1995 book, Dreams from My Father, is a memoir of his youth and early career. The book was reprinted in 2004 with a new preface and an annex containing the text of his 2004 Democratic Convention keynote speech.

Some trivia for you - the audio book edition earned Obama the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.

His next book, The Audacity of Hope, was published in October 2006. The book has remained at or near the top of the New York Times Best Seller list since its publication. His presidential aspirations clearly help with book publicity.

I've read the second book, but have not yet tackled "Dreams from My Father". Audacity of Hope was a good read, well organized, thoughtful, and tackled some political issues head on. I appreciate how much Barack shares via the books - hard to retract a statement you publish! It is brave of him to reveal so much in light of his presidential aspiration.

The basics on Barack Obama from Wikipedia

As I start this blog, here is some basic bio and background on Mr. Marack Obama, from Wikipedia.org.

Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois. According to the U.S. Senate Historical Office, he is the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history and the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.He is a candidate for the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nomination.

He was elected to the Illinois state senate in 1996. Four years later, he made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Obama won reelection to the state senate in 2002, running unopposed. As early as 2002, he was a critic of the proposed Iraq War, declaring in a television interview that he would have voted against the Iraq Resolution. In 2004 he ran for an open seat in the U.S. Senate. Midway through the campaign, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and became a nationally known political figure. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 with a landslide 70% of the vote.

Obama formally announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007.[2] Recent opinion polls rank him as the second most popular choice among Democratic voters for their party's nomination, after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY).