The Meaning of the Bill Richardson Endorsement & the Clinton-Rev. Wright Photo

Tapper. My hero. You put out a really FAIR and BALANCED article. Yeah it sucks Richardson went for Obama but consider this. Clinton won his state. Clinton won 2/3 of latinos nationwide. He watched the super bowl with Clinton. Even after all that he didnt endorse Hillary. Sometimes I really wonder if Hillary is actually SMARTER than bill and would be a better president, but her PERSONALITY wrecks it.

Governor Richardson’s endorsement pointedly portrays Dr. Wright’s views as the minister’s own and not especially relevant. Anyone who has followed both campaigns closely knows there is more support waiting in the wings for Senator Obama. He isn’t steadily and seriously gaining on Hillary with the superdelegates over just charm.

Richardson is offering himself as veep to help Obama with the Hispanic vote. He may also feel that if his endorsement starts tipping point with other super-d’s, it could start a trend.
I am sure though that Hillary will have a super-d by next week. She’s smart enough to keep a few handy just for this purpose.
It will all hinge on if the Wright issue is still playing out next week… if not and the country has moved on, then Hillary is toast.

Let’s get on with the issues that count. Who gives a rat’s about Obama’s preacher. Has anyone ever heard Obama say anything negative about America!! Let’s talk about bringing our troops home, the economy. Forget this sideshow circus!!! Doesn’t the media have anything better to write about. You can have the perfect person running for President, and if no one can find anything negative on him, they plkay the Guilt by association game. We wasrte more money and time on Obama’s preacher, while America is going in the wrong direction. I’m sure that Rev. Wright is not the hate mongering preacher that the media is making him out to be from a few sounbites from his sermons over the last 30 years.

Joe Scarborough called the release of this photo “amateur hour” and said he didn’t understand it – but it sounds like the analyses of Joe and and Jake are a wee bit amateur – Showing that Wright was a legitimate figure is important for the Obama campaign – Jake love your reporting but disagree with you on this!

There’s another point to the Clinton-Wright photo. It parallels you guys’ (the media) digging through 30 years of Wright’s sermons to come up with a couple minutes of inflammatory quotes.
The Clinton-Wright photo shows how anyone can play that game. People dug around and came up with this photo.
Those quotes were an obvious attempt to paint Obama as guilty by association. This photo demonstrates how easy it is to similarly paint Clinton as guilty by association.
It serves as a perfect illustration of how bogus this whole guilt-by-association cottage industry really is.

All it shows is that Obama isn’t a man of his word. His is the campagin that will do anything to win.
The photo absurd but they slam Clinton any cahnce they get.
And any super delegate can support Obama against the wishes of their voters, just not Clinton.
Clinton would be “stealing” the election if supers went with her against their states voters, if they want to back Obama it’s the politics of hope.
It’s Politics as usual. He is the same as all the others just less qualitifed.

Again folks. The photo was taken 10 years ago. Clinton doesnt know the man. He took a photo with him. This is also LONG before Pastor Racist started RANTING on and on . The tapes are from 2001 and on. Who knows? Maybe he was ranting long before that. But there are no DVDs of those.
Here is a fun fact. If Pastor Wright was such a good man , the OBAMA campaign would have put out tapes by now showing how peacefull and uplifting his sermons are.

I’m sure there are photos of Bill Clinton shaking hands with Suharto and other much worse than Rev Wright.
It means nothing. He shook tens of thousands of people’s hands, maybe hundreds of thousands.

Richardson is simply playing his own odds. Since Hillary gets the hispanic vote without his endorsement then he correctly assumes that she will not need him for VP but Obama will. However if I were a New Mexico voter I would not vote for him again. An Obama ticket of any kind is a losing ticket in November. We should all keep a list of Super deligates that vote for Obama because it shows very poor judgement. I know that here in Massachusettes many people will never vote for Kennedy or Kerry again since they backed Obama while this state overwhelmingly backed Hillary. Keep tabs for future votes because if Obama is nominated we will be electing MCCain and looking for Hillary in 2012.

The meeting of Clinton with Wright means a lot. It means, that Jeremiah Wright was good enough and well respected enough to be invited to the White House.

I can’t believe how many people have been drinking the Obama kool-aid. The man is a fad with no substance, all talk and no qualifications. If he gets through the Democratic notimation process, we will be forced to live through another 4 years of GOP mismanagement. Obama is completely un-electable, he cannot carry the big states that matter most and will get hammered in the small GOP controlled states like Wyoming, Mississippi, Carolinas, etc..
This is a total disaster

Not everyone takes on the political opinions of their priests, ministers, or rabbis. I had a staunch Reagan Republican rabbi. Did that make me a Reagan Republican? Was it Robertson or Falwell that said 9/11 was a punishment from God for homosexuality? Does that mean that all born-agains agree with him?
This whole Obama-Wright thing is yet another example of the dumbing down of the political discussion in the U.S. With endless war and the collapsing economy, give it a rest and go to more important topics. Enough with this guilt by association stuff. Grow up!
And BTW, Gov. Richardson is an excellent choice for Vice President for Obama. All the other Dems that were running for pres are Senators or Congressmen. In other words, debaters no doers. (Hillary and McCain are just debaters too.) Richardson is the only one running who had to deal with a legislature as an administrator, who had budget and administrative experience. Richardson was my first choice for Dem nominee for pres. His support for Obama is important to me and I hope Obama picks him for VP.
Go Obama/Richardson 2008 !

I have never quite understood the uproar over looped playing comments of Rev. Wright. So the man disagrees with some of the things his country has done or supported, who doesn’t. And the supposed hate mongering, anti-white stuff that is being spun by some, where exactly in the clips continuously being played on television, does Rev Wright make these statements? We truly do hear what we’re thinking instead of what’s actually said.
But all that aside, when is it a brain teaser to see people form valid, long, and close relationships when one of the parties has drastically different ideals from the other? People do this every day, in all walks of our lives. This is nothing to scratch our heads about, or cause us to rethink what the more rationally perceived party was thinking.
If anything this is a testament to the more rationally perceived party’s tolerance, and yes judgement… or non-judgement. For he/she is actually seeing beyond/beneath the disagreeable words or behavior. Isn’t this a good thing? And who among us would not wish to have an associate such as thing. More importantly, who among us would not wish to have a President like this.
doing.
It really is time we stop pretending our wonderful country or we are perfect. But as long as we strive to be, and if we strive even harder to do so together, eventually we truly will be.
My two cents.

“The meaning of this photograph – zip”?
It may not be ‘=’ but it is enough to create a doubt. After knowing the Clintons, where there is smoke, there could very likely be fire!

Vanessa, the Hispanic vote is firmly planted in the Clinton camp and I doubt Richardson’s two faced endorsement of your candidate will do much to sway them. I can understand your need to “spin” this development in the campaign, but at this point its like re-arranging the furniture on the titanic. Have you taken a look at the latest trends in Pennsylvania because right now those poll numbers are the only ones relevant to this campaign.

I am so happy for bill richardson endorsement thanks much and also this pic is relevant due to it showing that this preacher is not the crack most make him out to be obama 08

keep Wright out there Obama. more of his great judgment

Hey, the photograph just shows that Wright wasn’t some fringe preacher. He really is a very well-respected minister.
The significance of Richardson’s endorsement, read it very carefully, is that Obama can “confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation”
This means that he believes that Obama has proven himself as a true uniter. It may be good that this whole test came about. This week, Obama showed himself to be a true diplomat, and that’s what we need. We can’t have a united country until we have both the Wrights and the Ferraros of the world in a room together. Maybe we should give them different tables :) But the actual work of uniting people with differing but potentially valid (to an extent) viewpoints is hard. That’s what Obama’s campaign has been for all along.
I encourage you to read “Dreams from my Father”. It was written years before Obama was a presidential candidate and has his assessment of issues like black nationalism, activism, and a much better map of his values system than you can get through soundbites and press releases.

Jake:
Was Bill Clinton asleep in the pews for 20 years when Rev. Wright was giving his hate anti-American speeches?
On the other hand Obama was in the pews and he lied about it on FOXNews!
Give me a break! There is no comparison here. Find a different story.
I’m all for Hillary here in Scranton, PA.

To those who say that Senator Obama hasn’t a chance to win the Presidency if he wins the nomination, consider this: a majority of Americans are fed up with the war, they are seriously worried about the economy, and only 31 per cent approve of the way George Bush is doing his job. Inasmuch as Senator McCain campaigns on a continuation of the disastrous military and economic policies of the Bush administration, why would anyone conclude that the American public would vote for four more years of the same?

To those who say that Senator Obama hasn’t a chance to win the Presidency if he wins the nomination, consider this: a majority of Americans are fed up with the war, they are seriously worried about the economy, and only 31 per cent approve of the way George Bush is doing his job. Inasmuch as Senator McCain campaigns on a continuation of the disastrous military and economic policies of the Bush administration, why would anyone conclude that the American public would vote for four more years of the same?

This sends a very strong message. Gov Richardson is tired of the nonsense. The Clinton Campaign’s Kitchen Sink strategy is revealing her despiration. I am thankful that he has come out on the side of being rational.
I live in Michigan. Months ago, she said with her own words that our primary didn’t matter. The legislature and Govenor’s office was flooded with calls and emails about her lack of disclosure. Before she asks anyone for a Re-Do, she needs to disclose the appeal of her Fraud Case for the fundraising in California. A hearing 3 days after the Pennsylvania Primary to set a trial date is approaching, and she is campaigning and fundraising without disclosing that to voters. The case has been appealed since Janurary. Go to http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org , Then click on “Case Summaries” in the “Civil” column. Then enter this case number in the search box: BC304174.

Hooray for Gov. Richardson!! This is a wonderful endorsement for Barack! I believe that Gov. Richardson is an honorable, intelligent, experience man and despite his history with the Clintons, is going with his conscience. I applaud him!

As soon as Hillary blew away her big popularity leads in Ohio and Texas that was the end of it. The rest is academics. Even if Hillary was allowed to have a re-vote in FL and MI she would have needed to win all the remaining states including by 60%. Without a re-vote in FL she would have needed 62%. And without a re-vote in MI and FL she needs to win each and every State by 64 %. It is insurmountable task, especially taking into account her spotty performance in this primary election.
She is not staying in the race because she is a fighter or stubborn. It is because she needs money to repay her loan and back wages to her fat cat advisers. With Michigan gone away, Hillary needs to have an exit strategy after the PA primary if she fails to win by 62%. But for the reason stated herein, she will not.
Watch her campaign expenditure from now on. It will be trimmed low in order allow a higher saving level. Politics is a fat cow especially if you have voters who have a stronger passion for their candidate than their party. It is a blind reality while cash is collected from the many poor to a few rich. That sounds like a Republican trickle down policy – - As rich get richer the poor get happier! Let’s not forget, Hillary was a Republican in her early life. This value has never left her.

Obama is trying to change the subject
Trust me there is more and more stuff leaking about this guy and more disturbing characters in his life are going to brought forth in the future.
Keep dodging it Obama by buying endorsements.. This isn’t going to change my mind about you nor CNN = trying to revive Obama. Nope, I will never vote for you even if Hillary does no get the nomination.

As a fellow New Mexican we can add this to Richardsons long list of MISTAKES. Unfortunately, this mistake won’t just affect New Mexicans.

Funny Richardson doesn’t look happy to be standing next to Obama. Maybe he had a little pressure from the party. The Democratic party is pushing hard to get Obama to the nomination. If Hillary gets the nomination it will be a miracle. She has had to fight the left wing, the right wing, and blatant sexism.

The only thing the photo does is put a dent in the “Rev Wright is a horrible person” theory… if he’s a horrible person, why did President Clinton invite him to the White House to repent to?
As for the Richardson endorsement… the story I heard is that Bill kind of invited himself to the Richardsons to watch the SuperBowl… and did you see the picture of him and Richardson during the game? As an Obama supporter I would have liked it to have come a few weeks ago… but none-the-less… I’ll take it. =)

I see some bad logic that I’d like to address. Some people seem to assume that Rev. Wright preached hatred for 20 years because a tape was released showing him say incendiary things on a few occasions.
This is a logical fallacy known as a generalization. Some raise the true fact that since Clinton met with Wright once, it doesn’t mean that much. The same is true for wright and Obama. Just because Wright said some incendiary things once, doesn’t mean that he said them all the time.
It should noted that Obama wasn’t present when this happened. He was in Miami on the day of Wright’s angry speech in Chicago.
Don’t play guilt by association. Don’t be an idiot. If you let yourself get thrown out of whack not because Obama has flaws, but because someone he knows has flaws, you’ll NEVER be satisfied with any presidential candidate. No one has perfect family and friends. No one.
If nothing else, Obama is the best choice of the three.

Talking about kitchen sink strategy! They release this photo and say that they are promoting a new kind of politics, looks like one politician smearing another! Whats new about that? It appears that Obama is accusing Hillary for the media going to Rev Wrights Church website and ordering these sermons. Next they will say that he baptized Chelsea Clinton.

Keep sending more photos to the NY times!!!
I am so glad THEY are keeping this story ALIVE!!!

Sounds like the obama campaign is getting desperate – trying to find pics of Wright w/Clinton and to distract from the “typical white person” remark yesterday by Obama. As far as Richardson, his endorsement will have to be reversed because Clinton won the state, according to the Obama rules… Same with Kerry and Kennedy, according to the Obama rules. Follow the votes of the state, right Obama?

No unifying move Obama !
The polls are showing you are not winning and sliding down hill…Even after the speech you stopped declining but you are losing big time
Keeping this story alive shows that YOU OBAMA wants this story ALIVE

Another blow for Hillary. It will be hard for her to overcome this. But not as hard as overcoming her own monstrous personality of course!

Hey Florida and Michigan….Senator Obama thinks you do not count toward deciding who the nominee is for the Democatic candidate…..huge mistake!! You will see Dems jumping the ship and voting for McCain….this one is!!

If Obama thinks Wright is so mainstream why don’t they ask him to come out of hiding sorry I mean vacation?

Oh no, A picture of Wright with Bill Clinton….please. We know the Obama crowd thinks everyone else is stupid, but the polls show otherwise.
Looks like some Obama media lovers are trying to salvage his campaign. The rest of us are more interested in watching basketball.

Jeremiah Wriht doesnt just show up somewhere like the whitehouse uninvited. He was invited there to pray for an embattled president. This is just the 1 hundredth example of the Clinton’s hypocrisy!!!!!!!!!!

obama is toast and so does the rest of the USA think.
All of you that truly think he has the white vote and the hispanic vote in the fall. Keep dreaming
This man has done more damage in 1 week than more candidates do in one life time
he is despicable and trying to remove FL and MI from the USA as not states, just by saying oh there are too many laws and regulations for a re vote. Well Obama if you were behind it would show how desperate you would be to have a re vote.
Obama is lame and a chicken who can’t handle a re vote because he knows Hillary would beat him fair and square.
Instead he is STEALING the NOMINATION!

obama how about a re vote for Florida and Michigan
Who cares about photos, more characters are resurfacing about your friends that have extreme racist views. I am looking forward to seeing all of them.
LOL!! you are done diddly done for

I am no fan of Bills, but this is stupid, it does not even look like Bill is paying attention to the guy!
And the Pastor was probably invited by Obama!
Presidents take pictures with many many many people, that does not mean that they are their mentor.
And if Obama wins, he probably will hire on his pastor!

When I heard of the Bill Richardson endorsement this morning my first thought was WHY is the DNC trying to push the man on the Democrats. Do they refuse to see that obama is damaged now. It is too late for the Bill Richardson endorsement to matter. But I guess the DNC dont give the voters any kind of credit for thinking on their own.

Richardson endorsement is going to do squat for Obama. I don’t care if the pope endorses Obama.
He is damaged goods and his appeal is gone!

I am beginning to think that as a country we do not want racial harmony and we are content live in strife. I believe the message behind the Clinton/Wright photo is that Wright was recognized as a religious leader. Further, the bulk of the sermon videobites posted seen are from 2007 and earlier. This supports how little we know about each other. Florida and Michigan knew the votes would not count. Let’s face the reality that Sen Clinton did not take Obama seriously and it’s blown up in her face and she is crying foul everywhere. The media is so focused on this race thing that we don’t even care when there are several contradictions from the Clinton camp. In closing I would like to remind all of you critical pundits that Obama is also half white. This makes him able to speak on topics most of us are not qualified for. Every great country must continue to evolve in order to prosper…….

Wright Photo? When this man is suppose to be the most horrible racist bigot of all time, how in the world did he end up at the Whitehouse with Bill and Hillary Clinton? The photo means alot.
Richardson? Another example of someone who should be endorsing Clinton, NOT endorsing her. The question is why? Why are so many people who have worked with her and Bill clinton over the years are backing a supposedly experienced person who can’t win the nomination. For this reason it means a lot.

Obama was shot up in to rock star status and now he nothing but a Typical crooked shady Chicago politician who is trying to undermine the American voter.

I agree that the Richardson endorsement would have been helpful before the NM and TX primaries. However, coming as it does in the wake of the Wright blow-up, it may carry more weight: “I’m a Democratic elected official and a super-delegate, and I’m giving this guy my stamp of approval.” (I don’t think he’s necessarily angling for VP; he arguably had a better chance for that by endorsing HRC.)
As for the Obama campaign releasing the Wright photo: Stupid, clumsy. Unhelpful. One of Axelrod’s few bonehead moves.

If you stand for CHANGE:
then lest have a DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
BY counting FL and MI
if you stand for CHANGE:
then release your records from the state senate
if you stand for CHANGE:
then allow a new primary for MI & FL

Ted Bundy was well connected in republican circles and was even encourged to run for office. At the same time he was killing women. Do you think that those who knew the one side of Ted Bundy the law student,clean cut all american kid should be tainted when we find out that in reality he was a serial killer? How did Bill Clinton know about the racist and hateful thoughts that Rev Wright had. He was not offering them for sale at the time!

Richardson sure knows how to fraustrate the real haters,he is such an intelligent guy.

Yes, goof – what about Obama’s “missing” 8 years of IL Senate papers. Obama insisted that Hillary release her 8 years of First Lady papers, and she did. Doesn’t look like Obama is a very good role model – he asks for something from Hillary but then doesn’t give the same in return. Doesn’t look like Obama released all of his tax records either – he’s afraid something having to do with Rezcko will show up…

Hillary has a 20-year-plus association with the guy who lied under oath and gave us: “that depends on what the meaning of is is,” but I am supposed to judge Obama based on a few outrages lines from his theatrical pastor? Shouldn’t Hillary reject and denounce Bill?
Look, Wright is obviously over the line on some stuff. Obviously. But since when is someone’s church fair game in a political fight? I mean, if we’re going down this road, look up McCain’s pastor on yew-tube. The guy is WAY WAY out there.

What does the photo of Obama in africian grab mean?

Shame on you !!!all ye that comdemns obama because of his preachers choice of words, the campaign continues,thanks to richardson.

jgaw – I really respect what you said. I agree with you – I think there is a lot of jealousy and animosity toward Hillary from the losers of the primary race – Dodd and Richardson. I also agree with what you said about the people supporting Obama – they are well-off and will be fine. The other group – the younger voters are mostly still under their parents incomes in college or living under their parents’ roofs. Clinton was talking yesterday about how to reduce the debt and get back to a surplus, similar to the 1st Clinton presidency. WE NEED THIS in order to get back to a great economy and better lives for all. No other candidate else is talking about this. I am also concerned about the “threats” from Obama supporters saying there will be riots or violence if Obama doesn’t get the nom. I say this is wrong. Clinton supporters will be just as angry but will not threaten with violence. They will be changing their Dem status to Independent status and remove their financial support from the Dem party which will hurt….bad. And, if Hillary, the most competent candidate doesn’t get the nom, there will be a campaign to write her name in, which will be more effective, since she won most of the states you need to win to be President. CAUCUSING DOESN”T WORK IN THE GENERAL. Hillary wins the primaries – and that’s what counts in the general.

Forgot to add – with a WRITE-IN Hillary campaign, Hillary will also get FL and MI AGAIN – Obama will lose those states in the general and Hillary will win them again. Can’t wait!

Hillary won New Mexico and Richardson is endorsing Obama? So superdelegates can vote on their own judgement rather than for the candidate who won their district or state. Well, there goes Obama campaign’s argument out the window.
By the way, Thank you Obama campaign for the photo of Wright and President Clinton. A) it keeps the story alive. B) It proves how desperate you are!
Hillary ’08

It doesn’t mean a thing if Richardson supports Obama. That we already knew from his prior statements. I’m from New Mexico, we don’t even take his judgement very seriously anymore. He was a marginal governor and a marginal presidential candidate.

Well its official, McCain is in for sure in 08….The democratic party has taken a for sure chance at the whitehouse and has imploded….I will never vote Democrat again…This Obama mania has made a mockery of our party….Quite unproffesional, he should have never been on the nomination process at all…The Rezko issue should have been enough to keep him out!!!!! How in the world is anyone to expect America to vote for such an UnAmerican Candidate, his Uncle Rev Jeremiah Wright is a mirror image of what Obama has stood for and why he refuses to pay tribute to his own Country…

The main point is most Whites hate Blacks from 1776 to present. Build some Blacks up them to tear them down.
Obama is half white but most Blacks except him the way he is.

Folks:
All of you attacking Jeremiah Wright should listen to his WHOLE 9/11 sermon in context.
Sure, the 10 second sound bite sent out by Hillary sounds bad. But his real message comes though in the larger passage which doesn’t seem crazy at all… he’s making a extremely mainstream Christian point about self-evaluation and how we should respond to 9/11. I mean, even Mike Huckabee is defending Wright’s basic decency.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK

I was undecided untill Obama made his speech on race,it shows he can always keep his cool what ever the case may be. Obama is the guy,(God sent).

It’s not too surprising that Hillary and her brainwashed mob has gone into kamikaze mode in an attempt to destroy Obama.
Look, she knows that mathematically she can’t win in 08, so why not get McCain elected so she can get another chance in 2012? It’s all about power and not about principle, which is why she’s willing to destroy the party.

WRONG! The photo is huge. It indicates that Wright is not the fringe lunatic he’s been made to be through 15 second clips of his 30 years of preaching. He was INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE. Fringe lunatics don’t get that invitation.

How many of you Clinton maniacs are judging Jeremiah Wright without even listening to the entire sermons which have been chopped into 5 second sound bites of the craziest and most outrageous moments? Why are democrats eating their own while Huckabee and McCain are on record supporting Wright?
Go ahead and condemn the man, but only after you listen to the whole context. I was really surprised how mainstream Christian the whole thing is. I suppose that’s why McCain himself is defending Wright.

Dear PAST,
Obama will get your vote, but if he gets into office he will NEVAH(so silly)
do anything for you. and if Mccain gets into office over the next 50-100 years he will make sure some of your loved ones NEVAH come back from Iraq or Iran.
with the way you spell never-you need hillary-more than she needs you-because she has a way for you to go back to school-with out it costing you an arm and and leg-(which is what you will probally lose if you go to Iraq-and come back alive.) Yes, PAST-I think you should go against your judgement here and Vote for Hillary-she will help you to. and PAST-I hope you will go back and read the issues facing us today-and read what each candidate is planning to do for us. because if you do not I hope you NEVAH-get on this blog again. This is for smart thinking folks-Right? right thinking folks.
Past you go to NEVAH NEVAH blog

Matt, ……..don’t be fooled,majority of the bloggers here are republican radicals claiming to be clinton supporters.

Just like Tony Rezko photo taken with the Clintons in the White House? Sounds familiar? Whenever Obama is in trouble, he looks for others to share his woes with. What in the world are they trying prove with this photo? That the Clintons have a 20yr relationship with Wright?

Obama descend is of his own making, and would have occurred sooner had the media been less biased and subjected him to the same scrutiny as the other candidates. He is just beginning to be vetted and I suspect we will learn a great deal more ugly about him. As yourself why pandamonia ensued when they learned that someone was looking at his passport file? What else is he hiding. We have just begun to skim the surface and we will learn much more as we get closer to the nomination.
Like thieves in the night, the Obama campaign is desperately looking for something to deflect the impact of his and his minister’s racist comments. This has been so typical of him throughout this race for the nomination. Except, this time, he cannot possibly blame Hillary and get away with it.
To those who believe the photo of President Clinton and Rev Wright is incriminating – like I said, thieves in the night. Obama will not be able to shake off this latest string of revelations, no matter how much he tries. Read the blogs. The mainstream media is pretending like nothing has occurred yet voters are expressing an entirely different sentiment. That’s also evidenced by the lates poll results. No endorsement in the world will get him back in favor with the very public he has disrespected and whom he wants to lead.

Tracy-
Thank you, We the smart people on this blog-who are supporting the smart candidate-hillary-who runs circles around obama and mccain on the issues that face us today
We thank you for jogging our memory
and I promise from now on I will never or as PAST said “NEVAH”-I will never forget(although you may not be up on the issues of this election)
I will never forget that you TRACY know how to spell the word
GATE
Stick with the issues of today

I must say that after the past couple of weeks I have realized that America will never truly address the truly negative aspects of our great history. As I read some of these comments I wonder how many of us truly understand what a ride its been for Black Americans from Rev. Wrights Generation? As a black man I don’t condone or agree with the remarks made by this man. I do believe that we are formed by the experiences that we have in life. If you were born in the post-civil rights era (1968 and onward. The year of the deaths of ML King and Bobby Kennedy) you would have to dig deep to understand what it means to be a second class citizen most of your life, especially in a country that now grants everyone a pretty fair chance to achieve whatever it is that they want out of life. This is a part of our history people! We have to stop running from it and reconcile with it. Believe me when I say that there are people of all races and Genders who have dealt with tremendous discrimination (Native Americans, Irish & Italian Immigrants, Eastern European Immigrants, Hispanics, Chinese Immigrants, Japanese Citizens etc. Add the Female of all above.) the goal should be to ensure that we continue moving towards a more respectful society that tries to embrace each other and resolve these feelings within our fellow citizens.
I challenge everyone out there to widen your circle of acquintances and share with each other your true feelings in a civilized manner.
I know I should be saying how much I despise either Clinton or Obama but truthfully, I have a deep respect for both of them and feel that either of them will lead us on a better course than we are currently on.

What does it say about a man that would throw his own grandmother under the bus but not condemn Wright the man?

After this week, Obama is done.
Stock a fork in him.
Now the Democratic establishment is perfectly capable of selecting him as the nominee.
He will go to a landslide defeat and will take down the Democratic congress with him.
We will end up with McCain and a Republican ongress.
Obama will go down history as the candidate who destroyed the Democratic party.

I think Jake’s best point is that Richardson’s endorsement of Obama reflects what Richardson, anyway, feels is the prevailing wind. He’s angling for a vice president or at least a significant Cabinet spot, and he figures that Obama will be in the best position to give that to him. Doesn’t speak well of Richardson as a human being, as he has had a long and close association with the Clintons whom he has now decided to ditch. It may have been the politically astute move, though. We shall see.

Obama and his formidable movement has come to stay,Behold !! the next commander in chief of the armed forces,BARACK OBAMA. Sounds presidential,Hillary and McCain doesn’t.

Gov. Bill Richardson has been smart enough to look after his political interest forget the friendship which for him looks like a season change. No further comment is necessary as it is this kind of people who spoiul the politics for4 their own political expediency.

It all means nothing….wright photo was a prayer breakfast photo op…Richardson is a superdelegate who will mean nothing to voters in GE, that was either promised Vp or forced on making this decesion by DNC heads to cover up thier blunder and take pressure off that whiny so called victimized Obama….The passport thing is just a waste of air time(who cares)……..who cares. The Dems have already sunk the boat……as they do again and again……..How can we let them run the country at such times when serious issues surround this country.
no ones given McCains healthcare plan anytime, it did not look to bad to me………

I must say people on here forget alot about the Clintons, Let see white water comes to mind ( for those of you thst is the bad land deal with the Mcdougles), theres travel gate (hillary fires the travel staff wrongfully) there of cource Bill’s women, there vince foster her lover, by the way he is dead and nobody still know why, yes he supposedlly shot himself (yeh right)? Tons of lies about her leadership? And I am sure she is from New York right//LOL give me a break. You people now that race is the issue, there is nothing else. How many WHITE people want a person of different color to run the goverment?? I am WHOTE and I am voting for Obama. He is the best choice, by the way DID HILLARY explain were she got paid back for the 5 million borrowed ? I bet not..At the begining she was way ahead and said if Florida and Michigan vote early they SHOULD not count, not that she will loose she is CRYING fowl. Just like a WOMAN if you don’t your way CRY about it. Please tell me something else/..

Hey Guys are u watching CNN? Did you hear what the lady said?

COUNT the VOTES of ALL the DEMOCRATS NOW !!
****************************************
Yes………The DNC should count all the votes that came from actual Registered Democrates. Not all the independants who aren’t willing to join a party and the republican’s who were aloud to vote both ways. This will matter in the end.

As long as the media news can get something to smear somebody with than they’ll run it 24/7 to make the big bucks and it doesn’t realy need to be the truth for them to run it.
The Clintons have not released their tax returns yet and they have not released all of documents/files that they have on theirselves or did you forget the Clinton WhiteHouse files that Bill Clinton had locked away when he was President untill the year of 2012.
Sorry but Hillary cannot give those files out for she did not lock them up.

President Clinton passed NAFTA! Senator Clinton claimed she was against it from the beginning and urged then President Clinton not to propose the bill. Her WH papers show she has been blatantly lying! She was a proponant of the bill from the start! She lied to the voters in Ohio and she’s lying to the voters in PA! If Rev. Wright is the evil person Senator Clinton claims him to be, then what this picture exposes is the kind of hypocrisy and mendacity endemic in the Clinton campaign Clinton’s! Obama ’08

j taylor-you are not up on the issues of today-did you hear what obama told you about Nafta-and then his people went and told the canadians something different? And just a question-
How will us the american voters be helped with the decision on who is best to lead this country-in these times-problems with healthcare, economy,ending the war,student loans
housing…etc, by looking at Clinton, Mccains, and obamas back taxes?
(none of them are perfect-but they are all we have-and if you put some of the others back on the ballot-they are not perfect either.) so what we really should focus on are the issues)
I do not need to see their back taxes-to determine if what they are saying about what they will do for the student loans for college students-is A-makes sense to me B-doable-able to pay for it
C-the right thing to do for everyone.
Stick with the issues.

Richardson endorsed Obama? Big Deal!
When Kennedy endorsed Obama, Obama lost
in Massachussetts.Hillary won also in New Mexico. Vote Hillary for President

Someone needs to send a memo to the Obama campaign: Today is Good Friday. Holding pep rallies and campaign events today is not the way to court the Catholic/Christian vote, even (and particularly) with a Catholic governor at your side. If you’re trying to repair damage from the Wright incident earlier this week, failing to acknowledge what is for many Christians a day of solemnity does nothing to repair your image in the Christian community. You should be home with your family celebrating Easter. If you wanted the Catholic vote, you just lost it.

Hillary Clinton is the only smart choice in this race.
she is smarter than mccain and obama
If people would start saying I am not voting for hillary because she is wrong on:
ending the war
the economy
student loans
healthcare for all
then we might just have a chance
because you know what she is not wrong
on those issues.
Pa, NC, WVA, Indiana, and all others left to vote-show the rest of us how smart you really are-look over the issues before us real good and vote for the Smartest Candidate left
Hillary 08
no good bye-until 11pm-and while I’m gone-stay on the issues, please

There are just as many Barak supporters who won’t vote for Hillary if she’s the nominee, as there are to the contrary. So, way to go Dems, we’ll have just handed the presidency to McCain unless we can get it together. That’s a fact.
Both sides deserve their share of the blame, but Hillary’s scorched earth campaign (ie.- “We won’t win the general election if we don’t have a revote”, and, “John McCain brings experience to the White House”, and their constant reminders about Obamas apparent race.) has set the tone if divisiveness to a point where we’re not even talking about issues anymore. It’s all about playing the fear card.
Politics, like estate issues, brings out the worst in people. Pulled down in to the gutter in the fight for power, and money, even people with the best of intention can’t avoid being stained.
Nobody is perfect, and I know we all have our favorites, but the level of pettiness that this race has achieved is drawing enormous smiles from the right wing. They know what’s going on, they’re fueling it, and we’re killing ourselves. We are.
I’m all for the full vetting of each candidate, but keep it to the issues. If Hillary’s recent momentum was the result of fact related issues, rather than distortions, fear mongering, and flat-out lies I’d be fine with her as the nominee. But I’m going to have to dig deep to cast a vote for her if she is the nominee as my respect for her is near zero.
See? I’m as guilty as anyone.
Of course Barak has his flaws, and I try to be as objective as I can, but if you really take a close look at what’s been happening during this campaign you can see what kind of leader Hillary will be. A divisive one, a bully, and a hawk in the Middle East, and elsewhere. The constant use of the term Commander In Chief is a telling one. It’s also known as the Presidency, which seems to have a very different meaning these days. We’re not a military society, but we’re getting there. Anyway, blah, blah, blah.

Considering Hispanics including in NM are Overwhelmingly Supporting Hillary Clinton, I agree with George Stephanopoulos of ABCNEWS that Bill Richardson endorsement is “a big deal” at this time with Obama pastor all over the news. George also said that “Barack Obama will own Richardson a lot”,(how much?).
Bill Richardson supporting Obama is like Sheila Jackson-Lee from TX supporting Hillary Clinton, with their constituents going in opposite directions.
Why now? Why no before the Texas primary? Why is Richardson endorsing Obama in Oregon?
May be the wound to the Barack Obama’s “united” campaign message is worst than the published polls are telling the voters and Obama camp knows it.
Bill Richardson endorsing Obama will have similar effect to Hispanics, than Ted Kennedy and John Kerry endorsements had to the voters of MA .

Bill Richardson claimed endorsement only after the hope of re-vote in Mi. and Fl. is unlikely………what a politican..
BTW, Latinos don’t like traitor….

“A spokesman for the (Obama) campaign said it was providing the information to show that Mr. Wright was well respected by many, including Mr. Clinton.” -as quoted from today’s story in the New York Times “Clinton Treats Obama Pastor With Extreme Caution”.

Christina:
You said,
“Clinton was not disturbed about the disenfranchisement of FL/MICH voters when she signed on to support the DNC sanction. Now she is SUDDENLY concerned since she needs their delegates. Typical Clinton hypocrisy. ”
Howard Deans threat of not seating FL and MI was expected to push both states to change their date back. FL was blocked by republicans. Hillary at no time intended to have any votes not count.
Hillary agreed within the candidate group that none would campaign in FL or MI because the primary date was moved too early and Howard Dean refused to allow it. Part of the DNC rules allows both states to appear before a committe and argue for their right to seat their deligates in June. Both candidates knew this was possible and probable. Hillary true to her word did not campaign in FL or MI but OBAMA DID NOT LIVE UP TO HIS WORD AND RAN 10 DAYS OF ADS IN FL. He then removed his name from the MI ballot while sending campaigners to MI to push for democrats to vote undecided. Both running ads in FL and campaigning in MI were against the agreement he made. Now ask yourself why he would remove his name from the ballot while running for President???? He did that because he knew he could not win in FL or MI and so he wanted another angle to throw at the committee in June as to why they should not be seated. I realize that taking his name off the MI ballot was part of his plan to insure MI votes would not count but I hope and believe that cooler heads will see his stunt for what it is and seat both states as counted…..if not the republicans will win both FL and MI in November.

I guess they promised him the VP slot. Why else would he have the “audacity” to say that Obama has the judgment we need to bring the country together (paraphrasing) in a week that so clearly shows that he doesn’t.

I’m challenging all of you Obama “haters” out there to do yourself a favor before opening up your mouths again and saying that Barak Obama is a “racist” because of comments that his Pastor made. You need to get transcripts of the full sermons so that you perhaps can gain some insight into what the teachings of Jerimiah Wright are all about, and not form such a “holier than thou” opinion based on a few snipets from some sermons that have been blown out of proportion.

The truth of the matter is that Obama is going to win the Democratic nomination. But he is going to lose big time in November.

I refuse to be hostaged by Obama (yes, just read between the lines of his seech!) and his supporters by insinuating or often times explitictly telling me I’m a racist if I don’t vote/support him! You guys are really doing wonders for the racial divide of this nation. Personally, I just don’t like hypocrites! I saw the videos, not just the racial stuff – but also the lewd stuff Wright simulated on the pulpit. For someone who wants to have a higher standard, Obama chose a pretty low standard for a church and spiritual adviser.

I am disappointed by some of the comments I have read about the candidates. Remember that they are human like we are with their faults and imperfections. It pains me to see how really divided the Democratic Party is over who should be the next presidential nominee to go up against McCain. We need change from what we as Americans citizens have been subjected to for almost 8 years. I am looking beyond gender and race. I am looking at who would benefit our country, who will focus on the failing economy (people are suffering, losing their jobs, cars and homes). Until reading this blog I did not realize how people are so impassioned by whomever they are backing and see as the democratic frontrunner. Truthfully, I am a black (democrat)female and I initially supported John Edwards who got lost in all the hype from Hillary and Barack. To me he was the realist candidate and it saddened me when he dropped out of the race. I did vote in the primary in my state. John Edward’s name was still on the ballot and that is who I voted for. However, I am conflicted about the general election in November. Why? Because right now I am ashamed of the political schemes, rants, accusations coming from Clinton’s, as well as, Obama’s camps. It has really turned me off from both of them. Honestly, I just might not vote in the general….why should I vote for either one of them when I am not truly 100% behind either candidate. Can the Democratic party unite or will the division continue? Of course this division all plays in McCain’s favor.

The bottom line is Obama lacks good judgement. Obama has been busy preaching a new kind of politics but failed to stand up after his preacher told the congregation on the Sunday after September 11 that “America’s chickens have come home to roost.” Seven years later Obama remains a member of the church, and just last year was still publicly praising Rev. Wright as a “great leader”. Even if Obama has his denunciation of Wright’s rhetoric last week, but it may be too late. The nature of Obama’s longstanding relationship with Wright and the timing of this revelation mean the die is already cast, and no amount of backpedaling or massaging can totally undo the damage to Obama’s image. And yes, Obama gave a great speech. Once the speech is done, however, the nagging questions about Obama’s relationship with Reverend Wright will almost certainly remain, and the public will struggle to reconcile Obama’s message of hope co-existing with Reverend Wright’s language of hate.

We don’t need to run for office. We can cast a vote for Hillary instead. I love the attempt to denigrate those who don’t agree with you…makes for a compelling argument. Difficult to buy the hypocrite argument when you’re spewing the stuff that your candidate is so much against. I would suggest educating yourself on the true ideologies of Obama–you’ll find they are nothing like the rhetoric you spewing here.

It is so funny that the Obama campaign keeps saying super delegates should not go against people’s choice: see what John Kerry, Ted Kennedy do? And now Richardson? For your information, Clinton won MA and NM!

What I don’t understand is why the Clinton campaign declares that there is “media bias” against her yet the media has treated her and Bill with kid gloves when it comes to their tax returns and the Clinton Library and Foundation. I agree that releasing the photo of Wright and Bill Clinton is stooping- something Obama doesn’t need to do. I am sick of all the back and forth on both sides. I feel bad for Hillary that she had a plan of how things were going to go and it hasn’t turned out that way. I don’t doubt she’s qualified (although I think she is exaggerating on the experience issue). As a woman carrying the hopes and dreams of so many other women I am sure she is under enormous stress. Unfortunately as entitled and qualified as she may feel, she is not the best and brightest this election cycle. I just hope she can get out gracefully and realize that she can serve this country in other ways without causing so much damage that we are forced to deal with another 4 years of pain and suffering under Republican misleadership.

WHAT ABOUT CLINTON LYING ABOUT NAFTA.
WHAT ABOUT THAT PEOPLE?
IS IT OK THAT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS AND COMPANIES ARE GONE AND HILLARY KEEP SAYING OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT SHE OPPOSED NAFTA.
WHO’S LYING AND WHO’S COVERING UP?
BILL CLINTON INVITED REV WRIGHT TO THE WHITE HOUSE NOT ONCE BUT SEVERAL TIMES AS A SPRIRITUAL ADVISOR WHEN HE GOT CAUGHT WITH HIS PANTS AROUND IS ANKLES.
ONE PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
HILLARY’S CAMP KEEP SAYING THAT BILL SHOOK A LOT OF PEOPLE HANDS HE DIDN’T KNOW WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT, BUT LOOK AT THE PICTURE THERE ARE ONLY WHITE PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND ANOTHER THING WHY WOULD YOU INVITE SOMEONE TO THE WHITE HOUSE YOU DON’T KNOW?????
REV. WRIGHT HAD TO HAVE A BACKGROUND CLEARANCE DONE TO GET INTO THE WHITE HOUSE. RIGHT? WELL, THEN THE CLINTON’S KNEW ABOUT REV WRIGHT BACK THEN.
WHO’S LYING NOW, BUT MORE IMPORTANT WHO CARES?
IF ITS BEEN TEN YEARS OR ONE YEAR AGO SINCE BILL MET WITH REV WRIGHT, BILL STILL ASKED HIM TO COME TO THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN’T HE?????????????
THAT STATEMENT MAKES YOU GO HUMMMMMMMMM.
WAKE UP PEOPLE, THE MORE YOU DIG STUFF UP ON OBAMA THE MORE YOU MAKE THE CLINTON’S LOOK BAD.
IT AMAZES ME HOW YOU PEOPLE BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT IS WRITTEN BY THE MEDIA WHO HAS A HIDDEN AGENDA, THEN YOU LOOK STUPID WHEN OTHER THINGS COME OUT THAT WAS OMITTED BY THEM ON THE SAME SUBJECT.
REMEMBER PEOPLE DIVIDE AND CONQUER
THE REPUBLICIAN ARE AT IT AGAIN AND WHO IIS FALLING FOR THIS? THE DEMS

For all of you nit wits who question why Clinton was meeting with Wright, and are too lazy to look up the facts, I’ll put it this way…. It was a gathering of religious leaders (plural) not just him and Wright. And who really cares? a 15 second handshake all those many years ago bothers me a lot less than Obama being a die-hard kool aid drinker with the same man for 20 years, who still remains unwaivered to Wright. I omit the title Reverend, because I have seen very little biblical teachings coming from this man. JMHO

Barack Obama didn’t really have a “bad week”. Richardson’s endorsement WAS important. Richardson knows the Clintons very well, and they pressured him HARD for his endorsement. For him to choose Obama is significant.
In addition, by far the majority of people who really heard Obama’s entire speech, had very strong positive feelings about it. Obama showed honesty, courage and trust in the American people by giving such an important and sensitive address.
THE REAL STORIES THIS WEEK haven’t received nearly the attention that they deserve: 1) Hillary was caught lying about NAFTA. She has been saying that she never supported it, but her White House papers prove otherwise… she gave several speeches in support of NAFTA passing. 2) Hillary WILL BE FORCED to release 20,000 pages of phone logs from her days as First Lady, which she has heretofore withheld. This should reveal some interesting information, I am sure !! 3) Florida and almost certainly Michigan, will not have revotes.
HILLARY IS TOAST!!!

Why is Richardson newsworthy material? He just wants a shot at VP. Yet the mayor of Philadelphia and governor of Pennsylvania’s endorsement of Clinton never made such big news and that’s the upcoming primary??
The only thing Obama has going for him is his master spin doctor campaign manager who got a governor elected in MA who shouldn’t have been elected, and the people in MA feel duped. Lets learn from their mistake.

An ineffective Governor endorses an ineffective Senator. Yet another politician who owes his rise to the Clintons turns his back on them now, when they need him most. It appears that Obama is trying to court the Latino vote. This is one Latina and native New Mexican who is not impressed. The Clintons have done far more for our community than Senator Obama has ever done. I’m sure the multitudes of stifled Latino voters in Florida and Michigan would agree.