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Why did Obama miss the critical vote in the Senate on the Biden Bill? What is his vote?? Had he been present that day he would have heard two key paragraphs were eliminated from the the Liberman amendment! Why did he choose not to vote on that? What is his vote on that?? Does he even understand what the amendments were? Will he duck his responcibilities in the furure. I don't want to vote for someone who is not there to cast my ballot! Dave Shupp TX

Just another closet Mudslim trying to wiggle his way in...well it's not going to happen.

Obama thee newest total idiot

Definately an idiot.........

To Charlotte, Fort Worth, TX, what you said about the failing education system I found rather offensive. I am an education student currently and I know that the system needs work, but that is only because Bush's tactics with No Child Left Behind are completely screwed up. I won't go into all the details because I could talk for days, but for starters the outlines are so ambiguous, most educators don't know what's expected of them, not to mention that every state is doing something different. All NCLB does in encourage teachers to "teach to the test" and the kids aren't learning anything real. But the biggest reason the system is "failing" is because Bush wants to cut funding to any school that isn't up to par...HELLO that's only going to make things worse.

As for Obama, I'm not sold yet, but I like him a whole lot more than I like Clinton, at least he stands up for what he thinks is right. Doing something and being criticized for it doesn't make it wrong (i.e. meeting with the Iranian president) and agreeing with what the majority thinks doesn't make it right, case a point Iraq

hey...there's no question about it..Obama is a real good guy and has some great ideas, but how in the world can you convince people at the end of the day, that NOT having nearly enough experience is going to be a good thing when you go to washington DC; it would not work in a job interview for a top position, and it will not work in the WH.
The soundbite "bringing change to washington" has little application when you consider all the OTHER people who are troublemakers who've been there long before he got there and would require a very heavy hand to deal with; its bad enough most americans dont have a damn clue about all the factors that complicate Iraq/Middle East,...they also dont know much of anything about how their OWN gov't works.
you will never solve OUR government's problems with amateurs, no matter how good their intentions and speeches are.

Someone above asked what meaningful experience Obama has;

1. Turns down several corporate job offers to make 14G's a year as a community organizer in Chicago on behalf of out of work steel workers.

2. Calls Iraq a "dumb war" in 2002 when everyone around him says it's political suicide to do so. (This was right before the Dixie Chicks spoke up, remember the climate then?)

3. Passes more bi partisan bills than any other Senator in the IL legislature.

4. Passes the first meaningful ethics reform in a generation both in IL and in the U.S. Senate. (just going into effect last week which is why the candidates can no longer take corporate favors like free jet rides.)

5. Goes to Detroit to talk about car emmisions and global warming, then goes to Wall Street to talk about cutting taxes for seniors, the middle class and raising taxes back to REGAN era levels on the richest .1 percent of the country that is taking their corp money and putting it overseas instead of here.

6. His mother died of cancer due to a lack of healthcare between jobs, making it a major cause of his life to bring healthcare to those that don't have it.

7. Is the only candidate to demonstrate popular and rabid support in all 50 states. (have you been to his site, and then to Clinton's? In every state there are many, many events going on for him, while Hillary and the other candidates cannot rally near the same support. In So. Cal there are 60 events. Hillary has 4.)

6. He is the only candidate that is assuredly electible. He draws support from many different demographics and backgrounds and ages.

7. He shuns federal lobbys while still kicking EVERY OTHER CANDIDATES butt in fund raising, even while Hillary and her vaunted machine takes money from lobbies galore! He is getting ready to support over 30 million in donations drawn from over 350,000 people. 10 Million more than hillary who drew on big corps and lobbies.

He has the support of regular people, the communication skills to discuss fresh and good ideas well, and he has the political force building into the firestorm that will get him not only the nomination but easily the Presidency of the United States.

Obama 08. Stop the Hate and don't be late. Vote and be heard.

I shutter to think what will happen if Obama ISN'T elected President. He alone makes sense in a field driven by fear, cold war thinking and greed.

I am tired of division and partisan bickering. I sick of politics as usual.

Obama is the man and we should all support him on Jan. 19, Feb. 5th, or whatever primary/caucus day you have set. The stakes have never been higher and if we sit on our butts and do nothing we chance losing not just our country but our entire future.

I'm voting for the dude that took a 14G a year community organizing job and a crappy apartment out of Harvard when he could have had any six figure corporate job he wanted.

I'm voting for the one man that can actually change the way politics are handled in this country and bring some accountability back because he's not driven by special interests.

I'm voting for Barack Obama, and I'll do whatever I can to support him.

Out of the cesspool of political candidates out there, Obama has been getting the most respect from me lately. I'm still watching all contenders, but I'm liking just about everything Obama says lately.

Sen. Obama did NOT defy the politics of the moment: he opposed the war from a small, probably quite homogenous and liberal district in the Illinois State Senate. There, he had no power to change the course of the war; he also had no accountability to a large and/or diverse group of voters. At that time and place, it was SAFE to say what he said. Later, when the war went bad, it was again safe to be against it when running for statewide office.
Once he got to Washington, he IMMEDIATELY toned down the anti-war rhetoric (as well as voting for the heinous Bankruptcy Bill — I wonder who paid for that). Since taking his Senate seat, he's voted much the same as Sen. Clinton on the war.
His latest act of political courage was to skip voting on a resolution to condemn his political ally, MoveOn, calling it a silly waste of time while finding the leisure to vote on a vacuous Senate product condemning anyone who impugns people in uniform. He refused to risk one iota of political capital to save a group that supports him far more than Sen. Clinton because he didn't want to risk Republicans smearing his as unpatriotic.
Finally, Sen. Obama doesn't seem to realize that it takes two to tango on this "uniter" thing. Republicans viciously attacked and smeared Sen. Clinton as First Lady and later BECAUSE she was a Democrat. Hence, they will also attack Sen. Obama for the same reason. If all he has to offer is "hope" (in what, for what?), that halo won't last long.

Sen. Obama did NOT defy the politics of the moment: he opposed the war from a small, probably quite homogenous and liberal district in the Illinois State Senate. There, he had no power to change the course of the war; he also had no accountability to a large and/or diverse group of voters. At that time and place, it was SAFE to say what he said. Later, when the war went bad, it was again safe to be against it when running for statewide office.
Once he got to Washington, he IMMEDIATELY toned down the anti-war rhetoric (as well as voting for the heinous Bankruptcy Bill - I wonder who paid for that). Since taking his Senate seat, he's voted much the same as Sen. Clinton on the war.
His latest act of political courage was to skip voting on a resolution to condemn his political ally, MoveOn, calling it a silly waste of time while finding the leisure to vote on a vacuous Senate product condemning anyone who impugns people in uniform. He refused to risk one iota of political capital to save a group that supports him far more than Sen. Clinton because he didn't want to risk Republicans smearing his as unpatriotic.
Finally, Sen. Obama doesn't seem to realize that it takes two to tango on this "uniter" thing. Republicans viciously attacked and smeared Sen. Clinton as First Lady and later BECAUSE she was a Democrat. Hence, they will also attack Sen. Obama for the same reason. If all he has to offer is "hope" (in what, for what?), that halo won't last long.

I do believe...Obama has made me beieve in the power of the people again. Remember the days when we all believed in our power to change the world? I for one am not going to give up so easily.

Oh come on, America. Are we really going to give up this easily? Yeah, we need to be realistic. But can we just sit there and settle for the fact that there is corruption in politics? That so many people don't have health care? That so many children never get a fair chance at the American dream because of the situation they were born into and the failing education system? That in the world arena we have lost a great deal of credibility and gained a great number of enemies in the recent years? If we give in to cynicism nothing will ever change. America, please do not give up so easily.

To "demwit:"

Fighting the politics of the moment and opposing the war was indeed fighting the climate of fear that had overtaken Washington. It is not cynical to resist what is wrong and to call out politicians when they have become irrationally blinded by the insanity of the capital.

I do like Obama – he is too far to the left for my liking. He doesn't sugar coat the fact that his healthcare plan will increase taxes (cuz...thats the truth...see if we can get Hillary to tell the truth once in a while) – we still need that moderate....anyone on the Democrats side moderate.....nope....anyone on the Republicans side?? (wait...one? Giuliani....finally...granted..you will not get relationship advice from him....but....a fiscally conservative, social liberal is what the country needs....not another term of polarizing poltical rhetoric....that started with Clinton)

I defied the politics of the moment, and opposed the war in Iraq before it began."

Isn't that being cynicial?
Oh.., Law professor, not English professor..

Comparing Clinton and Obama, I must say that Clinton is a divisive force but Obama talks about unity. He might be a bit idealistic but, after the last 8 years of neo-con hell, better idealistic than ideological.

wounds

there is alot of cynics in washington and I wish this country was like it was before, now people have woulds that need to heal and would have people like you to do this for us,
can not wait!

Whenever a candidate starts stating that they have experience bringing both parties together and pulling harp strings like "believe" in my ability to change things, then I start believing this guy has just the opposite. He hasn't stated "how" he is going to do this. Nor does he want to. We, the voters, have to take him on faith and believe he can do what he promises.

After two terms of taking a president at his word or believing in him, I think I'll eat my popcorn and wait for him to start giving me the facts on "how" this miracle will happen on his watch. While he looks good, talks sweet, and seems to know something about the job, he hasn't proven to me that he isn't just another political hack come to con us into voting for him.

Not Convinced yet...

Telling it like I see it,
Wynter

Eddie from Atlanta- that is a great link to all of the bills Barack has sponsored and/or passed. People buy into the HRC Campaign's slogan that no one else has "experience" without looking into it themselves. He has done a LOT!

Im a cynic, but in Atlanta. If he gets the nomination and wins the election, I'm going to scrutinize every move Obama makes. These broad generalizations about "change" really irritate me, because it's so obviously just a cheap political ploy. Nobody can break the deadlock in Congress. Obama would be another Kennedy (without an assassination hopefully). Kennedy's hagiographers paint him as a great president, but in reality little was accomplished during his term.

BARACK, really we love you.

If there is one lesson to learn from the take over of congress by the DEM is Washington is there to stay and we should all learn to live with it and the speacial interest.

no one inside washington can change washington. Bush campaigned on that issue. He got there and became a washington GUY.

Let's play politics people. Speacial interest will always have their hands in politics. We need someone that can work with them to easy the lives of the lesser.

It could be you Barack. Don't tell us you are going there to clean them out. They are too powerful and we all know it.

A detailed outline of Obama's record with the Illinois State Senate is located at http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html

Anyone uncomfortable with judging candidates based on media spin should do their own research. Good Luck and Happy Voting!

he keeps saying "my experience"... but what have you specifically done, Sen. Obama? All I've observed in Illinois is increased taxes and Senators voting themselves a pay raise.

So what decision have you made that put your state in a more financially sound postion, Sen. Obama? Or if you prefer, what have you succussfully accomplished that makes you a good President. Please be specific.

Barack is a CLASS ACT! I am convinced and will vote accordingly that this is the MAN to change how America is viewed. I am more convinced that domestically he can bring Republicans and Democrats together to make a difference as he did in IL.