AMERICAN12:22PMMay 15th 2008

Edwards’ endorsement was an insult to the voters in West Virgina and the states that have not voted yet.

It's crazy, given that Clinton just won by 41 points. This is Obama camp’s mode of operation. No wonder, they will have a very difficult problem uniting the party with this kind of tactics. The American voters can see through this. Also, John Edwards looses my permanent respect and support. I regret voting for him in the Super Tuesday primary! HE SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL ALL AMERICANS HAD VOTED.

Edwards is a multi-millionaire — another “elitist” just like Obama — Neither of them have any idea what we middle-class, blue collar workers are about.

NOBAMA 2008!

kaflooey12:36PMMay 15th 2008

LOL. That was funny.

David S.12:56PMMay 15th 2008

Rumor has it McCain will pick Rob Portman, a former congressman from southern Ohio. He is conservative but not a fanatic, he is younger (50-something) and liked by both sides of the aisle. He was also Bush's budget guy something or other in the White House for a brief time, but wisely left a sinking ship. He would probably be the smartest choice, unless McCain bows to pressure to choose a female.
As to the Dems, I don't have a problem with Hillary, but I think Obama will not be thrilled about that. I like Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, one of the few Democrats who actually got elected in that state! But she is popular in a very Republican state, something Obama needs; and she has no controversy surrounding her that I am aware of.

kaflooey2:48PMMay 15th 2008

DavidS,
Sebelius has some kind of flap going on with her church regarding her stance on abortion. I just read it today. Apparently her priest is demanding she not receive communion until she apologizes to the Catholic church. I don't know how big a deal that is but I'm sure the conservatives would have a ball with it.

Katherine5:01PMMay 15th 2008

Obama supporters unwise to attack Hillary Clinton:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004411946_harrop14.html

"Obama can't beat John McCain without large chunks of Clinton's core constituency: women, Hispanics and the white working class. Dumping on their candidate is one step removed from dumping on them — and some of the Obama people don't even bother with that step."

mafresources5:38PMMay 15th 2008

Learn more about Obama's stated foreign policy positions on Global Terrorism, Iran, North Korea, Israel, and more.
http://politicallydrunk.blogspot.com

Que sera sera5:40PMMay 15th 2008

You are as always assuming that Mr. Obama will win. He has some support from the American Communist Party it seems.
This is not Mr. Obama's only communist tie. I think this may be one link in the chain of change he has in store for America. When this country lies in shambles I wonder who the people who vote for Obama will blame?

Que sera sera5:51PMMay 15th 2008

Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media reports on the findings of a New Zealand blogger, Trevor Loudon, who has published the text of a letter by Communist Party USA sympathizer Frank Chapman, written to the party newspaper. In referring to Obama’s victory in the Iowa caucuses, Chapman wrote, “Obama’s victory was more than a progressive move, it was a dialectical leap ushering in a qualitatively new era of struggle...Marx once compared revolutionary struggle with the work of the mole who sometimes burrows so far beneath the ground that he leaves no trace of his movement on the surface. This is the old revolutionary ‘mole,’ not only showing his traces on the surface but also breaking through

http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-communist-mentor

Katherine6:20PMMay 15th 2008

Pocket Guide to Obamaniac Behavior:

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/05/15/lavender-newswires-brilliant-guide-to-obamabots/

Old Lady USA6:51PMMay 15th 2008

Tommy - My fav:

The "Soaring Oratory" Award goes to:
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) "Nope."

The convention acceptance would make Broadcast Exec's nuts -
Sen Time Johnson (D-S.D.) "Yup"
.... and the crowd goes crazzzzzzy

tfitz101710:38PMMay 15th 2008

That was very funny!
What is the graphic. Is that the legendary 'bucket of warm piss'? Fancier than I would have thought.

EXISTENTIAL BEING2:01AMMay 16th 2008

OBAMA/SEBELIUS


Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius (born May 15, 1948) OLDER POPULATION VOTERS

2 Term Governor of Kansas PULL IN A RED STATE WHICH COULD POSSIBLY SWAY REPUBLICANS TO THE PARTY

Roman Catholic POSSIBLE INFLUENCE ON THE CATHOLIC POPULATION

A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR GUN OWNERS

STRONG RECORD WHICH ALSO SUPPORTS WORKING CLASS

SUPPORTS WOMENS RIGHTS

ABILITY TO REACH ACROSS PARTY LINES

OWNS A VACATION HOME IN MICHIGAN AND HER FATHER ONCE SERVED AS OHIO GOVERNOR! JUDGE SEBELIUS'S FATHER SERVED 6 TERMS IN THE HOUSE BEFORE PASSING AWAY

In 2001 Sebelius was named as one of Governing Magazine's Public Officials of the Year while she was serving as Kansas Insurance Commissioner.[27]

In November 2005 Time named Sebelius as one of the five best governors in America, praising her for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited, ferreting out waste in state government, and strongly supporting public education — all without raising taxes. Also praised was her bipartisan approach to governing, a useful trait in a state where Republicans have usually controlled the Legislature.[28]

In February 2006, the White House Project named Sebelius one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.[29]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Sebelius


http://usliberals.about.com/od/stategovernors/p/Sebelius.htm
Popular Two-Term Governor of Kansas:
Democrat Kathleen Sebelius was elected Governor of red-state Kansas in 2002, and reelected by wide margin in 2006. Gov. Sebelius has held state elective office since 1986.

A moderate with pro-business, pro-military leanings known for her bipartisan leadership, Sebelius is the daughter of former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan, and are the first father-daughter governors in U.S. history.

Gov. Sebelius served in 2007 as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association. In 2005, Time named her as one of the five best governors in America, for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited when she took office.
Special Notability:
In 2004, Kathleen Sebelius was reportedly a candidate to be John Kerry's vice-presidential running mate, and is considered a strong VP candidate for the 2008 Democratic ticket. Others speculate that Gov. Sebelius may run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, to replace Republican Sen. Sam Brownback.

On January 28, 2008, Kathleen Sebelius delivered the Democratic party's response to the State of the Union address. And on January 29, 2008, Gov. Sebelius endorsed Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race.
Experience Prior to Governor:

* 1995-2003 - Kansas State Insurance Commissioner
* 1987-94 - Kansas House of Representatives
* 1974-1987 - a number of appointed statewide offices, including the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on Prison Overcrowding, the Kansas Children's Commission and the Kansas Natural Resources Council.

Gov. Sebelius on Issues & Priorities:
Regarded as pro-business, pro-military and fiscally conservative, Kathleen Sebelius, nonetheless, holds certain liberal views not always seen as mainstream in the Midwest, including firm pro-choice beliefs.

Owing to her Catholicism, Sebelius is opposed to capital punishment. And after she famously vetoed a 2006 concealed weapon bill, her veto was decisively overriden by the both houses of the Kansas legislature. As governor, she's faced a myriad of difficult educational funding issues.

(For more, see Gary and Kathleen Sebelius Marriage Profile.)
Federal Magistrate Judge Gary Sebelius, Married to Gov. Sebelius:
Federal magistrate judge Gary Sebelius was appointed to an eight-term term to the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas in 2002. He was formerly a partner in a Topeka law firm. Born in Kansas, he earned his law degree from Georgetown University in 1974.

Judge Sebelius is reported to have a wonderful sense of humor and a great love of music. His record/CD collection is among the finest in Kansas. He downplays his role as advisor to his governor-wife, and prefers the title "First Dude" of Kansas.
The Governor's Father, Father-in-Law in Politics:
The governor's father is Democratic Gov. John Gilligan, who served on term as Ohio governor before his defeat by a Republican in 1975, a party that generally dominates Ohio politics. Judge Sebelius' father was the late Rep. Keith Sebelius (R-KS), who served six terms in the House before passing away in 1982.

The couple worried about how their fathers (one anti-war liberal, one pro-war conservative) would get along. Per Gary Sebelius, though, "They hit it off famously."
Memorable Quotes:

About Lobbyists

"I don’t mind standing up to the big powerful lobbies, I think that is the role you play in public office. A lot of the consumers don’t have an organized lobby to advocate on their behalf. Those of us who are elected need to have that voice, and that is really what I have tried to do as insurance commissioner.

"There will always be well paid, very articulate lobbyists for industries that make money. What needs to happen is that the other side needs to be brought in, we need to bring that viewpoint to the table."

----- to Trinity Washington University magazine, during 2002 campaign to be Governor of Kansas

About Her Endorsement of Barack Obama

"I am especially pleased to announce my enthusiastic endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States - because Barack Obama represents exactly the kind of change Kansans can believe in...

"Senator Obama demonstrates a unique ability to reach across party lines - a quality we need now, right now, to unite our leaders and meet the serious challenges our country faces at home and abroad...

"And, on an especially personal note - I admire the way Senator Obama has inspired a younger generation of Americans, my own children included. For months now, my two sons have implored me to make my admiration for Senator Obama public. To offer him my endorsement, and join this fight for change all of us can believe in. I am proud to do so today."

---- public statement, January 29, 2008


://marriage.about.com/od/politics/p/ksebelius.htm
Gary: Federal magistrate judge, attorney, author, lecturer.

Residences:
Kathleen and Gary have a vacation home in Leland, Michigan.

In her role as governor of Kansas, Kathleen and Gary reside in the Governor's residence at Cedar Crest near Topeka, Kansas.

Quotes about the Marriage of Kathleen and Gary Sebelius:
Kathleen about balance in their marriage: "“We’ve really tried hard to balance family issues and political issues ... I have always wanted to be at home and be available to the kids, and I’ve been very lucky to have had jobs where I could work on issues that I thought were important and yet not have to give up time with the kids and family. Both Gary and I felt that it was very important that their lives were as normal as possible, that they participate only when they wanted to, and that this was my job, not their job ...”
Source: Elizabeth Palmer, "Profile: Kathleen Sebelius", TrinityDC.edu

Kathleen about their political differences: "I'm converting Republicans one at a time. First my husband, Gary..."
Source: Nadia Pflaum, "Kansas Republicans evolve -- into Democrats", Salon.com, 9/5/2006.

Kathleen about Gary's adjustment to being the husband of a governor: "He seems to have made it through the first year unscathed."
source: Scott Rothschild, "First-ever online chat with governor provides forum for curious Kansans", LJWorld.com, 2/6/2004.

Gary downplaying "his role as adviser to his high-profile wife": "She might have borrowed a few ideas from me, but she got her counsel from other folks and followed her own good instincts."
Source: Jim McLean, "Call him 'first dude'", CJOnline.com, 1/20/2003.

Speech Text: Democratic Response By Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/28/speech-text-democratic-r_n_83726.html


Remarks as prepared for delivery by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius:

An American Call to Action

I'm Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of the State of Kansas.

And I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with you tonight.

I'm a Democrat, but tonight, it really doesn't matter whether you think of yourself as a Democrat...or a Republican...or an Independent. Or...none-of-the-above.

Instead, the fact you're tuning in this evening tells me each of you is, above all...

...an American, first.

You are mothers, and fathers. Grandparents, and grandchildren. Working people, and business-owners. Americans, all.

And the American people - folks like you, and me - are not nearly as divided as our rancorous politics might suggest.

In fact, right now, tonight, as political pundits discuss the President's speech - chances are, they'll obsess over the reactions of Members of Congress.

"How many times was the President interrupted by applause? Did Republicans stand? Did Democrats sit?"

And the rest of us will roll our eyes and think, "What in the world does any of that have to do with me?"

And, so, I want to take a slight detour from tradition on this State of the Union night.

In this time, normally reserved for the partisan response, I hope to offer you something more:

An American Response.

A national call to action on behalf of the struggling families in the heartland, and across this great country. A wakeup call to Washington, on behalf of a new American majority, that time is running out on our opportunities to meet our challenges and solve our problems.

Our struggling economy requires urgent and immediate action, and then sustained attention. Families can't pay their bills. They are losing their jobs, and now are threatened with losing their homes.

We heard last week and again tonight that Congress and the President are acting quickly, on a temporary, targeted stimulus package. That is encouraging. But you and I know that a temporary fix is only the first step toward meeting our challenges and solving our problems.

There is a chance Mr. President, in the next 357 Days, to get real results, and give the American people renewed optimism that their challenges are the top priority. Working together, working hard, committing to results, we can get the job done.

In fact, over the last year, the Democratic majority in Congress has begun to move us in the right direction-- with bipartisan action to strengthen our national security, raise the minimum wage, and reduce the costs of college loans.

These are encouraging first steps. But there is still more to be done.

And, so we ask you, Mr. President -- will you join us? Let's get to work.

We know that we are stronger as a nation when our people have access to the highest-quality, most-affordable health care. When our businesses can compete in the global marketplace without the burden of rising health care costs here at home.

We know that caring for our children, so they have a healthy and better start in life, is what grownups do. Governors in both parties, and a large majority of the Congress are ready, right now, to provide health care to 10 million American children, as a first step in overhauling our health care system.

Join us, Mr. President, sign the bill and let's get to work.

Sitting with the First Lady tonight was Steve Hewitt, the city manager of Greensburg, Kansas. Many of you remember Greensburg - our town nearly destroyed by a tornado last year.

Thanks to Steve's efforts, and hundreds of others in our state, and across the country, Greensburg will recover. Folks rolled up their sleeves and got to work, and local, state and federal governments assisted in the effort.

But more than just recover - the Kansans who live in Greensburg are building green - rebuilding a better community for their children and grandchildren; making shared sacrifices, and investments for the next generation.

Greensburg is not alone. You and I - stand ready - ready to protect our environment for future generations, and stay economically competitive. Mayors have committed their cities to going green; governors have joined together, leading efforts for energy security and independence; and the majority in Congress is ready to tackle the challenge of reducing global warming and creating a new energy future for America.

So we ask you, Mr. President, will you join us? It's time to get to work.

Here in the heartland, we honor and respect military service. We appreciate the enormous sacrifices made by soldiers and their families.

As Governor of Kansas, I am the Commander in Chief of our National Guard. Over the past five years, I have seen thousands of soldiers deployed from Kansas. I've visited our troops in Iraq; attended funerals and comforted families; and seen the impact at home of the war being waged.

We stand ready in the heartland and across this country, to join forces with peace-loving nations across the globe and to fight the war against terrorists, wherever they may strike. But our capable and dedicated soldiers can't solve the political disputes where they are, and can't focus on the real enemies elsewhere.

The new Democratic majority of Congress and the vast majority of Americans are ready - ready to chart a new course. If more Republicans in Congress stand with us this year, we won't have to wait for a new President to restore America's role in the world, and fight a more effective war on terror.

The last five years have cost us dearly - in lives lost; in thousands of wounded warriors whose futures may never be the same; in challenges not met here at home because our resources were committed elsewhere. America's foreign policy has left us with fewer allies and more enemies.

Join us, Mr. President, and working together with Congress to make tough, smart decisions, we will regain our standing in the world and protect our people and our interests.

I know government can work to benefit the people we serve, because I see it every day, not only here in Kansas, but in states across the country. I know government can work, Mr. President, because like you, I grew up in a family committed to public service. My father and my father in law both served in Congress - one a Republican and one a Democrat. They had far more in common than the issues that divided them - a love for their country that led them from military service to public service. A lifetime of working for the common good, making sacrifices so their children and grandchildren could have a better future.

They are called "the greatest generation". But I believe, like parents across America, that our greatest generations are still to come. That we must chart a new course, at home and abroad, to give our future greatest generations all the opportunities our parents gave us.

These are uncertain times, but with strength and determination, we can meet the challenges together. If Washington can work together, so quickly, on a short-term fix for families caught in the financial squeeze, then we can work together to transform America.

In these difficult times - the American people aren't afraid to face difficult choices.

But, we have no more patience for divisive politics.

Tonight's address begins the final year of this presidency, with new leaders on the horizon and uncertainty throughout our land. Conditions we face, at home and abroad, are results of choices made and challenges unmet.

In spite of the attempts to convince us that we are divided as a people, a new American majority has come together. We are tired of leaders who rather than asking what we can do for our country, ask nothing of us at all.

We are Americans sharing a belief in something greater than ourselves, a nation coming together to meet challenges and find solutions; to share sacrifices and share prosperity; and focus, once again, not only on the individual good but on the common good.

On behalf of the new American majority - the majority of elected officials at the national, state and local level, and the majority of Americans, we ask you, Mr. President, to join us. We are ready to work together, to be the America we have been-- and can be once again.

Thank you for listening. God bless and sleep well. And in the morning, let's get to work.


OBAMA/SEBELIUS

tfitz10173:03AMMay 16th 2008

Wow, Existential Being, that is one long post.
I found this in the NY Times. This is Ted Sorenson, John F. Kennedys speech writer. He's done some campaigning for Obama.

"Comparing Mr. Obama to Kennedy (”another senator accused of being too inexperienced”), he read an excerpt from a Seamus Heaney poem, “The Cure at Troy.”:
History says, Don’t hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up
And hope and history rhyme.
“I’ve seen it two times in my lifetime,” Sorensen said"
**************************************************
"I've seen it two times in my lifetime", the man said.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/kennedy-speechwriters-new-memoir/

tfitz10173:05AMMay 16th 2008

"And Hope and History Rhyme." I like that line.

EXISTENTIAL BEING8:16AMMay 16th 2008

Maybe with history on his side Obama can make JFK proud and give new Hope to this Country with the color of a man's skin bearing no consequence! His heart is for ALL People and the Country! He has the support of Millions and hopefully Millions of others will follow to Unite this Country to the Glory it once held!

A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that quality in its chosen leaders today - and in fact we have forgotten.
John F. Kennedy

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
John F. Kennedy

I hope that no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant.
John F. Kennedy

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
John F. Kennedy

If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.
John F. Kennedy

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
John F. Kennedy

No one has been barred on account of his race from fighting or dying for America, there are no white or colored signs on the foxholes or graveyards of battle.
John F. Kennedy

Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.
John F. Kennedy

Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.
John F. Kennedy

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.
John F. Kennedy

The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.
John F. Kennedy

We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
John F. Kennedy

OBAMA/SEBELIUS

CommonSense9:59AMMay 16th 2008

and you think conservacrat Hilary does?

Joyce10:06PMMay 18th 2008

Tommy,
This article was funny!

Thanks so much for adding a taste of humor to this long, bitter election process.