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| Obama aims to conduct HEALING of party rift |
| 2008-08-25 |
| DENVER (Rooters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama faces a challenge this week to try to heal a party rift, draw a sharp contrast between himself and Republican rival John McCain and back up his soaring oratory with specifics of what he would do if he wins the White House. As Obama, 47, enters the Democratic party convention that will formally nominate him, he has yet to answer doubts among many Americans about where he would take the country if elected in November. Democrats are confident the man who would be America's first black president is in a strong position to defeat Vietnam war hero McCain, who turns 72 next week. But recent weeks have exposed Obama's vulnerabilities and many voters expect him to offer fuller, more detailed plans of what he would do as president, particularly about the troubled economy. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #7 Not at all surprising...coming from a former Chicago Sewer Inspector and pal of Governor Rod Blagojevich. Maybe his successor, Emil Jones III will be a bit more charitable. A bit more on the Governor. Tony Rezko indictment and trial On October 11, 2006, Blagojevich fundraisers and businessmen Antonin "Tony" Rezko and Stuart Levine were indicted for participation in a scheme to obtain kickbacks from investment firms seeking business from two state boards. Levine pleaded guilty two weeks later and agreed to testify against Rezko.[23][24] The governor's wife, Patricia Blagojevich, was a business partner of Rezko's for at least a decade. In 2004, she received over $38,000 in real estate commissions from him.[25] In October 2006, it was revealed that Mrs. Blagojevich, a licensed real estate broker, earned $113,700 in commissions from Anita and Amrish Mahajan. These were the only commissions earned by Mrs. Blagojevich this year. Anita Mahajan owns a urinalysis company that holds a no-bid contract with the state Department of Children and Family Services. Amrish Mahajan is president of a bank that has two requests pending before state regulators to acquire two out-of-state banks.[26] On November 27, 2006, a day after the indictment of lawyer Melvyn I. Weiss, "Friends of Blagojevich" returned a $10,000 contribution his campaign received from Milberg Weiss, records show that Blagojevich has not returned another $40,000 from Melvyn Weiss and other lawyers in Weiss' firm. Weiss paid $5,000 toward lodging, meals and entertainment for Blagojevich and others with him during the December 2003 trip to New York.[27] In December 2007, Blagojevich campaign boss Chris Kelly was indicted on federal charges of tax fraud.[28] The charges against Kelly were not related to the governor or any political work. However, Kelly has been listed as a "co-schemer" in court filings related to the Rezko case. According to prosecutors, Kelly was involved in pressuring prospective state contractors for "finder's fees" or political contributions.[29] At the time of Rezko's indictment, Blagojevich described his relationship with Kelly: "They're two different people, by the way, and it's a different relationship. Chris and I are much closer. Chris is the head of my political campaign. That's someone I talk to a lot more frequently."[30] Blagojevich was widely rumored to be the unnamed "Public Official A" mentioned in the Rezko indictment. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-08-25 16:00 |
| #6 Maybe he can tell his supporters DENVER - A black delegate for Hillary Rodham Clinton says she was called an "Uncle Tom" by Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, one of Barack Obama's political mentors. Chicago political consultant Delmarie Cobb says Jones made the remarks Saturday night while discussing her support for Clinton. She called the remark "fighting words" and unacceptable. |
| Posted by: Beavis 2008-08-25 14:51 |
| #5 I don't think it's going to be that easy. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-08-25 12:29 |
| #4 I think WoW might be a better analogy for Obama than D&D, in the end, 'cause he seems like he's gonna start out as a Paladin, but he's gonna wind up as something else... we all know what happens to them when their ideals turn out to be insufficient. Of course, _I_ should fricking talk, I voted for George Bush, who's probably descended from Aleister Crowley and therefore stands a good chance of being a warlock. (And you probably thought Dick Cheney was gonna be the warlock. In truth he's a typical pet-less hunter, always saying he's gonna get the pull right this time, but always getting your party surrounded by swarms of lawyers he accidentally shot). |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2008-08-25 10:43 |
| #3 By laying on of the hands or immersion in healing waters? By casting the "Cure Light Wounds spell" who heals 1d8 Hit points. |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-08-25 10:04 |
| #2 Annointing with the soothing oils of empty rhetoric |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-08-25 09:56 |
| #1 By laying on of the hands or immersion in healing waters? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-08-25 09:29 |