Obama Evening News & Roundup -- Booing the President

Obama picks up seven more delegates. The Wall Street Journal reports today that the entire Democratic North Carolina Congressional Delegation along with Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota will endorse Barack Obama for President. This is the beginning of a wave of superdelegates that will break for Obama and put him over the magic number before the convention.

The Associated Press picks up the Klobuchar endorsement:

In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Klobuchar said Obama "has inspired an enthusiasm and idealism that we have not seen in this country in a long time."

Klobuchar, a freshman Democrat, said Obama speaks "with a different voice, bringing a new perspective and inspiring a real excitement from the American people." She compared him to the late Hubert Humphrey, who served as a senator from Minnesota and as vice president.

Obama carried Minnesota by a large margin over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton last month.

"My endorsement reflects both Barack's strong support in my state and my own independent judgment about his abilities," Klobuchar said.

She cited their work together on issues such as ethics reform and toy safety.

"Barack has been a proven agent for change and advocate for middle-class Americans," Klobuchar said.

A fellow POW explains why John McCain should not be our next President:

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush's war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John's views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

I'm disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist ministers lately. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don't see that John is the "straight talk express" he markets himself to be.

Senator John Sidney McCain, III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who "Returned With Honor." That's our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I've decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain, III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.

Phillip Butler, PhD
Cdr, USN (ret.)

Jackie Mason puts it better than we ever could about Hillary Clinton:

Elizabeth Edwards explains the problems with John McCain's healthcare plan:

It turns out that Iran is trying to broker a ceasefire agreement between Maliki and Sadr's forces.

Iraqi lawmakers traveled to the Iranian holy city of Qom over the weekend to win the support of the commander of Iran's Qods brigades in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr to order his followers to stop military operations, members of the Iraqi parliament said.

Sadr ordered the halt on Sunday, and his Mahdi Army militia heeded the order in Baghdad, where the Iraqi government announced it would lift a 24-hour curfew starting early Monday in most parts of the capital.

But fighting continued in the oil hub of Basra, where a six-day-old government offensive against Shiite militias has had only limited gains.

So far, 488 people have been killed and more than 900 wounded in the offensive, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said.

The backdrop to Sadr's dramatic statement was a secret trip Friday by Iraqi lawmakers to Qom, Iran's holy city and headquarters for the Iranian clergy who run the country.

There the Iraqi lawmakers held talks with Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Qods (Jerusalem) brigades of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and signed an agreement with Sadr, which formed the basis of his statement Sunday, members of parliament said.

So, what does that say when this country's standing has fallen so far that the Bush administration has become almost irrelevant in this political equation in Iraq? That is why, now more than ever, we need a new direction and a new voice -- we need a President who will take bold steps like meet with our enemies so that we can regain standing in the world that we lost during the Bush administration. And the fact that Iran is actively involved in trying to broker a peaceful ending to this fighting undermines any Bush administration claims that Iran is a threat in the region.

The racist HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson has resigned. He is the same guy who claimed that New Orleans would not be that Black for a long time to come. This all comes from the racist attitudes of the past where people get jealous when Blacks are actually happy -- despite their being victims of racism. Jackson's attitudes towards Blacks are the same attitude that led to our ridiculous laws against Pot being passed as well. But this is typical for an administration who has constantly pandered to the ugliest instincts of our people.

While Barack Obama has led us in a conversation about race so that we can move beyond our racial wounds, it is people like Jackson who try to keep us bound in the past.

Des Moines students hold die-in to protest Iraq occupation:

Today, Obama pledged to protect our waterways in the Appalachians:

Obama took more questions and eventually looked over at the man in the neon-green ball cap and sweat shirt, our own Larry Gibson. Obama, like many of us, noticed Larry’s dogged persistence: the Presidential candidate invited Larry to speak, saying, "This gentlemen in the green has hand his hand up for a long time."

Larry stood up and said, "Senator Obama, I appreciate your stand on the war. You mentioned water a while ago. Water is something we all need... We have a House Bill 2169, the Clean Water (Protection) Act...we had a gentleman back here touch on mining. Like I said about the war in Iraq, we’d like you to consider the war we have here in Appalachia, with over 474 mountains blowed up...and it’s the the mining polluting the water...I’d like to know your opinion about it."

Obama replied, "I want strong enforcement of the Clean Water Act. I will make sure the head of the Environmental Protection Agency believes in the environment and enforces the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.

"What I want to do is work with experts here in West Virginia to find out what we need to do to protect the waterways here. That’s going to be a primary task of the head of my Environmental Protection Agency.

Barack Obama will enforce our laws against pollution in that region. Hillary Clinton supports mountaintop removal, as does John McCain. Clinton went so far as to say that mountains that were once removed could be put back in place. This undermines her claim that she is ready to lead on day one and suggests that she would just be there to repeat soundbytes while the real governing was done by corporatist elites.

Barack Obama reaches out to Hillary supporters for the General Election:

Three children sing this song for Barack Obama:

Singer Jay-Z endorses Barack Obama: