November 4, 2008

85,000 Greet Him at Manassas Rally

in The Richmond Times-Dispatch

"This is the last rally of a campaign that began nearly two years ago," Obama said. "We've gone to every corner of this country, from here in Northern Virginia to the rocky coasts of Maine, from the open plains of Texas to the open skies of Montana. "I just want to say that whatever happens tomorrow, I have been deeply humbled by this journey."

November 4, 2008

Election Eve: Obama Runs in Red States

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama closed with a classic. At the final campaign rally of his presidential bid, Mr. Obama dusted off a chant here Monday night that sustained the first year of his candidacy, a tale born last year in South Carolina that has since been told around the nation. It is the story of "Fired Up, Ready To Go," a spontaneous call and response from a woman named Edith Childs, which Mr. Obama turned into the spoken anthem of his campaign. It originated in the early stages of the primary, when Mr. Obama was miles away from being the front-running candidate in the field of Democrats.

November 3, 2008

Obama Hits McCain on Economy in FL

in The Chicago Tribune

Seeking to keep Democrats motivated, Barack Obama kept his focus on John McCain today as he made the first of three campaign stops in Atlantic Coast states that went Republican in 2004. In the final critical hours before Tuesday's election, Obama hammered McCain for saying in September that the "fundamentals of our economy are strong" during a campaign stop in the same building.

November 3, 2008

Even Keel for Obama in Final Turn to Election

in The New York Times

"In a marathon, when you are on mile 20 you start getting tired, but when you are on mile 25 you don't," said Mr. Lippert, who has grown familiar with Mr. Obama's travel rhythms while accompanying him on the four foreign trips he has taken since becoming a senator. "That's where he's at."

November 3, 2008

Crowds Flock to Obama

in The Columbus Dispatch

"In two days, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change it needs."

November 3, 2008

Don't Assume Race is Won, Obama Urges Faithful

in USA Today

Barack Obama ended his history-making campaign for the presidency at a mammoth rally here late Monday, making an appeal for votes in a state that hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. "Virginia, your voice can change the world tomorrow," the Democratic nominee told a crowd of more than 90,000 at a fairground.

October 27, 2008

Obama woos workers

in The Pittsburgh Tribune Review

In a fiery speech billed as the closing argument of his presidential campaign, Democrat Barack Obama pledged to represent the needs and values of middle-class Americans and unite the nation at a time of a severe economic crisis. "Pittsburgh, I've got two words for you: One week," Obama said Monday. The Mellon Arena crowd of about 15,800 roared when he added: "We are one week away from bringing change to America." "The choice in this election isn't between tax cuts and no tax cuts," Obama said. "It's about whether you believe we should only reward wealth, or whether we should also reward the work and workers who create it."

October 26, 2008

Obama draws Mile High crowds

in The Rocky Mountain News

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, speaking to a young crowd of about 45,250 at Colorado State University, urged them to vote early, to keep the faith and promised to find ways to help with tuition if they were willing to serve their country. “I’m going to make a deal with you,” he said. “If you’re willing to commit to joining the military, to joining the Peace Corps, or whatever way you decide to serve, then we are going to make sure you have the money to go to college, no ifs, ands or buts.”

October 19, 2008

40,000 cheer Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton in Orlando

in The Orlando Seninel

Campaigning in Orlando for the first time since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama rallied an estimated 40,000 supporters at Amway Arena on Monday, saying he'd offer a "rescue plan for the middle class" by creating "jobs, baby, jobs." Obama, joined by New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, said Americans had suffered through two terms of the "failed policies" of President Bush -- policies Obama claims Republican John McCain would continue.

October 13, 2008

Thousands cheer Obama at four Phila. stops

in The Philadelphia Inquirer

Helen Henderson, 82 years old and African American, sat in the sunshine at 52d and Locust Streets yesterday, waiting for Barack Obama to arrive. She said she felt excited, honored and blessed. "I never thought I'd live to see a black man in the White House," said the retired nurse, who lives in University City. "I sent him a small contribution in the mail. I owe it to him because he's taking a chance for us. I pray for him."

October 9, 2008

Obama: 'Better days ahead'

in The Indianapolis Star

With the economic news as gloomy as the gray skies overhead, Sen. Barack Obama promised thousands of cheering Hoosiers on Wednesday that "there are better days ahead."...Obama -- speaking to a crowd at the grandstand at the State Fairgrounds that the state Division of Fire and Building Safety estimated at 21,000 -- said "this isn't the time for fear or panic." But he acknowledged the anxiety that many feel. In 1980, he noted, Ronald Reagan asked voters whether they were better off than they were four years earlier.

September 30, 2008

In economic crisis, Obama offers Detroit a message of hope

in The Detroit Free Press

When Michigan is the stop, presidential candidates turn to the economy, and Sen. Barack Obama went straight to work in Detroit on Sunday, railing against Wall Street and Washington for the current financial crisis. Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate, at 8.9%; more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs have evaporated, and the mortgage foreclosure rate is among the highest in the nation. "We meet here at a time of great uncertainty in Detroit and all across America," Obama said. "The era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington has led us to a financial crisis as serious as any we have faced since the Great Depression.

September 23, 2008

Obama strikes back on economic reform

in The Green Bay Press Gazette

Obama’s 45-minute speech Monday on government and regulatory reform in front of about 7,000 people at the Resch Center came as Congress considers a $700 billion bailout of bad loans. Although the Illinois senator urged bipartisan support for the rescue proposal to fix the imminent crisis, he also said such a plan would need accountability.

September 22, 2008

Obama talks economy in N.C.

in The Charlotte Observer

About 20,000 people turned out Sunday to hear Barack Obama link John McCain and his party to an "era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington." "They said they wanted to let the market run free, but instead they let it run wild," Obama said. "And now we are facing a financial crisis as profound as any we have faced since the Great Depression."

September 18, 2008

'Unite the American people'

in USA Today

The only way to end the petty partisanship that has consumed Washington for so long and make a difference in the lives of ordinary Americans is by bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get things done. That's what I've done throughout over a decade in public office. In Illinois, I reached across the aisle to put a $100 million tax cuts into the pockets of hard-working families.

September 13, 2008

In Dover, Obama makes 'pledge' against tax hikes on most Americans

in The Union Leader

Obama, in his first visit to swing state New Hampshire since late June, also seized on a Granite State tradition by taking his own anti-tax pledge. At a town hall-style meeting in blue-collar Dover, he told about 325 supporters and independents, "I pledge to you that under my plan, no one making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not income tax, not capital gains taxes, not any kind of tax."

September 10, 2008

Obama proposes doubling federal funding for charter schools at Dayton campaign stop

in The Columbus Dispatch

Sen. Barack Obama today proposed doubling federal funding for public charter schools, the same schools that Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and an Ohio teachers' union have opposed. Spelling out his education agenda before a crowd of about 750 inside the Stebbins High School gymnasium just northeast of Dayton, Obama spoke to bread-and-butter issues for teachers, stressing the need for financial support and a desire to go beyond teaching to standardized tests. At the same time he dipped into some generally Republican-backed ideals, such as charter schools, teacher performance pay and getting rid of teachers who don't perform.

September 8, 2008

Obama Has a Plan To Manage Our Oil Reserve

in The Wall Street Journal

Energy is playing a pivotal role in this year's presidential election. And a crucial aspect of America's energy security not widely discussed is how to best use America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Sen. Barack Obama is proposing a simple maneuver -- called an exchange, or swap -- that will help lower the price of oil for consumers, increase the amount of oil in the SPR, increase energy security, and leave taxpayers better off by about $1 billion. His proposal deserves to be adopted.

September 1, 2008

Obama skips political speech, asks prayer for Gustav victims

in The Detroit News

Barack Obama today chucked his usual stump speech, appealing to tens of thousands at the annual Labor Day parade and rally at Hart Plaza to join him in a "moment of silent prayer" for those in the way of Hurricane Gustav. "Today is not the day for political speeches," the Democrat said in a 10-minute speech.

August 31, 2008

Obama in Toledo: Rebuild cities

in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sen. Barack Obama's Labor Day weekend message to Ohio was a welcome promise to spend billions of dollars to rebuild America's crumbling cities. Midway through a holiday campaign swing through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan -- critical states in the November election -- Obama drew loud cheers Sunday afternoon when he said, "We need to allow communities like Toledo to get back on their feet."

August 25, 2008

Obama turns focus on plight of middle class

in The Eau Claire Ledger Telegram

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama touched on nearly all the key issues in the upcoming presidential election - the economy, energy, education, health care, national security and Iraq - during his stop in Eau Claire Sunday, but he focused most of his 30-minute speech on the troubles faced by the working class. Times are tough, he said, to about 300 people who were invited to the "BBQ with Barack Obama" at Eau Claire's Rod and Gun Park.

August 23, 2008

Journey begins for Obama, Biden

in The State Journal-Register

Like a team of sprinters who will run a relay to Nov. 4, U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden announced their partnership to an adoring — but sweaty — crowd Saturday at the Old State Capitol. Half a day after news broke that Obama had chosen Biden of Delaware as his running mate, the two faced the nation for the first time as a pair in front of the Old State Capitol.“For months, I’ve searched for a leader to finish this journey alongside me and to join me in making Washington work for the American people,” Obama said.

August 20, 2008

Obama promotes his economic plan in Martinsville

in Richmond Times-Dispatch

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama opened up a campaign swing through Virginia today by visiting the state's most economially beleaguered city, Martinsville, to promote his economic agenda. "We've got to recognize we can't do things the way we've been doing them over the last eight years," Obama told a hand-picked crowd of 300 people at Patrick Henry Community College. Obama said the country needs to invest more money in roads, rail and broadband to help communities like Martinsville and surrounding Henry County.

August 19, 2008

Obama talks about immigration, border security

in The Las Cruces Sun News

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama said Monday he backs continued funding for the state's military and research installations, including White Sands Missile Range. Obama, in a phone interview with the Sun-News, also said he believes defense-related research facilities in New Mexico will play a role in the nation achieving energy independence by helping develop alternative energy technology.

August 17, 2008

Obama Backers Mobilize in Bid to Wrest State From Republican Grip

in The New York Times

Under a scorching sun, hundreds of people lined up recently in a parking lot here to pick up free back-to-school supplies being distributed by a local radio station. Bobbing among the shade umbrellas were a handful of workers for Senator Barack Obama, carrying clipboards and voter registration forms. On Monday night, others fanned out at a movie screening for surfers in Wrightsville Beach. They descended on a street festival in Asheville. When oil companies posted record profits, Obama supporters showed up at gas stations here with registration forms. Despite the relentless heat, and midsummer lull, the Obama campaign is mobilizing in North Carolina.

August 13, 2008

Mark Warner will keynote Democratic convention

in The Associated Press

Senate candidate and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is scheduled to deliver the Tuesday night keynote address at this year's Democratic National Convention - the same role that launched Barack Obama to national prominence four years ago

August 11, 2008

Dem convention themes hit unity, security, change

in The Associated Press

Democrats announced the nightly themes for their Denver convention today, stressing unity, security and change. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, co-chair of the convention, said the theme for the August 25th opening night will be "One Nation," with a speech by Michelle Obama

August 7, 2008

Obama talks about reviving economy

in The Elkhart Truth

Sen. Barack Obama outlined his energy and economic policy in response to an audience question about tough economic times in the Elkhart area. In the short-term, Obama said an additional round of economic stimulus checks are needed. He also said the government should invest in "fast-track" infrastructure, including roads, schools, sewer lines and bridges.

August 6, 2008

Obama touts energy plan, $1,000 tax rebate, at Ohio stop

in The Toledo Blade

Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama Tuesday vowed to break America’s “addiction’’ to foreign oil over the next 10 years, but in the meantime he wants a $1,000-per-person tax rebate to help consumers feed their habit. As his Republican opponent, John McCain, toured the Fermi 2 plant near Monroe to call attention to his plan to construct as many as 45 new power plants by 2030, Mr. Obama used a pair of northeastern events to voice support for his tax credit and characterize the Arizona senator’s plan to increase offshore drilling as just an extension of President Bush’s policies.

August 5, 2008

Obama pitches energy plan in Northeast Ohio

in The Akron Beacon

Sen. Barack Obama continued presenting his proposal for the nation's energy crisis this morning at the Austintown Fitch High School gymnasium. A day after unveiling his ''New Energy for America'' plan in Lansing, Mich., the Democratic presidential hopeful told an Ohio crowd of more than 2,500 that the United States got to the point of $4-a-gallon gasoline because of our dependence on foreign oil.

August 5, 2008

Obama speaks about energy plan in Lansing

in The Associated Press

The crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as he stepped to the Lansing Center stage for a campaign event. The Illinois senator was in Michigan on Monday to talk about energy and the economy, two issues he knows are resonating nationally and in this critical industrial swing state.

August 1, 2008

Obama changes focus to domestic issues

in The Quad City Times

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama touted his energy policies here today, arguing that drilling offshore won’t produce any oil for at least 10 years. He also accused rival John McCain of doing the bidding of oil companies that are making record profits. Obama held a town hall meeting here and also visited victims of the June flooding as he set about refocusing his campaign on domestic issues in the wake of a much-publicized tour of Europe.

July 31, 2008

Obama wants new direction on energy

in The Springfield News-Leader

Barack Obama laid out his opposition to opening up American land and waterways to more drilling for oil at a rally in Springfield on Wednesday. The presumed Democratic nominee said authorizing oil companies to drill for more domestic oil and gas in Alaska and off coastal shores will not solve the country's energy crisis. "The oil companies right now have 68 million acres of leases that they are not using," Obama told an energized crowd of 1,550 packed into the Glendale High School gymnasium. "They are holding land that they're not drilling and now they want to get some more (land). And we've got no guarantee they're going to use it."

July 29, 2008

Obama discussing economy with Fed, Treasury chiefs

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is set to meet with the chairman of the Federal Reserve as part of a day of private talks devoted to the troubled economy. Obama was to meet with Fed chief Ben Bernanke in Washington on Tuesday, according to the Obama campaign. Obama also planned to speak by phone to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

July 28, 2008

Obama Links Economy to Foreign Policy

in The Washington Post

Ahead of a week of campaign appearances focused on the economy, Sen. Barack Obama suggested Sunday that there is a domestic economic benefit to improved U.S. relations with the rest of the world."When you think about the big problems we face here at home, they're connected to the problems we face abroad," Obama said before an audience of several hundred here at the quadrennial "Unity: Journalists of Color" conference.

July 25, 2008

Obama urges Iran to accept EU nuke proposal

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama said Friday that Iran should promptly accept an international call to freeze its uranium enrichment program, which some nations see as a potential step toward obtaining nuclear weapons. The presidential candidate met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, where they discussed Iran, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, climate change and other issues.

July 24, 2008

Obama Meets With Israeli and Palestinian Leaders

in The New York Times

With a fanfare typically orchestrated for a visiting head of state, Senator Barack Obama dashed through a series of meetings with leaders on both sides of the Middle East conflict on Wednesday, pledging to protect Israel and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Mr. Obama, who said he hoped his appearance here would open the door to a stronger bond with Jewish voters at home, pledged that if elected president he would not pressure Israel to accept concessions with Palestinians that would compromise security for Israelis.

July 24, 2008

Obama Ends Mideast Swing With Vow to Back Israel, Peace Talks

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama stepped gingerly through the intractable politics of the Middle East on Wednesday, offering resolute support for Israel's security, warning that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons would be a "game-changing" event for the world, and pledging to make peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians one of his highest priorities if he becomes president.

July 23, 2008

Obama promises focus on Middle East peace

in USA Today

Barack Obama arrived here Tuesday night emphasizing his solidarity with Israel and vowing as president to bring "sustained energy and focus" on ending the intractable Arab-Israeli conflict — the solution to which could hold the key to peace throughout the Middle East. Upon arrival on a late night flight from Jordan, the Democratic presidential candidate delivered a statement at the airport condemning an attack near the hotel where he was to stay.

July 23, 2008

Obama launches day of meetings in Israel

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama toured Israel's Holocaust memorial Wednesday, laying a wreath in memory of the 6 million Jews who died and saying, "Ultimately, this is a place of hope." Obama toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on a Jerusalem hillside as he moved through a busy day of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Obama drew an unusually warm welcome from Israeli President Shimon Peres, who said his greatest wish is for a "great president of the United States.

July 22, 2008

Iraqi schedule for withdrawal close to Obama's

in The Los Angeles Times

After Barack Obama met with Iraqi leaders here on Monday, the Iraqi government outlined a possible schedule for a U.S. troop withdrawal that is similar to the plan the Democratic presidential candidate has pledged to follow if he is elected.

July 21, 2008

Obama Arrives in Baghdad to Discuss Iraq Strategy

in The Washington Post

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama landed in Baghdad Monday morning, on a fact-finding mission to discuss Iraq strategy and U.S. troop levels here, an issue that has become a cornerstone of debate in the presidential campaign.

July 21, 2008

Obama to focus on bolstering Afghanistan's future

in The Chicago Tribune

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai for almost two hours Sunday in a friendly discussion that addressed some of the troubled country's challenges but avoided confrontation over touchy issues such as civilian casualties, militants in Pakistan or Obama's recent criticism of Karzai.

July 20, 2008

Obama has breakfast with troops; meets Karzai

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama shared Sunday breakfast with American troops in Kabul ahead of an expected meeting with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, a man Obama has criticized for not doing enough to rebuild his war-torn country.

July 18, 2008

Refocusing on the Central Front

in TIME

What has long been missing from our national debate is an honest and serious discussion about the strategic consequences of our long-term presence in Iraq. This war prevents us from tackling nearly every serious threat we face, from a resurgent al-Qaeda in Afghanistan to a hostile Iranian regime intent on possessing nuclear weapons to the spread of extremist ideology around the world. Instead of being distracted from the most pressing threats that we face, I will harness all elements of American power to overcome them.

July 17, 2008

In a Red State, Obama Tackles Issues of National Security

in The Washington Post

Barack Obama promoted his proposals to stop the spread of nuclear weapons to countries unfriendly to the United States and to address other security threats at a campaign event in this traditionally Republican state. The Democratic candidate is targeting GOP strongholds early in the general-election battle. Only a few days before a planned trip abroad to highlight his foreign policy credentials, Obama led a roundtable discussion that included Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and former Georgia senator Sam Nunn on the campus of Purdue University.

July 14, 2008

My Plan for Iraq

in The New York Times

THE call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is needed for long-term success in Iraq and the security interests of the United States.

July 11, 2008

Obama Brings Economic Message to N.Va.

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama said yesterday at a town hall meeting in Fairfax County that if elected president, he would bolster the economy by helping working mothers. It was his second visit to the area since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee and occurred on a day when his likely Republican foe was also reaching out to Northern Virginia voters.

July 10, 2008

Obama courts women voters in Fairfax

in The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Desma Kelly has never volunteered to help out a candidate running for office. And she hadn’t intended to on Thursday. But after hearing Barack Obama speak at Robinson Secondary School, Kelly is going to pound the pavement for him. “I’m willing to work for his campaign,” she said.

July 9, 2008

Obama proposes bankruptcy changes

in The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Barack Obama moved Tuesday to paint the 2008 presidential election in stark terms of rich vs. poor, and fat cats vs. struggling families. In a 15-minute speech before 2,700 screaming supporters at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Obama unveiled a pair of new proposals aimed at easing bankruptcy laws for military families and for seniors.

July 7, 2008

Obama Picks Stadium for Acceptance Speech

in The New York Times

A sea of 75,000 people swarmed around Senator Barack Obama at a rally in Portland, Ore. in May — the largest crowd of his campaign. And Mr. Obama is planning a repeat performance at the Democratic National Convention in August, when he will open his speech accepting the Democratic nomination to the public, holding it at a football stadium that can accommodate more than three times the number of people as the main convention site.

July 5, 2008

Obama Addresses His Faith

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama ended a week's focus on values by giving a conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church a highly personal account of his spiritual journey and a promise that he will make "faith-based" social service "a moral center of my administration."

July 4, 2008

Obama pledges support for nation’s veterans

in The Fargo Forum

Presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday he thinks he has a chance to win North Dakota, despite the state’s long record of voting Republican. The Illinois senator made his second visit to North Dakota in three months on Thursday, wowing a crowd of more than 1,300 at the Children’s Museum at Yunker Farm in north Fargo.

July 4, 2008

Obama: End the war, pass energy policy and health care reform

in The Montana Standard<

For his first task as president, Barack Obama said Friday he’ll call in the nation’s top military officials and “tell them we have a new mission”: End the war in Iraq. Next on the list is reforming the nation’s health-care system, so everyone in the nation has basic health care and costs are reduced for families and businesses.

July 2, 2008

Obama gives Zanesville kids his time

in The Zanesville Times Recorder

Students were busy coloring in an upstairs classroom at Eastside Community Ministry when presidential candidate Barack Obama walked in Tuesday. They knew he was coming, but at the sight of him, they all stopped and stared, their projects suddenly unimportant.

July 2, 2008

Obama endorses faith-based social programs

in The Columbus Dispatch

Pitching for support from religious voters in a conservative region of Ohio, Democrat Barack Obama promised today to continue and expand faith-based social service programs if he is elected president.

July 1, 2008

Obama talks patriotism, the value of dissent before cheering Independence crowd

in The Kansas City Star

Barack Obama spelled out his view of the meaning of patriotism and the value of dissent today in a 30-minute address in Independence just four days before America celebrates the Fourth of July. In the wake of sniping from Republicans and Internet critics, the Illinois senator said he was surprised to find his own patriotism being questioned as he launched his campaign for president.

July 1, 2008

Obama Courting Evangelicals Once Loyal to Bush

in The New York Times

Politically speaking, Susan Speakman is a different kind of evangelical. Mrs. Speakman, 59, a pastor and educator at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Bridgeville, Pa., an activist evangelical church southwest of Pittsburgh, backs Senator Barack Obama in the presidential race.

June 25, 2008

Obama touts 'green' energy on visit to Springs Preserve

in The Las Vegas Review-Journal

Under the bleach-bright Las Vegas summer sun, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday checked out the solar panels that shade cars in the parking lot of the Springs Preserve while powering the facility.

June 23, 2008

Obama vows crackdown on energy speculators

in The Associated Press

Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday said as president he would strengthen government oversight of energy traders he blames in large part for the skyrocketing price of oil. The Democratic candidate's campaign singled out the so-called "Enron loophole" for allowing speculators to run up the cost of fuel by operating outside federal regulation.

June 20, 2008

Obama Holds Economic Roundtable with Governors

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama brought 16 Democratic governors here for an economic roundtable today -- and got more than just an earful about the need for better manufacturing policies and greater investment in the national infrastructure.

June 19, 2008

Obama meets with national security advisory group

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama sought advice Wednesday from national security experts who served in Congress and the Clinton administration on how to overhaul U.S. foreign policy if he wins the presidency. Obama, who has been in Congress only three years and has been criticized as inexperienced on foreign policy, met in a Washington hotel ballroom with his new Senior Working Group on National Security, made up of experts in international affairs.

June 18, 2008

Obama touts tax credit to ease collegians' pain

in The Detroit Free Press

For the second straight day in Michigan, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama went to a college and met with students struggling to pay for their educations. At the Wayne County Community College campus in Taylor, he met with 29 students to hear their stories and tout his plan to make college more affordable.

June 17, 2008

Obama promises tuition tax credit

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama recalled paying off his own mountain of student loan debt and promised struggling college students Tuesday he would help them pay for school.

June 16, 2008

Gore to Appear With Obama

in The New York Times

Former Vice President Al Gore will appear in Detroit tonight for his debut campaign appearance with Senator Barack Obama, extending an endorsement and urging all Democrats to rally behind the party’s fall ticket.

June 16, 2008

When faith is front and center

in The Chicago Tribune

A few days ago, I had the privilege of engaging Sen. Barack Obama in private conversation for several hours with Rev. Franklin Graham, Bishop T.D. Jakes and a diverse group of 30 or so religious leaders from Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical and other traditions.

June 16, 2008

in Father's Day sermon reminds dads that parenting doesn't end at conception

in The Chicago Tribune

In a Father's Day address heavy with personal and political meaning, Democrat Barack Obama told worshipers at a Chicago church Sunday that government must do more to help families---but he also exhorted parents, especially fathers, to play their part by raising healthy children.

June 14, 2008

Obama, courting Ohio seniors, pledges no cuts to benefits

in The Toledo Blade

Returning to battleground Ohio for the first time since losing the state's March 4 primary, likely Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama yesterday used a retirement home as the backdrop for his call for higher Social Security taxes on wealthier Americans. At the same time, he promised there would be no cut in Social Security benefits, no increase in the retirement age, and no income taxes on the first $50,000 collected in Social Security benefits.

June 14, 2008

Obama tours Quincy to see flooding

in The Associated Press

Senator Barack Obama visited the Illinois community of Quincy today to see flooded areas along the Mississippi River for himself. During his stop this afternoon, the Democratic presidential candidate helped fill sandbags that are being trucked to both sides of the Mississippi River.

June 13, 2008

Will the Real Tax-and-Spender Please 'Fess Up?

in The New York Times

With the general election in full gear, Senator John McCain has stepped up efforts to paint his rival, Senator Barack Obama, as what he calls a traditional Democratic tax-and-spend liberal. ...In a study of the candidates' plans made public Wednesday, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center concluded that in contrast to Mr. McCain, "Senator Obama offers much larger tax breaks to low-and middle-income taxpayers and would increase taxes on high-income taxpayers."

June 13, 2008

Obama, Kaukauna talk taxes

in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Democrat Barack Obama brought a fierce populist message to the state on Thursday, hoping his push for middle-class tax cuts proves popular here and in other battlegrounds.

June 13, 2008

Obama Campaign Dispatching Thousands

in The Washington Post

Moving to harness the grass-roots energy that helped win the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will deploy 3,600 volunteers in 17 states this weekend, each committed to six consecutive weeks of full-time political work.

June 12, 2008

McCain's Tax Plan Favors Wealthiest, Analysis Says

in The Wall Street Journal

Both John McCain and Barack Obama promise to cut taxes for the majority of Americans. But an Obama administration would redistribute income toward lower- and middle-class households, while a McCain White House would steer the bulk of the benefits to the wealthiest families, according to a nonpartisan analysis of the still-evolving tax plans of the presidential candidates.

June 12, 2008

NBC/WSJ Poll: Post-primary bump for Obama

in NBC News

Days after becoming his party's presumptive nominee and receiving an endorsement from his chief rival, Hillary Clinton, Democrat Barack Obama has opened the general election campaign with a six-point edge over Republican John McCain, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

June 12, 2008

Inside Obama's 50-State Fight

in TIME

Utah is hardly the place that jumps into most Democrats' minds when brainstorming about which red states they have a chance to make headway with this November. The Beehive State was one of just three states in which President George W. Bush swept every county in 2004-all of them except for two with more than 55% of the vote. In the state's 2008 primaries on Super Tuesday, Republican voters outnumbered Democrats by a margin of 2.5 to 1.

June 10, 2008

Obama does 'work day' with nurse

in The Boston Globe

Barack Obama returned to a campaign staple today to show he is in touch with average Americans -- he walked nearly 90 minutes in one's shoes. On the second day of his economy-focused tour of battleground states, he shadowed a nurse on her rounds at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

June 10, 2008

Obama outlines economic policy

in The Fayetteville Observer

In his first North Carolina campaign stop since last month's primary, Sen. Barack Obama on Monday promoted an economic policy he said would benefit working Americans. ...Obama spoke to more than 500 guests at an invitation-only speech at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. He reinforced his message of change, blaming Bush for five straight months of job losses, staggering national debt, stagnant wages and a mortgage crisis.

June 9, 2008

Obama Launches National Tour

in The Washington Post

Kicking off his general election campaign, Sen. Barack Obama touted his proposals to improve the economy and blasted his rival's ideas in a speech touting his core message for November: electing John McCain would be akin to a third term for George W. Bush. "For all his talk of independence, the centerpiece of his economic plan amounts to a full-throated endorsement of George Bush's policies...." Obama said in a formal economic speech here before a smaller than usual (by design) crowd of several hundred. "This is the choice you will face in November. You can vote for John McCain, and see a continuation of Bush economic policies -- more tax cuts to the wealthy, more corporate tax breaks."

June 6, 2008

From Across Region, 10,000 Rally for Obama

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama launched his general election campaign for president in Virginia yesterday, rolling up his sleeves and rallying families, college students and people playing hooky from work to help him "win this election and change the course of history." The presumptive Democratic nominee drew more than 10,000 people to a late afternoon rally at Nissan Pavilion and spent the morning courting voters in coal country at a town hall meeting in southwest Virginia.

June 6, 2008

Obama Promises Bristol, Va., Crowd Health Care Changes

in The Bristol Herald Courier

In his first public appearance since securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama promised here Thursday that every American would receive affordable health care by the end of his first term. Battling self-admitted sleep deprivation since claiming the nomination Tuesday night, Obama spent more than an hour detailing much of his health care plan.

June 5, 2008

Barack Obama has captivated the world

in The L.A. Times

No one's tossing confetti or releasing balloons, but U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's ascent to likely Democratic Party presidential nominee has captivated many of those watching the American political contest abroad. Newspaper front pages and television newscasts throughout the world Wednesday featured photographs and footage of the smiling Illinois lawmaker, who a day earlier clinched the Democratic nomination by winning enough delegates to edge out Hillary Rodham Clinton.

June 5, 2008

History Calls

in The Washington Post

...Mr. Obama's achievements in the primary campaign transcend race. More than any presidential candidate in recent years, he was able to mobilize large numbers of voters -- young people and African Americans in particular -- who had not previously participated in the political process. The energy and optimism unleashed by the Obama campaign allowed it to harness the power of the Internet to raise breathtaking sums of money, a gratifying proportion of it in relatively small amounts. Against a formidable -- indeed, supposedly unstoppable -- opponent, Mr. Obama ran a campaign that would have been impressive for a veteran; it was amazing for a relative newcomer to the political scene.

June 5, 2008

DNC bans lobbyist money

in The Associated Press

With Barack Obama as their future nominee, the Democratic National Committee is adopting his policy of no longer accepting donations from federal lobbyists or political action committees. The change will make the party and the candidate have a consistent position. Obama often says banning the donations is one way to help keep him free of the influence of Washington insiders.

June 4, 2008

Obama Claims Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday night, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a primary campaign that inspired millions of voters from every corner of America to demand change in Washington. ..."You chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations," Mr. Obama told supporters at a rally in St. Paul. "Tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another - a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States."

June 4, 2008

Obama proclaims himself the Democratic nominee

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination in a long- time-coming victory speech Tuesday that taunted Republicans on their own turf and reached out to heal Democratic wounds with lofty praise for his rival. "Let us begin the work together," Obama exhorted thousands of cheering supporters in a packed sports arena. "Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America."

June 4, 2008

Obama vows staunch support for Israel

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama assured Jewish leaders Wednesday that he will be a steadfast ally of Israel and will not negotiate with terrorist groups, a response to attacks leveled against him recently by Republicans. ..."As president I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security," Obama told an annual gathering of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a major Jewish bipartisan group.

June 3, 2008

Front-runner impresses students and seniors, too

in The Detroit Free Press

Hundreds of Obama supporters of all ages and races waited for hours to enter the school's gymnasium. Many sported T-shirts and buttons supporting the Illinois senator. As they waited for the town hall meeting to start, attendees stomped feet, cheered wildly and clapped heartily, sometimes chanting "Yes we can!"

June 2, 2008

Obama Speaks to Veterans

in NBC - Sioux Falls

It's getting close to the finish line for democratic presidential candidates, and they're campaigning in South Dakota as much as they can. Senator Barrack Obama spent the Sunday morning in Sioux Falls talking with veterans. The theme of his message on Sunday was unlike his last visit to Sioux Falls, which was more of a big political rally; Sunday morning's event was a simple meet-and-greet.

June 1, 2008

Obama tours downtown Rapid City after speaking to 3,000 supporters

in The Rapid City Weekly News

..."There's such a thing as being too late,” Obama said. "That hour of change is upon us.” Change has been the mantra of his campaign and he called for a new course on a variety of issues in his speech, which he delivered with passion and precision after 15 months on the campaign trail. Obama joked that babies have been born and learned to walk and talk since he declared for the White House. He called for putting pressure on oil companies to lower fuel prices, to replace the jobs that have been lost through fierce competition and overseas transfers and to ensure the 47 million Americans without health care get medical care and insurance.

May 31, 2008

Obama hits the home stretch in Great Falls

in The Missoulian

With the long Democratic presidential primary race finally nearing an end, Barack Obama put in a last-minute pitch Friday night for Montanans' votes. "I'm here to report after traveling 15 months, after visiting 48 states, after speaking to hundreds of thousands of people and shaking hundreds of thousands of hands and kissing hundreds of thousands babies, I am here to report my bet has paid off, because all across the country, the American people have said they are ready for change," Obama said. "And Montana, it is your turn on Tuesday to stand up."

May 29, 2008

Obama touts education plan at Thornton high school

in The Fort Collins Coloradoan

emocratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama said he wants to fix the "broken promises" of America's education system and took aim at the heralded No Child Left Behind Act on Wednesday while visiting a Thornton high school. Speaking before an invited guest list numbering in the hundreds, Obama led a Town Hall forum at the Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts after taking a tour of the high school.

May 28, 2008

NEVADA CAMPAIGN STOP: Obama hears woes

in Las Vegas Review Journal

Sen. Barack Obama led a sober town hall meeting Tuesday in North Las Vegas where people told the Democratic presidential candidate that there's more to the housing crisis than foreclosures and that its effect isn't limited to those who bought more home than they could afford. The Illinois senator used the campaign stop to highlight his plans to address the nation's real estate troubles, including creation of a $10 billion foreclosure prevention fund to stem the tide of bank repossessions.

May 27, 2008

Veterans at heart of Obama's Las Cruces Memorial Day talk

in The Las Cruces Sun-News

In front of a Memorial Day crowd of southern New Mexico veterans and their families, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama promised veterans better medical care and more help transitioning back into civilian life if he's elected president. Obama addressed an audience of about 200 on Monday afternoon at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. The outdoor event, though initially announced as open to the public, was invitation-only.

May 27, 2008

Obama Says 'Sense of Service' Makes America What It Is

in The Albuquerque Journal

Barack Obama, front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, paid tribute to the sacrifices of the nation's military during a meeting with veterans and a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony here Monday. "I know that while we may come from different places, cherish different traditions, and have different political beliefs, we all- every one of us- hold in reverence those who've given this country the full measure of their devotion," the Illinois senator said.

May 26, 2008

Obama Speaks At Wesleyan In Kennedy's Place

in The Hartford Courant

Barack Obama stepped in Sunday for the ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy with a call to service at Wesleyan University that was a tribute to a storied political dynasty and a nod to his own presidential ambitions. With words borrowed from John F. Kennedy's inaugural and Robert F. Kennedy's visit to Africa, Obama invoked the idealism that drew previous generations to the Peace Corps and the Civil Rights movement.

May 24, 2008

The Wisdom In Talking

in The Washington Post

...While the president attacks political opponents from the Knesset, responsible members of his own administration meet face to face with Iranians. Yes, Ahmadinejad's words often are abhorrent, and often Iran has played a poisonous role in Middle East politics. But when our ambassador to Iraq meets with his Iranian counterpart, he isn't courting "the false comfort of appeasement" -- he is facing the reality that Iran exerts influence in Iraq. That's why Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have called for engaging Iran. Appeasers all? Nonsense.

May 24, 2008

Arena crowd in Sunrise cheers Obama's talk of unity

in The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Capping a whirlwind 24 hours of fundraising and wooing key constituencies across vote-rich South Florida, Barack Obama on Friday pumped up an already enthusiastic crowd at a massive rally with calls for change, some criticism of John McCain, and a promise to return. If they weren't already smitten, an estimated 16,000 people who came to the BankAtlantic Center were ready to fall in love - and they didn't leave disappointed.

May 23, 2008

Republicans and Our Enemies

in The Wall Street Journal

...Sen. Obama is right that the U.S. should be willing to engage Iran on its nuclear program without "preconditions" – i.e. without insisting that Iran first freeze the program, which is the very subject of any negotiations. He has been clear that he would not become personally involved until the necessary preparations had been made and unless he was convinced his engagement would advance our interests.

May 23, 2008

Obama adds two superdelegates, one's a former Clinton backer

in CNN

Sen. Barack Obama pocketed two more of his party’s superdelegates Friday. California congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza are endorsing the Illinois senator, according to a statement released by his campaign.

May 22, 2008

A rock star roar greets Obama

in The St. Petersburg Times

The line outside the St. Pete Times Forum started forming early Wednesday morning. By 10 a.m. it wound around the building. People young and old, black and white, parents and children. ...As Obama made his way to the podium just before 1 p.m., the cheers reached rock-concert decibel levels. "It's good to be back in Florida," Obama told the enthusiastic crowd, who occasionally chanted "O-bam-a! O-bam-a!" before and during the 35-minute speech. "I know you guys have been holding down the fort."

May 20, 2008

CNN projects Obama reaches majority of pledged delegates

in CNN

With the addition of two more delegates from Tuesday's Kentucky contest, CNN projects that Barack Obama now has 1,628 pledged delegates - a majority of the pledged delegates available in this year's Democratic presidential nominating contests.

May 20, 2008

Obama wows 'em

in The Billings Gazette

How well did Barack Obama connect with onlookers at his West High town hall meeting? He got a standing ovation Monday for calling for more school, more homework and on a 70-degree day less than two weeks before graduation.

May 19, 2008

Byrd endorses Obama for president

in The Charleston Gazette

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., endorsed Barack Obama for president shortly after noon today, focusing on his hope to end the Iraq War. "As people all across this great nation know, I have been one of the most outspoken opponents of the Bush administration's misguided war in Iraq and its saber rattling around the globe," Byrd said.

May 19, 2008

A record crowd of 75,000 gathers for Obama in Oregon

in The Chicago Tribune

They waited for hours under a warm sun, the line snaking for blocks and blocks through downtown. They packed onto the park lawn, from the makeshift stage to the waterfront and up to the street. ...They brought their parents and their infants. Some skipped work. Some wilted in the heat. A few jammed the streets afterward, hoping for a final motorcade glimpse. Fire department officials counted 75,000 in all, a record for the main attraction, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

May 17, 2008

Obama Strikes Back at Bush On Diplomacy

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama pushed back Friday against President Bush's implicit criticism of his approach to foreign policy, condemning his administration for not capturing Osama bin Laden and blaming its Iraq war policy for strengthening and emboldening Iran. An animated Obama, cheered on by a crowd gathered on the floor of a livestock arena, said he would be delighted if the presidential race turned into a conversation about which party is better suited to guide the nation's foreign policy.

May 17, 2008

Obama Fights For Farming

in ABC Sioux Falls, SD

Obama spoke to more than 2,000 attendees interested in his agricultural plans. In his attempt to appeal to what is a largely rural area, he stressed the importance of agriculture and explained his plan to invest in young farmers. "We'll give them incentives to afford their first farm or ranch while giving a tax break to landowners who sell to beginning farmers," said Obama.

May 15, 2008

Steelworkers endorse Obama for president

in The Associated Press

The United Steelworkers union endorsed Barack Obama for president Thursday, which should give the Illinois senator a powerful advocate in attracting the Democratic blue-collar workers his campaign has been courting. ..."We find ourselves once again in agreement with Senator Edwards, this time with his decision last evening to endorse Senator Barack Obama," the union said in a statement. "And thus today, the United Steelworkers enthusiastically endorses Senator Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States."

May 15, 2008

Obama pledges help for auto industry

in The Detroit News

Sen. Barack Obama's first visit to Michigan in nearly a year included a high-profile endorsement from John Edwards and a pledge to fight for a rebound in Michigan's battered auto industry. "We are taking steps in the right direction, and American automakers are on the move," Obama told a friendly crowd in Warren, where he unveiled a manufacturing agenda that includes billions of dollars in potential aid for the Detroit car companies.

May 14, 2008

Obama: Choice in November will be clear

in The Southeast Missourian

When it is finally time to choose a president in November, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama told more than 200 people gathered into the cutting room at Thorngate Ltd. Tuesday, the choice will be clear. President Bush will not be on the ballot, he said, but his policies will. U.S. Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican nominee, has shown little inclination to change the policies that have put the U.S. into an expensive war in Iraq, cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and seen the price of gasoline rise to levels that make driving to work an expensive necessity, he said.

May 14, 2008

Obama to Receive Endorsement Of 3 Former SEC Chairmen

in The Wall Street Journal

Three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission will publicly endorse Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the presidency Wednesday, including one who served under President Bush. William Donaldson, who was SEC chairman for about 2½ years from early 2003, along with Clinton and Reagan appointees Arthur Levitt and David Ruder, will join former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker in endorsing Sen. Obama, his campaign said. Mr. Volcker endorsed Sen. Obama in January.

May 13, 2008

Obama pushes for new GI Bill

in The Charleston Gazette

On the day before West Virginia's primary election, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama called for passage of the new GI bill Monday in Charleston... The proposed 21st Century GI Bill would allow soldiers to receive free tuition for college. Obama said it is one of a number of upgrades to GI benefits and healthcare the federal government should provide.

May 11, 2008

At 60, Israel Has Much to Celebrate

in Yediot Ahronot

As the festivities surrounding Israel’s 60th anniversary get underway, Israelis can be forgiven if they don’t feel in an entirely celebratory mood. With terrorism and rockets from Gaza, a serious threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions, hostages held by Hamas, and too many of its neighbors playing tired old games rather than working toward peace and security, Israel can at times feel like a nation facing enormous challenges.

May 10, 2008

Obama makes stop at Beaverton, Ore., software company

in The Associated Press

The senator spoke to workers at Vernier Software & Technology for the first of three scheduled stops in Oregon on Friday. While pundits may make the country out to be divided, he said, the concerns of Oregonians are shared across the nation. At Vernier, he talked about his plans to tackle key economic issues such as health care costs, the cost of college, taxes and gas prices.

May 9, 2008

Obama picks up 9 superdelegates, union endorsement

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama all but erased Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-imposing lead among national convention superdelegates on Friday and won fresh labor backing as elements of the Democratic Party began coalescing around the Illinois senator for the fall campaign. Obama picked up the backing of nine superdelegates, including Rep. Donald Payne of New Jersey, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus who had been a Clinton supporter.

May 9, 2008

Union, 3 Superdelegates Endorse Obama

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama picked up an endorsement Friday morning from the union representing federal employees -- and the personal support of its president, a superdelegate to this summer's Democratic convention. ..."Senator Obama has proven he is able to energize young Americans, independents and even moderate Republicans to support his candidacy," Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said in a statement. "I believe he represents our best hope of winning in November."

May 8, 2008

'We may have a second Lincoln': McGovern explains endorsement switch

in The Mitchell Daily Republic

George McGovern has a history of associations with transformative political figures. He campaigned at the sides of John F. and Robert Kennedy during their respective runs for the White House, and he’s currently writing a book about Abraham Lincoln. McGovern thinks Barack Obama may be cut from the same historic mold as those men, and that’s one reason McGovern said Wednesday that after eight months of supporting Hillary Clinton for president, he is switching sides.

May 4, 2008

Obama meets his Indiana roots

in The Indianapolis Star

Sen. Barack Obama met his Indiana roots today, visiting the Tipton County farmhouse where his mother's family had settled in the 1800s. As an icy wind blasted across the flat farmland, Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6, met a distant cousin, Annette Noble, 67. Noble was among a couple dozen people who came out to meet Obama as he campaigns in the final days before Tuesday's primary election.

May 4, 2008

Obama represents best hope for change

in The Post-Tribune

The buzz word in the race for the Democratic nomination for president has been “change” - change from the failed policies of President Bush, who has little positive to hold on to as he approaches the end of his presidency. Barack Obama has taken the crusade for change a step further, calling for a change in the politics and policies of Washington and the country as a whole.

May 3, 2008

Michelle Obama focuses on fairness

in The Asheville Citizen-Times

An ever-shifting bar has put prosperity, affordable health care, good housing and a college education out of reach for too many Americans, Michelle Obama told a crowd of thousands in Asheville on Friday. Raised from humble beginnings, Barack Obama is the lone presidential contender who identifies with everyday people and understands what it takes to lift them up, the candidate’s wife said in a lively and wide-ranging speech at UNC Asheville. "Life has gotten harder, not easier, for working people," Obama said to thunderous applause from a podium on the campus quad. "Barack will work every day to make that bar even."

May 3, 2008

'I will not let you down'

in The Northwest Indiana Times

Vowing to run an open White House, Barack Obama urged Northwest Indiana residents to vote for him in Indiana's primary in three days. "I may not be perfect," Obama said. "But I'll always tell you what I think. I will not let you down." Obama again touted his plans to fix trade problems with China, and help create new jobs for American workers in the alternative energy industry. "It can start right here in Munster, if you've got the leadership," he said.

May 2, 2008

Obama Tries To Win Over Indiana Steelworkers

in CBS - Chicago

The Indiana Democratic primary is just days away and Sen. Barack Obama was in Munster Friday trying to sway voters there. CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports about 300 steel workers gave Obama a rousing welcome at Munster Steel Company. His message was aimed at the working class, struggling in this difficult economy.

May 1, 2008

Hoosier superdelegate defects to Obama

in The Indianapolis Star

Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Joe Andrew, an Indiana native who also was state party chairman here, is switching his support from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama. ......In a letter Andrew is releasing today explaining his decision, he said: ..."Let us come together right now behind an inspiring leader who not only has the audacity to challenge the old divisive politics, but the audacity to make us all hope for a better America."

May 1, 2008

Gas Tax Gotcha

in The Washington Post

...We do not underestimate the impact of high fuel prices on families that need their cars to get to work and school. But the gas tax is one component of the per-gallon price that comes back to benefit the motoring public, in the form of funding for road construction and maintenance. Much of the rest leaves America, going to such places as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Ms. Clinton proposes a windfall profits tax on U.S. oil companies to recapture the revenue forfeited by her proposal. Similar ideas have failed in the Senate because of oil-state objections; this one undoubtedly would, too. We have to agree with Sen. Barack Obama, the only candidate who has refused to play this game. "It's not an idea to get you through the summer," he said. "It's an idea to get them through an election." His opponents no doubt hope that Mr. Obama's stand will prove to be political suicide. We think it qualifies as political courage.

April 30, 2008

Hopeful Obama makes stop in Hickory

in Media General News Services

Chants of "Yes, We Can!" followed by "O-ba-ma!" echoed from Hickory High School’s Craft Gymnasium Tuesday as supporters greeted Barack Obama. The first presidential candidate to visit Hickory in more than a decade addressed an overflow and diverse crowd of more than 2,000. Making his second campaign stop of the day in North Carolina, Obama talked up his universal health care plan, tax cuts for the middle class and ideas to fix the struggling economy.

April 29, 2008

Obama stresses economy in speech

in The Rocky Mount Telegram

With his jacket off and his shirt sleeves rolled up, Barack Obama asked a crowd of about 1,500 somewhat-soggy Eastern North Carolinians on Monday to believe in the potential of the middle class - and then to vote for him on May 6. ... Taking several minutes during his speech to focus on issues faced by small towns throughout the eastern part of the state, Obama pledged to restore the U.S. economy by returning order to the job market. "Unemployment here in Wilson is outpacing the rest of the county," Obama said after referring to a few local plants that moved overseas in recent years. "And folks here in Wilson are making about $11,000 less on average than the rest of the country. Meanwhile, gas costs $3.58."

April 29, 2008

Obama at UNC-CH: Time for new chapter

in The News & Observer

Sen. Barack Obama rallied thousands of supporters at UNC-Chapel Hill late Monday, saying he is the best candidate to bring Americans through the crisis of rising gas and food prices. Speaking after 10:30 p.m. to a crowd that skewed young and screamed loudly enough to be heard up the street, Obama ended a day of campaigning in the Dean Smith Center. There, he said that he would bring troops home from Iraq, that he would unify the country, that he would fight special interests and, as much as anything, that he believes in hope and the American dream.

April 28, 2008

Barack Obama: Adjust tax rules, encourage savings, trim waste

in The Charlotte Observer

Americans who work hard their entire lives have earned the right to retire with dignity and security. That's the promise that each of us wants to be realized within our own families. But Washington is not working to preserve this fundamental part of the American dream. A secure retirement is no longer a guarantee for the middle class. It's harder to save for retirement, pensions are getting crunched, and prescription drug prices are slipping out of reach. The promise of Social Security may grow harder to keep for future generations. That's why I have proposed a comprehensive agenda for retirement security.

April 28, 2008

Obama Links Broad Ideas to Economic Specifics

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama came this past weekend to this factory town, where the loss of hundreds of jobs at the Delphi auto parts plant was only the latest blow, and told 2,000 voters that the way to fix things was not just to vote for him -- but to join a bottom-up mass movement to change the way government works. He didn't put it that way exactly. But in a noteworthy shift, the Illinois senator is trying to reach working-class and middle-class voters by arguing more explicitly that the reform ideas driving his campaign can address the economic troubles that threaten their way of life.

April 27, 2008

OBAMA: Talking job loss, lagging economy

in The Anderson Herald Bulletin

"Families in Madison County make over $7,000 less than other American families," said U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on Saturday at Anderson High School. The Democratic presidential candidate held a town hall meeting before a crowd of 1,500 and began his speech by addressing the economic situation in Anderson and other Indiana communities.

April 27, 2008

OBAMA: "We need to bring this country together."

in The Anderson Herald Bulletin

The second point of his talk, Obama says, is to bring this country together. "I've got a reputation for being able to work with Republicans," Obama said. 25 minutes into his talk, Obama moved on to tax talks.

April 25, 2008

Obama plans major drive to register voters

in The Chicago Tribune

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is planning to unveil a "massive" voter registration drive, one that will reach all 50 states and seeks to boost confidence in him as a potential general election candidate. ..."That's why I'm so proud that today our campaign announced a massive volunteer-led voter registration drive in all 50 states to help ensure every single eligible voter takes part in this election so we can take back Washington for the American people," Obama said at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place

April 25, 2008

Obama applauds unions at convention

in The Chicago Sun-Times

It was supposed to be his day off, but with a union convention in town and the close Indiana primary less than two weeks away, White House hopeful Barack Obama thanked 200 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers for their help on his campaign Thursday. "No matter where [the campaign] has taken me, you've been right by my side," Obama told the members in their yellow "UFCW for Obama" T-Shirts. "I know that because I see those yellow T-shirts at every town hall meeting."

April 24, 2008

Obama courts voters in New Albany

in The Louisville Courier Journal

Sen. Barack Obama told a thunderous crowd at Indiana University Southeast yesterday that he's the best candidate to bring change and he'll do it by spurning special interests and focusing on the needs of working Americans. ...But he told the estimated 2,500 people in the IUS gym that they "do have a real choice." "I believe the only way we're going to bring about the changes that you need to see in your lives and the lives of your community is if we don't just offer different policies, but we offer a different kind of politics in Washington," he said.

April 23, 2008

In Oklahoma: Henry backs Obama

in The Oklahoman

Gov. Brad Henry, who said earlier he would not endorse a Democratic presidential candidate until this summer's national convention, announced this morning he is supporting Barack Obama. ..."Senator Obama is uniquely positioned to unite our nation and move beyond the divisiveness and partisan skirmishes that too often characterize politics as usual in Washington,” said Henry, who is in the middle of his second term. "Senator Obama and his positive message reflect the best of America,” Henry said.

April 23, 2008

29 state legislators endorse Obama

in The News and Observer

...Blue and Rand said their support comes in part because they think Obama will help Democrats win other offices in the state and because he has committed to win in North Carolina in November's general election. Rand praised Obama for speaking directly. "He won't just tell everyone what they want to hear," Rand said. "He'll tell people what they need to hear."

April 21, 2008

Kennedy: Obama inspires people, works tirelessly

in The Patriot-News

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has heard the comparisons between Barack Obama and his brothers. He does not disagree with those who say the senator from Illinois has the same ability to inspire people that President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy possessed. "I see Barack having a similar kind of appeal," the senior Democratic senator from Massachusetts said. "He is challenging young and old alike to be a part of the solution to the problems."

April 21, 2008

Crowd of 2,600-plus cheers Obama in Reading

in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

More than 2,600 people packed the Reading High School gym today as it reverberated with screams of, "Yes, we can! Yes we can!" That was followed by loud chants, "O-bam-a! O-bam-a," as the faithful supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama urged him on for Tuesday's Primary. "Berks County, are you fired up?" yelled Eileen Prussman, leader of the local Obama for President effort. "We want to win this county and win Pennsylvania for Barack."

April 20, 2008

Endorsement: Obama

in The Eugene Register-Guard

...A weariness with wedge politics should lead Democrats to choose not just between two politicians, but between two styles of politics. Voters should grasp the opportunity to open a new chapter - a chapter with a fresh political vocabulary, elevated discourse and rekindled hopes. Obama offers that opportunity, and Oregon Democrats should support him in the May 20 primary election.

April 20, 2008

Obama whistle-stops through the southeast

in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama chugged into the waning days of the Pennsylvania primary campaign yesterday on a fast-paced whistle-stop tour, speaking, at times from the platform of the final car as the train crawled past waiting crowds in Bryn Mawr and Wayne. The tour stopped for rallies in Wynnewood, Paoli, Downingtown and Lancaster, and was to end with a big, late-night rally on the Capitol steps in Harrisburg. Thousands cheered at each stop as the train moved westward into the center of the state from Philadelphia, Mr. Obama's strongest area of support and home to 35 percent of the state's registered Democrats.

April 19, 2008

Obama greeted by largest crowd of his campaign

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama was greeted by the largest crowd of his campaign Friday night in Philadelphia. Some 35,000 people jammed into Independence Park to see the Democratic presidential candidate, four days before this state's crucial April 22 primary. ...Obama told the crowd the United States is at a crucial moment in its history, much like what the founding fathers faced in Philadelphia.

April 19, 2008

Obama pushes across Pa.

in The Philadelphia Inquirer

Sen. Barack Obama launched his closing Pennsylvania blitz yesterday by traveling from one corner of the state to the other, starting in Erie and closing with a massive outdoor rally on the streets of Philadelphia. On a warm and clear spring evening, in front of a crowd estimated at 35,000, the Democratic presidential candidate told supporters that they have the opportunity to send a powerful message to the rest of the country in the primary on Tuesday.

April 18, 2008

New Obama Endorsements

in The New York Times

The endorsements keep rolling in for Barack Obama, who now can count on the support of former Labor Secretary Robert Reich (from the Bill Clinton White House) and two popular former senators - David Boren of Oklahoma and Sam Nunn of Georgia.

April 17, 2008

Endorsement: VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA

in The Philadelphia Daily News

... THERE IS a way to match Clinton's and Obama's performances on a relatively equal playing field: their campaigns. A candidate's campaign may be the best indicator of how she or he will govern. If so, an Obama administration would be well-managed, inclusive and astonishingly broad-based. It would make good use of technology and communicate a message of unity and, yes, hope.

April 16, 2008

Bruce Springsteen endorses Obama for president

in The Associated Press

Rock star Bruce Springsteen endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president Wednesday, saying "he speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years." ... "He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next president," the letter said.

April 16, 2008

Endorsement: Illinois senator projects sense of leadership the nation needs

in The Patriot News

... In Obama, the Democrats have "the candidate of hope," and their best prospect of running a competitive and uplifting campaign against McCain this fall. The Patriot-News editorial board endorses Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

April 16, 2008

Endorsement: Obama inspires

in The Bucks County Courier Times

...Barack Obama inspires like no other candidate; indeed, like no other individual on the national stage. He has mobilized new voters and young people in general to get involved in the political process for the first time. And his themes of hope and change, which ring so authentic, have likewise invigorated many who otherwise might have sat out the election.

April 16, 2008

Endorsement: Barack Obama: Democrats deserve a nominee for change

in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazett

...Because political business-as-usual is more likely to bring the usual disappointment for the Democrats this fall, the Post-Gazette endorses the nomination of Barack Obama, who has brought an excitement and an electricity to American politics not seen since the days of John F. Kennedy.

April 16, 2008

Rep. Andre Carson endorses Obama

in The Indianapolis Star

U.S. Rep. Andre Carson this morning endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. ... But, Carson said, "I've chosen to endorse Senator Obama for several reasons. I believe that he is an individual who can lead our country with positive leadership and restore the people's faith in the office of the president of the United States. He is a man who represents a new generation of leadership that will take responsibility for changing our country. Senator Obama, I believe, will work day and night to ensure that the U.S. government is fighting for everyday hard-working American families.

April 14, 2008

Steelers owner endorses Obama

in The Boston Globe

Barack Obama already had the Bus in his corner. Now, he has the Bus's boss. Former Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Jerome Bettis joined Obama for part of his bus tour through Pennsylvania. Today, Steelers owner and chairman Dan Rooney announced his support.

April 13, 2008

Obama's vision is reason to nominate him

in The Allentown Morning Call

Pennsylvania's Democratic voters on April 22 will choose between two candidates in the presidential primary. Both are qualified to become the nation's chief executive. They have more similarities than differences. But, The Morning Call recommends that Sen. Barack Obama be nominated, and we offer three reasons. The first is the quality of his campaign. It has surprised the experts by moving him close to the finish line against bigger, more established political machines and it has communicated his basic ideas well.

April 12, 2008

Dem hopeful Obama says he wants to restore diplomacy to foreign policy

in The Terre Haute Tribune-Star

...Obama spoke using a podium used by former President John F. Kennedy during a presidential campaign visit to Terre Haute on Oct. 5, 1960. Looking at the podium, Obama said he wants to restore diplomacy to foreign policy. “I was reminded of what John F. Kennedy said. John F. Kennedy, who spoke on this lectern, he said, ‘We can never negotiate out of fear, but we can never fear to negotiate.’ That is what strong countries and strong presidents do. They talk to their adversaries, they tell where America stands and try to resolve differences without resorting to war,” Obama said.

April 12, 2008

Obama visits IU's Little 500 bike race

in The Indianapolis Star

Sen. Barack Obama made an unannounced visit to the Little 500 women's bicycle race at Indiana University today, where he was greeted like a rock star. "Oh my God!" student after student screamed as they stretched their arms out for a handshake, hug or autograph from the Democratic presidential candidate. Cell phones and cameras were whipped out to snap memories.

April 11, 2008

Obama Calls for Checks on Executive Pay

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is demanding that company shareholders have a say in how much executives get paid as he pushes his populist message. Obama, in remarks he planned to make to reporters Friday morning, wants Congress to pass legislation he has sponsored that would require corporations to have a nonbinding vote by shareholders on executive compensation packages.

April 11, 2008

Gary open to message of hope

in The Indianapolis Star

If ever a city needed the kind of hope and rebirth presidential candidates love to talk about, here it is. This Northwest Indiana city, with its massive steel mill and equally massive problems, welcomed Sen. Barack Obama, our latest messenger of hope, to a high school with a 41 percent graduation rate Thursday morning. "I'm running because of what Dr. King called the fierce urgency of now," the Democrat from Illinois told a crowd of about 2,500. "Because I believe there's such a thing as being too late, and that hour is almost upon us."

April 10, 2008

Obama woos, wows South Bend crowd

in The South Bend Tribune

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of 3,500 late Wednesday night at Washington High School. He began by talking about why he is running for president, including ending the war in Iraq and improving health care, taxes and education.

April 9, 2008

Barack Obama's 'Road to Change' tour begins tonight

in WISH-TV

Senator Barack Obama makes his third trip to Indiana Wednesday night when he holds a large rally in South Bend. But it doesn't stop there. He then plans to travel by bus around the state for a three-day tour called "Road to Change." Wednesday's rally starts at 10 p.m. at Washington High School in South Bend. A spokesman from the campaign said the rally is late because of the senator's busy schedule, but he still thinks thousands of people will show up.

April 9, 2008

Michelle Obama courts voters for Barack

in The News & Observer

Michelle Obama drew a huge and raucous crowd here Tuesday for a speech in which she argued that her husband was ready by experience, intellect and temperament to be the next president of the United States. "The thing we have to understand in this race, North Carolina, is that Barack Obama is ready to lead," Michelle Obama told a crowd at Reynolds Coliseum that the fire marshal put at 5,700. "O-bam-a, O-bam-a," chanted the crowd, jumping to its feet.

April 9, 2008

Obama calls for talks with Iran over Iraq

in AFP

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday called for a "diplomatic surge" including talks with US foe Iran, to help stabilize the situation in Iraq. The Illinois Senator battling Hillary Clinton for his party's nomination called for more pressure on the Iraqi government to embrace political reconciliation and a regional "diplomatic surge that includes Iran." "We should be talking to them as well," Obama told the top US General in Iraq David Petraeus and US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker.

April 8, 2008

Obama is best for Democrats

in The Portland Tribune

Oregon Democrats can do their part to encourage the nation to move forward by throwing their support to Sen. Barack Obama in the May 20 primary. ...Obama's campaign already has proven transformative in many ways. He has engaged and motivated younger voters who are willing to put aside the cynicism held by many of their elders and to believe again that government can be a positive force for change. Obama also represents a singular opportunity to unify this nation around the strength of its racial and ethnic diversity.

April 8, 2008

Obama meets working moms

in The Charlotte Observer

This was Michelle Obama's "mom time" in her husband's campaign for president. She'd come Tuesday to meet with 50 working women who filled a room at a Harrisburg preschool, anxious to talk to Barack Obama's wife. But they'd have to wait. Instead, Michelle Obama swept into a classroom of children, ages 2 to 6, to read to them. ...Then it was on to hear concerns of the big people, before heading off to campaign events in Winston-Salem and Raleigh as part of a daylong tour of North Carolina.

April 6, 2008

Obama pledges universal health care, end to Iraq war

in Missoulian

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said he might take up fly-fishing to help clear his head from the rigors of presidential campaigning. He may need it to relieve the ear-ringing endorsement he got Saturday morning at his Missoula campaign rally. About 8,000 people filled every bleacher seat and half the floor of the University of Montana's Adams Center. Another 500 watched Obama outdoors on the giant screen above Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

April 3, 2008

Obama wraps up Pa. bus tour with 'some inroads'

in The Philadelphia Inquirer

He sipped a Yuengling in Latrobe; fiddled with a Slinky in Johnstown; tasted a chili dog and bowled a 37 in Altoona; fed a calf in State College; sampled homemade chocolates in Lititz; toured a garment factory in Allentown; and nibbled on cheese at Philadelphia's Italian Market. Along the way Sen. Barack Obama introduced himself at town-hall meetings and informal visits to local haunts during a six-day tour across Pennsylvania that ended last night.

April 3, 2008

Michelle Obama wows them at CMU

in The Pittsburgh Post Gazette

...Watching Michelle Obama speak on her first campaign trip to Pittsburgh is to observe someone who has completely mastered the art of the political stump speech after only a year of practice - albeit with a few technical glitches at the outset. "So I hear this is a tough mike," she said to the early afternoon crowd of 1,500 at Carnegie Mellon University's Skibo Gymnasium - the first words out of her mouth, spoken as casually as if she were in her living room.

April 3, 2008

Democratic lawmakers make stand for Obama

in The Statesman Journal

State Sen. Avel Gordly of Portland joined 23 of her Democratic legislative colleagues Wednesday on the Capitol steps to endorse the presidential bid of Barack Obama - and she rejoined the Democratic Party herself. Gordly left the party in 2006 and was the Senate's lone independent. But she reregistered to be eligible to vote for the Illinois senator in the May 20 primary.

April 2, 2008

Obama Wins Backing of 9/11 Commission Co-Chairman Lee Hamilton

in Bloomberg

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won the support of one of his party's top foreign policy figures, Lee Hamilton, a former U.S. House member from Indiana, where an important primary vote occurs May 6. Hamilton, who co-chaired the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and headed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said he was impressed by Obama's approach to national security and foreign policy.

April 2, 2008

Valley garment factory is stop on 'Road to Change' tour

in The Morning Call

Barack Obama made an impromptu stop at one of the Lehigh Valley's last remaining garment factories on Tuesday, praising the company as one of the region's "success stories." The morning visit to Tama Manufacturing, a Hanover Township, Lehigh County plant that specializes in women's clothing, came during the second-to-last day of the Illinois senator's "Road to Change" bus tour of Pennsylvania, designed to introduce Obama to the state and pitch him to voters as a fighter for the common man.

April 1, 2008

Obama praises Valley business at campaign stop

in The Morning Call

...Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,500 at Wilkes University, Obama said Tama Manufacturing, which the Illinois senator took a tour this morning, is an example of the type of businesses that should be encouraged. He vowed to provide more tax breaks for middle class families. "Everywhere I go people are working harder and harder just to make ends meet," Obama said. Obama said he would also produce more "21st Century" jobs by promoting wind farms and investing in alternative fuel production to reduce the country's dependance on gasoline.

April 1, 2008

Obama's campaign draws crowds here

in Intelligencer Jounral

...While here, Obama struck a theme of us versus them, saying middle- and working-class taxpayers have been shut out of government policies for too long. He spoke of how executives from Countrywide Financial Corp., the largest U.S. mortgage company, received golden parachutes after the company nearly went under because of their handling of the subprime mortgage crisis. ..."What's wrong with this picture?" Obama asked. "Everything is wrong with this picture." ..."When you pick up that 3 a.m. phone call, you exercise judgment, you exercise wisdom, you weigh the costs and benefits of military options," he said. "Hillary Clinton and John McCain had a chance to exercise good judgment, and they didn't, because this war in Iraq was unwise. It has not made us more safe. It has piled up a mountain of debt for the American people, and it's cost us tragically in so many lives."

April 1, 2008

DELEGATE UPDATE: OBAMA WINS TX

in MSNBC

NBC News has allocated the remaining nine Texas caucus delegates, 7-2, in favor of Obama. That means the Illinois senator has won the most delegates, 99-94, as a result of both the Texas primary and caucuses. Obama now leads by 129 in the overall delegate count, 1637-1508. Obama leads by 162 pledged delegates, 1415-1253. (There remains just one delegate unallocated from Democrats Abroad.) Clinton leads among superdelegates, 255-222, per the NBC News Political Unit count. Also note, the Obama campaign has passed around that it has picked up two delegates in Mississippi, showing Obama with a 20-13 lead. NBC News' count remains 19-14 for Obama so far.

March 31, 2008

Minn. Sen. Klobuchar Endorses Obama

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama picked up the endorsement of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar Sunday night, giving him another superdelegate supporter. ...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.

March 31, 2008

Obama's Penn State Rally Draws 20,000

in The Associated Press

...Obama's rally drew an estimated 20,000 to 22,000 people, according to university official Richard DiEugenio-by far the biggest in a weekend of smaller, face-to-face campaign stops since Obama launched a six-day bus tour through the state on Friday.

March 31, 2008

Obama is victor in weekend caucuses

in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Barack Obama dominated Hillary Clinton over the weekend in round two of the state caucus process, leaving the Illinois senator poised to win more pledged national delegates from Texas despite narrowly losing the popular vote in early March.

March 31, 2008

Some Republicans Emerge To Endorse Obama

in The New York Sun

...Call them the Obamacans: They are against continuing the Iraq war and reject what they see as Mr. Bush's unconstitutional buildup of executive power. While the conservative Republican base rejected Senator McCain in the early primaries for his push for bipartisan campaign finance regulation and amnesty for illegal immigrants, the Arizona senator's hawkish support for the Iraq war has alienated what was once his national constituency, anti-Bush Republicans.

March 30, 2008

Obama campaign speech draws hundreds to city

in The Tribune-Democrat

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama brought his message of change to Johnstown on Saturday, telling an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,200 that he is the right person to transform Washington. ...But he repeatedly returned to what has been the central theme of his campaign: The federal government is broken, and he can fix it. ..."We've got to send a message to Washington that says, 'enough is enough,'" Obama said.

March 30, 2008

Obama campaign opens Muncie office

in The Star Press

The Barack Obama presidential campaign opened an office in Muncie Saturday and volunteers didn't waste any time getting started, immediately canvassing the city to register new voters. ...Nate Horning, regional director of the Obama campaign, said the campaign wanted to "kick things off by having a voter registration drive," and the location near Ball State University would be beneficial to the campaign. ...The Obama organization "wants to have people on the streets with voter registration forms to bring new people into the process, and this is ground zero for doing that," he said.

March 29, 2008

Obama's appeal to 'better angels' inspires Casey

in The Patriot News

..."I made a decision in my own heart and as a voter," he said. "It's a lot easier to say [to yourself that] you're going to vote for that candidate on April 22 and stay on the sidelines." Inspired by what he said is Obama's message and character, Casey made his choice. "I've been impressed by so much watching this campaign," he said. "I've been impressed by his compassion, his strength, his ideas, and I think especially, especially under fire, he has appealed as ... Abraham Lincoln asked us to do many years ago to the better angels of our nature."

March 29, 2008

Obama HQ opening draws 700

in The Charlotte Observer

State Sen. Malcolm Graham thought he had an idea of what to expect when he helped open Democrat Barack Obama's Charlotte headquarters Thursday night. ...Getting 700 people to any political event, let alone a headquarters opening, is unusual, to say the least. "I've never seen a grassroots movement take hold like that," Graham says. "It was just amazing to sit back and watch."

March 29, 2008

Obama to hold 3-on-3 Challenge for Change

in The Evansville Courier & Press

Calbert Cheaney, former Indiana high school basketball star, 1993 NCAA player of the year and Evansville native, announced today that high school students across the state will be eligible to play 3-on-3 basketball with presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Il., if they can register at least 20 other new voters by April 6. The state has set April 7 as the deadline to register to vote in Indiana's May 6 primaries. The student who wins the Obama's campaign's "3-on-3 Challenge for Change" may pick two of his or her friends to join in playing basketball in Indiana with Obama before May 6.

March 27, 2008

State lawmakers endorse Obama for president

in The Indianapolis Star

A group of state legislators from every corner of Indiana today endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. ..."There, you've had it," Sen. Earline Rogers, a Gary Democrat, said after the lawmakers spoke. "Indiana, north, south, east, west, middle. Black, white, Hispanic. Urban, rural. We cross all of these spectrum. And with those kinds of demographics that Indiana possesses, those are precisely the demographics that will make Barack Obama the next president of the United States.

March 27, 2008

Obama Outlines Economic Plan

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama, tackling the fallout from the collapse of the subprime housing market, today outlined major changes in the way the federal government regulates financial institutions and called for a second stimulus package to boost the economy. ...Speaking at historic Cooper Union in New York, Obama was sharply critical of the mindset that led to the subprime mortgage crisis. "Our free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it," he said. "That is why we have put in place rules of the road to make competition fair, and open, and honest."

March 27, 2008

How Not to Prevent Foreclosures

in The New York Times

...The question now is not whether the government should intervene, but how. The two Democratic candidates clearly understand that better than the White House or Senator McCain. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have called for a bigger role for the Federal Housing Administration that would allow it to restructure or refinance more troubled loans. Mr. Obama has endorsed the best idea currently on the table to prevent foreclosure: amending the law so that troubled borrowers can have their mortgages modified in bankruptcy court.

March 25, 2008

Obama returning to Pennsylvania Friday

in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sen. Barack Obama will return to Pennsylvania on Friday to start a six-day bus tour across the Keystone State, his campaign said today. The "Road to Change" bus tour will kick off in Western Pennsylvania and conclude in southeastern Pennsylvania, with "numerous stops in between," according to a news release from Obama's campaign.

March 24, 2008

The Next President's Plan . . .

in The Washington Post

To solve the current crisis, Barack Obama would immediately take three steps, addressing the fact that the troubles ultimately result from the squeeze on ordinary Americans in the "real" economy. First, he would enact a comprehensive plan to help bring an end to the foreclosure crisis that threatens millions of families. Obama supports efforts to create a new FHA Housing Security Program to provide significant incentives and guarantees for lenders to buy out mortgages that exceed the value of homes and convert them into stable 30-year fixed-rate mortgages that homeowners can afford. This is a responsible plan designed to help responsible homeowners without rewarding borrowers or investors who helped create the problem by gambling recklessly or committing fraud, and it asks both sides to contribute to the solution.

March 22, 2008

Richardson Throws Support to Obama

in The Washington Post

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered a strong endorsement of Barack Obama for president Friday, appealing for peace in the Democratic Party and hailing the Illinois senator as a unifying force for the country. "Your candidacy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our country, and you are a once-in-a-lifetime leader," said Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, before a cheering crowd of about 12,000 in Portland's Memorial Coliseum. "You will make every American proud to be an American."

March 21, 2008

Obama Links Effects of War Costs to Fragility in the Economy

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama on Thursday blamed the fragile economy on "careless and incompetent execution" of the Iraq war, imploring voters in this swing state to consider the trickle-down economic consequences of the war as they choose a successor to President Bush.

March 21, 2008

Gov. Bill Richardson Endorses Obama

in The Associated Press

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, calling him a "once-in-a- lifetime leader" who can unite the nation and restore America's international leadership.

March 20, 2008

Obama Ties Economic Woes to Iraq War

in The Associated Press

...Barack Obama blamed the Iraq war for higher oil prices and skyrocketing debt Thursday as he sought to tie the unpopular war to the slumping economy in working-class West Virginia. ..."When you're spending over $50 to fill up your car because the price of oil is four times what it was before Iraq, you're paying a price for this war," Obama said. "When Iraq is costing each household about $100 a month, you're paying a price for this war."

March 20, 2008

Groups Respond to Obama’s Call for National Discussion About Race

in The New York Times

...Religious groups and academic bodies, already receptive to Mr. Obama's plea for such a dialogue, seemed especially enthusiastic. Universities were moving to incorporate the issues Mr. Obama raised into classroom discussions and course work, and churches were trying to find ways to do the same in sermons and Bible studies.

March 19, 2008

Obama's Road Map on Race

in The Washington Post

Once again, the conventional wisdom proved stunningly unwise. Barack Obama was supposed to be on his heels, forced into a backpedaling, defensive crouch after racially charged remarks by his former pastor, delivered from the pulpit years ago, suddenly became the hottest story of the presidential campaign. But instead of running away, Obama issued a challenge to those who would exploit the issue of race: Bring it on. ...I believe he might have pulled off something that seemed almost impossible: He not only ventured into the minefield of race and made it back alive, but he also marked a path for the rest of us to follow.

March 19, 2008

Obama Urges U.S. to Grapple With Race Issue

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama delivered a sweeping assessment of race in America on Tuesday, bluntly confronting the divisions between black and white as he sought to dispel the furor over inflammatory statements by his former pastor. ...Mr. Obama also sought to link his theme of understanding and reconciliation to more concrete issues at stake in the election as the economy weakens.

March 19, 2008

Obama calls for racial healing

in The Chicago Tribune

Sen. Barack Obama's sweeping speech on race Tuesday marked an attempt to wrench his campaign out of a polarizing diversion and to reignite a discussion of the country's potential for moving beyond racial division, a theme that worked well for Obama early in the campaign but seemed to get lost amid recent events. ...the image of the first viable black presidential candidate confronting America's racial history head-on was striking. Not in decades has a prominent candidate so bluntly tackled the issue of prejudice. The address invited comparisons to John Kennedy's speech on his Catholic faith almost a half-century ago.

March 18, 2008

Obama's Challenge to...Everybody

in The Nation - The Plank

...It was as if Obama and his advisors knew that, this time, the candidate's legendary speaking skills were largely irrelevant. The delivery wouldn't count for anything. It would be all about the substance. And the substance was true to the setting. I have never heard a political speech quite like this one. But, then, it really wasn't a political speech per se. A political speech would have been shorter, more simplistic, and more tightly focused. It would have hit all the right political notes, with maybe a dash of iconoclasm thrown in just so the pundits could marvel over his ability to stand on principle. No, this speech was something else entirely--long and winding and intellectually honest; imprudent and, in many ways, impolitic. It was far from flawless rhetorically. Parts of it might best be described as tortured, the work of somebody struggling to convey complicated and deeply held beliefs in a context famously hostile to both ambiguity and honesty.

March 18, 2008

The Speech

in The Atlantic - Daily Dish

Alas, I cannot give a more considered response right now as I have to get on the road. But I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was, in my view, unique in recent American history. ...I love this country. I don't remember loving it or hoping more from it than today.

March 16, 2008

Obama: 'This is your campaign'

in The Indianapolis Star

...He promised to focus on three priorities: a responsible withdrawal of troops from Iraq, health-care reforms that will cut premiums for the average family by $2,500 annually and an energy plan to reduce reliance on foreign oil. "If we don't take care of those three things," Obama said, "we won't be able to afford any of the other initiatives that we're talking about because we will be broke." The crowd that packed the gymnasium punctuated his remarks several times with chants of "Yes, we can," three words that have become a trademark of Obama's campaign.

March 16, 2008

Obama Expands Delegate Lead Over Clinton

in The Associated Press

...More than half the 14 delegates allocated to John Edwards on the basis of caucus night projections switched Saturday to Obama. Iowa Democratic Party officials said that with all of the delegates picked, Obama claimed 52 percent of the delegates elected at county conventions on Saturday, compared with 32 percent for Clinton. Some of the delegates picked at Saturday's conventions were sticking with Edwards, even though he's dropped from the race since Iowa held its caucuses in January.

March 15, 2008

Obama Calls for Unity

in The New York Times

... The crowd rose to its feet in applause. "I will not allow us to lose this moment where we can not forget about our past and not ignore the very real forces of racial inequality and gender inequality and the other things that divide us," he said. "When people say things like what my former pastor said, you have to speak our forcefully against them, but what you have to also do is to remember what Bobby Kennedy said that it is within our power to join together to truly make a United States of America."

March 14, 2008

Michelle Obama campaigns in Philly suburbs

in The Philadelphia Inquirer

In her first day of Pennsylvania primary campaigning, Michelle Obama brought her husband's "politics of hope" refrain to Philadelphia's suburbs yesterday, hitting many of the notes that have resonated with voters elsewhere in the nation. To high school students in Abington, she was the academic overachiever who dared them to dream big and to share what they reap. To young, professional mothers in Haverford, she played sister in arms, swapping stories of struggling to juggle the demands of marriage, kids and career against a backdrop of thinning wages and evaporating benefits.

March 14, 2008

Michelle Obama stumps for husband in Philadelphia suburbs

in The Associated Press

Michelle Obama made her first campaign trip to Pennsylvania on Thursday, stumping in the Philadelphia suburbs as her husband remained locked in a fierce battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama told hundreds of supporters at Villanova University's field house that her husband, Sen. Barack Obama, has met every campaign challenge thrown at him. Some doubted that the junior Illinois senator could raise enough money to stay in the race, build a national organization or win the Iowa caucuses, his 44-year-old wife said, but he accomplished all three and more.

March 14, 2008

On My Faith and My Church

in The Huffington Post

The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.

March 13, 2008

Obama enlists ex-commanders

in The Chicago Tribune

Like an honor guard escorting him to his lectern, nine retired generals and admirals entered a room Wednesday with military precision to help Sen. Barack Obama counter suggestions that he is not ready to be commander in chief. Nine American flags, as well as one for each branch of the military, stood behind the Illinois Democrat as he strode along a red carpet into a ballroom at the Chicago History Museum. Calling him "no shock Barack" and "no drama Obama," retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak said the first-term senator has the temperament to lead the military.

March 13, 2008

Eyeing Obama coattails

in The Hill

Democratic lawmakers are becoming persuaded that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would have a more positive impact on other Democrats on the November ballot than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Obama's advantage over Clinton would be most pronounced in the Southern and Western states President Bush carried in 2000 and 2004, say lawmakers interviewed by The Hill. In total, 32 members of Congress from these "red states" have endorsed Obama.

March 11, 2008

Obama speaks at Jackson State

in The Sun Herald

Answering criticism he doesn't have enough experience, presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Monday his detractors really mean he isn't as seasoned with traditional Washington politics, which usually doesn't get much done. The Democrat spoke to the estimated 9,000 people who were able to jam themselves into an arena on the campus of Jackson State University on Monday night. Many thousands more weren't able to get inside for the speech, which at times had the atmosphere of a crowded free concert.

March 10, 2008

Kansas governor stumps for Obama

in The Biloxi Sun Herald

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius made her first visit to the Coast on Sunday and told Barack Obama supporters, "You've got a job to do." After attending church services at the Main Street Missionary Baptist Church in Biloxi, she went to Sunday tea at the Isiah Fredericks Community Center and then met with about a dozen people who volunteered to canvass neighborhoods asking for votes.

March 10, 2008

Volunteers canvassing votes for Obama

in The Meridian Star

While Sen. Barack Obama stumps in Columbus and Jackson today, teams of volunteers will continue canvassing Meridian neighborhoods to "Barack the Vote" before Tuesday's primary. ..."They canvassed over a thousand houses on Saturday and campaigned in various neighborhoods throughout Meridian on Sunday," said Tyson Elbert, a local volunteer.

March 8, 2008

Big crowd greets Obama in Laramie

in The Jackson Hole Star Tribune

Barack Obama received a rock star's welcome here Friday, with supporters lined up in the cold for hours to hear what many expected to be an inspiring speech from a charismatic candidate. "I mean, it's Barack Obama," said University of Wyoming freshman Heidi Owens, who passed the time near the front of the line by knitting. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

March 7, 2008

Obama sets fundraising record with $55 million

in L.A. Times

Barack Obama raised $55 million in February, $20 million more than Hillary Rodham Clinton and a record sum for a single month in any presidential campaign, aides to the Democratic candidate said Thursday. Obama's success reflected a sharp resurgence of Democratic fundraising. ...His $55-million month easily bested the previous single-month record set in March 2004, when Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) raised $43.4 million for his presidential campaign, according to FEC records.

March 6, 2008

Barack Obama's February haul: $55 million

in The Chicago Tribune

Sen. Barack Obama raised $55 million in February, a stunning total... The Tribune has learned the Illinois Democrat raised the amount in an effort that shatters the record for money raised by a presidential campaign in a single month. The Tribune has learned the Illinois Democrat raised the amount in an effort that shatters the record for money raised by a presidential campaign in a single month.

March 6, 2008

Obama nabs another Georgia superdelegate

in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has scored another superdelegate from Georgia. Democratic National Committee member Mary Long told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she will back the senator from Illinois in his quest for the Democratic nomination for president.

March 6, 2008

A New Hope

in

...Obama has emerged by displaying precisely the kind of character and judgment we need in a president: renouncing the politics of fear, speaking frankly on the most pressing issues facing the country and sticking to his principles. He recognizes that running for president is an opportunity to inspire an entire nation.

March 5, 2008

Dayton Mayor Endorses Barack Obama

in WHIO

Mirroring the unofficial results of the Democratic Presidential race in Montgomery County, Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin today announced her endorsement of Illinois Senator Barack Obama. ...In a morning interview on CNN, McLin said the decision of Dayton and Montgomery County voters would determine how she used her superdelagate vote.

March 5, 2008

Obama cuts into Clinton base in Vermont's primary

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama cut into every part of Hillary Rodham Clinton's base of supporters, including women, older voters and the working-class, to claim a deciding victory Tuesday in Vermont's primary. He also won overwhelmingly among voters who thought the Iraq war was the most important issue facing the country, a key factor in Vermont, according to exit polls conducted for the AP and television networks.

March 4, 2008

In a Season of Firsts, the Political Has Become Personal

in The Washington Post

...Robert Ramirez, 35, dragged his wife, Sandy, 32, to the rally. Ramirez already saw Obama in Dallas, but he wanted Sandy to see him, too. Both voted for President Bush in 2000 and again in 2004. ... "What you realize being here is, it's not just about him, not just about one individual," says Ramirez, a post office clerk. "What makes him powerful is us, all of the people here together." He's given $10 to Obama, his first-ever political contribution. For a man with four kids facing rising gas prices, $10 is three gallons.

March 4, 2008

A Defining Moment

in The New York Times

… But this is a country in the midst of a crisis of authority, a country that has become disillusioned not only with one president, but with a whole system of politics. It's a country that has lost faith not only with one institution, but with the entire set of leadership institutions. The cultural context, in other words, allowed for a much broader critique, a much more audacious vocabulary. And Barack Obama leapt right in. … But Obama sounded like a cross between a social activist and a flannel-shirted software C.E.O. - as a nonhierarchical, collaborative leader who can inspire autonomous individuals to cooperate for the sake of common concerns. Clinton had sounded like Old Politics, but Obama created a vision of New Politics.

March 3, 2008

Obama hopes for crossover votes

in USA Today

..."I'm a fan of the Clintons," Swords said. Even so, at Westerville Central High School a few hours later, she said she plans to vote for Barack Obama. The Illinois senator closed out his Ohio campaign in this fast-growing Columbus suburb, a few miles and a few hours away from Clinton's appearance. Swords said she finds Obama approachable. "I feel like he could be my neighbor," she said. As for Hillary? "She was fine," Swords said, "but I didn't come away inspired."

March 1, 2008

Enquirer endorses Obama on Democratic side

in The Cincinnati Enquirer

...He points to the richness of these experiences as the reason he has earned a reputation of uniting people around what he describes on his Web site as the "politics of purpose" - getting people to work beyond their partisan differences to achieve common goals. These are both extraordinarily talented candidates, but it is Obama's ability to reach beyond the partisan divide and gather in support that prompts The Enquirer to give him our endorsement for the Democratic nomination.

March 1, 2008

Obama addresses poverty, immigration with religious leaders

in The Brownsville Herald

Sen. Barack Obama's address to Hispanic clergy Friday was more like a minister speaking to parishioners than a candidate convincing potential voters of the merit of his words. ...Here, he found an attentive audience for his speech on faith and politics. Obama cited biblical teachings and encouraged the religious to be champions for the poor and the neglected.

March 1, 2008

Brown coach a popular Obama surrogate

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama's most prominent salesman, cheerleader and fundraiser in this upcoming presidential primary state is also one of Rhode Island's better-known sports figures - Brown University men's basketball coach Craig Robinson. Robinson's family connection to Obama - the Democratic front-runner has been married to Robinson's sister, Michelle, since 1992 - makes him a natural for the role. He can speak about the candidate with a degree of personal knowledge and authority that few campaign surrogates can match.

February 29, 2008

Obama's got ground game

in Salon

Walk into Barack Obama's Texas headquarters down the street from the state Capitol, and you're immediately reminded of the complicated rules of the weird primary/caucus hybrid coming up here next week. "Ask us about the Texas Two-Step," says a huge sign painted to look like the state flag, with a giant Obama smiling down from the blue stripe on the left. ...Obama's staff here calls preparation for the Texas election "the Olympics" of field organizing, but they seem more than ready for it.

February 29, 2008

Spouse: Obama means change

in The Chillicothe Gazette

Barack Obama can be a catalyst for change and can help more Americans achieve success, his wife Michelle told supporters Thursday night at the Chillicothe YMCA. ...Obama highlighted what changes she hoped her husband could bring about if elected president in November. Important changes she highlighted included unifying the country and stressing changes in education to help make students more successful.

February 28, 2008

Barrow will back Obama

in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Another top Georgia Democrat will announce today that he's backing Sen. Barack Obama in the Democrat presidential race. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah, who represents a toss-up district and who had one of the toughest re-elections battles in the country in 2006, picked Obama over Sen. Hillary Clinton, saying Obama's already proven his willingness and ability to work in a bipartisan manner.

February 28, 2008

Obama says 'We can't wait' in return to Texas

in The Associated Press

On a day when Barack Obama appealed to thousands of Texas supporters to add momentum to his surging campaign, the Illinois senator received boosts from two influential superdelegates. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston defected from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign Wednesday and joined a growing list of superdelegates to endorse Obama for president.

February 28, 2008

Obama keeps packing them in, this time at St. John Arena

in The Columbus Dispatch

..."It's history in the making, and I wanted to be part of it," said Mr. Laws, 53, a parks supervisor in Chicago whose son works in the Obama campaign. Both Mr. and Mrs. Laws, a Catholic school principal, had purchased and donned "Buckeyes for Obama" T-shirts. Ersell Jeffers, 74, of Columbus, waited in line 11/2 hours: "I was so excited I didn't know I was cold until I got inside."

February 27, 2008

Lewis says he's endorsing Obama

in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hoping to put an end to a month of confusion and dismay, Rep. John Lewis on Wednesday said he's switching his support from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Lewis cited the overwhelming preference for Obama in his district as a reason for his change of heart, but he also talked about Obama's campaign as transformational for the nation.

February 27, 2008

Sen. Dorgan Endorses Obama

in Associated Press

Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota endorsed presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday, citing his record on trade. "Senator Obama has never felt ... that NAFTA was good for America," Dorgan said in a campaign conference call with reporters.

February 27, 2008

Former Gov. Mark White endorses Obama

in The Austin American Statesman

Houston lawyer Mark White, one of the two surviving Democratic governors of Texas, says he's endorsing Barack Obama for president today because he's "essentially become America's candidate. You see people from all walks of life, rich and poor, every color reflected, every ethnicity. There's enthusiasm, hope. He will not only be nominated, he will be elected president. He will be America's president."

February 26, 2008

The American Small Business League Endorses Barack Obama

in Marketwire

President of the ASBL Lloyd Chapman added, "I am so tired of being disappointed by our elected officials. For the first time in many years I am genuinely excited about this election. In my life, I have never been more excited about any politician than I am about Barack Obama. I believe that he holds the key to a new future for all Americans. I believe that with Sen. Obama in the White House, Americans are going to be more proud of this country than they have ever been in their lives."

February 26, 2008

Barack Obama says he'll protect Social Security

in The Dallas Morning News

Campaigning in Ohio on Monday, Barack Obama pledged to preserve Social Security and help get families enough money for retirement. "For millions of Americans, Social Security is the difference between a comfortable retirement and a risk of poverty," Mr. Obama said at a roundtable discussion. "We have to make sure social security is there for future generations."

February 26, 2008

Obama draws crowd of 11,000 at Nutter Center rally

in The Dayton Daily News

Sen. Barack Obama packed the Nutter Center like a rock star on Monday, Feb. 25, painting himself as a man who will cut through petty partisanship and bring real change to Washington. "I am running now because of what Dr. (Martin Luther) King called the 'fierce urgency of now,'" Obama said during his speech before an estimated 11,000 people.

February 25, 2008

They're Republican red, and true blue to Obama

in The L.A. Times

...The scene is a typical campaign boiler room. Except that four of the 13 dialing away are lifelong Republicans, including Pedaline, 28, who reveres Ronald Reagan and twice voted for President Bush. "I am so sick and tired of the partisanship," Pedaline says before starting his night shift at Obama's outpost in this affluent Columbus suburb. "I don't want to be cheesy and say, 'He'll bring us all together.' But he seems like someone willing to listen to a good idea, even if it comes from a Republican."

February 25, 2008

Senator draws overflow crowd at Savage Hall

in The Toledo Blade

Hillary Clinton and John McCain swept through Toledo in a span of two days, but they didn't come close to drawing as many people combined as Barack Obama did yesterday. A diverse crowd of about 10,000 people crammed into the University of Toledo's Savage Hall to see Mr. Obama. More than 5,000 others were turned away.

February 24, 2008

Candidate greets a crowd of 6,000 at downtown rally and commends recent deal to keep Goodyear in city

in The Akron Beacon Journal

''We need to give tax breaks if companies are doing the right thing by their workers,'' said the Democratic presidential hopeful, earning cheers and applause from the rowdy audience. ...Obama's remarks got high marks from many in the audience. ''He brings about a message I can believe in and I can trust,'' said Mae Jackson, 55, Akron.

February 23, 2008

Obama discusses pay, VA, education at UT-PanAm

in The Corpus Christi Caller Times

...Among the highlights of his 35-minute speech, Obama addressed the need for more affordable education and health care, a minimum wage that keeps up with inflation, higher teacher salaries and immigration reform.

February 23, 2008

Obama finds warm greeting in chilly Austin

in The Austin American Statesman

Ending a four-day Texas campaign swing with an outdoor party in downtown Austin, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama stood before a screaming and chanting Friday night crowd looking like a gambling man on a winning streak. And that's how it must have looked to Obama, too. "I am here to report that my bet has paid off, my faith in the American people has been vindicated, because you have told me that you want something new, that you are ready for change, that you are ready to move in a new direction," Obama said, strolling the floodlight-bright stage.

February 22, 2008

Obama wins Democrats Abroad primary

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama won the Democrats Abroad global primary in results announced Thursday, giving him 11 straight victories in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Illinois senator won the primary in which Democrats living in other countries voted by Internet, mail and in person, according to results released by the Democrats Abroad, an organization sanctioned by the national party.

February 22, 2008

City readies for Obama rally

in The Austin American Statesman

...The Obama rally in front of the telegenic Texas Capitol, which figures to draw a massive crowd downtown, is likely to be the best-attended political event in Austin since, well, Obama's outdoor rally almost a year ago, when he drew thousands to Auditorium Shores.

February 22, 2008

Survey: Superdelegates Jump to Obama

in The Associated Press

The Democratic superdelegates are starting to follow the voters - straight to Barack Obama. In just the past two weeks, more than two dozen of them have climbed aboard his presidential campaign, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

February 21, 2008

Obama fires up thousands at Dallas rally

in The Dallas Morning News

..."It's a choice that's not just about turning the page of the politics of the past, but turning the page on the policies of the past," he said. "It's time to move past the policies of yesterday because we are the party of tomorrow." Wednesday's rally was unlike any in recent Dallas political history. In a city and state that are rarely players in the presidential race, thousands waited in line for hours to see a candidate who's risen from obscurity to become front-runner in the Democratic race for president.

February 21, 2008

2 Superdelegates Declare for Obama in New Jersey

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama won the backing of two additional superdelegates from New Jersey on Wednesday, including one who had declared for his opponent in the Democratic presidential race, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. State Senator Dana L. Redd of Camden, who had backed Mrs. Clinton, said she switched because Mr. Obama’s growing support had convinced her that Mr. Obama was the best choice to win the general election and lead effectively as president.

February 21, 2008

'This is our moment,' Obama tells packed arena in Dallas

in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

...."I wanted to be here early to hear him," said Marcus, 36. "I feel he has motivated the country in a way we haven't seen before. "This is his time, which means it's our time -- the people's time," she said. "We need the change Obama is offering." Obama was greeted by thunderous applause after being introduced by former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith.

February 20, 2008

Obama Scores 10th Straight Victory

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama added Wisconsin and Hawaii to a primary season winning streak that now totals 10 ..."The change we seek is still months and miles away," Obama told a boisterous crowd in Houston in a speech Tuesday night in which he also pledged to end the war in Iraq in his first year in office.

February 20, 2008

Eager 19,000 pack Obama rally in Houston

in Houston Chronicle

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama brought his broad smile and message of hope to a packed Toyota Center Tuesday night, telling the boisterous crowd that Texas is key to winning the Democratic nomination. Buoyed by a win in the Wisconsin primary minutes before he took the stage, Obama told his supporters that he needed them in the March 4 primary and again in November.

February 20, 2008

Wis. Exit Poll: Obama Won Broad Backing

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama claimed major pieces of Hillary Rodham Clinton's usual coalition as his own Tuesday, winning a majority of white and working-class people while splitting women's votes in Wisconsin's Democratic presidential primary, according to exit polls.

February 20, 2008

Barack Obama: I will repair our relationship with Mexico

in The Dallas Morning News

Under George W. Bush, the United States has not lived up to its historic role as a leader in the Western Hemisphere. As president, I will restore that leadership by working to advance the common prosperity and security of all of the people of the Americas. That work must begin with a renewed strategic partnership with Mexico.

February 19, 2008

Obama kicks off campaign for Ohio at RMI Titanium

in The Youngstown Vindicator

Ringed by factory workers with hard hats and safety glasses, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama kicked off his Ohio campaign by promising to fight companies that move jobs overseas. ...Tristan Liptak, an electrical apprentice at the mill, said he's leaning toward voting for Obama in the Democratic primary March 4 after hearing him speak up for workers.

February 19, 2008

Obama wows Youngstown crowd

in The Toledo Blade

Sen. Barack Obama yesterday chose the Mahoning Valley, long the poster child of Ohio's decline as an industrial power, to kick off his campaign for the state's Democratic convention delegates in the March 4 primary election. Speaking at Youngstown State University to a packed field house crowd of about 7,000 people, Mr. Obama got one of his biggest cheers - and there were many big ones - with a dig at the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA has been blamed for the loss of many Ohio jobs and was enacted during the term of former President Bill Clinton.

February 19, 2008

Excited Crowd Packs Obama's Beloit Rally

in WISCTV

Democratic hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, held a rally at Beloit College on Monday night, focusing on his message of hope and change. Some people waited in the cold for more than six hours in order to get a seat for the event, WISC-TV reported.

February 19, 2008

Obama brings message of hope

in The Tribune Chronicle

For Christena Weatherspoon of Struthers, it was like Barack Obama was inside her head. After the Democratic presidential candidate's 45-minute address to at Youngstown State University, Weatherspoon said she was speechless. She said, "It was like he knows what I want." She was not alone in the crowd of about 6,800 supporters who packed Beeghly Center for Obama's first campaign rally in Ohio and responded enthusiastically to his message of "hope and change."

February 18, 2008

Obama endorsed by state Treasurer Cordray

in The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray is endorsing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president. "I believe in Senator Obama's inspirational message and his effort to create a politics that will bring people together," Cordray, a Democrat, said in a statement released today.

February 18, 2008

Barack's Rock

in

Part of Michelle Obama's appeal-she routinely draws audiences of 1,000-plus supporters even when she's campaigning on her own-is that she comes across as so normal despite the withering glare of a national campaign. ... Onstage, Obama has introduced Michelle as "my rock"-the person who keeps him focused and grounded. In her words, she is just making sure he is "keeping it real."

February 18, 2008

Tanzania Welcomes Bush, but Obama Is Topic No. 1 on the Streets

in The New York Times

...Though the president’s face is on billboards all over town, the name Obama is on the lips of Tanzanians - from taxi drivers to city merchants to the artisans who sell wooden Masai warriors in makeshift stalls at a dusty open-air market on the outskirts of town.

February 17, 2008

Democrats need Barack Obama's vision, leadership

in The Honolulu Advertiser

...For tomorrow's party caucus, when Hawai'i Democrats have a rare chance to influence the final outcome of the primary-election campaign, The Honolulu Advertiser endorses Barack Obama, recognizing his ideas and policies as being most closely aligned with the needs of the country. Many others who've made that selection argue that the junior U.S. senator from Illinois stands a better chance of beating the more seasoned McCain.

February 17, 2008

Obama offers Democrats inspirational leadership

in The Corpus Christi Caller-Times

...Nominating the Illinois senator offers Americans a chance to transcend the old politics. The Editorial Board endorses Sen. Barack Obama because it believes that he offers the kind of inspirational leadership the country is hungry for.

February 17, 2008

Transformation time

in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

...Obama steps up, fresh and inspirational, with a message and an energy that transcend the demographic differences among voters that the media so stubbornly focus on: race, gender, age and economic standing. ...The Star-Telegram recommends Barack Obama in the Democratic primary for president.

February 17, 2008

Obama sports wristband from Iraq victim's mom, a war foe

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama is wearing a wristband in memory of a soldier killed in Iraq, given to him by a mother who said she wants the Democratic presidential candidate to keep others from dying. Tracy Jopek of Merrill, Wis., gave Obama the bracelet at a rally Friday night in Green Bay. He wore it Saturday as he campaigned across the state before Tuesday's primary.

February 16, 2008

Endorsement: For Obama

in The Houston Chronicle

The presidency of the United States is a powerful bully pulpit. The occupant of the White House must not only issue orders, but also inspire and advocate for all Americans. ...Obama is both the epitome of the American Dream and well-positioned to reach out to an international community alienated by recent U.S. go-it-alone policies.

February 16, 2008

Obama: Change needed now

in The Green Bay Press Gazette

Sen. Barack Obama ended his Green Bay visit Friday night with onion rings and a perch plate at Kroll's East. ..."There is a time in the life of every generation where we have the opportunity to reach for what we know is better," said Obama, D-Ill., before an estimated 4,500 who cheered throughout his 55-minute speech, in advance of Tuesday's primary.

February 15, 2008

SEIU Endorses Obama

in The Associated Press

Sen. Barack Obama won the support Friday of the 1.9-million member Service Employees International Union, his second endorsement in as many days from large labor organizations and a fresh sign of momentum in the Democratic presidential race with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "There has never been a fight in Illinois or a fight in the nation where our members have not asked Barack Obama for assistance and he has not done everything he could to help us," Andy Stern, the union's president, told reporters in announcing the decision.

February 15, 2008

Austin mayor endorses Obama

in Associated Press

Austin Mayor Will Wynn threw his support Friday to Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the White House. ..."For too long, we've allowed old divisions to hold us back," Wynn said. "Recently, I've had conversations about energy policy with presidential candidates from both parties, and I believe Sen. Obama is the only person who can move us forward on this critical issue."

February 14, 2008

Food Workers Union Backs Obama

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama has won the backing of the United Food and Commercial Workers, a politically active union with half of its 1.3 million members in the Democratic presidential battleground of Ohio. The UFCW gives Obama an organizational boost in vital upcoming contests, with 69,000 members in the Buckeye state and another 26,000 in Texas.

February 14, 2008

Obama speaks to the heartland on inequality, economy

in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

...Obama's first stop, in Janesville, included a tour of an auto plant in the midst of worker buyouts, owned by a company - GM - that has suffered record losses. Accompanied by Gov. Jim Doyle, Obama rode on a tram through the plant, with workers greeting him, many clapping or reaching out their hands, taking pictures with their cell phones or honking the horns of the SUVs and vans coming off the line.

February 14, 2008

From small donors come big rewards

in The L.A. Times

From his South Texas home, Chuck Barracato watches the news to see how Barack Obama is doing. When Barracato is moved by Obama's message or senses that the Illinois senator could use some help, he digs into his savings and chips in $25 for the candidate's presidential campaign. ..."I am grass-roots," said Barracato, 68, a retired teacher who has gotten involved in the 2008 presidential campaign because of his opposition to the war in Iraq. "I am the itty-bitty guy behind the movement."

February 14, 2008

Michelle Obama Take to the Trail

in The New York Times

Outspoken, strong-willed, funny, gutsy and sometimes sarcastic, Michelle Obama is playing a pivotal role in her husband’s campaign as it builds on a series of successes, including a sweep on Tuesday of contests in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. ... "I am trying to be as authentically me as I can be," Mrs. Obama said in an interview. "My statements are coming from my experiences and my observations and my frustrations."

February 13, 2008

Winning Streak Extends To District, Md. and Va.

in The Washington Pos

...On a day when there was huge turnout in the area, the senator from Illinois won Virginia with about 64 percent of the vote. In Maryland, where the polls were kept open an additional 90 minutes because of bad weather, he was winning with about 60 percent to Clinton's 37 percent. He was headed for an even bigger win in the District, where he was attracting about 75 percent of the vote. The lopsided wins mean Obama will emerge with a clear majority of the 168 pledged delegates at stake in the area, as well as a widening lead overall among the more than 65 percent of pledged delegates who have now been accounted for nationally.

February 13, 2008

Ebullient Obama Rallies in Madison

in The Washington Post

Tonight, an ebullient Obama rallied an ecstatic crowd of more than 16,000 in Madison, Wisc., which will hold one the two Feb. 19 primaries. The other is Hawaii. "Today, the change we seek swept through the Chesapeake and over the Potomac," Obama crowed. "We won the state of Maryland. We won the Commonwealth of Virginia, and though we won in Washington, D.C., this movement won't stop until there is change in Washington, D.C., and tonight we're on our way. At this moment, the cynics can no longer say our hope is false. We have won east and west and north and south and across the heartland of this country."

February 13, 2008

Obama's Support Broad in VA, MD

in The Associated Press

Sen. Barack Obama drew strong support across race and gender lines Tuesday in Virginia and Maryland...Obama carried independents by decisive margins, and led among all voters under age 60. That included unusually robust support from people under age 30, with whom he always does well - including three-quarters of them in Virginia and nearly as many in Maryland - and a split of the oldest voters Clinton usually carries.

February 12, 2008

Obama Wins 3 Primaries for Delegate Lead

in

Barack Obama powered past Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race for Democratic convention delegates Tuesday, scoring outsized primary victories in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia on a night of triumph. "Tonight we're on our way," he told cheering supporters in Madison, Wis. "But we know how much further we have to go on," Obama added, celebrating eight straight victories...

February 12, 2008

Obama gets rock-star welcome in Baltimore, at UM

in

Sen. Barack Obama got a rock star's welcome from supporters in College Park and Baltimore yesterday, stirring his supporters into a frenzy on the eve of Maryland's presidential primary. With trademark themes of hope and change, Obama quoted the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., pledged to end the war in Iraq and applauded young people for their unprecedented turnout in this year's nominating contests.

February 12, 2008

Hundreds turn out for Michelle Obama

in The Baltimore Sun

... Obama, speaking for nearly an hour without notes, charmed the crowd of about 1,200 students and professors who say Barack Obama's bid for the Democratic nomination has stirred the historically black campus like nothing in memory. "Having his wife here was very exciting, the way things have been growing on campus about Barack," said Jelila Jones, a senior. "When you have a lady as inspirational as that, it left an impression on all of us."

February 11, 2008

Obama continues to ride themes of hope and change

in The Free Lance-Star

-Standing inside a school whose improbable success on the football field was chronicled in the movie "Remember the Titans," Sen. Barack Obama spoke of hope and change yesterday, saying both require vision and recognize the need for hard work. ...Hours later, Obama was declared the winner of Maine's caucus. On Saturday, he swept the races for the Democrat ticket, winning the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska, Washington state and the Virgin Islands.

February 10, 2008

Obama wins Maine caucuses

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama won the Maine Democratic caucuses Sunday... Democrats overlooked the snowy weather and turned out in heavy numbers for the caucuses. Democrats in 420 Maine towns and cities were deciding how the state's 24 delegates will be allotted at the party's national convention in August. Despite the weather, turnout was "incredible," party executive director Arden Manning said.

February 10, 2008

Sun endorsement: Betting on change, reform

in The Baltimore Sun

He wants to forge a new reality in Washington where consensus replaces confrontation. And he has shown a remarkable ability to enroll a diverse array of Americans in his cause, convincing a new generation that it too has a stake in Washington. That's why The Sun strongly endorses Mr. Obama as the Democratic nominee for president.

February 9, 2008

Obama sweeps three states

in The Associated Press

Sen. Barack Obama swept the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington state Saturday night... The Illinois senator also won caucuses in the Virgin Islands, completing his best night of the campaign.

February 9, 2008

Rhode Island Attorney General Lynch endorses Obama

in The Associated Press

Attorney General Patrick Lynch endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president on Saturday, making him the second prominent Rhode Island Democrat to pick Obama... "He's the greatest hope for our country," Lynch said in a phone interview Saturday, just over three weeks before Rhode Island's March 4 primary.

February 9, 2008

Overflow crowds cheer Obama's message of 'change'

in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

They came by the thousands -- 21,000 by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' estimate -- to see Sen. Barack Obama at KeyArena on Friday and to hear the message of hope and change that has propelled him to the final rounds of the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. And Obama delivered the message they wanted to hear.

February 8, 2008

Gregoire endorses Obama for president

in The Associated Press

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire endorsed Barack Obama for president Friday, providing a last-minute lift to the Illinois senator on the eve of the state's hotly contested Democratic caucuses. ...But she said Obama is a charismatic and skilled leader who can bring the country together, help solve nagging problems, and restore the country's image abroad.

February 8, 2008

Obama brings campaign to fervent N.O. crowd

in The Times-Picayune

...The only major presidential candidate scheduled to appear in Louisiana before Saturday, Obama also told a crowd of about 3,500 supporters that it will take change in Washington for New Orleans to recover. He pledged that if elected, he would restructure FEMA and make sure there is enough money to protect the area from future storms. "I promise you that when I'm in the White House I will commit myself every day to keeping up Washington's end of this trust. ... And I will make it clear to members of my administration that their responsibilities don't end in places like the 9th Ward -- they begin there," he said.

February 8, 2008

Fans see something special in Obama

in The Omaha World-Herald

...Obama's 45-minute speech touched on his trademark themes - hope and change - and many of those gathered said that is exactly why they are drawn to him. The crowd spanned different ages, races and economic backgrounds. People in fur coats and zip-up hoodies smiled and said they wanted the same things - hope, change, something new.

February 8, 2008

Obama mania arrives in Omaha

in The Omaha World-Herald

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama told cheering Nebraska supporters Thursday that Americans are demanding change now. "We can't wait to fix our health care system, we cannot wait to fix our schools . . . we cannot wait to bring this war in Iraq to a close," Obama said. "We cannot wait."

February 7, 2008

Obama Highlights Plan to Build New Orleans

in ABC News

Echoing themes central to John Edwards, Barack Obama argued against the "empty promises" that George Bush made to the city of New Orleans after the devastation of hurricane Katrina. "When President Bush came down to Jackson Square two weeks after the storm, the setting was spectacular and his promises soaring: "We will do what it takes," he said. "We will stay as long as it takes, to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives." But over two years later, those words have been caught in a tangle of half-measures, half-hearted leadership, and red tape." Obama told a Tulane crowd of 5,000 that he won't be a president that watches people from the window of an airplane instead of on the ground.

February 7, 2008

(WA) State's largest labor union backs Obama

in The Seattle Times

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign announced today it has been endorsed by the state's largest labor group - the Service Employee's International Union (SEIU). The endorsement could be a big boost for Obama as he heads into the Democratic Party's precinct caucuses on Saturday.

February 7, 2008

Md. Leaders Endorse Obama at Annapolis Rally

in The Washington Post

The Howard County executive and an influential state senator from Southern Maryland today endorsed Sen. Barack Obama as the Illinois senator's presidential campaign sought to broaden its appeal beyond Maryland's Democratic strongholds of Baltimore and Montgomery and Prince George's counties. County Executive Ken Ulman (D) and Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles) said at a rally in Annapolis that they joined Obama's campaign because they were inspired by the political movement he has created.

February 5, 2008

Swept Away On A Wave Of Obama

in The Hartford Courant

Whatever happens today, whomever you vote for, know this: Something rare happened in Hartford yesterday. The "unlikely journey" of Barack Obama swirled into the city, and for a few transcendent hours, I was somewhere else, more perfect. "It is not like ever before," Obama told me and 17,000 others stuffed into the XL Center Monday evening. "The last thing we need is the same old folks doing the same old things."

February 4, 2008

The Obama Opportunity

in The Wall Street Journal

...In 2006, Mr. Obama was called to campaign for Democrats in states like Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Virginia. No other Democrat running for president can make that claim. His unique ability to draw votes -- not just for himself, but for down-ticket Democrats -- makes him an obvious choice to lead the Democratic Party to success in the Congress, and in statehouses and state legislatures.

February 4, 2008

Michelle, Maria, Caroline and Oprah on the Hustings in California

in The New York Times

Forty-eight hours before the closest thing America has ever had to a national primary, four extraordinary women put on the best campaign rally I've seen in 20 years of covering presidential politics.

February 3, 2008

Kate Michelman: Why I'm Endorsing Barack Obama

in The Huffington Post

...Senator Obama is not just prepared to lead ­ as our beloved Teddy and Caroline Kennedy have said, he is prepared to lead in a way different than we have seen for decades. Not out in front with us behind him, but rather with us beside him. And that difference is all the difference. That difference separates just any president from a great president; and right now, we need a great president. Barack Obama will be that great president. He will bring us all together. And together, we will change our country.

February 3, 2008

The Star-Ledger: The inspired choice

in The Star-Ledger

...We firmly believe this is a moment in the nation's history unlike any other, one that re quires a president who is not just competent but who can in spire. That is why we endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president.

February 2, 2008

La Opinión: The Democratic choice is Barack Obama

in La Opinión

Obama's approach to immigration and his inspiring vision are what the country need to break through the current feeling of political malaise. ...We need a leader today that can inspire and unite America again around its greatest possibilities. Barack Obama is the right leader for the time.

February 2, 2008

L.A. Times: Barack Obama for Democratic nominee

in The L.A. Times

\We urge voters to make the most of this historic moment by choosing the Democrat most focused on steering the nation toward constructive change: We strongly endorse Barack Obama…...

February 2, 2008

Editorial: The Trib endorses Barack Obama in Tuesday's N.M. Democratic presidential caucus

in The Albuquerque Tribune

...We enthusiastically endorse the presidential aspirations of Obama as the candidate in the New Mexico Democratic caucus most capable and willing to lead this country by challenging each and every one of its citizens to do what needs doing - achieve the American dream, rooted in those famous words: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

February 2, 2008

Susan Eisenhower: Why I'm Backing Obama

in The Washington Post

I am convinced that Barack Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.

February 1, 2008

Our Endorsements

in Hoy (Chicago)

At the age of 46, and with three years experience in Washington D.C., Senator Barack Obama represents a generational change in the broken power structure. The son of an immigrant father and an American mother, Obama knows the challenges facing those deprived of privileges, when facing the uphill climb to success.

February 1, 2008

Thousands turn out to see Michelle Obama

in The News Journal

Echoing her husband's message of hope and character, Michelle Obama brought thousands of Delaware supporters to their feet Thursday during a pair of rallies in Wilmington and Dover. ...Just five days before Super Tuesday, Obama's visit follows weeks of increasing attention here by the campaign, including a 30-second spot calling for the protection of U.S. jobs that began airing Wednesday. On Sunday, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama will stop in Wilmington's Rodney Square.

January 31, 2008

Obama’s $32 Million Haul

in New York Times

...That's how much Senator Barack Obama has raised so far in January, according to his campaign manager, David Plouffe, who announced the first fundraising tally of 2008. The campaign attracted 170,000 new contributors during the month, he said.

January 31, 2008

Volcker: I Endorse Obama

in The Wall Street Journal

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker is the latest big-name endorsement for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, lending his gravitas in the financial world ..."After 30 years in government, serving under five Presidents of both parties and chairing two non-partisan commissions on the Public Service, I have been reluctant to engage in political campaigns. The time has come to overcome that reluctance," Mr. Volcker said in a statement today.

January 31, 2008

Congressmen Larson, Murphy to endorse Barack Obama

in The Associated Press

Connecticut Congressmen John Larson and Chris Murphy threw their support to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday ahead of his planned visit to the state next week.

January 31, 2008

Pomeroy endorses Obama campaign

in Associated Press

...Pomeroy announced his endorsement in a telephone conference call. He says Obama offers a vision of leadership seldom seen in any political campaign.

January 31, 2008

Obama rally draws 13,000 to Coliseum

in The Arizona Republic

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama challenged Arizona to seize the moment and said the time for change is now during a rally on Wednesday in Phoenix. "I believe change in America does not happen from the top down. It happens from the bottom up," the Illinois senator said to a crowd of more than 13,000 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

January 31, 2008

Editorial: Our nation needs a Democrat; Obama's a better choice

in The Santa Fe New Mexican

...His honesty will confound those trying to twist voters' perception of him and the working-people's party; his genuineness will disarm critics jaded over politics-by-rote; his academic brilliance and organizing skills will allow him to handle the complexities of the presidency; and his oratorical skills and compelling personality will inspire a long-lax nation to get off its collective butt and achieve what we're capable of.

January 30, 2008

Bay Area Congresswoman Eshoo Endorses Obama

in CBS5

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Menlo Park, endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president on Wednesday. Eshoo is the second Silicon Valley congresswoman to endorse the Illinois senator. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, endorsed Obama earlier this month.

January 30, 2008

Obama speaks to middle-class dreams

in The Wichita Eagle

Kansas got its first close-up look at Barack Obama Tuesday in El Dorado, where hundreds braved driving snow to hear him call for restoring integrity to government and hope to the American middle-class dream. ...Obama, perhaps most effectively among the field of candidates, is tapping into a yearning in the electorate for a government that is principled and responsive and improves people's lives -- in short, a government that works.

January 30, 2008

For many, campaign stop was event of a lifetime

in The Wichita Eagle

Roughly 3,000 people packed into Butler Community College buildings to see Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama -- 2,300 in the school's gym and the rest in two overflow venues, according to a campus official. As he spoke, people of different races and ages stood shoulder to shoulder and cheered Obama's goal of unifying the country. Some in the crowd thought they were witnessing a special moment in history. Here are their stories:

January 29, 2008

Obama Mines Small, Traditionally Red States

in The Washington Post

More than just a trip to his Kansas roots, Sen. Barack Obama's visit to his grandfather's home town Tuesday is part of a broad and unorthodox strategy to build support in Republican-dominated states. In Kansas and Idaho, Utah and Alaska, Obama's goal is to win delegates on Feb. 5 and to convince voters that he can compete where Democrats normally cannot.

January 29, 2008

Rep. Grijalva switches to Obama from Edwards

in The Associated Press

Democratic U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona is endorsing Barack Obama after earlier backing John Edwards in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Grijalva cited Obama's electability and his intention to "fundamentally change the rules of the game" in Washington, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press in advance of a planned Tuesday conference call with reporters.

January 28, 2008

Sen. Kennedy Backs Obama for President

in The Associated Press

Two generations of Kennedys - the Democratic Party's best known political family - endorsed Barack Obama for president on Monday, with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy calling him a "man with extraordinary gifts of leadership and character," a worthy heir to his assassinated brother. ..."I believe that a wave of change is moving across America," Kennedy said.

January 28, 2008

Obama says he, voters can change America

in The Birmingham News

Sen. Barack Obama exhorted an overflow crowd of 11,000-plus emotional supporters Sunday afternoon to change America, delivering a message of hope, unity and change in an event that was part rock concert and part old time church revival.

January 28, 2008

Toni Morrison Endorses Obama

in The New York Times

...Her decision, she continued, is rooted in the prospect of finding a prescient leader. ("In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which, coupled with brilliance, equals wisdom," she wrote.)

January 27, 2008

A President Like My Father

in The New York Times

OVER the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

January 27, 2008

Barack Obama: The new generation

in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

...Barack Obama is aware of yesterday, but he is about today and tomorrow and next year. In a strong field of Democratic presidential contenders, he offers the best hope of transforming the debate and moving on to what America can be in the 21st century.

January 27, 2008

Obama can unite nation

in The Arizona Republic

...Obama's call for Americans to believe in their power to change things is Kennedy-esque in its idealism. But it is also solidly rooted in an understanding of how badly the nation needs to remember its true strengths. He wants to provide tools, such as an accessible Internet database of lobbyist activities, to bring more openness to government and encourage public participation.

January 27, 2008

Reprieve and renewal

in San Francisco Chronicle

...The renewal must come from a president who can lead by inspiration, who can set partisanship aside to define and achieve common goals, who can persuade a new generation of Americans that there is something noble and something important about public service. There is no doubt about the Democrat with the vision and skills to bring that period of reprieve and renewal. It is Sen. Barack Obama.

January 27, 2008

Inquirer's Democratic endorsement for president: Obama

in The Philadelphia Inquirer

...But the Illinois senator has shown on the campaign trail that he offers more than pretty words. In debates and speeches, he has provided details of a White House program that, with adjustments, could produce the outcomes this nation needs.

January 27, 2008

Obama best choice for Democrats

in San Jose Mercury News

...Obama is the only candidate who opposed the Iraq war from the outset. His ethnic background and his upbringing give him a unique world view. He has the best chance to change how the world looks at the United States and restore the respect it has squandered during the past eight years.

January 27, 2008

For the Democrats: Obama

in Chicago Tribune

...We endorse him convinced that he could lead America in directions that the other Democrats could not.

January 27, 2008

Obama for the Democrats

in The Seattle Times

...The Seattle Times endorses Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. He has the grasp, temperament and skills to right our standing in the world. He has broad insight and specific ideas to assuage our own hardworking citizens' fears of an economy turning sour.

January 26, 2008

Obama appeals to young voters at Clemson

in Greenville News

Barack Obama told a Clemson University crowd of about 2,000 Friday that "anything is possible if you're ready for change," as he sought to inspire young voters on a cold afternoon on the eve of today's Democratic primary. ...The crowd, which included a number of university employees and people from the local community, responded with Clemson Tiger enthusiasm to his appeal, breaking into chants of "Fired up, ready to go" and "Obama, Obama" at times.

January 26, 2008

Obama campaign to open five more offices in Colorado

in The Rocky Mountain News

Barack Obama's national campaign manager said Friday the campaign will open another five offices in mostly rural areas of Colorado in an effort to target those voters in the Feb. 5 caucus. ...That would bring the number of Obama offices in the state to 12. "Colorado is a caucus state and so organizing is absolutely essential," he said.

January 25, 2008

Modesto Bee backs Obama in California Democratic primary

in

...We believe Obama is the strongest of the three, offering inspiring leadership and an openness to ideas that has been missing in the current administration. ...Obama was an early opponent of the war in Iraq, because he thought it was a strategic blunder that would only hurt the United States. His credibility on that issue would position him well to end the occupation quickly while also giving him the flexibility to extend it if necessary to avoid shedding the blood of more innocent Iraqis.

January 25, 2008

'Fresh change' revs Obama's backers

in The Charleston Post and Courier

Patricia Pringle of North Charleston was on the fence about Saturday's Democratic presidential primary, but after volunteers from Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign visited her church for the third time, she was finally won over. Pringle went to St. Peter's AME Church on Thursday evening for Bible study, and afterward she went just about a mile down the road to see Obama up close. "I think he'll bring a fresh change to politics as usual," she said as she waited patiently with more than 1,000 other supporters.

January 24, 2008

The Greenville News endorses Barack Obama in Democratic primary

in The Greenville News

...In this race that's ultimately about giving the Democratic Party its strongest candidate for the November general election, Barack Obama has emerged as one of the most attractive candidates on the political scene in decades. ...Obama's approach to governing would be based on openness, inclusiveness and transparency. That approach would serve our country well.

January 24, 2008

Obama for Democratic nomination

in The Rock Hill Herald

...But the principle reason we endorse Obama in Saturday's primary is because he appears to have the skills and the genuine desire to engender new hope, bring more people - especially younger voters - into the political process, bring the nation together and restore America's image around the globe.

January 23, 2008

On February 5, Obama

in The New York Observer

... Because of who he is and what he stands for, a former constitutional law teacher with few ties to the Washington establishment yet a sophisticated respect for it, Mr. Obama stands the best chance of restoring the essential relationship between power and the American people. He is not flanked and blocked by an existing, entrenched power structure; his words are not muddied by layers of handlers; he still says what he means. We believe that Mr. Obama's idealism and fresh ideas would ensure that the end of the Bush era would also mean an end to government by secrecy, Cheneyism, arrogance, oligarchy; an end to mindless armed unilateralism abroad; an end to the blustering, rank partisan disputes of the last quarter-century

January 23, 2008

Kenya has come too far to waste gains

in The Daily Nation

I have been deeply troubled by the recent events in Kenya. The ongoing political impasse and the tragic violence pose an urgent and dangerous threat to Kenyans, Kenyan democracy, and stability and economic development in a vital region. Urgent action must be taken to prevent a further deterioration of the situation and to help resolve the current political crisis.

January 22, 2008

Mississippi Congressman endorses Obama

in The Chicago Tribune

Congressman Bennie Thompson, an African-American Democrat from Mississippi, endorsed Barack Obama in a conference call a few minutes ago. Thompson is chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

January 21, 2008

Obama Echoes King's Call For Unity at Atlanta Church

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama took the pulpit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s church here Sunday and drew a clear link between King's vision of an America free of segregation and racism and the central tenet of his own presidential campaign, a call for unity after years of partisan rancor and division.

January 21, 2008

Jean Carnahan endorses Obama

in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

..."While I know and admire all the Democrats running for president, I am convinced that Barack Obama is the candidate best able to unite our nation and restore our moral leadership in the world," Carnahan said in a statement to be released today.

January 19, 2008

The Bee Recommends: Obama

in The Sacramento Bee

...As a former community organizer, civil rights lawyer and state legislator, Obama is familiar with real issues people face, and he has worked to solve them on the ground. As president, he says, he would cross party lines to find solutions to the nation's most vexing problems, from health care to global warming.

January 18, 2008

Senator Leahy endorses Obama

in The Boston Globe

"We need a president who can reintroduce America to the world and actually reintroduce America to ourselves," Leahy said in a conference call with reporters, according to the Associated Press. "I believe Barack Obama is the best person to do that."

January 18, 2008

Endorsement: Obama embodies party's vision

in The Reno Gazette-Journal

...The Democratic caucus is about looking at the candidates through a lens that is focused on the party and its goals. It also is about looking past the primary season and choosing the individual who can win in November. It must be someone who can unify the nation on domestic issues, successfully uphold its democratic ideals and restore its reputation as a global force. Obama should be the party's choice.

January 17, 2008

For President: Barack Obama

in The Santa Barbara Independent

...The primary on February 5 is the first chance Californians will have to help set the nation on the right path. The Independent rarely endorses in party primaries, but this year we endorse with confidence one candidate who is uniquely qualified to be president: Barack Obama.

January 17, 2008

Obama's backyard economics session

in The L.A. Times

...Obama noted that foreclosures could cost California's economy $23 billion, and he blamed the federal government for not regulating lenders. "It's an example of how when the federal government falls down on the job and is listening more to the special interests than it is to ordinary working families that we end up getting into these kinds of crises," he said.

January 17, 2008

Obama promises relief to California homeowners

in The Sacramento Bee

...Obama, who has been used to being greeted by cheering throngs of thousands during previous California campaign swings, sat down this time with just Vitello and three other San Fernando Valley residents. He used the setting to outline his $10 billion program to provide financial relief to homeowners in danger of foreclosure.

January 16, 2008

Obama gets major labor endorsement

in The L.A. Times

The head of the politically powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said Tuesday that she is endorsing Barack Obama for president. ...As executive secretary-treasurer of the federation, Durazo heads an organization of more than 800,000 union members, the biggest regional labor group in California. It includes janitors, teachers, construction and hotel workers as well as supermarket and government employees.

January 15, 2008

Obama pumps up a Fallon crowd

in Lahontan Valley News

...The crowd was loud, excited and ready for the presidential candidate even before he entered the room. The Churchill County Junior High School gymnasium was packed with more than 1,000 people ready to see and hear Obama's plans for America if elected president in November.

January 15, 2008

Obama rally draws 400 in Georgetown

in The Myrtle Beach Sun

A message of change and helping regular people was brought to Georgetown on Monday by Michelle Obama, during a visit to a historic church in the city. Obama, campaigning for her husband, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, told about 400 people at Bethel AME Church that her husband is the candidate who can turn things around.

January 15, 2008

For Kenyans, Barack is a Hero

in Newsweek

...The student, a Kikuyu who supports incumbent Kibaki, was impressively well versed in Obama’s momentum in the primaries and his place in U.S. politics. For him, Obama was not just a personal role model, but a beacon of hope for Africans trying to succeed elsewhere.

January 14, 2008

Obama Movement Taps Into 'Can-Do' Spirit

in The Associated Press

...Whenever Americans have been challenged, he tells them, there has been only one response. It comes back to him in a deafening roar that surges into a vibrating chant: "YES WE CAN!"

January 13, 2008

McCaskill endorses Obama, pledges to work for his election

in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Sunday, calling him "an extraordinary man at an extraordinary time in history." McCaskill said she would do "everything I can" to make sure he wins the Missouri primary and the party’s nomination.

January 12, 2008

Nelson endorses Obama for president

in The Omaha World-Herald

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is the best-suited candidate to overcome the "bitterness and poisonous atmosphere" in the nation's capital, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska said Saturday in endorsing the Illinois senator. Nelson, a Democrat, also spoke approvingly about Obama's campaign message that he will unite the nation.

January 12, 2008

Obama rocks Vegas faithful

in The Las Vegas Review Journal

From the back of the Culinary union hall on Friday, all that could be seen were hundreds of upraised hands -- black, brown and white -- clapping to the chant "Sí se puede." ...Obama hit on his themes of change, hope, and driving out the "fat cats" to clean up Washington; he speaks of wholesale upheaval, but also always emphasizes working together and finding ways for opposing parties to come to agreement, as if proposing a revolution that somehow wouldn't upset anyone.

January 12, 2008

Obama vows to help struggling homeowners

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama, his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination bolstered by endorsements, told a cheering union hall on Friday that he would provide relief for homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments and deliver tax cuts to the middle-class.

January 11, 2008

Napolitano Cites Need For 'Fresh Voices' in Obama Pick

in The Washington Post

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, one of the most prominent female elected officials in the country, announced this morning her endorsement of Barack Obama's presidential candidacy. "I think we need fresh voices and fresh messages of unity and coming together," Napolitano told the Post in a telephone interview. "I think he's a new young voice who has new appeal, particularly for those of us in the West."

January 10, 2008

Barack Obama greets 'fired up' crowd in Jersey City

in The Star-Ledger

...Cheers of "yes, we can" and "fired up, ready to go" echoed in the packed auditorium at St. Peter's College before the Democratic senator from Illinois stepped to the microphone. A blue banner reading "Change we can believe in" stretched behind him.

January 10, 2008

Nevada Culinary Union endorses Obama

in The Reno Gazette Journal

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has won the endorsement of Nevada's largest labor union, giving the underdog candidate a significant boost against frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the Nevada contest. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 joined with parent organization UNITE-HERE to endorse Obama, union officials announced this morning.

January 9, 2008

George Miller endorses Obama

in The Contra Coast Times

..."Barack has the skills and experience that's necessary to really challenge the status quo in Washington, D.C.," Miller said before a press conference Wednesday in San Francisco. "I'm very encouraged by the energy of the people responding to him and his vision of how people can come together to solve the problems that confront us."

January 9, 2008

United Association (UA) Becomes First International Union to Endorse Barack Obama for President

in Washington, DC

The United Association (UA) of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada today became the first International Union to announce its endorsement of U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.

January 9, 2008

Shirley Franklin says she's '150 percent' for Barack Obama

in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With New Hampshire over, the Georgia primary began in earnest this morning. On an Atlanta morning radio show, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin just declared Barack Obama to be her choice in the Democratic race for president...

January 9, 2008

SEIU Nevada Endorses Obama

in The Associated Press

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has won an endorsement from the Nevada chapter of the Service Employees International Union, boosting his prospects against rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in Nevada's upcoming Democratic caucuses.

January 9, 2008

The Road to Universal Coverage

in The Wall Street Journa

Democrats should be celebrating. Their three major candidates have put health insurance front and center on the domestic agenda, and with plans that are remarkably similar. They've done so at a time when the public seems readier than ever before to embrace universal health insurance, and readier to trust a Democratic president to put it into effect. ...Who's correct? It's hard to know. So far, the Massachusetts experiment suggests Mr. Obama. Massachusetts is the only state to require that every resident purchase health insurance.

January 8, 2008

Obama rallies at Exeter High School

in Portsmouth Herald

..."There's something going on out there, something stirring in the wind," Obama said, referring to the wave of energy that has emanated from his campaign since his victory in the Iowa caucus. He promised the crowd if they would help him "keep that journey going," he would turn the page on the Bush administration and move Washington beyond the "partisan food fight."

January 8, 2008

Obama's Other Life

in TIME

One of the more extraordinary stories of the Obama campaign has been playing out behind the scenes over the past week as the candidate has been working on a daily basis to try to calm things down in his father's homeland and his grandmother's home, Kenya, where a contested election has led to riots.

January 8, 2008

Getting Behind Obama

in The Washington Post

They gathered their boots, mittens and earmuffs, rented a van and headed north on Interstate 95 out of Prince George's County to support their candidate for president. In 20 inches of snow and subfreezing temperatures, they traipsed from door to door in New Hampshire, urging a vote for Sen. Barack Obama -- professionals, college students, children of supporters, suffering cold toes and fear of rejection in their first foray into national politics. The young ones had never been old enough to participate. The older ones said they had never been this excited about a candidate.

January 7, 2008

Obama should get his party's nomination

in Portland Press Herald

...His abilities to compromise, inspire and speak to a broad spectrum of the electorate earns him our endorsement for the Democratic nomination in 2008. A look at the numbers from the Iowa caucuses put some substance to those hopes. Obama assembled a coalition that included the most liberal voters, even though he was not the most liberal candidate, combined with young voters, first-time caucus-goers and independents.

January 6, 2008

Barack Obama Picks Up Support From Former Presidential Hopeful and Sen. Bill Bradley

in The Associated Press

..."Barack Obama is building a broad new coalition that brings together Democrats, independents and Republicans by once again making idealism a central focus of our politics," Bradley said in a statement released by Obama's campaign. "Because of his enormous appeal to Americans of all ages and backgrounds, Obama is the candidate best positioned to win in November. ... His movement for change could create a new era of American politics - truly a new American story."

January 5, 2008

Doyle calls Obama 'unifying candidate'

in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

..."We obviously are a family that talks a lot about this," the governor said. "And it's very clear to me they helped me understand how a younger person sees the world. And you can see this in the votes ... when a younger person looks at Barack what they really see is the country moving into the future and the future can be a good one."

January 5, 2008

Oh-ba-ma Fires It Up

in New York Times

Spontaneous combustion! We're here at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's big dinner and out of the masses of 3,000 people, who have been listening politely to Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson, comes a huge surge of people toward the stage for the next speaker - Barack Obama. ...The crowd goes absolutely berserk.

January 5, 2008

Why America needs Obama

in The Boston Globe

I AM proud to be a Democrat, but sometimes Democratic politics can be tiresome. For years, candidates have appealed to voters by arguing how they can win or why any Democrat would be better than any Republican. They miss the fact that voters are more interested in why Democrats should win than how we will. They mistakenly believe that discontent with Republicans will assure a Democratic victory, when in truth most of us aren't buying 100 percent of what either party is selling. So, election after election, we end up with the same old debate and commentary about competing electoral tactics rather than a vision for the future. We have a chance this time to choose a different kind of candidate, a different kind of president.

January 5, 2008

The Obama Phenomenon

in The New York Times

...There is no longer any doubt that the Obama phenomenon is real. Mr. Obama's message of hope, healing and change, discounted as fanciful and naïve by skeptics, drew Iowans into the frigid night air by the tens of thousands on Thursday to stand with a man who is not just running for president, but trying to build a new type of political movement.

January 5, 2008

No Longer Unimaginable

in The Washington Post

It was one of those moments that give you goose bumps -- the cheering crowd, the waving placards, the candidate and his family looking Kennedyesque on the occasion of a stunning victory. Barack Obama took the stage Thursday night in Des Moines and proclaimed his vindication of hope: "They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high."

January 4, 2008

Obama Emerges Victorious in Iowa

in ABC News

..."They said this day would never come," Obama said, over deafening cheers. "They said our sights were set too high; this country was too divided, too disillusioned to come together around this purpose. You have done what the cynics said we couldn't do."

January 4, 2008

Obama Says His Victory Will Bring Change

in The Associated Press

A victorious Barack Obama portrayed his decisive first-place finish in the Iowa Democratic caucuses as a "defining moment" that he said would lead the way to change in Washington and an end to the war in Iraq.

January 4, 2008

Obama Wins Iowa's Democratic Caucuses

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama, riding a message of hope and change and buoyed by extraordinary turnout, decisively won the Iowa Democratic caucuses Thursday night, dealing a significant setback to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the battle for the party's 2008 presidential nomination.

January 3, 2008

Betting on His Troops

in The New York Times

Before Senator Barack Obama of Illinois settled into his airplane seat to fly around Iowa one last time this week, he smiled when asked about his chances in the caucuses, saying, “I’m putting my money on my organization.” As he has reminded audiences here for nearly a year, Mr. Obama was once a community organizer in Chicago. And he begins most every campaign stop in Iowa by introducing his local organizers - a practice rooted in practicality as much as symbolism - who have the task of building a network of supporters across the state.

January 3, 2008

Optimistic Obama looks ahead

in The Chicago Tribune

...The crowds at his Iowa events have been consistently large, and notable for the diversity of age, race and even ideology within them. Progressive voters pack the gymnasiums and auditoriums to see him. People who say they're independents or even Republicans profess interest in his themes of "hope" and "change."

January 2, 2008

Barack Obama: It's time for Americans to stand for change

in The Union Leader

THIS IS a defining moment for our generation. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. Our American dream is slipping away. We've never paid more for health care or college. It's harder to save and retire. At this moment, we cannot wait any longer for universal health care or good jobs or living wages and pensions we can count on. We cannot wait to fix our schools or halt global warming or end this war in Iraq.

January 2, 2008

Obama draws heavy crowds

in The Des Moines Register

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama drew heavy crowds at campaign events Tuesday, attracting so many people at one event that hundreds were moved to an overflow room. ...But, in the past few days, most of the crowds have become move visibly crowded and more enthusiastic.

January 2, 2008

It was husband's values that attracted Michelle Obama

in The Iowa City Press Citizen

Jennifer Hinkhouse, 31, of Iowa City has seen both Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, speak during their various local campaign stops. What she takes away from both of them are honesty and truthfulness, something that moved her to tears Tuesday as Michelle Obama spoke to about 100 supporters at the West Branch Town Hall.

January 1, 2008

Barack Obama Counts On "The Closer"

in CBS

...Back in Iowa, the Obama campaign says if Michelle could meet every voter personally, the race wouldn't be close. "Can you see why?" a white female voter in Iowa is asked. "I can definitely see why. Yeah. She did it for me today, so yeah," the voter replies

January 1, 2008

I'm breaking my rule and endorsing Obama for president

in The Concord Monitor

...At a time when our politics has descended into cynical, slash-and-burn character attacks, Obama has steadfastly presented a positive, un-ironic agenda for this country. At a time when the political winds were pushing this country into an unnecessary and unwise war, Obama had the judgment - and the political and moral courage - to oppose it.

December 31, 2007

'This is our time,' Obama declares

in The Des Moines Register

..."This is our moment," Obama said during a campaign stop in Newton. "This is our time, and if you will stand with me in five days, if you will caucus for me, if you believe in the idea of the American dream for those who are still hungry for opportunity ... then I promise you, we will not just win a caucus, we will not just win an election in November, but can actually start working to create the kind of America that all of us dream about."

December 30, 2007

Obama pitches undecided voters in Iowa; seeks converts

in The Associated Press

...In earlier events, Obama argued that his message of inclusion and consensus amounts to "a politics of addition" that will attract independents and even some Republicans in November. That argument resonated with Brian Hagmeier, who attended an Obama speech wearing a T-shirt that said "I'm the Republican Barack warned you about." Hagmeier said he has long been a Republican, but he is turned off by the party's candidates this year and likes what he hears from Obama.

December 30, 2007

Patrick urges Iowa to put hope in Obama

in The Boston Globe

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts raced across eastern Iowa with Barack Obama yesterday, introducing him to hundreds of people at rallies in high school gymnasiums as the presidential candidate who could "help us rebuild that unity of purpose and common cause."

December 29, 2007

North Dakota Sen. Conrad endorses Obama for president

in The Associated Press

North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad is endorsing Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Conrad says he hasn't endorsed anyone in a Democratic presidential primary before. Conrad was first elected to the Senate in 1986.

December 29, 2007

Leaving Iraq will make America safer

in The Concord Monitor

In recent weeks, I've been asked if the "surge" is working, and if we should continue to fight the war in Iraq. The answer is decisively no. Those who support the surge are making the same mistakes that war supporters have made all along: They fail to understand how the Iraq war sets back our security, and they fail to understand that there is no military solution in Iraq. I am the only major candidate for president who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, before it was politically popular.

December 29, 2007

Turnout despite big snowstorm impresses Obama

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama doesn't appear to have to worry about his supporters staying at home if bad weather strikes Iowa on caucus night. ...The snow didn't discourage Obama supporter Roberta Payne, 66, of Iowa City, from attending. In fact, this is the second time this month she's braved inclement weather to hear Obama speak.

December 28, 2007

Obama calls on Iowans to stand for change at caucus

in The Marshalltown Times-Republican

Saying he is the best chance for the Democrats in November, Barack Obama brought a message of hope to Marshalltown during a campaign stop Thursday. "This is our moment. This is our time," Obama told the crowd of approximately 300. "If you stand with us in seven days … if you stand for change so that our children will have the same chance that was given to us ... then we will win this caucus, and we will win this election and we will change the course of history."

December 28, 2007

Voter likens Obama to Kennedy

in The Hawk Eye

Marjorie Marsh has been participating in caucuses since John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960. He remains her favorite president. She hadn't seen a presidential candidate like Kennedy until she saw Barack Obama. "I see many of Kennedy's attributes in Obama," she said.

December 27, 2007

Delahunt says Obama will restore US image abroad

in The Boston Globe

..."If Barack Obama is elected president, I daresay America will present a new face to the world, will restore, simply by his election, hope - not just within the United States, but from all corners of the world, that America's claim to moral authority is back on track and that our leadership in world affairs will see a renaissance," Delahunt told the Globe.

December 27, 2007

Obama: Time for voters to launch 'real change'

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

..."I tell people, 'Don't settle for what people tell you is possible,'" Obama said in a telephone call from north central Iowa where he was campaigning Wednesday. "Go with your gut in terms of knowing we can do better than we're doing right now. We won't bring about change simply by doing the same things with the same people over and over." In a nutshell, Obama said, that's the message he's been delivering since getting into the race in January. Iowans who have been following the caucus campaign know who he is and what he stands for.

December 27, 2007

Support Obama

in The Ottumwa Courier

...But Iowa Democrats have a real choice next month and there is one politician who we believe will not only create change, he’ll inspire others to do the same. Barack Obama has earned our support in the Iowa caucuses.

December 23, 2007

Obama can end decades of division

in The Nashua Telegraph

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is the best choice for Democrats in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8. He is the candidate with the greatest chance of reaching across the aisle - of resonating with moderate and independent voters needed to capture the general election - while maintaining the core principles of his party.

December 23, 2007

Obama: A common good and a higher interest

in The Sioux City Journal

Barack Obama is the Democratic candidate who best understands this critical moment in our nation's history. He is equipped to bring a fractured people together and possesses the gifts to move us forward, united with a common mission, ready to answer that call.

December 23, 2007

DMN editorial board recommends Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination

in The Dallas Morning News

...Mr. Obama is our choice because of his consistently solid judgment, poise under pressure and ability to campaign effectively without resorting to the divisive politics of the past. ... Americans are tired of divisive, hard-edged politics. Democrats would inspire a refreshingly new approach by choosing Mr. Obama as their 2008 candidate.

December 22, 2007

Obama: Protect pensions, make retirement secure

in The Des Moines Register

Barack Obama highlighted a plan here Friday to protect pensions, specifically in instances where top executives walk away with fat bonuses while workers lose benefits. "Protecting basic retirement security in this country should be a central policy of the United States government and it will be when I am president," Obama told 300 people at Washington Junior High School.

December 22, 2007

Obama Finds His Address

in The Washington Post

...The stump speech he has developed in the closing stages of the pre-Christmas campaign is a thing of beauty, a 40-minute oration delivered without notes that is powering his gains for the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 and the first primary here in New Hampshire five days later. ......In every audience I have seen, there is a jolt of pure electric energy at those closing words. Tears stain some cheeks -- and some people look a little thunderstruck.

December 22, 2007

Message, Method Are Behind Obama's Climb

in The Washington Post

...Obama's strategy is one part message, one part elbow grease, following the Iowa maxim "organize, organize, organize, and get hot at the end." Obama will spend the campaign's final days rallying Democrats in gymnasiums and auditoriums. But behind the scenes, the onetime Chicago community organizer has dispatched an army of paid staff and volunteers occupying a record 37 offices across the state to wage a more personal battle for support, one wavering teacher at a time.

December 21, 2007

Our presidential selections: Obama, McCain

in The Woodbine Twiner

...But we're looking for something different, something inspiring. Obama has not forgotten that we must all work together to get things accomplished. Sure, Republicans and Democrats will forever bicker. But Obama gives us some sort of hope that the two parties can work as Americans - not divide as partisans.

December 21, 2007

Caucus 2008: Our endorsements

in The Daily Iowan

...From the start, Obama was viewed as charismatic but lacking in substance. Now, fewer than two weeks from our state caucuses, this is no longer the case. Obama's commanding oratorical abilities should not distract voters from his policy proposals, objectives that outline a return of "united" to the United States. We believe his judgment and ideas are the best fit, not just for a party but for a people. We believe Obama represents the best of our polity and a better future for our nation, which is why he is receiving The Daily Iowan's endorsement.

December 21, 2007

Obama: 'Change the mind-set'

in The Portsmouth Herald

...It was just a year ago that Obama made his first visit to Portsmouth and filled that same venue to overflowing even before he formally announced his candidacy. Thursday night, despite the snow, sleet and cold, he repeated that feat, but the man who stood before the 1,000 people who came to hear him speak appeared much more confident, prepared and at ease than the Obama who visited for a book signing event in 2006.

December 21, 2007

Obama talks solutions with voters at Loaf and Ladle

in The Exeter News

Sen. Barack Obama joined in a discussion with independent voters Thursday at the Loaf and Ladle in Exeter, talking about his solutions for the nation's most pressing challenges while listening to what the voters are thinking. Obama spoke on his intentions to end the war in Iraq bringing troops home within 16 months, health care, energy and his track record. He also told the group of area residents his plans to run the most open and transparent administration in history.

December 21, 2007

Michelle Obama shares husband's vision of future

in The Burlington Hawk Eye

...If there remained a need for proof of Barack Obama's ascendancy in the Democratic presidential race, it may well have been met by the fact that the Illinois senator's wife drew about 100 people on such a brutal evening.

December 20, 2007

Vote for Obama in Democratic primary Jan. 8

in The Portsmouth Herald

...The Portsmouth Herald is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama as the Democratic choice in the New Hampshire primary because we believe he has a unique character and far-reaching vision to lead this country as it faces war abroad and economic instability at home. He is the 21st century candidate the country needs.

December 20, 2007

The Case For Obama: Transcending Divisive Politics

in The Valley News

Of all the contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, only Sen. Barack Obama seems intent on restoring a measure of common sense to the political discourse. He recognizes a simple but powerful truth: that people must come together around the shared values that define the American democratic experience. The message sounds fresh, even transcendent, because for too long the ugly politics of division have cast a pall on government and alienated voters. We think Obama has the sound character, intuitive understanding and charismatic leadership to break old patterns and unify the country.

December 20, 2007

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott endorses Obama for president

in The Associated Press

U.S. Representative Bobby Scott has announced his support for Senator Barack Obama for president in 2008.

December 19, 2007

Obama has what it takes to restore nation's integrity

in The Iowa City Press Citizen

After seven years of being lost in the wilderness of oppositional presidential politics, Democrats now seem well positioned to do in 2008 what they failed to do in 2004: Replace a rogue cowboy president with a new president capable of uniting the country and resetting the nation's foreign policy and global reputation. The Press-Citizen Editorial Board thinks Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is the best candidate in a well qualified field of Democrats to make those long overdue changes. We endorse his candidacy enthusiastically.

December 19, 2007

Basu: Obama can heal divisions, win hearts and minds

in The Des Moines Register

...after sitting through most of the same candidate meetings, watching, reading, listening and searching my conscience, I've concluded Obama is the one who can best pull off what needs to happen.

December 19, 2007

Obama: Leader Needed in Foreign Policy

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday the nation's foreign policy challenges call for a new leader who will worry more about doing the right thing than how it will look. "There are moments in history when it is not enough to fall back on conventional ways of doing things, because the threats we face, the challenges we face, are unconventional," Obama told a crowd in Des Moines.

December 18, 2007

The Obama-Clinton Issue

in The New York Times

...With the presidency, character and self-knowledge matter more than even experience. There are reasons to think that, among Democrats, Obama is better prepared for this madness.

December 18, 2007

Obama Promotes His Rural Plans

in The Associated Press

..."The corporate lobbyists are going to have to understand that a new day has dawned," said Obama. "No child should grow up in a community that is devastated by teacher shortages or nursing shortages."

December 18, 2007

Obama gets support from some in GOP

in The Las Vegas Review

Presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign is hoping Republicans in Nevada will bolster his chances in the January Democratic caucuses, while the campaign of his top rival, Hillary Clinton, is seeking to make inroads among Hispanics. Virginia's Democratic governor, Tim Kaine, a top national Obama supporter, said the 660 Nevada Republicans who have pledged to caucus for the Illinois senator prove that Obama has crossover appeal.

December 17, 2007

Congressman Dave Loebsack Endorses Obama

in The Quad City Times

U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack said today he is endorsing Barack Obama for president. He said that Obama, a senator from Illinois, offers the best chance to bring about change and healing. "I believe he's our best candidate to change the way business is done, especially overcoming the partisan divide," Loebsack said in an interview this morning.

December 17, 2007

For the Obama campaign, the closer is in the family

in The Chicago Tribune

..."I was totally between John Edwards and Barack Obama, and you sold me," the wife of the Wapello County Democratic chairman whispered to Michelle Obama a few minutes after hearing her speak to about 100 people here.

December 17, 2007

Obama at church: Ordinary people can do extraordinary things

in The Mason City Globe Gazette

Sunday was a big day at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mason City. During the 10 a.m. service the Sunday School and confirmation students presented their annual Christmas program and the congregation participated in the 40-year-old tradition of putting mittens on the Mitten Tree.

December 16, 2007

For the Democrats: Barack Obama

in The Boston Globe

THE FIRST American president of the 21st century has not appreciated the intricate realities of our age. The next president must. The most sobering challenges that face this country - terrorism, climate change, disease pandemics - are global. America needs a president with an intuitive sense of the wider world, with all its perils and opportunities. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has this understanding at his core. The Globe endorses his candidacy in New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary Jan. 8.

December 16, 2007

Obama calls for greater toy safety

in The Globe Gazette

...Obama called for greater enforcement of toy safety laws at a news conference in the school's band room prior to the campaign appearance. "The safety laws aren't being enforced, and many Americans, including many children, are paying the price. This has to stop," Obama said, flanked by a number of local families for photographers.

December 14, 2007

Obama edges Clinton in poll

in The Concord Monitor

Barack Obama has come from behind to turn the Democratic presidential race in New Hampshire into a toss-up, according to a new Monitor opinion poll. The results - which show Obama with a one-point edge over Hillary Clinton - mirror other polls released this week, indicating that Clinton's once-imposing lead has evaporated in the run-up to New Hampshire's Jan. 8 primary.

December 14, 2007

Obama Wants to Aid Many Who Feel Ignored

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama said Thursday night he is running for president to help those who are working harder for less but don't think anyone is listening to them.

December 13, 2007

Erwin backing Obama for nomination

in The Greenville News

Barack Obama has won the Joe Erwin lottery. The Greenville advertising executive and former state Democratic Party chairman said today that he's endorsing the Illinois senator. Erwin's endorsement had been aggressively sought by all of the Democratic contenders.

December 13, 2007

Obama snares new Minnesota endorsement

in The Star-Tribune

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama snared a new Minnesota endorsement today, winning the backing of U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum. "Senator Obama is a leader I respect and has sound judgment on the most important issues facing the nation," McCollum said. "That judgment is desperately needed in the White House."

December 12, 2007

Obama's Cheering Section Ups The Volume

in The Washington Post

Change. The word on which Sen. Barack Obama has staked his candidacy. A word that's peppered in all of his speeches and plastered around any Obama event. A word that attracts and enthralls and, in some cases, challenges. Change? What's going to change? Are voters going to change? ...But Sunday got her thinking. And Monday, she put her fears aside and declared herself "changed," saying, "I'm settled on Obama now."

December 12, 2007

Shea-Porter endorses Obama as 'our future'

in The Concord Monitor

New Hampshire Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter threw her support behind Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama yesterday, saying that the "winds of change" are in the Illinois senator's sails. The announcement brought Shea-Porter's neutrality in the presidential race to an end - while other state politicians aligned themselves with campaigns over the past year, she concentrated on hosting presidential candidates and promoting the primary.

December 12, 2007

Obama: We'll 'transform America'

in Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Hundreds of supporters of presidential hopeful Barack Obama turned out Tuesday night for a spirited, late-evening Seattle appearance -- a brief detour from intense campaigning in key states where early caucuses and primaries loom...."He presents a hope for our country and that sets him apart. He's not afraid to tell it how it is," added Wallace, who said Obama's on foreign policy stances are particularly bold.

December 11, 2007

Obama pledges tax breaks to help people save at Vegas roundtable

in The Associated Press

..."It gives us a little bit of a hope," Hicks said afterward. "There's something about him that inspires me to see a future. He seems to be so politically different. He's more for the underdog, he's more for the people like us."

December 9, 2007

Oprah packs 'em in for Obama

in The Des Moines Register

Oprah Winfrey, the second-most admired woman in America, drew roughly 18,500 people in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Saturday in Des Moines.

December 9, 2007

Attention Women of Iowa: Oprah!!!

in TIME

... Even a few thousand more could make a difference; sure enough, with Oprah as a sweetener, 1,385 people (no gender statistics were available) worked four-hour volunteer shifts for Obama in order to qualify for a ticket to Winfrey's appearance. (The campaign distributed a total of 12,000 tickets to supporters with another 11,000 given away online.)

December 8, 2007

Homeland Insecurity

in By Sen. Obama

...It's going to take a new kind of leadership to strengthen our middle class and make sure America's economic future is secure -- leadership that can challenge the special interests, bring Republicans and Democrats together, and rally this nation around a common purpose. And that is exactly the kind of leadership I intend to offer as president of the United States.

December 8, 2007

Oprah, Obama take it on the road

in L.A. Times

"Oprah and the Obamas." It sounds like a musical act, and there is indeed something of a rock-concert quality to Oprah Winfrey's three-state swing this weekend with Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. The Obama campaign is preparing for an outpouring of tens of thousands of supporters - and, more important, potential supporters - in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the crucial early states where Winfrey will attempt to scatter some of her stardust.

December 7, 2007

Don't get sidetracked by the mandate debate

in The Concord Monitor

...The debate has degenerated into arguments over who is or isn't being honest with voters. The question voters should focus on is which candidate, if elected, can convince enough Republicans - who will use words like "confiscation" to describe any mandate - to go along with a plan. The next question should be: Is this plan the best and most affordable path to universal coverage? On the honesty question, when it comes to health care mandates, the edge goes to Obama. He rightly says they force people to buy something before they know what it will cost and how good it will be, and many won't comply.

December 6, 2007

Obama: Publicize names of bad nursing homes

in The Des Moines Register

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is threatening to take action against the federal agency that's keeping secret the names of nursing homes it has designated as among the worst in the United States.

December 6, 2007

Obama Issues Call for Public Service

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama implored young Americans "to step into the currents of history," by not only supporting his presidential candidacy, but committing to form a new generation of public service.

December 6, 2007

Obama calls students to national service

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Barack Obama called college students to national service Wednesday, inviting them "to take hold of the future of your country and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century." "We need your service, right now, in this moment — our moment — in history," the Democratic presidential hopeful told students at Cornell College Wednesday afternoon.

December 6, 2007

Obama, donning Kennedy's cloak, issues 'call to serve'

in The Boston Globe

...Addressing students at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Obama issued a "call to serve" and promised to increase national service opportunities. Obama was introduced by Harris Wofford, who helped found the Peace Corps and was a special assistant on civil rights during Kennedy's administration.

December 5, 2007

EDITORIAL: Daily endorsement: Obama for Democrats

in The Iowa State Daily

We endorse Sen. Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential Democratic Party nomination. In Obama, we have a candidate who has more to offer than a strategic plan or policy that will change America for the better. What Obama brings above all else is a renewed sense of hope. The past seven years have caused our hope for a better world, a better America, to waver. We have lost a national direction, and Obama can restore that.

December 5, 2007

Obama's wife meets local working women

in The Portsmouth Herald

The wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama made an appearance Tuesday for a roundtable discussion on issues confronting working women...."I love the genuineness of Michelle and Barack," she said. "I agree that everyone is entitled to a good education and that everyone should focus more time on educating and not just taking tests."

December 4, 2007

Obama offers plan for averting credit trouble

in The Des Moines Register

Americans need a "credit card bill of rights," Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Monday. "Many credit card companies today are tricking Americans into agreements they can't afford because that's how they make big profits," Obama said during a campaign stop at Grand View College in Des Moines. "No company's bottom line should come before what's right for the American people."

December 4, 2007

Expert: Obama on a roll

in The Montgomery Advertiser

..."This man's on the move, he's out there running hard and sounding good," West said. Recent polls show Obama and Clinton in a statistical dead heat.

December 4, 2007

Obama says Democrats need decisive win to make wide changes

in The Boston Globe

..."Even if we win, we will have just eked out a victory, and we can't govern," Obama said. "I mean, if we have a 50-plus-one election, we cannot get a serious healthcare bill done. We can't have a serious agenda on climate change. And that is what I'm trying to break through, and I think I have an opportunity to break through."

December 3, 2007

Thousands see Barack in Boston

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama defied darkness, frigid weather and the season's first serious snowstorm yesterday to attract a Boston crowd of thousands he hopes will provide money and foot soldiers for a push across the border in the New Hampshire primary.

December 3, 2007

Obama endorsed by Des Moines mayor

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama was endorsed Sunday by the mayor of Iowa's largest city and predicted more criticism ahead from presidential rivals as his political fortunes keep brightening.

December 2, 2007

Obama Hit Stride and Leads Clinton In New Iowa Poll

in The Washington Post - The Fix

As The Fix trekked back and forth on ice-slicked roads to a series of Democratic presidential forums today one thing became very clear: Barack Obama is hitting his stride.

December 2, 2007

Feminist Pitch by a Democrat Named Obama

in The New York Times

In the intensifying battle for the votes of Democratic women, Senator Barack Obama's campaign is trying to turn years of feminist thinking on its head and argue that the best candidate for women may, in fact, be a man. The pitch for Mr. Obama, in a new video, speeches and talking points aimed at women, presents him as deeply sensitized to the needs and aspirations of women, raised by a single mother, "a man comfortable with strong women in his life," as his wife, Michelle Obama, puts it, and a man committed to the issues they care about.

December 1, 2007

Obama pulls ahead for Democrats in Iowa Poll

in The Des Moines Register

Barack Obama has pulled ahead in the race for Iowa's Democratic presidential caucuses, while the party's national frontrunner Hillary Clinton has slipped to second in the leadoff nominating state, according to The Des Moines Register's new Iowa Poll. Huckabee, Obama now lead

December 1, 2007

Candidates offer lively speeches to energize attendees at DNC meeting

in The Boston Globe

...Obama chose to use his time to call for assembling a bipartisan "new majority - not just to win, but to govern." Evoking his famous keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, Obama said he did not "want to pit red America against blue America."

November 30, 2007

No. 37 in Iowa for Obama offices

in The Chicago Tribune

Armed with a large pair of garden sheers, Michelle Obama cut the blue ribbon this afternoon to open the 37th Iowa office for her husband's president campaign.

November 30, 2007

Obama brings his message to Harlem

in The Chicago Tribune

..."I want to stand up for those who still hunger for opportunity, who still thirst for justice," Obama said Thursday night. "I don't want to wake up and find out four years from now that we missed this opportunity. ... We cannot wait." The last quote is a reference to King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

November 29, 2007

Obama Finds His Moment

in TIME

...Obama's Jefferson-Jackson dinner speech hit all the inspirational notes, with its pledge to bring Red America together with Blue America and its invocation of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "fierce urgency of now."

November 28, 2007

Obama outlines diplomatic path

in The Concord Monitor

To prosper in a global community, the United States needs economic and diplomatic expertise, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told voters yesterday in Portsmouth. In a three-hour forum on foreign policy, the Illinois senator and his top foreign policy advisers stressed diplomacy and economics, rather than military reliance, and criticized the Republican party for doing otherwise.

November 28, 2007

Obama touts foreign policy goals

in The Portsmouth Herald

...Obama said Tuesday's forum was an effort to introduce the American people to his top security advisers. Among those who attended the event were Susan Rice, former assistant secretary of state; Tony Lake, former national security adviser; Richard Danzig, former Navy secretary; Adm. John Hutson, former chief judge advocate general of the Navy; and Samantha Power, a Pulitzer Prize winner.

November 28, 2007

Obama explains stance on health care, talks international expertise

in Foster's Daily Democrat

...Barack Obama says if he's elected president, the nation's health care business would be beamed into households. Speaking about his plan for universal care - which he insisted is virtually the same as two of his rivals in the race for the Democratic nomination - the Illinois senator said he'd get different groups to agree on a plan in front of television cameras.

November 28, 2007

Michelle Obama on the Campaign Trail and Her Life's Path

in The Washington Post

...And the scene in a library in rural Rockwell City, where Obama tells a hard-to-read audience of her husband's early opposition to the Iraq war, his success at ethics reform, his health-care work, his willingness to level with people. She says the United States is in Iraq because leaders "were not willing to tell us the truth," and she urges her listeners to imagine a president who has worked in church basements and walked picket lines.

November 26, 2007

Obama pledges to fix education system for urban youth

in The Des Moines Register

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's vision for urban America rang true to the Des Moines residents who crowded into the North High School small gym this afternoon. "I think Obama is very articulate and he had the message I came to hear," said Elsie Saina of Urbandale. "I liked his message on health care and education. I was impressed with his willingness to try to unite the country. That's pretty important."

November 26, 2007

Clinton and Obama switch roles in Iowa

in Politico

...In ways big and small over the weekend, the two campaigns exuded a sense of switched identities - a dynamic driven by poll-driven perceptions that Clinton's sense of inevitability is slipping and Obama is riding a bit of a wave amid the Midwestern seas of grain.

November 26, 2007

Obama casts himself as civil rights successor

in Politico

...He said that, like Moses, the civil rights pioneers had been to the mountaintop but did not reach the promised land, leaving it to today's generation to finish the job, much as Joshua succeeded Moses.

November 21, 2007

Obama unveils plan for schools

in The State

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama praised South Carolina on Tuesday for its high education standards but said more resources are needed to truly improve schools. ...Dreher High School student Jean Smith, 17, who plans to be a teacher, said she hopes to be able to vote for Obama next November and likes his plan to provide scholarships to college students who agree to teach in a high-needs school for at least four years.

November 21, 2007

Obama shares school plan

in The Concord Monitor

...Molly Wienberg, a Central High student who wants to be a teacher, said she liked Obama's ideas. "I love the focus on the child and making sure teachers get the education they need," she said. "Now, tons of kids aren't learning enough."

November 19, 2007

Obama Finds Help in Iowa With a Focus on New Ideas

in ABC News

...Overall, in current preferences, 30 percent in Iowa support Obama, 26 percent Clinton and 22 percent Edwards, with 11 percent for Bill Richardson. That's little changed since July (Edwards -4, Obama +3, both within sampling tolerances, and Clinton unchanged).

November 19, 2007

Obama touts diverse support

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama told a crowd of more than 600 at Linn-Mar's Excelsior Middle School in Marion on Sunday that his crowds are large and diverse. People who come to hear him speak are young and old, of different races and religions, Democrats and independents.

November 18, 2007

Obama, at fundraiser, thrills supporters with promises of real change

in The Austin American-Statesman

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois thrilled supporters at a Saturday fundraiser at the Backyard, west of Austin, nearly nine months after about 20,000 people hailed the Democratic presidential candidate at a free rally at Auditorium Shores.

November 16, 2007

UAW group behind Obama

in The Dubuque Telegraph Herald

United Auto Workers Region 4 representatives, meeting this week in Dubuque, voted Thursday to give their support to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

November 15, 2007

Obama stirs up S.F. crowd

in The Sacramento Bee

Before more than 5,000 people in a raucous, late-night rally, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama issued a passionate call Wednesday to end the war in Iraq, stop the U.S. practice of torture and advance racial equality and gay rights in America.

November 15, 2007

Obama in Orbit

in The New York Times

...If the globe can't vote next November, it can find itself in Obama. Troubled by the violent chasm between the West and the Islamic world? Obama seems to bridge it. Disturbed by the gulf between rich and poor that globalization spurs? Obama, the African-American, gets it: the South Side of Chicago is the South Side of the world.

November 15, 2007

Googlers Quiz Obama at Town Hall

in The Associated Press

When the CEO of Google turned the microphone over to his employees after Barack Obama discussed his tech agenda, one worker who said he had voted for several losing Democratic presidential candidates got right to the point. ...Obama replied that Democrats win when they stay true to their values and not when they compromise under fire from Republicans.

November 14, 2007

Obama shares his tech plan today in valley visit

in The San Jose Mercury News

Barack Obama will unveil several new technology policy initiatives today during a visit to Silicon Valley, including a proposal for a national technology czar called a "chief technology officer," VentureBeat has learned. ... Obama's tech agenda, including the CTO proposal, should play well with the employees at Google, the Mountain View search engine, where Obama will visit this afternoon, among other stops.

November 13, 2007

Obama trades stories of family

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama on Monday compared the nation's attitude toward working women to its approach to health care, arguing that in both cases, lack of support early on ends up costing more later. The Illinois senator and presidential hopeful met with nine women at L.A. Burdick chocolate company, where several workers praised the company for offering family leave and flexible schedules.

November 13, 2007

Presidential Politics: Half-sister hits the trail

in The Las Vegas Review-Journal

...Soetoro-Ng was in Las Vegas on Monday to campaign for Obama, the first time she's traveled from her home in Honolulu to stump for him. After meeting with women supporters Monday morning, college students during the day and campaign volunteers in the evening, she continues today to Iowa, New York and New Hampshire.

November 13, 2007

Obama wants more help for veterans

in The Nashua Telegraph

..."We've always felt that if I am talking about health care, education, Social Security, veterans and the war in Iraq in an honest way and offering real solutions, that people would respond," Obama told reporters after marking Veterans Day with a private meeting with military veterans in Nashua.

November 13, 2007

Obama vows to end war, step up fighting al-Qaeda

in The Union Leader

About 450 people came to the Stevens High School gymnasium in Claremont yesterday to hear Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama's pitch for hope and fundamental change in the nation's political system.

November 11, 2007

Obama Shows Off Organizational Strength

in MSNBC

Nearly one in three people at last night's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was an Obama supporter. The campaign brought 3,000 supporters to a dinner that had 9,000 attendees. They also made sure to have a representative from each of Iowa's 99 counties in attendance.

November 11, 2007

Obama vows moral high ground for Dems, U.S.

in Chicago Sun-Times

...Obama said he wants to lead the Democrats and the country to a higher moral purpose and clean up the corruption and wastefulness in Washington. He said President Bush "promised a more ethical and more efficient government and instead we have a town called Washington that is more corrupt and more wasteful than it was before." Obama said the Democrats must regain hold of power in Washington but the presidential nominee should not be someone focused just on power.

November 11, 2007

Obama Makes Hay at JJ

in Des Moines Register

The leading Democratic presidential candidates showed up for the Iowa Democratic Party's big Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday night. Five of them gave really good speeches. Barack Obama's was excellent.

November 9, 2007

Obama Wants More Help for Families

in Associated Press

Pledging help for struggling families, Barack Obama said Friday that he and his wife, Michelle, have had their own difficulties balancing careers and family time, including shuttling kids to doctors, daycare and other activities.

November 9, 2007

Obama Picks Up a Coveted Endorsement in N.H.

in The New York Observer

Barack Obama has just picked up a fairly important endorsement in New Hampshire. Lenore Patton is the chairwoman of the Rockingham County Democrats .... Rockingham is one of the largest and most Democratic of NH's 10 counties -- it has a population of over 200,000, accounting for about 1 in 6 NH residents.

November 9, 2007

Obama Courts Women Voters

in MSNBC

At a roundtable on women's issues in Des Moines today, Obama presented himself as a candidate who can relate to the economic and work-family challenges facing women voters. Obama spoke to a group of five women from Iowa, including single and working moms. He talked openly about his own biography, having been raised by a single mother and his experience with the challenges of raising his own children.

November 8, 2007

Obama says he'll fight for middle class

in The Nashua Telegraph

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday he would take on banking, insurance and corporate interests to give the struggling middle class relief from predatory lenders and restrictive bankruptcy laws and would also give more time off to employees to care for themselves or loved ones.

November 8, 2007

Obama proposes to offer workers paid family leave

in The Des Moines Register

Presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed spending $26 billion a year on middle-class tax cuts and credits, plus help to guarantee sick days for workers and reform of bankruptcy laws. The policy included a few ideas Obama had previously proposed, such as up to $1,000 a year in tax credits to most middle-class families. That idea would benefit 150 million people, most of whom live in households that make less than $50,000 a year, his campaign has said.

November 8, 2007

Media consolidation silences diverse voices

in Sen. Obama and Sen. Kerry

The bedrock of America's greatest advances - the foundation of what we know today are defining values - was formed not by cheering on things as they were, but by taking them on and demanding change. The thoughtful exchange of diverse viewpoints not only helps guarantee our freedom as individuals, it ensures those in power can be held accountable for all that they do.

November 8, 2007

Obama targets economic fears

in The Boston Globe

With more and more households feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living, Senator Barack Obama told Iowans yesterday that he understood their economic anxieties and would work to restore the American dream for middle-class families. Drawing on his own family's experiences a generation ago, Obama said Americans today are struggling to cover skyrocketing healthcare and energy costs, and increasingly unable to afford college for their children.

November 7, 2007

Obama Talks About Working Families

in The New York Times

As Senator Barack Obama sets off on a two-day Iowa bus tour here today, one goal sits near the top of his agenda: Reminding voters that he understands the daily struggles of working families. "I'm reminded of how unlikely it is that the dreams of my family could be realized today," Mr. Obama said, telling a story of growing up with a single mom who relied on food stamps to pull her family through. "It's gotten harder. It's gotten tougher, particularly for young families."

November 7, 2007

Obama Opens Iowa Campaign Swing

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama portrayed himself as an impatient problem-solver Tuesday as he launched a five-day campaign swing through vote-rich areas of Iowa. ..."We need somebody who has some impatience, somebody who is impatient with the problems that have festered for so long," the Illinois senator said, making the case for his candidacy to about 700 people at an evening rally.

November 7, 2007

Obama outlines rural Nevada plan

in The Las Vegas Review-Journal

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he does not support mining reform legislation that recently passed the House of Representatives and would work to find a compromise that is more friendly to the mining industry.

November 7, 2007

Obama Talks of Personal Life in Radio Ad

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama offers a personal account of growing up without his father in a new ad airing on South Carolina radio stations that target black listeners. "My father left when I was two. I only saw him once after that. My mother did her best, struggling to take care of my sister and me," Obama says in the statewide ad airing on 36 stations.

November 6, 2007

Obama's Red State Appeal

in TIME

..."I don't think Oklahoma has seen this kind of enthusiasm for a Democrat since Bobby Kennedy,'' marveled Lisa Pryor, chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, who is not endorsing a candidate, after an Obama rally in Oklahoma City in March that drew more than 1,000 people - each of whom paid $25 to get in, and handed over their contact information. "He could be the first Democrat to win Oklahoma since LBJ."

November 5, 2007

Hodes tells why he believes Obama can make a difference

in The Laconia Citizen

Second District Congressman Paul Hodes, an early and eager supporter of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, addressed supporters at the Main Street Obama offices Sunday afternoon. ...He said he chose Obama because he understands what it means to be inclusive and believes Obama will change the direction of the country to allow it to regain its leadership in the world.

November 3, 2007

Obama: S.C. civil rights pioneers enabled his run for president

in The Associated Press

..."I know that I stand on their shoulders," Obama told about 800 people on the Clarendon County Courthouse lawn in this early voting state. The Illinois senator was referring to a group of black residents who brought a lawsuit known as Briggs v. Elliot that was later combined into the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 that ended school segregation.

November 3, 2007

Obama: Treat 'these kids' like 'our kids'

in The Chicago Tribune

Speaking on the steps of a courthouse where one of the early lawsuits challenging segregated schools was filed, Barack Obama on Friday offered his life story as proof that he would treat "these kids" like "our kids" and fight for better educational opportunities for minorities.

November 3, 2007

Obama: It will take a movement to fix America

in The Greenville News

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama said last night in Greenville that it will take more than a presidential campaign to fix America -- it will take a movement. Speaking at the NAACP's Freedom Fund Banquet at Carolina First Center, the first-term Illinois senator said, "When ordinary people work together, they can do extraordinary things."

November 2, 2007

Obama Introduces Iran Measure

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama introduced a Senate resolution late Thursday that says President Bush does not have authority to use military force against Iran, the latest move in a debate with presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton about how to respond to that country's nuclear ambitions.

November 2, 2007

Obama Envisions New Iran Approach

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama says he would "engage in aggressive personal diplomacy" with Iran if elected president and would offer economic inducements and a possible promise not to seek "regime change" if Iran stopped meddling in Iraq and cooperated on terrorism and nuclear issues.

November 2, 2007

Obama takes questions from 5-year-old

in The Associated Press

...Crouching to the ground after a rally with 4,000 supporters, Obama briefly outlined for Hadassah his plan to provide health insurance for everyone and to improve schools. He also suggested to the first-grader that wealthier people should help those who are less fortunate.

November 1, 2007

Durham mayor Bill Bell backs Obama for presidency

in The Associated Press

When Mayor Bill Bell introduces Illinois Sen. Barack Obama during a visit Thursday to the Bull City, he'll offer more than the routine welcome. The mayor's giving an endorsement, too. "Obama brings a different dimension to the campaign and the country in terms of his vision, the energy he has and his ideas," Bell said in an interview with The Associated Press. "He was out front in opposing the Iraq War and I think that conflict probably the biggest damage that this country has experienced."

November 1, 2007

Obama Says Clinton Dodges Hard Questions

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama said Wednesday that rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's less-than-straightforward answers in a Democratic debate raise questions about her ability to assume the presidency. "This may be smart politics by Washington's standards, but it's not what America needs right now," the first-term Illinois senator told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Chicago. "Turning the page means offering the American people a clear sense of your principles and where you'd lead."

October 31, 2007

Violence against women, at home and abroad, must cease

in Chicago Defender

by Barack Obama President Bush has an opportunity to assert America's moral leadership in the aftermath of last week's meeting with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). President Bush should seize it by stepping up efforts to stop the epidemic of sexual violence in the DRC -- an epidemic that is similarly devastating places like Darfur, where rape is the weapon of choice.

October 30, 2007

Franklin Pierce Law Dean endorses Obama

in The Boston Globe

Out-spoken civil liberties expert John Hutson, the Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law School in Concord, endorsed Barack Obama's presidential campaign this morning. Hutson, a retired Navy rear admiral, said Obama would bring a "welcome breath of fresh air" to the military.

October 30, 2007

Obama's anti-war beat

in The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama drew more than 4,250 people to an outdoor rally and fundraiser last night at the Charlottesville Pavilion. ...Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who endorsed Obama in February, introduced him to the crowd as "someone who will truly bring this nation together. Barack has a unique ability to do that and that's why he's going to be such a great president."

October 30, 2007

Barack Obama Fields Tough Questions At MTV/MySpace Forum

in MTV News

On the day a new poll showed him in a statistical dead heat with rival Senator Hillary Clinton among Democratic caucus voters in Iowa, Illinois Senator Barack Obama brought his message to the young voters at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Monday, where MTV/MySpace's second presidential dialogue took place.

October 29, 2007

U.S. policy on Iran must show restraint, Obama cautions

in The Des Moines Register

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has seized on the increasingly pointed debate about U.S. policy toward Iran to suggest that restraint should be the preferred diplomatic tool. "Typically, we have made our biggest blunders when we overreached militarily," the Illinois senator said in a Des Moines Register interview.

October 27, 2007

For Obama , it's not politics as usual

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Barack Obama is bringing his 2008 Democratic presidential bid to Iowans' doorsteps. Obama, 46, a superstar U.S. senator who rose from the ranks as a community organizer, is taking Iowa's tradition of retail politicking to a new level by personally knocking on doors at homes, businesses and even farmsteads in search of supporters in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

October 26, 2007

Wisconsin SEIU Endorses Obama

in MSNBC - First Read

The Wisconsin SEIU today endorsed Obama, citing his "commitment to expanding access to affordable health care and to protecting workers' rights," according to State Council President Dian Palmer in the release. The union has a little more than 15,000 members.

October 26, 2007

Obama fires up crowd at Columbus rally

in The Columbus Dispatch

...The Illinois Democrat, freshly endorsed by Mayor Michael B. Coleman and making his first public speech in Columbus as a presidential candidate, stirred the crowd from the outset with a fetching cry of "O-H." The resounding "I-O" came on cue. ..."I understand that you are tired of being sick and tired," Obama said. "The system has not been working for us."

October 26, 2007

Coleman becomes an Obama supporter

in The Columbus Dispatch

Despite phone calls from both Clintons -- Bill and Hillary -- Mayor Michael B. Coleman will endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination at an Obama campaign rally today in Columbus. Comparing Obama to two Democratic icons, Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, Coleman called the Illinois senator "a one-of-a-kind who comes along only every few generations."

October 25, 2007

Obama luring ex-Bill Clinton aides

in The Boston Globe

When Deval Patrick called on a sea of nearly 10,000 people to support Barack Obama for president, he became only the latest in a series of high-profile officials from Bill Clinton's administration endorsing, advising, or working for Obama, Hillary Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination.

October 24, 2007

For Obama, support from a kindred political spirit

in Boston Globe

...At the rally, which Obama's campaign said drew 9,500 people, Patrick offered a forceful argument for Obama, casting the presidential election as one of historic proportions in which merely a change in party would be insufficient. "We need a leader who is ready to call in our times for our service, and our sacrifice," Patrick said. "You see, this election is not just about who we want. It's about who we are. I want a president who understands that. I want Barack Obama."

October 22, 2007

Obama runs new ad, promises tax help

in The Associated Press

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama began running a new ad Monday promising change and implicitly criticizing his Democratic rivals for being conventional. In the 30-second television ad, Obama says it's time for the president to restore the United States' standing in the world and abandon conventional ideas - key themes from his standard speech.

October 21, 2007

Obama courts Latino voters in L.A.

in L.A. Times

Barack Obama dived into California's most contentious policy debates Saturday at an East Los Angeles appearance where he defended immigration reform and affirmative action and criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a measure to extend college scholarships to students in the country illegally. "That was wrong," the Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate told several hundred gathered at Garfield High School. "Instead of driving thousands of children who were on the right path into the shadows, we need to give those who play by the rules the opportunity to succeed."

October 21, 2007

Federico Peña Launches Nevada Latinos for Obama with Events in Reno

in ABC - Reno, NV

Federico Peña, former Clinton administration Energy and Transportation Secretary, launched Nevada Latinos for Obama today. Secretary Peña joined with Latino supporters and volunteers in Reno and Las Vegas to expand the grassroots movement for Barack Obama within the Latino community in Nevada.

October 19, 2007

Barack Obama addresses crowd of 6,000 at ASU

in The East Valley Tribune

Presidential candidate Barack Obama told nearly 6,000 people at Arizona State University Friday that the country needs a change of leadership. "We don't need somebody who knows how to work the system. We need somebody to change the system," he said. "I'm not running to uphold conventional wisdom. I'm running to change the conventional wisdom."

October 19, 2007

He is the message

in Arizona Republic

Amid thunderous cheers and a rolling sea of placards bearing his name, Barack Obama strode center stage to deliver the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston.

October 19, 2007

Obama Wants Official Fired for Comments

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama said Friday the head of the Justice Department's voting rights division should be fired for saying voter ID laws hurt the elderly but aren't a problem for minorities because they often die before old age.

October 19, 2007

Obama wins endorsement of Missouri-Kansas SEIU council

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Thursday won the endorsement of the Missouri-Kansas State Council of the Service Employees International Union. The council represents more than 15,000 members in both states.

October 18, 2007

Rep. Smith endorses Obama for president

in The Marshalltown Times-Republican

Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, Wednesday endorsed Sen. Barack Obama as his choice for the next president of the United States. Smith cited Obama's experience and willingness to reach across the political divide as one reason he favors the Illinois senator, according to the Obama campaign. "He comes from the great state of Illinois, near Iowa, and has a good sense of what issues are important to people in the heartland," Smith said.

October 18, 2007

Patrick to back Obama's campaign

in The Boston Globe

Governor Deval Patrick will throw his support behind Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential campaign...Patrick chose Obama because the governor believes the country is hungry for a fresh leadership style, one that stirs up strong voter enthusiasm, Patrick administration officials said.

October 17, 2007

Obama joins fight over GI benefits

in The Des Moines Register

Presidential candidate Barack Obama and the entire Iowa congressional delegation are demanding answers from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and President Bush as to why hundreds of Iowa National Guard members were shortchanged on their GI Bill benefits.

October 17, 2007

Obama farm plan limits subsidies

in The Des Moines Register

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama unveiled a farm plan here Tuesday that would limit farm subsidies, push for tougher fines for rural polluters and establish country-of-origin labeling. ..."What we've learned, above all else, is that we're at a critical and urgent moment for rural America," Obama said, referring to the dozens of meetings his campaign held with rural Iowans during the summer to help draft the plan.

October 16, 2007

Obama outlines policies for rural America

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama is spelling out a package of rural-focused proposals Tuesday that would aid smaller farmers, set goals for an expanding renewable fuels industry and establish incentives for organic production. Obama called for a goal of producing 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol by 2013, while taking care that such an expansion doesn't worsen pollution.

October 15, 2007

Obama greets 4,000 of the faithful in Madison, as he lays plans for Iowa

in Wisconsin State Journal

Presidential candidate Barack Obama greeted an overflow crowd of 4,000 in Madison today -- with a sports joke ...He quickly shifted gears, and appealed for help in his campaign for the Democratic Party nomination. "I want to bring about a better America, and I need you to make that happen Madison," the Democrat said. Organizers are calling the campaign event the largest student-driven event the Obama campaign has held.

October 15, 2007

Obama positions himself as candidate of change at Madison rally

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama told a ballroom packed with young supporters on Monday that he was the presidential candidate who can bring the most change to politics. Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, said he is best positioned to reform the health care system, end the Iraq War and help rid the nation of its dependence on foreign oil.

October 13, 2007

Obama Knocks on Doors in Iowa

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama knocked on doors in the Iowa capital Saturday talking up his opposition to the war in Iraq. At one stop, Obama got a warm welcome from a woman who said the visit might persuade her to attend the Democratic presidential caucus in January,

October 13, 2007

Obama Woos Rural Iowa, Using Ill. Lesson

in The Associated Press

Barack Obama is working hard to persuade rural voters in Iowa farm country they should support a big-city black lawyer with a strange name. He has done it before - three years ago, in neighboring Illinois, when he was running for the Senate.

October 12, 2007

Obama Takes Sister Souljah Tack...

in Bloomberg

...So far this year, Obama, 46, has talked up tougher emissions standards in Detroit, gone to the Nasdaq Stock Market in New York to chastise Wall Street executives over tax loopholes and their"what's good for me is good enough" mentality and told black men in South Carolina that they need to"stop acting like boys" and face up to parental responsibilities.

October 11, 2007

Obama Tells Md. Voters, We Need Something New

in The Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) spent yesterday evening in Prince George's County, speaking to one of the nation's most affluent African American communities in an attempt to convince voters that he has a real chance of becoming the nation's first black president. The ticketed rally, his first presidential campaign appearance in Maryland, drew a spirited and racially diverse crowd of thousands to Prince George's Community College in Largo. A marching band performed as supporters of all ages waved signs: "Barack Rocks," "Maryland {heart} Barack."

October 11, 2007

Obama to add offices to Nevada organization

in The Associated Press

The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday it plans to open four new campaign offices in Nevada and add to its staff. Campaign manager David Plouffe would not say exactly how many new workers would be hired, but said there would be a total of 50 field workers in the state.

October 11, 2007

Barack Obama to step up campaign in Georgia

in The Savannah Morning News

Georgia's primary election will be one of the most important of the more than 20 taking place Feb. 5, Barack Obama's top operative says. ...Accordingly, he added, Obama will mount a major effort here, starting with two paid staffers and the opening of an Atlanta office on Nov. 1.

October 9, 2007

Obama says only outsider can bring changes that rivals have failed to enact

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama says voters should elect him president, "not because I have some perfect solution" to pressing problems, but because he's the candidate who can get things done.

October 9, 2007

Obama in city, talks energy

in The Portsmouth Herald

Presidential hopeful and Illinois Senator Barack Obama outlined an aggressive energy policy Monday at the Portsmouth Public Library before an invited audience of supporters including environmental activists. Obama's three-step plan takes a top-down, bottom-up approach by focusing on both industry and the way individuals consume energy.

October 9, 2007

Obama rolls out energy plan

in The Concord Monitor

...Portsmouth City Councilor Ned Raynolds, who works on climate advocacy for the Union of Concerned Scientists and successfully advocated for the Portsmouth Public Library's design as a "green building," said Obama's speech persuaded him to support the candidate..."This is the speech I've been waiting to hear from a presidential candidate for 10 years."

October 8, 2007

LCV: Obama Energy Plan Is Major Step in the Right Direction

in The League of Conservation Voters

..."Senator Barack Obama has put forward an aggressive plan that would point America in the right direction toward a clean, renewable energy future, reduce greenhouse gas pollution and reverse the disastrous policies of the current Administration..."

October 5, 2007

Obama pledges better veterans care

in The Associated Press

...Obama said it's not enough to make a speech on Veteran's Day or lay a wreath on Memorial Day. "When a veteran is denied health care, we are all dishonored," he said. "When 400,000 veterans are stuck on a waiting list for claims, we need a new sense of urgency in this country."

October 5, 2007

Obama says soldiers should not get unexpected tour extensions

in The Des Moines Register

American soldiers should not encounter unexpected war extensions, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told about 450 people here Thursday. As president, Obama said, he would advocate for more crackdowns on employers who fail to keep jobs open for deployed Guard members. He also emphasized the need to extend federal leave acts that allow family members to care for injured troops, enhance educational benefits and provide mental health care at every stage of military service.

October 5, 2007

Obama, Harkin write to Bush about USDA stance on black farmers

in The Hill

Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) kept up his pressure on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Thursday, suggesting that the department sought to weaken legislation designed to provide relief for disenfranchised black farmers. In a letter dated Thursday to President Bush, Obama again criticized USDA employees who had allegedly lobbied against a provision in the House's farm bill that would reopen discrimination claims by black farmers who had missed the filing deadline.

October 4, 2007

Obama gains a convert in Independence

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

At least one person openly declared her belief in Obamaism at the conclusion of a campaign rally here Thursday for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama...Malinowski said she believes Obama when he says he intends to represent common people rather than special interests.

October 4, 2007

Obama outlines policy on private security in Iraq

in Iowa City Press Citizen

...Obama spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Iowa City talking about his foreign policy platform in his quest to be the next president of the United States. On Wednesday, he announced to a group of about 900 that he had created a plan to force security contractors to follow the law overseas, which includes creating a special unit in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to enforce it.

October 4, 2007

Barack Obama acts like he understands Iowa

in Politico

...Every Democratic presidential campaign called the Fischers this time to ask for their support. Last week, the couple announced they were going to work for Obama. One reason, they told me, is they think Obama is the best candidate, with the greatest chance of winning. But there was another reason. "He is the best-organized in Iowa," Gordon said. "He has the best ground game."

October 4, 2007

Youth effort brings presidential race to school

in The Des Moines Register

...Jordan's political awakening came after he was introduced, by way of a campaign speech on DVD, to Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama. Here was a presidential candidate who seemed trustworthy and real to Jordan. When he went to see Obama in person, Jordan decided he believed what the senator said about changing politics and uniting voters...They are two of about 15 members of the Waukee High Barack Stars, a group that has shaken hands and waved signs in three parades so far this fall

October 3, 2007

Obama says government must hold contractors accountable

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Wednesday said the Bush administration should do more to crack down on lawbreaking American contractors working in Iraq. Obama, who has been focusing on foreign policy and the war in Iraq during campaign events this week, said he wants to force contractors to follow federal regulations. He proposed a special FBI unit to enforce those laws.

October 3, 2007

Turn the Page

in Iowa City Press-Citizen

As one of only a few major Democratic presidential candidates to be against the war from the start, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and his supporters said Wednesday night that it's that kind of judgment that makes him the person who should next lead the United States.

October 2, 2007

Obama to Urge Elimination of World's Nuclear Weapons

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama will propose on Tuesday setting a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world, saying the United States should greatly reduce its stockpiles to lower the threat of nuclear terrorism, aides say..."In 2009, we will have a window of opportunity to renew our global leadership and bring our nation together," Mr. Obama is planning to say, according to an excerpt of remarks provided by his aides. "If we don't seize that moment, we may not get another."

October 1, 2007

Ted Sorensen to join Obama in Iowa

in The Chicago Tribune

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will be joined Tuesday on the campaign trail in Iowa by Ted Sorensen, a top adviser to President Kennedy. Sorensen will introduce the Illinois Democrat before speeches in Des Moines and Coralville, where Obama will travel after delivering a foreign policy speech in Chicago, five years to the day after he delivered a speech in Federal Plaza that opposed the invasion of Iraq.

October 1, 2007

Obama drops by 2 Midlands churches

in The State

Senator arouses both enthusiastic and polite responses from black and white congregations "The senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, is with us today." Applause follows.

September 30, 2007

Obama campaign passes 350,000 donors

in The Chicago Tribune

Hours before the close of the quarterly financial reporting period for presidential campaigns at midnight tonight, the Barack Obama campaign announced a few moments ago that it had attracted more than 350,000 donors since the start of his bid for the White House. The Obama campaign has consistently reported previously unmatched numbers of donors each quarter this year.

September 30, 2007

Obama visits Portsmouth

in Fosters Daily Democrat

..."I think he is the next great thing to pick up this country," Mitchell said, adding that he liked Obama's views on fixing the federal budget and health care.

September 29, 2007

Competition in the Cornfields

in Newsweek

...among likely caucus-goers, Obama enjoys a slim lead, polling 28 percent to best Clinton (24 percent) and Edwards (22 percent).

September 29, 2007

Obama Seeks Support Quoting Bill Clinton

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful Barrack Obama on argued Saturday that his public service experience trumps that of rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, and he used her husband's words to make his point.

September 29, 2007

Democrat endorsing Obama

in The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald

Friday was a day of announcements for Rep. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque. In addition to announcing her candidacy for Iowa Senate, Jochum also verified that she is endorsing Barack Obama in the race for Democratic presidential nominee.

September 29, 2007

Many soldiers get boot for 'pre-existing' mental illness

in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

...Working behind the scenes, Sens. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., have written and inserted into the defense authorization bill a provision that would make it harder for the Pentagon to discharge thousands of troops. The Post-Dispatch has learned that the measure has been accepted into the Senate defense bill and will probably become part of the Senate-House bill to be voted on this week.

September 28, 2007

Obama Draws Thousands to NYC Park

in The Associated Press

...He received thunderous applause when he said many came to the nighttime rally because they are fed up with the Constitution being treated as a "nuisance" instead as of the foundation of the country, and with a war "that never should've been authorized and has cost us thousands of lives."

September 28, 2007

Obama speaks to 24k in park

in The Washington Square News

...Obama spoke extensively about his campaign promises, clearly focusing on ones that impact college students, like financial aid. The crowd included about 24,000 people, according to Obama's campaign, and they cheered or jeered as he spoke, particularly when he mentioned "Bush," "Iraq" and "cost of college."

September 27, 2007

Obama woos supporters in Peterborough fields

in The Union Leader

At least a thousand spectators and supporters of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama crowded onto the Old Jaffrey Road property of Terry Reeves and David Baum yesterday to hear the Democratic Presidential candidate...Old, young, black, white, Latino, even babies were in the audience, and in addition to Democrats and Independents, there were a few Republicans as well. "I know this because when they shake my hand they whisper, 'I'm a Republican, but I support you,'" he said.

September 27, 2007

Obama comes to the Square today

in The Washington Square News

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will lead a rally in Washington Square Park today to garner support for his presidential bid... In a video posted on Obama's campaign website, Obama says, "Join me in Manhattan. There are moments to be a part of history, to be a part of the change we all want for our country, and now is that time. See you in New York."

September 27, 2007

Obama gathers support in Iowa City for husband

in The Iowa City Press Citizen

Michelle Obama came to Iowa City Wednesday to drum up support for her husband, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and to tell voters that Washington experience is not the kind of experience the next president needs. Obama spoke to about 200 people in the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center in Iowa City.

September 26, 2007

Obama's 'mission' is change

in The Portland Press Herald

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama cast himself as both an idealist and an agent of change Tuesday during his first Maine appearance -- a campaign speech to some 3,000 people who paid $23 each to attend.

September 26, 2007

Obama ramping up campaign in Missouri

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is ramping up his campaign organization in Missouri, hiring a full-time political director in the state and opening offices in St. Louis and Kansas City. Campaign officials said Tuesday they want to build on Obama's early success raising money in the state.

September 26, 2007

Locals aid Obama's health care campaign

in The Portsmouth Herald

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, a Democratic candidate for president, has announced the membership of the New Hampshire Health Care Community for Obama, and in it are several Seacoast health care professionals.

September 25, 2007

For general, Obama's character befits a commander in chief

in The Concord Monitor

..."He's not self-centered, he's reasonable, he's not trying to prove he's tougher than his daddy," Gen. Tony McPeak told a dozen people at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation in Franklin. "He's a guy in the Oval Office that senior military can respect and salute in a way that we've seen lacking previously."

September 24, 2007

And the Winner Is...

in Yahoo! News

Every time a Presidential debate ends it seems the real contest begins, as candidates elbow their way to the nearest television camera to spin their own performance into a tale of triumph.

September 24, 2007

Obama wins Iowa Dem leader endorsement

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Citing electability and strength as a "change agent," former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer endorsed Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign. "Like all Democrats," Fischer said in a conference call, "I'm desperate to win the White House."

September 24, 2007

NYC correction officers' union says it will endorse Obama

in The Associated Press

One of the largest municipal jail unions in the country said Monday that it will endorse Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois for president. "Barack Obama is the one candidate who will put an end to the divisiveness in this country so that we can finally achieve greater economic prosperity for the working class and health care coverage for all Americans," said Norman Seabrook, the president of the city's Correction Officers' Benevolent Association. The group has about 9,000 active members.

September 22, 2007

More than 3,000 attend Obama speech at Iowa State University

in The Ames Tribune

...Addressing a crowd of more than 3,000 people on the central campus of Iowa State University, Obama said he will change politics and put an end to the games the U.S. Congress and the White House have been pulling if elected president.

September 21, 2007

JFK adviser stumps for Obama in Exeter

in The Portsmouth Herald

Like President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s, presidential candidate Barack Obama uses good judgment, according to Ted Sorensen, counsel and speechwriter to Kennedy during his presidency.

September 20, 2007

Obama beefs up Colorado support

in The Denver Post

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the only candidate with ground troops in Colorado, is organizing a significant grassroots campaign in the state, according to his campaign manager.

September 19, 2007

Obama Casts Voters As Agents of Change

in The Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama has a new ad in Iowa that seeks to distinguish him from his rivals on curbing lobbyists, improving health care and ending the war in Iraq while casting voters as the agents of change. The one-minute ad begins airing Wednesday.

September 19, 2007

Obama unveils tax cuts for middle class

in The Portsmouth Herald

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama became the first Democratic candidate to unveil a detailed middle class tax-cut proposal, one that he believes will restore "fiscal responsibility and a sense of fairness." In a speech titled "Tax Fairness for the Middle Class," delivered Tuesday in Washington, Obama said his five-part $85 billion plan would cut taxes for more than 150 million Americans (including as many as 800,000 in New Hampshire), cut all taxes for seniors making less than $50,000, institute a mortgage tax credit, simplify the tax code and crack down on tax havens, and close corporate loopholes.

September 19, 2007

Nevadans weigh in on Obama's proposed tax plan

in The Reno Gazette-Journal

Saying he seeks to even the playing field for American workers, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on Tuesday proposed $80 billion in tax cuts targeted mostly at middle-class taxpayers and an increase in capital gains tax for the richest Americans.

September 18, 2007

Obama Economic Plan Includes Tax Breaks

in The Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is proposing more than $80 billion in annual tax relief for workers and seniors funded by an increase on wealthier investors. Obama wants to give 150 million working Americans a $500 tax credit, expand relief for homeowners, eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 and simplify tax returns so millions of Americans can file in less than five minutes, according to a summary document provided by his campaign.

September 17, 2007

At SEIU, Obama Rocked The House

in The Atlantic

...Obama entered the ballroom to cheers, but he left to a sustained chorus of chants: "Obama!, Obama!" The SEIU president, Andy Stern, had to calm his members: ""Everybody take your seats, please. We have other candidates."

September 17, 2007

Obama's policy team loaded with all-stars

in The Chicago Tribune

...Senior advisers include heavy hitters from the administration of President Bill Clinton, husband of Obama's primary rival. Anthony Lake, Clinton's original national security adviser, is helping coordinate foreign policy. So is Susan Rice, a Clinton assistant secretary of state and protege of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Eric Holder, a former deputy attorney general, is among those providing expertise on legal policy.

September 17, 2007

Obama Calls for Openness in Marketplace

in The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday called for more openness and transparency in the marketplace to bolster the trust of investors and the public.

September 15, 2007

State legislators endorse Obama

in The Des Moines Register

Democrat Barack Obama scored four more state legislator endorsements, his presidential campaign announced Friday.

September 15, 2007

Tax loophole hurts misclassified workers

in By Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Dick Durbin

Every day, millions of working Americans go to their jobs, play by the rules and hope to make a decent living for themselves and their families. These workers strengthen our middle class and keep our economy going.

September 14, 2007

Four Iowa lawmakers to back Obama

in CNN - Political Ticker

Four Iowa legislators announced Friday that they are throwing their support behind Sen. Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. State Sen. Rich Olive, state Sen. Frank Wood, state Rep. Helen Miller and state Rep. Janet Peterson all said they will back the Illinois Democrat.

September 14, 2007

Blacks moving away from Clinton to Obama, poll shows

in The Times and Democrat

..."Early on, African-Americans threw their support to Hillary Clinton, primarily based on the Clinton legacy. However, as African-American voters have gotten to know Barack Obama, support for him has increased significantly..."

September 14, 2007

Obama: American people solution to problems

in The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Kenyan-American Barack Obama, a presidential hopeful by way of Hawaii, Indonesia, New York and Chicago, wants to tap the values and the common sense of Grant Wood country.

September 13, 2007

Obama Offers Most Extensive Plan Yet for Winding Down War

in The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama yesterday presented his most extensive plan yet for winding down the war in Iraq, proposing to withdraw all combat brigades by the end of next year while leaving behind an unspecified smaller force to strike at terrorists, train Iraqi soldiers and protect American interests.

September 12, 2007

Obama Outlines His Troop Pullout Plan

in The Associated Press

CLINTON, Iowa -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year. "Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq and there never was," Obama was expected to say in a speech Wednesday at Ashford University.

September 10, 2007

Barack 2, Hillary 0; Bishop backs Obama

in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After months of lengthy phone calls and occasional not-so-subtle pressure from two of his party's presidential contenders, Rep. Sanford Bishop, an Albany Democrat, announced Monday that he' backing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in the Democratic presidential primary.

September 10, 2007

Obama scheduled to make Iraq speech in Clinton, Iowa

in Quad-City Times

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama plans to make a major policy speech on Iraq when he comes to Clinton, Iowa, Wednesday, a Democratic official who's familiar with the campaign's plans said Sunday.

September 10, 2007

Obama Rocks the House in San Francisco

in BeyondChron

There were quite a few opening acts. Three hip-hop artists performed, a number of female campaign organizers told stories about their candidate from the South Side of Chicago, and Stanford Dean of Freshman Julie Lythcott-Haims worked the crowd into an absolute frenzy. But this proved no match for the noise that greeted Barack Obama when he finally stepped onto the stage.

September 10, 2007

Obama campaign tackles matters of faith

in Daily Iowan

Joshua DuBois, the Barack Obama campaign's director of religious affairs, began his faith and politics forum at the IMU on Sept. 7 by asking those present to introduce themselves by stating their names and the faith communities to which they belong.

September 8, 2007

Obama hits familiar themes for enthusiastic Oregon crowd

in Associated Press

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama made his first visit to Oregon since declaring his presidential candidacy Friday night, stressing the big themes of his campaign in a speech light on specifics but with a few veiled jabs at rivals.

September 8, 2007

Obama draws 4,000 fans, $200,000 in campaign funds on Portland visit

in Oregonian

Democrat Barack Obama touched down tonight in Portland just long enough to whip up local support for his presidential bid and collect about $200,000 in contributions.

September 7, 2007

Obama wows 'em in San Fran

in L.A. Times

The heavy hitters among California Democrats were noticeably absent from an appearance Friday by Barack Obama in San Francisco --- most have long since signed on with Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential race. Still, more than 1,000 folks joined him at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for the unveiling of California Women for Obama...

September 7, 2007

Peña to be a national co-chair of Obama campaign

in Denver Post

Federico Peña, Denver mayor from 1983-1991 and a former Clinton administration Cabinet secretary, will on Friday announce that he'll be a national co-chair of the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

September 7, 2007

Obama hires Colo. campaign chief

in Rocky Mountain News

A former union official who helped state Senate Democrats expand their majority in 2006 has been hired to run Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Colorado.

September 7, 2007

Las Vegas Visit: Obama: D.C. system fails U.S.

in Las Vegas Review-Journal

When Sen. Barack Obama made an appearance Thursday in Las Vegas, he brought the words of the late President John Kennedy with him.

September 6, 2007

Obama leads in campaign Web site visits

in Chicago Tribune

Sen. Barack Obama is leading all presidential candidates in campaign Web site visits, The Nielsen Company reported today.

September 6, 2007

Obama team pushing caucus strategy in Colorado

in Denver Post

Staff for Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama said today the campaign will aggressively organize their caucus strategy in Colorado even ahead of some larger states who also are holding primaries on the so-called "Super-duper Tuesday" that is Feb. 5.

September 6, 2007

Obama touts legislative experience

in Des Moines Register

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday that he has been more successful as a legislator than Hillary Clinton or John Edwards.

September 5, 2007

Obama vows open health reform process

in Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama promised Wednesday an open process to enact universal health care, saying he has learned from the mistakes of rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's failed health care reform effort of 1993.

September 5, 2007

Obama Unveils Government Ethics Plan

in New York Sun

Senator Obama of Illinois is seeking to sharpen the contrast with one of his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Clinton, by unveiling an ethics-in-government plan with provisions that appear to target alleged ethics lapses under President Clinton.

September 4, 2007

Obama sharpens distinctions on change

in Chicago Tribune

Barack Obama continues his efforts to sharpen distinctions with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton on their credentials as champions for change in Washington's political culture.

September 4, 2007

Obama proposes plan to toughen regulation of Washington lobbyists

in Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed centralizing and expanding the regulation of lobbyists to reduce the influence of special interest money in Washington.

September 4, 2007

Barack Obama, Drawing the Big Crowds

in Washington Post

As Sen. Barack Obama led a rowdy mob down the street here during a Labor Day parade, an organizer wearing a Mitt Romney pin stood on the sidewalk and stared in astonishment.

September 4, 2007

Donors share dinner with Obama

in Nashua Telegraph

Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., capped a busy Monday in the state with a low-key dinner with a small handful of supporters at Martha's Exchange Restaurant and Brewing Co. in Nashua.

September 3, 2007

Obama Warns Against Divisive Politics

in Associated Press

Democrat Barack Obama on Monday sharpened his critique of lead rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, warning against a return to "divisive, special interest politics" that had demoralized the country even before President Bush took office.

September 3, 2007

Obama promises to fight special interests

in New Hampshire Union Leader

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama vowed yesterday to defend national interests against special interests, a fight he said is foreign to his Washington insider rivals.

September 2, 2007

Warnstadt endorses Obama

in Sioux City Journal

Seeing a candidate he thinks can not only win the 2008 presidential election, but govern in the following years, Iowa Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City, has announced his endorsement of Barack Obama.

September 2, 2007

Daily Editorial: Obama phenomenon

in Vail Daily

This is not an endorsement or a prediction, just an observation. People who like Barack Obama really like Barack Obama.

September 1, 2007

Clooney: Obama's Like a Rock Star

in Chicago Tribune

Barack Obama has the aura of a rock star, says George Clooney, who also had some kind words for other Democratic presidential candidates.

August 31, 2007

Turner lets her star power shine on Obama's behalf

in GoUpstate.com

Academy Award nominee Kathleen Turner has spent a lifetime using her signature sexy, deep voice in movies from "Body Heat" to "Peggy Sue Got Married." Thursday, Turner used her voice to speak out in favor of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the presidency.

August 30, 2007

Editorial Board interview: Dick Durbin

in Chicago Tribune

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), just back from Iraq, met with the Tribune editorial board Wednesday for a wide-ranging interview on Iraq, the state of the Illinois Democratic Party and Sen. Barack Obama's quest for the White House. Here's a partial transcript.

August 30, 2007

Hit Iran where it hurts

in NY Daily News

Americans need to come together to confront the challenge posed by Iran. Yet the Bush administration and an anonymous senator are blocking a bill with bipartisan support that would ratchet up the pressure on the Iranian regime. It's time for this obstructionism to stop.

August 30, 2007

Rep. Adam Smith named Washington state chairman for Obama

in Bellingham Herald

Rep. Adam Smith has been named chairman of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Washington state, Obama's campaign announced Thursday.

August 29, 2007

Fine unscrupulous mortgage lenders

in Financial Times

By Barack Obama
The implosion of the subprime lending industry is more than a temporary blip in our economic progress. It is a cancer that, given today's integrated financial markets, threatens to spread with devastating impact to housing and to our economy as a whole, unless we act to contain it. It is also a parable about how an excess of lobbying and influence can defeat common sense rules of the road, placing both consumers and our nation's economic well-being at risk.

August 28, 2007

Obama getting tough as going gets rough

in Chicago Sun-Times

As he makes his run for president, Barack Obama often talks about his background. He talks about his uniqueness, his Kenyan and American heritage, his childhood spent in both Indonesia and Hawaii. This was his strategy: to introduce himself as a Washington outsider but someone who understood the global stage and who believed in consensus.

August 28, 2007

Locals liked Obama

in Cabinet Press

Barack Obama wants to be president to bring hope back to the American people and restore our nation's tarnished image in the world, he said Monday.

August 27, 2007

The Outsider's Insider

in Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama had hired Pete Rouse for just such a moment.

August 27, 2007

Obama: U.S. Can't Fail New Orleans Again

in New York Sun

Senator Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, said yesterday that the country cannot fail New Orleans again and that as president, he would keep the city in mind every day.

August 27, 2007

Obama taking grass-roots approach in S.C.

in The State

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is using cyberspace, the U.S. Mail and the equivalent of political Tupperware parties to build a more extensive grass-roots campaign than S.C. Democrats ever have seen before, observers say.

August 27, 2007

Obama fires up crowd in Lexington

in Lexington Herald-Leader

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wrapped his message for change in his signature high-octane style yesterday, delighting those in the overflow crowd, many of whom came to see whether the Illinois senator is the real deal.

August 26, 2007

On the Streets of Chicago, a Candidate Comes of Age

in U.S. News & World Report

Far from the centers of power and privilege that have spawned so many commanders in chief, it's an unlikely place to incubate a future president. But the seemingly endless clumps of drab brick apartment buildings and patchy lawns on Chicago's South Side are where Sen. Barack Obama learned some of his most enduring lessons about politics, leadership, and the paths to social change.

August 26, 2007

Obama stresses 'libertad'

in Miami Herald

Barack Obama turned Saturday afternoon at Miami-Dade County Auditorium into Sunday morning at church, falling into a call-and-response rhythm with his Democratic flock and urging them to have faith in a young, black newcomer to Washington.

August 26, 2007

Obama to set New Orleans recovery plan

in Chicago Tribune

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be in New Orleans on Sunday, where he will detail a plan to step up reconstruction of the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina two years ago.

August 26, 2007

Obama fans get political lessons

in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ben Turner is too young to vote, but he wasn't too young to sign up for "Camp Obama" this weekend.

August 25, 2007

Obama willing to work for fair, just solutions

in Reno Gazette-Journal

Presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are breathing new life into the presidential campaign. Out of all the candidates, Obama has a striking ability to understand the overwhelming apathy and mistrust the American people are feeling about the current political atmosphere.

August 25, 2007

Obama's quest: Turn support into votes

in St. Petersburg Times

Barack Obama bounded on stage Friday to the thunder of the Florida A&M University marching band. Scanning hundreds of young faces, he shouted: "Give it up for Andrew!"

August 25, 2007

Obama's Plan to Restore New Orleans

in New York Times

On the cusp of the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Senator Barack Obama will present a plan on Sunday aimed at hastening the rebuilding of New Orleans and restructuring how the federal government responds to future catastrophes in America.

August 24, 2007

Obama making stop in Tallahassee

in Tallahassee.com

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is bringing his presidential campaign back to Tallahassee today. Obama has a local campaign kickoff rally scheduled at Florida A&M University's Gaither Gymnasium at noon. The event is billed as a fund-raising event with a $20 "suggested contribution," or half as much for students.

August 24, 2007

Obama impresses crowd at CCU

in Sun News

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama rallied a crowd of about 1,800 people Thursday night at Coastal Carolina University, telling them why the nation needs a change and why he's the person to bring it about.

August 23, 2007

Obama visits Dillon's J.V. Martin Middle School

in SCnow.com

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois visited J.V. Martin Junior High School in Dillon School District 2 this morning to tour the school and participate in an education roundtable discussion on issues the school faces.

August 23, 2007

Obama and Women Voters

in Globe Gazette

The campaign for Democrat Barack Obama will roll out "Women for Obama" leaders in 50 Iowa counties today.

August 23, 2007

5 Questions

in Concord Monitor

Gabrielle "Gaby" Grossman, 29, of Exeter is going to dinner in Washington, D.C. - with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Grossman, a stay-at-home mom who previously taught seventh-graders, was one of four online contributors from across the country selected for a "Dinner with Barack" in September, with all expenses paid by the Illinois senator's campaign.

August 23, 2007

Barack's Apple Polish

in New York Post

Sen. Barack Obama came to New York yesterday and won high praise from the hard-working hotel doorman who had given $25 to his campaign. Gregory Smith, whose support for Obama was chronicled by The Post last spring, introduced the Democratic candidate at a Brooklyn fund-raiser.

August 23, 2007

The Pragmatic Obama

in Washington Post

Sen. Barack Obama is getting polite applause at best when he tells the delegates at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention here this week that in running for president, "I know I am running to become commander in chief." And then he tries to convince this intensely skeptical audience that he's the right man for the job.

August 22, 2007

Obama to deliver New Orleans speech

in Times-Picayune

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is scheduled to be in New Orleans on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

August 22, 2007

It's all about priorities for Michelle Obama

in L.A. Times

The young professional woman was in a bind. She had a job interview scheduled with a prospective boss, but she didn't have a baby-sitter. Not even her Harvard law degree could help her. So Michelle Obama -- still in maternity clothes -- strapped her newborn daughter, Sasha, in the stroller and headed out to meet Michael E. Riordan, president and chief executive of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

August 22, 2007

Democrats' Purity Primary

in Washington Post

Every campaign has moments when candidates substitute political preening for substance. Such an episode is unfolding now in the Democratic field, and it involves that perennial piñata, the Washington lobbyist.

August 22, 2007

In Brooklyn, Cheers for Obama

in New York Times

Senator Barack Obama came into the heart of Hillary country Wednesday night for a fundraiser organized by the group Brooklyn for Barack.

August 21, 2007

Obama Goes Grass-Roots To Show It's Not Just About Change

in Campaigns & Elections

To those critics who say U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., lacks the experience to become president -- watch out, because he's taking them head-on.

August 21, 2007

Congress's only Iraq war veteran endorses Obama

in The Hill

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Tuesday picked up the presidential endorsement of freshman Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), the only Iraq war veteran to serve in Congress.

August 21, 2007

Obama speaks about change

in Seacoast Online

After meeting with area residents in the early morning, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., spoke during a one-on-one phone interview on political change and responding to critics.

August 21, 2007

Michelle gets stronger all the time

in Chicago Sun-Times

Barack Obama often says that his wife, Michelle, is smarter than he is, stronger than he is, and gives better speeches than he does. On a trip to Iowa last week, Michelle was a firebrand, expressing a determined passion for her husband's campaign, talking straight from the heart with eloquence and intelligence.

August 21, 2007

Obama urges diplomacy surge in Iraq

in Kansas City Star

Democratic Sen.Barack Obama did not try to hide his opposition to the Iraq war during his speech this morning to the National VFW Convention in Kansas City. Unlike Sen. Hillary Clinton Monday, the Democratic presidential candidate dealt with Iraq first, and in strong terms.

August 21, 2007

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy Endorses Obama

in KYW.com

Freshman U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran, endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday.

August 20, 2007

Barack Obama - The August 19 Democratic Debate

in Time

His best debate performance so far. Stood up to sustained questioning on his alleged inexperience, which led the first seven minutes of the event, without losing his cool or backing down.

August 20, 2007

Barack Obama exudes confidence

in Kansas City Star

He despises the rock star label. He would never invite Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez over to the house for a cold one. As for the question of whether he's black enough to be president, that's one topic Sen. Barack Obama thinks is much ado over nothing.

August 20, 2007

Obama rises above sea level

in Politico

Barack Obama predicted the Democratic debate in Des Moines on Sunday was going to be like a game of bumper cars. Instead, it turned out more like a ride on the Tunnel of Love.

August 20, 2007

Obama: U.S. 'hungry for change'

in Seacoast Online

Hours after attending a nationally televised debate in Iowa, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was in Portsmouth addressing head-on one of the main issues of his candidacy: Does the young, first-term U.S. senator from Illinois have the experience necessary to be the next president? Speaking to an audience of more than 100 supporters and undecided Democratic primary voters, Obama said he has the experience and the judgment necessary to create a mandate for major change.

August 19, 2007

Obama is cutting back on debates, his campaign says

in L.A. Times

The Illinois senator remains committed to six upcoming events, but his campaign will be selective about new invitations.

August 19, 2007

Yepsen: Obama may be biggest debate winner

in Des Moines Register

One of the big questions going into today's debate among the Democratic presidential candidates in Iowa was whether Hillary Clinton can win the November election. That question still hangs over the race today. Clinton swatted at it with answers she's used before but she failed to conclusively knock it down.

August 18, 2007

Obama urges energy policy changes

in Des Moines Register

Sen. Barack Obama's criticism of political action committees and lobbyists continued Saturday afternoon in Waverly as the Democratic presidential candidate blamed them for Washington "dragging its feet" on national energy advancement.

August 18, 2007

Ardent backers of Obama's run head off to camp

in Boston Globe

On her final summer weekend before returning to college, 20-year-old Charli Cooksey passed up a resort vacation with her family to sit in a windowless basement room at the Missouri Historical Museum. There, over 20 hours last Saturday and Sunday, she learned how to be a foot soldier for Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

August 17, 2007

Obama talks rural policy during summit in Iowa

in Post-Bulletin

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Friday said Washington has ignored rural America for too long. "I believe it's time to turn the page on a politics that has turned its back on rural America," Obama said at an event, termed a rural summit, at a high school in central Iowa.

August 17, 2007

Obama: OK to talk to adversaries

in Daily Nonpareil

As he has said in the past, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday he believes it's important to talk with our adversaries, which is a change from the conventional thinking now reigning in Washington.

August 17, 2007

Obama: Americans can rise above petty politics

in Des Moines Register

America can overcome petty politics that are bogging down the nation's world standing, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said here this morning.

August 17, 2007

Obama Takes Sharper Tone to the Trail

in New York Times

Senator Barack Obama has moved in recent weeks to sharpen his tone noticeably as he fights for the Democratic presidential nomination, increasingly drawing sharp contrasts with his rivals and seeking to turn criticism of his foreign policy credentials into a fresh argument for change.

August 17, 2007

Michelle Obama embraces her husband's campaign

in CNN

Michelle Obama told Iowa voters Thursday that her desire not to have her children grow up in a "fear" based society was enough for her to fully embrace her husband's quest for White House.

August 16, 2007

Obama pledges open government, accountability during C.F. stop

in Waterlook-Cedar Falls Courier

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Wednesday said the nation needs more than a Democrat in the White House. Although he criticized the Bush administration, Obama said the nation's problems couldn't all be blamed on the president. He said Americans needed to change the nature of politics and institute greater openness in the government.

August 16, 2007

Obama Can Spread Prosperity, Fairness, Buffett Says

in Bloomberg

U.S. Senator Barack Obama is a "leader" who can ease economic disparity while increasing prosperity, billionaire Warren Buffett said at a fund-raiser he held for the presidential hopeful last night. "We have abundance but we don't have as much fairness as we might have in the system," Buffett, 76, told attendees at the Omaha, Nebraska event.

August 15, 2007

Obama airs Spanish ads in Nevada

in Union Tribune

LAS VEGAS -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has begun airing a Spanish-language ad on radio stations in Nevada, introducing himself as a "son of a foreign father," his presidential campaign said Tuesday. The ad, the campaign's first media buy in the state, emphasizes Obama's religious affiliation, his call for unity and his father's immigrant background.

August 15, 2007

Obama to Appear on 'The Tyra Banks Show'

in ABC News

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Talk show host Tyra Banks is putting her usual discussion of body image and fashion on hold for a day to interview U.S. Senator Barack Obama. The Illinois Democrat is the first presidential candidate to appear on the syndicated show, which is now in its third season. The show's topics typically are relationships and glamour rather than politics.

August 15, 2007

Concentrate on Obama's record, not his color

in Miami Herald

Sen. Barack Obama was scheduled to address the National Association of Black Journalists, but he was late. A hum of conversation hung over the standing-room-only crowd waiting for him in a ballroom at Bally's Las Vegas. Then, maybe 15 minutes after the appointed starting time, the would-be president was introduced. "I want to apologize for being a little bit late," he said. "But you guys keep on asking whether I'm black enough" -- and here he had to pause for the roar of laughter that ensued -- "so I figured I'd stroll in about 10 minutes after deadline."

August 15, 2007

Obama Leads Democrats' Efforts On College Campuses In Ohio

in Campaigns and Elections

If Democrats hope to pry Ohio's 20 electoral votes from the Republicans in next year's presidential election, one avenue to the win could be by mobilizing the state's many college students. Of course, the Democratic Party traditionally has been better at turning out younger voters, who are more sympathetic to their issues, than the GOP has. A recent national poll of 17- to 29-year-olds conducted by CBS News, MTV and the New York Times showed that 58 percent found the Democratic Party favorable, compared with 38 percent who said the same of the GOP. This cycle, the Democrats hope to get more mileage out of it -- especially in the Buckeye State.

August 14, 2007

Obama calls for government reform

in Concord Monitor

By Shira Schoenberg
The federal government must shake the influence of special interest groups, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told nearly 1,000 voters yesterday in Keene and Nashua. "People are frustrated with the way Washington does business," Obama said. "People want to know why drug and insurance companies write health care bills and oil companies write energy bills. People want to know, 'When are you going to do something for us?' "

August 13, 2007

A new vision to keep America safe

in The Globe Gazette

By Senator Barack Obama
It's time that American foreign policy reflected the common sense of the American people, not the failed conventional thinking of Washington. To turn the page, we have to focus on the real threats to the American people -- not on fighting the wrong war in Iraq. And we have to have the courage to tell the American people where we stand.

August 12, 2007

Obama enthusiasts go to camp

in Boston Globe

By Scott Helman
ST. LOUIS -- Hello mudda, hello fadda, having fun here at Camp Obama It's been about 100 degrees here this weekend in muggy St. Louis, so perhaps it's fortunate that the Camp Obama campground was actually a nicely air-conditioned function room in the basement of the Missouri Historical Museum. For the past two days, more than 60 ardent supporters of Barack Obama have huddled here to learn how they can put their passion to use.

August 11, 2007

Obama takes grassroots approach for dialogue on faith issues, politics

in Quad City Times

By Mary Louise Speer
Too often Americans appear torn between the Christian right and those who espouse more liberal viewpoints. Joshua DuBois, director of religious affairs for Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) highlighted some of Obama's concerns in reconciling faith and politics during a visit with staff from Churches United of the Quad-City Area and local clergy, Tuesday, in Bettendorf.

August 10, 2007

Obama Defends Foreign Policy Talk

in Washington Post

By Kathleen Hennessey
LAS VEGAS -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday that rival Hillary Rodham Clinton was wrong when she said politicians shouldn't discuss hypothetical decisions on foreign policy. Speaking at a conference of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Illinois senator defended his recent call for military action to hunt down terrorists if Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf doesn't act. Obama also said it would be "a profound mistake" to deploy nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

August 10, 2007

Michelle Obama illuminates husband's vision

in Reno Gazette-Journal

By Guy Clifton
Michelle Obama said there's a very good reason her husband has political opponents and many voters stumped. "Barack is exactly who he appears to be," she said. "I know that's hard to understand in politics." "He's smart, he's decent, a good husband and a good father." Speaking to an enthusiastic group of more than 300 supporters Thursday at the Pioneer Center in downtown Reno, Michelle Obama joked about her whirlwind schedule and her children's attitudes about the campaign while touting her husband as a fresh voice of hope in a cynical world.

August 9, 2007

Obama Argues for Civil Unions for Gays

in Forbes

By Michael Blood, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday he wanted to tap into the "core decency" of Americans to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians, and argued that civil unions for same-sex couples wouldn't be a "lesser thing" than marriage.

August 9, 2007

Obama does housework, homecare for labor support

in Chicago Tribune

By Mike Dorning
OAKLAND, CA -- With a television crew and photographers in tow, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spent Wednesday morning mopping floors, cleaning cobwebs and preparing breakfast for an 86-year-old wheelchair-bound amputee, as he accompanied a home health care worker on her daily duties. A day on the job has become a new ritual of the Democratic presidential campaign this year, after the powerful 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union demanded that candidates "Walk a Day in My Shoes" with a union member in order to be considered for endorsement.

August 8, 2007

Obama brushes back foreign policy critics

in The Politico

By Ben Smith
CHICAGO -- Sen. Barack Obama played his trump card against rivals who questioned his ability to run American foreign policy at a debate Tuesday night, reminding other leading presidential candidates that they -- unlike him -- voted for the Iraq invasion. The rowdy, hometown audience for the debate in sweltering Soldier Field, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, welcomed Obama's response to the foreign policy criticism from fellow senators. First came Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who said Obama's threats to raid Pakistan in search of terrorists could destabilize a friendly but fragile regime.

August 7, 2007

Obama Disagrees With Clinton Over Role of Lobbyists

in New York Sun

By Mike Glover, Associated Press
LE MARS, Iowa — Senator Obama, a Democratic presidential hopeful, criticized his chief rival, Senator Clinton, yesterday, contending that candidates who are comfortable with the role of lobbyists in this country have been in Washington too long. In an interview with the Associated Press and later at a town hall-style event, Mr. Obama said the matter would be a critical issue in his campaign.

August 7, 2007

Makeup's too much work for Michelle

in Chicago Sun-Times

By Mary Mitchell
In photographs, she appears rather ordinary. On the stump, she comes across as down-to-earth. But in person, the wife of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama is stunning. Last week, when I sat down with her for an interview in Rockford, she wore a white sleeveless blouse made out of a tulle material that showed off her sculpted arms, and navy blue slacks with a double stranded leather belt.

August 7, 2007

Obama's camp reassures supporters

in Reuters

Reuters
Washington DC -- Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign sought on Monday to assure his supporters he is a potent force and that national polls showing a big lead for Hillary Clinton are of little consequence at this stage. Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, said in a memo to supporters that Obama, an Illinois senator, is doing fine in early-voting states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

August 6, 2007

'Rock Star' Obama in Harmony With U.S. Allies

in Bloomberg

By Albert R. Hunt
The first major dustup between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- whether the next president should unconditionally meet with leaders hostile to the U.S. -- is still simmering after two weeks. How the issue will play in the American presidential election remains uncertain. How the rest of the world is reacting is not. Obama wins.

August 5, 2007

Elko voters cheer Obama

in Reno Gazette-Journal

By Anjeanette Daman
ELKO -- Deviating little from his central campaign message of bringing change to Washington, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama told an Elko crowd tonight he would end the Iraq War, provide universal health care by the end of his first term and change the way education is funded in the country. In his first trip to rural Nevada, Obama ventured into the state's Republican stronghold -- territory few other national Democrats have traveled -- drawing a crowd of nearly 900.

August 5, 2007

Obama speaks to a crowd of hundreds

in Salt Lake Tribune

By Glen Warchol
A small honk-and-wave welcome for presidential candidate Barack Obama turned into a major rally Sunday as more than 500 supporters clogged the entrance of Utah Olympic Park at Kimball Junction to hear him speak.

August 5, 2007

Obama celebrates birthday at SCLC event

in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Adrianne M. Murchison
If Barack Obama becomes President, plenty of Atlantans will likely recite their "remember when" story of how they celebrated with the then-senator on his 46th birthday. "You know I had to work on my birthday," Obama told a crowd of 1,200-plus Saturday night at the Marriott Marquis. "When you're running for president, you don't get a day off."

August 4, 2007

Obama's visit to Elko will take him deep into state's GOP stronghold

in Reno Gazette-Journal

By Anjeanette Damon
When U.S. Sen. Barack Obama takes the stage Sunday at the Elko Convention Center for a campaign rally, he'll be treading where very few national Democrats have before -- into the heart of Nevada's Republican country. Elko has long been a favorite stop of Republican candidates for national and state office. In a last-minute campaign push for U.S. Rep. Dean Heller last year, President Bush, suffering from historically low approval ratings nationally, drew a crowd of 6,000 rural Nevadans. They waited in rain for hours to listen to him speak.

August 2, 2007

Obama has fresh ideas in war on terrorism

in Chicago Sun Times

By Jennifer Hunter
As soon as terrorism is snuffed out in one area of the Middle East, it comes back virulently in another spot, like a noxious weed. Funding of extremist groups by countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran and the drug trade makes it very hard to stamp out the growth of various al-Qaida forces that have cropped up in Afghanistan and Iraq.

August 2, 2007

Obama: If Pakistan 'will not act' on terrorists, 'we will'

in Chicago Tribune

By Mike Dorning
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today called for a harder line against al Qaeda operatives hiding in tribal areas of Pakistan even at the risk of undercutting the American ally who leads the Muslim state. The Illinois senator even threatened to use U.S. military force in those areas if Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf did not.

August 2, 2007

Obama Gets Tough

in U.S. News

By Liz Halloran
Speech seen as extension of battle with Clinton over national security Oh, it's on. If there was any thought that recent sparring between leading Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over foreign policy would dissipate, Obama's speech this morning on his plan to fight terrorism put that question permanently to rest.

August 2, 2007

Sen. Obama Weighs In on Terrorism Policy

in NPR

By Don Gonyea
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama laid out his vision for fighting terrorism Wednesday, saying he was prepared to send troops into Pakistan if the threat warranted. The tough talk comes on the heels of a spat with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton over whether and when a president should meet with dictators.

August 1, 2007

Obama Vows to Hunt Down Terrorists

in Associated Press

By Nedra Pickler
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday that he would send troops into Pakistan to hunt down terrorists even without local permission if warranted - an attempt to show strength when his chief rival has described his foreign policy skills as naive. The Illinois senator warned Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf that he must do more to shut down terrorist operations in his country and evict foreign fighters under an Obama presidency, or Pakistan will risk a U.S. troop invasion and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid.

July 31, 2007

Obama and the 'They' Sayers

in The Washington Post

By Eugene Robinson
Are white Americans really, truly prepared to elect an African American president? Seriously, is a nation with such a long and shameful history of brutal slavery, Jim Crow segregation and persistent racism actually going to put a black man in the White House? One of Barack Obama's principal tasks in the coming months may be convincing African American voters that this whole phenomenon -- a black candidate with a well-financed campaign, proven crossover appeal and a real chance to win -- isn't just another cruel illusion.

July 31, 2007

Obama asks Lakewood woman to dinner

in Denver Post

By Karen Crummy
Lakewood resident Dorothy Unruh was picked today to have dinner with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The dinner is part of the Illinois senator's plan to meet with his campaign donors, regardless of the amount of money they give. Unruh, 68, said she "did not give much" to Obama, but had wanted to do something to support his candidacy.

July 31, 2007

Building grass-roots support

in The Journal Star

By Karen McDonald
PEORIA - Energizing average people about a national election and convincing them that they play a vital role in the political process brought the wife of presidential hopeful Barack Obama to Peoria on Monday. "Peoria is important because, first of all, it's (in) our home state. . . . You don't take home for granted. Much of how the state of Illinois, especially Peoria, thinks about this thing is indicative of how the country thinks about it," the senator's wife, Michelle, told the Journal Star.

July 30, 2007

Obama touts himself as reformer

in Des Moines Register

By Jason Clayworth
Cedar Rapids -- Barack Obama wants to be known as the president of political reform, he told a crowd of about 600 people here Monday. Specifically, the U.S. senator from Illinois took another swing at political action committees and lobbyists who he says have derailed America˙s politics.

July 30, 2007

In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd

in New York Times

By Janny Scott
There was something improbable about the new guy from Chicago via Honolulu and Jakarta, Indonesia, the one with the Harvard law degree and the job teaching constitutional law, turning up in Springfield, Ill., in January 1997 among the housewives, ex-mayors and occasional soybean farmer serving in the State Senate. The new senator, Barack Obama, was a progressive Democrat in a time of tight Republican control. He was a former community organizer in a place where power is famously held by a few.

July 30, 2007

Obama likens himself to Roosevelt

in The Gazette

By James Q. Lynch
CEDAR RAPIDS - Casting himself as a 21st Century Teddy Roosevelt, Barack Obama called for breaking with the politics as usual and putting the common interests of Americans first. "It's time to get off of the conventional wisdom and try something new," the Democratic presidential hopeful told a crowd of more than 500 people at Roosevelt Middle School in northwest Cedar Rapids this morning. "And that's what we're going to do in the Obama administration."

July 30, 2007

Obama aide holds faith forum

in The Times and Democrat

By Tucker Lyon
Looking for a volunteer network of local "congregation captains," the national religious affairs director for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, was in Orangeburg on Saturday for the first of several faith forums planned across the state. Joshua DuBois, who met with a couple of dozen interested church leaders and supporters of the Illinois Democrat for the two-hour session at Joe Fox's in the Orangeburg Mall, stressed the importance the candidate's faith has played in his public service.

July 30, 2007

Michelle Obama tours Downstate Illinois today

in The Swamp Politics

By John McCormick
As she often is these days, Michelle Obama will be on the road Monday, pitching her husband's attributes, making a little fun of him and raising some money for his ever-expanding campaign fund. But this trip will be closer to home than those she has taken to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and elsewhere. Monday's tour will be across Downstate Illinois and she will be joined by Loretta Durbin, the spouse of the state's senior senator.

July 28, 2007

Obama renews call for shift in diplomacy

in Associated Press

By Mike Glover
DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Saturday again said he would open diplomatic channels to "rogue nations," continuing a running exchange with rival Hillary Rodham Clinton. The two White House hopefuls clashed in last week's CNN-YouTube debate over opening talks with nations such as North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and Iran, something Obama answered he would do. Clinton quickly labeled the response naive and the argument escalated throughout the week.

July 28, 2007

Obama Rises in New Era Of Black Politicians

in Washington Post

By Alec MacGillis and Perry Bacon Jr.
In the next few months, TV spots in New Hampshire will start promoting an African American candidate described as a rising star of a new generation, with Chicago roots, Ivy League credentials and a message of hope and idealism. But Sen. Barack Obama's ads won't be the first such appeal heard in New Hampshire. Just one year ago, many voters who watch Boston television received a similar message from another youthful-looking black Democrat on the rise, Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Deval L. Patrick.

July 28, 2007

Obama says special interests blocking rural development

in Globe Gazette

By Mike Glover
ADEL, Iowa (AP) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama pledged Friday to seek help for struggling family farmers and offer more incentives for renewable fuel development. Obama, holding a forum at a farm outside Des Moines, warned a crowd of about 200 people that changes would not come easy and that powerful special interests are preventing rural Americans from getting more help.

July 27, 2007

Obama rallies college students, urges more involvement

in Go Upstate

By Dante Mozie
COLUMBIA -- Senator Barack Obama kicked off the Democratic National Committee's gathering of college students Thursday in Columbia with an energetic rally, urging the young audience to get more involved. The Democratic presidential candidate from Illinois spoke at the College Democrats National Convention, hosted by the University of South Carolina, to a crowd filled with hundreds of students and supporters all hungry for victory in the 2008 presidential election.

July 27, 2007

Hodes joins Obama's campaign

in Concord Monitor

By Daniel Barrick
Even as he was touting his freshest endorsement to a crowd in Concord yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama warned his audience not to expect too much.

July 27, 2007

Obama taps Rothman for role in campaign

in New Jersey Journal

By Ken Thorbourne
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama yesterday named U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn, the "Northeast Regional Co-Chair" of his presidential campaign. Rothman, who represents parts of Secaucus, North Bergen, Kearny and Jersey City, praised Obama's commitment to ending the war in Iraq and said the Illinois senator is the best candidate to unite all Americans.

July 27, 2007

Defining Moment

in The Washington Post

By E.J. Dionne
CHICAGO -- A dozen or so young staffers were gathered around a bank of television sets at Barack Obama's vast campaign headquarters here on Michigan Avenue. They were cheering on Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) as he took their candidate's side in the great Obama- Hillary Clinton debate over how presidents should negotiate with unfriendly dictators. The mood was upbeat not only because the Obama loyalists judged Smith the winner in his Wednesday clash with Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) on MSNBC's "Hardball," but also because Obama had pulled the front-runner into a direct confrontation over foreign policy.

July 27, 2007

Obama wows convention

in The State

By Roddie A. Burris
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama brought college students to their feet Thursday at USC, reinforcing for many of them why he has captured their attention in the 2008 Democratic presidential race. Speaking to several hundred college Democrats gathered for a weekend of organizational politics, Obama painted the students a picture of an American journey to a better life, then invited them to come along.

July 26, 2007

Hodes Endorses Obama

in Union Leader

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama today named New Hampshire U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes as one of his national campaign co-chairs, as Hodes endorsed Obama in the presidential primary. The first-term congressman made the announcement during a rally this morning in downtown Concord, with Obama at his side. He said Obama is the catalyst to complete what voters started last year when Democrats took control of Congress.

July 25, 2007

Obama right on foreign policy question, Rothman says

in PoliticsNJ.com

By Max Pizarro
The claws came out in the Hillary Clinton camp in the wake of a CNN youtube presidential debate among the Democratic candidates two nights ago. Clinton called rival Sen. Barack Obama's willingness to sit down with government leaders who are enemies of the United States "irresponsible and naive." But U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman disagrees. In fact, the New Jersey Congressman said when he watched that debate he finally decided he was going to support Obama for president, and today he fired off a press release enthusiastically endorsing Obama '08.

July 25, 2007

Obama: 'Better Judgment' on Foreign Policy

in ABC News

By Jake Tapper
At a closed-door, off-the-record meeting with media mavens and corporate titans at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan Tuesday evening, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., the freshman senator who just three years ago was an Illinois state senator, said he had better judgment about foreign policy than any presidential candidate in either party. "One thing I'm very confident about is my judgment in foreign policy is, I believe, better than any other candidate in this race, Republican or Democrat," Obama said.

July 24, 2007

Dems answer YouTube questions at debate

in Newsday

by Glenn Thrush
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- A feisty Barack Obama clashed sharply with Hillary Rodham Clinton on issues ranging from Iraq to international relations to taking PAC contributions during Monday night's freewheeling Democratic debate sponsored by YouTube, CNN and Google.

July 24, 2007

Obama wins CNN Focus Group

in MSNBC

The Obama camp was quick out of the gate -- about 30 minutes after the debate ended -- with a press release containing a transcript of a report of CNN's focus group watching the debate.

July 24, 2007

Democratic Debate: A Wrap Up

in The Washington Post

by Chris Cilliza
Experience versus change. Tonight's CNN/YouTube debate in Charleston, S.C. revolved around that axis as the eight candidates fought for the mantle of change while ensuring that viewers and voters knew that they had the experience to back up their rhetoric.

July 23, 2007

Obama's Neighborhood Rich in Diversity

in The Washington Post

By Deanna Bellandi, Associated Press
CHICAGO -- Barack Obama could have lived anywhere. He was born in Hawaii, had family in Kenya, worked in New York and went to school in California and Massachusetts. But he settled here, in a prominent neighborhood on Chicago's South Side that has a history of influential residents. In many ways, the Democratic presidential candidate is the epitome of the place he calls home: a mix of black and white residents who are wealthy, well-educated and liberal-leaning.

July 23, 2007

Obama unveils steps toward rural policy plan

in Globe Gazette

DES MOINES (AP) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama says he wants to reach out to all voters, including those struggling to keep up with the challenges facing rural America. Obama plans to host a rural policy forum on Friday in Dallas County, Iowa, where he said he will gain insights directly from rural voters. He will also host a rural policy summit in Iowa in mid-August, which will focus on rural economic development, quality of life in rural communities, agriculture and renewable energy.

July 22, 2007

Obama courts Iowa union activists

in Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democrat Barack Obama is telling union activists he would walk a picket line as president if organized labor helps elect him in 2008.

July 22, 2007

Obama: I will fight for workers

in Des Moines Register

Union membership may be declining nationally, but organized labor's clout remains strong in the Iowa Democratic Party.

July 21, 2007

Obama invokes spirit of MLK, RFK

in Baltimore Sun

Presidential candidate Barack Obama was fresh from delivering a rousing speech in Southeast Washington when he decided to take a few minutes to greet three news media types.

July 21, 2007

Obama tells NH crowd he'd get troops home

in Union Leader

MANCHESTER - If Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama were President, he would call together the Joint Chiefs of Staff and change the military mission in Iraq immediately, he told the New Hampshire Union Leader yesterday. "I would bring the combat troops out of Iraq in a way that would protect them," he said, while Iraqi forces would take over responsibility.

July 21, 2007

Obama urges local voters to 'See America as it can be'

in Foster's Online

HAMPTON -- Before Barack Obama introduced himself to a capacity crowd Friday morning at Adeline C. Marston Elementary School, he could be found down the street at Hampton Academy, where he and his aides took on town firefighters on the basketball court.

July 20, 2007

Obama Runs a Different Kind of Campaign in N.H.

in nhpols.com

Since U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., announced he was running for president, he has promised to run a different kind of campaign that focuses on delivering a different kind of government. In his campaign speeches, he emphasizes hope and crushing the cynicism that dominates current political thought.

July 20, 2007

Obama Says Iraq Has 'Distracted' Us

in Time

Senator Barack Obama, campaigning in New Hampshire Thursday and Friday, latched onto the recently released National Intelligence Estimate as proof that Afghanistan and Pakistan, rather than Iraq, should be the priority for U.S. forces abroad.

July 20, 2007

Local Dems excited about Obama visit

in Hampton Union

Democratic presidential contender, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is in Hampton today, and local politicians and residents were buzzing with the news of Illinois senator's visit.

July 20, 2007

Obama: Don't stay in Iraq over genocide

in The State

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot use its military to solve humanitarian problems and that preventing a potential genocide in Iraq isn't a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces there.

July 20, 2007

Obama: 'It is time to bring our troops home'

in Concord Monitor

Sen. Barack Obama, one day after taking part in a Iraq debate all-nighter, reiterated yesterday in Sunapee that American troops should start leaving Iraq.

July 20, 2007

500 gather in Sunapee tent to meet Obama

in Union Leader

About 500 people huddled under tents in rain-soaked Sunapee Harbor yesterday for a chance to have some ice cream with Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

July 19, 2007

Obama Says He, Too, Is a Poverty Fighter

in Washington Post

While John Edwards was winding up a tour of America's most impoverished areas, another Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), came to Anacostia yesterday to stake his own claim as a poverty warrior -- and to present a vision for fixing struggling inner cities that directly challenges that of Edwards.

July 19, 2007

Veterans share support for Obama in Charles City visit

in Charles City Press

A 32-year U.S. Air Force veteran told Charles City residents on Tuesday that he will vote for Barack Obama for president because of the Illinois senator's vision for the future and his support for veterans.

July 18, 2007

Obama on Iowa, Iraq and the 2008 race

in USA Today

USA Today's Jill Lawrence interviewed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on Saturday about his presidential campaign after events in northeastern Iowa.

July 18, 2007

D.C. Mayor Endorses Obama's Campaign

in Washington Post

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) yesterday for the Democratic presidential nomination, and he said Obama was the only candidate who had sought his support.

July 18, 2007

Obama's Plan for Victory

in U.S. News and World Report

Everyone should pay less attention to national polls and focus instead on grass - roots enthusiasm, numbers of campaign contributors, and the early nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire, say Barack Obama's senior strategists.

July 17, 2007

Obama on judges, Supreme Court

in MSNBC's First Read blog

Speaking at the Planned Parenthood conference in DC this afternoon, Barack Obama leveled harsh words at conservative Supreme Court justices, and he offered his own intention to appoint justices with "empathy." Obama hinted that the court's recent decision in Gonzales v. Carhart -- which upheld a ban on partial-birth abortion -- was part of "a concerted effort to steadily roll back" access to abortions. And he ridiculed Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote that case's majority opinion. "Justice Kennedy knows many things," he declared, "but my understanding is that he does not know how to be a doctor."

July 17, 2007

Oprah to host Obama fundraiser

in Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog

Invitations have been sent out for what promises to be a must-attend event for much of California's Democratic elite, particularly those in the entertainment industry: a Sept. 8 fundraiser for Barack Obama at Oprah Winfrey's home in the Santa Barbara area.

July 17, 2007

Obama to open second Chicago office

in Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog

Although he already has more than 33,000 square feet, occupying the entire 11th floor at 233 N. Michigan Ave., Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will soon be opening a second office in downtown Chicago.

July 17, 2007

Congressman Carson's Open Letter To Indian Country

in Native American Times

The Presidential election is more than a year from now and usually I would wait to endorse a candidate. But, this is no ordinary election and Barack Obama is more than an exceptional candidate - he is the voice of a new era in American politics.

July 17, 2007

Obama's Camp Cultivates Crop in Small Donors

in New York Times

Senator Barack Obama was the guest of honor at a dinner at the luxurious Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco this spring with a few hundred lawyers, executives and investors. The guests drank a boutique beer with Mr. Obama's face on the label and contributed more than $1 million in $2,300 checks to support his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

July 17, 2007

Obama gets Fenty's endorsement

in Boston Globe

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was expected to endorse Democrat Barack Obama's presidential bid Tuesday.

July 17, 2007

Obama walks picket in Chicago

in Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama took a couple laps on the picket line outside Chicago's Congress Plaza Hotel this afternoon, showing his solidarity with workers associated with a key union that has many members in the early voting state of Nevada.

July 16, 2007

A Foundation Built on Small Blocks

in Washington Post

A few weeks ago, Linnie Frank Bailey, a 51-year-old self-described "older soccer mom" in Corona, Calif., and Isaac Burbank, a 20-year-old mechanical engineering student at Colorado State University, both did something for the first time.

July 16, 2007

Small donors give big to Obama

in Los Angeles Times

Sen. Barack Obama relied on donors large and small to seize the lead in the presidential money race, and far outpaced his rivals by tapping people who give less than $200, his campaign finance report filed Sunday shows.

July 15, 2007

Obama attacks violence in Chicago

in Chicago Tribune

Speaking to a Sunday congregation in Chicago, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama used often-fiery rhetoric to mourn the city's recent spate of gun violence and challenged the government, the gun lobby and the public to do more to stop it.

July 14, 2007

Obama: Shift troops to fight al-Qaida

in Chicago Tribune

The U.S. should shift troops from Iraq to pursue al-Qaida along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Saturday.

July 13, 2007

Party for 150? My house? Friday? Come on over, Obama

in Las Vegas Sun

So Yvette Williams gets this call Monday, and under normal circumstances, the guy's request would seem kind of rude. He wanted to know whether Williams would mind throwing a party Friday, about 1 p.m., light refreshments, for 150 people.

July 13, 2007

Obama campaign names Nevada supporters ahead of Las Vegas visit

in Las Vegas Review-Journal

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who is campaigning in Las Vegas today, announced a team of high-profile Nevada supporters on Thursday.

July 13, 2007

Obama Outshines Fellow Dems at NAACP

in ABC News

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama outshone his Democratic rivals Thursday, drawing the loudest cheers at a civil rights forum as he assailed the Bush administration's record on race relations.

July 12, 2007

'There's more to do,' Obama tells adoring crowd at candidates' forum

in Detroit Free Press

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was the rock star of the NAACP's presidential forum, prompting enthusiastic standing ovations both at his introduction and after his soaring three-minute speech to the crowd of more than 1,000 people.

July 12, 2007

Obama Stars

in MSNBC

Obama stood out today at the NAACP forum -- for the first time outshining Clinton at a debate/forum. He took a much tougher, more direct tone than he did at the Howard University debate last month. He was greeted by thunderous applause and shouts -- much more so than any other candidate. And he received the loudest cheers for his well crafted opening speech, in which he weaved the theme "We still have more work to do" throughout.

July 12, 2007

'There's more to do,' Obama tells adoring crowd at candidates' forum

in Detroit Free Press

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was the rock star of the NAACP's presidential forum, prompting enthusiastic standing ovations both at his introduction and after his soaring three-minute speech to the crowd of more than 1,000 people.

July 12, 2007

In Austin, Michelle Obama hails husband's background

in Austin American-Statesman

In her first Texas campaign swing, Michelle Obama on Wednesday ruled out experience as a meaningful dividing issue among Democrats running for president while confirming that her husband has fulfilled a personal promise.

July 11, 2007

Sen. Obama seizes on Live Earth in bid to woo environmentalists

in The Hill

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) used Saturday's Live Earth music extravaganza to make amends with liberal environmentalists he angered earlier this year by introducing a bill subsidizing liquefied coal, a fuel activists say would accelerate global warming.

July 11, 2007

Obama 'electrifies' crowd with his message, mingling

in The Huntsville Times

For a hairdresser and a retired teacher, $7 sausage quesadillas afforded as intimate an experience with Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama as most of the supporters who paid $1,000 for beef tenderloin and roasted vegetables.

July 11, 2007

Obama: No 'Do-Overs' on Issues Like War

in Omaha World-Herald

Presidential contender Barack Obama on Tuesday dismissed his Democratic rivals' change of heart on the Iraq war as too little too late, while Hillary Rodham Clinton urged a quick end to U.S. involvement in the conflict.

July 11, 2007

Obama to attend LV gathering on Friday

in Las Vegas Review Journal

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama will be in Las Vegas on Friday for a more intimate kind of campaign event than he's previously done in Nevada, according to his campaign.

July 11, 2007

Dinner with Obama

in Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog

Margaret Thomas-Jordan is in town for her first tour of the nation's capital on Tuesday, but her mind is many miles away.

July 10, 2007

Obama says troop surge hasn't worked, need responsible withdrawal

in Radio Iowa

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama talked about the economy and the war in Iraq during a town hall meeting with around 500 people at Des Moines Area Community College this morning. The Illinois Senator admitted his plans to boost jobs, improve education, and provide universal health care will be expensive.

July 10, 2007

Obama's Alabama stops pull more than $100,000

in Birmingham News

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama brought his presidential campaign to Birmingham and Huntsville Monday, raking in more than $100,000 to add to a war chest that already has topped $50 million.

July 9, 2007

Obama: 'People are hungry for change'

in The Oskaloosa Herald

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama says the country is hungry for change and by the looks of the capacity crowd gathered at Smokey Row Wednesday morning, people are wanting to hear his message.

July 9, 2007

Hirshberg to endorse Obama today

in Union Leader

Stonyfield Farm chief executive Gary Hirshberg of Concord is expected to endorse Barack Obama for President this afternoon.

July 9, 2007

Race for '08: Obama banks on charisma, ability to motivate

in Sacramento Bee

Running first in fundraising and second nationally among Democratic presidential contenders, Barack Obama is asking voters to take a leap of faith and embrace the promise of his charismatic leadership to change America.

July 6, 2007

Obama rides wave to Mount Pleasant

in The Hawk Eye

A "hope peddler" came to town Tuesday hawking his wares, and he found a crowd of eager customers.

July 6, 2007

Obama promises to make New Orleans a priority

in Times-Picayune

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday that the next president should wrest hurricane recovery from the lower reaches of the national agenda, where he said it has fallen as the Bush administration pours millions of dollars a day into the Iraq war -- a war he said never should have been fought.

July 5, 2007

Obama tells teachers public schools should consider merit pay

in Cenre Daily Times

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told the largest teachers union Thursday that performance-based merit pay ought to be considered in public schools.

July 5, 2007

Obama says he is emissary for change

in New Hope Courier

Democrat Barack Obama declared that "change can't just be a slogan" as he voiced admiration for former President Clinton, while arguing that voters are looking for a new face that moves past the bitter wrangling of past campaigns.

July 4, 2007

300 cheer Obama in Keokuk

in Des Moines Register

Fifteen minutes was all it took to convince Raymond and Sylvia Echols to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

July 3, 2007

Obama offers message of hope

in The Citizen of Laconia

Out on the trail just one day after reporting a record $32.5 million in second-quarter donations, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama brought his campaign to downtown Laconia for his first appearance in Belknap County.

July 3, 2007

Obama says strength lies in number of donors

in Boston Globe

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Monday resisted the temptation to talk about his whopping $31 million fundraising quarter -- for six minutes.

July 3, 2007

Obama says number of people, not dollars impressive part of fund-raising report

in Boston Globe's "Primary Source" blog

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said the "wonderful part" of his fund-raising report was not the record $32.5 million he raised in the last three months, but the record amount 258,000 people who contributed to his campaign.

July 2, 2007

Obama arrives

in ABC's "The Note"

Everyone hear that? That was the $32.5 million sound of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's inevitability melting away in the summer heat. Clinton aides can talk about polls, endorsements, and even trot out (as they are today) the single most popular Democrat on the planet, but that ignores the inconvenient fact that no actual human being has technically voted yet. As for some other measurements -- energy, enthusiasm, and (of course) financing, the edge at this mid-year moment belongs to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

July 2, 2007

Obama's $32.5 Million Campaign Haul

in ABC News

It is an eye-popping number: Barack Obama raised more than $32.5 million between April and June - $31 million of which can be used in the primary campaign.

July 2, 2007

Obama Campaign Raises $32.5 Million

in New York Times

Senator Barack Obama raised at least $32.5 million from April through June, he announced Sunday on his campaign Web site, attracting more than 258,000 contributors since entering the Democratic presidential race nearly six months ago.

July 1, 2007

Obama reports $32.5 million in second quarter

in Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog

Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama reported today that he raised at least $32.5 million during the second quarter of the year, enough to likely make him the top money raiser among Democrats during the latest quarter and for the year so far.

July 1, 2007

Obama raises $32.5 million for campaign

in Detroit News

Sen. Barack Obama reported Sunday raising at least $32.5 million for his presidential campaign from April through June, a record for a Democratic candidate.

June 30, 2007

Obama Adds Campaign Cash in Minnesota

in San Francisco Examiner

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama padded his campaign fundraising numbers Friday with small-and-big buck events, telling one overflow crowd he'd champion an energy revolution on the homefront and improve America's foreign reputation as president.

June 30, 2007

With grass-roots themes, Obama fires up a crowd

in Pioneer Press

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama electrified an enthusiastic crowd of supporters Friday evening in Minneapolis with his populist message of hope for a better future and a change in the nation's direction.

June 29, 2007

Debate Reviews

in Various Sources

Spoke with passion and conviction and has gotten better and more confident with each debate, which bodes well for him because we have plenty of debates to go. He had a certain kind of homefield advantage as the only African-American onstage, but he used it modestly. While others could show sympathy, he could show empathy. "We have made enormous progress," he said, "but the progress we have made is not good enough." And he did speak with refreshing candor when he talked about the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in the black community, and said: "We must overcome the stigma that still exists. We don't talk about this. We don't talk about this in our schools. We don't talk about this in our churches. It is an aspect of homophobia that we don't talk about it."

June 28, 2007

Nearly 250,000 Open Wallets for Obama

in San Francisco Chronicle

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has improved on his stunning support in the race for campaign cash, raising his total number of donors to more than 250,000 people in the first six months of the year.

June 26, 2007

Obama launches TV ads in Iowa with an assist from GOP friend

in Chicago Tribune

Sen. Barack Obama's Democratic presidential campaign said Monday that it is launching television ads in the early caucus state of Iowa, including one that features a prominent DuPage County Republican who has been questioned by members of his own party for his strong touting of Obama's skills.

June 26, 2007

Obama, in New TV Ads, Focuses on His Pre-Senate Years

in New York Times

In the first television commercials of his presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama will begin introducing himself to Iowa voters on Tuesday through a pair of biographical advertisements designed to tell the story of his career before he arrived in the United States Senate.

June 26,