David Brooks is a columnist for ‘The New York Times’ who has become one of the prominent voices of conservative politics in the United States.
He has written a book of cultural commentary titled “Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There.” Brooks also writes articles and makes television appearances as a commentator on various trends in pop culture, such as internet dating. His newest book is entitled “On Paradise Drive : How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense.” And A conversation about President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney
2009
Hey, Mr. President! What did Canada ever do to you?
JOSH FREED,
The Gazette
Dear President Obama, Like most Canadians I rooted for you madly and cried when you were elected President-of-The-World. So far, I think you've been a great leader, reaching out to the whole planet. But you've forgotten one nation - Canada.
On June 1, you will officially defend the "world's longest undefended border," a border I've crossed hundreds of times. From now on, we Canadians need passports to enter the U.S., a major hassle for truckdrivers, boaters and shmoes like me who can no longer cross to buy cheap Polo shirts without remembering to pack passports for the whole family.
This will also end a long U.S.-Canada tradition - the army of under- 21 U.S. college students who pour into Canada for their first legal drinking binge. Many won't bother to get the passports they'll need to get back into the States - so we may have to keep them.
Why the change? Our nations always boasted "the world's friendliest border," but now you Americans see us as Afghanistanada, a terrorist haven with porous borders guarded by Frosty the Snowman. Your politicians rant about our supposedly lax security. Last week, even Hillary Clinton talked about "hardening" the U.S.-Canada "water borders" with more patrols, as if the Great Lakes were filled with Somali pirates.
Meanwhile, your new Homeland Security chief, Janet Napolitano, told CBC the reason for the new passport law was that the 9/11 terrorists "entered our country ... across the Canadian border."
Hello? Fact check - or as CNN always says, "time to keep'em honest." Sorry Mr. President, but none of the 9/11 terrorists came across the Canadian border. You let them all in yourselves with your lax security - so if anything we should be toughening our border against you.
Our only would-be Canadian terrorist was Ahmed Ressam back in 1999 and they caught him at the border. But somehow the idea Canada was Jihad Training Central for 9/11 bombers
became an urban myth - part of a "blame Canada" list that includes mad cow, SARS and any U.S. blizzard.
Yes, Mr. President, I know your border policy is just a continuation of Bush-league ones you inherited. But you don't have the excuse Bush did: He was dim and you're brilliant. So why blame us? Are you trying to show Americans you're not as liberal as you look? I can hear the cabinet meeting:
Adviser: Well, sir, you're looking a bit soft on foreign policy. You've opened up to Cuba, offered to talk with Iran's "I'm-a-dinner-jacket" and negotiate with Hamas and the Taliban. You've got to show some toughness somewhere, sir.
Obama: Okay, I hear you. Let me check my BlackBerry here for a list of countries to see where we can make a tough stand. Hmm ... Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Aruba - hey, how about Azerbaijan?
Adviser: No need, sir. We've already found a country - Canada!
Obama: But they're completely harmless. They're our best friends.
Homeland: Exactly, sir. They'll never fight back.
Sorry, Mr. President, I understand America's frustration. Eight years after Sept. 11, you still can't find Osama, you're fleeing Iraq and your banks are broke. But why take it out on Canada?
Do you really think demanding passports from 35 million Canadians will stop terrorism, any more than seizing elderly ladies' shampoo at the airport? Professional terrorists don't arrive at the border with a crumpled Canadian Tire card, then plead to get in. They have real fake passports.
Europe has gone the other way and eliminated all borders - you can drive from Spain into France without noticing. Meanwhile, we need a passport to ski in Vermont, which many Quebecers consider part of Canada.
What next? Will you build an Ice Curtain between our countries and jam our TV stations in the U.S. - to prevent Rick Mercer making fun of you? Search and seize our hockey teams at airport security and confiscate their skates?
It's time Americans learned the truth about Canada, instead of the jokes they hear from late-night comics.
Just last Tuesday, Jon Stewart said the only reason Canada can afford medicare is that "Canadians don't get sick, because they eat trees, In fact the closest living relative to the Canadian is the beaver." "Oh," tittered Stewart's guest." Won't that offend your Canadian viewers?
"No," Stewart retorted, "Canadians don't watch TV. They just got this new thing called radio and they sit up all night listening to the Lone Ranger."
Exactly right. In fact, we're way too busy listening to Tonto to go and make bombs - or carry passports. So President Obama, hear this: We're not going to take it anymore!
Open that border and shape up - or ship back that made-in-Canada BlackBerry right now.
Thursday 21 May 2009
Obama Mounts Defense of Detainee Plan
By DAVID STOUT and BRIAN KNOWLTON
In an impassioned speech, President Obama said that it was essential to stand by the country’s basic principles in the fight against terrorism.
ROOM FOR DEBATE Obama’s Blueprint and America’s Enemies
By THE EDITORS
Does President Obama’s plan for closing Guantánamo adequately address security concerns?
THE CAUCUS Dueling Speeches: Obama and Cheney
By KATE PHILLIPS
The former vice president offered what amounted to a full-bore repudiation of the new administration.
Sunday 17 May 2009
Gerald Herbert/APObama Greeted By Cheers, Protests At Notre Dame
Obama delivered a commencement speech Sunday amid protests from anti-abortion activists who say the Catholic university was wrong to invite him.
Tuesday 12 May 2009 By David Rothkopf
Why Jed Bartlett, not Abe Lincoln, is Obama’s true inspiration. What was most striking about Barack Obama's solid performance at the White House correspondents dinner was his bond with the
audience. His jokes were pretty much par for the course, leaving you with the
impression that Obama was an affable guy with a good sense of humor who didn't
mind reading jokes that his staff wrote for him. There wasn't a single joke that seemed to
come from him, though he did seem to particularly enjoy his shots at his team,
notably those at Rahm Emanuel, Larry Summers, and Hillary Clinton. But the crowd loved him like only a parent
can love its child...which is pretty much the relationship I think that was at
work on Saturday night. Washington's correspondents -- and so many celebs that
it's even money that next year the E! network will have a red carpet special
broadcast from outside what is essentially a wonkfest -- came to admire their
creation.
Friday 01 May 2009 Barack Obama moves slowly on trade
Though Barack Obama has shown less protectionism than was feared, he needs to do more to resist it in Congress and to press forward on Doha ...
Thursday 30 April 2009
Wednesday 29 April 2009 President Obama’s First 100 Days
A photo tour of the president’s first 100 days in office and a live broadcast of his news conference tonight on NYTimes.com.
photos 100days
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Delivering on the promise of change is the reason we built this movement. Now, President Obama is counting on all of us to build support for this foundation and create a lasting recovery for America.
Take a look now at these critical first steps we've taken together and pass it on for others to see.
Monday 27 April 2009 Sizing Up Obama's First 100 Days
The President almost seemed apologetic. "This may be a slightly longer speech than I usually give," he told his audience at Georgetown University on April 14. "This is going to be prose and not poetry." What followed, as promised, was not poetry. Barack Obama doesn't do much poetry anymore. But in prose that was spare and clear and compelling, the President proceeded to describe how his Administration had responded to the financial crisis, the overriding challenge of his first 100 days in office.
Wednesday 01 April 2009 OTTAWA: POLL WANTS HARPER TO EMULATE OBAMA
A new public opinion poll suggests Canadians overwhelmingly support US President Barack Obama's recent appearances on popular TV shows and think Prime Minister Stephen Harper should do the same. The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey found that 83 per cent of respondents liked Mr. Obama's media strategy, compared with eight per cent who thought it was a bad thing. The US president has been on The Tonight Show and 60 Minutes to chat about his government's plan to revive the sagging economy. Mr. Obama also holds almost daily news conferences. By contrast, Mr. Harper has limited his national television appearances and has focused recently on giving interviews to American media outlets. The poll suggests 62 per cent of Canadians would like to see Mr. Harper do more one-on-one interviews, while 31 per cent think he should not follow Mr. Obama's lead.
Friday March 13, 2009 Daily Highlights with Nancy Pelosi A conversation with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House... Since 1987, she has represented the 8th Congressional District of California, which includes four-fifths of the City and County of San Francisco. Pelosi ranks second in the line of presidential succession, following Vice President Dick Cheney. She is the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. Government. No woman has ever been closer in line to the U.S. presidency.
Saturday 14 March 2009 The director of the White House's National Economic Council, Larry Summers, says that President Barack Obama's economic recovery program has begun to show positive results. While acknowledging that it's premature to suggest an overview, the latest economic indicators evince progress. Mr. Summers cited consumer spending, which after collapsing during the Christmas holiday season, now shows signs of recovery. The U.S. Commerce Department says that while total retail sales were down .1 per cent in February, the slump was largely due to poor car sales, while if the latter is excluded from the calculations the result would be a .7-per cent improvement. Mr. Summers also says the president's effort to revive the mortgage market by providing refinancing to homeowners risking foreclosure also are beginning to pan out.
Friday 27 February 2009 Obama unveils his $3.6tn budget
US President Barack Obama unveils a $3.6tn (£2.5tn) budget and forecasts a budget deficit of $1.75tn.
:Wednesday 25 February 2009
Wednesday 25 February 2009 Determined Obama vows to renew US
Barack Obama makes his first speech to Congress, vowing that the US will emerge stronger from economic crisis. On Tuesday, President Obama delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress to call for a new era of responsibility and a renewed commitment to investing in energy, health care, and education.
Friday 20 February 2009 Obama pledges Canada co-operation
Barack Obama, in his first foreign trip as US president, pledges to work with Canada on energy, economic recovery and Afghanistan.
Friday 20 February 2009 OTTAWA: OBAMA SEEKS TO REASSURE ON PROTECTIONISM
In the days preceding the president's visit, many Canadians expressed worry that the "Buy American" provision in Mr. Obama's economic stimulus package would harm Canada's exports to the U.S. The package requires the use of U.S. steel and iron in infrastructure projects, provided international trade agreements aren't violated. But the president gave assurance that he doesn't believe the clause will significantly discriminate against Canadian industry. Mr. Obama says he and his host discussed using some of both countries' stimulus plans for infrastructure projects to improve border traffic. During his election campaign, the candidate vowed if elected to improve the labour and environmental protections in the North American Free Trade Agreement, those provisions being now contained in side documents to the accord. The campaign promise aroused concern in both Canada and Mexico. Mr. Obama said in Ottawa that negotiations could take place to include the side agreements in the main body of the NAFTA document.
Saturday 14 February 2009 WASHINGTON: DON'T FORGET ABOUT US
Several major American newspapers will carry full-page ads next week to remind readers of Canada's importance as a neighbour and trading partner. The ads, which will appear in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the National Journal, were purchased by the Canadian American Business Council ahead of next week's visit to Ottawa by President Obama. His first foreign trip as President comes as polls indicate a majority of Canadians are wary of the protectionist sentiment contained in the massive economic stimulus package he's expected to sign into law on Monday. Council chairwoman Karen Phillips says the ads will remind Americans how intertwined our interests have become. Canada is not only America's largest trading partner, it is also its largest supplier of oil and natural gas.
Wednesday 04 February 2009 Obama wants to avoid 'trade war'
US President Barack Obama says he wants to avoid measures which would signal protectionism or spark a trade war.
Mr Obama was responding to international criticism of a "Buy American" clause in the $800bn (£567bn) US economic recovery package.
The clause seeks to ensure that only US iron, steel and manufactured goods are used in projects funded by the bill.
The EU said the clause would send "the worst possible signal".
Obama moves to water down Buy America provisions
President to ensure protectionist measures won't ‘trigger a trade war' The popular new President's call to water down the measures amid an outcry from trading partners around the world is perhaps Canada's best hope of avoiding protectionist rules that might hit the manufacturing sector.
Mr. Obama told Fox News he wants to see “what kind of language” can be worked out on the measures.
Sunday 01 February 2009 WASHINGTON: BUY AMERICAN POLICY UNDER REVIEW
The Obama administration has not yet decided how to respond to the protectionist measures contained in the economic stimulus package passed by the House of Representatives this week. One of the measures has caused considerable anxiety in Canada. It stipulates that money may go only to those infrastructure projects that use iron and steel produced in the United States. Canada's iron-and-steel industry exports 40 per cent of its production to the United States. Asked about that and other 'Buy American' measures that favour US suppliers, a White House spokesman said Friday that the matter was still under review. On his arrival at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Canada's international trade minister, Stockwell Day, said he intends to raise Canada's concerns with the the US trade representative.
Thursday 29 January 2009
US House passes stimulus package
The US House of Representatives passes President Obama's $819bn (£572bn) economic package - but without any Republican support.
Wednesday 28 January 2009 Rating Obama
The odds on President Obama's approval ratings in a year
U.S. President Barack Obama is seeking direct talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear program. He has offered a dialogue if Iran stops its uranium enrichment program. The U.S. accuses Iran of using its nuclear program to build atomic weapons, a charge that Iran has repeatedly denied. Iran continues to maintain its program despite United Nations sanctions.
Friday 23 January 2009 Jon Stewart day 5 of Barack Obama
Wednesday 21 January 2009 OTTAWA: 'CANADIANS CELEBRATING'
Canada's Head of State, Michaelle Jean, called Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday an historic moment that Canadians are joyfully celebrating. The Haitian-born Governor General says the presidency of Barack Obama has symbolic meaning on a global scale. In a statement issued by her office, she said that despite a failing economy and the 'folly of war and the tension born of prejudice,' Mr. Obama's presidency provides a wave of hope that spreads beyond US borders. She also noted that Canadians are thrilled that Mr. Obama will soon come to Canada on his first official foreign visit. Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered "heartfelt congratulations" to Obama and he told him Canadians are celebrating what he called a historic day with America's friends around the world. And Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon says Obama and the United States are fulfilling what he described as a global appetite for renewal.
TORONTO: CANADIANS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT NEW RELATIONSHIP
A poll conducted on the eve of the Obama inauguration reveals that a majority of Canadians expect relations between the two countries to improve with the change in administrations. The Ipsos-Red poll conducted for Canwest News and Global Television shows 65% of Canadians are expecting the relationship to get better. Among the issues of mutual interest are the war in Afghanistan, border security, trade disputes, Arctic sovereignty, regulation of financial markets and auto manufacturing. Regarding the campaign in Afghanistan, the poll shows that seven in ten Canadians want the Government of Canada to resist any efforts by the Obama administration to convince Canada to extend the Canadian military mission there. The deadline for withdrawal of Canadian troops, to which Canada is now committed, is 2011.
Tuesday 20 January 2009 Barack Obama to open new US era
Millions gather in the US capital to see Barack Obama sworn in as America's 44th president - and its first African-American leader. More than one million people gathered in the National Mall in a wintry Washington DC, to see Mr Obama take the oath shortly after 1200 (1700 GMT).
Inaugural Words: 1789 to the Present
From Washington to Bush, explore the language used in every presidential inaugural address. A look at the language of presidential inaugural addresses. The most-used words in each address appear in the interactive chart below, sized by number of uses. Words highlighted in yellow were used significantly more in this inaugural address than average.
Monday 19 January 2009 Obama honours Martin Luther King
US President-elect Barack Obama joins events for the annual Martin Luther King holiday, which falls on the eve of his inauguration.
MOVIES Guess Who is coming to Dinner. FILM; How the Movies Made a President By MANOHLA DARGIS and A. O. SCOTT
Sunday 18 January 2009 Aboard the Obama express
Borrowing from the pages of the past to call for courage in the present, Barack Obama is riding the rails to Washington, waved on by a nation aching for renewal.
Letterman - Top 10 signs Obama is getting nervous - 01-16-2009
Saturday 10 January 2009 Obama to visit Canada first
Barack Obama will make Canada his first official foreign visit soon after he becomes U.S. President, Canadian officials say.
Tuesday 23 December 2008 Obama presses for large stimulus videp (01:31) Obama presses for large stimulus
Some Democrats are pressing for a package in the $1 trillion range, but Republican lawmakers say taxpayers must be protected.
What appears certain is that with increased Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, Barack Obama is likely to get whatever he wants for his stimulus package
Dec. 22 - Some Democrats are pressing for a package in the $1 trillion range, but Republican lawmakers say taxpayers must be protected.
What appears certain is that with increased Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, Barack Obama is likely to get whatever he wants for his stimulus package
December 6, 2008 The Brightest Are Not Always the Best IN 1992, David Halberstam wrote a new introduction for the 20th-anniversary edition of “The Best and the Brightest,” his classic history of the hubristic J.F.K. team that would ultimately mire America in Vietnam. He noted that the book’s title had entered the language, but not quite as he had hoped. “It is often misused,” he wrote, “failing to carry the tone or irony that the original intended.” Halberstam died last year, but were he still around, I suspect he would be speaking up, loudly, right about now. As Barack Obama rolls out his cabinet, “the best and the brightest” has become the accolade du jour from Democrats (Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri), Republicans (Senator John Warner of Virginia) and the press (George Stephanopoulos). Few seem to recall that the phrase, in its original coinage, was meant to strike a sardonic, not a flattering, note. Perhaps even Doris Kearns Goodwin would agree that it’s time for Beltway reading groups to move on from “Team of Rivals” to Halbersta
Sunday 07 December 2008 Obama vows rebuilt infrastructure
Barack Obama promises the biggest investment in US infrastructure since the highways were built in the 1950s.
2008/11/13 theMetropolitain Citizen Obama He started by testing the waters. That was what his campaign was all about at the start. Barack Obama burned with ideas and ideals, but he knew as a junior Senator with relatively little national exposure, that his 2008 campaign would probably be all about positioning. Positioning for the next time. But then something happened. Iowa.
Friday, December 5, 2008Social media strategy: inside Obama's online campaign Barack Obama is being hailed as the most tech-savvy U.S. president-elect to date, based on his heavy use of new media and social networking. His digital campaign, however, was far from a one-man show. see my space
Tuesday 02 December 2008 President-elect Barack Obama has selected a six-member security team to be part of his cabinet after his inauguration on Jan. 20. Sen. Hillary Clinton, his adversary in the Democratic Party presidential campaign, will be secretary of state. Robert Gates, the serving secretary of defence for the administration of President George W. Bush, is to remain. Mr. Obama's adviser Eric Holder will become attorney general and Susan Rice ambassador to the UN. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will be homeland security secretary and Ret. Marine Gen. James Jones national security adviser. The President-elect has now selected one-half of his cabinet members.
Thursday 27 November 2008 Ex-Fed chief named Obama adviser
Barack Obama names former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker to chair a panel advising him on the economy.
Tuesday 25 November 2008 Obama pledges 'jolt' to economy
President-elect Barack Obama promises the rapid implementation of measures to stimulate the ailing US economy.
Tuesday 25 November 2008 President-elect Barack Obama says his administration will work with world leaders to cope with the international financial crisis. Mr. Obama says the crisis is no longer a purely American one and so his government will have to reach out to the world to deal with it. Sitting President George W. Bush pledged that his government will take all necessary measures to prop up the struggling U.S. economy. Mr. Obama assumes office on Jan. 20.
Saturday 22 November 2008 Obama's Treasury pick boosts Dow Jones index
President-elect Barack Obama wants New York Federal Reserve president Timothy Geithner as his Treasury secretary, news that... A senior Democrat told Reuters in Washington that Obama favours Geithner for the Treasury job, but had yet to make an offer. NBC News and The Wall Street Journal reported Geithner will be named when Obama unveils his economic team early next week, boosting stocks, which had been dragged down by fears over the financial health of Citigroup.
5 nov 08 The Colbert Report : Indecision 2008: America's Choice : Clip 1 of 7 with Jon Stewart .
Sunday 16 November 2008 Say Goodbye to BlackBerry? Yes He Can, Maybe
Due to security concerns and record-keeping laws, Barack Obama is unlikely to become the first e-mailing president. WASHINGTON — Sorry, Mr. President. Please surrender your BlackBerry. Those are seven words President-elect Barack Obama is dreading but expecting to hear, friends and advisers say, when he takes office in 65 days.
Wednesday 12 November 2008 Obama 'to curb role of lobbyists'
US President-elect Barack Obama introduces rules to restrict lobbyists, and Sen John McCain jokes about his election defeat.
Sunday 09 November 2008Web helps Obama with transition Barack Obama is turning to the web as he prepares to become US president.
Via a website called Change.gov, the Obama campaign plans to provide a guide to the transition process.
Barack Obama starts forming his administration by asking former Clinton adviser Rahm Emanuel to be his chief of staff.
Barack Obama has started forming his administration by asking Rahm Emanuel, a former adviser to President Clinton, to be his chief-of-staff.
US President-elect Obama is next expected to appoint a treasury secretary to tackle the country's economic crisis.
He has until his inauguration on 20 January to select his senior officials.
Friday, November 7, 2008 Historians on Obama with David Remnick, Alan Brinkley and Michael Beschlos
Wednesday 05 November 2008 Obama wins historic US election
Democratic Senator Barack Obama is elected the first black president of the US, prompting celebrations across the country as he promises that "change has come to America".
Thursday 30 October 2008 US TV airs unprecedented Obama ad
Barack Obama seeks to boost support with a half-hour TV ad and a rally with Bill Clinton, as John McCain campaigns in Florida.
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Barack Obama, Forever Sizing Up From his days leading The Harvard Law Review to his victorious presidential campaign, Barack Obama has always run meetings by a particular set of rules.
18:18 Barack Obama’s Victory Speech video & text
Interactive video and transcript of the president-elect’s address in Chicago on election night.
Tuesday 21 October 2008 Obama to break off from campaign
US presidential hopeful Barack Obama is cancelling campaign events for two days to visit his sick grandmother in Hawaii. Madelyn Dunham, 85, who helped to raise Mr Obama, is said to be seriously ill.
Mr Obama has spoken of their strong bond and has referred to her in some of his most powerful campaign speeches.
Saturday 11 October 2008 Obama Buys Half-Hour of Network Primetime (THR Feed)
Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour of primetime television on CBS and NBC, sources confirm. The Obama campaign is producing a nationwide pitch to voters that will air on at least two broadcast networks. The ad will run Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. -- less than a week before the general election. NYT: Neither network officials nor Obama campaign aides would discuss the cost of the television time. An analysis of advertising rates shows that the price of the commercial time alone between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night would be about $1 million.
20 September 2008 Aaron Sorkin Conjures a Meeting of Obama and Bartlet Now that he’s finally fired up on the soup-line economy, Barack Obama knows he can’t fade out again. He was eager to talk privately to a Democratic ex-president who could offer more fatherly wisdom — not to mention a surreptitious smoke — and less fraternal rivalry. I called the “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin (yes, truly) to get a read-out of the meeting. This is what he wrote:
Friday 29 August 2008 Obama launches historic campaign Barack Obama has accepted the Democratic Party's historic nomination to run for president of the US in front of a crowd of some 75,000 people.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The dream lives on, Kennedy says
U.S. Democrats paid nostalgic tribute last night to Sen. Edward Kennedy, the last of three political brothers who became iconic figures in American liberal politics over the past half century.
In the process, they got more than they expected.'br"The 76-year-old senator from Massachusetts, who was found to have a form of brain cancer in May, delivered a surprise speech at the Pepsi Centre before a crowd that erupted in chants of "Teddy, Teddy, Teddy."
"My fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here," said Kennedy, nearly overcome with emotion. "And nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.
Sunday Jul 27, 2008 US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama held talks Saturday with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London. Mr. Obama said later that a strong trans-Atlantic relationship is needed to deal with a wide range of world issues, including climate change, terrorism and the financial markets. Mr. Obama also had a breakfast meeting with former prime minister Tony Blair. The London visit was the last stop on an international tour that took Mr. Obama to Afghanistan, the Middle East and Europe. On Saturday, during talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, Mr. Obama stressed that Iran had to be stopped from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Sunday 29 June 2008 The U.S. Democratic Party candidate for president, Barack Obama, will visit Europe and the Middle East this summer. He'll visit Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. No dates were announced for security reasons. Political observers say that the senator from Illinois wants to use the trip to show voters that he is at ease speaking about foreign affairs. Mr. Obama has also indicated that he might visit Iraq and Afghanistan sometime this summer.
Tuesday 17 June 2008 Gore backs Obama for presidency
Former US Vice-President Al Gore endorses the Democratic candidate for the presidency, Barack Obama.
Campaign Conversations: Barack Obama John Harwood of The New York Times and CNBC interviews Senator Barack Obama about gas prices, taxes, housing and other economic issues
Friday 13 June 2008
Mr Obama kicked off his next campaign, the one against John McCain, with a tough speech on the economy in which he accused his Republican rival of pursuing a continuation of George Bush's policies. Mr McCain hit back, describing his rival as a typical tax-and-spend Democrat. See article
Sunday 01 June 2008 Obama Quits His Church After Months of Criticism
Barack Obama said his estrangement took root in controversial remarks by the former pastor, who once was his spiritual guide ABERDEEN, S.D. — Senator Barack Obama has resigned his membership in Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, which he attended for nearly two decades, following months of controversy about pastors and their political views.
Wednesday 21 May 2008 Obama 'within reach' of victory
Barack Obama says he is close to securing the Democratic nomination for US president, after Oregon and Kentucky vote.
Monday 19 May 2008 Obama and the Jews Pssst. Have you heard? I have. I heard that Barack Obama once said there has to be “an end” to the Israeli “occupation” of the West Bank “that began in 1967.” Yikes!
Monday 14 April 2008 Democrat rivals defend abortion
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they back abortion rights and profess their Christianity at a faith forum.
US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has sought to tackle the issue of race and defuse a controversy over comments made by his former pastor.
Senator Obama said he understood the history of anger between black and white Americans but that the US could not afford to ignore race issues.
He referred to the uproar over what he called the Rev Jeremiah Wright's "profoundly distorted view" of the US.
Wednesday 19 March 2008
RARE CANDOR ON RACE The
Globe, the Star
and the
Post front, while The
National, CTV
News, La Presse and the
Citizen go inside with Barack Obama’s speech (video here) about
his controversial pastor and the broader issues of race in America. Before
an appreciative but restrained sit-down crowd in Philadelphia, Obama spent
more than thirty minutes delivering a self-written speech that condemned
the hotly debated sermons delivered by Rev. Jeremiah Wright of
Chicago’s Trinity United Church. Yet Obama stopped short of
rejecting Wright himself, saying, “I can no more disown him than I
can disown the black community,” and making a pointed comparison
between Wright and Obama’s white grandmother, who unquestionably
loved her black grandchild yet “uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes
that made me cringe.” Obama went on to outline his view of
America’s “racial stalemate”: Between blacks that are
legitimately, if sometimes bluntly, resentful over a legacy of
discrimination entrenched in law and culture alike; and whites who
“don’t feel they have been privileged by their race” and
thus resent affirmative action and other programs to better the lot of
blacks. The speech is largely reported straight in today’s
papers—the Globe is the most effusive, with a front-page layout that
implicitly compares the junior senator from Illinois to the Dalai
Lama—as the sheer volume and detail of its content is difficult to
digest for a campaign press corps that has adapted to a lean and fast news
cycle. The depth and breadth of Obama’s remarks, however, will bring
them into play when the campaign touches on issues that range far beyond
race, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, poverty, education and
the family.
Daniel
Caseyis a Montreal-based MediaScout writer
for Maisonneuve Magazine.
There was no such indecisiveness from the Republicans; John McCain won enough delegates to deliver him the party's nomination when he cruised past Mike Huckabee in all four states up for grabs on March 4th. Afterwards, the senator from Arizona paid a visit to the White House to receive an endorsement from his former nemesis, George Bush. See article
Obama takes clear Maine victory
Barack Obama wins in Maine to complete a weekend of victories advancing his Democratic nomination hopes.
Sunday 10 February 2008 Obama Gets Convincing Wins in 3 States
By KATE ZERNIKE
Barack Obama beat Hillary Rodham Clinton in contests in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington State as Mike Huckabee showed that he is still attracting Republican voters.
Sunday 10 February 2008
Obama takes US poll clean sweep
Barack Obama closes the gap on Hillary Clinton in the race to become the Democrats' presidential candidate.
Wednesday 06 February 2008 Much has been made of Barack Obama's speech-making capabilities in the last couple of weeks, and Hillary Clinton has even been accused by some people of cribbing some of his phrases. But is it is possible that Obama himself borrowed one of his signature lines, from a most unlikely source? "I tuned out the NH debate the other night to watch Man of the Year, in which Robin Williams plays a comedian who gets 'elected' President," one reader commented on John Heilmann's piece about Obama in last week's New York. One of Williams's speeches in the film, he noticed, was strikingly similar to one Obama gave in an ad in Iowa: "We are not a nation of red states or of blue states; we are the United States of America." So we got a copy of both speeches, played them one after the other, and, well, what do you know? Now, we're not accusing anyone of plagiarism: Like "I'm a uniter, not a divider" before it, it's a pretty facile construction, one that could have easily just, you know, seeped in. But on the off chance that Obama's aides are turning to Hollywood for inspiration, we highly recommend studying Martin Sheen in The West Wing. Or Michael Douglas in The American President. Now that's a man who would sweep the primaries. [Thanks Diana N]
Tuesday 05 February 2008 An Open Letter to Paul Krugman ...We have some disagreements about health policy. You have been lambasting Senator Obama for months now because he fails to propose an individual mandate. I support Senator Obama, though I in no way represent the Obama campaign.
Monday 04 February 2008 Nuclear Leaks and Response Tested Obama in Senate
An Illinois controversy pitting two important constituencies against each other put Barack Obama’s legislative skills to the test.
Friday 01 February 2008 MoveOn Endorses Obama By JEFF ZELENY
The liberal group, which has 3.2 million members, could help with foot soldiers in Tuesday’s primary.
Thursday 31 January 2008 Seeing Red Over Hillary
Even newly armored by the spirit of Camelot, Barack Obama is still distressed by the sight of a certain damsel.
Tuesday Jan 29, 2008 Echoes of the New Frontier
Senator Ted Kennedy gave a powerful boost to Barack Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination...
Sunday Jan 27, 2008 Obama triumphs
Senator Barack Obama scored a decisive win last night over Senator Hillary Clinton in South Carolina....see also Race 2008
Tuesday 22 January 2008 Clinton and Obama clash in debate
US Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama exchange insults in South Carolina.
Friday 11 January 2008 A Candidate Not a Cause ...Barack Obama had some role in his own defeat, too. I keep thinking now, with the wisdom that hindsight affords, of an Obama event in Salem a few days before the primary. The police turned away 4,000 people at the door because there was only room for 1,000 inside the hall. I had never seen anything like that in politics.
Wednesday Jan 9, 2008 Obama's lack of foreign-policy experience won't hurt
One of the arguments against Barack Obama's candidacy for the U.S. presidency is that he doesn't have any foreign-policy experience. A president, argues Hillary Clinton, has to be "ready on Day 1." As in ready to respond to terrorism or a major international crisis.
THE LAST DROP: Mr. Obama’s victory in this overwhelmingly white state [Iowa] was a powerful answer to the question of
whether America was prepared to vote for a black person for president. What was remarkable was the extent to which race was
not a factor in this contest. Surveys of voters entering the caucuses also indicated that he had won the support of many
independents, a development that his aides used to rebut suggestions from rivals that he could not win a general election. In
addition, voters clearly rejected the argument that Mr. Obama does not have sufficient experience to take over the White
House, a central point pressed by Mrs. Clinton.
– The New York Times’ Adam Nagourney
Friday 04 January 2008 Obama and Huckabee win first 2008 vote DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Barack Obama took a big step on Thursday toward becoming the first black U.S. president as his campaign for change caught fire in Iowa and swept him past Hillary Clinton in the opening Democratic nominating contest.
January 3, 2008 John Edwards’s Caucus Speech The following is a transcript of John Edwards's address to supporters after the Iowa Caucuses
Monday 30 July 2007 Barack Obama has still got work to do IT WAS a surreal affair. The first debate among Democratic presidential candidates to be sanctioned by the party’s national committee was co-hosted by CNN and YouTube and let the public submit questions as video-clips.
Monday 30 July 2007 In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd 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.
I Got a Crush on Obama. 04:01 June 13, 2007
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Saturday 07 July 2007 YouTube becomes electoral battlefield
In the new age of online distribution, a major player in the election could be a gorgeous lip-synching model in a racy video supporting Barack Obama
Sunday 06 May 2007 Obama camp in MySpace row with leading fan
Barack Obama, one of the leading candidates for the Democratic party's 2008 presidential nomination, has ended up in the middle of a cyber-squabble after wresting control of a fan site from an enthusiastic backer.
Tuesday Feb 13, 2007 Barack Obama, having tossed his non stove-pipe hat in the ring last Saturday in the city where Abraham Lincoln served in the state legislature, is emerging as America's principal Valentine (nor for Australian Prime Minister Howard)
Wed1298 Barack Hussein Obama, Democratic Senator from Illinois, born in Hawaii, with genuine African (Kenya)-American roots, retains an unblemished political history and remains a very interesting possible presidential candidate capable of uniting the country. Despite his opposition to the Iraq campaign, he appears to be enjoying much support from people in areas of the country whose residents have also supported the military. He exhibits charisma not seen since Bill Clinton and, unlike his current main rival, Hilary Clinton, although Senator Obama has been steadfast in his views on the war in Iraq, he is not a polarizing force and even in a highly pro-military state like Vermont, he is popular. The one glitch in the personal history of this possible candidate is the fact that the lack of blemishes in his political history might derive from the relatively short time he has served in the Senate.
Barack Obama took his first formal step towards running for president by forming an exploratory committee. The senator from Illinois, who has held his seat for two years, is considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination along with a certain senator from New York who is expected to make her intentions known (officially) soon. See article
COMMANDER-IN-BRIEFS by Nick Haramis January
17, 2007
In late December, Barack Obama sat down for what must be the most
nerve-racking hour of anyone’s life: to dish on Oprah. Yesterday,
Obama sat down before the cameras again, this time to
announce on his website
that he will be forming an exploratory presidential committee, a step
that will allow him to raise money and put together a formal campaign. A
45-year-old, first time senator, Obama will officially announce his plan
to run for president on February 10. Obama was born in Hawaii to a Texan
mother and a Kenyan father. He lived in Jakarta, Indonesia for a while
before returning to the US to live with his grandparents at the age of
ten. He graduated from Columbia and then Harvard, where he was the first
African-American elected editor for the Harvard Law Review.
That may end up not being the only first for Obama as an
African-American. Although the
Star considers Obama a “long shot,” he is proving to be
popular with the American people and is currently positioned second after
Hillary Clinton in the polls to be the next American president. Obama
outlines his majority-friendly politics on his website, discussing the
needs of working people, skyrocketing health care bills and tuition costs.
A decidedly unifying presence, Obama says, “We coach Little League in
the blue states and have gay friends in the red states. There are patriots
who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it…we are
one people.” The
Globe describes its new crush as someone with “dazzling
charismatic appeal,” while the
Star forgives Obama for his “youthful flirtation with
cocaine.” In his online video, Obama explains that Americans are
“hungry for a different kind of politics.” The Globe, however,
quotes Dick Bennett, president of America Survey Group, who isn’t
nearly sated: “With Obama, there’s a lot of sizzling right
now, but there’s not much meat.” Ultimately, the Big Seven
seem content not to taste the meal, but simply to marvel at the
presentation. Until Obama tackles the harder issues—a hard line on
Iraq needs to be made explicit—potential voters will need to satisfy
themselves with news of his best-selling book and his previous Grammy
awards. And then there’s always that swimsuit photo in People
magazine.
17/01/07 globe Obama in '08? Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy Tuesday, saying the U.S. is in a "precarious place" and that Americans are hungry for a new type of political leadership.
Other Democrats who have announced a campaign or exploratory committee are 2004 vice-presidential nominee John Edwards, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hasn't announced yet, but she's expected to be a front-runner.
Friday 12 January 2007 The humanitarian group says television networks in the United States are not reporting enough news from certain troubled regions of the world. The group claims the networks devoted just minutes of news coverage last year to 10 issues it identified as the most under-reported stories of 2006. Among the 10 were the daily toll claimed by tuberculosis and malnutrition as well as conflicts in the Central African Republic, Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Somalia, Colombia, Chechnya and parts of India. The group says that many conflicts world-wide are profoundly affecting millions of people yet they are almost completely invisible.
Friday 12 January 2007
U.S. President George W. Bush has cautioned that his decision to send more troops to Iraq would not yield immediate results. In a speech Thursday to soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia, Mr. Bush appealed for patience. He said the American people have to understand that even with the addition of some 21-thousand troops, which he announced on Wednesday, the suicide bombings in Iraq won't stop immediately. But he said he expects positive results over time. American public opinion has turned against the Iraq war in which more than 3,000 U.S. troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed. Democrats who control Congress, and even some in Mr. Bush's own Republican Party, oppose his plan to increase troop strength in Iraq.
It is 9 A.M. on a fresh, sunny Saturday in Rockford, Ill., and nearly a thousand people have gathered in the gymnasium at Rock Valley College to participate in a town meeting with their Senator, Barack Obama. It is an astonishingly large crowd for a beautiful Saturday morning, but Obama--whose new book, The Audacity of Hope, is excerpted starting on page 52--has become an American political phenomenon in what seems about a nanosecond, and the folks are giddy with anticipation. "We know he's got the charisma," says Bertha McEwing, who has lived in Rockford for more than 50 years. "We want to know if he's got the brains." Just then there is a ripple through the crowd, then gasps, cheers and applause as Obama lopes into the gym with a casual, knees-y stride. "Missed ya," he says, moving to the microphone, and he continues greeting people over raucous applause. "Tired of Washington."
see 57 min - Oct 19, 2006 Charlie Rose - An hour with Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). He discusses the speculation about a presidential run in 2008, his political ideology, the current state
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