Barack Obama Advocates Courage and Confidence in Montana

[bigtree]

BILLINGS, Mont. — In competing speeches today, John McCain and Barack Obama continued an intensifying debate, ratcheting up the rhetoric in their core dispute over the posture the U.S. should assume in international negotiations. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/05/barack-obama-vs.html)

McCain, venturing into Obama's hometown of Chicago to address a meeting of the National Restaurant Assn. (many of whose members are reliable Republicans, due to their opposition to minimum wage raises), said the Democrat "betrays the depth" of his "inexperience and reckless judgment" in his call for an American president to be willing to talk with opposing regimes, such as Iran, without preconditions.

Obama, speaking later in Billings, Mont., clearly had gotten word of McCain's sharp remarks. Early in his speech, he sought to undercut the "Realpolitick" stance McCain is trying to corner for himself by calling it "naive and wishful thinking" to insist a country "meet all your conditions" before sitting down with its leaders.

Noting the ongoing negotiations that occurred throughout the Cold War -- under both Democratic and Republican administrations -- Obama asked why the U.S. should not "have the same courage and confidence" to talk to its enemies.







Obama told an audience that there is still work to be done to "secure the nomination." But he also said he is already getting a taste for the summer and fall campaign, after being criticized in recent days by Republicans for his willingness to talk to Iran without preconditions. (http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/05/obama_counters_mccain_on_appea.html)

"Anything but their failed cowboy diplomacy that has produced no results is called appeasement," Obama countered. "Here's the truth: the Soviet Union had thousands of nuclear weapons and Iran doesn't have a single one. But when the world was on the brink of nuclear Holocaust, Kennedy talked to Khrushchev and he got those missiles out of Cuba. Why shouldn't we have the same courage and confidence to talk to our enemies? That's what strong countries do. That's what strong presidents do."







"The Soviet Union had the ability to destroy the world several times over, had satellites spanning the globe, had huge masses of conventional military power, all directed at destroying us," he said. "So, I've made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave. But what I've said is that we should not just talk to our friends. We should be willing to engage our enemies as well. That's what diplomacy is all about."

"Iran is a grave threat. It has an illicit nuclear program. It supports terrorism across the region and militias in Iraq. It threatens Israel's existence. It denies the Holocaust," he said. "The reason Iran is so much more powerful than it was a few years ago is because of the Bush-McCain policy of fighting in Iraq and refusing to pursue direct diplomacy with Iran. They're the ones who have not dealt with Iran wisely."

Obama also called Iran the "single biggest beneficiary" of Iraq war and pledged to secure all lose nuclear materials during first term, if he is elected president.







"We need a president who sees government not as a tool to enrich friends and high-priced lobbyists, but as the defender of fairness and opportunity for every American," Obama said at (the) town hall meeting here. ((http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10452.html)

Among the recent departures (touted by the McCain camp as a 'vetting' of their moneyed influences in their campaign), Obama noted, are an adviser who lobbied for an energy firm and others who have "done work for the military regime that's stopping aide from getting into Burma." Another adviser, Tom Loeffler, the national finance co-chairman, resigned Sunday for his lobbyist ties.

"I'm glad Sen. McCain is taking these steps," Obama said. "But it's noteworthy that two of the most influential corporate lobbyists in Washington have taken time off to run his campaign. And they are still at the helm today."







Obama was referring to Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, and Charlie Black, his top political adviser. McCain defended the advisers Sunday, telling reporters that they are "not in the lobbying business; they've been out of that business."

"Just look at what he said last week. John McCain gave a whole speech about what he'd do to make Washington work, but he didn't even mention the corporate lobbyists who are the main reason it doesn't work," Obama said. "He says he's against earmarks. Well, who does he think is slipping those pork projects into our laws? He says he's against waste. Well, who does he think is promoting it, waste in government? He says he's for opening up government. Well, who does he think is keeping it closed?"








Obama said voters should be concerned that "after nearly three decades in Washington, John McCain can't see or won't acknowledge what's obvious to all of us here today -- that lobbyists aren't just part of the system in Washington, they're part of the problem." (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/19/obama_faults_mccain_on_lobbyis.html)

"The fact is, John McCain's campaign is being run by Washington lobbyists and paid for with their money," Obama said. "Senator McCain has been a candidate in this race for more than a year, but it was only in the past few days, when stories surfaced publicly about his lobbyist aides and their clients, that Senator McCain took any action to curb their roles."








"I'm running because of what Dr. King called the fierce urgency of now," said Obama. "We're at a defining moment in our history." (http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/Obama-Were-at-defining-moment-in-history-/1211217980.html)

"We're involved in a war that I believe never should have been authorized, in Iraq, that has cost us dearly," said Obama. "A war that has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of lives, distracted us to what needs to be done in Afghanistan and hasn't made us any safer."

"We can't wait to fix our schools. We can't wait to fix our health care system. We can't wait to end this war in Iraq. That's why I'm running for president of the United States," said Obama.

"There's no challenge we can't meet, there's no destiny we can't fulfill."







from transcript of his Billings town meeting: http://mont.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/ktvq/documents/Obama%2005-19-08.doc


GEORGE BUSH'S AMERICA HAS BEEN AN AMERICA THAT BASICALLY SAYS YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.

WE ARE A PROUD PEOPLE, WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, A SELF RELIANT PEOPLE.

BUT THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN BUILT WHEN ALL OF US ARE WORKING TOGETHER.

WHEN ALL OF US ARE COMMITTED TO EACH OTHER'S SUCCESS. THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED THE AMERICAN DREAM.

IT'S NOT CALLED BARACK'S DREAM OR SUSAN'S DREAM OR JIM'S DREAM.

IT'S CALLED THE AMERICAN DREAM BECAUSE WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO SUCCEED, IF THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK HARD.

AND IT'S THAT REWARDING HARD WORK AND EFFORT THAT I WANT TO SEE RESTORED AS A CENTRAL PRINCIPLE IN OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR SOCIETY.

NOW, I CAN'T DO IT BY MYSELF. I'M REMINDED EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE IF NOT BY EVENTS, THEN BY MY WIFE THAT, I'M NOT A PERFECT MAN. I WON'T BE A PERFECT PRESIDENT.

BUT CAN I PROMISE THIS, I'LL ALWAYS TELL YOU WHAT I THINK, I WILL ALWAYS TELL YOU WHERE I STAND, I'LL HONEST WITH YOU ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WE FACE, I WILL LISTEN TO YOU EVEN WHEN WE DISAGREE AND WE'RE GOING TO DISAGREE SOMETIMES.

BUT I'LL LISTEN TO YOU.

AND I'LL CHANGE MY MIND IF YOU HAVE A BETTER ARGUMENT THAN I DO. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WILL WAKE UP EVERY SINGLE DAY THINKING ABOUT YOU, THINKING ABOUT THE SINGLE MOM WHO CAN'T AFFORD HEALTH CARE FOR HER KIDS.

THINKING ABOUT THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN LAID OFF OF THEIR JOBS. THINKING ABOUT THE KID IN THE INDIAN RESERVATION WHO DOESN'T SEE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

I WILL BE THINKING ABOUT YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY, WORKING HARD FOR YOU, IF YOU GIVE ME THAT CHANCE.

I HOPE YOU DO, MONTANA.








EXTENDED INTERVIEW: Barack Obama talks about issues facing Montanans
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Montanans pitch questions to Obama
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Watch Obama's full Billings speech
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=8344761&nav=menu227_8

[bigtree]

1. kick

[PaulaFarrell]

2. kick n/t

[TheDoorbellRang]

3. Is McCain having trouble with language?

McCain ... said the Democrat "betrays the depth" of his "inexperience and reckless judgment" in his call for an American president to be willing to talk with opposing regimes, such as Iran, without preconditions.

So how does someone betray their inexperience? Are we seeing another W trait emerging? Is our RW candidates learning?

[americanstranger]

4. Outstanding. Thx, Bigtree.

Someone should check into that lie that McCain told about the lobbyists running his campaign being 'out of that game.'

I seem to remember an article (maybe in the NYT) where Charlie Black bragged about running his lobbying busines from on the Straight Talk Express.

Off to Google. I'll update if I find it.

Update: It was WaPo:

Of all the lobbyists involved in the McCain campaign, the most prominent is Black...even as Black provides a private voice and a public face for McCain, he also leads his lobbying firm, which offers corporate interests and foreign governments the promise of access to the most powerful lawmakers. Some of those companies have interests before the Senate and, in particular, the Commerce Committee, of which McCain is a member.

Black said he does a lot of his work by telephone from McCain's Straight Talk Express bus.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101131_pf.html

Can someone send that to the Obama campaign?

- as

[slinkerwink]

5. thank you for a great post!

[bigtree]

6. LET IT SINK!!iiiII

:kick:

[americanstranger]

7. K/R.

Because I forgot to do it the first time.

Thx again.

- as

[bigtree]

9. of course,

the senator makes it a pleasure to promote him in this way.

You are very welcome, and, my thanks to you for looking in and responding.

[Aloha Spirit]

8. thank you!

:kick:

[bigtree]

10. .

:kick:

[bigtree]

11. equal time kick

. . . for the -O- crowd :kick: