Monday, February 18, 2008

The "P' word.



Today as I was driving home from meeting a client, I found myself listening (as I always do) to conservative talk radio. In this particular case it was Michael Medved (you remember him don't you, the guy who said slavery wasn't that bad), and he was killing the "O" man for plagiarizing parts of a speech by Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick. My first thought was; thank god Mrs. Field wasn 't in the car, because I don't think I could take it. My second thought was; I hope the Obamaholics are ready for this because there will be plenty more to come.


Now at first glance the plagiarism thing isn't good, but then you hear all the facts associated with it, and you realize it isn't all the Hillary folks and the "O" man haters make it out to be. It seems Deval Patrick was well aware that the "O" man might lift this line and the "O" man lifted it with Patrick's blessing. So what's the problem, why are folks all in a tizzy over a paragraph lifted by a friend from another friend's speech? It's called desperation, and I suspect that this is the tip of the ice berg.


All those speeches, all those cities, and all that public scrutiny; the guy is allowed to slip up every now and then. Hell I lift other people's shit every time I speak in front of a jury, and I will be damned if I give them the proper credit. When I say shit to a jury like: "Inconsistency is the mother of a lie" I don't say that I read it in a trial advocacy book somewhere, but I did. My friend Tony is one of the top prosecutors in East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Parish, and he uses shit I told him in law school when he is making closing arguments. How do I know? He told me so. And I guarantee you that he doesn't give me any credit when he is doing it. The point is, people say shit, especially in the course of doing a job or in the midst of a break neck campaign for the highest office in the land, and they don't always dot all their i's and cross all their t's.



Honestly, all the fainting at the "O" man's campaign stops bother me more than the accusations of plagiarism. Something about that shit is unsettling, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Medved talked about that too, but not nearly as much as he talked about the plagiarism accusations.

I think what bothers me about the "O" man is that he is naively trying to reach out to these people. He thinks he can bring the country together by bringing them in his tent. Sorry "O" man, it ain't gonna happen. And the sooner you realize that the better. Maybe if the "O" man was a cynical asshole who despises his political enemies like yours truly, it wouldn't bother me so much. But he is so trusting, so good, somehow; it just doesn't seem fair.


So "O" man, word to the wise: you have speech writers, use them. Don't lift shit from your boy anymore, no matter how tempted you are.

53 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:47 PM

    Well, they needed to find something. So now the pigs are out of the pen and just can't get enough shit to eat. This won't go away - trust me. And yes, it will hurt him. This is all over the blogs, news, etc. Now there taking polls on whether or not he should have given this guy credit.

    Too me it's just stupid. But Obama is going to get the beat down. Modern day lynching he we come...Yipeee lol Sorry, I just had to say that. Oh, by the way Clarence Thomas said that during his infamous Anita Hill fiasco. Obamaholics - hold on tight cuz we haven't it the worse just yet.

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  2. Anonymous8:03 PM

    I thought you were going to tackle the word "progressive," which is getting its own major parsing all over the place in this passionate and at times petty primary. (How do you like them p's?) :)

    PS: Shows how relevant I think this plagiarism story is.

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  3. Yes folks it's getting ugly!

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  4. Hillary Clinton is out of money, out of ideas, and out of her mind.

    Her campaign has become so desperate, as she sinks further down into the shithole she and her husband have created for themselves that all they have is this latest bullshit to try and tar Barack with.

    I think the American people are smarter than the Clintons and they will see right through what she's trying to do.

    BTW, Public Policy Poll: Wisconsin

    Obama 53% - the Borg Queen 40%

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  5. Anonymous8:22 PM

    This the best they can do? No one is going to care about this after tonight. But you are so right Field; they are really desperate and here is why...


    "Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The couple who sold Barack Obama his Chicago home said the Illinois senator's $1.65 million bid ``was the best offer'' and they didn't cut their asking price because a campaign donor bought their adjacent land, according to e- mails between Obama's presidential campaign and the seller."

    There is no Rezko scandal. Michelle is just a really tough negotiator.

    Poor Hillary. The articles about the many times she lifted words from other people's speeches are already out there. If this keeps up, they are going to start calling Obama the Teflon President Part II. 'Cause none of this sticks.

    Over the weekend, the republicans had a big meeting to figure out an anit-Obama strategy. Apparently they are going to talk about experience, national security, specifics vs good speeches and all the rest of the Clinton talking points. And may they be just as successful!

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  6. Privately, Hillary Clinton’s mood has darkened as the realization sets in that without a breakout series of huge victories in the remaining contests, it is impossible for Clinton to win enough "pledged" delegates to clinch the nomination.

    Her staff is said to be in a state of shock.

    Hillary Clinton has grown so desperate that her campaign has begun circulating bizarre stories criticizing the "cult" of Obama in the hope of portraying "Obamania" as a mass delusion, comparing Obama’s supporters to Hare Krishnas and even Charles Manson followers.

    Hillary's Harpies will do and say anything to try and destroy Barack Obama.

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  7. HillBillary is desperate & on life support!

    Her campaign f'd up & mismanaged all that money and she sees her dream slipping out of reach. This presidency is not owed to her.
    F%%% her!

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  8. Justice58,

    So true!

    The Borg Queen shot through $100 million between Nov. 1, 2007 and Feb. 1, 2008.

    It's gotten so bad for Miss Thing that she's even had to muck in with the peanut eating press corp on their airplane!

    The poor thing! FOFLMAO!

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  9. Anonymous8:57 PM

    i have a disturbing feeling each time i look at billary she reminds me of deville cruella. i wanted so bad for obama to win the presidency but deep down.. i hate to say it.. gut feeling saying its gonna be redneck mccain.

    sigh..

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  10. Anonymous9:02 PM

    Field, have you read Taylor Marsh lately? This crazy Dem must have guzzled a 55-gallon drum of the "O" Hater's Kool Aid.

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  11. Anonymous9:16 PM

    She's deparate as hell. It probably due to the new CNN poll that shows she's onlly leading Obama by 2% in Texas.

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  12. Anonymous9:21 PM

    Field:

    I do not see the problem with hims using ideas of others into his speeches as long as it solidifies the point he is conveying. MLK's ideas were original and came from other philosophers. I heard many of Barack Obama's speeches that references many things of the past juxtaposing with what he wants to convey that will resonate with the audience.

    What Obama is doing is not an original idea in many ways it reminds of King's tactics of getting his message out to the people. Obama started with a grassroots effort and combined it with modern technology. He is doing with most politicians should have thought about doing and putting to practice and that is tap into that group of voters who have been dormant because they not seen anyone they wanted to vote for.

    I do not believe Obama is naive or blind. He knows what he as in front of him, and found it interesting that when Bill Moyers asked the presidential hopeful what book other than the bible would you take the White House, Obama relied by saying he would take with him "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. That gives me an indication that Obama that being President is no catwalk. I find that still waters run deep with Obama, and it gross miscalculation to underestimating him. This what the media, his opponents, and critics consistently do. Obama has learned from the mistakes of Bill Bradley and Al Gore by cutting down the specifics in this speeches. Although it both embarrasses and pains me to write this, but Americans are anti-intellectual with very short attention spans and memories.

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  13. Yea - what henna said!


    But seriously, I do not see Obama as naive in any sense. He's probably been working his game plan since BEFORE giving that speech in 2004 - that was probably step #1 "Get my black ass in the spotlight in a grand way" (check). I do not believe for one second that he hasn't fully thought through the process and all the political schemes, scams, lies, and bad mouthing that would come his way. Ya boy thought long and hard about the road to the white house and which was the best way to go about getting there.

    Seems to me like he chose the RIGHT path if this is all they can come up with...


    And if you want to know who's really naive... its Hilary. Lol, she thought she was just going to smile and grin her way into the White House in 09. Then here comes this charming, uppity negro outta nowhere who has the nerve to try and win.

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  14. Hillary is desperate.
    Accusing Obama of plagiarism?
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
    Like she hasn't lifted from others!
    GO OBAMA!

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  15. field, i listened to limbaugh going crazy over this shit today. dude really sounded red faced! my girl and i were on our way back from a weekend camping out in big sur (fuck flowers, that's how I roll for valentines), and we couldn't get enough of it. this is the best they have? for real? dude, if this is their howard dean "hyaaaaaa!" equivalent moment, then my man 'bams has this thing locked down. i think the rethugs were really counting on mama ice all along, but then they began to see how many people 'bams is pulling, and that scared the shit out of them. too bad. much like mama ice, 'bams has been ahead of the curve all along! ps: i just read 'under the banner of heaven-krakauer' this weekend. if you wanna know what kind of shit we faced under romney, please pick this book up. jesus christ, mormons are fucked! gold plates, funny glasses and the whole bit!

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  16. ooops! ....'much like mama ice, the rethugs finally realized "bams has been ahead of the curve all along.

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  17. Michelle is onthe cover of Newsweek looking fierce. I'm trusting she has this whole plagiarism thing under control.

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  18. I'm going to use that "Inconsistency is the mother of lies line" in my next closing. What book did you get that out of?

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  19. In Field's words

    "That uppity Negra is acting like he really wants to win this bitch".
    -----------------------------------
    ahahahahahhaha

    Barack, Michelle,Malia,& Sasha are going to live in the White House!

    Yes We Can!

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  20. By the time a POTUS is elected (or selected)the "O" man will have been trussed like a chicken and the latest rumor will be that his father wasn't a Kenyan, but LeRoy Jackson from round the corner.

    It's not plagerizism if the author gave you his blessing to use it.

    That's why they have a little notation called FOOTNOTES. There isn't a person on this board who has gone to college and didn't write a paper using a quotation from somewhere else and annotation that you got it from somewhere else.

    Whoever was whining that Obama was getting a free pass by the media can now feel free to drink that glass of STHU, because this isn't nothing to what's going to come out before the summer.

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  21. "By the time a POTUS is elected (or selected)the "O" man will have been trussed like a chicken and the latest rumor will be that his father wasn't a Kenyan, but LeRoy Jackson from round the corner".
    -----------------------------------
    ahahahahahahaha

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  22. Anonymous11:00 PM

    Once again your post makes sense but those sidebars on the right drive me insane. CNN is obviously for Hillary, why not hate them too? The one issue that all leftist agree on is global warming. FOX is for government intervention on this, just like CNN. I'm hoping 10+ years of not so hot years will cool the politians on this, but who knows. Pay attention to the sunspots.

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  23. I predict Barack Obama will win in Wisconsin, Hawaii and Oregon tomorrow!

    He will pick up a comfortable lead in delegates, so even if the Borg Queen wins in Texas, Obama will still be ahead.

    Oh honey. Hillary is gonna' be a bitch on wheels tomorrow night. If Bill knows what's good for him, he'd better just get a room at the Motel 8 and find a youngun' to keep him comfortable. I wouldn't want to go home to her.

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  24. The plagiarism accusation is bullshit, but Obama hasn't seen the tip of the iceberg yet.

    If he wins the nomination, the Wingnuts will eat him for lunch if he continues to remain so passive.

    I know he's trying to be "Vanilla," but he's black, and the Wingnuts are going to remind their Cracker Ass supporters of that fact every chance they get.

    He, and his supporters, better toughen up because it's only going to get worse.

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  25. Anonymous12:29 AM

    What got lost in this is the plagiarism charge leveled on Patrick in 2005-6.


    He was accused of Plagiarizing Barack Obama.

    Not to mention that Obama copped to sharing talking points with Patrick 10 months ago.

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  26. Adding to what the ink, remember that what Obama said he had said it before. He said in Sept. or Oct. He's been saying it all month long. People who've been paying attention this past year are yawning because this is all such old news and it's just a sad rehash of a story from last spring.

    But it's not like it's any special kind of phrasing. I used the same words in a paper I wrote in high school in '88 (and Ms. Moreno docked me for them too). I put them in a speech I wrote for a Muslim woman in '93. I had a friend who wrote similar words for her screenplay in '95 or '96. I've read/heard similar words everywhere, so this is just a little more than dumb.

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  27. I wrote about Obama's use of other people's speeches a while ago and listed about 5 people. he has been lifting people's speeches from the very beginning but if you are a well read person and study Quotes and Speech Writing Techniques, you wouldn't even know this.

    Since the average person doesn't know or even read serious literature, all of Obama's speeches appear INSPIRATIONAL and MOVING but the reality is, he has coined a laundry list of proven inspiration and wrapped it in a smile and good looks and PASSION. How's is it he can do this and get away with it? The same people that are working with Obama worked with Bill Clinton who has done the very same thing.

    It's all Apples and Apples.

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  28. Anonymous3:06 AM

    ~
    Barack, Michelle,Malia,& Sasha are going to live in the White House!
    Yes We Can!

    justice58 10:45 PM

    North American Negroes, Obama is not one of us. He is not a legacy North American Negroe. That is, Obama is not descended from Africans enslaved in North America, the Caribbean, or South America.

    Marrying a legacy North American Negroe does not make Obama one of us.

    http://www.newsweek.com/id/112849

    http://www.newsweek.com/

    (do something with them kitchens or wear it natural)

    Working with Negroes on the south side of Chicago, does not make Obama one of us.

    North American Negroes, Obama will break your hearts.
    `

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  29. nsagoma- I don't understand this point that some black people take in disowning Africa or treating African people like the plague or something.

    Besides, it's not like you could tell what country Obama's father was from if you saw Obama walking down the street. To rehash an old argument, he looks "black enough".

    But if nothing else, I'm African American (in the most literal sense) and not descended from North American slaves either. I guess I'll take him if you won't.

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  30. Anonymous6:48 AM

    Let's all put on our riding boots to deal with Hill. Hillary is so full of what the horse put out. She's desperate and hungry for a win. Why don't you throw her Big Mac combo meal? *lol*

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  31. "Working with Negroes on the south side of Chicago, does not make Obama one of us.

    "...North American Negroes, Obama will break your hearts"

    nsangoma, you don't even believe that. Why would you fall into that old trap and say the "O" man isn't one of us because his father was born in Africa?

    B"arack, Michelle,Malia,& Sasha are going to live in the White House!"

    Justice 58, I can't believe that some of our fellow A-merry-cans are pleased with that thought :)

    sherraye, go ahead and use that anytime you want to :) I think it was from a book by James Tanford,"Everything you wanted to konw about trial procedures and tactics" I think that was it. It was awhile ago.

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  32. Anonymous7:03 AM

    @NSangoma:

    "North American Negroes, Obama is not one of us."

    What possessed you to say this?

    Seems to be nothing more than that ol'

    "de sty and canker"

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  33. Anonymous7:18 AM

    I had to scroll back up to catch the "North American Negroes, Obama will break your hearts" bit. For goodness sake, what do you think the folks who were/are responsible for slavery, jim crow and present day discrimination did/do to us?

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  34. Anonymous8:05 AM

    "I think what bothers me about the "O" man is that he is naively trying to reach out to these people. He thinks he can bring the country together by bringing them in his tent. Sorry "O" man, it ain't gonna happen. And the sooner you realize that the better."

    Oh, I think Obama realizes that he can't reach out to a lot of these people. But white America won't vote for an angry black man. I mean, they'll watch a "black buck" on the TV or movie screen and think he's bad ass- but they certainly won't vote for one.
    So the only way he can reach out to those who he can win over is to reach out to everyone.

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  35. The oldest Hispanic group within the Texas Democratic Party, following a meeting in Dallas, on Saturday agreed to endorse Barack Obama for president.

    The Mexican American Democrats believe that Senator Obama’s experience bringing Americans of all ages, religions, races and ethnicities together make him the best candidate to make progress on the issues that matter to Hispanics in Texas and across America.

    Obama’s leadership in the U.S. Senate on comprehensive immigration reform and his specific plans to strengthen our schools, bring about universal healthcare, and provide tax relief for working families show us that he is truly committed to improving the lives of Hispanics and all Americans.

    I thought the Borg Queen owned the Hispanics? Guess not. *wink*

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  36. Anonymous9:25 AM

    Wow, I'm always bemused at folks (sane folks, I should say) say they listen to right wing radio. I would rather step in dog crap than to litter my day with that kind of ugly but you know, your mileage may vary.

    Anyways, I don't think that this "story" has any real play other than it being a taste of what the righties have in store. It's more of an indication, as though we needed yet more proof, of just how lazy political journalism is these days. Take a feed and then churn the heck out of it and call it your copy for the day.

    Tell Mrs. Field to sit tight and wait for the next "story" because that one's going to be about how Michelle Obama goes to the same hairstylist as Oprah and didn't even mention it during a photo shoot, blah blah blah.

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  37. Anonymous10:17 AM

    What about a comedian who has a staff of comedy writers? Did anyone accuse Lederman or Leno of plagiarizing? Very few, if any politicians write their own speeches. Kennedy certainly did not nor do or did any president. They pay professionals to articulate their positions and thoughts.

    So what's the big deal?

    Obama (or Hillary) has know this is coming and to be ready to react. Kerry in essence allowed himself to be swiftboated by doing nothing.

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  38. Christopher, dude, how much they pay you over at the Obama campaign.

    It's not plagiarism, it's marketig. Beta tested in Mass, now used in the National campaign. So much for authenticity.

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  39. Stella,

    LOL! Not a dime!

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  40. Anonymous12:23 PM

    The big deal is that Obama is not known for his substantive ideas on the issues but for his inspiring rhetoric. When we find out that he's borrowed even that from someone else it does kinda make some of us step back and take a look. He says he and Deval talk and exchange ideas all the time. Maybe we should forget both Hillary and Barack and write in Deval for president.

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  41. Anonymous2:18 PM

    Nsangoma said

    "North American Negroes, Obama is not one of us. He is not a legacy North American Negroe. That is, Obama is not descended from Africans enslaved in North America, the Caribbean, or South America."

    What kinda divide and conquer tactics are are these?

    Pray tell Nsangoma, where did the enslaved Africans in North and Sout Africa and the Caribbean descend from? And what difference does it make?
    Please don't create unnecessary divisions between Africans and People of African descent!

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  42. Anonymous2:22 PM

    correction, " North and South America"

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  43. With regard to the whole fainting thing. These are mostly people who have been standing for like five hours and are getting pressed on a packed floor.

    I was at the rally in Hartford when somebody fell and it was just because of dehydration.

    It happens all the time at concerts and the XL center was packed more than it is for most concerts.

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  44. Field, even the wingnut bloggers are saying Hillary is going mad, and these are the m-fs who thought up the Swift Boat thing. They haven't caught onto the Tavis Smiley issue (www.natturnersrevenge.blogspot.com) yet, but hell, did they ever tke Tavis seriously. This is getting weird...

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  45. I think Nakim and others are right: This question of plagiaris is a non-issue and media-driven. But, field, I have two questions: How lazy is the corporate media for failing to look at questions of substance? How shamefully sickening are the producers of these shows are for thinking that we viewers won't watch unless Sen. Clinton is accusing Obama of some nonsense? I believe two things:
    1. First, by failing to talk substance, by substituting non-issues like plagiarism or fundraising, the corporate media is really helping Sen. Clinton. Though the accusations have nothing to do with changing the country for the better, they are distracting and suggest that Obama's character is the issue, and not the poor judgements that Sen. Hillary has displayed or the lack of policy that she would initiate as President.
    2. Though i'm not an Obama supporter, I believe that, in a contrast and comparison of their plans, Obama's would come out ahead. For example, both Sen. Clinton's and Obama's health plans are similar. However, Clinton' would mandate that everyone have insurance while Obama would mandate insurance for children. But he would provide subsidies for adults to pay for insurance if they choose it. Both plans borrow from the plan developed in Massachusetts by former Governor Romney (the Republican who changed his political positions more often than he changed oil for his hair, which was often). Massachusetts is having lots of problems going after people who either refused to sign up either because it was a "government program" or because they couldn't afford it. Obama's health plan correctly anticipated this problem.

    Or take NAFTA. Sen. Obama says he'll change the agreements to give American workers and farmers a more level playing field. Sen. Clinton only says she'll review NAFTA. Or take Cuba. Sen. Clinton, pandering to former Cuban families who helped prop up the old, oppressive, corrupt Cuban regime and who now live in South Floriday, says she won't talk to the new President. Obama says he will. Cuba represents a new market and new jobs for Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvana and Texas farmers and manufacturers.

    So, we have the weird situation in this country where we can watch the news 24 hours a day and still not learn what we need to know: Who has the best plans and the better judgement to be the President of our country.

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  46. Anon:
    "The big deal is that Obama is not known for his substantive ideas on the issues but for his inspiring rhetoric.
    ---------
    Anon: Stop it, please! Do some damn research on your own, will ya? I hate being put in the position of defending Obama. You're gonna have field accusing me of being an Obamaholic. But check out Obama's plans. He has a million of them on all kinds of issues, including racial profiling. And if you do more research, you'll find that many of these plans have theikr genesis in the bills he authored as an Illinois State Legislature, where he served for eight years.

    Check out the Chicago Tribune or Chicago Sun archieve. Go to the library. But stop parroting crap you hear from bimbo anchors and white male pundits too lazy to do their job.

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  47. Nsangoma, if you are/aren't voting for someone because of their heritage, then for the love of humanity stay home and don't vote. Who gives a damn if Obama's not a "North American Negroe"?

    Honestly, are we back to this bullshit debate of "Is Obama black enough?" Is this what we have reduced ourselves to--again?

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  48. Anonymous7:40 PM

    so you been paying attention to Mrs. Obama's so-called "Proud-gate"? I'd love to see the field tackle it; first because anyone who stops to think about it can see why a black woman has every reason/right to not have been too proud of her country in the past, and partly because the media has started airing an edited version of her speech, changing the "for the first time... I'm really proud of my country" to "for the first time... I'm proud of my country." I've only seen a poorly edited one where the hack job is very clear, but supposedly the cable news outfits have been showing a smoother version where you can barely tell.

    Crazy shit if true.

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  49. Anonymous7:51 PM

    btw,

    edited
    unedited

    that's the hack job; haven't been able to find the alleged smooth one on the internet

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  50. I agree with Field Negro in that this is just the tip of the iceberg for Obamaholics (Field Negro's word not mine). The attacks,lies, mud slinging etc. will only be getting worse. As testament to this you can also check out the Coup Magazine's blog spot:thecoupmagazine.blogspot.com for a recent post on Clinton's camps (via famous blogger Perez Hilton) attempt to cast Obama as a Che sympathizer.

    Apparently, at one of the Obama volunteer offices there is a wall hanging of Che and so this ofcourse means Obama is a Che lover/sympathizer/supporter. Whatever! I say that's time you could be putting into real campaigning. And I say to us the voters be slightly more critical than a turkey.

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  51. Anonymous9:08 PM

    Another "P" word dragged out to do damage to Obama's bid for the White House. Michelle Obama states that she's only lately become "proud" of her country.

    Given what Bush has done in recent years to the reputation of this country, and Bill Clinton's sullying of the Oval Office by using it as his personal whore-house bedroom, what's there to be proud of.

    Of all the things to attack him with, this one has to be the height of hypocrisy.

    Bill O' is going to give her a "pass" on this. How magnanimous!

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  52. Ahhh, the irony of the Clinton machine accusing "O" of plagerism the same week they roll out their new slogan, "Yes, we will". roflmao. see Jack and Jill, second story down for the details and a lovely video clip. http://jackandjillpolitics.blogspot.com/
    You gotta laugh at this stuff - they really think we're that stupid.

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  53. Anonymous6:51 AM

    The Deval Patrick issue is nothing, and it will come to nothing.

    Senator Obama doesn't need to be the greatgrand child of American slaves to be black... or "black enough"

    He is about to lay an electoral ass-whipping on Senator HRC.

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