"A Dignified and Honest Campaign"

[FOTD]

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.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_el_pr/obama_kennedy;_ylt=AmFihqwVJ4ZH1nMWHvggAnqs0NUE

Not a bad little piece to start what will be the most important 9 days in American political history:

Op-Ed Contributor

A President Like My Father
             
By CAROLINE KENNEDY

Published: January 27, 2008
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.

My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn't that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates' goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process.

I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents' grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.

Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

Caroline Kennedy is the author of "A Patriot's Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love."

[guido911]

Gee, another pro-Obama post from FOTD. Shocking.

[FOTD]

Nope. It's from the NYT and Yahoo....I'm a con do it.

[spoonbill]

Yes!  I never would have thought it possible, but he may take out Hillary!  Awesome!  I'm almost giddy!

[RecycleMichael]

Obama indicted fundraiser arrested today...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_re_us/fundraiser_indicted;_ylt=AnDsgpGcTQCGCUwxAGvtuHms0NUE

This has been brewing for a while...

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

Obama indicted fundraiser arrested today...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_re_us/fundraiser_indicted;_ylt=AnDsgpGcTQCGCUwxAGvtuHms0NUE

This has been brewing for a while...

Looks like he's done all he can to wash his hands.  All the money from that dude has been given to charity and now every penny from anyone remotely connected to that dude has gone to charity. And, this isn't even connected to his presidential campaign.  I don't see this amounting to much.  Looks more like Hillary is getting desperate as she keeps bringing the Rezco thing up and now trying to snake Florida.

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by spoonbill

Yes!  I never would have thought it possible, but he may take out Hillary!  Awesome!  I'm almost giddy!

Well, at least someone is giddy because one New York N.O.W. chapter certainly isn't:

http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/?p=6285

You were right Spoon, FOTD's posts can be amusing. I am enjoying watching these democrats eating their own.

[RecycleMichael]

quote:Originally posted by jne

Looks like he's done all he can to wash his hands.  All the money from that dude has been given to charity and now every penny from anyone remotely connected to that dude has gone to charity. And, this isn't even connected to his presidential campaign.  I don't see this amounting to much.  Looks more like Hillary is getting desperate as she keeps bringing the Rezco thing up and now trying to snake Florida.

It goes much deeper than just campaign money this time. The have many business dealings together. They bought side by side lots on the same day and Rezco then sold part of his to Obama so he could build his dream home.

Here is more from wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoin_Rezko

Obama made a mistake years ago by associating and doing deals with this guy. Now that he is running for president, he is trying to distance himself from the relationship.

This Rezko guy is under indictment and arrest for fraud, extortion and money laundering. I would run from him too. He can donate the money this time to charity, but not the money spent from years ago when he was running for state office.

And Hillary ain't the one bringing it up, although she did once in a debate. The people who won't let it die are the Chicago news media and the federal prosecutor.

The sad thing is that each of them have a similar scandal. Look at White Water and Hillary...McCain and the Keating five...Romney's national finance committee co-chairman Alan Fabian has been indicted for money laundering, perjury and other crimes...Huckabee spent $500,000 in state emergency money to erase hard drives on his office computers...  

Where is the honest person running for president?

[pmcalk]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

It goes much deeper than just campaign money this time. The have many business dealings together. They bought side by side lots on the same day and Rezco then sold part of his to Obama so he could build his dream home.

I don't think I would characterize that as "much deeper".  He bought a strip of land from a crook.  Do you have anything else?  What are the "many" business dealings you speak of?  

quote:
This Rezko guy is under indictment and arrest for fraud, extortion and money laundering. I would run from him too. He can donate the money this time to charity, but not the money spent from years ago when he was running for state office.

Obama has returned all of the money donated by this guy, past and present, and money donated by people with whom he is connected.  Obama did not receive any money from him for his presidential bid.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAIGdfD5fnE04OcfAdWzD_JTcEoQD8U9BG400
As the article points out, none of the candidates' hand are clean when it comes to accepting money from illegal donors.  I am sure Edwards will return his donation as well when and if Fieger is convicted.

quote:The sad thing is that each of them have a similar scandal. Look at White Water and Hillary...McCain and the Keating five...Romney's national finance committee co-chairman Alan Fabian has been indicted for money laundering, perjury and other crimes...Huckabee spent $500,000 in state emergency money to erase hard drives on his office computers...  

Your right--they all have skeletons in their closet, whether its White Water for Clinton or real estate deals with a Saudi Arabian lobbyist, like Edwards.  Maybe absent some real evidence of criminal activity, we shouldn't just casually hint at wrong doing.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

It goes much deeper than just campaign money this time. The have many business dealings together. They bought side by side lots on the same day and Rezco then sold part of his to Obama so he could build his dream home.

I don't think I would characterize that as "much deeper".  He bought a strip of land from a crook.  Do you have anything else?  What are the "many" business dealings you speak of?  

quote:
This Rezko guy is under indictment and arrest for fraud, extortion and money laundering. I would run from him too. He can donate the money this time to charity, but not the money spent from years ago when he was running for state office.

Obama has returned all of the money donated by this guy, past and present, and money donated by people with whom he is connected.  Obama did not receive any money from him for his presidential bid.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAIGdfD5fnE04OcfAdWzD_JTcEoQD8U9BG400
As the article points out, none of the candidates' hand are clean when it comes to accepting money from illegal donors.  I am sure Edwards will return his donation as well when and if Fieger is convicted.

quote:The sad thing is that each of them have a similar scandal. Look at White Water and Hillary...McCain and the Keating five...Romney's national finance committee co-chairman Alan Fabian has been indicted for money laundering, perjury and other crimes...Huckabee spent $500,000 in state emergency money to erase hard drives on his office computers...  

Your right--they all have skeletons in their closet, whether its White Water for Clinton or real estate deals with a Saudi Arabian lobbyist, like Edwards.  Maybe absent some real evidence of criminal activity, we shouldn't just casually hint at wrong doing.

Quite simply, you cannot do business in this coutry without bumping into criminals. If you're going to be in the game, you're going to have to take the risk that some of the players are breaking the rules and it isn't always obvious.

I did business with a boat parts dealer who later was arrested for drug manufacturing and murder. Totally average behaving guy. He gave me good deals on parts and sold an engine for me. Now, I can never run for office without someone bringing it up!

[RecycleMichael]

This gives a little more light on the relationship...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article

Obama denies well, but this interview shows more.

Rezko has hosted fundraisers in his home and they have been friends since 1990...much more than just buying some land from a crook. Obama went to him about purchasing the two properties together, then he sold part of his to Obama.

This guy is very sleazy and Obama is talking him into real estate deals? All this after it was widely known that Rezko was under investigation?

Very bad judgement by Obama.

[FOTD]

Let's make this a scandal.....certainly, the righteous can do a better job of framing Obama as a bad man just like the left wing media did to Shrub. Obama's crime connection pales when held up next to Haliburton and Bushco. And that is the new standard set by 7 years of con jobs.
Rezco don't compare to Bushco....nice try. Keep attempting to make Obama look undignified. Won't work anymore.

[RecycleMichael]

I totally agree that this pales compared to the scandal that is Halliburton.

I didn't intend to just find reasons to trash Obama. I will still choose him if he is the democrat nominee for president this year. My intentions were not to find negative things about any democrat. Karl Rove and cronies will do that plenty.

But I think Obama hasn't been fully vetted and frank discussions and disclosures now are better than later.

Why do you think that Fox News/Sean Hannity/ Rush Limbaugh all attack Hillary and not Obama? They really want Obama to be the nominee, maybe in part because they think they can use this scandal against him. I would rather it be well-known than to be trumped up as an October surprise.

Discussing his past now and getting it behind him will make him more electable this fall.

[pmcalk]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

This gives a little more light on the relationship...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article

Obama denies well, but this interview shows more.

Rezko has hosted fundraisers in his home and they have been friends since 1990...much more than just buying some land from a crook. Obama went to him about purchasing the two properties together, then he sold part of his to Obama.

This guy is very sleazy and Obama is talking him into real estate deals? All this after it was widely known that Rezko was under investigation?

Very bad judgement by Obama.

Geez, RM, I just think we must not be reading the same article.  All I see is a bad decision to buy real estate with a man who was under some suspicion at the time.  Nobody has claimed that Obama did anything at all illegal.  And I see a refreshing openess in Obama's response to the situation:

quote:
With respect to the purchase of my home, I am confident that everything was handled ethically and above board. But I regret that while I tried to pay close attention to the specific requirements of ethical conduct, I misgauged the appearance presented by my purchase of the additional land from Mr. Rezko," Obama said.

"It was simply not good enough that I paid above the appraised value for the strip of land that he sold me. It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor.

When was the last time you actually heard a politician admit that something he or she did was a mistake, recognize that is not enough to behave ethically, but that politicians' actions must also appear ethical.  Instead of running from the situation, he's taken every step he can to rectify it.

Your a good democrat--I am surprised that you would be attacking him.  I know your guy is Edwards, but he isn't crystal clean either (his ties to subprime hedgefunds are a bit unsavory, IMO, but not enough to keep me from supporting him).  We should stick to the issues that matter.

[guido911]

First, I could care less about this "scandal", since right now the Rezco deal does not even qualify. I do think the Obama/Rezco issue is an attempt to revisit/rekindle Whitewater. Here's a take (from the conservative Huffington Post):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-russell/whitewater-v-rezko-the-_b_83040.html