Obama's Lost Annenberg Years Coming to Light

The American Thinker
By Thomas Lifson

The cloak of media invisibility is slowly beginning to lift from Barack Obama's most important administrative leadership experience, helming an expensive educational reform effort in Chicago that failed to produce any measurable academic gains, according to the project's own final report.

Add in the fact that former Weatherman and admitted terrorist William Ayers (whom Obama described in the Philadelphia debate as merely a "neighbor") was head of the operating arm of the CAC, working with Obama on distributing scores of millions of dollars to grantees in the wards of the city, and you have a topic that the Obama campaign wishes to avoid at all costs.

A compliant media has averted its eyes so far. A timeline of Obama's career from George Washington University omits it. Why the McCain campaign has not raised more questions on the subject is a question beyond my pay grade. But there are signs it is on the case.

More...

The four plus years (1995-1999) Barack Obama spent as founding chairman of the board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) represent his track record as reformer, as someone who reached out in a public-private collaboration and had the audacity to believe his effort would make things better. At the time he became leader of this ambitious project to remake the public schools of Chicago, he was 33 years old and a third year associate at a small Chicago law firm, Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland.

This was a big test for him, his chance to cut his teeth on bringing hope and change to the mostly minority inner city school children trapped in Chicago schools. And he flopped big time, squandering lots of money and the time of many public employees in the process.

Given Senator Obama's lack of any other posts as leader of an organization, someone unschooled in the ways of the American media might expect that for months reporters have been poring over the records of the project to get an idea of how it managed to fail so badly. Examining the track record of the guy who wants to lead the federal government would seem to be part of the campaign beat for media organizations.

But as a matter of fact, until recently, only a few bloggers were looking into the most important organized effort ever led by Barack Obama, prior to his successful campaigns for public office.

The Cover-up

Now, it appears a cover-up is underway, in order prevent journalists and researchers from getting access to the records of this charitable project housed in a taxpayer supported library. And there is a mystery:

The UIC Library says it is acting on behalf of the donor, whom it refuses to name.

It took Stanly Kurtz, of National Review Online to ask permission to see the files held by the publicly-funded University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). After initially agreeing, The Richard J. Daley Library withdrew permission. Kurtz writes:

"The Special Collections section of the Richard J. Daley Library agreed to let me read them, but just before I boarded my flight to Chicago, the top library officials mysteriously intervened to bar access. Circumstances strongly suggest the likelihood that Bill Ayers himself may have played a pivotal role in this denial. Ayers has long taught at UIC, where the Chicago Annenberg Challenge offices were housed, rent-free. Ayers likely arranged for the files of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge to be housed in the UIC library, and may well have been consulted during my unsuccessful struggle to gain access to the documents."

It is highly unusual and legally questionable for a publicly-funded archive to deny access to records in its collection, particularly when they have a bearing on matters of intense public interest: the qualifications of a man seeking to be Commander in Chief.

But even if the university manages to stall release of the records until after the election, it is only drawing attention to the project. Already, the nation's mainstream media have taken notice (however imperfectly) of the University's unusual actions, albeit without exploring the subject in any depth yet.

In the midst of a heated presidential campaign, it is going to be hard to keep this interest in Obama's Annenberg years contained, now that it has surfaced.

A blogger, Steve Diamond, has put together enough data from public sources to seriously embarrass Obama over the closeness of his association with Ayers in the project, and to describe the wrong-headed and politicized approach taken by the project. Anyone can go to this page and look at the latter half of the very lengthy post to see the data uncovered by this intrepid researcher. At a minimum, it proves that Obama has seriously misled the public about his association with Ayers. And it documents and analyzes some of the complex left wing politics underlying the effort.

As the public begins to notice this outlines of the history of the CAC presented by Diamond, more questions are bound to be asked.

The First Cover-up

Diamond examined public documents, receiving cooperation from the Brown University Library, where the Annenberg Challenge Program national headuarters had been housed. Until, that is, Diamond's requests for further information fell on deaf ears following publication of a post highlighting a grant to one of Ayers' former revolutionary cohorts in the Weathermen. He writes:

"...while the representative from the university I originally corresponded with had been quite friendly and accommodating prior to my June 23 post, afterwards my additional requests for further information went unanswered. I did not pursue it at the time because I felt I had told a significant part of the story already. Thanks to the diligent work of Dr. Kurtz, however, we now know there is much more to know."

So the appearance of a cover-up actually began in June.

If Ayers were the sole point of interest in seeking the Annenberg Challenge files promised to Kurtz, all "132 boxes, containing 947 file folders, a total of about 70 linear feet of material", then the Obama camp might claim it was merely guilt-by association and persuade at least some of its own partisans. But the fact that Obama was in charge of a massive expensive project makes it indisputably a matter of proper vetting to examine his track record at delivering on promises of hope and change.

The Obama camp has already noted that it does not control the archives at UIC. All well and good, though it would be nice for the candidate to plead with the university and the mystery donor to let the sun shine on his track record. After all, he is a new kind of politician.

But even if he doesn't, the Annenberg Challenge is slowly entering the national consciousness, and that's very bad news for Barack Obama.

Thomas Lifson is editor and publisher of American Thinker.

**BREAKING** Injunction filed to block BHO as DNC nominee

UPDATE–COMPLAINT TO BE AVAILABLE ON PACER AT 10 AM ET TOMORROW, BERG ARGUES MOTION FOR RESTRAINING ORDER, ALSO IN THE MORNING

The complaint is asking for declaratory (asking the court to declare Obama is not a US citizen, a “natural born” citizen and not eligible under the qualifications of the US Constitution to run for Office of President).

Also asking for injunctive relief and an emergency TRO. Further asking for EXPEDITED Discovery.

We are asking that Obama provide a “ceritified copy” of the oath he took to regain his citizenship.
We are asking for court orders, ordering the state department, HI department of records and other governmental agencies to turn over any and everything on Obama, all certified.

Plaintiff: PHILIP J. BERG

Defendant:
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, a/k/a
BARRY SOETORO, a/k/a
BARRY OBAMA , a/k/a
BARACK DUNHAM, a/k/a
BARRY DUNHAM, THE
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
COMMITTEE, THE FEDERAL
ELECTION COMMISSION AND
DOES 1-50 INCLUSIVE

~~~~

Attorney Phil Berg of Philadephia, PA alleges that Obama is not a us citizen nor his he “natural born” and within the next 30 minutes will be filing a complaint and motion for a temporary restraining order prohibiting Obama from running for Office of the President and enjoining the DNC from naming Obama as a nominee for Democratic Presidential election.

IN PHILADELPHIA: US District Court, Eastern District of PA, 2nd floor Clerk’s Office on 601 Market Street in Philadelphia, PA

MORE TO FOLLOW

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

Hillary & only Hillary soon, very soon!

Washington State largely silent on national convention stage

From the Politicker WA reposted here to share
By Bryan Bissell

Now that both the Republican and Democratic Parties have released the speaking programs for their respective conventions, it has become clear that Washington state will be one of the few states not represented on stage.

It is not a major surprise in the Republican program, given that Washington only has three elected officials in Washington, D.C., and none of theme hold particularly powerful positions within the party. One thing it does mean is that Dino Rossi, who in fact will not even be in St. Paul according to the campaign, will not be to the Republicans in 2008 what Barack Obama was to the Democrats in 2004.

The Democrats' decision is a little more curious, given the large number of top level elected Democrats from the Evergreen State. Their program contains many more speakers than the Republicans, but still top Democrats like Gov. Chris Gregoire and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray did not make the cut, at least not yet.

Going To Denver? - SEE the Women's Media Center SoundBites Panel!

From Soundbites to Solutions:
Bias, Punditry and the Press in the 2008 Election

The WMC will be reprising our “Soundbites to Solutions” panel at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 26. The panel, on media bias and the election, will be held in the Starz Green Room from 2-4 p.m. Our report, “Bias, Punditry, and the Press: Where Do We Go From Here?” will be released August 25 and will be available for download on our website.

Click HERE (and scroll down) to register for the WMC Soundbites Panel!

"Media Matters" Insights and Commentary

By Eric Alterman of Media Matters

Flash back to late summer 2006 -- remember that docudrama The Path to 9/11, which explicitly contradicted the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report in almost every area, in order to cast blame on the Clinton Administration? (Let's not relive all of the inaccuracies it contained, but see here, here, and here for just a few. Also, my Nation column on the issue, here, gives a bit more context. More...

Politico has a decided to return to that messy affair, asking at the top of their website today: "Who was blocking 'The Path to 9/11'?" Jeffrey Ressner writes of the "Disney censorship fiasco" around that documentary, asserting in his lead that ABC cut scenes and shelved a DVD "after complaints from political forces." The news peg is that another documentary has been released alleging that The Path to 9/11 was censored -- the director is "hopeful that his newest work will expose the machinations of Disney, Clinton and the Hollywood left."

In his entire piece, Ressner never mentions even one of the factual inaccuracies made by the film, framing them only vaguely as bones of political contention. He also shifts from reporting into editorializing throughout the story, such as in this idiotic paragraph:

"Blocking 'The Path to 9/11' " presents strong evidence that many of the original docudrama's harshest critics were also among its most ignorant. Ziegler smartly cuts together many of the Democrats -- including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid -- admitting they had not seen the film that they were complaining about. "The Path to 9/11" was by no means a perfect docudrama, and the real-life figures certainly had a right to complain about their depiction and the way in which actual events were dramatized. But censorship is a dangerous thing, and "Blocking 'The Path to 9/11' " is a look at behind-the-scenes power struggles in Hollywood that few people ever see.

This story basically serves as a press release for conservative claims that 'The Path to 9/11' was somehow censored by the "Hollywood left" and/or the Clintons, which is a myth successfully inserted into mainstream dialogue elsewhere. This is all, of course, nuts. Democrats complained about it because it slandered them with wild inaccuracies. The Clintons don't have any veto power at ABC, and most importantly, while some scenes were removed, it still ran with a bunch of obviously wrong things anyway. That's a censorship fiasco how? I don't think Politico has fact-checkers, but if they did, would their titles be "censors?" The Politico claims that the right-wing politics of its owner do not influence its coverage. Well, something right-wing -- and ignorant -- is certainly influencing Mr. Ressner, adding further shame to everyone at ABC connected to the project, or who did not raise their voices in objection.
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George Zornick writes: I know we keep harping on the ridiculous press frenzy over vice-presidential picks, but it's really getting insane. Yesterday hundreds of news outlets ran with the story that Obama used a masculine pronoun when referring to his vice-president. That was actually the headline on numerous stories, from ABC News to Reuters. But here's what Obama said:

Let me tell you first what I won't do. I won't hand over my energy policy to my vice president, without knowing necessarily what he's doing. I won't have my vice president engineering my foreign policy for me. The buck will stop with me, because I will be the president. My vice president, also by the way my vice president also will be a member of the executive branch, he won't be one of these 4th branches of government where he thinks he's above the law. But here's what I do want from my vice president, I want somebody who has integrity, who's in politics for the right reasons, I want somebody who is independent.

Hey, Einsteins -- he was talking about Cheney! Seriously, the crush to be the first one out with any little tidbit about Obama's vice-presidential pick may be making reporters lose their minds.
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Bush -- still the president:

An Army social services coordinator...who told USA Today about poor conditions at Fort Sill's unit for wounded soldiers has been forced out of his job, the employee and base officials said Tuesday.

Soldiers meeting with Army Secretary Pete Geren...on Tuesday said Chuck Roeder, 54, was a strong advocate for their problems and should not have been forced to leave.

[...]

Roeder, a retired soldier, said he was told to resign or he would be fired.

More here. And:

In the excitement of the Olympics, the run-up to the presidential conventions and the flurry of late summer vacations, it was easy to miss the Bush administration's stealth attack on the Endangered Species Act last week. A proposed regulation would simply eliminate independent scientific reviews that have been required for over 30 years.

More here.
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Check out a new piece by Spencer Ackerman in Radar, here. He's interviewed Scott Beauchamp, who wrote in The New Republic under a pseudonym about his experiences as a solider in Iraq, which weren't all pretty. Beauchamp was immediately and baselessly attacked as a fraud and a fabricator, and, somewhat paradoxically, the magazine came under attacks like these: "Weekly Standard editor William Kristol penned a piece called 'They Don't Really Support the Troops,' arguing that the Beauchamp story proved that the 'antiwar left' sought the 'slander of American soldiers' using 'fiction presented as fact.' " Beauchamp's view on the whole fiasco is quite interesting; give it a read. This week on Moyers:

With celebrations set to kick off in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, Bill Moyers Journal travels to Colorado where tough economic times are hitting suburban communities. Says Mag Strittmatter of JeffCo Action Center, a social services agency just west of Denver, "It's remarkable how many people have, in the past, brought items to us at our loading dock. They gave us clothes, and gave us food, and said, 'Here. Use these items to help people in need.' They're the same people having to ask for help." And, as the Olympics are set to close, Bill Moyers interviews Philip Pan, foreign correspondent and former Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post, on how the emerging economic power of China looks from the ground.
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From TomDispatch:

We always wonder what the future will think of us. Thanks to John Feffer, TomDispatch regular and co-director of the Foreign Policy in Focus website, we now have a reasonable idea of just what our world might look like from the year 2016 and a reasoned, thoughtful, canny (and enjoyable) sense of what we might have passed through in the intervening 8 years. Writing in the guise of a "futurologist," a typical pundit who went with the Washington consensus on the world -- and guessed wrong -- now apologizing for his mistaken predictions, Feffer suggests that the world of 2016 will have its surprises. In the wake of an Obama presidency, it will have proven neither filled with hope, nor an instant Apocalypse-Now world.

As that pundit looking back, Feffer writes of the early days of an Obama Washington: "The new administration did make a lot of changes in its first 100 days. The sheer number and the sheer pace fooled everyone into thinking that change had indeed come to Washington. I thought that the country's trajectory had actually been altered, that a new direction had been set in U.S. policy.

"It turns out, though, that apocalypse comes in many different forms. There are the dramatic effects of sword and fire and famine. And then there's the apocalypse of muddling through. That's what happens when you just carry on with the same old, same old and before you know it, poof, end of the world. It's an apocalypse that's neither too cold nor too hot, neither too hard nor too soft. It's the apocalypse of the middle, the Goldilocks apocalypse."

If you want to find out just what a "Goldilocks apocalypse" means, or what the world is like when all three "bears" have come home and are scratching at the door, then you'll just have to read the piece. Feffer is, however, an analyst with an acute sense of the multiple crises facing our world today, and he offers a vision of the future -- and, after a fashion, a sardonic look at the present -- which is more than worth the price of admission.
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Name: T. O'Dell
Hometown: Port Angeles, WA

In perhaps the most bizarre analysis of the veepstakes, a pundit claims the media obsession with the veepstakes is a good reason for them to avoid actually covering the candidates' positions on various issues.

My head hurts.

"The fog of speculation over who will accompany Sen. Barack Obama down the aisle in Denver has obscured his message," ABC's Andy Fies reports.
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18 MILLION VOICES DENVER WELCOME ACTIVITIES IN CONFLUENCE PARK (AUG 25th)

NO rally or festival activities will be held in Confluence Park as previously announced on this website, as we have found a much more suitable location for our August 26th celebration.

We do still invite you to join us in the beautiful and serene Confluence Park on August 25th, as we have secured a park permit for the entire day, and throughout the evening, allowing us to host various Welcome Activities for our participants who may arrive in Denver before our main events taking place on August 26th, and to have a "check-in" site for our main events throughout the entire day and evening of August 25th, in addition to our regular check-in at the broker restaurant from 9am-11am. More...

Stop by and say hello, meet and greet fellow supporters of Senator Clinton, participate in a variety of activities to prepare for our Celebration and March on August 26th, and learn all about the history of the women's rights movement.

We also cordially invite all National Delegates to stop by and check-in with us, and learn more about our activities. We hope to see all of you in Denver.

If you plan to arrive only for our events on August 26th, don't worry, these Welcome Activities on August 25th are simply a low-key way for us all to come together in a beautiful setting and prepare for the main events taking place the next day!!

MARCH AND CELEBRATION ON AUGUST 26th in Denver

From 18 Million Voices / Rise Hillary Rise

CELEBRATION ACTIVITIES
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26TH 2008
ASSEMBLE FOR MARCH AT 11:30am
CELEBRATION, CHEESMAN PARK 3:00pm-10:00 pm

We are happy to announce that 18 Million Voices will be Marching to advocate for women's rights and to celebrate Senator Hillary Clinton's achievements on August 26th in Denver and nationwide to support Senator Clinton and advocate for Women's Rights worldwide.
Please Assemble at 11:30 am at Bannock Street between Colfax and 14th Street.
Please enter the staging area from 14th street, turning onto Bannock.

We will ALSO be hosting a Celebration in Cheesman Park from 3:00pm- 10:00pm, on August 26th, all details of the Celebration Activities will be included in our detailed schedule that you will receive at check-in.

We will be celebrating the 88th anniversary of Women's Suffrage and honoring Senator Hillary Clinton while she makes her historic speech during prime-time at the Democratic National Convention.

Please mark your calendars, and join us in Denver!!

18 Million Voices CHECK-IN LOCATION, AUGUST 24 - 26 in Denver

Upon your arrival in Denver, please stop by to say hello and "check-in" with us and get a detailed schedule of all of our Celebration Activities!!!

The Broker Restaurant
821 17th Street
Denver, CO

We will be in the private Library Room of the restaurant.

The times and dates for "check-in" center operation are:

Sunday August 24th, 6 to 8 pm
Monday August 25th, 9 to 11 am
Tuesday August 26th, 9 to 11 am More...

Map and directions can be found here: http://www.thebrokerrestaurant.com/map.htm

Get connected with other Hillary supporters and find out about all of the various events going on in Denver to support Senator Clinton.

At check-in, we will provide you with a packet of information containing:

AN EVENT SCHEDULE: detailing all the events taking place in Denver in support of Senator Hillary Clinton

A LIST OF MEET AND GREET LOCATIONS: places where we will all meet, socialize, and break bread with fellow supporters of Senator Clinton

PRACTICAL DENVER INFORMATION: other useful "practical information" for your use during your stay.

THIS LOCATION WILL SERVE AS THE ONE AND ONLY CHECK-IN CENTER LOCATION FOR 18 MILLION VOICES RISE HILLARY RISE AND WILL BE STAFFED EXCLUSIVELY BY OUR MEMBERS.

Contact Information for Denver

Hi All,

For those of you traveling to Denver:

Here is my cell number: 206 250 1968
Here is the official 18 Million Voices number: 973 776 4125
Please check the website www.18millionvoices.blogspot.com for all updated info.

Go Hillary!
See you all in Denver!

Laura

In loving memory

From Hillary Clinton

Yesterday, we lost a colleague, a friend, an inspiration, and a champion for all of us. I am deeply saddened by the death of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She was my friend and my sister. She made me laugh, smile and fired up my spirit when I needed it most.

She had a light that shone for the world to see within her and a fighting spirit safely stowed behind her disarming smile. Stephanie had so much integrity and a fiery intelligence that enabled her to become a one-woman force for progress in our country. More...

Stephanie was a tireless worker, giving a voice to the voiceless and always combating injustice. Stephanie spent much of her life fighting for all Americans and to ensure that everyone had the most precious right - the right to vote.

All of us who were lucky enough to know her and love her can only strive to be as much like her as we can -- to be as passionate, as loyal, as hard-charging, and as joyful every single day.

Stephanie was one of a kind, and we will miss our friend forever.

My family's deepest condolences are with Stephanie's son, Mervyn, her family, and her many loved ones, friends, supporters, and her beloved Ohioans. It is during this tough time that we look back and remember all the memories and blessings that Stephanie brought into our lives. If you have a thought, a story, a prayer, or condolences you would like to share, you can visit our website today so we can rejoice together in the friendship and love that we have for Stephanie. All the notes and memories we gather will be sent to her family on behalf of our extended family.

Send in your thoughts and memories about Stephanie.

Thank you,


Hillary

CBS, NBC & ABC Won The Primaries For Obama

This is an excellent piece demonstrating exactly how biased the three networks were in their coverage, and also exactly how derelict they were in their duty to vet the Democratic candidate. I've posted the summary below. The whole article is very long, but well worth reading.

http://www.mrc.org/SpecialReports/2008/obama/ObamaMarginofVictory.pdf

Obama’s Margin of Victory: The Media
How Barack Obama Could Not Have Won the Democratic Nomination Without ABC, CBS and NBC

By Rich Noyes
MRC Research Director

Executive Summary

It was the closest nomination contest in a generation, with just one-tenth of a percentage point — 41,622 votes out of more than 35 million cast — separating Barack Obama from Hillary Clinton when the Democratic primaries ended in June. Obama’s margin among elected delegates was almost as thin, just 51 to 48 percent.

But Barack Obama had a crucial advantage over his rivals this year: the support of the national media, especially the three broadcast networks. At every step of his national political career, network reporters showered the Illinois Senator with glowing media coverage, building him up as a political celebrity and exhibiting little interest in investigating his past associations or exploring the controversies that could have threatened his campaign. More...

These are the key findings of the Media Research Center’s exhaustive analysis of ABC, CBS and NBC evening news coverage of Barack Obama — every story, every soundbite, every mention — from his first appearance on a network broadcast in May 2000 through the end of the Democratic primaries in June 2008, a total of 1,365 stories. MRC analysts found that the networks’ coverage — particularly prior to the formal start of Obama’s presidential campaign — bordered on giddy celebration of a political "rock star" rather than objective newsgathering.

Key Findings:

# The three broadcast networks treated Obama to nearly seven times more good press than bad — 462 positive stories (34% of the total), compared with only 70 stories (just 5%) that were critical.

# NBC Nightly News was the most lopsided, with 179 pro-Obama reports (37%), more than ten times the number of anti-Obama stories (17, or 3%). The CBS Evening News was nearly as skewed, with 156 stories spun in favor of Obama (38%), compared to a mere 21 anti-Obama reports (5%). ABC’s World News was the least slanted, but still tilted roughly four-to-one in Obama’s favor (127 stories to 32, or 27% to 7%).

# Barack Obama received his best press when it mattered most, as he debuted on the national scene. All of the networks lavished him with praise when he was keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention, and did not produce a single negative story about Obama (out of 81 total reports) prior to the start of his presidential campaign in early 2007.

# The networks downplayed or ignored major Obama gaffes and scandals. Obama’s relationship with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko was the subject of only two full reports (one each on ABC and NBC) and mentioned in just 15 other stories. CBS and NBC also initially downplayed controversial statements from Obama’s longtime pastor Jeremiah Wright, but heavily praised Obama’s March 18 speech on race relations.

# While Obama’s worst media coverage came during the weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, even then the networks offered two positive stories for every one that carried a negative spin (21% to 9%). Obama’s best press of the year came after he won the North Carolina primary on May 6 — after that, 43 percent of stories were favorable to Obama, compared to just one percent that were critical.

# The networks minimized Obama’s liberal ideology, only referring to him as a "liberal" 14 times in four years. In contrast, reporters found twice as many occasions (29) to refer to Obama as either a "rock star," "rising star" or "superstar" during the same period.

# In covering the campaign, network reporters highlighted voters who offered favorable opinions about Obama. Of 147 average citizens who expressed an on-camera opinion about Obama, 114 (78%) were pro-Obama, compared to just 28 (19%) that had a negative view, with the remaining five offering a mixed opinion.

Perhaps if he had faced serious journalistic scrutiny instead of media cheerleading, Barack Obama might still have won his party’s nomination. But the tremendously positive coverage that the networks bestowed upon his campaign was of incalculable value. The early celebrity coverage helped make Obama a nationally-known figure with a near-perfect media image. The protectiveness that reporters showed during the early primaries made it difficult for his rivals to effectively criticize him. And when it came to controversies such as the Wright affair, network reporters acted more as defenders than as journalists in an adversarial relationship. If the media did not actually win the Democratic nomination for Barack Obama, they surely made it a whole lot easier.

The Republicrats (a little humor)

Money Laundering Scandal? (UPDATED + Thursday morning update)

From NoQuarter reposted here to share

By Eastan McNealcloseAuthor: Eastan McNeal Name: Easten McNeal
Email: susanunpc@gmail.com
Site:
About: See Authors Posts (1) on August 20, 2008 at 8:17 PM in Acorn, Barack Obama, Current Affairs

______________________________________________________________

Note. This article makes serious assertions. Therefore each statement of fact is supported by external sources or references, listed at the end of the article.
______________________________________________________________

Is This a Money Laundering Scandal?

Is the Obama Campaign falsifying its FEC disclosure reports by using a front company to disguise its relationship with ACORN, a controversial group?

By Eastan McNeal on August 20, 2008

Less than one month after admitting that it had received over $30,000 in illegal contributions from Gaza it seems the Obama for America campaign is facing yet another damaging issue related to campaign finance. This time the infraction emerges from potentially shady expenditures or expenditure reporting. It is, however, highly unlikely that the campaign can write this disclosure pattern off as a “technical glitch” or a “clerical error” as the firms involved are much more than just casually linked, and the misrepresentations occur on eleven separate documents.

Why is Barack Obama spending nearly $1,000,000 on a business housed here?

More...
THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: We have received credible information from someone “on the ground” that this is not the photograph of the actual building. HOWEVER, as Larry Johnson made explicitly clear in his update last night, we were well aware of that possibility, and Larry Johnson further pointed out that the VALIDITY of this story has nothing to do with this photograph. He said, “THE PICTURE IS NOT CRITICAL TO THE STORY. IT IS A NICE VISUAL, BUT THE REAL ISSUE IS THE USE OF A FRONT COMPANY BY THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN. THAT’S THE ISSUE.” (Read his full update last night at the end of this article.)

Original Article: According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) financial disclosure reports filed by the campaign earlier this year, between February 25th and May 17th Obama paid $832,598 to Citizens Services, Inc. (CSI), one of the nearly seventy Not-for-Profit companies registered at the ACORN New Orleans headquarters on 1024 Elysian Fields Avenue [SEE IMAGE OF THE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS of CSI as well as 20 other businesses.]. CSI now also shares an office with ACORN in Chicago at 209 W. Jackson St., home of the SEIU (Service Employees International Union).

On the surface, the 11 separate payments to CSI appear to be for services typically useful to a campaign. However, as confirmed by one of its directors, CSI does not offer the services listed on the Obama campaign expense reports. According to the director, and as found in various disclosure reports from other candidates, CSI specializes in field operations, specifically grass roots organizing for get out the vote efforts. The Obama expense reports list the following payments to CSI: $564,342 for Stage, Sound, Lighting, $138,000 for Advance Work, $18,417 for Polling and $98,451 for Travel/Lodging. There is no “get out the vote” expenditure to CSI in the reports.

After retrieving a copy of CSI’s business registration form from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office, on July 24th one of our researchers contacted Sunday Alabi, the first Director listed on the corporate filing. Our caller asked Mr. Alabi if CSI could provide Stage, Sound and Lighting for a campaign. Mr. Alabi’s response was that those services are not the nature of CSI’s business and that our caller would need to contact ACORN. The same response was given when questioned about polling and campaign advance work. But those are the services listed by Obama on the FEC reports. Services supposedly performed by CSI.

CSI is supposedly totally independent of ACORN. However, Jeff Robinson, who reportedly heads the company, is listed in his LinkedIn public profile as the National Deputy Political Director-Campaigns and Elections at ACORN and the Political Director at Communities Voting Together which, by the way, contributed $60,000 to CSI. In May of this year he publicly endorsed the Bob Blumenfield campaign by way of his position as a Director of ACORN. Furthermore, all of CSI’s directors are in ACORN leadership. One should ask why there appears to be so much deception and misdirection surrounding a tiny storefront not-for-profit organization from New Orleans.

Do you pay a fast food restaurant to set a broken bone? That is, incredibly, how absurd these election reports are. A brief conversation with an enforcement officer at the FEC, using hypothetical names, yielded the following response.

According to the FEC, in a situation where a campaign committee reports that they paid a company for services that the company says they do not provide, there is reason to be suspicious. It was irregular. And, it was inappropriate. To wit in 1997 Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar (OH) was prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Department for conspiracy to deceive the FEC as to the true nature of the campaign contributions and expenditures that she was required to report. Falsifying federal disclosure reports is a serious matter and it is a crime. If the FEC chooses to exercise equal enforcement then Senator Obama could very well be subject to prosecution.

As demonstrated in previous articles, here, in newspapers, magazines and on television news stations, ACORN is a critical part of the Obama field operations. So why is the campaign writing checks to CSI for this work ostensibly performed by ACORN? It is reasonable to assume that the campaign would not want to be directly affiliated with, through disclosure reports, an organization that has been prosecuted or is under investigation in twelve states for election fraud. More recently, on June 2nd, ACORN’s founder, Wade Rathke had to step down from his post after it was discovered that he covered up a one million dollar embezzlement scheme committed by his brother, Dale. Many in the press and numerous election officials do not view ACORN in a favorable light. Reporting payments to them could conceivably create a public relations problem for Obama. But laundering payments to ACORN through a front company, in a conspiracy to defraud the FEC, if that is how the above action can be explained, is a crime.

There are additional striking oddities found in these disclosures. One is the timing and the amounts paid for “advance work.” Of the 1,211 payments made by the campaign for advance work the average check, not including the two to CSI, was $558. Considering that both of the Rathke brothers were loosing their high salaried jobs at ACORN, while being asked to repay the funds embezzled, the payment of $63,000, followed three weeks later by a payment of $70,000 for “advance work”, just prior to their resignations, has the surface appearance of conversion of campaign funds for personal use. This, if such conversion is proven, also seriously violates federal statutes. Another glaring oddity is Stage, Lighting and Sound (SLS) – also a service never previously reported as a CSI offering. Obama made two payments for SLS to CSI within two days of each other. These payments were the largest checks made for “concerts” throughout the entire campaign calendar. The average SLS payment to other companies was $3,900. CSI received $310,000 followed by $160,000 two days later. Two days after that, CSI got a $98,000 check for Travel/Lodging. Two weeks after that another $74,000 was paid to CSI for SLS. Two weeks later, $18,000 for Polling was reported, followed by another $18,000 for SLS the following day. All of the above payments went to a company that admits they provide none of the above services.

There are, with little doubt and high probability, numerous federal offenses that may have been committed by the Obama campaign committee. Within their power and charge the FEC should immediately convene an administrative tribunal to investigate these questionable transactions. Indeed, a complaint to the FEC is being prepared and could be filed this week.

References: Right click, to open links in a separate window or tab.

“Violation involved a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and to make false statements to the FEC.”
– Mary Rose Oakar’s indictment

Citizens Services, Inc. at the LA Secretary of State’s Office

ACORN at the LA Secretary of State’s Office

Satellite image of CSI-ACORN HQ. Zoom in or go to street view. If the street view option is not shown simply click the Search Maps button again.

ACORN Investigations:
- Rotten ACORN
- Housing Crisis
- The ACORN Obama Knows
- ACORN AHC Report (PDF)

Obama’s Liberal Shock Troops - ACORN
- Wall Street Journal
- Case Study: Chicago-The Barack Obama Campaign (SocialPolicy.org)

Obama’s Ties To ACORN More Substantial than first believed (AmericanThinker.com)

Rathke steps down as ACORN chief over embezzlement charges
New York Times

Jeff Robinson’s public profile on LinkedIn

Robinson’s Blumenfield endorsement

Communities Voting Together 2005 contribution to CSI

CSI Director Sunday Alabi’s registration as chairman of ACORN, MN

CSI Director Rosalie Leon, CA ACORN Executive Board Member

CSI Director Teresa Dominguez, TX ACORN member

Checks written by Obama for America to Citizens Services, Inc.

$310,441.20	25-FEB-08	STAGING, SOUND, LIGHTING
$160,689.40	27-FEB-08	STAGING, SOUND, LIGHTING
$98,451.20	29-FEB-08	TRAVEL/LODGING
$74,578.01	13-MAR-08	STAGING, SOUND, LIGHTING
$18,417.00	28-MAR-08	POLLING
$18,633.60	29-APR-08	STAGING, SOUND, LIGHTING
$63,000.00	29-APR-08	ADVANCE WORK
$105.84	02-MAY-08	LICENSE FEES
$105.84	02-MAY-08	LICENSE FEES
$75,000.00	17-MAY-08	ADVANCE WORK
$13,176.20	17-MAY-08	PER DIEM
$13,176.20	17-MAY-08	PER DIEM
TOTAL:
$832,598.29

Source: FEC. Committee ID: C00431445

Title 11: Federal Elections. § 111.4 Complaints (2 U.S.C. 437g(a)(1)).
(a) Any person who believes that a violation of any statute or regulation over which the Commission has jurisdiction has occurred or is about to occur may file a complaint in writing to the General Counsel, Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463.

::::::::::::

HERE IS THE LIST OF COMPANIES AND PERSONS WHO CURRENTLY LIST THE ACORN BUILDING AS THEIR PRIMARY ADDRESS:

And, when you look at Lexis Nexis for that address, here’s what turns up:

1. ACORN
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(03/2000-Current) Most Recent Telephone Listing 504-944-7078ACORN (03/2000-Current)

2. ACORN NATIONAL CALL
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(06/2008-Current) Most Recent Telephone Listing 504-940-3223ACORN NATIONAL CALL CENTER (06/2008-Current)

3. ACORN NATIONAL CALL
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(06/2008-Current) Most Recent Telephone Listing 504-943-0434ACORN NATIONAL CALL CENTER (06/2008-Current)

4. AFFILIATED MEDIA FOU
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(03/2000-Current) Most Recent Telephone Listing 504-943-5713AFFILIATED MEDIA FOUNDATION MOVEMENT (03/2000-Current)

5. ACORN, D C
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(11/2007-Current) 504-944-7078ACORN(Current Listing Name)

6. AMFM, T
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(07/2005-Current) 504-944-7078ACORN(Current Listing Name)

7. LEE, MARIE A
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(07/2006-Current)

8. PUGH, LITTLE ROC
PUGH, LITTLE R
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(10/2004-Current)

9. FOR, VOTING
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE APT
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(10/2004-Current)

10. FOR AMERI VOTE, VOTING
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(10/2004-Current)

11. CORPORTION, ACORN H
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(09/2003-Current)

12. HOUSING, ACORN
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(09/2003-Current)

13. LITTLE, ROCK NEW
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(10/2001-Current)

14. INCII, ACORNHOUSING
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(01/2003-Current)

15. INCII, ACORNHOUSING
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(12/2002-Current)

16. ACORNHOUSING, NEWYORK
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(11/1999-Current)

17. STREET, F
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(04/1997-Current)

18. WHIPPLE, WILLIAM
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(03/1997-Current)

19. ACORN, JOANNE
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(04/1992-Current)

20. MISSOURI, TAX J
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(12/1992-Current)

21. RATHKE, DALE
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(12/1992-Current)

22. FITCH, GREGORY
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(07/1991-Current)

23. CORN, A
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

(12/1990-Current)

24. VOTE, PROJECT
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

25. OF, ASSN
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402
ORLEANS COUNTY

UPDATE: WE DO NOT HAVE DEFINITIVE PROOF THAT THE BUILDING SHOWN IS ACTUALLY 1024. WE HOPE TO GET SOMEONE ON THE GROUND TOMORROW TO SNAP A PHOTO. WE ARE POSITIVE WE ARE ON THE RIGHT BLOCK AND STREET. THE PICTURE IS NOT CRITICAL TO THE STORY. IT IS A NICE VISUAL, BUT THE REAL ISSUE IS THE USE OF A FRONT COMPANY BY THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN. THAT’S THE ISSUE.

More Denver Group Commercials to Air

After considering where delegates and superdelegates are most likely to be watching television this weekend, The Denver Group has purchased two time slots in which to run our Declaration of Independence commercial. The commercial will air on CBS in Denver this Friday night, during the Late Show with David Letterman, which is airing right after the Denver Broncos football game that will be broadcast on the same station. It will also run on Saturday during the local news program on CBS in Denver, which airs from 5 pm to 6 pm. More...

We will announce final TV commercial placements tomorrow - after tomorrow, submission deadlines make it impossible to run the commercial prior to the roll call vote. How often and where we can run the commercial in the days leading up to the roll call vote on Wednesday depends, as always, on continuing contributions from supporters of our cause.
Posted by Heidi Li Feldman, J.D., Ph.D. at 5:53 AM 4 comments

UPDATE: Thanks to the flow of contributions, we have scheduled another run of our TV commercial, to air on Monday night's broadcast of Nightline in Denver. Depending on whether we can raise at least $3000 in the next couple of days, we will air the commercial every day up until the roll call vote on August 27th.

We appreciate the support we have received, including those who have taken their own initiative to publicize our work and highlight our efforts to keep the Democratic Party democratic.

heidi is amazing. You can listen to her on nowewon't blogtalk radio, this is an amazing show...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/NO-WE-WONT/2008/08/21/NO-WE-WONT-PUMA-RADIO

Woe Is Me, Said the Democrat

By Debra Saunders

In politics, everyone wants to be seen as a mudslinging virgin -- who, like King Lear, is "more sinned against than sinning." Toward that end, Democrats have crafted the conceit that Republicans are attack dogs, while Democratic candidates are not sufficiently ruthless. After years of calling President Bush every name in the book, the left nonetheless manages to see itself as the victim in the smear game.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama knows how to play to that conceit. In a speech before a Veterans of Foreign Wars gathering in Florida on Tuesday, Obama went into woe-is-me mode as he responded to Republican candidate John McCain's criticism of Obama's opposition to the successful U.S. troop surge in Iraq. More...

"One of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can't disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism," said Obama. "I have never suggested that Sen. McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it, because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America's national interest. Now, it's time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same."

Poor baby. To hear his lament, you'd never guess that Obama repeatedly has argued that McCain picks his positions out of ambition. Obama recently told a group, "The price (McCain) paid for his party's nomination has been to reverse himself on position after position."

You've read the stories about McCain's ad mocking Obama as a Paris Hilton-like celebrity. But the media have barely reported on the Obama spot that hits McCain for playing the "same old Washington games." And in case you missed the "old" part -- the phrase appears in big letters. NBC Political Director Chuck Todd reported that Team Obama has run a "stealth" negative ad campaign, by placing ads in key markets without first alerting the media.

Oh, and while the Democratic National Committee produced a spot lampooning "Exxon John," ABC reported that Exxon Mobil Corp. execs have donated more money to Obama than McCain.

On a conference call Wednesday, Obama surrogate Richard A. Clarke called McCain "reckless" and "trigger-happy," while surrogate Susan Rice attacked McCain's Karl Rove-style "gutter" politics.

A spate of e-mails linked McCain to an "associate" of convicted uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. So who was this associate? Ralph Reed -- the former Christian Coalition director, who fell from grace after news reports that Abramoff had funneled gambling money to Reed. And how was McCain, who had held hearings to investigate Abramoff, "cozying up" -- as Team Obama wrote -- to Reed? It turns out Reed sent out an e-mail encouraging donors to attend a McCain fundraiser.

Pretty flimsy stuff -- and from the campaign that bristled when others tried to link Obama to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who crafted the phrase that became the title of Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope."

And please, don't bring up the "swiftboating" of 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry -- not after Obama met with billionaire T. Boone Pickens and pooh-poohed the very notion that he should address Pickens' $3 million support for the Swift Boat group. As Obama said, "You know, he's got a longer track record than that."

Hey, I'm game. In the play of politics, campaigns hurl accusations at each other, but only the good stuff sticks, and only then because something about the charge resonates with voters.

So when I hear Democrats complain that McCain did not stay in a "cone of silence" before the Saddleback Church debate, it means Obama lost the debate. It couldn't be that McCain won because he does frequent town hall meetings, and he's heard all the questions before -- and he has good answers. No, it has to be because he cheated.

The left then whines that the right plays hardball, and the right excels at slinging mud -- blind to the fact that both sides have able mudslingers, but only one side has champion poor losers.

dsaunders@sfchronicle.com

Conventions Need a Believable Script

Al Gore's 'bounce' wasn't high enough"

By KARL ROVE
August 21, 2008; Page A11

What must Barack Obama and John McCain achieve at their conventions? Conventions are the best, most controlled opportunities left for the candidates. Only the debates come close in impact, but they are unpredictable and not susceptible to the choreography available at the conventions. More...

Mr. McCain's handlers must achieve three things. First is a greater public awareness of the character that makes him worthy of the Oval Office. Mr. McCain's warrior ethic makes it difficult for him to share his interior life, though his conversation with Rick Warren did provide moving glimpses into it. To win, Mr. McCain will need to show more.

Mr. McCain's second goal is to persuade Americans he can tackle domestic challenges. Voters trust him as commander in chief. The doubts are whether he understands their concerns about their jobs, their family's health care, their children's education, the culture's coarseness, and their neighborhood's safety.

Third, Mr. McCain must show voters he remains a maverick who will, as president, work across party lines as he has as senator. Naming a Democrat or two he will draw into his cabinet would remind people of his bi-partisanship.

Mr. Obama, on the other hand, needs to reassure Americans he is up to the job. Voters recognize he represents change, yet they are unsettled. Does he have the experience to be president? There are growing concerns, which the McCain campaign has tapped, that Mr. Obama is an inexperienced celebrity-politician smitten with his own press clippings.

And is there really a "there" there? Besides withdrawing from Iraq, it's not clear what issues are really important to him. Does he do his homework or is he intellectually lazy? Is there an issue on which he would do the unpopular thing or break with party orthodoxy? Is his candidacy about important answers or simply about us being the "change we've been waiting for"? Substance will help diminish concerns about his heft and fitness for the job.

Mr. Obama's performance this summer has added to voter doubts, putting a large burden on his acceptance speech. There are challenges in a speech staged with 75,000 screaming partisans at INVESCO Field. Will it deepen the impression that he's more of a rock star than a person of serious public purpose, or can Mr. Obama have the serious conversation he needs to reassure Americans?

Neither candidate will be well served by making their principal focus the demonization of the opposition. True believers inside the halls and loyalists in front of their televisions will demand a certain level of abuse of the other party. But more Americans are undecided than have been in nearly 30 years. Voters want to learn more about these two men, their personal values and their public vision. Every possible minute should be spent on these.

Conventions are mini-dramas made for news coverage. Every hour, especially in the evening, is carefully scripted. Voters understand conventions are theatrical productions performed for their benefit. They grasp candidates are showcased as perfect as speeches, films, staging and flackery can make them.

But even well-scripted productions fail if they are seen as phony. Plays that don't ring true, actors who don't seem authentic, and storylines that seem contrived all fall flat. So too for political conventions. They succeed when candidates are seen at their natural best. "The Kiss" worked for Al Gore while "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty" did not.

How will we know if the candidates achieve their goals? Perhaps by observing the convention bounces -- the jump each receives in polls the week after their conventions. Professor Tom Holbrook of UW-Milwaukee says history suggests the candidate thought to be running ahead of where he should be (Mr. McCain) will get a smaller bounce, while the candidate generally thought to be running behind expectations (Mr. Obama) will get a larger one. Mr. Holbrook also finds the earlier convention gets the bigger bump, another Obama advantage.

Even then, the size of the bounce alone isn't determinative. Barry Goldwater and Al Gore got large bumps and lost, while Presidents Reagan and Bush in their re-elections received small bounces and won. The real question is durability. Are there lasting changes in how a candidate is perceived?

The day is long past when conventions were spontaneous and dramatic. It's hard to envision anything today like the riots at the 1968 Chicago Democratic convention or the Dixiecrat walkout in 1948. It's unlikely we'll see again dramatic floor fights as at the 1964 GOP convention at San Francisco's Cow Palace, or the 103 ballots it took Democrats to nominate John W. Davis in 1920. But conventions still shape voters' understanding of the men who want to be president. And because they do, conventions can still shape, and maybe even alter, an election.

Mr. Rove is a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.

See all of today's editorials and op-eds, plus video commentary, on Opinion Journal.

Clinton Creates 'whip Team' To Quell Anti-Obama Protests

I have no idea if this is true, but all should know:

(The Politico) In an unusual move, Hillary Clinton's staff is creating a 40-member "whip team" at the Denver Democratic convention to ensure that her supporters don't engage in embarrassing anti-Obama demonstrations during the floor vote on her nomination, according to people familiar with the planning.

The team, which is being organized by longtime Clinton staffer Craig Smith, is working in conjunction with Obama's floor organizers to help foster the image of a unified front during a roll-call process Clinton herself has described as an emotional "catharsis" for her disappointed supporters.More...

(The Politico) In an unusual move, Hillary Clinton's staff is creating a 40-member "whip team" at the Denver Democratic convention to ensure that her supporters don't engage in embarrassing anti-Obama demonstrations during the floor vote on her nomination, according to people familiar with the planning.

The team, which is being organized by longtime Clinton staffer Craig Smith, is working in conjunction with Obama's floor organizers to help foster the image of a unified front during a roll-call process Clinton herself has described as an emotional "catharsis" for her disappointed supporters.

"If people get down there on the floor and want to start blowing kazoos and making a scene we want to make sure we've got people who stand in front of them with Obama signs," said person involved in the planning.

"Is it typical for a losing candidate to have their own whip team? No. But it's also not usual for a losing candidate to get 18 million votes either," said the person.

Clinton spokesperson Kathleen Strand emphasized the team would not seek to convince delegates to vote for the former first lady, but would hand out Clinton signs to supporters who requested them.

“We have been and are working closely with the Obama campaign to make sure we have an exciting and unified convention," Strand said. "Our delegate whips, along with the Obama delegate whips, are a part of a team that will be on the floor of the convention to make sure delegates have everything they need, whether that’s answering questions or passing out signs during Hillary's speech. The whips are a traditional part of every convention's floor operations.”

Plans for the squad were finalized last weekend. Although some former Clinton staffers balked at policing their own supporters, its ranks were filled by people itching for a floor pass -- not an easy get for Clinton's troops at the Obama-run convention.

Statement of Former President Clinton, Senator Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton on the Passing of Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones

There are few words to express the shock we feel at this time. Our deepest condolences are with Stephanie’s son, Mervyn, her family, and her many loved ones, friends, and supporters.

Stephanie’s friendship meant the world to us, a friendship that deepened through every trial and challenge. We could always count on her to be a shoulder on which to lean, an ear to bend, a voice to reassure. Over the course of many years, with many ups and many downs, Stephanie was right by our side-unwavering, indefatigable. More...

It was that fighting spirit-safely stowed behind her disarming smile, backed by so much integrity and fiery intelligence-that allowed Stephanie to rise from modest beginnings, to succeed in public service, to become a one-woman force for progress in our country.

All of us who were lucky to know her and love her can only hope now to live like her-to be as passionate, loyal, hard charging, and joyful in life’s pursuits.

Stephanie was one of a kind. We will miss our friend always.

Republicans Plan to Grab Some Denver Limelight

Wall Street Journal

By ELIZABETH HOLMES
August 21, 2008; Page A4 

John McCain and the Republican Party have their own plans for next week in Denver, including a parade of high-profile surrogates, a Web site touting new attack videos, and a tagline for the Democrats' convention: A Mile High and an Inch Deep.

Two dozen staffers of the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee will head west this weekend to combat the media coverage the nomination of Barack Obama will draw. The slogan for their opponents: Not Ready '08.

The effort expands on the recent tactic of slamming Sen. Obama at every opportunity, a strategy that appears to be working. The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Sen. McCain has made up ground, trailing by three points.

Unlike the 2004 Democratic convention, when the GOP did little more than arrange a few interviews, this year's activities are an attempt to distract attention from the main attraction.

More...

"This is an effort to get beyond the glitz and celebrity of Barack Obama's convention and talk about the reality of his record," said Matt McDonald, the McCain campaign's senior adviser in charge of the Denver efforts.

Former McCain opponents Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, along with Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and a host of others, will be in Denver working with the staff in a two-story office within walking distance of the convention site.

From the headquarters, complete with catering and a security detail, the surrogates will hold news conferences, make television appearances and give satellite interviews with outlets in battleground states.

The campaign also has convention-specific television ads that will run throughout the week. The hits will also come from a Web site that compiles TV clips of Democratic leaders praising Sen. McCain and questioning Sen. Obama's experience -- including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut.

 

"The McCain campaign can tout their tactics," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said. "Our focus is going to be on providing solutions to bring energy independence and create jobs."

In the past, the Democratic and Republican conventions have been weeks apart. This year, with a gap of only a few days, special care is being paid to the transition and "turning the page" quickly, Mr. McDonald said. To that end, the campaign is thrusting Gov. Pawlenty into the Denver spotlight next Thursday, the last day of the Democratic convention, to get people thinking about the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn.

And to grab some post-convention excitement, the Republicans plan a large rally at the 12,000-seat Nutter Center outside Dayton, Ohio the next day, Aug. 29. It is likely that event, which falls on Sen. McCain's 72nd birthday, will include the announcement of his running mate.

The Arizona senator plans to stay in the Southwest during the Democratic convention and make a few appearances, including a visit Monday to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Voters can expect the Republicans to harp on Sen. Obama's so-called celebrity status by exploiting the star appearances scheduled for the Denver convention gatherings. "I don't know that the average Coloradoan will be able to participate in Ben Affleck's poker game," said Danny Diaz, communications director for the Republican National Committee, referring to the actor's planned event. "But they certainly should know about it."

Although the campaign and the Republican National Committee staffers won't have credentials to attend the convention center, they have found other ways to get in the door. Some Republicans will do interviews on the sets of television networks operating in the Pepsi Center, meaning they and the staff escorting them will have access to the site.

Mr. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, plans to make a splash Aug. 27, the day the Democrats are devoting to national security. Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, will be most visible the day prior, which Democrats have reserved for domestic policy.

Former Hewlett-Packard Co. head Carly Fiorina and Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl will be on hand, as will a number of House Republicans, including Eric Cantor of Virginia, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida.

Attacks serve an important purpose, says John Geer, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University and author of a book on political attack ads. "Voters want to know somebody's going to be tough," Mr. Geer said. "Part of that is going to be not only if they're going to be able to take a punch, but also deliver one."

Write to Elizabeth Holmes at elizabeth.holmes@wsj.com

Obama’s not over the Hill yet ... he might still need her to win

By Margery Eagan
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Boston Hearld.com

Hillary’s marauding women may be vindicated yet.
The tide has turned for The Precious, The One, The Eloquent and Elegant and Lithe and Liquid and Cool as a Cucumber - except for those unfortunate stick legs (which explain the sweats on the basketball court). More...

What happened to Obama’s Midas touch? Was it overkill at Coronation Berlin? The tongue-tied orator this weekend uh-uh-uh-ing before the evangelicals at Saddleback Church, his stumbles replayed all over the Internet? I watched and felt - how could this be? - like I was watching a George Bush press conference, sweating it out and wondering, “Oh no! Doesn’t he know the answer to the question?”

So he picks his vice president today, tomorrow, whenever. None of these contenders will give Obama more than a one-day buzz. I like Joe Biden, despite snide asides that he’s been preparing a 500,000-word acceptance speech since Iowa - and the hair plug jokes. (Is America ready for its First Plugged President? Must Biden be unplugged to lead?) After Obama picks whoever he picks, we’re back to the once soaring candidacy now fallen back to earth.

I know. I’ve been an Obama cheerleader. I’m still trying to muster a respectful thumbs up. But let’s face it: The excitement during the primaries was Obama v. Hillary, not Obama alone. It was Obama vs. Hillary, and what’s loose-cannon Bad Boy Bill up to today? It was Obama, this completely unknown black guy, out-vaunting the vaunted Clinton machine. It was the audacity of his audacity, to steal The Messiah’s favorite word.

The only person who’d bring some excitement back is Hillary herself as veep.

No matter what Ralph Nader predicts, I doubt it. Then Obama would appear even weaker than he did last week sashaying hither and yon over Russia and Georgia. Besides, in a new poll, 28 percent of Hillary’s voters said they weren’t voting for Obama no matter what. Her biggest backers, including PUMA (better known as The Party Unity My Ass girls), are imploring delegates to vote for the candidate who can win (Hillary). Many women still upset about the sexist attacks on Hillary - from MSNBC’s “nutcracker Hillary doll” jokes to Obama himself saying she’s “likeable enough” - aren’t interested in giving her the No. 2 spot when, they say, she earned No. 1.

E.J. White of Yarmouth is one of those post-50 Hillary loyalists who just about drove off the road a while back when she heard some radio host wonder whether Hillary would be wearing a “girdle” to a speech. She says she’s hoping delegates will actually nominate Hillary in Denver, “It’s a long shot, I know,” she said, but “she should be on top.”

State Senate President Therese Murray, who about blew a gasket when the local boy-o trifecta - Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Deval Patrick - dumped Hillary for Obama, sounded far more conciliatory, if not exactly Obamafied, yesterday. Both she and Majority Whip Joan Menard, Hillary delegates in Denver, said they’d be happy to see her as veep. Both downplayed Obama’s recent travails. Both said they’d vote for Obama in November despite shenanigans of “the DNC, which has a lot to answer for,” said Murray, “and the media that just kicked the hell out of her” while we fawned over The Anointed One. Which, I must admit, lots of us did.

I can’t say I have Obama remorse. Yet. But I’m nervous. How did he get so annoying? I wish he’d save nuance and sanctimony for senior seminars; give America some straight answers; crack some jokes at his own high-horse expense; convince me he’s up to this and soothe my furrowed, fretful brow.

That’s what McCain’s done lately. It’s working.

Bad news should wake up Obama, experts say

(08-20) 17:32 PDT -- It's not panic time - yet - but some Democrats watching Barack Obama say his campaign should have gotten a wake-up call this week, not only from his appearance with John McCain at the Saddleback Church but from a major poll suggesting he no longer leads his GOP opponent.

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At the Saddleback forum with Pastor Rick Warren on Saturday in Orange County, the Republican presidential candidate delivered on-the-money messages and answers so effective they were "scary to me," said George Lakoff, a renowned author and UC Berkeley linguistics professor who has studied how the human brain absorbs and processes messages.

Lakoff, whose work has helped shaped numerous Democratic candidates' campaigns, said that "right through the motivational campaign theme, they were doing everything right."

By contrast, Obama was "overconfident ... and certainly not prepared" before the evangelical audience with definitive answers to clearly explain to voters his world view, values and vision, Lakoff said. More...

Lakoff isn't alone in his assessment that Obama needs to step up his game, hone his message and sharpen his contrasts with McCain as he heads into the final sprint after next week's Democratic National Convention in Denver.

A national poll released Wednesday by Reuters/Zogby showed McCain beating Obama 46 to 41 percent, an advantage that also shows that voters now see McCain as stronger on economic issues. The latest poll erased the strong seven-point advantage held by the Democrat just last month. Other polls had the race statistically tied.

Moreover, some recent polls indicate that some red states that Democrats had hoped they could flip to blue - like Indiana and Virginia - are tacking back slightly to McCain.
The latest polls show that even with gas prices rising precipitously under a Republican administration, the candidates are unusually close on whom Americans trust to deal with the issue.

Sharper message needed

Some Democrats - Lakoff included - say it's clear Obama needs to sharpen his message and get tougher on beating back attacks from McCain's campaign, which has suggested that Obama is elitist and even unpatriotic.

"John McCain is jujitsuing Obama's strengths," said one leading California-based Democratic strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of his work with a nationally known party figure.

The strategist said many Democrats witnessed their candidate's performance at the Saddleback forum with "a feeling of vague nausea" because "the stature gap (between Obama and McCain) widened dramatically in the mind of any viewer who watched."

Lakoff, a progressive academic often cited for his views on the importance of "framing the debate" in politics, said the discussion at the Lake Forest evangelical church provided an unusually clear window into the two candidates' strengths, including how effective they are heading into upcoming debates and the final sprint of the presidential race.

Two examples from Saddleback that Lakoff and others said underscore Obama's troubles:
-- McCain - asked his reason for running for president - confidently outlined a strong message of "country first," urging service to America. That idea, dominant in McCain's message and the theme of the GOP convention, showed that McCain Republicans have "figured out the formula" of effective campaign communication - and brilliantly melded ideas touted by both Presidents Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy.

-- Obama, in contrast, delivered a far more nuanced plea for empathy and building bridges across party lines instead of a more direct answer - telling voters what those values would mean specifically "to your children, your future, your environment," said Lakoff.

With just days until the Democrats head into their convention, the tough assessment by Lakoff, author of "The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st-Century American Politics with an 18th-Century Brain," might spark some panic among Democrats.

Even some Republicans agree that the forum should be a dose of very tough medicine for Obama.
"The nature of the campaign is changing less than a week before the convention starts," said Sacramento-based GOP strategist Patrick Dorinson, who also saw the Saddleback forum as a seminal moment. "Obama felt he was sitting with Dr. Phil, and he was trying not to offend anybody. McCain seemed to understand he was running for president ... his answers were more direct and aimed at the electorate."

"The primaries are preseason; you can make mistakes. But now we're into the first game that really counts," Dorinson said. "Obama's folks are reading their own press clippings too much - and they've got to understand they're in a dogfight."

Time to revamp

Barbara O'Connor, professor of political communication at Sacramento State University, agrees with Lakoff that "Obama's message of change needs to be revamped."

"Change toward what end?" she asks. "The party is very bad at labeling things that provide an umbrella for other positive memories. Democrats tend to mush around and don't give people slogans like 'Morning in America,' " which Reagan used to evoke a feeling of hope and promise in the country.
But she takes issue with some of Lakoff's tougher assessments of Obama's performance at Saddleback, a forum before evangelical voters that from the start constituted a challenge for Obama.

"When you talk about religion and faith-based values, you have to be nuanced. ... I thought he was really earnest, trying to explain who he was to an audience that largely disagreed with him. These weren't his guys."

E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle