ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Obama: Clinton MLK comments 'ludicrous'

Posted: Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:33 AM by Domenico Montanaro



From NBC/NJ’s Aswini Anburajan
Obama called the "notion" that his campaign is responsible for the backlash Hillary Clinton has faced about her comments on Martin Luther King Jr.'s role in the in the civil rights movement "ludicrous" in a conference call today to announce the endorsement of Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

"Well this is fascinating to me," Obama began of Clinton's remarks on Meet the Press, in which she accused the Obama campaign of stirring the pot among African-American leaders about her remarks that it "took a president" to pass civil rights legislation.

Obama characterized Clinton's remarks as "tired Washington politicians and the games they play."

"She made an unfortunate remark about Martin Luther King and Lyndon Johnson,” he said. “I haven't remarked on it. And she offended some folks who thought she diminished the role about King and the civil rights movement. The notion that this is our doing is ludicrous.”

Obama went on to criticize Clinton's interview, saying that she spent an hour focused on attacking him rather than "telling people about her positive vision for America."

During the interview, Clinton accused of Obama of waffling on his opposition to the war after arriving in the Senate. He said that he had "absolutely" and "unambiguously" opposed the war "at a time when she didn't read the intelligence reports."

Clinton also criticized the ethics bill that Obama helped pass through the senate, pointing to the provision that allows lobbyists to buy politicians meals if they are eating standing up rather than sitting down.

In response to Clinton's comments on ethics reform, Obama said, "She belittled the most sweeping ethic reform since Watergate," and accused Clinton of standing on the "sidelines" instead of trying to help get it passed.

"She started this campaign saying she wanted to make history but lately she's been rewriting it," he added.

McCaskill, who was also on the call, and had spoken about why she was supporting Obama, jumped to the Obama’s defense.

"Belittling this legislation is not appropriate," McCaskill said. She went on to tell an apocryphal tale of how as a freshman senator, Obama had held a conference call with her and others entering the senate and asked them for their help on the legislation. Describing the opposition to the bill as a "lot of wink wink nod nod" from older senators, McCaskill said that the legislation had problems but did much to curb improprieties, especially on the use of corporate jets.

On why she was endorsing Obama, McCaskill cribbed a line from his stump speech, calling his run part of the "fierce urgency of now." She said her 18-year-old daughter had convinced her that she shouldn't sit on the bleachers any longer and should make an endorsement.

Saying that she felt that Obama was right for this historical moment and the challenges the country faced at this time, she had decided to support him despite her strong connection to Emily's List and many female politicians and backers who were supporting Senator Clinton. She acknowledged that she had delayed her endorsement mostly for that reason, and had finally decided to endorse after many long conversations with people at Emily's List and across the country.

McCaskill’s endorsement of Obama is worthy of raised eyebrows, since she benefited from the strong support of Emily's List and other organizations that help women run for office in her 2006 race to unseat former Sen. Jim Talent in Missouri.

As a Feb. 5th state, Missouri will play a role in the nominating contests, and McCaskill's endorsement and voters' familiarity with Obama since the two states share a border and media markets, may help him there. Obama said he would try to get to Missouri before the 5th.

The call ended in a motherly way, with McCaskill saying, "Barack I want you to get some rest."

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Comments


Obama tells me change is new, I agree (not knowing every election Presidential politicians talk about change and nothing changes).

Obama tells me to hope so i start hoping.

Obama tells me to change, so I change my parents since they are past and status quo.

My friends (fellow Obama supporters) tell me to repeat Hillary hate posts 100 times a day, so I do it. It's a change from my other work.

Obama tells me to convince my other immature youth friends to cheer for change, I do it.

Obama tells me to ignore experience, so I ignore my parents experience of knowing the world as again, they are past and status quo.

I ignore every old person who was served nationally as they are status quo. Your national service doesnt count in the new world of hatred filled starry eyed fairy tale following youths like me.

Obama is, once again, 100% correct.  He didn't force Clinton to say those things about MLK.  Hillary seems to think it's Obama's fault she said it, because she never wanted him to run.  She wanted this to be her time to rise and shine with no one in the way.  When things go wrong, when Hillary doesn't get her way, it's never her fault.  It's always someone elses.

It wasn't her fault she slaughtered any chance of health care reform in 1993 and 1994.

It wasn't her fault she voted on the "Authorization of the Use of Force in Iraq" 2002 legislation, she thought it was for "diplomacy"...

It wasn't her fault that in March of 2003, when we went to war, she didn't stand up and say "Oh wait, that's not what I voted for, I don't approve of this war!"

It's not her fault that the most sweeping ethics reform to hit Washington since Watergate was passed with absolutely no help from her at all.  It's not her fault she hasn't championed ethics reform.  It's not her fault she and Bill won't release papers from the Clinton presidency that prove her "experience"

It's not her fault she's "just a woman" and can't fairly debate two men.  

Hillary, when has it EVER been your fault?

I'm so sick of liars and deception in Washington!
McCaskill was elected with the help of 527 and lobbyist. Way to go Obama, looking for endorsements from lobbyist propelled politicians.

Anyone see the hypocrisy? What a clean Washington we will get? Same old politics!
Say what you will about Obama's team, but they are proving that they can go toe to toe with the Clinton machine!!

Obama '08!
Say what you will about Obama's team, but they are proving that they can go toe to toe with the Clinton machine!!

Obama '08!
Hey, is this the Drudge Report or something?  Your headline is directly contradicted in the first paragraph of this story.  He wasn't calling Clinton's comments "ludicrous," he was referring to the notion that his campaign was behind them.  At least, if you got the body of the story right.
Aswini,

Just an editorial question: How can a tale be "apocryphal" if the person telling it actually experienced it? Otherwise, a nice article.
Obama is exactly right. The Clinton campaign made remarks for which they have spent a couple days offering explanations. And the "attack" instinct has them suggesting that the Obama campaign was involved.

Its silly. The same silliness that I saw when the Clinton campaign made repeated mistakes in November - clearly was the most off-balanced campaign in the Democratic race. And they got some media criticism. Then the "that's not fair" line started. Should criticism be evenly handed out? Or should it be deserved?
We all know that Monica Lewinski actually was working for the Obama campaign during the entire cigar fiasco. Barak was also behind the whole "whitewater" conspiracy.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2008/01/new_york_times_11.php

Why is NYT not using the full HRC quote? Is NYT secretly endorsing HRC?
I'm a middle aged woman, a democrat and I once sent Hillary Clinton a check for $1,000.  KICK ME!

She has nothing left in her Rovian bag of  tricks but slime.  

If democrats don't get it right this time, they don't deserve the white house.
 
Message to Tim and Brian:

In the debate Tuesday, will someone please ask Senator Clinton what she accomplished during the first Clinton Administration?  You guys have been giving her a pass on her rhetoric of accomplishing change for 35 years.  How about a simple question of "what are the 3 most important things you accomplished while in the White House?"  It's important information for Americans to know before we vote.

This is a critical question for Democrats.  Senator Clinton continues to claim that she has accomplished so much and yet according to her own website, nothing of substance is listed during her White House years.

Republicans WILL NOT give her a pass on the massive gap between her rhetoric and reality if she's the nominee.  It would be much better if the questions are asked now.

"She made an unfortunate remark about Martin Luther King and Lyndon Johnson,” he said. “I haven't remarked on it. And she offended some folks who thought she diminished the role about King and the civil rights movement. The notion that this is our doing is ludicrous.”

I agree as I certainly am not associated with the Obama camp but was immediately put off by the statements.

I am an African American and had a negative reaction to the Clinton MLK/LBJ remarks well before the issue became a political hot potato.  While some may think that I was offended by the characterization that it was the actions of the great white father (LBJ) versus the awakening of the American spirit (through MLK and thousands awakened) that allowed the Civil Rights Act to come to fruition, I realize that misses the mark.  It also misses the mark to think that I view Ms. Clinton as being motivated by race in her remarks.

The Civil Rights Movement took heroes.  Johnson was a hero. King was a hero.

My reaction was part this: how dare Ms. Clinton reduce the hero status of King, simultaneously raising the hero status of Johnson in making a political point to attack Obama?

My reaction was more visceral than on point as I applaud Johnson.  I don’t think Ms. Clinton intended for me to have that visceral reaction and I don’t think she actually quite understands it.  I certainly don’t think she was making a racist commentary even though I admit to having this visceral reaction.

While both King and Johnson were required for the Civil Rights Act to pass, the genesis of the Civil Rights Act was in the Kennedy Administration and in the movement started years before.  I have little doubt that Bobby Kennedy would have gotten the job LBJ is credited with achieving done.

Again, I do not believe the statement by Ms. Clinton is racial.  I just think it was bound to lead to visceral reaction as it is faulty both historically and factually when trying to make a point.  

Her campaign talking point was that words matter but action is required.  I agree in principle but the point is lost in the poor example that raises a visceral reaction.  In the narrative of her talking points, it came across as an effort to say that if not for Johnson, all of King’s talk was just talk.  It disregards the sacrifices of Americans that gave their life in the movement and is insensitive to that American sacrifice as the catalyst of the change.


Words DO Matter

Arguably Kennedy was well on his way to the Civil Rights Act.  And historical revisionists that we are inclined to be, we forget that the Civil Rights Act passed before the voting rights act.  But the voting rights provisions of the Civil Rights Act were gutted in Congress before ever getting back for Johnson to sign.  

Or put into perspective the Civil Rights Act (with voting rights stripped) was passed BEFORE the historically significant and bloody “we shall overcome” march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights

Now Mr. Johnson initially thought that the voting rights act was not really needed because we had the 15th amendment.

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Technically he was right but the states had used clever devices to get around the law’s obvious (though escaped by literal devices, for you strict constructionists out there) intent.

Johnson recognized that the newly minted Civil Rights Act and the 100 year old 15th amendment were not enough.

“Experience has clearly shown that the existing process of law cannot overcome systematic and ingenious discrimination. No law that we now have on the books-and I have helped to put three of them there--can ensure the right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it.
In such a case our duty must be clear to all of us. The Constitution (15TH amendment) says that no person shall be kept from voting because of his race or his color. We have all sworn an oath before God to support and to defend that Constitution. We must now act in obedience to that oath.” -LBJ to Congress

Again words matter,

Quoting again from the speech Johnson gave introducing the Voting Rights Act right after the Bloody Sunday Selma to Montgomery March.

“There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem. And we are met here tonight as Americans--not as Democrats or Republicans-we are met here as Americans to solve that problem.”

Obamaesque you might agree.  I thought Obama borrowed this in his red state blue state message (though that’s beside the point).

Johnson noted that,

“The last time a President sent a civil rights bill to the Congress it contained a provision to protect voting rights in Federal elections. That civil rights bill was passed after 8 long months of debate. And when that bill came to my desk from the Congress for my signature, the heart of the voting provision had been eliminated.
This time, on this issue, there must be no delay, no hesitation and no compromise with our purpose.
We cannot, we must not, refuse to protect the right of every American to vote in every election that he may desire to participate in. And we ought not and we cannot and we must not wait another 8 months before we get a bill. We have already waited a hundred years and more, and the time for waiting is gone.
So I ask you to join me in working long hours--nights and weekends, if necessary--to pass this bill. And I don't make that request lightly. For from the window where I sit with the problems of our country I recognize that outside this chamber is the outraged conscience of a nation, the grave concern of many nations, and the harsh judgment of history on our acts.
WE SHALL OVERCOME” –LBJ to Congress

Note the fact that Johnson said “WE SHALL OVERCOME” is not a small point to me.  It was the rallying cry of the March and of the movement.  It mattered.  WE Became America, not just the Negro.

My point is that the Clinton message on this point is just flawed and insensitive to many like me.  Sure LBJ had to go the next step with the Voting Rights Act.  But Clinton’s point addressed the already passed Civil Rights Act as a past tense on having the dream become reality with the Civil Rights Act.

Again the visceral reaction is not warranted by the literal though cynical factualness of her statement. “the dream began becoming a reality with the 1964 Civil rights act”  Nor is the fact that Johnson himself embraced the very words of Dr. King in imploring Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act.  The problem became one of “hero shifting”.  Johnson himself discounted his position as hero in the cause:

“The real hero of this struggle is the American Negro. His actions and protests, his courage to risk safety and even to risk his life, have awakened the conscience of this Nation. His demonstrations have been designed to call attention to injustice, designed to provoke change, designed to stir reform.”

Johnson understood my point at the level where it matters.  Clinton seems to miss Johnson’s point and used Johnson to score political points to advance the “experience over talk” talking point.  I even like Hillary (or certainly Clintons versus the Republicans on Civil Rigths) but was quite disappointed in the tactic.

I’m rambling perhaps but just to have you understand my visceral reaction as an African American.  The reaction is much more about King versus politics --not about Obama.

This discussion is just wrong to say that without Johnson the 100 year old 15th amendment would have never been enforced.  The courts would have done it through the Supreme Court as the conscience of the nation awakened by King and the movement would have forced them to.

But the time for the voting rights act had immediately arrived because of King’s Bloody March the day before.  The day after the march the act was introduced by Johnson to Congress with the text of his speech imploring.

WE SHALL OVERCOME.

We will.
Hillary Clinton was extremely impressive on Meet the Press. She corrected the record and those affluent in the African American community who charged Clintons' commentary as racist or depressing are now going to have to face the consequences. Clinton took command of the interview with the facts.

Shame on Senator McCaskill. She states that eighteen year old daughter pushed her to announce this endorsement. Pathetic.
When is the endless bickering going to end?  Hillary Clinton said a stupid, insensitive thing, all politicians do at some point.  What the Senator should of done is simply apologize and explain that the implications of her statement (that Civil Rights legislation, even with MLK sacrificing his life for it, would of never came to fruition without LBJ)were faulty and not thought out. She could of simply said that she was tired.  Instead of diffusing this situation, Senator Clinton has brought race to the forefront of a campaign that had until this week been refreshingly devoid of such discussions.  In a week's time, we as a nation celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King.  I hope and pray that both Clinton and Obama would further avoid exploiting him to further their political campaigns.
She was so clintonesque ... attacking with sound bites, ignoring the context, but then starting every defensive (and rather shrill) rebuttal with "let's put this in context".

I learned one thing from this week's MTP:  Hillary is right up there with G Dub 43 ... I can't listen to either one of them for an hour.
Good job Barack.  The politics of hope doesn't mean hoping that you can lie on your opponents and get away with it as the Clintons have succeeded in doing thus far.

Keep calling them out and you'll win the nomination.
this further exemplifies the old, tired politics of division that Hillary Clinton needs to ply in order to win the nomination, but imperil her in the general election....   frankly, i am sick of this...    Mr. Obama has my vote....  this BLATANT lying about her own verbal missteps and her personal attacking are completely unacceptable... Hillary personifies the old-guard vile politics we so very much need to cast off in order to make any progress as a nation...
Glad to see Obama is pushing back on the Clinton lies.

Hillary will do anything to get into power.
Obama should address many of the things Sen. Clinton had to say on MTP this morning.
Here we go with the Saint Obama spin again. Did anyone just see the interview of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on CNN? She is African American and denounces the attempts by the Obama campaign to bring racism into the mix. The Obama camp has twisted the Clinton's words relentlessly, and the media is following suit by only showing small misleading clips made to stir up more controversy. Is this how Elvis, I mean Obama, is planning on running his whole campaign? Oprah can talk about MLK and compare him to Obama, while standing with Obama on stage, but anyone else who dares to speak the name of MLK is a racist??? Is Obama going to play this "I'm a poor helpless black man and a victim of racism" card whenever he needs a boost? It is absolutely ridiculous that anyone is buying into this nonsense! How narrow-minded can you people be? Do you not have minds of your own? Let's not forget that Obama is HALF WHITE but is exploiting, I mean embracing his black half to pander to the hardworking black people in SC. I don't think they will buy into it, because they are smart enough to realize that in truth he has NOTHING in common with them. It's just a pathetic ploy to get votes any way he can. They are smarter than to fall for "The Great Oprah Effect". The Clinton's have been advocating for the black community for as long as they've been in politics, instead of some flash in the pan who got Oprah to stump for him and is only JUST NOW noticing that they even exist. Can anyone say "Hypocrisy???"   Hillary for President!!
Oh really! Come on! If Mr. Obama continues down this precarious path, i.e., playing the "Race Card", he will truely become just another "minority candidate" following in the footsteps of Revs. Al and Jesse. For those of you who are with him, enjoy your day in the sun because it will be short lived. As for McCaskill, I hope she does not consult with and rely on her 18 year old daughter when making important national voting decisions. This reminds me of the famous Jimmy and Amy Carter fiasco. She's toast from this point on in Missouri. Ok, I guess some out there will now accuse me of being a racist. Just so you know, I only discriminate against stupidity and ignorance, and I see a lot coming from the Obama camp.
Oh really! Come on! If Mr. Obama continues down this precarious path, i.e., playing the "Race Card", he will truely become just another "minority candidate" following in the footsteps of Revs. Al and Jesse. For those of you who are with him, enjoy your day in the sun because it will be short lived. As for McCaskill, I hope she does not consult with and rely on her 18 year old daughter when making important national voting decisions. This reminds me of the famous Jimmy and Amy Carter fiasco. She's toast from this point on in Missouri. Ok, I guess some out there will now accuse me of being a racist. Just so you know, I only discriminate against stupidity and ignorance, and I see a lot coming from the Obama camp.
Lets  move on with this he said she said your not focusing on the American People and i think the big issue is we are now in a recession and until you admit to it and help find a solution all this he said she said means nothing.  Dont start talking about plans of raising 80 billion or other amounts to fund some of the crisis the American People are facing because there is no money the pork barrell spending and the waste that is going on would address these issues...
Where would you make the cuts in goverment, You probably are the biggest users of gas and oil, where are you going to make the cuts....I could go on and on but you should be aware of these problems you were ten yrs ago and there still her....Change,  your spending, focus on what you need to run goverment and treat it like a business....Find out what its really  going to make health care affordable so everyone has the same care as government does..Dont depend on ss to fund your pork barrell spending leave it alone... i can go on forever but thats your job, but your not listening.....Being in office for a life doesnt help the situation youve proven that by the American people addressing the same issue...This is what the mean by change...And not the Mayor of ny reaching into his pocket and throwing ous a couple of pennies....Change    Change.
I am so dissapointed in Obama. I was in his corner against Hillary until he and his campaign supporters played the race card. This makes me question his ability to be a uniter instead of further dividing the country. Many of my friends that were whooped up about Obama feel the same way. If this is what we will get with a president Obama (playing he race card) then all I can say is no thank you.
Last week's dust up over comments made by Senator, former president Clinton and Attoney General Cuomo; a weakness has revealed itself. THE CLINTONS BELIEVE THEY OWN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!!! They are not interest in what is best for the party or the nation. They simply want to win. So the question we should ask(Our independant and republican friends can ask too) our fellow democrats is this: ARE YOU A DEMOCRAT OR A CLINTONIAN? A democrat desires to do what is best for the nation and will work with Republicans and Independants to see that the nation gets the best. A clintonian only cares about being proven right, inspite of being wrong.
Simply put: A DEMOCRAT MAKES THE WELFARE OF THE NATION THEIR PERSONAL RESPONSIBLILTY. A CLINTONIAN ONLY CARES FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CLINTONS.

"No king, no queen no surrender of my God given, right to chose for myself" Salem Poor-

OBAMA IN 08"
We will never hear "I made a mistake" or "I am sorry" from Hillary Clinton.
It is ALWAYS someone else that made the error.
The resolution was about sending the inspectors back???

Did Hillary completely lose it?
If she indeed believed that on the day of the vote then why didn't she express her disapproval when Bush pulled the inspectors out and rushed  to war in March 2003?

Hillary lies and thinks we are fools.
I like Obama's response, its time to start hitting back!
I love this as I grew up in Kansas City, Mo. and now live in Illinois.  So, it makes me smile to see Missouri's senator endorsing my current senator and the 2008 nominee for the democratic party.
I did not watch MTP as I cannot stand to watch Hillary or Bill after their behavior of the past several weeks but, my husband tried to.  After 15 min. he gave up as she was getting on his nerves.  He said all she did was sit there bashing Obama and nothing else.
this was the reason she went on MTP.  Not to talk to Russert but, to have an hour of free public airwaves to distort Obama's record and lie and smear him.
This is Barrack Obama and I approve this message: I was against the war before I voted to fund it.
Obama is wong when he saids that Clinton has spend her campaing criticizing him, she has spend most of her campaing talking about the issues, what she has done and what she will do. I think that she should have started critizing him harder a month ago becuase people need to know about Obama. What has he done?? OBama :"WHERE IS THE BEEF?"
Obama is wong when he saids that Clinton has spend her campaing criticizing him, she has spend most of her campaing talking about the issues, what she has done and what she will do. I think that she should have started critizing him harder a month ago becuase people need to know about Obama. What has he done?? OBama :"WHERE IS THE BEEF?"
Obama is wong when he saids that Clinton has spend her campaing criticizing him, she has spend most of her campaing talking about the issues, what she has done and what she will do. I think that she should have started critizing him harder a month ago becuase people need to know about Obama. What has he done?? OBama :"WHERE IS THE BEEF?"
Hillary Clinton is playing a dirty politics by twisting the records of others and claim herself the model women to be the president.I think she will repeat the same misery and secrative,divided,pro-war washington which American people is began to rejecting now.We should be more careful because there are many chances that she will be easiest to defeat by the republicans because they are playing the same fear factor,same slash and burn politics and hillary's dirtyness is no match for republicans playbook.Republican can only defeated by the leadership of Obama who can bring young,independant,moderate ripublicans under one roof.
Go Obama, Yes we can.
Barack Obama is speaking the truth about “Change” and “Yes, we can” slogans because we need a new direction in United States for all people.  Barback Obama voice is refreshing to those who are willing to take the steps to make the changes along with Barack Obama as our next President of United States.  The reason why it is important to support Barack Obama, he wants to take the country into a new direction whereas Hillary Clinton wants the same Bill Clinton’s polices for another 12 years which will overwhelm us.  A fresh start with Barack Obama leadership will diffuse the tension around the World allowing USA to speak to those countries that are skeptic of us. With his leadership, we will have better relationships with other countries throughout the World. For this reason, I support Barack Obama for our next President of United States 2008!  Are you ready to give Barack Obama your support?  
Good conference call! This is the right response that Obama should have to the attacks based on distortion of truth and the spirit of swiftboating. I was disappoininted with Obama when he did not respond forcely and swiftly to the Clintons' swiftboating before the NH vote. It seems that Obama has learned from his mistakes. On the other hand, although Hillary won NH by a hair, she totally lost my respect. I thought she was more ethical than Bill and her behaviors in desperation convinced me that they are the same.
Talk about being two-faced!  Did Obama even bother to see the show or read the entire transcript of the interview?  Clinton did NOT ever proactively attack Obama-- and never once made a personal attack, despite continuous prompting and baiting by Russert for her to do so.  She was simply responding to the specific questions with specific answers which tried to explain-- and give context to-- her previous comments (and the media's interpretation of them).  In fact, she went out of her way to give Obama and Edwards (and other democrats) credit, and did not fall for Tim Russert's numerous attempt to get her to say that Obama was not qualified to be President.  Where was this "old political ways" that Obama is talking about.  And, PLEASE, don't insult our intelligence by trying to claim no one associated with your campaign has been fanning the fires on the race issue...unless you're now going to claim that Senator Durbin of Illinois and State Senator (and good buddy) Jessie Jackson, JR of Chicago are no longer key supporters of your campaign.
attack the strong points of the other guy, this is Karl Rove politics. the thing is that she needed to sound a bit "Ray-sister" up in New hampshire but now that we are moving south and west she needs to sound like she is just a "sister" too bad for Dumb americans they are just too lazy to know who is who and Obamabi is not willing to fight for his name or honer.
This is one of the most deceptive headlines I've ever seen.  MSNBC.com trying to compensate for Chris Matthews?
Blacks - please don't vote for OBAMA just because he's Black. Powell, Rice are Black - but think about who owns them. MLKing's words were more than the I HAVE A DREAM, read his other writings and think about his words. THESE people who are flocking around OBAMA would not have and were not on MLKing's side when he was being hunted down by their FBI (Blacks please be alert and read for yourselves) Many Blacks have sold us out and many more will. POWELL LIED AND MEN AND WOMEN DIED. Don't listen to them read for yourselves. King died for us to have that not to be led to slaughter by the same people who turned their heads while he was being killed.
DIVISION in this nation. Man what the white man (with the help of token Blacks) won't do.
Thank God Obama has the courage to fight back against the Clinton machine.

The politics of hope does not mean turn the other cheek.

Clinton is trying to turn her campaign gaffs against Obama...

…Telling an audience member not to ask Hillary about the war during a CNN debate
… Bob Kerrey's "Muslim/madrassa" lie/comment
… Bill Shaheen's "drug dealer" rumor
… Mark Penn mentioning "cocaine" on "Hardball"
… Andrew Cuomo's "shuck and jive" comment
…The anonymous Clinton advisor's "imaginary black friend" comment
… Hillary dismissing the legacy of Martin Luther King
… Bill calling Obama a "kid"
… Distorting Obama's record on abortion, the war ("fairy tale"), the Patriot Act
… Slamming his "lack of experience" when he has more experience as an elected official than she has and spent more time changing lives on a grassroots level than she could ever hope to
… Planting audience members at rallies
… The "iron our shirts!" plants, leading to her "sexism" comment
… Changing her resume from "experience" to "35 years of experience" to "35 years of change"
… Recruiting Massachusetts residents to fill up her New Hampshire rallies
… Tearing up before the New Hampshire primary…and attacking Obama in the next breath
… Finally "finding her voice"…despite having "35 years of experience and change"
… Hillary uses the fear card ("[Obama presidency] could be the costliest on the job training")
… The ridiculous "he wanted to be president in Kindergarten" smear
… The entire "Charlie Rose Show" interview with Bill ("it's a roll of the dice")
If the clintons are the family of the first "black president", then they should have known what to say and what not to say.  Yes, Hillary has assumed alot when it comes to the Black Community.  Although I never looked at Bill as the first black president, I did like him and think he was a good president, I have seen the light.  

I hope that Black America see through the clintons.  For someone who  is supposedly smart, I found her comments dumb.  Maybe we are seeing the real Hillary.  As a AA woman, I'd vote for a republican before I vote for HRC.
Hey guys, the headline of this story is misleading. He called the MLK comments "unfortunate" not "ludicrous". He described her blaming his campaign for them as "ludicrous". Good job making the story juicier but it is misleading.
Hillary is a smart woman, but she shows her true colors during anything she deems critical of her, her record, or her husband: She becomes extremely emphatic, border-line hostile, and accusational of others (true to the Clinton history). I agree with Obama supporters - I am tired of the old political games and destruction of others' credibility. Obama is running a gentleman's campaign whose response to unsubstantiated slants on his record with a gentleman's response. He refuses to play the game.
I worry, though, that Washington and politics are so ingrained in our country that Obama's departure may cost him a well-deserved presidency.  By the way, why hasn't anyone brought up the fact Clinton has not written any legislation that passed.  She touts her support of important legislation, but never authored anything.
I watched the entire show and was annoyed that she answered most of Tim's questions with Obama criticisms. She certainly is focused on finding fault with him right now, makes me wonder how worried she must be about him
GO HERE AND READ THIS ARTICLE ABOUT OBAMA BEING A MUSLIM JUST OUT TODAY.  THE ARTICLE HAS CONFIRMED THAT HE IS AN EX-MUSLIM AND MUST BE EXECUTED BY THE ISLAMIC LAW SINCE HE NOW SAYS HE IS A CHRISTIAN.

http://news.newsmax.com/?yM.mDK2a1cvzjauo0KIShBRKzQy Here is a quote from the article And he adds: “All this matters, for if Obama once was a Muslim, he is now what Islamic law calls a murtadd (apostate), an ex-Muslim converted to another religion who must be executed. Were he elected president of the Untied States, this status, clearly, would have large potential implications for his relationship with the Muslim world.”
COULD HE BE AN EX-OBAMA IF HE IS ELECTED? That's pretty divisive don't you think.
We'll be here to welcome you to Missouri, Barack! We're wide awake and we know the Clinton's and what they're about. They are only getting louder and nastier because they see there control slipping away, one voter at a time.

Go Barack! Go!
My question is how many do overs do the Clintons get, seems to be alot of attacking and then saying thats not what I meant.
Now lets say Clinton is President and oversea's do you think other contries will buy this, if she says something and it insults a country, a couple days later Clinton will say I didn't mean that, well it might work once but I doubt it!!!


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