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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 Political Researcher



Obama on MLK Day

Posted: Monday, January 21, 2008 3:05 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
COLUMBIA, SC -- Obama began Martin Luther King Jr. Day by greeting supporters at Zion Baptist church before marching to the state capitol -- arm in arm with NAACP leaders and throngs of South Carolinians.

As the only candidate in the march, he got the spotlight to himself. Clinton's plane didn't land on time and Edwards was nowhere to be found.

Obama and Edwards sat for a while in the bitter cold on the steps of the capitol while the president and other leaders of the NAACP spoke about the problem of racism in America and the apathy of the black community when it came to voting. "You are free right now," NAACP president Dennis Hayes said.

Obama took the stage to much applause and delivered a brief version of the speech he gave in Atlanta the day before. "Unity is the great need of the hour." was his message, using King's words to underscore the theme of his campaign. "South Carolina unity is the great need of this hour," Obama told the crowd to oversome the country's "moral deficit."

Obama said at the start of his speech that he wanted "to honor his outstanding competitors and partners in this race, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards," but he also didn't refrain from taking a mild swat at his rivals in the race by talking about how he had been accused of talking about hope too much.

But on this day, Edwards and Clinton had nothing but praise for Obama, saying they were proud that "this young man," as Edwards put it ,was running. By stressing Obama's age in comparison to the other candidates however, one has to wonder if the question was a subtle dig.

Normally a long speaker, Obama gave up the podium in a little more than ten minutes, as the South Carolina president of the NAACP, Lonny Randolph, gestured for him to stop speaking. But that was a time constraint that Randolph had trouble keeping himself when he promised the crowd that he would speak for 12 minutes before going on for more than 30.

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Make no mistake
These smears come from the Clinton Campaign
Is there NOTHING they won't do to win ?
Do we want 4 years of THIS ?

From the Politico


'...January 15, 2008
Read More: Barack Obama

Jewish leaders fight back on Obama smears


The anonymous anti-Obama e-mail campaign has been
particularly viral in Jewish political circles (one of
the ones accusing him of being some sort of Manchurian
candidate was actually translated into Hebrew), and a
broad group of prominent Jewish leaders just put out
an open letter pushing back:

Of particular concern, over the past several weeks,
many in our community have received hateful e-mails
that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize
Sen. Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as
a person.

These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our
community and a presidential candidate based on
despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on
religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate
members of our community into supporting or opposing
candidates.


January 15, 2008

An Open Letter to the Jewish Community:

As leaders of the Jewish community, none of whose
organizations will endorse or oppose any candidate for
President, we feel compelled to speak out against
certain rhetoric and tactics in the current campaign
that we find particularly abhorrent. Of particular
concern, over the past several weeks, many in our
community have received hateful emails that use
falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator
Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a
person.

These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our
community and a presidential candidate based on
despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on
religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate
members of our community into supporting or opposing
candidates.

Attempts of this sort to mislead and inflame voters
should not be part of our political discourse and
should be rebuffed by all who believe in our
democracy. Jewish voters, like all voters, should
support whichever candidate they believe would make
the best president. We urge everyone to make that
decision based on the factual records of these
candidates, and nothing less.

Sincerely,

William Daroff, Vice President, United Jewish
Communities

Nathan J. Diament, Director, Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America

Abraham Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation
League

Richard S. Gordon, President, American Jewish Congress

David Harris, Executive Director, American Jewish
Committee

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism

Phyllis Snyder, President, National Council of Jewish
Women

Hadar Susskind, Washington Director, Jewish Council
for Public Affairs....'


From the same people that brought the Monica denials
From the people who brought you the meaning of 'is'

Senator Obama did what he does best - deliver well prepared speeches. However, his record in Illinois (over 100 present votes) reveals very little to deny that his talk is supported by action; there is no there, there.  And to quote Ronald Reagan - what was he thinking? And then to be upset when his praise for Reagan is used against him - shame on you Senator Obama.
Obama ought to run as preacher in chief.

One of my aunts is black. And no, not the same one that is Jewish.
By Paul Abrams, Huffington Post

...Hillary said during the Nevada debate that she voted for the Bankruptcy Bill of 2001 (as did John Edwards) that made it impossible, for example, for single mothers with high healthcare costs for their children to declare bankruptcy, but she was "glad the bill did not pass." Huh?

Hillary told Russert on Meet the Press that she voted for the Iraq War Authorization Act, but thought it was only to insert inspectors into Iraq. She then referred to the Hagel bill, which was not the bill she voted for. Then, in response to the question of why she voted against the Levin Amendment, that would have inserted the inspectors but forced Bush to come back to Congress before going to war, she said that she always wanted to restrict the president's authority to go to war. Huh? (On her prior visit to Meet the Press she had referenced Bill Clinton's Kosovo and Bosnia operations that occurred without Congressional approval, and said she did not want to compromise the President's freedom of action.]

Then, her campaign tried its hand at voter suppression by contesting rules adopted by the Democratic Party for the caucuses AFTER they did not get the Culinary Workers Union support. Bill Clinton claimed simultaneously he had nothing to do with the lawsuit and that he thought the system was unfair and should be overturned by the courts, i.e., he inhaled but he didn't roll the stogie.

Hillary then professed ignorance about how foreign funds that are purchasing US assets work. Her chief advisor, Mark Penn, represents one of those firms, and Hillary doesn't know about them?

But, the ultimate was Hillary's implication in the debate that she had experience running a bureaucracy, she was the only one prepared on day one to deal with a terror attack. Again, very inauthentic, instead she ought to say what her experience has been. I am not aware of her having any executive experience nor ever having managed an organization involved in stopping a terrorist attack before it happened, or even responding after it happened.

Edwards and Obama were strangely silent as Hillary suggested that she was more "ready on day one" than they were. As indicated in "Newsflash: Clintons Back Bill Richardson for President" (January 7, 2008), the only person in the whole race with executive and foreign policy experience was Bill Richardson who, regrettably, dropped out of the race.

(By the way, inexperience in dealing with preventing terrorist attacks includes ALL the candidates currently running both Democrat and Republican. Giuliani wins the prize for inexperience since his response to the 1993 WTC attack was to ignore security agencies recommendations on where he should place his communications center. How any candidate lets any other suggest that they have the anti-terrorist experience without challenge boggles the mind. The major point is the Bush and Republicans were asleep at the wheel on 9/11, and that their policies increase the risk of terrorism, not that candidate A is better at preventing an actual attack than candidate B].

For reasons hard to understand (because the Republicans will do it anyhow), no one (moderator or candidate) has ever asked Hillary just what it was she actually DID behind the scenes at the White House. Did she manage departments, manage the White House staff? Did she organize legislative strategy to get the Clinton program passed? Did she participate in the response to the World Trade Center car-bombing in 1993? Did she manage the operation that caught the Millenium bomber at the Canadian border? We already know she did not have national security clearance, but why didn't she? What about those White House papers that refer to Hillary?

It may be that Hillary HAS actually done a lot, HAS actually acted as a co-president, and thus has the experience she touts. But, she has never said that. And, that gets right back to the issue of authenticity. One might suspect that if she really had those experiences, she would speak about them specifically. That would be authentic.

What we have heard, instead is this: She voted for the bill authorizing the Iraq War, but didn't mean it. She voted against the bill that inserted inspectors into Iraq but forced Bush to come back to Congress to get war authorization, but she always wanted to limit the president's authority. She voted for the Bankruptcy Bill but was pleased it did not pass. She touts her experience but has not indicated what it is she actually did that confirms that experience. She suggests she is the only one prepared to deal with a terror attack, but never indicates what her expertise is in that role. She says that executive experience, managing departments, is critical... but does not indicate that she has ever done it.

The Clintons' handlers are back in charge. Are we all just supposed to inhale?
Aswini Anburajan
It is difficult for me to believe that as a reporter you were unable to get a comment from Edward's camp as to the reasoning of his absence from the march. To state that he was nowhere to be found indicates to me that as reporter, you are either with bias or lazy.

OMG!!

Muslims, Christians, Republicans... And,

Armageddon "Knee high to a tick politics."

In our quest and pursuit of the downward spiral, of the lowest common denominator, that is rapidly becoming what I will call "knee high to a tick" politics, everything is fair game....  

In truth I don't think that is the "proper" approach, but I guess it is a "necessary" approach.  Why?  Because the Republicans are going to boil this down despite Obama's claim that the system has not boiled all the "hope an unity" out of him...  "Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet,"  the blue hot flame of the Republican crucible, is waiting just around the corner...

Obama's affiliation with a radical church and even more radical members. *Twenty years,* folks...  How is he going to explain that to the Republican Attack Machine, and then there's drugs.... Well in my opinion, the drugs are minor, but the Muslim affiliation thing is beyond "polarization" the Republicans will have Obama and Louis Farrakhan eating dinner together and his very non mainstream church and minister, all plotting something like at the very least Armageddon. But it will be on the wrong side of course, if it was a good christian Armageddon that would be fine... But it doesn't really matter what...  Nothing excites Republicans more than religion, beyond of course the ultimate Republican ecstasy, giving money to the rich...

But, the finesse, of the religion card, as played by the Republicans, would make Jesus himself jealous.  So when it comes to defeating heathen radical Muslims, who want to destroy America, the World, and, the Universe..  They will suck votes from every block, of Christians in America, every Republican, their dogs and gold fish, will all be tearing down the polling stations, to vote and save all humanity... Wow that's a serious responsibility...  But, the Religious Right of the Republican party believes it's up to them, and they are the only ones who understand, and therefore can do it... That is save the Universe, and give all to the rich who are so needy...

Yes I know it is kind of funny, but it is a reality that needs to be explored *NOW.*   Because in the general election, the kid gloves the Clinton's and the media are handing Obama with, because of his seemingly "affirmative action" candidacy.  Will come off, and if he can't deal with Billary now, he don't stand a chance with the "praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" Republicans.

So lets get it all out in the open and "boil it down."  Sorry Obama, I know your followers believe you are the Messiah... and you are the *only one* who can save the world....  But there are legions of us out "here" who want to know once again " where's the beef?" Yes I know it's a saying from the past "nothing new."   But neither is "peace love dove all you groovy people." that's old hat too.  

It all needs to be out in the open, NOW so we can decide... Hillary and Bill have a major legacy, like or not, it's there... But "we" don't really know you....
OBAMA SUPPORTERS   GO TO CLINTONS CHRONICLES.COM AND READ OR WATCH VIDEO  HOW THEY RAN AND PROTECTED A 10 MILLION A MONTH COCAINE CARTEL, AND THE COVER UP MURDERS AND SUCIDES  INCLUDING 2 TEEN LEFT ON A RAILROAD TRACK FOR WHAT THEY SAW---THEY ARE SCARCY -SHOULD BE IN PRISON
OBAMA SUPPORTERS   GO TO CLINTONS CHRONICLES.COM AND READ OR WATCH VIDEO  HOW THEY RAN AND PROTECTED A 10 MILLION A MONTH COCAINE CARTEL, AND THE COVER UP MURDERS AND SUCIDES  INCLUDING 2 TEEN LEFT ON A RAILROAD TRACK FOR WHAT THEY SAW---THEY ARE SCARCY -SHOULD BE IN PRISON
Fred Dobbs,
I didn't know it was possible to get Internet while living under a rock.  Please come out and join the rest of civilized society who reads the facts instead of babbling the tag lines.

I hope you're a Republican; if you're a Clinton supporter you've given the world one more reason to vote for someone else.  The Clinton attack line of "present" votes has been so thoroughly explained and denounced by groups such as Planned Parenthood that those who continue to spout it only reflect their own ignorance.

Please join the rest of civilized society
amazed at the ignorance of fred. shame on someone so easily fooled. that why those like fred are called fools.  
People really should look at the tape of Obama's comments or read a transcript before commenting. He didn't praise Reagan, get over it. Bill is about to get Hillary's campaign in trouble over furthering this lie.
The Clinton spin doctors and surrogates keep making the claim that millions of Americans respect Bill Clinton.  Not I!  As a lifelong Democrat, I lost respect for the liar during the Monica Lewinsky sexcapade in the Peoples' House.  Talk about experience?  And certainly, there was poor judgment on our former President's part!

Younger Americans need to know all about this too.  As this retired English teacher recalls,  as President, he also abandoned the most vulnerable among us: welfare mothers and their children, gays and lesbians, and those earning the lowest incomes who were never ever lifted up by the dot com bubble.  He also sold out our manufacturing base with Nafta and assisted China in many ways--including militarily that haven't surfaced yet--long before George Bush did.  And because Hillary blew the health care initiative so pathetically, millions of Americans still suffer without access to afforadable health care.  Consider also that Bill Clinton never even asked Congress to ratify the Kyoto Treaty on climate change.  In Africa as I recall--contrary to how Hillary remembers it--we stood by and did NOTHING while genocide occurred in Rwanda.  And what about Haiti and Somalia?  

Hillary Clinton chided Barack Obama recently for stating Reagan led a movement, unlike her husband; yet it was Alan Greenspan who referred to Bill Clinton as "one of our best Republican Presidents". Mark my words, this #1 whiner will be called to task soon on all the lies he spreads about Barack Obama!And so let Hillary continue to "stand by her man" still as he rants and raves and tears down the Democratic Party further.  Go stand in the corner, Bill...shame on you!
Notice that the only people who EVER say anything bad about Obama in comments are either 1) rabid Hillary supporters or 2) the nuttiest of far right-wing extremist wackjobs.  If someone makes a negative comment about Hillary, on the other hand, it could be just about anybody but a Clinton supporter.  Gee, I wonder who's stronger in a general election?

Barack Obama gave one of the greatest speeches in American history yesterday, and it's not the first time he has done so.  If you haven't seen the video, you don't know what you're missing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0x_TpDris

Dr. King was a great man, and a great leader. He died way too young and we need more like him.
Having said that; Obama does not instill unity in me, nor in the hearts and minds of most Democrats. He is divisive and mean spirited in his rhetoric about The Clintons, insincere in his salesman-like and non-sensical dietribes that are filled with philosphical gobble-dee-gook, and conspicuously evasive, when on the rare occasion he's asked what his plan(s) actually (are).
The Democratic Party isn't going to unite behind this snake oil salesman. Independents will unite behind him, while the rest of us search for a true leader.
Let's just nominate Hillary, and save ourselves from the embarrassment of another loss in yet another Presidential election.
I don't want to have to post "see, I told you so" in here on November 5th.

"Change" is a meaningless word unless you can define it. "Unity" is born out of strong, intellectual, and experienced leadership.
Hillary For President 2008!
Mortgage Crisis
Credit Card companies losing Billions
U.S. Jobs drying up
Oil skyrocketing
Money Markets going bust

all we're missing is the dust bowl sized drought.

Save your money America, there is no Hope, the clintons will make sure of that.
Breaking:

Larry Sinclair makes detailed accusion against Barack Obama.   Sinclair claims that in 1999, while Obama was serving in the IL legislature, he and Obama did drug together in Sinclair's limo, and engaged in homosexual relations.

Breaking:

Obama gay sex, crack use while in IL legislature.

Larry Sinclair makes direct, video taped allegation that he did drugs with Obama and performed oral sex on Obama in 1999.


http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/21/15941/0872#4

Contains youtube link to Sinclair making allegation on tape and offering to take polygrapgh
C Webb, Fort Mill, SC (Sent Monday, January 21, 2008 3:22 PM


Gotta love them Bible Thumper's in South carolina. Bible in one hand, knife in the other. Praise God, halleluehah, . Hillary is a TRANSEXUAL, amen, PRAISE THE lORD.

Really, can you religous Nutz be more STUPID.
I am a 57yr. old black, single woman.  I am also an Obama supporter.  I have been surprised and disappointed by Bill Clinton and the Clinton campaign's desperate, mean, nasty, implied racist, and phony emotional tactics. Any hope stirred from the Iowa caucus, that race could finally, possibly, be overlooked has been lost. Always having voted Democrat in the past, I’m sorry to say that if Obama doesn't win the nomination, I won't go Republican, but neither will I be voting for the ClintonS (plural)!!!

Bill needs to get over it and face the fact that his wife is running, not him! Makes one wonder exactly who would be the President should Billary win.
I, for one, am glad to see Obama speaking up about the lying tactics that Bill Clinton has chosen to use to get his wife in office and give himself a 3rd term!!!

Obama has pretty much steered clear of engaging Clinton, but at some point he had to speak out, or the media would have jumped at the chance to call him weak.

Lastly, I’m no fan of Ronald Reagan, but Obama said Reagan changed the “TRAJECTORY of the country…”, that I’ll accept, he did, in my opinion, not for the best. Obama is clearly trying to unite this country with it’s many opinions, divisive issues and growing language of hate toward others, while the Clinton’s have chosen to lift and carry the old, tired, worn banner of the Republicans to divide, divide, divide and conquer. For shame!!

I am let down, disgusted and disillusioned.  
But…how silly of me anyway…such audacity to dare assume hope!!!
Well said Roland!  Barack '08!

http://barackforpresident08.blogspot.com/
You Obama supporters are such whiners. He is sure pulled the wool over your eyes if you think he and his wife have not been fueling this race issue. The african american community should vote for him on his merits not his race. I think they are smart enough to get it. A slogan doesn't make you ready to be president.
Fred C. Dobbs,

As a resident of Illinois for 22 years, I know first hand that Obama cast OVER 4,000 votes in the senate, 130ish were present....do the math buddy.

As for the Regean comment....way to twist Obama's words around. He said Regean stood for change in that he defied conventional thinking. He concluded his remarks by saying that Regean's thinking has brought us little over time.

Get a grip Fred
I didn't lose respect for Bill Clinton until the past 3 weeks.  Now I am very disappointed in how he is treating Barack Obama, who is a thought leader and very worthy to be the next president.  Bill Clinton told him it's not your time, wait until 2016, and I think that we can't wait that long to have a clear vision beyond just balancing budgets and tweaking civil rights, we need someone who has the depth to ask us what we need to do ourselves to really claim this is a great country to live in and to serve as an example in the world. He has concrete, specific ideas for this and they are different and innovative.  Not everyone can innovate and this is what this country needs.  Innovation can come from experience but doesn't need it.  You just have to Think Different (to borrow from Apple).
As a sixty-one year old white woman Democrat, I will never vote for Hillary Clinton. Her husband, Bill Clinton, is a disgrace to this Democratic campaign.  Bill Clinton (I voted for him both times) suffered from an overabundance of false pride and an inability to control his behavior and an idea that he could lie with impunity.  If the Democratic party chooses Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, they will lose my vote and millions like me.
Analysts say black women this year never have been more engaged in a political campaign or held such power in determining the Democratic nominee.Recent polls show black women are expected to make up more than a third of all Democratic voters in South Carolina's primary in five days.For these women, a unique, and most unexpected dilemma, presents itself: Should they vote their race, or should they vote their gender?

http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=1601

.
C Webb,
Tell me you aren't so simple as to believe this Sinclair guy's baloney.  
Just in case, I will forward your post and info to the Obama campaign and the DNC, so that they can address this nonsense and you can go find some other way to communicate your racist hate.
As reported at politico.com and quoted below an endorser of Obama today at the MLK day event at Ebenezer Baptist Church implied Bill's past quotes were wrong and he was obviously campaigning for Obama as he was speaking.  It is also a bit discouraging that Obama supporters were chanting Obama's name as Clinton was speaking at the church.
-----------------------------------


With former President Bill Clinton standing not 20 feet in front of her, Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin took what appeared to be a political shot at the former president's comments about Barack Obama's candidacy.

Speaking at the 40th annual MLK commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Franklin said the country is on the "cusp of turning impossible into reality. Yes this is reality, not fantasy or fairy tales."

Clinton, in supporting his wife Hillary's bid for the Democratic nomination, recently took heat for referring to Obama's dramatic rise as a "fairy tale."

Franklin has endorsed Obama, who spoke from the same pulpit at Ebenezer on Sunday.

Today, after Franklin's remarks, the crowd of more than 2000 rose to its feet —except for Bill Clinton, who sat in his front pew seat and clapped politely.
The debate put me solidly behind Barack Obama for two reasons.
1. Clinton had repeatedly attacked Obama for considering 1 trillion dollar tax on "hard working Americans" to fund Social Security.  Apparently, Clinton is opposed to “raising the cap” on Social Security payroll tax on wages over $97,000 (about 6% of the population makes over that amount). Hillary apparently thinks that the middle class can fund SS from 100% of their wages while those that make more, can fund SS on just 50%, 20% or .5% of their total income and still be eligible for full benefits. She thinks the burden should stay on the middle class.
2. Also, Hillary wants to mandate (or force) everyone to pay for health care. The thinking is that will drive the price down. What incentive is there for insurance companies to lower the price is everyone is force to buy it? Further, Obama would have kids going to college stay on their parent’s health care. Hillary would have kids after they turn age 18 (whether in college or not) buy their own. Their parents would still likely have to continue to pay for a family plan, but insurance companies would benefit with another paying customer at age 18.
For all her talk about how families are struggling with gas, education, heating, and food costs, she wants to increase the financial burden by adding a mandatory health cost too.  
Some would call Hillary's attacks on Obama's stance on these issues as a way to deflect the real impact her own policies would have on the American people as politically artful. I'd call it a con job.
No surprise, here; Obama's revealed to be on da downlow.
He beez what he beez
No surprise, here; Obama's revealed to be on da downlow.
He beez what he beez


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