Obama volunteer was shooting victim

Posted: Sunday, March 02, 2008 12:27 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
PARMA HEIGHTS, OH -- At a town hall last night, Obama revealed that one of his top volunteers in Iowa was gunned down in the Omaha Mall shooting several months ago.

John McDonald, 65, was a precinct captain for Obama in Council Bluffs, Iowa (just across the border from Omaha). McDonald was Christmas shopping with his wife when he was gunned down.

Obama revealed the information when answering a question about violent crime and gun control.

"This past Sunday, I had the heartbreaking experience to be at the memorial service of the NIU students, prior to that I had one of my top volunteers in Iowa, was one of the people that was killed in the mall in Nebraska," Obama said.

Obama added, "He was about to get on the elevator with his wife when the young deranged man shot in the head, and he was killed."

Obama, according to his spokeswoman Jen Psaki, did not know the volunteer. McDonald had spent considerable time in the campaign's Council Bluffs office and his death affected the organizers there badly.

Obama added that when shootings like these are "occurring every three months," it was indicative of a larger problem. He called for "common sense" gun laws including: stronger background checks to prevent the mentally ill from obtaining guns, said the COPS program, closing the gun show loophole and using new technology to better trace guns used in drug crimes.

He was quick to say that he believed in the 2nd Amendment, but he said the right had to be used responsibly. He compared restrictions on gun ownership to how one curbs free speech, saying yelling "Fire!" in a crowded town hall like this one violated that right.

Shortly after the shootings at Northern Illinois University, Obama had said at a press conference that he also believed that local jurisdictions had the right to place limits on gun ownership and usage, depending on their needs.

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Comments

The volunteer faced death and looks at life very carefully now - and he chose to support OBAMA !

So do I. For the future, for the American People

OBAMA'08

Janet (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 12:47 PM)

After something like this, how could Obama "not" support stronger gun-control laws? The only question is whether he'll enforce them.

Tony Travis, Kansas City, Missouri (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 12:51 PM)

Talk about using a tragity to boost your campain. What were you thinking Obama?
One of my top supporters was gunned down!!!
Get a grip, it always have to be all about you doesn't it. You turn my view of new politics into same old crap from you.
Did you read about Rezko in New York Times. Your more crooked then Nixon.

Tired of the Media,Scottsbluff,Ne. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 12:54 PM)

We also need to end this culture of fear.

We can do that by rejecting the candidates (McCain and Hillary) that want us to be afraid.

adam/nyc (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 12:58 PM)

He is just trying to capitalize off this persons death.

Ashley, McKinney, TEXAS (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:06 PM)

yah i dont think Obama is using "tragedy" to boost his campaign and about the Rezko thing...didn't you see that he gave several thousand dollars that he got from him back to charity! come on brother do you research and if you're so of the media then you should know better than to belive all you read or see...peace OBAMA '08

anthony adams old hickory, tn (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:18 PM)

It's time for a change. No More Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton.
It is time for NO more "Business as usual".
With Mrs.Clinton; we get Bill Clinton all over again. He'll be calling the shots in her name.
We need REAL change.

Janet Stewart, W. Covina, CA (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:23 PM)

Reject the Politics of Fear and Smear !!

Reject (and denounce) Hillzilla !

Maggy (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:27 PM)

How tragic and sad. My condolences to the family.

It is unfortunate Anburajan words do not reflect the words used by Obama. The mental pictures reflect two different scenarios. So, words do matter.

I myself have lost a brother to a robbery in Fargo, ND and friends to violence and DD's in AK, MN, MI, and IN. I also support the responsible ownership of guns, do not let the few ruin it for the many. There are thousands of laws on the books, but who will enforce those laws? It will need to be done on the state, local, and individual levels. We all need to remember that violence begets violence and that we are responsible for our own actions.

OBwan (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:29 PM)

notice the obama is struting his stuff now? Of course it's all about obama. what else?

GO HILLARY GO GO GO

vickie C Blaine MN (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:31 PM)

OBAMA IS THE REAL DEAL!

HE DOESN'T NOT TO FAKE CRY!!

HE DOESN'T NEED TO STUR UP RACIAL DEVIDE!

HE IS A UNITER!

GO BARACK OBAMA 2008

DON SEALAND, MIAMI, FLORIDA (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:33 PM)

Get a grip, Tired... he was ASKED a question about how he feels about gun control. If someone asked a parent of a Columbine High School student how s/he felt about gun control, and the parent replied, would you cry that the parent was making the topic all about h/her?? Or ask someone at Northern Illinois University about gun control... or the parents of the 15-year old boy who was killed by another 15-year old boy last week simply because the boy was gay and the other feared him.

Get a life, Tired of the Media.... kids are being killed while attending school, or on college campuses, much, much too often. Ask a parent, or anyone in the community where these shootings are happening, how they feel about gun control and they're going to respond based on their personal experiences.

Cathy / Austin, Texas (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:37 PM)

The gun lobby misuses the 2nd Amendment to fight ANY regulation of firearms, in direct opposition to the amendment itself. The 2nd Amendment is predicated on the need for a "well regulated militia". Some seem to prefer a completely unregulated mob.

Obama was right to mention the tragic, senseless killing of one of his supporters by a deranged, heavily armed individual. Are we truly a democracy when a single lunatic with a firearm can change the course of history? No one wanted to believe that a single, sad loser like Oswald could end an era.

Welcom to the tyranny of nuts with guns, brought to you by your friends at the NRA.

America had better wake up.

Mitch Wright, Denver (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:42 PM)

Adam.... Not only do they WANT us to be afraid, they're TELLING us to be afraid. Very afraid. Especially at 3:00 AM.

And I really hate the fact that she uses images of babies and small children to instill fear in our minds so that we'll vote for her, because only she can "protect" us.

Furthermore, as woman, it really angers me that she's some sort of self-proclaimed Women's Rights activist, yet she refuses to give back that 170,000 she received from a company being sued for multiple cases of sexual harassament in the work force.

Hillary can't manage her own campaign, pisses away the money that the (as Bill Clinton referred to them yesterday) "itty bitty people... who have no money" donate to her campaign. If she even gave a flock about those "itty bitty people" who can't afford to donate, you would think she would say; "No... put away your credit card... you really cannot afford to be giving money to me when I can so easily get it elsewhere."

Tracey, Syracuse, NY (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:48 PM)

Lets be honest, the world we live in is very shaky. To the people above who comment on "culture of fear" - get real. With the unrest in the world we had better pay attention and be ready at a moments notice. If/when something bad happens - we don't have time to wait on a speech. We don't need a stuttering man who has to think about each word before he says it (unless he's giving a "speech"). We need someone who has the knowledge to communicate with foreign leaders (who care nothing about speeches by the way) - we have no idea what Obama would have to say about foreign specifics because Hillary gets and answers those questions first and all Obama can manage is "well, I agree with what she said".

Flag Officers Endorsing Hillary Clinton for President and Commander-in-Chief

General Wesley Clark
General John M. Shalikashvili
General Johnnie E. Wilson
Admiral William Owens
Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard
Lt. Gen. Robert Gard
Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy
Lt. Gen. Donald L. Kerrick
Lt. Gen. Frederick E. Vollrath
Vice Admiral Joseph A. Sestak
Major General Roger R. Blunt
Major General George A. Buskirk, Jr.
Major General Edward L. Correa, Jr.
Major General Paul D. Eaton
Major General Paul D. Monroe, Jr.
Major General Antonio M. Taguba
Rear Admiral Connie Mariano
Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman
Rear Admiral David Stone
Brigadier General Michael Dunn
Brigadier General Belisario Flores
Brigadier General Evelyn "Pat" Foote
Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr
Brigadier General Virgil A. Richard
Brigadier General Preston Taylor
Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr.
Brigadier General Jack Yeager

D. Weaver (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 1:55 PM)

Obama, I Am a Republican and I am not with you. However, please convince me: I suspect that you are a fa of Che' Guevara, therfore, the Democratic Party's ccnduit of Radical Socialism also known by Chavez as the Socialism of the 21st. Century.Am I wrong?

Ed Sarango, Winchester, California (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 2:00 PM)

SO. Is this some reason to vote for obama. I do not think so.

Go Hilliary

Don State College, PA (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 2:10 PM)

These shooting prove one thing, the need for more conceal carry permits! If one law abiding citizen would have been armed there would have been far fewer deaths. Make not mistake about it. This nation was founded by and remains free because of a well-armed populace!
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/

twocanpete (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 2:20 PM)

I guess no one gets it...all those flag represenatives behind BILLARY... want her to win so the final election will go to McCain....they could care less about her...they are worried Obama will win and it will be an OBAMA/McCain vote ... McCain can beat in a hot second....

Don't be fooled by what you see in the media and what Bill and Hillary will do to get into the white house...they do not care about you as a person...just as long as you vote for Hillary...she'll say thank you and then it's over for America....you will have Bill in the white house again....won't you be happy?

GO OBAMA... A BETTER GOVERNMENT FOR OUR WORLD...

I STILL WANT TO SEE HILLARY/BILL'S TAX RETURNS....

Patty, Lodi CA (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 5:25 PM)

my cousin is the men's basket ball coach at NIU he and the rest of the staff are STILL in a state of shock over this tradgedy. there is NO DOUBT that the mentally ill should have NO access to fire arms at ALL.
This is not a political issue its just plain COMMON SENSE.....there is NO place for partisan BS in regards to the basic safety of people.

alan kent munich germany (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 5:39 PM)

When the phone rings at 3 am and Hillary is the President, most likely it is about Bill, getting in trouble ... again

sergei (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 6:21 PM)

HE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH COMPASSION TO CRY..IT'S ALL ABOUT HIS EGO SELF

GALEIGHPARKIN OCALA FLORIDA (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 6:34 PM)

Yes - We need to ban all guns because we know that they kill people. So do cars and knives and poor life choices. People don't kill people - Give me a break!!

Mike, S.E.Mo. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 6:34 PM)

THE NEW ROCK STAR AND AMERICAN IDOL..OBAMA MAMA IS IN THE HOOD! GOTS TO BEAT THE MOTOWN MAMA..

galeigh parkin ocala florida (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 6:38 PM)

Obama, I am an Independent and I will vote for you. You have character, integrity and humility. You are a uniter; a person that tries to bring everybody to together. You think twice before speaking. And, you are respectful. Your mother would be very proud of you. I am sick and tired of the old status-quo way of politics. Keep up the good work and don't let the mud slinging get to you. That is what they want to do, catch you up, and acuse you with ties to the wrong people. McCain and Hillary has a past. People need to take time and do their research.

Gramtee (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 6:55 PM)

She couldnt even run a campaign against Obama and she accuses him of not being ready. Mrs. Bill Clinton, when you have squandered our nations wealth, will you loan us $5million as well. 35 years of experience and still nothing to show for it….
I voted for the war before I became against it.
I praised Nafta before I condemned it
I was running on Experience, before I started running for change.
I was proud of Obama before I became ashamed of him.
I vote for bills and then hope that they dont pass.

Boy she is a real hypocrite.

Zia, Redding CT (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 6:59 PM)

All about Obama. I think it is sad that he uses a tragedy that happened several months ago. He should have brought it up than that one of his campaign people were killed in the mall. Another way for him to snuffle situations. I always felt that he was arrogrant but over the last two weeks since he has proclaimed himself the president it has worsen. Keep in mind Murphy's Law!!

phoenix, az (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 7:50 PM)

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT???please read carefully,this man is a muslim,the very people we are fighting for our countrys freedom. please,give me a break. how soon we forget.

J.R. FIELDS OWINGSVILLE KY. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 7:52 PM)

obama needs to remember that the japanise was in washington to sign atreaty when they bombed pearl harbor. hillary was there when the twin towers were blown up.the american need to put god back in schools andthe country.its scary to see people act like he is aelvis act.what the point to bring our troops home till the job is finished.

linda (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 7:54 PM)

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT???please read carefully,this man is a muslim,the very people we are fighting for our countrys freedom. please,give me a break. how soon we forget.

J.R. FIELDS OWINGSVILLE KY. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 7:57 PM)

At least Hillary didn't use the tragic death of the police officer to further her own campaign.

jdona (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:01 PM)

I can see the Hillary supporters are so weary they're all in denial. Someone said that the Clinton's will stop at NOTHING to get elected. Just saw the interviews on 60 Minutes tonight. Seems that way.
And the list of military personnel supporting her doesn't impress me. Give me The Stutterer any day over The Victim!

GoHomeHillary (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:22 PM)

Hillary's supporters are pathetic and diseased, but repblicans are even worse.

john w. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:23 PM)

Honestly...I think about what Bill Clinton did in his term of office and how silver tongue he can be. I didn't vote for Hillary because she is a woman...I made my choice based on her last name (CLINTON). I do not want to see Bill on TV anymore or anywhere near the White House making change or messing up more what he created to better himself. BILL go home and injoy your retirement...Maybe after Obama is done in the White House Office and Hilllary runs again, I will gladly push for a woman in Office. Right now Hillary, you are riding BILLS curtails. I don't know if this all makes sense but this is how I feel. READY FOR CHANGE I BELIEVE!!!!!

LP Halliday, ND (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:25 PM)

For those of you that are saying Obama is using this to boost his campaign. Again you being hippocrits. What about when Hillary had a police officer die protecting her? Remember how she made comments about that. I think both of them were being sincere (yes, actually Hillary too.)So be fair.

AJ (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:44 PM)

Shame on Hillary supporters who claim Obama is capitalizing on his supporter's death.

SHAME ON YOU A**HOLE CLINTON SUPPORTERS!

RobK, Seattle, Wash. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:57 PM)

Ed Sarango, are you one of those poor, undeducated Clinton supporters who can't reasonably give thought to make your question clear enough for anyone to understand?

Lord of mercy, please stay home in November. We don't need your vote.

P.S. If you're so scared of Communism, you better stop buying all that Chinese stuff you buy at Wal-Mart!

RobK, Seattle, Wash. (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:59 PM)

Obama is using someones death to drum up support of his political ambitions. I'm sick of him. You havent heard this in his stupid Rally's and I been there. He metioned the same old junk he does in all his other rallys and is really boring.

Im decided now as is my Family im voting for Hillary in Ohio March 4th. We are life lond Democrats who cant see why obama has been given the Golden boy status. If Hillary doesnt win or isnt on the ticket were voting McCain!

Curt, Ohio (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:01 PM)

It doesn't matter how many military personnel support Hillary, at the end of the day, she will still make the same wrong snap judgments that she has made all along. She attack Barack in the early debate when he said that he would act in Pakistan. Now G. W. Bush has done exactly what Obama said to do and hit the terrorists where it hurts. Got their # 3 Guy.
He was right about Pakistan, He was right about Iraq, he's right about gun control, he's right about solving the social security crises. Barack Obama, Right for America!

Ellyn Gray, Detroit, MI (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:10 PM)

Children killing children is symptomatic of a much more serious societal problem. Our society is sick. Obama is right, every month or so, one of our children goes crazy and kills a lot of innocent people. Gun control is not the problem, it is much deeper than that. This country has lost respect for human life. Our children watched as this country attacked another for no reason other than to steal oil. Our children watch daily as the President lies to us blatantly, congress and the senate fail us regularly, we are sold out, brutalized and abused and our children, for fiscal stability are sacrificed.

There was a time students were taught how to care about one another in classes designed to do so. It became more expedicious to shift the money from the schools and eliminate classes and give Halliburton the money. For longer than time, this country has thrown our children away. We can blame the Republican Party. In all my adult life, Democrats have always faught over healthcare and education. We have years when it gets better, Kennedy era blessed education. Republicans took over and stripped education to nothing, gave tax breaks to the wealthy. Childrens watched a party steal, kill, torture. American People wonder why? Republican Party reiterate wrongful action for our children to emulate and sooner than later we must ask the next time a child kills in mass other children, why and not blame the gun. Corporate greed put the problem there abetted by coruption from the highest hierachy of government. Halliburton, Exxon, BoA, etal. are why our children hill. They are learning by example. They've learned to not have conscience. They've learned murder is profitable and the right of passage for American politics.

Ladean (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:38 PM)

Ed Sarango, Winchester, California (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 2:00 PM),

One of Obama's supporters put up that flag. Obama's campaign put out a strongly worded statement that they do not support Che Guevara or the policies and tactics he used when he was alive.

http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/02/12/on_reports_of_an_inappropriate.php

MGP, NY (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:41 PM)

shame on you people for using this tragedy to bash obama with! did y'all bash hillary when one of her police escort died and she had to visit the family, once in the hospital and in the funeral? a person died, for God's sake! how would you feel if it happened to you?

shame on you!

truth be told (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:42 PM)

If Obama is the person to unite the Democrats,why are you all fighting? This is the first time that I can remember the people from the same political party fight so much. I think it needs to stop. Sad to say but I think he has divided people more than united. He has only been in the Senate for 2 years(2005) and already has divided the Democrats like this? He is change I give you that much. Not sure if for good. By the way I am a Republican.

Carolyn Mia.Fl (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:44 PM)

Would that be the same Rezko that Bill and Hillary posed with in this portrait?

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/759420,012508clinton.article

SR (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:46 PM)

I'm shooting Obama in the head

Clinton '08

tsg (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:46 PM)

D. Weaver
Nice cut and paste work. I would cut and paste the much larger number of men and women in the military that have given way more support to Senator Obama than Billary. However, as you can guess it would take up pages. As a Iraq war vet, i resent the fact that she can claim to be a better commander and chief considering that she didn't even take the time to read the intell report before voting to send so many men and women to war.

shawn, oakboro, nc (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:52 PM)

The Clinton people are trying the old poltics of fear tatics. If you can't win votes from people based on your merits, con them out of their vote by scaring them. Obama isn't using any tricks. He answers all questions regardless of how it plays in his campaign. Stupid people need to stop falling for the political fodder used to create spin, and recognize that any information put out on a candidate during a campaign must be assumed false until credible, and indisputable evidence is presented.

Kim Morrison, Homosassa, Florida (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 10:03 PM)

Why most of Hillary's voters seem to be uneducated. I see they can't spell either, "Tragity for Tragedy."

Drdike (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 10:10 PM)

Having a group of flag or general grade officers endorse someone is not a testament to that person's ability. This is particularly true without knowing the detail of their backgrounds. Has Hillary actively worked in an official capacity with those people? Just because they had stars on their collars, doesn't mean that they can anoint Hillary as a national security expert. Don't forget that it is the generals that salute the Commander In Chief and then send young men and women off to die. If you base your decision on the endorsement of these people you might as well as except my endorsement as a 20 year Army retiree.

As far as I am concerned, I remember how Bill Clinton gutted the Army because of his celebration of the so called "Peace Dividend" and left us under strength and ill equipped to go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of those names are people who sat idly by and let our armed services go to war that way. That makes me question their judgment and by extension Hillary's judgment-not withstanding her vote to go war.

Don't buy Hillary's "experience" without asking one important question...what exactly is her experience?

obamavets.com

ObamaVetsdotcom (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 10:14 PM)

IRS eyes UCC over Obama's Hartford speech

The IRS said in the letter that it was concerned about articles posted on the church's Web site and on other sites stating that Obama had addressed nearly 10,000 people at the event. The agency also said Obama volunteers had staffed campaign tables "outside the center to promote his campaign." http://www.connpost.com/ci_8378716?source=rss

PDC, CT (Sent Sunday, March 02, 2008 10:43 PM)

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