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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.

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Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



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

C'mon, First Read, get your headline right ~ somehow!
It reads "OBAMA VOLUNTEER WAS SHOOTING" and then the green "Search" button is where the word "VICTIM" should be!  This headline makes it appear that an Obama volunteer was somewhere doing the shooting!  Please do something to get it to read correctly.  Thank you.
Obama is NOT a muslim. WHY do people keep saying that?!?!?  Read a damn book people...
Obama is NOT a muslim. WHY do people keep saying that?!?!?  Read a damn book people...
If Obama is going to be the democratic nominee, he needs to explain the Larry Sinclair allegations.  The democrats that do not support him right now deserve to know the truth about this matter.  He could be a huge embarrassment to the Democratic party.
Regarding the 60 Minutes segment tonight - I was once again extremely disappointed in Senator Clinton.  Her innuendo that Senator Obama is not telling the truth about not being Muslim is fear-mongering at its worse!  I am SO proud of the messages that Senator Obama is giving my children: We Can-improve the economy.  We Can -protect our country AND get out of Iraq. We Can- once again become a respected member of the international community. We Can-educate all of our children. We Can- rebuild the infrastructure in our country. We Can- have affordable health insurance for all who want it.  Thank you, Senator Obama!  You will make a wonderful President for our wonderful country!
People in this democratic campaign are fighting so much because one candidate black and the other is a liar.
Lets see... Civilians in this country chose if we go to war or not so explain why we should care how many flag officers support her? Most of the senior officers I have met have been utter jerks. Remember why we do not like Military run dictAtorships.
Thanks be to God that He has given Mr. Obama,a high level of intelligence,I think it was a good thing that he mentioned the death of one of his workers. It would look bad indeed if he never mentioned it and he did so at the right moment, when there was the need to. No wonder God says, "Judge righteous judgement..." and in another place, "Judge not......"
It's terrible to say that something is so when of a truth, IT IS NOT!
tsg; what are you thinking with a statement like that.  You can not say you are going to shoot someone.  I hope the police are at your door making sure you are not serious.  
Thanks be to God that He has given Mr. Obama,a high level of intelligence,I think it was a good thing that he mentioned the death of one of his workers. It would look bad indeed if he never mentioned it and he did so at the right moment, when there was the need to. No wonder God says, "Judge righteous judgement..." and in another place, "Judge not......"
It's terrible to say that something is so when of a truth, IT IS NOT!
I am so sick of Hillary and her ignorant supporters. Bill contributed to where our country sits today (chaos) and Bush has kept the chaos going. Hillary is all about power and money. She has been involved in shady business deals with pharmaceutical companies, she supported this personal war that Bush is continuing as a favor to his father and dick chainey, she took a contribution from a company that has been sued by 103 women for sexual discrimination and misconduct...and wont give the money back ...yet shes all about women rights, right? REJECT OR DENOUNCE Hillary..? You were so quick to give that choice to Obama in the last debate but your slow to give that money back to a company that makes a mockery of what you claim to stand for. One thing I notice here, is Hillary's supporters are basing all of their opinions on GOSSIP ..and not the facts!! If you got the www at your finger tips..stop yappin bout what you dont know and start doing some research. Dont be so naive. and NO Obama is not a Muslim..facts people facts! cant complain about bright lights and cameras when you get your info on Barack from E-TV..dumb arses
More FACTS:Hillary Clinton wrote false affidavit?
against a 12 year old "rape" victim?
To win first big case?

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usark245589997feb24,0,2934440,print.story
I cannot believe he is using this story to boost his campaign!!!!   Where does the egocentrism of this person stops?  It is only all about him and what he can do or may do. He does not have the average person on his mind, he only sees himself and his agenda that is all.
HO Hum, another non-story stirring up the waters of division. The media has you all by the nose here people.
This is not news or important information to base your vote on.
I used to check this site out everyday, now once every week is enough to see that the fools are still here spouting nothing to enhance their choice.
A pox on both your houses!
I don't for one minute believe that you screen these blogs when you allowed the blog to run that said, "I'm shooting Obama in the head."("tsg" sent Sunday)  So don't try to tell me that this is "appropriate language".  Your site is pitiful.
Dredbear in Texas
finally someone touched on the critical point, thank You obamavets. I feel that when someone can show Me one actual Document of law signed By Hillary Rodham Clinton. I will begin to believe that She has any more experience to be President than anyone else. being Someone's spouse does not bring You any claim to that Person's  experience.. any more than My Wifes  Job experience makes Me Qualified to do that work. really do people not think before taking up bandwidth with these rantings? a final thought..... Having Flag Officers endorsing Presidential Candidates seems rather third world like to Me. Scary stuff.  
We raise our children to respect our country and it's representatives.  Our government sends them a different message!Our representatives lie, steal, cheat, create wars, use the White House as a Cat House for their extra curicular entertainment, and only GOD knows what else because we have a non transparant clandestine government led by a bonefide dictator using executive priviledge to cover it all up.  Collectively, their intelligence quota doesn't even come up to the idiot level. The Bush Administration and the Clinton's have done more damage to this country's morality than any other two
administration in the course of our country's history!
No more Clinton's in the White House.  Save our children and our grandchildren from their disgraceful
conduct!  Vote for Obama or Huckabee!
Everyone wants to make Obama out to be a Rock Star, I do not see this personally. The media and those that want to find any reason to degrade those that are behind him are the ones that make him a Rock Star in their own minds.

If he was always so serious and had the look of sadness or fear on his face, it would be OK for those that feel that way. I say we need a president that can laugh, smile, and be human. Unlike Mrs. Clinton who always try to appear so business serious until she seen it not working, then she too wants to become that Rock Star! It will never happen.

It is the people that have bought the lies about Obama being a Rock Star and all of them are Hilliary's supporters. When someone demonstrates confidence in themselves, are sure of who they are, you call it arrogance, if it were your child, you would call it self esteem.

Anyone can say or do, or spin rhetoric to attempt to make other people change their minds about a candidate but basically, when you have made up your mind you will stick to what you believe.

I just find it appalling when a woman wants me to vote  for her just because she is a woman. A weak one at that! Any woman that would stand by her man when he was running for president, against women that he had made his sexual advances, then once into the white house, he brings total shame to the presidency, yet she continued to stand by her man; I do not see her as a strong woman because of this, quite frankly I see her as a weak woman and one that the feminist movement should not support. I will not!

Then a woman that uses her friends to do all types of illegal things, then turns on them for the money, should be ashamed of herself.  I pray that tomorrow will rid this nation of Hillary Clinton and her husband, no more shame in the house, please!

Experience doesn't mean anything if you do not have the sense and judgment to make the best decisions. Look at her campaign management and strategy, does it demonstrate all the experience she has? What exactly will her experience do for us, handle our money, planning our country's strategy, give me a break please. You need to wake up!

Obama's campaign has managed money will, has put together the perfect strategy, and has overall been the best managed campaign in this primary season. This is what I look for in a president. You all go for that experience crap, making the best and safest decisions is what I would want out of a president.

Also, when I am making a decision to hire someone it is not only experience I am seeking. I am also seeking someone that would be great working with others, that is not too serious that working with that person is like working with your alienating other members of the team. Personality and great judgment are on top of my list.

Some bosses have great experience but they can't get the employees to do anything because they are hated so much and the turnover is greater.

So you vote for the experienced person (allegedly) and I will vote for great judgment, personality, easy to work with others to accomplish our main goals, and someone that actually thinks before they say anything.
I'll agree to let local governments place restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms to suit local conditions if Barak's government is equally willing to allow the same with respect to Civil Rights for black people.


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