When Obama looks back on November 5 and wonders why he lost the election it will be today, Labor Day.  War Hero President  McCain and his VP were all over the news from a hurricane command center in Mississipi, talking to the hundreds of millions of voters home for Labor Day watching the storm on CNN and Fox and other networks all day.  The campaign manager will not take e mails, they needed James Carville as a consultant but like Kerry, they will wait until all is lost and hire him two weeks before the election.  Carville would have had Obama on a plane to one of the storm centers in a heartbeat when McCain announced that Bush and Cheney were off the Convention and that he, McCain was headed for the storm zone.  

Democrats are totally brain dead.  They deserve to lose, but unfortunately all of America will lose.

Thank you for taking the high road, Obama! Gov. Palin will self-destruct on her own...

Obama deserves credit and praise for this statement. Maybe his fanatical supporters on here can tell us the substantitive and legislative achievements that Obama and Biden have accomplished. Liberal internet message board posters discussing issues and substance is a miracle and miracles can happen sometimes.

To all the Palin haters, you've now heard the marching orders from your leader....back off.  If you don't agree, get angry with him.  Since many of you believe and adore every word he says when it suits your fancy, do the same where he speaks here.  Thanks in advance!

Good for Obama!  High road!  What a solid ticket Obama & Biden are.  There were many good tickets for the Dems but this one is very balanced.  

Interesting how the Repubs are so interested in the hurricane this time around.  Did they learn their lesson or is it an election year???  Where was John McCain during Katrina?

JUST THOUGHT I WOULD DROP SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OBAMA'S "LACK OF EXPERIENCE".  LINDSAY GRAHAM WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HE DID WELL HERE IS JUST LITTLE BIT.

Barack Obama Organizations:

Center for Neighborhood and Technology
Chicago Annenberg Challenge
Cook County Bar
Cook County Bar Association Community Law Project
President, Harvard Law Review
Board Member, Joyce Foundation
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law
Leadership for Quality Education
Board Member, Woods Fund of Chicago

Barack Obama is on the following Committees in congress:

Foreign Relations, Member
Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, Member
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Member
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Member
Subcommittee on African Affairs, Member
Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Member
Subcommittee on European Affairs, Chair
Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security , Member
Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection, Member
Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration, Member
Veterans' Affairs, Member

Classic GOP sleazy gutter attack dog strategy.  
To accuse Sen. Obamas  supporters and campaign of attacking this "real motha of a candidate".  If Sen. Obama used "affirmative action" to pick his VP candidate, with a 16 year old PREGNANT daughter,  the MSM including MSNBC Gregory, FOX, Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh and the rest of the racist core GOP mouthpieces would be CRYING bloody murder 24/7 on all their MSM cable and network soapboxes.

Fair and first rate as always.

The news media, not the Obama campaign, really should provide the answers.  I am not sure if I would be more troubled by a 'cover up pregnancy' by Mrs. Palin for her daughter, or the fact that she chose to sexually reproduce a fifth child at age 44 (while a sitting governor).  Combined with her apparent 'absinence as sex ed' role, this is deeply troubling.

Hear, hear.  Families are off limits.  By the way, Obama's mother was married to his father before she got pregnant.  Huge difference.

Well said, Senator Obama. Thank you for being a decent human being. I'm appalled at the McCain campaign for playing the "liberal blog card" the same way they played the "race card". They're using this to their own sordid advantage and it's disgusting.

Sarah Palin is just a pawn and she's turning into a pathetic role model for women in politics. If she were a strong leader, she wouldn't be where she is now. She'd be learning and growing and getting ready to run when she knows a thing or two rather than trading on her big shot too early and letting John McCain ogle her butt on national tv.

Obama asks that his children be off limits. I agree, but he seems to want it both ways. He is the one that brings them onstage on a regular basis and encourages them to make complimentary statements about him. He even had them interviewed by a national reporter a couple weeks ago. His bloggers are also all over this webpage making indescent statements about Palins's child.

The difference here is that palin lied and said that was "HER" baby, when it was her daughter's first child.

No one would have cared whos baby it was if she

    DID NOT LIE ABOUT IT !!!

That is the difference...
She is introducing herself on the national scene with a LIE and pandering to the Hillary supporters ONLY because she is female.

She believes in NOTHING that Hillary fought for.

So the beauty queen brought her children into the political mix because of her LIE... Not OURS.

We ALL make mistakes, but:

#1. you learn from your first mistake with the guidence of your parents, and don't repeat them over and over.

#2. learning from others - a lie always finds the light of day

Our country has had it's share of lying polititians.  

She is not VP material...  PERIOD!

                     E-N-O-U-G-H

If it's true, it's true.  Don't try to put this off on the Obama campaign.  What did they think would happen when they chose a virtual unknown to be the VP candidate?  Result - everyone news organization is trying find everything they possibly can about her.  It was bound to be dug up.  Obama was right to come out strongly against this.  Families are off limits!!  It reminds me of the when McCain made that joke about Chelsea.  I wonder if he will also say, families are off limits.

Barack is right- kids should absolutely not be a topic of political debate.  However, what IS a legitimate topic of debate now is the need for comprehensive sex education for all our children in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies and potentially life-threatening STDs.  Both Palin and McCain would rather see children die than educate them properly.

In addition, another legitimate political topic is the "family values" that are reprensented when a couple gives birth to a Down Syndrome child, and then neither parent (even though they can afford to do so) is willing to stay home to care for and manage the special needs of that child.  The Palins selfishness in pawning off the care of their newborn to others is unforgiveable!

This reveals Obama's true character.  He is a truly noble man with a great deal of integrity. The McCain camp showed their true colors by trying to somehow tie the Obama camp to the scandal.  Shame on McCain and the Far Right media.

Now there's class. A true leader.

Call me cynical...but, this timeline seems a little too convenient for me.  This news was obviously used to diffuse the rumor that Trig is really Bristol's baby...way too much drama and I seriously doubt that McCain knew...

I guess Bristol failed her abstinence only education class...maybe if her Mom would give her and the rest of the family, especially the infant special needs child more attention, this would not have happened.

Family values my azz!

Go Obama!  I always knew he was a gentleman.  I've liked him for that since the beginning.  Heck, since he was elected in Illinois.

I'm proud to have him as my senator and my next President.

What Joe Scarborough really thinks about Palin Nomination!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTbsbeY5k5k

Let's see how they spin it this week.

This is not about children.  Its about the hypocrisy of McCain and Palin's "abstinence only" preaching.  Its about the RIGHT WING touting Palin as such an excellent MOTHER when she dumps her Down's Syndrome newborn and her pregnant teenage daughter to hit the campaign trail (saying that its okay because her older kids are good babysitters).  Its about the breathtaking lack of judgment McCain shows when he chooses a VP who he met only once and who was OBVIOUSLY never vetted.  This is not about poor Bristol and her situation.  This is about what this says about MCCAIN AND PALIN.  NOT READY ON DAY ONE.

thank you Senator Obama always taking the high road, such class!  Still as a U.S. Citizen, the possiblity of having Palin as President horrifies me.  this selection is so close to treason for what McCain is trying to do to America.  No disrespect to Obama but McCain is too old to be this wreckless.  We should all let our voices be heard on this absurd selection.  

I agree with Obama, the family should be off limits. But, as I tried to respond the original report of the pregnancy, this speaks to the potential veep pick and her judgement.  She has a special needs infant and now a daughter who is going to need her to be there even more than before, and where will she be?  There is no one more important then my family, not even my country!      

This is change we can believe in.  Good for you Obama, and hopefully we can just focus on the fact that Palin has poor judgement and is unqualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.  We don't need to smear her family to show that she is just a result of McCain pandering to voters.

Hey Obama supporters:  the big O doesn't approve of your messages.  Finally, the guy says something unambiguous, that I can actually agree with.  Now, if any of you who were posting this garbage ARE affiliated with the campaign, the word is that you are fired.  I guess that's the end of Captain Smash.  So long. It's been real.

Good for Obama.

You see, their problem is not the left - we are very liberal about these things - we merely scoff at the hypocrisy of it all 9including Edwards!). However, Palin/McCain problems will come from their own party who are still intent on legislating MORALS and THEIR religious codes upon others.

Nothing is off limits after the swiftboating of John Kerry.  It's payback time!

This is about responsible family planning, birth control and a woman's right to choose.  "Abstinence Only" Palin has proven that she can't even teach her daughter her own clueless family values gibberish.

The Dumb and Dumber ticket is the worst possible choice for our country and people this election cycle and we're going to rub the noses of the repugnant ones in their own hubris every day.

Only Obama/Biden will bring intelligence and real science back to the White House!

Go Obama/Biden 08/12!

As a strong Obama supporter, he needs to say something worthy or completely stay out of it. I am getting tired of Obama trying too much to look toooooo good. McCain did not say anything when the NEOS ran the AYERS AD, McCain thought that the Obama smear book was funny and McCain has made Obama look unpatriotic. So Obama, if you don't know how to respond to things like this, be quiet.

But the parents are reponsible for those children....
and the "do as I say" not "do as I do" must be an example to the family members...or there are deep drill down questions that still remain..and those doubts feed like blood to the sharks in this political challenge...
Truth and repentance is the correct answer the republicans knows or doubts linger as to that person's ability to lead...
Remember the children are mirror images of the parents..and those role models most accountable..
Isn't that a bases one some of your policies Dr. Obama? Isn't that part of the change massage or have I been hearing you wrong?..we are expiable linked?
We don't find fault with the child we ask the parent if they need help and change..

Hurray for Obama who once again has taken the higher road.  He is correct to say that families are off limits and that this is a private family matter.  Although Gov. Palin has put herself in the spotlight and states that she believes in abstinence and is anti-choice, she is running not her daughter.  Vote for your beliefs and do not allow yourself to be dragged down to the gutters of smear tactics.  Either you believe in Obama's message and side with him on what needs to be done or you side with McCain.
I am pro Obama, but I am not anti american.

what a complete joke these people are...kudos to abstinence-only sex ed!!!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html

More PALIN garbage

Politicizing a hurricane is NOT GOOD POLITICS.

Way to go Obama! I am an Obama supporter and also believe that kids are off limits in elections. This shows exactly how upstanding he is.
John McCain is an opportunist! He should have never put out that statement about the liberal bloggers being a part of the Obama campaign. Obama doesn't control what the bloggers say. Conservative bloggers claim that Obama is a Muslim and not an American citizen and say all sorts of nasty things about him, but he doesn't claim that it's John McCain's camp putting out these messages.
However, I do feel that since Palin's daughter is pregnant she has a lot going on at home and she may need to take a second look at trying to take on such a challenging job. I personally think that she is not ready to be one heartbeat away from being leader of the free world.
Liberal bloggers, please lay off the daughter. What if it was your child. Remember that God doesn't like ugly. We need to stay focused on the issues facing this country, not what is going on in the candidates children's personal lives.

I hope that Keith Olberman will have the decency on his idiotic program to heed Obama's words and lay off the comments about Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy. Keith is so vicious that he hurts the Obama campaign more than he helps.

Had McCain known about this, he would not have chosen Palin. Therefore, McCain is lying when he says he knew about it. Which means Palin hid it from McCain. Somehow, I don't think I will trust these two when they inevitably steal this election.

But the parents are reponsible for those children....
and the "do as I say" or "do as I do" must be an example to the family members...or there are deep drill down questions that still remain..and those doubts feed like blood to the sharks in this political challenge...
Truth and repentance is the correct answer the republicans are asking. Questions or doubts linger as to that person's ability to lead...
Remember the children are mirror images of the parents..and those role models most be accountable..
Isn't that a bases one some of your policies Dr. Obama? Isn't that part of the change massage or have I been hearing you wrong?..we are expiable linked?
We don't find fault with the child we ask the parent if they need help and change..

Obama is a class act, as always.  

As for Palin, with all the talk about how proud everyone is that her daughter "made the decision on her own" to keep the baby, I hope she will reflect on the fact that she wants to take that decision away from everyone else in the U.S.  It's wonderful that your daughter had a choice, Gov. Palin.  The rest of us should be allowed to make our decisions for ourselves, too.

My father is a WWII hero. Got shot in the leg and still has the bullet. A true leader for his men in France! Should he run for President as well?

McCain has nothing..not a clue...just the usual Republican tricks. It is embarrassing!!

Yes, children ARE offlimits.

But VETTING-GATE should still be very much on the table.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MSNBC, do your job.  There's a much bigger picture here.  This 'story' is a red herring.

DON'T be afraid to do your job.  

America needs you and thanks you.

I will not back off.  All you righties think this is so good and wonderful - it is not.  And, it is an issue of judgement.  

We've heard Obama slammed on all sorts of innuendo and calling him an elitist, a celebrity and someone with a huge ego.

Then, now we see a power hungry woman, whose thirst for power and attention is so great, she is willing to sacrifice her children.  Not only Bristol, who in this climate of Juno and Jamie Lynn Spears, Palin KNEW would be subjected to intense scrutiny and attention.  She obviously did not care in the least what her 16-17 year old child was going to be subjected to.  Selfish.  Then, this Down Syndrome child, who is going to raise him?  It is one thing to be a working mother, working a normal 8-5 job.  But, this isn't a normal job.  Again, very selfish.

Power hungry, selfish woman with exceedingly bad judgment.  Shame on her!

The debate that has occurred over the last few days as a result of the selection by Senator McCain of Sarah Palin to be his running mate on the Republican ticket for President of the United States is missing the point.  On the Sunday morning political shows, one show had Senator Graham of South Carolina actually spending time comparing Sarah Palin’s “vast” experience to the lack of experience of Senator Obama.  This is a diversionary tactic that should not be allowed to continue by the Republican pundits who don’t know how to defend this choice.

Why the Democrats and press covering the election and participating in the speculation and punditry that many of us follow don’t bring logic and thought into the discussion is beyond me.  Here is what people should be discussing:

Whether you agree with the experience level of Senator Obama or not, one thing is factually clear.  Senator Obama received over 19 million votes by Americans in his quest to gain the nomination.  Those 19 million votes count for something.  The way our political system works (or is supposed to work – remember the 2000 election), the one with the most votes is elected to serve.  19 million democrats dismissed arguments against Senator Obama to decide that he should be the nominee of the Democratic Party.  That is more votes than any other candidate running for the office garnered.  Senator Clinton was a very close second, but in the end, Senator Obama had prevailed.  Experience level or not, those 19 million Americans spoke during the process, and put Senator Obama at the head of the Democratic ticket.

On the Republican side, Senator McCain was the leading vote getter, and, as a result, he was chosen by his fellow Republicans to be their candidate for President in the upcoming election.  He didn’t get 19 million votes, but he did get more than any other republican vying for the spot.

So, to establish to basis for the rationale I am putting forth, nobody can disagree that the facts provided so far are correct, and that Senator’s Obama and McCain were chosen to be their respective party’s candidates for President.  What each of them then chose to do in selecting a running mate then becomes a personal decision.  Those 19 million Americans who voted for Senator Obama in the primaries did NOT vote on who he would choose to run with him.  In fact, they transferred that responsibility to their candidate, and trusted in his decision.  Likewise, Senator McCain did not receive guidance from all of the millions who supported him in the primaries, but rather went about choosing a running mate that would be, in his best judgment, the best choice to run with him and be a partner should they be elected.  Senator Obama chose Senator Biden.  Senator McCain went with Governor Palin.  The only thing we can honestly do with these picks is evaluate them on the basis of measuring the judgment shown by each candidate in making this decision.

Senator Graham wants to question Senator Obama’s experience, and talk to the fact that Governor Palin is so much more experienced than him.  This is a smokescreen.  Listen here Senator Graham, the American people who voted in the democratic primaries CHOSE Senator Obama, after a very long vetting process called the primary season.  We had NO choice in picking Governor Palin to be one of the 4 people on the center stage.  Had she gone thru the primary season, and we knew more about her, we, the American people could have made a determination on her qualifications.  However, since that is not the process, we evaluate the selection by Senator McCain, and attempt to translate that into an evaluation on how Senator McCain would lead, and what type of Cabinet he might choose.  We don’t necessarily vote for President based on the vice president, rather we use the selection of a vice presidential candidate by the presidential candidate to determine whether this man (or woman) makes sound judgments and is worthy of our vote and support.

The smokescreen being put up that Senator Obama has no experience compared to Governor Palin entirely misses the point.  Senator Obama made a decision for a running mate.  So did Senator McCain.  Let’s evaluate those choices and determine who will be the best person to lead this country.  Bottom line in this test – Obama 1, McCain 0.  

I also was struck by some arguments made by politicians and pundits suggesting that it really isn’t important that the vice presidential selection be ready to lead the country.  How naive is this logic?  Well, how many Republicans (true, hard core conservative Republicans) would “honestly” say that Vice President Cheney is not involved in day to day decisions (critical decisions) within this administration?  Anyone arguing he isn’t a strong partner in this relationship is living in a fantasy world.  So how can you justify this pick for Vice President?  Does anyone honestly feel that Governor Palin’s entire life and work experience put her in line to be a strong, decision making, partner to Senator McCain?  How should we deal with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, China, Iraq, Israel, Russia, the Subprime mess, the recession, the level of poverty, the lack of health insurance (by the way it is 18.9% of the population in Alaska)?  All of these are real questions that I for one will be interested in seeing how Governor Palin responds.  Of course I will also be interested in seeing how Senator Biden responds.  However, knowing of the Senator for many years I am confident in his ability to field these questions, and understand the issues not based on position papers that are prepared for him, but on dealing with these very issues year after year after year.  

I know who I trust in providing guidance to the top member of their ticket.  As for the top members of the ticket themselves, experience is important.  I will not dispute that.  But it is not entirely clear to me at this point that Senator McCain has the type of experience that I am interested in supporting.  After all, anyone who would move so far from his fundamental style 8 years ago, and voting with President Bush over 90% of the time does NOT, in my estimation, have the experience I am personally interested in.  I’ll stick with Senator Obama – someone who is showing an incredible acumen for the issues of the American people and throughout the world, and someone who’s ideas and positions on both domestic and foreign affairs are consistent with my beliefs and hopes for this country.  On top of all of that – in the first “major” decision that we were able to watch each candidate make, that being the choice of a running mate, Senator Obama put country first and picked someone who is ready to run this country (if necessary), and Senator McCain picked someone who appears to be chosen for the sole purpose of playing a political game with the neo-conservative faction of the republican party and those perceived disenfranchised voters within the democratic party.  I’ll look forward to some honest debate about the experience issue, but Senator Graham from now on, please stick to comparing Obama to McCain, and Palin to Biden.  That’s what I’m going to be doing, and without question I’ll be supporting Obama – as his “experience” is better than McCain’s.  Oh, by the way, I am a former republican.  The “former” came about when I saw the current administration in action, looking out for their inner circle at the expense of the American people.

I agree with Obama that Bristol's situation is not a relevant topic. What is relevant is a women's right to choose. That this young women had a right to choose and all women should have a right to choose. Government should not determine that right for women.

"Obama asks that his children be off limits. I agree, but he seems to want is both ways.  He is the one that brings them onstage on a regular basis...."

Bob from Va(sent Monday, September 01, 2008 2:55 PM)
******************************************************

Excuse you, but, didn't I see the new republican's veep choice's family come out on stage? She's only been the pick for a minute but I've seen her family on stage with her already!!  

But the parents are responsible for those children....
and the "do as I do" not "do as I say" must be an example to the family members...or there are deep drill down questions that still remain..and those doubts feed like blood to the sharks in this political challenge...
Truth and repentance is the correct answer the republicans want to know or doubts linger as to that person's ability to lead...
Remember the children are mirror images of the parents..and those role models most accountable..
Isn't that a bases one some of your policies Dr. Obama? Isn't that part of the change massage or have I been hearing you wrong?..we are expiable linked?
We don't find fault with the child we ask the parent if they need help and change..

Sorry Obama, this is our future at stake here. When a gun-totting, family-value pushing woman accepts a position as VP for John McCain, and starts lying on DAY 1 of her campaign, then it is MY right as a US citizen to look at everything she brings to the table.
I, for one, do not think the story of a 17 yr old being pregnant. However, when Palin goes around tying to force her brand of family values and stands on a ticket that puts down my morals and values while uplifting theirs, and then we come across this - yes, it becomes part of the political game.
AND if this was Bristol's 1st child, it would be an almost non-issue. The fact is, this is her 2nd pregnancy in as many years. What kind of values is Palin passing down to her children, and what kind of values does she want to shove down my throat???
Please. BRING IT ON.

The question here is not about the Children, but about McCains lack of judgement and vetting.  

Nobody would choose a VP with this type of baggage and it shows that she was not properly vetted.  

Pook judgement McCain for not putting country first.

Too bad Mccain and the pubs do not learn anything
about integrity.
All they can do is sensationalize, distort, lie
and pander, making up anything they can to get a
headline.
Families should not be brought into politicing,
make note news media, but the vp candidate herself
is fair game on her record.
Mccain made an irresponsible, dangerous decision
and has shown how little he cares about the future
of our country. Can you imagine this "hocky mom"
making critical decisions?
ENOUGH!!

Mrs. Palin, how do you plan to raise an infant with special needs and help your teenage daughter raise her child while helping Sen. McCain run the country?  

You can't even run a state and keep your daughter under control... what will you do as VP?  

i don't care what obama says. I would have supported mccain if he chose huckabee. I am sitting this one out. We don't need this kind of an example highlighted in the national spotlight. Unmarried teenage girls should be taught not to engage in this kind of activity. The parents don't embody my conservative values. She is a bad mother for making her daughter go through this in public. Does she have no shame?

I am glad that Senator Obama has made this statement.  That is not the type of campaign he has been running.  And, as I said in another post I do not believe these rumors/stories should automatically be tied to either campaign.  I really can not see either campaign doing that.  The fact that Bristol is pregnant may take a little bit of sail out of being high on the family morals stand but we all know that teenagers are going to make decisions that are not in their best interest.  we deal with those and move on.  

HYPOCRITES!!!!!

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