From the Gannett wire service, as published in today’s Courier-Journal, comes former 9th district representative Lee Hamilton’s endorsement of Senator Obama.
Hamilton for unity, endorses Obama; 'Consensus builder' is visionary, he says.
WASHINGTON -- Former Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, an elder statesmen and foreign-policy leader in the Democratic Party, said yesterday that of the presidential contenders Barack Obama has the best chance of bringing more unity to the country.
"He really does speak the politics of consensus building," Hamilton said in formally endorsing Obama.
He also praised the Illinois senator's "extraordinary appeal" to new voters and ability to "redesign the contours of American politics."
Happily, this afternoon also marks the official opening of New Albany’s Obama campaign headquarters, which in a delightful twist befitting the legacy of Demosthenes, is located in the Parthenon building. The C-J goes on to preview the event:
A New Albany-Floyd County campaign headquarters for Obama is scheduled to open at 5:30 p.m. today at the Parthenon building, 203 E. Main St. in New Albany. John Wilcox, who recently retired as an administrator for Mayor Doug England, will be among the speakers. Wilcox is a volunteer for the Obama campaign.
You have the makings for a progressive Thursday evening, with the Obama opening at 5:30 p.m. downtown, and Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan's screening of "Sicko" at 7:30 p.m. at the Public House. Work obligations will preclude my attendance at the former, but I hope to see many of you at the latter.
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27 comments:
and for those of you who want a candidate with real and substantive solutions for america and the world instead of rhetoric and no concrete policy positions, the Hoosiers for Hillary HQ opens officially at 6 pm just a few blocks down from the Neverland or should I say the Dreamland Ranch?
Withdraw that comment immediately or I'll steal your superdelegates.
(just kidding)
Mrs. bluegill and I were making some calls for the Obama campaign last night. It was unusually refreshing to connect with folks who are so energized by a candidate.
If the Dems manage to find a way to waste that, well...
I have the highest respect for Rep, Hamilton. He is an old family friend. My Mother used to work for him and the late Sen. Vance Hartke years ago as District Aide. If Lee Hamilton were running for President, I would be the first in line to vote for him. However, I personally, do not trust Barack Obama to be President of the United States.
I am a Democrat who believes that the country does need "change", but I am also a Democrat who thinks that any candidate, for any office, whether it be for a local City Council seat, or President of the United States, and is running, advocating "change" should, at some point in the long eloquent speeches, say what kind of "change" is being advocated, and what, and how he intends on achieving this "change". Without doing this, "change" is nothing more than a word. Immediate change? Naaah...not when having to deal with an unforgiving Congress in a 4 year term, whose members have their own agendas to keep their seats.
Unfortunately, I can't make the Obama meeting tonight, but I encourage everyone to attend.
John - it is very easy to find Obama's positions on the issues at his website (among other places). The political mantra that Hillary has more substantive policy positions than Obama is just plain bunk.
I totally agree with you John Alton, if you obama supporters would just listen to and read what Hillary has to say about the issues you will clearly see that she has articulated a real plan to affect change. That is something Obama can not and will not do.
well there's another thing that separates Clinton from wonder kid, its called experience Brandon and Obama has no experience to be a President.
Does he have vision, perhaps but does he have the qualities required to be President, no way!
Point is that Sen. Obama should be telling in his speeches what he is going to do and how he's going to do it. I actually did go to his website. I even sent a message asking what sort of change, and how he intended to go about achieving it. The only reply I got was one asking for money. The only thing that I saw on the site was wanting money. I don't support him..he's not getting any money from me.
give em hell John, obama is like a fad, all fluff and no stuff. If its Obama as the nominee, I vote for Nader
Nader? Well...I wouldn't go that far...lol.
That's right Eco, I forgot that Hillary has experience dodging sniper fire in the Balkans (no, wait, she made that up). ;)
Please don't get me wrong here. Although I don't support Sen.Obama, I'm not really jumping up down for everything Hillary Clinton says either, or anything from any other candidate, from any party. However, I am a Democrat, and whoever becomes the nominee of my party, will get my vote in November. My Mother used to say, "the worst Democrat is better than the best Republican".
oh big freakin deal Brandon, we know all politicians fabricate, doesnt discount Obama's lack of experience though vs. Hilllarys real experience, typical of your generation to sarcastically try to discredit your elders and Obamas elders proven ability to affect change
Yeah, because our elders, and Obama's elders have done such an outstanding job so far.
I also seem to remember that the current administration was overflowing with experience "on day one."
We've had enough Bushs in office. We've had enough Clintons in office. We've had enough of the political entitlement.
Sorry, but I think if you were to actually listen to the "long and eloquent speeches," you would hear the ideas that make up his platform.
Last thing, that "we all know that politicians fabricate" and that we should somehow not be bothered by it, or should become numb to it is exactly the mindset that many of us who support Obama reject.
I for one do not like being lied to. It happens, I know. But I also know that when it does, I don't exactly hold the liar in very high regard.
typical of your generation to sarcastically try to discredit your elders and Obamas elders proven ability to affect change
"My generation" (I was born in 1977) typically tries to sarcastically discredit our elders' proven ability to affect change? What an odd thing to type. Calm down.
Sorry..I deleted my previous comment due to several typo errors.
"If you were to actually listen to the "long and eloquent speeches," you would hear the ideas that make up his platform..."
I have actually listened to the speeches. Listing ideas and hot topics is one thing, but actually giving an indication of how to make those ideas reality, and those hot topics..cooler, is another. That is what I see is missing. As I said earlier, right now, I'm not jumping up and down for either Senator.
Oh..while we're talking about lies. The Kennedy family didn't bring Sen. O'bama's ancestors from Kenya to the USA as the young Senator stated.
Oh..while we're talking about lies. The Kennedy family didn't bring Sen. O'bama's ancestors from Kenya to the USA as the young Senator stated.
Actually, yes, they did. Obama's father was selected to participate in an airlift program for Kenyan students called Education Overseas. When the program ran low on funds, it's organizer appealed to both Nixon and Kennedy, who were running for president at the time, for help.
Kennedy, via his family's foundation, agreed to pay for a portion of the expenses and help look for other private funds. When no other funds were found, the Kennedy Foundation paid all the expenses.
The story is documented in news articles from the time.
As a non-Democrat (cap "D") I find it fascinating the way that the party is in the amzingly self-defeating process of polarizing itself so that the Republicans win again in the fall.
Admittedly, I'm fairly jaundiced when it comes to politics, but see little to cheer for when so many Democrats dismiss politics as a vehicle of intangible aspirations. The problem with Mrs. Clinton's appeal to technocratic expertise is that it denies these intangibles ... and she really doesn't have a hat to hang on to it when it comes to the expertise.
It's Funny. Democrats understand Reagan's intangible appeal even if they opppose his policies ... and they can't seem to apply the same lesson to their own hopes and dreams.
Locally, I can't help observe that the majority of stodgy do-nothing political-class Democrats seem to be rallying around Mrs. Clinton, whlie deriding Obama. The visionaries seem to be seeing it the other way. As a professional contrarian, that tells me most of what I need to know.
Then again, I've had a couple of progressive pints already.
Don't worry. I'll vote against McCain no matter what. But I'd like to not hate myself the next morning.
The New Albanian makes a good point. As does John when he quotes his mother as saying that the "worst Democrat is better than the best Republican."
I feel that whatever happens in this bizarre Democratic contest, either side will come around for the other. Thing is, we'll need a bit of time for that to happen to the highest degree. We're running out.
Also, after some digging, I found what John was referring to regarding the Kennedy/Obama's ancestors remark. I found the same info that Bluegill cites, however; I also found some that seems to refute Obama's claims.
I don't have a "dog" in this fight, but I am enjoying the banter. Like I posted before, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Keep up the good work.
hey folks just thought you might want to know, dept. Mayor Carl Malysz was at the Clinton opening tonight and said Doug England supports Hillary, so this is the first time Doug and I agree on something
How does being the wife of a Governor and First Lady in the Whitey Crib grant her experience? Never quite understood how she can play that card.
Thought President Clinton was good for our country at that point in history; yes you GOP lovers will disagree, but we as a nation do not need anymore turmoil for four more years, it is time for some fresh blood/ideas in the White House to help unite this country back to what it used to be -United.
It is high time we all let down some barriers and place our best foot forward to move on in the road to recovery.
Jeff glad to hear you are invovled, we need your age group to help carry the ball for a while. Thank you.
Good God, after reading some of these ridiculous and immature comments (and I know other people have said this before me), it's no FREAKING wonder people get so turned off of politics.
Some you who are acting as "spokespeople" are doing a great disservice to the party.
Gross.
Not surprisingly, I fall somewhat in the middle here.
Hillary was not a typical "tea and cookies" First Lady. She has been a political animal for a long time and I have no doubt that she was heavily involved. Granted, it is not the same as actually having the position but it is substantive experience.
Roger makes an excellent point about Reagan's appeal. I have stressed this point several times in my conservations with people. Reagan was an extremely effective leader due to his style. I find myself drawn to Obama for much the same reason. The great unknown for me is, can he effectively set up his Executive branch and properly administer it.
How any Republican that harpooned Kerry for flip flopping(which is most of them)can support McCain is beyond me.
I would like to thank the participants in this discussion for helping me make up my mind, especially EW. His last post cemented it for me.(grin)
Vote Obama!
I wonder if who ever wins this election really 'wins.' Seriously.
The economy is the worst I have seen in my lifetime. Job reports are poor. Interest rates are low to the point that there is no way to earn interest on any sort of bank accounts. The stock market is, at best, erratic. Real estate is bad. Health care costs are high. The cost of fuel is prohibitive and that is causing everything else to dramatically rise in price.
Internationally we are at perhaps our lowest stature in history. Our allies do not trust us. We have discarded virtually every treaty we can and are in the process of breaking (or decreeing irrelevant) the Geneva Convention. We are mired in two wars with no clear way out of either one.
This is not to mention the decreasing level of competence on most federal agencies.
So, does the next person really win? It almost feels like one is inheriting the helm from Captain Edward John Smith.
I hate to say it, but this election, to me, looks like the election of a one term interim President who can only hope to stop the bleeding in hopes that whoever comes along in four years can actually begin making some changes.
Of course, this is what we get when we elect candidates based on their positions on abortion and gay marriage. Ugh!
I do hope that I am very wrong on this, but I cannot say I live in great optimism.
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