"this Obama kid..."

Now that gave me the best laugh of the day. Great phrase...thanks.

Well in response to a comment that seems to imply that the error was deliberate...it wasn't. I was following the lead of other news organizations.

Glad you pointed it out.

I feel there was no need to attempt to read my mind and comment on my intent in the absence of evidence. It was simply an error. This happens all too often in political communication.

Some of the subtle language changes will drive him nuts.

My point exactly. Dialogue and communication has to start somewhere. This is a beginning.

I hope everyone watches the videos, although the audio leaves something to be desired, and reads the full transcript.

When Obama says,"Israel has always been a strong ally..." that's a significant change from "The US has always been..."

Watch then read this is a substance filled interview. The video's cover about 12 minutes of a 20 minute interview.

Here's the Telegraph headline:

Muslim leaders praise Barack Obama's break with Bush but criticise him over Israel

Since I know it too I don't agree that it's his own personal issue since he's been such a hypocrite in the past.

His lifestyle mean nothing to me. His constant hypocrisy does.

Wes Clark has the experience, expertise and, now, media savvy to make an excellent VP candidate and an even better VP with extraordinary foreign policy skills.

Damn straight...Wes Clark for VP.

When I mentioned two or three other agenda's in my comment below this is exactly one of those agenda's.

It keeps Clark independent and with the best credentials in that town for comment. Not answering to the campaign gives him a ton of freedom.

Obama's comment, if he had to give one, should have been, "That's Four Star General Wes Clark's view. Everyone is entitled to their judgment. He was not using any direction from my campaign. He was acting independently."

Well, gosh...telling the truth isn't popular is it. While taken as a personal assault it might be useful to remember that McCain's military career, while horribly interrupted by torture, was short.

Wes Clark's was 34 years.

McCain is always positioned as the leader for foreign affairs and national security largely because of his military history. Clark attacked that in a very direct manner.

Barack Obama may believe that you can run a campaign without telling the truth or attacking your opponent. I hope not or the attack machine on the other side will eat him up.

Wes Clark may have been working on his own. But there could be two or three agendas here.

As to VP: Clark is the best qualified of the bunch  and I don't think a single comment that he can easily explain is an 'eliminator'. He could bring foreign and military weight to the ticket like no one else. Will it happen? Who knows. Al Gore choose Ol' Joe. Duh. If that happened with the VP selection anything could happen.

I'm not the least bit worried about Obama, except his funding numbers monthly, as pointed out by Jerome recently, are falling while his techincal primary season runs one helluva long time and his campaign expenses are increasing as he staff for a 50 state campaign.

He has lots of cash but not nearly enough dedicated to the General campaign. And he can't use his primary funds.

You can max out twice: once for the primary and once for the general.

My worry is the time when an attack ad is absolutely necessary and some organizations have their hands tied by the candidates campaign.

You don't show up to a gunfight with a knife. Show some up with the heaviest weapons possible. If you know a gunfight is coming, show up with a combat shotgun and automatic weapons. The other side will for sure..

He just took some of our weapons away. Notice how no other organization, that I know of at least, has followed his lead.

Jack Carter, President Carter's son, did a helluva job last time. I interviewed him three times at Political Interviews . he was articulate and ready to campaign in area's that hadn't seen a Democratic in years.

I also helped set up more than one teleconference for nationwide fundraisers. Personally, I think he ran a solid, innovative campaign even if he didn't have the full support financial of Nevada Democrats.

Ensign is hard to unseat. It will take a fully funded high-dollar campaign, with a huge amount of media,  to get him out.

Bad move in my book. 20M to nearly nothing. While Obama has lots of cash there are times and circumstances when 527's can say things and pound on issues that the campaign can't directly advertise.

I'm all for his opting out of the system. He's got a better system for his campaign.

I believe we'll see whether or not this is a good move in the long run.

They do all the time. What a wonderful comment on your opinion of public service. Sorry this time that part of this reply was sarcastic and I know better.

I can't believe you think that the average person in politics is somehow insulated from the realities of life and is making a grand living. (Talk to a DNC staffer who is making a fast $500 a week and living in DC about getting fat in politics.)

That's like one of my buddies who is completely convinced that all politicians get rich in the process of holding office and are on the take. He doesn't think there's one honest person in the game.

His point of view is sad and wrong.

Mine is just the opposite. I admire those who even try to make a positive impact by serving on a campaign or actually making a run, however hopeless it might be.

I admire our officeholders, the majority of whom earn less than they could in the private sector, for their service. Some are jerks, crooks and generally worthless but they are the vast minority.

Being a political operative, staffer, candidate or officeholder is a proud thing to do especially at the lower levels where the money is very thin indeed.

BTW: What hell is a neo-lib? I honestly never saw the term before...no angry answer needed just a definition. Thanks.

Usually I am. I write,not argue..which I'm not doing now. I'm expressing a point of view then staying around to defend it. I don't like to leave a post then take off.

I'm also working on other political projects although I am not full time staffing this cycle.

Since politics is generally a money losing business at the challenger level I have other things to do as well.

PS: I haven't commented or posted here in months because of the virulent controversies, on both sides, in this presidential race. Today I came back and really read the blog out of respect for Jerome Armstrong hoping to find that the war was over. I was hoping a person could disagree strongly with another without being downrated etc.

That's correct....at the campaign level. Office jobs in DC are not campaign level jobs whether they interact with campaigns or not.

Being a DNC operative in a state means you are likely to be relocated if your services are needed elsewhere. Ask any DNC ground level fundraiser...

This could turn out to be a whole other game. I hope not.