Obama Makes Pitch To Working Class Voters

Washington Post: Democrat Has New Focus On Pocketbook Issues As He Faces Off Against Clinton In Wisconsin, Ohio And Texas

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Peter Slevin and Shailagh Murray.

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Sen. Barack Obama offered a detailed prescription for the ailing U.S. economy Wednesday, answering skeptics who contend he has not matched his inspirational talk with a mastery of policy and targeting voters in crucial primaries in Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas.

In the aftermath of his sweeping victories Tuesday in Virginia, Maryland and the District, Obama now has 1,275 delegates to 1,220 delegates for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), according to an Associated Press survey. If only pledged delegates -- those won in primaries and caucuses -- are counted and superdelegates are excluded, he leads by 134 delegates. Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, said it would be "next to impossible" for Clinton to close the gap in pledged delegates. (Click here to see the CBS News delegate tally.)

Obama's advisers and many Democratic strategists believe he can continue to chip away at Clinton's success with working-class voters and women by a new focus on the economy as he faces off against Clinton in Ohio and Texas, which hold primaries March 4; Pennsylvania, which holds its primary April 22; and Wisconsin, which votes on Tuesday.

Recent polls show Obama, familiar to many in Wisconsin because of his popularity in neighboring Illinois, with a narrow lead over Clinton. He opened offices earlier, began television advertising sooner and visited the state twice last year.

Clinton signaled her intention to fight Obama for the state with a new ad criticizing him for refusing to debate here before next Tuesday's primary. Clinton now plans to campaign in Wisconsin after stops Wednesday and Thursday in Texas and Ohio. Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and daughter, Chelsea, also are spending considerable time in the state.

Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.), one of Obama's most senior backers in Congress, said Obama has to build on his likely strength in urban Milwaukee and the university town of Madison, and bolster his soaring talk of national unity with attention to bread-and-butter issues.

"In addition to his vision for the country, they want to know what he sees as the roadmap for helping working families," Obey said. "The national welfare, that's Jack Kennedy stuff. The family stuff, that's Bobby Kennedy stuff. People want to see both."

Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the probable Republican nominee, had voiced a far more negative view of Obama's rhetoric in his own victory speech after Tuesday's primaries, suggesting a line of attack if the two senators meet in the general election. McCain said that stirring the country "with only rhetoric, rather than sound and proven ideas . . . is not a promise of hope. It's a platitude."

Campaigning in Waukesha, Obama struck back at McCain, recalling his admission that economics is not his strong suit. "After what he's said, it shows," Obama said. He added that McCain first declared that President Bush's tax cuts were unwise but now favors making them permanent.

"Somewhere along the line," Obama said, "he traded those principles for the nomination."

Clinton, speaking at a rally in McAllen, Tex., sought to make a similar point to McCain's. "I am in the solutions business. My opponent is in the promises business."

Obama laid out in one 38-minute speech several strands of a policy -- much of it more detailed versions of familiar themes -- that emphasizes the protection and promotion of working-class Americans. He chose for the site of the speech an SUV factory operated by General Motors, which on Tuesday announced record losses.

The series of proposals were on issues from tax reform and private savings to bankruptcy, trade and investment in the nation's infrastructure. He said he could pay for "every single element of this economic agenda" -- primarily by ending the Iraq war and by increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

Clinton's campaign quoted a McCain economic adviser as dismissing Obama's proposals as "the most shameless piece of potential plagiarism" that he had seen because of its similarity to Clinton's own plan.

The newest element of his proposal was the establishment of a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank, which would spend $60 billion over a decade to rebuild deteriorating roads, bridges and waterways. Obama said the spending would generate 2 million new jobs, many of them in a construction industry that has been hard hit by the housing market downturn.

Some state and local governments have established separate infrastructure accounts that are not subject to balanced-budget rules as a way to finance long-range building projects. Lawmakers in Congress from both parties have flirted with the idea of a federal infrastructure account, but have backed off for fear of being accused of budgetary gimmickry designed to mask an expansion of government -- and of the federal budget deficit.

Obama took a page from the 2004 presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), promising to fund his spending by ending tax breaks that he says encourage companies to invest overseas.

Many economists and some business officials agree that companies are reaping tax benefits from overseas expansion. Before Kerry offered his proposal in 2004, Citigroup executives told industry analysts the banking firm had lowered its effective tax rate from 31.3 percent to 30.6 percent, boosting quarterly income by $52 million, by putting more money into overseas operations.

The shift could provide more money for job creation at home, as Obama suggests, but few would say that taxes are a primary -- or even a significant -- factor in the movement of certain kinds of outsourcing. For instance, even sweet tax incentives cannot stop some companies from seeking vast savings abroad.

Obama's suggestion that he would finance long-term federal spending programs by ending the war in Iraq pushed the war debate into the realm of fiscal policy, a popular notion on the campaign trail but debatable from a budgeting point of view, since war funding is relatively temporary.

It also opened up Obama to traditional criticism from Republicans who called him a "Big Government" Democrat. The Republican National Committee unveiled a "Barack Obama spend-o-meter" on its Web site yesterday, tallying his total proposals at $850.35 billion.

Murray reported from Washington. Staff writer Jonathan Weisman and staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.

[eddynewhope]

Bottom line: McCain vs. Clinton - McCain wins. McCain vs. Obama - Obama wins. No brainer. I''m a lifelong Dem and even I find myself suffering from acute Clinton fatigue after the last few months of uuuugly politics. No 3rd term for the Clintons.

[jumpmasterto]

For someone with such a political machine,how can the Clintons make such tactical mistakes! Sending out mixed messages,running around like scared rabbits and talking loud and saying nothing!!!Finally Chelsea has been allowed to speak out on her own![I do have one question...."Will Bill be in charge of interviewing the office help,the interns,the kitchen staff.Will he be left home alone without supervision?????? On one hand,Bill must be kept on a SHORT LEASH. On the other hand can Bill be trusted roaming the halls of the White House without a function??? On second thought why give that thought a chance!!!! VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!

[jumpmasterto]

Addressed to hope.t."rumps".......speaking of names,BARACK OBAMA sounds so PRESIDENTIAL. Can you hear all the cheers in the background!!!!!! [hope.t."rumps"]on the other hand, sounds bad,looks bad and.....well,for someone with such a minute viewpoint on political affairs,the hot air is enough to float a balloon!!!

[ponco seno]

McCain- Bush 3rd term- too old - out of touch with the world.
Hillary - flip-floper - Deep roots in washigton(special interest)- she be better than McCain, no way in hell better than OBAMA.

[bywill]

HRC is the perfect chameleon! At the very point of opposition, she changes her strips on the issues at hand. And has no problem taking other candidate view point by trying to make them her own! Shame one you HRC. Can you say Giuliani?? Bye bye birdie!!
OBAMA 08!!

PS.
Why is HRC is skipping states for the big ones, what does she expect from those voters? I%u2019m beginning to see why she failed the bar exam. Do your home work and everything will take care of it%u2019s self.

OBAMA 08!!

[b-easy63]

Here''''s a few more differences between Hilary and Obama

On torture: Obama voted to restrict methods to the Army field manual version (meaning no waterboarding)

Hilary voted to NOT restrict methods of torture


On the infamous FISA bill
On illegal wire taps--Obama voted to NOT grant immunity to telecom companies for allowing wire taps

McCAin voted to grant immunity

Hilary was in Washington, but failed to show up to vote either way--instead she left town, she also failed to vote on any aspect of FISA according to TURLEY--so she is not on record for or against why is that?

[ontheleft]

The Democrats are needlessly worrying about this primary dragging out all the way to the convention. The winner is already evident and after March 4th even ''tenacious'' Hillary will see the wisdom in bowing out. She really won''t even have a choice since her donations will dry up and she''ll be out of money. This is all so predictable.

[sjbj2322]

Part 1: YEA %u2013 HE BELIEVES IN YOU BUT JUST IN CASE %u2013 WHOSE BUYING VOTES AND YET TO THE PEOPLE SAYS THEIR VOICE AND NOT SUPERDELEGATES SHOULD DETERMINE WHOSE NOMINATED. What a SNAKE!!
Obama, who narrowly leads in the count of pledged, "non-super" delegates, has doled out more than $694,000 to superdelegates from his political action committee, Hope Fund, or campaign committee since 2005. Of the 81 elected officials who had announced as of Feb. 12 that their superdelegate votes would go to the Illinois senator, 34, or 40 percent of this group, have received campaign contributions from him in the 2006 or 2008 election cycles, totaling $228,000. In addition, Obama has been endorsed by 52 superdelegates who haven''t held elected office recently and, therefore, didn''t receive campaign contributions from him.
Clinton does not appear to have been as openhanded. Her PAC, HILLPAC, and campaign committee appear to have distributed $195,500 to superdelegates. Only 12 percent of her elected superdelegates, or 13 of 109 who have said they will back her, have received campaign contributions, totaling about $95,000 since 2005. An additional 128 unelected superdelegates support Clinton, according to a blog tracking superdelegates and their endorsements, 2008 Democratic Convention Watch.

[sjbj2322]

Part 2: Because superdelegates will make up around 20 percent of 4,000 delegates to the Democratic convention in August--Republicans don''t have superdelegates%u2014Clinton and Obama are aggressively wooing the more than 400 superdelegates who haven''t yet made up their minds. Since 2005 Obama has given 52 of the undecided superdelegates a total of at least $363,900, while Clinton has given a total of $88,000 to 15 of them. Anticipating that their intense competition for votes in state primaries and caucuses will result in a near-tie going into the nominating convention, the two candidates are making personal calls to superdelegates now, or are recruiting other big names to do so on their behalf. With no specific rules about what can and can''t be done to court these delegates, just about anything goes.

[sjbj2322]

OBAMA''S NEW ENDORSEMENTS:

President Daniel Ortega, who led the 1979 revolution in Nicaragua, says Barack Obama''s presidential bid is a "revolutionary" phenomenon in the United States. Ortega led a Soviet-backed government that battled U.S.-supported Contra rebels before he lost power in a 1990 election. It took only one and a half hours for Ortega to reveal his trump card for restoring dignity in Central America''s poorest country: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. So far that means a mix of nationalism, demagogy and some old-fashioned conservative monetary policies, which include increasing tax collection at home by more than 50 percent.

[tibu987]

Do you really want four more years of the Clinton twins?

I don''t.

And just where does all the experience Hillary claim to have, come from?
A shyster lawyer in Arkansas linked to scandals there.
First Lady for eight years, DUH!, she did not sit in on any national or international meetings.
A Senator from New York, gee, and she bought that one.
And yes, she also received major contributions from an indicted major donor named Norman Hsu, monies that she had to return.
And let''s go back to the scandal that Hillary was involved in in Arkansas that had to do with fraudulent cattle trading that made Hillary over a hundred thousand dollars.
Ladies, please don''t vote for Hillary simply because she is a woman. That would be the worst, simplest, and most naive of reasons to vote for her.
Incidentally, I am a male, white, 72 year old veteran, who voted for more women than men to hold my state''s political offices.
A woman will undoubtedly become president one day, but it won''t be Hillary.

[b-easy63]

Of course Hilary does not think highly of promises--after all, they are things she rarely keeps. LMAO

[b-easy63]

hey should take a picture of the Nuclear Bill and show Hilary''''''''''''''''s name on it front and center.

They should also show a picture of her pledge to the DNC about not honoring the delegates of Michigan and Florida, then have a Blurb--"If Hilary promises you ANYTHING--she might honor it (then show the co sponsor and the pledge) and say "Or she might not"

Then the final remark "Hilary Clinton will do anything , say anything and for the moment, promise anything--to get elected. And we all know how well Hilary does not keep her promises.

Why does Hilary bring up Obama things that she also has done? Doesn''''t she know she just looks like a hypocrite when she criticizes him but is caught doing the exact same thing? She leads in earmarks? Including over a million for a Woodstock Museum (shot down by saner people). She talks about Rezco then we see a photo with her and Bill--she denies knowing Peter Paul , then the video tapes and personal cards show up..She slams Obama for a nuclear bill--that she CO-SPONSORED? Somebody throw that woman a clue--she''''s dangerous--even to herself. LMAO

[b-easy63]

They should take a picture of the Nuclear Bill and show Hilary''''''''s name on it front and center.

They should also show a picture of her pledge to the DNC about not honoring the delegates of Michigan and Florida, then have a Blurb--"If Hilary promises you ANYTHING--she might honor it (then show the co sponsor and the pledge) and say "Or she might not"

Then the final remark "Hilary Clinton will do anything , say anything and for the moment, promise anything--to get elected. And we all know how well Hilary does not keep her promises.

Why does Hilary bring up Obama things that she also has done? Doesn''t she know she just looks like a hypocrite when she criticizes him but is caught doing the exact same thing? She leads in earmarks? Including over a million for a Woodstock Museum (shot down by saner people). She talks about Rezco then we see a photo with her and Bill--she denies knowing Peter Paul , then the video tapes and personal cards show up..She slams Obama for a nuclear bill--that she CO-SPONSORED? Somebody throw that woman a clue--she''s dangerous--even to herself. LMAO

[b-easy63]

Now Hilary is pitching that she will get rid of special interest and that candidates must not be beholden to corporations, charging that Obama is and she is not--further, she proposes to do everything in the Universe for each state (esp. Hawaii and Wisconsin--because they are voting soon--and to use the plans of Obama and Edwards and make them even better. the more she talks--the more she comes across as a very desperate LIAR.

In other words, as usual--Hilary will say, do and promise ANYTHING to anyone to get elected--then like she did to the DLs for illegals and the pledges she signed to the DNC--when it is convenient for her--she will RENEGE on all promises, as usual. LMAO

Posted by b-easy63 at 06:40 PM : Feb 14, 2008

[samthetvcat]

steelpit1967, that seems to happen a lot on the boards. You''re not the first person who has thought I said something - it must be the way I quote people and then people think it''s me who said it.

I have a learning disability so sometimes I''m not always clear when I communicate - I seem to spend a lot more time than average clarifying my communication :) oh well :)

[samthetvcat]

But why are you saying that I''ve said that it matters? I don''t know where you''re getting that . . . can you point to a quotation of mine where I''ve said that anybody has experience that to me appears to give them a competitive advantage over any of the other candidates with respect to becoming Commander in Chief? Because I haven''t made that claim . . .

[steelpit1967]

sorry sam... I clicked back and thought you wrote something you didn''t... sorry

[steelpit1967]

Presidential experience...

last time I checked, none of the politicians running had any.

Bush has been in office for almost 8 years and still messing things up by the numbers like he''s just stepping in to the position.

Obama will surround himself with very good people. His father graduated from Harvard and was an economist and he''s got some very good people (fresh faces) that will make this country more about the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Say good bye to the special interests, and lobbyists.

[samthetvcat]

"Sam...

you talk about experience, etc... care to tell us where Bush''s experience has gotten us?"
Posted by steelpit1967

Are you talking to me Sam? What experience are you saying I was refering to? Can you put your challenge in greater context thx