COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 24, 2008
Obama: McCain Aides Lobby On Campaign Bus
Illinois Senator Criticizes McCain For Having Active Lobbyists On His Campaign Staff
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Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a news conference at the Ohio State University Medical Center, Feb. 23, 2008, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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News and video from the campaign trail.
The Democratic presidential hopeful also said McCain's health care plans reflect "the agenda of the drug and insurance lobbyists, who back his campaign and use money and influence to block real health care reform."
Jill Hazelbaker, a spokeswoman for McCain, said the Arizona senator "has been an agent for change for his entire career - he is the greatest change agent in our party - and we plan to highlight that record in this election."
Obama has criticized McCain increasingly in recent weeks, while running off 11 straight primary and caucus victories over his Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
This most recent attack follows a week in which McCain has had to defend himself against an accusation published in the New York Times that he had maintained an inappropriate relationship with communications lobbyist Vicky Iseman and may have favored her clients.
McCain's staff insisted that the senator never "discussed" with Iseman - or her client, broadcaster Lowell "Bud" Paxson - Paxson's effort to get the FCC to approve his bid to buy a Pittsburgh TV station. But Paxson contradicted that in today's Washington Post, saying he did meet with McCain to ask for help, and Newsweek magazine reports McCain himself confirmed a meeting during a 2002 deposition.
Today, McCain's lawyer said now that his memory's been jogged, the senator doesn't dispute making the under-oath comments, reports CBS News correspondent Joie Chen.
From the start, McCain admitted writing to urge a timely decision on the Paxson matter, but did not direct the FCC to approve the purchase.
"That is a perfectly appropriate thing for members of congress to do to keep the bureaucracy moving," McCain's attorney Bob Bennet told CBS News, "so it's really, to be honest with you, much ado about nothing."
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Polls taken during the primary season show that independent voters are drawn in large numbers to both Obama and McCain, suggesting the two men would compete intensively for their support if they wind up opposing each other in the general election this fall.He takes their money and has put them in charge of his campaign
Barack Obama, criticizing McCain's ties to lobbyists.Obama made his remarks as he campaigned for votes in the March 4 Democratic primary in Ohio, with 141 national convention delegates at stake.
He made health care a focus of his campaign day, visiting a hospital diabetes unit. At one point in a discussion with doctors and nurses, the talk turned to prevention of the illness in youngsters.
"If we just cut out soda pop," it would make a difference, he said.
Asked at a later news conference about the issue, he said he hopes schools will "re-examine how easily they make soda available."
Citing an increase in childhood obesity and diabetes, he said if children "are consuming vast amounts of soft drinks chock full of corn syrup, then we should, you know, consider whether we want to maybe have at least some zones like schools where they have to drink water once in a while."
Obama also camapaigned in Akron and Cleveland Saturday. He singled McCain out for criticism twice during the day, at one point saying that the Republican's health care proposals are worse than anything proposed in the race between himself and Clinton.
He characterized them as "more of the same Bush health care policies that haven't worked in the past and won't work today."
"It's a tax break that doesn't guarantee coverage and doesn't make sure that health care is affordable for the working families who need it most," he said.
Obama broadened his criticism to McCain's ties to lobbyists in general, saying, "He takes their money and has put them in charge of his campaign."
The Illinois senator returned to the subject later, when he said it was indisputable that McCain's "got his top advisers in this campaign are lobbyists, that many of them have been running their business on the campaign bus while they've been helping him."
An aide said Obama was referring to Charlie Black, and pointed to a recent published report that said the McCain strategist, who is a registered lobbyist, does a lot of work by phone from McCain's campaign bus.
In rebuttal, Hazelbaker accused Obama of trying to distract attention from his record and resume. She said he has "no national security experience and plans billions of dollars in tax hikes."
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 346 Comments''Waaah - the NYT is picking on us'' - Rush Limbaugh
You see them handle one thing; you see them handle all things.
The choice was between "self" and "others".
Forget about McCain and Hillary.
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/02/obamas-mysterio.html
http://www.tucc.org/black_value_system.html
And he''s lying to you about Iraq. No matter what he''s telling you, he won''t be able to end the war in Iraq. If he pulls the troops out too quickly, the place will descend into complete chaos. And, the generals will tell him that the second he takes office.
Second, his health plan is complete nonsense. It''s going to just create another outrageously expensive entitlement that we won''t know how to pay for. Call it Medicare II, if you will. The cost of health care won''t be solved until the actual cost of health care is brought under control.
It''s pretty obvious to me that none of you are interested in reality. You want the ''fairy tale.''
The Illinois legislature was in session at that time and guess who was absent November 4th the day after the alleged encounter took place.
ilga(dot)gov/senate/transcripts/strans91/ST110499(dot)pdf
We need to find out more about Obama and his possible drug use as an adult. If, if true if will be bad. go to whitehouse(dot)com
Illinois Senator Criticizes McCain For Having Active Lobbyists On His Campaign Staff
Sen. John McCain does not deny this, Sen. McCain claims the Lobbyists he has working on his staff are honorable. ROTFLMAO!! An honorable Lobbyists? Is there such a thing as an honorable Lobbyists? Sounds like an oxymoron to me! Like Government Organization, or Pretty Ugly, or Silent Scream, or Work Party, or Microsoft Works! LOL
That''s absolutely true - what''s worse is that McCain''s plan costs around $500billion to implement because he''s sold himself out to big pharma and big insurance. Obama''s only costs around $75 and Hillary''s only costs $110.
No true Conservative would ever support McCain . . . If I were a registered Republican I''d write in Romney''s name so I could look myself in the mirror in the morning . . .
Posted by nacala at 02:04 AM : Feb 24, 2008,,,
The President of the United States is the "sole" Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States and if Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton becomes President and want U.S. Forces out of Iraq, U.S. Forces will be out of Iraq regardless of the consequences! The U.S. President put them there and the U.S. President can take them out!
My point is that your prediction assumes the ''surge'' is primarily responsible for the decrease in violence as opposed to the ceasefire Al Sadr enacted. If you believe as many Democrats do that we''re totally not in control of that situation - it''s really the Iraqis who are deciding if and when the fighting begins and ends, then whether we stay or whether we go is really irrelevant.
Posted by spinster2 at 02:20 AM : Feb 24, 2008,,,
Its well known www.whitehouse.com is not in any way affiliated with the real U.S. Government and the official White House address is: www.whitehouse.gov
Larry Sinclair is a garden variety Michael Jackson type smear artist looking for his 15 minutes of fame.
Posted by nacala at 02:29 AM : Feb 24, 2008,,,
You can''t become a U.S. Senator without being checked out, maybe a State Senator but not a U.S. Senator! Barack Obama has been checked out trust me!
With regards to the ''dirt'' - I don''t think there''s much more the Republican''s could come up with that''s worse than what McCain''s already got out there for him. The same was true of Hillary, which is why her mud-slinging is getting nowhere.
With regards to fear of change issue - I think some of us are more comfortable with change than others. So to that I would say that McCain seems to raise a lot more fears in people based on his ideas and behavior (the coziness to lobbyists, the ''I don''t know anything about the economy'', ''bomb bomb bomb Iran'', etc).
I guess we''ll just have to agree to disagree on how much racism will come into play when there''s a big gap in ability between the two . . .
I''m really optimistic about Barack''s chances because I think McCain can be shown to be an even bigger spender than we liberals . . . and you know how much those Republitards prize their $$$ (greedy pigs! lol)
Yes, hope to see you again on the boards - thanks for being so respectful! :)
I''''m really optimistic about Barack''''s chances because I think McCain can be shown to be an even bigger spender than we liberals . . . and you know how much those Republitards prize their $$$ (greedy pigs! lol)
Yes, hope to see you again on the boards - thanks for being so respectful! :)
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Posted by SamTheTVCat
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This time it is the spin. Maybe nobody has told you this but McCain is considered to be and has a reputation for being the toughest senator in the entire senate when it comes to spending. You may be the only person on the face of the planet who disputes it. Why do you think they call him the sheriff? Why do think he doesn''t accept earmarks? Why do you think you make such statements based in ignorance?
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Posted by nacala
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You sound like a smart professional to boot. Barack is going to have a much harder time winning that most of the kids think. There will be local ballot initives in every state that matters to draw R''s to the polls and they will come out in droves to vote against a far left liberal, black or white. Many of his voters are anti Clinton R''s.
Go to youtube and watch the video of the Hilary exposed-- Hilary did not start making promises and breaking them now---this is her modus operandi and she has been doing this for years. The political landscape is littered with people she made promises to in AR and elsewhere and has betrayed them time and time again. You see the difference is--we expect our candidates to make promises they can''''t keep sometimes but also expect them to have core values and principles we can count on --even if they fail to keep many of their promises. That is at the crux of the matter. Americans have surmised that Hilary has no core values and anything is negotiable--and another thing some do not understand is--the fatalism by which we operate now. WE fully expect our leaders to lie, manipulate, betray and stab us in the back. We expect corruption, to be ignored, and to be used only at election times---we know this and realize this is one of the few times we wield power. see next post
So with our choice we make a point--a gesture if you will--not necessarily to Hilary personally but to Government. It is giving the finger to the status quo. A finger to the games, and lies and special interests, to the fake promises and the manipulation. We know they will scr.ew us and sell us out--many are not electing Obama for any other reason than he is a change from the Bush/Clinton dynamic. WE don''''t care what the net result will be--we are so angry and disillusioned that we say "fvck the government" and in our anger--HIlary represents the government more than Obama--of course, since he is a maverick--we are more inclined to McCAin than Hilary--but since he wants more of the same war---we are more inclined to Obama than to McCAin--for now. The Party faithful are forgiven for not truly understanding our angst or voting dynamic. Many voters are not looking to be rescued from the abyss--we are giving the finger--as we go over the edge.
It has been the African American members of congress that have had the courage to stand up to the fascists. I guess they know a little about slavery and oppression.
I am a older white male and tend to vote republican but will vote for a candidate that is poor or a minority first from now on.
If we took all the money the merchants of death spend destroying the Earth and murdering the people we would all be rich.
If we took all the technology that is suppressed for the oil companies alone, you would be running your car on water instead of gas and your plane would float on anti-gravity invented by Brown.
Google Stan Meyer (murdered)
CBS has chosen to silence the voice of SearingTruth.
Evidently for opposing Obama, since I haven''t done anything different for years recently, other than oppose him.
Wow.
Now that guy has a lot of pull.
So look for me at the Washington Post from now on.
ST
"But the mild voice of reason, pleading the cause of an enlarged and permanent interest, is but too often drowned, before public bodies as well as individuals, by the clamors of an impatient avidity for immediate and immoderate gain."
James Madison, Federalist No. 42, January 22, 1788
A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com
Remember Clinton? He invited Yassir Arafat to the White house, gave them an airport so they would not be in a country that Israel has turned into a genocide camp complete with 20'' walls surrounding them.
Israel paid him back by honey trapping him with a young Jewish girl named Monica.
McCain is owned by them for other reasons as well. Remember the S&L bailout that allowed Neil Bush to steal billions from the tax payers? McCain made it possible. (Keating 5)
Speaking of Neil Bush, he sat on the board of the insurance company that insured the Twin Towers for six months prior to 911.
Neil Bush owned the company that provided security to Twin Towers and the airports that the planes came from.
John McCain, singing "bomb bomb bomb Iran" McCain has ZERO chance of winning without Clintons help in dividing and conquering the democrat party.
Bush Clinton cocaine smuggling operation must be protected at all costs. Two CIA planes went down in the last 6 months that were connected directly to the CIA and rendition flights to Cuba. (Buzzy Khongrad - Same guy that made millions of short sales on airlines during 911) 911 was an inside job run by the CIA and Bush Clinton crime syndicate.
Yeah... You can trust McCain if you are a moron incapable of recognizing truth or reading.
CBS has chosen to silence the voice of SearingTruth.
Evidently for opposing Obama, since I haven''t done anything different for years recently, other than oppose him.
Wow.
Now that guy has a lot of pull.
So look for me at the Washington Post from now on.
ST
"But the mild voice of reason, pleading the cause of an enlarged and permanent interest, is but too often drowned, before public bodies as well as individuals, by the clamors of an impatient avidity for immediate and immoderate gain."
James Madison, Federalist No. 42, January 22, 1788
A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com
Keep up the good work.
Illinois Senator Criticizes McCain For Having Active Lobbyists On His Campaign Staff''
-Obama goes on with his real job (until the end of this campaign) by attacking his opponent McCain) not attacking Hilary; a potential co-lister.
-Go Obama, Go. Get us rid of the Repukons and their lies. McLiarWalking-Cane.
"Do wap, Do wap" the OFFICIAL language of John McCains LOST GENERATION!
Try to convince the dumbing of Americans (most Republicons) that if they can not vote with their minds, then they should not vote at all. Dumb Republicon Americans rule in National elections because they do not vote for america, they vote with the flock of fellow dumb, one issue voting dumb Republicon Americans. No culture on earth is as FVCKED UP as the Republicon voting DUMB AMERICAN.
BARACK OBAMA (D)
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Posted by dumbshun at 06:53 AM : Feb 24, 2008
+ report abuse
Typical Nazi response! Can''t defend your guy? Well that''s okay, just attack the OTHER guy! Now Sparky YOU want to talk about LOSING? Just ask yourself what it is called when after SEVEN years and OVER a TRILLION Dollars we still have the President telling us WE MUST spy on our own people or face attack!! Now EVEN a VERY stupid Nazi has to be able to understand THAT''s getting you Butt Whooped!! Sieg Heil Bush
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