Obama Chose To Fight In His First Race

State Senate Battle Was Early Demonstration Of Tenacity That Has Helped Him In Primary Process

(AP)  Barack Obama faced a choice: launch a political battle against a highly respected woman with more seniority or step aside and hope for another chance later.

He chose to fight.

The situation will sound familiar to anyone following Obama's battle against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, but this clash happened more than 10 years ago as Obama made his first run for public office.

Obama came out on top in that confrontation but not through a head-to-head vote. Instead, he capitalized on his opponent's mistakes to get her thrown off the ballot so that his name was the only choice presented to voters.

His willingness to knock his opponent off the ballot, say Illinois political insiders, was an early demonstration of the tenacity that has helped him in the primary process against Clinton thus far.

“In Chicago, this is a blood sport,” said Ron Davis, a South Side political activist who helped Obama in the 1996 contest.

At the time, Obama was a lawyer and lecturer at the University of Chicago law school. Alice Palmer, the state senator representing that part of the city, had decided not to run for re-election. She was aiming for a congressional seat in a special election being held to fill a vacancy.

To reassure her legislative constituents that they'd be in good hands, Palmer told them she'd find a good replacement, said Davis, who was friendly with Palmer at the time. “She went out and recruited Barack.”

So everything seemed set. Palmer would move to Congress and Obama would take her place in the Illinois Senate.

But then Palmer lost the special congressional election. Suddenly, this well-liked community leader faced being out of office after four years in the state Legislature.

“We all thought she was an excellent state senator and encouraged her in some way to get back on the ballot,” said Robert Starks, a longtime friend of Palmer. “Initially, she was a bit hesitant, but after so many people encouraged her, she began to warm to the idea.”

Palmer finally asked Obama to halt his legislative campaign so she could run for re-election.

He refused.

“He was not about to withdraw. He had put a lot of energy and time into it,” said state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Democrat who represented the same part of Chicago as Palmer. “I thought it was pretty gutsy of him to stay in.”

Saying she had given Obama her word, Currie continued to back him even after Palmer changed her mind and tried to run again.

Community activist Lois Friedberg-Dobry made the same choice.

“Barack had already gotten a committee together, people had made commitments, and he had raised money,” Friedberg-Dobry said. “This was a very strange time to ask any politician to go back to those people and say, ‘I changed my mind.’”

Palmer, who is a Clinton supporter, decided she wouldn't back down either.

She filed petitions to get on the ballot for the spring 1996 primary, but Obama took steps to make sure voters wouldn't get a chance to pick her. His supporters scoured her petitions, and those of two other would-be candidates, for any technical flaws.

They ended up filing complaints alleging that Palmer and the others hadn't collected the 757 valid voter signatures needed to qualify for the ballot.

Davis, who formally filed the complaints, said the problems included signatures from people living outside the district or who weren't registered to vote. Some petitions were circulated by ineligible campaign aides, making every signature invalid.

Palmer ended up dropping out of the race instead of trying to argue that she had met the petition requirements. The other two candidates were ruled ineligible by Chicago election officials. Obama, as the only candidate on the ballot, won the primary, which in heavily Democratic Chicago meant he would go on to win the general election, too.

Petition challenges are common in Illinois politics, and even some Palmer supporters say Obama acted appropriately. “He did what any politician or campaigner does,” said Timuel Black, a Palmer friend and campaign adviser.

Obama friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett said Obama had no qualms about challenging Palmer's petitions.

“I don't think it was a difficult decision - it was a painful decision. The fact that she changed her mind was painful to him,” she said. “He told her from the beginning, 'Once I'm in, I'm in.”'

Many people familiar with the clash called Obama's decision an example of his resolve. Jarrett sees it as an example of his integrity, too. He had recruited supporters and told them he'd be running, and he kept his word, she said.

Palmer, who now serves on the board of a state pension system, did not return repeated messages. But others confirm that she and Obama have been estranged since their clash, and she ran in the Illinois primary to be a Clinton delegate.

“My guess would be that she felt he should have withdrawn, and she is bitter,” said Black, a Palmer friend and campaign adviser. “Since he was younger ... he had more future opportunities than she might have.”

[pepperwood2]

This preposterous story about Reverend Wright was Spun by the Mainstream News Media, Clinton Campaign & now the McCain Campaign for the sole purpose during this election year to discredit Senator Obama.

The Reverend Wright Story is remarkable. Check it out at wikipedia.org, you''re talking about an individual When President Kennedy gave the challenge "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". Wright gave up his college deferment in 1961 to enlist in the USMC, After two years he transferred to the USN and entered the Corpsman School at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center where he graduated valedictorian. He went on to serve his beloved country at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. receving many letters of commendation before being discharge in 1967.

Reverend Wright suggests to me to be a very dedicated, devoted & honorable American. The News Media, & the Clintons owe Jeremiah Wright Jr. a debt of gratitute for being there to serve his country when the call was made. Reverend Wright and many other Patriotic Americans came forward to serve their beloved Country during a very challenging time as some of us can recall. They are all heroes that gave all they had. During this time the scheming Clintons were finding ways to protest. Bill lied about his obligations and then cut & run to England to try to establish an alibi. The lying & scheming is now routine.

May God Bless All Americans, Including Reverend Wright.

[blkpresident]

Hillary-Steinem ''08?

Wonder who these broads would tap as Secretary of Defense, Jane Fonda? Who else would lil'' missy tap to fill out her administration, Ellen? Rosie O''Donnell? Madonna? Elton John? We are at war, so America doesn''t need lil'' missy and her weenies leading us anywhere.

[blackyowe]

Obama is too young and inexperienced. He showed how bad his judgement is by having a waco like Rev. Wright on his team and this primary season has done just what is was designed to do. It has put the canditates under the spot light and pressure and Obama has failed the test. His off the cuff glib comments about working class Americans proves very clearly he is not a leader. Once he made those comments he lost all potential to win red states in a general election so it would be suiside for Dems to make him their choice.

[hwy71so]

"TO ALL THE WHITE FOLKS WHO WILL NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA BECAUSE HE IS BLACK, WHO WS NEVER EVER GONNA VOTE FOR HIM AS A RESULT OF HIM BEING BLACK, PLEASE BE MAN OR WOMEN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT. DON''''T HIDE YOUR RACISM BEHIND REV WRIGHT WORDS. IF REV WRIGHT NEVER EXISTED YOU WOULD NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA. BE MAN ENOUGH AND WOMEN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT. IF HILLARY WAS A BLACK WOMEN WHITE WOMEN WOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER, ADMIT THAT AS WELL. MANY AMERICAN WHITES STILL HARBOUR ILL WILL AND FEELINGS TOWARDS AFRICAN AMERICANS PERIOD. HIDING YOUR HATRED FOR OBAMA BEHIND REV WRIGHT WORDS IS WHAT COWARDS DO. BE WHO YOU ARE AND STOP FRONTIN AND DUCKIN AND DODGING AND COMING UP WITH FICTICIOUS REASONS FOR WHY YOU WON''''T EVER VOTE FOR A BLACK CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. BE HONEST FOR A CHANGE. IF OBAMA CHANGE DON''''T WORK FOR YOU, AT LEAST COME TO THE TABLE HONESTLY. FOR A CHANGE

Posted by BLACKSPIRIT3 at 09:02 AM : Apr 25, 2008"

Racism is the most pathetic form of hatred and even more repulsive are those who keep it alive. Are you and AMERICAN or aren''t you?

[jockh]

Hillary lies again.

The Federal Election Commission has just reported that her campaign debt is $15 million and not $10 million as the Clinton camp reported because she failed to list her $5 million loan among the debts.

This means that even after her new surge of fundraising, she is still $5 million in debt; but Hillary is still smiling; why? Because she knows that her $110 million fortune is nice and safe. It%u2019s the ordinary person on the street who is tricked into losing money on a campaign that is doomed to fail.

Mitt Romney put $42 million of his own money into his campaign, why doesn%u2019t Hillary show she has complete confidence in her campaign and put in some of her own millions. Why? Because she knows it%u2019s a lost cause.

Those of you who are fooled into contributing to her campaign ask yourself why she LOANS her own money but wants you to GIVE your money?

[blackspirit3]

TO ALL THE WHITE FOLKS WHO WILL NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA BECAUSE HE IS BLACK, WHO WS NEVER EVER GONNA VOTE FOR HIM AS A RESULT OF HIM BEING BLACK, PLEASE BE MAN OR WOMEN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT. DON''T HIDE YOUR RACISM BEHIND REV WRIGHT WORDS. IF REV WRIGHT NEVER EXISTED YOU WOULD NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA. BE MAN ENOUGH AND WOMEN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT. IF HILLARY WAS A BLACK WOMEN WHITE WOMEN WOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER, ADMIT THAT AS WELL. MANY AMERICAN WHITES STILL HARBOUR ILL WILL AND FEELINGS TOWARDS AFRICAN AMERICANS PERIOD. HIDING YOUR HATRED FOR OBAMA BEHIND REV WRIGHT WORDS IS WHAT COWARDS DO. BE WHO YOU ARE AND STOP FRONTIN AND DUCKIN AND DODGING AND COMING UP WITH FICTICIOUS REASONS FOR WHY YOU WON''T EVER VOTE FOR A BLACK CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. BE HONEST FOR A CHANGE. IF OBAMA CHANGE DON''T WORK FOR YOU, AT LEAST COME TO THE TABLE HONESTLY. FOR A CHANGE

[metroduck75]

The is just another pro-obama article written by an Elite in the News Media.

But he failed to mention.....

Hillary is NOT just any other woman.

[hwy71so]

What''s messed up is how this guy is playing you people. He''s claiming change, change, but the ONLY change he''s interested in is the jingle in his pocket. Shoot even Hillary and McCain. All three of them are just playing you for a paycheck. They don''t care about the welfare of this country. But, you folks just gobble it up as fast as you can swallow.

I''m not buying it. I can''t believe how gullible this country is to pick these three as their top choices. Just total ignorance is the only thing I can think of.

[jack3213]

YOU CAN''T BLAME THE MAN FOR TRYING- AND IN FACT HE MIGHT EVEN BEAT THE WHITE WOMAN, WHAT A SHOCKER THAT WOULD BE FOR HER AND ALL HER WOMAN SUPPORTERS. YES, CLINTON IS A BITTER, ANGRY SOUL, EVEN THROUGH THE TEARS-- BUT NOW SHE''LL CLAIM SHE NEVER WAS OR IS AND PEOPLE FALL FOR THE ***..WOW

[pongo151]

max0010, interesting info...agree his book deal does seem odd. His charitable contributions were less than 2% of his income.
Per this article, based on his MO and callous approach to Ms Palmer''s situation, - i wouldn''t count on him to look out for our best interests, unless he gets a benefit too.

[pepperwood2]

What have you to say Hillary? This is all about ME - Wheeeeeee this is fun! I''''m just warming up. $110,000,000 year is MY money. Send me MORE of YOUR money. So I can outspent Obama 8 - 1 in North Carolina. CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE.... Sooooo Transparent & bitter!

[likeitis5050]

Six of one and half dozen of the other...Obama and Clinton are cut from the same cloth so why all the cries of indignation every time he gets too close to the blade. Let him bleed....maybe then we''ll finally see what kind a man he really is instead of what he wants us to see. This man is a phony....and it''s showing.

[blkpresident]

The Obama shuffle has steamrolled lil'' Hillary; it''s really that simple.

[max0010]

So how does an unknown writer strike a 1.7 million dollar book deal with huge Crown Publishing? He wrote his first book about his father %u201CDreams of My Father%u201D not a remarkable book, yet the publisher signed a deal of 1.7 million giving Obama $370,000 advance for Dreams, and by the way Dreams did not become popular until Obama did.

Does Barack Hussein Obama have a program for reducing foreign corporate control of the US book publishing industry and other US medial industries?

Senator Obama might not want to enforce US anti-trust laws against German medial conglomerates like Bertelsmann AG because between Election Day 2004 and his swearing in, as a Senator from Illinois, Obama was given a $1.7 million two-book contract by the Random House/Crown Publishers/ Alfred Knopf subsidiary division of Bertelsmann AG. By signing the book deal between the weeks following the Election and swearing in day, he did not need to fulfill any requirements for disclosure that all members of Congress who accept money from US media conglomerates have too. There appear to be forces at work to get this %u201Cinexperienced%u201D man in the highest office of the United States.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by SamTheTVCat at 05:10 PM : Apr 24, 2008

Because Obama''s seat was bought and paid for and nobody could touch it!

Good Gawd he never got one piece of legislation passed in his first term!!!! And they re-elected HIM!

Then he didn''t get ANY legislation passed at all until it was handed to him to write by Emil Jones!

Evidently Obama was too busy making scuzzy deals with all his anti-American corrupt buddies to pass any legislation!

[rowdytexan2]

Yesssssssssssssssssss!!!! Finally they''re revealing Obama''s scuz bag politics practices in Illinois!

This was one of the first things I read when I started researching Obama...how he snuck his hit men into the courthouse and started knocking names off all of his competitors petitions!

He had to practice sleazy politics to win his very first campaign UNOPPOSED!

And then he wants to run his campaign on being ABOVE POLITICS AS USUAL!

That''s the biggest laugh of the century!

[peteracevedo-2009]

hmmmmmm.......wonder what the Super Delegates would have to say about this article
"Open Letter to the Super Delegates" http://savagepolitics.com/?p=311

[skyk-2009]

Can you see the battle cry for our next president? The smoke and ashes that lay everywhere can you see it. Where is the morality where is the justice where is the love nourished where individuals can find healing through the right sources of help for our country? I do not care who is president I only care that this individual would allow God and not themselves to figure out the solutions needed to make our country stand as it never stand before. Will you ask God with me for this?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Providence_a at 05:31 PM : Apr 24, 2008

YOU need help... and plenty of it!!

[providence_a]

The Day They Tried To Kill George?
News flash the year 1755! George Washington%u2019s army ambushed loses 714 men out of 1300 men. 85 American and British officers slain George is the last officer standing.
As one witness puts it %u201CIt was a massacre%u201D. George states in a letter to His brother,
%u201CBy the all powerful dispositions of providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I have four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot out from under me.%u201D George would state that God had protected Him!
We go through a time warp 15 years later in 1770. George and James Craig go to a settlement, which is at the site of the previous battle. An old Indian who was the chief at the battle years earlier wanted to meet the man whom God protected. %u201CFor you see%u201D the chief said, %u201Cwhen we were in battle I told all my braves to kill all the officers. I saw you were an officer. I took aim and shot and nothing happen I took aim again and nothing happen. I took aim yet again and nothing happen to you. I did this for a total of 17 times. After that I told all the men cease firing at Him the Great Spirit is protecting Him.%u201D
So you see %u201CI have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle%u2026I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.%u201D

Hello my name is George Washington do you know Jesus?

[providence_a]

Can you see the battle cry for our next president? The smoke and ashes that lay everywhere can you see it. Where is the morality where is the justice where is the love nourished where individuals can find healing through the right sources of help for our country? I do not care who is president I only care that this individual would allow God and not themselves to figure out the solutions needed to make our country stand as it never stand before. Will you ask God with me for this?