Obama Cancels Events To Visit Sick Grandma

Candidate Will Leave Campaign Trail On Thursday And Friday To Visit Grandmother, 85, In Hawaii

(CBS/AP)  Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama is canceling nearly all his campaign events Thursday and Friday to fly to Hawaii to visit his suddenly ill 85-year-old grandmother, his spokesman said.

Robert Gibbs told reporters Monday that Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, who helped raise him, was released from the hospital late last week. But he said her health had deteriorated "to the point where her situation is very serious."

"It’s not preferable for a campaign to have their candidate off the trail even for a short period of time in the final days of a race," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "But voters will certainly understand, even appreciate, Obama’s decision and it should have little to no impact on the campaign itself."

Events originally planned for Madison, Wis., and Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday will be replaced by one in Indianapolis before he makes the long flight to Hawaii. On Friday, Obama's wife, Michelle, will sub for Obama at rallies in Akron and Columbus, in Ohio, said campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki. Obama was expected to resume campaigning on Saturday, at an undecided location in the West, she said.

"Senator Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has always been one of the most important people in his life, along with his mother and his grandfather," Gibbs said. "Recently his grandmother has become ill and in the last few weeks her health has deteriorated to the point where her situation is very serious. It is for that reason that Sen. Obama has decided to change his schedule on Thursday and Friday so that he can see her and spend some time with her."

Citing the family's desire for privacy, Gibbs would not discuss the nature of Dunham's illness. It seemed likely that she was close to death, as Gibbs said that "everyone understands the decision that Sen. Obama is making."

It could be a momentous one for his bid for the White House against Republican John McCain, with Election Day just two weeks away on Nov. 4.

In a campaign ad this year, Obama described his Dunham as the daughter of a Midwest oil company clerk who "taught me values straight from the Kansas heartland" - things like "accountability and self-reliance. Love of country. Working hard without making excuses. Treating your neighbor as you'd like to be treated."

She's also the "white grandmother" he referred to in a speech on race.

Earlier this year, Obama talked to CBS News anchor Katie Couric about her.

"She's been the rock of my family. She worked very hard all her life, and made a lot of sacrifices on my behalf."

Obama also recognized Dunham when he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Denver.

"She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well," he said.

Obama last visited Hawaii in August, when he spent a week on vacation after clinching the Democratic presidential nomination.

[gotravel1]

Does anyone in Hawaii have any new information regarding the birth certificate in question?I am amazed that so many Americans remain clueless regarding Obama''s circle of friends who hate America.Please talk to you friends,neighbors,college students and make certain that they do their homework on Obama/Raila Odinga, Obama/Wright,Ayers,Rezko Prince Alwaleed bin talal.We cannot let Soros,and the radical leftist lake over our country.

[wethepeople4]

WHY IS OBAMA REALLY GOING TO HAWAII?

www.obamacrimes.com http://www.contrariancommentary.com/community Andy Martin is the author of "Obama, Man Behind The Mask") He is in Hawaii this week, digging up dirt on Obama and asking the court to see Obama''s birth certificate)

http://peoplespassions.org/peoplesvoice/Lawsuit_Sam_Reed/Press_Release_08_10_10.htm (another BC lawsuit)

http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/obama-born-in-kenya-new-information (Kenya roots?)

Jerome Corsi, forced out of Kenya at gunpoint?
http://dearbornunderground.blogspot.com/2008/10/obamas-kenya-connection-part-i.html (Part 1)
http://dearbornunderground.blogspot.com/2008/10/obamas-kenya-connection-part-ii.html (Part 2)

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/07/atlas-exclusive.html (Forensics on Obama''s BC)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqIDN1VGn2U&NR=1 (Berg Part 1) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?=PSqGePdZ0fU&feature=related (Berg part 2)

http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2008/10/obama-birth-cerificate-federal-lawsuit-the-curious-behavior-of-the-obama-campaign

http://www.americasright.com/2008/10/african-press-international-insists.html

[kailumego1]

Being a biracial, I can see both sides, of the spectrum, this is unfortunate for many of you, because you don''t come from a racially mixed background black/white.

Michelle Obama''s thesis wasn''t untrue, she''s merely referencing the "glass-ceiling", where black professionals make considerable less than their white counterparts, among other things.

If you were in the minority, where a majority culture had a monopolization over the economy, polity, and employment, you would be writing a thesis in protest as well.

The British oppressed Northern Ireland, now you think they [Irish] had kind words to say about Great Britain?

For so called-intelligentsia a lot of you really amaze me, with your narrow-mindedness.

This country won''t allow a biracial black/white claim anything other than black, notwithstanding he/she has a white mother or father.


It''s the racial construct of this country that has created this "ism" of race, likewise, the feelings of exclusiveness, in relation to black folks.

[jjlcp]

I am from Hawaii as well and I can tell you that I am NOT voting for Obama not because of his race, which is almost unheard of in Hawaii due to the giant mixing-pot of nationalities, but I am NOT voting for Obama because of his issues and his liberal agenda. I also don''t feel that he is ready to protect our nation when we are attacked during his first 6 months of office like Joe Biden stated!!!(???)

[mairin27]

I wasnt even talking about Obama you moron. You need to think before you shoot your mouth off. What about Rev. Wright is he mixed too. Shut up until you know what you are talking about.


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Posted by onlythereal at 06:01 PM : Oct 21, 2008


Ever hear of the one drop rule?

In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ruling in the case of Loving v. Virginia, conclusively invalidated Plecker''s Virginia Racial Integrity Act. That meant the Court was reversing the one-drop rule, calling it unconstitutional. But despite this holding, the one-drop theory is still influential in U.S. society. Multiracial individuals with visibly mixed European and African and/or Native American ancestry are often still considered non-White, unless they explicitly declare themselves White or Anglo.

[CMancos]

Obama has WHITE grandparents that raised him and a WHITE mother....his father was never around....you can''''t cry racism or reverse racism on this. I''''m not even black, but it upsets me when people only see BLACK when there is a person of mixed race.


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Posted by TRMarine79 a

I wasnt even talking about Obama you moron. You need to think before you shoot your mouth off. What about Rev. Wright is he mixed too. Shut up until you know what you are talking about.

[lalabradle]

joule3

You are really desperate for your party. LOL!!!!!

[skysoldier75]

Billions more in taxpayer dollars may have been wasted over the last decade because the government-run health program for the elderly and disabled paid out claims with blank or invalid diagnosis codes, such as a "?" or "zzzzz." Medicare officials say even smiley-face icons could have been accepted.

Posted by Xyno at 04:51 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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And who SUBMITTED those bogus claims?

Aren''t THEY the ones you should be condemning, not the Medicare system itself?

It sounds like crooked health care providers and insurance companies to me.

I suppose that if we doubled or tripled the number of Medicare claims checkers (grow government even bigger) most, if not all, of that kind of thing might be eliminated.

Or we could alternatively eliminate the insurance companies and private health care administrators who file those bogus claims, and accomplish pretty much the same thing.

[skysoldier75]

@ Xyno:

Well, sure, there are always exceptions and problems either way, private or governmental, that''s just a given. Nothing is ever perfect.

My point was that, done right, government can often do it better and cheaper, that''s all.

My own experience is that all too often, complaining about goods or services to a private company is often just a total waste of time. They accept a certain amount of customer dissatisfaction and loss of patronage, and just don''t care. And the IRS will certainly not come to your aid over a customer complaint, unless it has something to do with taxes.

[xyno-2009]

Billions more in taxpayer dollars may have been wasted over the last decade because the government-run health program for the elderly and disabled paid out claims with blank or invalid diagnosis codes, such as a "?" or "zzzzz." Medicare officials say even smiley-face icons could have been accepted.

For example, blood glucose test strips are almost exclusively used for diabetics. But Medicare paid millions of dollars to medical suppliers for the test strips without question based on non-diabetic diagnoses ranging from typhoid and bubonic plague to chronic airway obstruction and "psychosexual dysfunction."

Other questionable claims included wheelchairs or wheelchair accessories for patients listed as having a deformed nose or sprained wrist; special shoes for diabetics or shoe inserts for those with leg amputation or "precocious sexual development"; and walkers for people diagnosed with paraplegia.

[xyno-2009]

At least government is directly accountable to the "customer". Business is not.

Posted by SkySoldier75 at 04:25 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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Companies that do not take care of their customers don''t keep those customers for very long. I''m guessing you''ve never had to deal with the IRS because it wouldn''t be a pleasant experience.

Yes, certain things (e.g. military, intelligence) should be run by the gov''t because they deal with national security. I can''t believe anyone thinks medicare is well run -- check out this link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/07/23/LI2005072300409.html

[skysoldier75]

"We''ll just have to agree to disagree."

Posted by Xyno at 04:21 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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Sure, that''s fine.

Perhaps you''d like to also "privatize" some other "government run" things...like maybe our military"?

Cheney and Halliburton, Blackwater, DynCorp and Triple Canopy would just LOVE that.

Or maybe our highway system?

Perhaps our Police and Fire Departments as well?

How about our intelligence agencies?

Administering Federal lands and resources?

Lets privatize them all, and see what we''ve still got left in 20 years!

Government, as I said, does a LOT of things very well, and very economically, indeed.

[skysoldier75]

@ Xyno:

Insurance companies and drug companies both exist to make a profit for their stockholders.

Remove the profit and you reduce the costs by that same amount. It''s not rocket science, just common sense.

If you think the end "product" is not as good, then you can vote new people into government to fix that.

If private, for-profit companies give you bad care or service what can you do about that, if they have a monopoly on what you need? Absolutely nothing. You''re just screwed, aren''t you?

At least government is directly accountable to the "customer". Business is not.

[xyno-2009]

Believe it or not, government has shown time and again that it can do a LOT of things better than the private sector can, or ever will.

Posted by SkySoldier75 at 04:11 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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We''ll just have to agree to disagree.

[skysoldier75]

"Sure, our gov''''t takes over healthcare and it gets BETTER? Please."

Posted by Xyno at 04:05 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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Yep.

My parents, who are aged but both still very much alive, have far fewer complaints about their Medicare coverage than they do about their private "supplemental" coverage.

Medicare proves that socializing medical care can and does work.

Many, many people who have to rely on private insurance companies will be happy to tell you what a nightmare that can be.

Believe it or not, government has shown time and again that it can do a LOT of things better than the private sector can, or ever will.

[mairin27]

Jun 27, 2008 ... A study estimates drug companies pay doctors $57 billion a year in fees and services


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Posted by Xyno at 04:01 PM : Oct 21, 2008

Not for prescribing drugs. They can''t do that.
Come January, the pharmaceutical industry will voluntarily end its long-established practice of handing out little gifts to doctors who prescribe drugs.

Big Pharma%u2019s gift ban arrives as medical organizations and lawmakers are beginning to set limits of their own on the many ways drug companies try to influence the prescribing habits of the nation%u2019s doctors.
The no-knickknack rule is just the most visible part of the overhaul that the pharmaceutical industry is making in its standards to avoid conflicts of interest between drug companies and doctors.

Gone will be the resort trips for doctors hired as drug company consultants or speakers. And no longer will doctors dine at restaurants on a drug company%u2019s tab; only food brought to a doctor%u2019s office or hospital will be permitted.

Tougher measures are coming from government, academia and even some drug companies.

[xyno-2009]

Posted by SkySoldier75 at 04:00 PM : Oct 21, 2008

Sure, our gov''t takes over healthcare and it gets BETTER? Please.

[xyno-2009]

NOR do I think it is appropriate for a Alaskan Senator to receive $250K worth of house renovations from an Oil Executive.

Posted by melnycgirl3 at 03:53 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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Take off the blinders Mel ... all politicians are on the take.

[xyno-2009]

Jun 27, 2008 ... A study estimates drug companies pay doctors $57 billion a year in fees and services

[xyno-2009]

They can''''t do that anymore because it was seen as "kick backs". There is a limit on "gifts" that drug companies can give to physicians and it is a gift of no greater than $25. Drug companies were hit with multi million dollar fines when they did not comply.

Posted by mairin27 at 03:54 PM : Oct 21, 2008

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Just because it''s illegal doesn''t mean it isn''t happening. The medical profession has its bad element just like every other profession.