Two Longtime Chicago Journalists On The Rise of Sen. Barack Obama:
Democracy Now - New York,NY,USA
Of the ten candidates now in the Democratic presidential field, none have attracted more recent controversy than Senator Barack Obama. …
(contains link to 18 min. video interview with Lynn Sweet and Salim Muwakkil)

Will the Ghosts of Pro-War Statements Past Haunt the 2008 Campaign?
Arianna Huffington - USA

This is one more reason for the attractiveness of Barack Obama’s candidacy. Here’s the pre-war soundbyte they can roll on him, from a speech he made in October 2002:

I know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors… I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.

How’s that for clear and unambiguous? And prescient.

You gotta love Edwards’ explanation for why Obama was right and he was wrong: It’s because Obama, not yet in the U.S. Senate, wasn’t "burdened" with the bad intel Edwards and his fellow Senators were getting. This has to be the first time in history the "I was too much in-the-know" excuse has been used in a presidential race. On the upside, this line of reasoning gives lie to the commonly-heard criticism of Obama for his lack of "seasoning."

And if you want more proof that "seasoning" is overrated, look no further than the lengthy resumes of Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld. When it comes to matters of war and peace, I’ll take insight, judgment, and wisdom over that kind of years-on-the-job training any day of the week.

Barack Obama says American Alcohoilism is the Cause of Iraq War
Melbourne Indymedia - Melbourne,Australia
According to Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, American Alcohoilism is the root cause of the Iraq War, soon to be the Iran War. …

Obama Had Multiethnic Existence in Hawaii
Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA
This 1976 photo provided by The Oahuan, the yearbook of Punahou School, shows Barack Obama, in front row, fourth from right, poses with his 9th grade class …

"He wasn’t afraid to challenge authority," Lum said. "Sometimes I couldn’t believe he would say it, but I would be thinking the same thing. I remember him being honest and courageous. I respected him for that."

Off the court, Obama brought books to read on road trips, served on the school literary magazine’s editorial board and sang in choir as a freshman and sophomore.

He also spent time with his grandfather, sometimes playing checkers with the locals at Alii Park, spear fishing in Kailua Bay or listening to Stevie Wonder and Billie Holiday records.

Russell Cunningham, a close friend who often went body surfing with Obama, remembered his friend Barry for introducing him to new music and for giving him sound advice.

"He introduced us to jazz and George Benson when we were all listening to rock ‘n’ roll," said Cunningham, now an attorney in Sacramento, Calif. "He also told me to stick to my studies because they’ll take me where I want to go. And I did, and I got to where I wanted to be."

Obama attacks Bush budget plan
WQAD - Moline,IL,USA
WASHINGTON Senator Barack Obama blasted President Bush’s latest spending plan today, branding it as not only unbalanced, but also unworthy of the challenges …

Obama’s Facebook Campaign
CBS News - New York City,NY,USA
But for the most part, planners of the "Yes We Can" rally, Students For Barack Obama, cannot drink legally, and if they didn’t vote in 2004, it was likely …