A Search for Self in Obama’s Hawaii Childhood
New York Times - New York,NY,USA
Barack Obama, third from left at rear, in 1972 with his fifth-grade class in a photograph from Na Opio, the yearbook of the Punahou School. …

Barack Obama, third from top left, Punahou School, 1972
courtesy of the AP

The political narrative of Mr. Obama was written about 4,500 miles and a cultural universe away from here, largely in Illinois. But the seeds of his racial consciousness, its attendant alienation and political curiosity appear to have been planted in Hawaii.

There was, by the description of his classmates, coaches and teachers, their Barry, the one who still looks remarkably like the picture in his yearbook, smiling under his Afro, or posing somewhat stiffly with other children under a sign “Mixed Races of America.”

That Barry had a confident gait, a cheerful smile and a B average.

“He had the same exact mannerisms then as he does now,” said Eric Kusunoki, Mr. Obama’s homeroom teacher at the Punahou School. “When he walked up to give that speech at the Democratic convention, we recognized him right away by the way he walked. He was well liked by everybody, a very charismatic guy.”

Obama Brings Substance to His Message of Hope
Bay Area Indymedia - San Francisco,CA,USA
A diverse crowd of 10000 people attended a rally at Oakland City Hall on March 17 to hear presidential candidate Barack Obama – confirming his status as the …

While he sounded the theme of hope that has become the staple of his campaign speeches (and reminded the crowd that he had always opposed the War in Iraq), Obama also made some concrete policy-based pledges on health care, education and the environment – and spoke about his prior legislative accomplishments. He did this to address the biggest criticism of his campaign – that it is big on hope, but short on substance.

“He was very impassioned, very enthusiastic and very progressive,” said Sara Heller of Oakland, who had come to learn more about the candidate that has generated buzz and momentum. Still, she wasn’t ready to jump on his campaign’s bandwagon – at least not yet. “I’d like to read more about him,” she said.

We Asked And You Delivered! (Obama Edition)
SFist - San Francisco,CA,USA
We sent out a plea for pictures from yesterday’s Barack Obama rally in Oakland and all you awesome readers who went sent along some amazing pictures. …

Excitement surrounds Denver Obama rally Sunday (includes video which plays almost like a campaign commerical)
cw2.com - Denver,CO,USA
Barack Obama’s Sunday appearance in Denver, his first as an official Democratic presidential candidate for 2008. Supporters waited for more than three hours …

Supporters waited for more than three hours on the street outside the Sherman Street Event Complex and then inside its second floor ballroom before the upstart from Illinois emerged from between a parted navy curtain and took the stage to thunderous applause.

"Some people have it and some people don’t," said Mary Johnson, who was among the first in line for the event. "And he has it."

Obama greeted warmly at famous NH site
Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA
CLAREMONT, NH –Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama had little difficulty winning over the audience at a senior center made famous by the husband …

Obama Beware. "It’s Gonna Be Whispers and Rumors"
News Hounds - Newport Beach,CA,USA
Barack Obama last January, the Senator from Illinois cut them off at the knees, refusing their reporters access to himself and his family. …

After FOX News scurrilously attacked Sen. Barack Obama last January, the Senator from Illinois cut them off at the knees, refusing their reporters access to himself and his family. True to form, that hasn’t stopped FOX’s lackeys from poor-mouthing Obama and "suggesting" through innuendo that it’s the Clinton camp that’s responsible for leaking the nasty little details that the various hosts, panelists and guests subtly bleed out a little bit at a time. This is the classic "divide & conquer" tactic. It muddies the waters, sows suspicion and, if successful, leaves one’s enemy in a demoralized, confused state.

Pro-Obama ‘Hillary 1984′ Ad a ‘Watershed’
The Daily Reel - Los Angeles,CA,USA
Barack Obama that has gone viral. "Hillary 1984" takes the classic Ridley Scott Super Bowl commercial from Apple Computer, and reconfigures it to show Sen. …

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, said he is aware of the "Hillary 1984" video and has gotten calls from reporters on it — but he insisted that the campaign is not connected to it. "It’s somebody else’s creation," he said, declining to comment on the ad’s biting content.

Burton said he doesn’t know who created the spot, but it shows "there is a lot of energy for Sen. Obama on the Web, in communities all over the country … and frankly, that energy will manifest itself in a lot of ways."

But in the weeks since its early March debut, the expertly created video remix — called a mashup in blogosphere circles — has "changed the zone" between political campaigns, their followers and the Internet, said Simon Rosenberg, president of the Washington-based New Democrat Network, an influential party advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

With presidential campaigns now poised to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising that will blanket television before November 2008, this seemingly home-produced video — created with software and a laptop, and likely without the benefit of a team of expensive political consultants — opens a new window, Rosenberg said. It has dramatized a brave new world in which passionate activists outside the structure of traditional campaigns have the power to shape the message — even for a presidential candidate.

Blogger Spotlight: Students for Barack Obama
National Journal - Washington,DC,USA
Alex Locke of Students for Barack Obama closes off our unofficial WH ‘08 blog tour. On Monday we begin our tour of California tipping things off with …

US must continue piling pressure on Mugabe By Senator Barack Obama
Saylac.com - Djibouti
By Senator Barack Obama. WASHINGTON, DC - Mr President, the events of the last few days in Zimbabwe are outrageous and warrant universal condemnation. …

Mr. President, the United States must continue to stand strongly against the Mugabe government’s abuses of power in Zimbabwe. We must join with our European allies, the United Nations, and – most importantly – the countries and institutions of the region to press for positive change in Zimbabwe. That means a peaceful democratic transition in 2008, and support for economic growth and opportunity – including the lifting of sanctions – once the dark cloud of Mugabe’s rule is lifted, and Zimbabweans are able again to reach for the new horizon they deserve.

I call on President Mugabe to immediately release all political detainees and repeal the ban on political rallies, to end the use of violence and torture in the jails, permit a free media and abide by the rule of law. His government must also urgently address the humanitarian crisis that has put the mass of his population in dire need of assistance.

Zimbabwe is a nation rich in history and rich in resources. Its talented people have known great hardship just as they have achieved great heights. When Robert Mugabe became president over a quarter century ago, there was great hope. Zimbabwe had emerged from British rule, claiming its freedom and its future for itself.

Sadly, the freedom and opportunity for which Zimbabweans fought have been eclipsed in the last decade by repression and uncertainty. Instead of peaceful self-determination, we see Zimbabweans intimidated and beaten in the streets. Instead of the responsible management of Zimbabwe’s state institutions, we see state-sanctioned corruption, violence and property seizures. Instead of economic self-sufficiency, we see what was once one of Africa’s most promising economies in a free-fall.

Yet I am confident that the people of Zimbabwe will once again claim for themselves a better future. As they seek to hold their leaders accountable, as they try to rebuild their lives and their country, they must know that they have a strong and steady friend in the United States. The events of the last few days – and the Mugabe regime – must belong to the past, and the United States must work with the international community to help all Zimbabweans forge a better future.

Obama supporters at HLS rally for presidential hopeful
Harvard Law Bulletin - Cambridge,MA,USA
A group of Harvard Law School students announced their support for Barack Obama ’91 last week at an event held in Pound Hall to rally support for the Obama …

A group of Harvard Law School students announced their support for Barack Obama ’91 last week at an event held in Pound Hall to rally support for the Obama campaign. Students poured into the aisles of the packed classroom to hear what faculty members who knew Obama during his days as a student had to say about the man who has excited so much presidential buzz.

“Barack Obama has the ability to bring together Americans from a wide range of age groups, beliefs, and backgrounds,” said Shahiedah Shabazz ’09, one of the student organizers of Harvard Law Students for Obama and a Chicago native. “He challenges all of us to be a generation of leaders where intelligence and integrity are the norm and not an anomaly, and he stands out as one of the few leaders with such character.”

Support for Barack Obama Surges, According to The Harris Poll
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
A new Harris Poll finds that Senator Barack Obama has increased his support substantially since a previous poll …

Senator Obama’s gains since the February poll include:

— Among all adults, 41 percent would now consider voting for him; the same number as would consider voting for Senator Clinton. In February, Clinton led Obama by 45 percent to 37 percent on this question;

— Among Democrats, 59 percent would consider voting for Obama, up from 53 percent in February. This is still below the number of Democrats who would consider voting for Senator Clinton (68%), but her support is down from 74 percent in February;

— Among Independents, people are slightly more likely to consider voting for Obama (42%) than for Clinton (36%). In February Clinton led Obama by 40 percent to 35 percent;

— When it comes to the public’s first choice for president, Clinton still leads Obama by 15 percent to 12 percent among all adults. However, this is down from a 20 percent to 10 percent lead in February;

— Among Democrats, Senator Clinton still has a clear (27% to 21%) lead over Obama as first choice, but this is down from 36 percent to 18 percent in February;

— Among Independents, almost equal numbers prefer Clinton (10%) and Obama (9%). In February Clinton had a two-to-one (16% to 8%) lead.

Clinton and Obama candidacies sign of hope
Daily Kent Stater - OH,USA
If you’ve been awake for the past few months, you know that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton aren’t only the leading democratic candidates for the ticket, …

Our country’s position as the leader of the free world currently stands on unstable ground. We are viewed, perhaps rightfully so, as imperialistic capitalists who will wage war based on faulty and false information.

For me, it’s just encouraging to know that we might be 571 days away from breaking another misplaced and archaic barrier.

Having that milestone president in office will be a tremendous step toward proving what we are capable of as a nation.

Where Barack Obama kneels
GetReligion - Washington,DC,USA
Today’s edition of the Los Angeles Times brings news that Barack Obama was “registered by his family as a Muslim at both of the schools he attended” in …

I know that much more reporting on Obama’s church is inevitable. As Wright said to Kim Lawton in what sounded like a tone of experienced resignation, “You think it’s ugly now. It’s going to get worse. It’s going to get much worse.”

Evaluation, or criticism, of Jeremiah Wright’s theology is not in itself ugliness. Wright is a gadfly, and that’s bound to attract journalistic and political curiosity. Still, the decision about where to attend church always depends on the pastoral realities of a city, a denomination and a congregation.

Barack Obama made a conscious decision to become a Christian while attending Trinity United Church of Christ. For Christians and others who are inclined to vote for him anyway, that probably will be enough reason to allow Jeremiah Wright his political, social and theological hobby horses and not to assume that Obama predictably rides alongside him.

Why I’m Voting for Obama — Young Blacks Connect to Barack
New California Media - San Francisco,CA,USA
Editor’s Note: While Barack Obama’s popularity surges, he is being attacked by African American leaders like Al Sharpton for not representing the community. …

In 2008, when voting time swings around I’m gonna put on my ‘Vote or Sit on the Couch and Watch Jeopardy’ t-shirt and I’m gonna to try to help make history. It’s a very exciting time for black people. And black males specifically because we don’t always get credit for the good we do like heart transplants, creating potato chips and maybe soon being the president of the United States.

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama - IAFF Meeting
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Look at all of you, Brothers and Sisters—I’m truly fired up today. This is a hall filled with heroes. …

It’s time to find an end to this war. It’s time to refocus on the wider struggle against terror and restore our standing in the world. And you can help. Thanks to your emails and your letters and your support, we now have more than 60 members of Congress – Democrat and Republican – supporting our plan. And if you keep it up, we can get more. We can pass this plan and send a message even George Bush can’t ignore.

So when those voices start sounding the alarm that we can’t change Washington and its ways and start engaging in a serious debate about the serious times we face, just say those three words that have made America what it is today: “Yes we can.”

When people say that we can’t take care of your Brothers and Sisters when they get sick from breathing in too much soot and smoke, we say, “Yes we can.” When they say that we can’t finally buy the radios you need to talk to one another in case of an emergency, we say, “Yes we can.”

When they say that we can’t bring your Brothers and Sisters home from Iraq so they can do the job they love back home, we say, “Yes we can.” Thank you.

Barack Obama Gives Time/Newsweek Best Sellers of the Year
Huffington Post’s Eat the Press

Media Industry Newsletter has the story: The results are in for the best-selling newsstand covers of 2006, with Barack Obama spelling high sales for news weeklies. Both Time and Newsweek featured cover shots of the Democratic candidate on their best-selling issues, with Time’s "extreme close-up" cover proving a hit and Newsweek striking gold with an arms-crossed Obama and smiling Hillary Clinton standing side by side.

Can Barack Obama Become President?
AlterNet - San Francisco,CA,USA
Nevertheless Barack Obama, the 45-year-old son of Kenya and Kansas, has penetrated the media’s foggy obsession with tabloid stars and has become, …

A sizable percentage of the progressive sector may not be happy with any candidate who does not agree with them on every issue. They have already shown a surprising lack of concern for the political and practical consequences of their inflexibility. The following that Dennis Kucinich, and Ralph Nader enjoyed are cases in point. Intractable liberal voters are like window shoppers who feel most comfortable going home empty-handed and later whining that they couldn’t find something they liked. They may have been as responsible for reelecting Bush as his hard-core conservative base.

Has America under George W. Bush dropped into an abyss of moral and economic bankruptcy? Sadly, this is what our nation now represents to the rest of the world. Perhaps the most groundbreaking aspect of an Obama presidency would be the message it sends globally: The post-Bush era of American governance has arrived.

If candidate Obama’s challenges are daunting, his overcoming those challenges would be all the more significant for many around the globe. An Obama presidency could vault him and all of us into a new era, where sane and compassionate policies are championed by a more united and rational citizenry. Still, world popularity doesn’t elect U.S. presidents. Will Americans be driven primarily by their fear or their hope? The possibility of a new president named Barack Hussein Obama hangs in the balance. [My emphasis]

Obama: "All the eyes in the nation are . . . on New Hampshire"
The Union Leader - Manchester,NH,USA
Barack Obama says a semi-national primary shaping up for the first week of February 2008, is unhealthy for the political process but will make New …

Q&A with Barack Obama
Muscatine Journal - Muscatine,IA,USA
MUSCATINE, Iowa — After his speech at West Middle School on Sunday, Barack Obama sat down with the Muscatine Journal for a one-on-one interview. …

Q: We always hear people talk about Midwestern values, as you did throughout your speech. What are Midwestern values, in your opinion?

A: I do think that Midwesterners are sort of no-nonsense, not a lot of hoopla. They don’t think in ideological terms, but think more in terms of how to solve problems. Now obviously these are huge generalizations, but I do think that there’s a certain sensibility that is healthy.

Obama’s ‘both-and’ mission defines candidacy
DetNews.com - Detroit,MI,USA
R egarding Barack Obama, it’s useful to start with the whole what-is-he thing. Not that there’s any question in his mind: "I’m clear about my own identity," …

He said his belief that American politics has seen enough "either-or" — and that he can shift the paradigm to "both-and" — is what led him to undertake "the risks and difficulties and challenges and silliness of a modern presidential campaign."

Thus on the question of inner-city poverty and dysfunction, Obama proposes a suite of orthodox solutions — early childhood education, after-school and mentoring programs, efforts to teach young parents how to be parents. But he also emphasizes personal responsibility: "The framework that tends to be set up in Washington — which is either the problem is not enough money and not enough government programs, or the problem is a culture of poverty and not enough emphasis on traditional values — presents a false choice."

That’s the way Obama talks, by the way, in sinuous but precise sentences that practically diagram themselves as they go along.

Sen. Barack Obama to Serve as SNHU’s 2007 Commencement Speaker
Southern New Hampshire University - Manchester,NH,USA
Barack Obama, D-Ill., will serve as speaker and will receive an honorary degree at Southern New Hampshire University’s 75th commencement. More. …

Will you leave Obama alone already?
Ha’aretz - Tel Aviv,Israel
The level of scrutiny every Barack Obama comment on Israel gets reached a point of silliness. Now it’s the "nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian …

Obama Profits from Bill’s Gay Baggage
New York Observer - New York,NY,USA
Two of Barack Obama’s key bundlers in Los Angeles were first approached by Hillary Clinton’s campaign, but turned her down in part because of what they said …

"Black Enough?" Who Is Obama Running Against?
Black College Wire - Washington,DC,USA
This hour, an unprecedented African American voter turnout for Barack Obama might give the United States its first black president. …

Obama’s long campaign (Rather dumb editorial that praises bad reporting as necessary part of the campaign season)
Chicago Tribune - Chicago,IL,USA
Last week Barack Obama got an uncomfortable lesson in why agonizingly long presidential campaigns benefit candidates and the voters who sort through them …

500 Volunteer on a Sunday to Help Obama’s Upcoming Oakland Appearance
California Progress Report - Oakland,CA,USA
On just two days notice, close to 500 volunteers showed up in the Bay Area–not for a rally by Barack Obama–but to plan his upcoming appearance on March 17 …

Michelle Obama to play bigger role in campaign
Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA
But with the demands of the campaign growing, Barack Obama simply can’t be everywhere. John Edwards — who hits Chicago this week for a fund-raiser — has …

Hooked on Obama, without bait
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
Then Barack Obama, presidential candidate, and the Democrats’ poster child for their "We are America" campaign, was revealed to be not a descendant of …

Obama, Clinton Sparring Early
Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama offhandedly mentioned the obvious. "Hillary, you know, she’s interesting," Obama said, acknowledging that he understood they would consider …

Obama Not Riled by Fox Chief’s Word Play
Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama said Sunday he was not greatly offended by the Fox News chief’s word play about his name that led Nevada Democrats to cancel a presidential …

The year of keeping up with Obama
San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco,CA,USA
This time they’re sought-after, thanks to Barack Obama, who — in his own wooing of the black vote — has forced his Democratic rivals to follow suit. …

Obama Presses for Iraqi Reforms
Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama on Saturday said the US will have to withdraw its troops from Iraq, regardless of the costs, if serious reforms are not made by the Iraqi …

Democrats’ party chief casts his lot with Obama (Mass.’ Chief, Not Howard Dean)
Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA
… declared his support yesterday for Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton’s top rival for the party’s presidential nomination. …

Dems cancel debate over Fox chief’s Obama joke
CNN - USA
"It’s true that Barack Obama is on the move," Ailes said, deliberately confusing the Illinois senator’s name with that of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. …

Obama takes Manhattan
Variety - USA
Barack Obama mined Gotham celebrities this week, wading into Hillary Clinton territory as the two star candidates race to raise money for their presidential …

Barack Obama’s unlikely political education.
New Republic - Washington,DC,USA (subscription required)

In 1985, Barack Obama traveled halfway across the country to take a job that he didn’t fully understand. But, while he knew little about his new vocation–community organizer–it still had a romantic ring, at least to his 24-year-old ears. With his old classmates from Columbia, he had talked frequently about political change. Now, he was moving to Chicago to put that talk into action. His 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father, recounts his idealistic effusions: "Change won’t come from the top, I would say. Change will come from a mobilized grass roots. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll organize black folks. At the grass roots. For change."…

Clinton, Obama Vie For Illinois Support
Guardian Unlimited - UK
Now comes the hard part - choosing whether to back rising political star and local hero Barack Obama, or whether to get behind a trusted ally and political …

City clamor for Bama: New Yorkers ‘begging’ to go to midtown fund-raiser
New York Daily News

Those cheers Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) hears in her backyard tomorrow night will be for her arch rival as Obamamania sweeps the city.

When Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) announced he was holding a Manhattan fund-raiser, it spawned a ticket-buying frenzy .

"It’s incredible. I can’t believe how many New Yorkers are interested in Barack Obama," said Arthur Leopold, who is helping to host the event.

And some more Obama stock defenses. First from Media Matters…

Blitzer’s suggestion that Obama "cash[ed] in" on stock deal proved wrong by CNN’s own report

Summary: In teasing a report on Sen. Barack Obama’s purchase of stock in two companies whose investors included Obama campaign donors, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked: "Did the Democratic presidential candidate cash in on his relationship with some big political donors?" The ensuing report, however, made clear that Obama did not "cash in"; rather, he took a net loss of $13,000 when he sold the stock after first learning he owned it.

Chicago Tribune, The Hill ignored lack of evidence of impropriety in Obama stock deal

In reporting on Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) purchase of stock in two companies whose investors included donors to Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign, the Chicago Tribune and The Hill failed to note that a New York Times article highlighting the 2005 purchase did not include any evidence of ethical impropriety by Obama.

From the Carpetbagger Report…

‘Whitewater Journalism’

Following up on an item from yesterday, the Obama stock/blind trust “controversy” is part of a disconcerting pattern. Atrios referred to it as “Whitewater Journalism,” and noted this terrific post by Digby, written a couple of weeks ago.

These are patented Whitewater-style “smell test” stories. They are based on complicated details that make the casual reader’s eyes glaze over and about which the subject has to issue long confusing explanations in return. They feature colorful and unsavory political characters in some way. They often happened in the past and they tend to be written in such a way as to say that even if they aren’t illegal they “look bad.” The underlying theme is hypocrisy because the subjects are portrayed as making a dishonest buck while pretending to represent the average working man. Oh, and they always feature a Democrat. Republicans are not subject to such scrutiny because a craven, opportunistic Republican isn’t “news.” (Neat trick huh?)

No single story will bring down a candidate because they have no substance to them. It’s the combined effect they are looking for to build a sense overall sleaziness. “Where there’s smoke there’s fire” right?

That’s so right, it hurts. Consider the 1,300-word front-page expose the WaPo ran two weeks ago detailing a family foundation the Clintons created to donate generously to charities for several years. The tone of the article suggested that there’s a real controversy, without pointing any actual wrongdoing. The casual reader/news consumer assumes Clinton has done something untoward. Indeed, she must have — otherwise the Washington Post wouldn’t run a front-page expose. A lengthy, front-page “investigative” piece about John Edwards’ home sale was part of the same trend. Take a non-story, put it on the front-page, and it’s a story.

Whitewater practically created the phenomenon. Huge, front-page articles were published, which in turn would create TV and radio interest. No one had a clue about actual wrongdoing, worse yet criminal conduct, but that didn’t stop whispers about a “scandal.” It had to be; the media told us so.

Yesterday’s piece on Obama was practically identical.

Here’s a sampling of the some of the work being done to defend Barack Obama from the stock deal non-story…

From Media Matters…

Wash. Post’s Cillizza falsely claimed Obama "is battling allegations of ethical misjudgment"

In a March 7 entry to his washingtonpost.com weblog, The Fix, Washington Post staff writer Chris Cillizza wrote: "For the second time since signaling his plans to run for president, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is battling allegations of ethical misjudgment." Cillizza was referring to a March 7 New York Times article highlighting the 2005 purchase, on Obama’s behalf by his broker (and, Obama said, without his knowledge), of "more than $50,000 worth of stock in two speculative companies whose major investors included some of his biggest political donors," and a November 1, 2006, Chicago Tribune article highlighting a 2005 land deal between Obama and Chicago fundraiser Antoin Rezko, a supporter of Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign. However, contrary to Cillizza’s claim, the Times article did not contain an "allegation[] of ethical misjudgment" and the Post itself reported, in an article to which Cillizza linked, that there "have been no allegations that Obama … committed any ethics violations" in the land deal.

MSNBC, ABC’s The Note hyped NY Times Obama "scandal," despite no evidence of ethical impropriety

Citing a March 7 New York Times article reporting that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "bought more than $50,000 worth of stock in two speculative companies whose major investors included some of his biggest political donors," MSNBC News Live anchor Contessa Brewer suggested that the story represented Obama’s "first real scandal." Neither Brewer nor her guest, Newsweek senior White House correspondent Richard Wolffe, noted that the Times reported that "[t]here is no evidence that any of [Obama’s] actions ended up benefiting either company during the roughly eight months that he owned the stocks," though Wolffe did question whether the story qualified as a "scandal."

The March 7 edition of ABC News’ political newsletter, The Note, led with the Times‘ Obama story, calling it a "front page investigative must-read." According to The Note, one of the "[b]ad sign[s] for Team Obama" is that even though Obama lost $13,000 in the stock deal, "Whitewater lost money too." Absent from The Note’s discussion of the potential effect of the Times story on Obama was any acknowledgement that that the several multimillion-dollar investigations into the Clinton-era Whitewater real-estate "scandal" found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the Clintons.

From ABC News…

McCain: Obama ‘A Very Honest and Fine Person’

ABC News’ Teddy Davis and Matthew Zavala Report: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., offered praise for a potential Democratic rival for the presidency today amid reports questioning Sen. Barack Obama’s, D-Ill., investment activity.

"I do know that Sen. Obama is a very honest and fine person from everything I’ve known about him," McCain told ABC News when asked about a story in today’s New York Times examining stock purchases made by the Illinois Democrat’s qualified blind trust.

From the Carpetbagger Report…

Yet another non-scandal to chew on

The New York Times ran an article this morning about Barack Obama and some investments the Times believes are suspicious. Since the piece ran on the front page, and it wasn’t written by John Solomon, I read it expecting to find something relatively damaging.

But after going through it a couple of times, it seems, to borrow a phrase, like a “gotcha” without the gotcha.

From Daily Kos…

Confronting the New York Times Obama hit piece

How to Smear a Democrat – Target: Obama

Obama: NYT article source: financial reporter 1 & only political story

From Obamarama.org…

NYT Plays “Gotcha” Over Obama Investment Non-Story

In the seventh paragraph of its article about investments in two companies that were made on behalf of Sen. Obama in a blind trust he set up, the New York Times notes that “There is no evidence that any of his actions ended up benefiting either company during the roughly eight months that he owned the stocks.”

If you only read the first six paragraphs, however, you would get a distinctly different impression. According to the article, the purchases “raise questions” about how Sen. Obama came to invest in the companies — Skyterra and AVI BioPharma — which work with the federal government and whose stockholders include major donors to Sen. Obama’s campaign.

Sadly, the article does not elaborate on what these “questions” are. Nor does it point out that wealthy political donors also tend to be major stockholders in many companies, making the possibility that a senator will wind up investing in some of the same companies as people who contribute to his campaign practically an inevitability.

Instead, the Times opts to “raise questions,” and then proceeds chart the feeble connections between Sen. Obama’s purchases and his legislative priorities in order to suggest some wrongdoing it has already acknowledged isn’t there. These connections include his push for an avian flu vaccine and his investment in AVI (though, as the article notes in its 24th paragraph, this company “has not received any federal money for its avian flu research”).

Further undercutting the article’s suggestion of impropriety and insider dealing is the disclosure in the article’s 11th paragraph that Sen. Obama lost $15,000 on his investment in Skyterra, bringing his net profit on these “questionable” investments to a scandalous NEGATIVE $13,000. It seems to me the only questions this story raises are about the stock-picking aptitude of the people who manage Sen. Obama’s blind trust.

Residents of (I assume) Hollywood, CA offer some great comments on why they are supporting Barack Obama (thanks to Obamarama) …

And here’s an amusing spoof on the famous Apple 1984 ad…

If you haven’t seen Adam Connor’s (of RunObama.com and MyDD) excellent write-up of a meeting a few days ago between Obama and some representatives of a few of the draft Obama groups, you really must.

It includes some great responses from Obama that are of interest to all of us who’re trying to figure out our roles as grassroots supporters. Connor writes…

After our introductions the Senator opened up the floor (or more accurately, the table) and lead a discussion about the things that we thought his campaign should be doing and how to best build a grassroots campaign structure since, he noted, the draft groups had been doing it for longer then his campaign had been.

One of my impressions that stands out most from the meeting was the Senator’s candor. I can’t think of any candidate that I’ve ever met who would sit down and not just go through the motions, but actually engage in a frank discussion about campaign structure and integration, to best harness all the energy out there surrounding him. At times you could almost see the community organizer within him come out as he discussed his vision of "marshaling the grassroots energy."

Perhaps one of the most telling statement he made was when he said "can’t run this campaign on sheer kinetic energy" and that the crowds and excitement are difficult to sustain and shouldn’t be the sole focus of the campaign. He was looking for a way to channel that energy into giving his supporters "a real ownership" in the campaign. He said that the campaign was still working on getting in touch with all of the support groups that had popped up before his announcement and was still working on getting set up, so he asked for patience.

Read the whole thing.

And now, the Link Party…

Right behind Obama stands Peoria native
Peoria Journal Star - Peoria,IL,USA
But you haven’t heard much about the skinny kid with a funny name who grew up in Peoria and his role in the making of Barack Obama. …

Obama fits that description, Raja says. He’s "genuine and sincere," not given to "sound-bite" positioning. His "keen intellect" comes with "a wide knowledge base about important topics of concern" that enables him to talk about issues in length and depth. His character and integrity are outstanding. Then there’s his "personal charisma. … You spend just a half hour with him, and you have the sense he’s a born leader."

…

Those who want to know how a President Obama would be likely to make decisions will find his approach to policy development insightful. Consider, for example, his effort to transform his belief in universal health-care coverage to practical policy.

"Barack said, ‘We need to draft some kind of position paper on what it is I would support as a U.S. senator and what it is I would try to pass legislation on and how I would go about addressing the problem of health-care coverage and the uninsured,’ " Raja recalls. To do that, Raja sought experts to help define the scope of the problem and potential solutions. Once the policy team members decided which ideas they could support, they approached Obama, who then "weighed in on what he felt comfortable with. … People underestimate his executive skills. He is able to digest information very quickly. He likes and wants a wide variety of viewpoints, but once he’s digested them, he makes decisions very quickly."

Obama supported by Brown basketball coach, his brother-in-law
Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA
PROVIDENCE, RI –Craig Robinson believes you can tell a lot about a guy by how he plays basketball, which is why he liked Barack Obama long before the …

"Madrassa" redux? Gibson cited dubious tabloid article to smear …
Media Matters for America - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama (D-IL) presented a false picture of his father, Barack Obama Sr., in his memoir Dreams From My Father (Crown, July 1995). …

Obama’s Wife Sheds Former Skepticism
CBS News - New York City,NY,USA
Barack Obama, running for president _ not because she didn’t think he’d make a great candidate, but because she wasn’t sure that politics was the best way …

Obama: Change federal homeland funding formula
Wilmington Morning Star - Wilmington,NC,USA
Washington | Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wants to change the government’s formula for giving states money for homeland security. …

Obama Introduces Bill to Rank State Election Practices and Performance
VoteTrustUSA, CA - Mar 3, 2007
US Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today introduced the Voter Advocate and Democracy Index Act (S. 737) to help inform voters and state officials about the …

FEC Ruling Assists Barack Obama
Free Internet Press - New York,NY,USA
Barack Obama (D-Illinois) will be permitted to collect money for a potential general election presidential campaign without foreclosing the possibility that …

Obama on Iran: Take off the kid gloves
Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA
Barack Obama said Friday the use of military force should not be taken off the table when dealing with Iran, which he called "a threat to all of us." …

Obama supports Israel. Period.
Ha’aretz - Tel Aviv,Israel
Barack Obama’s big speech on Israel is now over, and as expected, the candidate made no secret of his support and dedication to the special relationship …

Obama leads labor rally
Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA
Barack Obama pledged Saturday that the Senate would pass a bill making it easier for workers to start unions against companies’ wishes, but acknowledged it …

Obama ancestors owned slaves, a researcher finds
Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA
Senator Barack Obama, shaking hands with supporters in Chicago last week, had ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. …

Excerpt from Barack Obama’s keynote address at the Selma Voting Rights March Commemoration…

You may have noticed over the last month or so that various news outlets and commentators have tried to sow suspicion about Obama’s veracity in his memoir, Dreams from My Father. Even going so far as to invoke the name James Frey, the now-disgraced Oprah Book Club author who admitted that he made up key parts of his memoir, A Million Little Pieces.

I thought it might be helpful to provide a timeline for how this odd series of accusations and insinuations has rolled out.

August 8, 2004 - Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times writes what appears to be the first article suggesting that there is something wrong with the literary license Obama took with Dreams from My Father.

Sweet writes…

I was dismayed, however, at what I found when I read Dreams from My Father. Composite characters. Changed names. And reams of dialogue between Obama and other people that moves the narrative along but is an approximation'’ of the actual conversation.

Except for public figures and his family, it is impossible to know who is real and who is not.

Oooh, that sounds bad, right? Except that she immediately follows her seemingly manufactured outrage by providing the essential detail that Obama openly admits this in the book’s introduction…

Obama disclosed in his introduction that he uses these literary devices to buttress his recollections. He also kept a journal. For the sake of compression,'’ Obama writes, some of the characters that appear are composites of people I’ve known and some events appear out of precise chronology. With the exception of my family and a handful of public figures, the names of most characters have been changed for the sake of their privacy.'’

And not only that, in the following sentence, Sweet praises Obama for these decisions that strengthen the narrative…

The devices well serve to eloquently take the reader along on Obama’s quest to understand his heritage as, as he writes, the son of a black man and white woman, an African and an American.'’

So, no story here, right? But Sweet continues to try to make one. But, she fails…

I asked him about a man called Marty Kaufman in the book; he was Obama’s boss at his first job in Chicago as a community organizer at the Calumet Community Religious Conference.

Kaufman, Obama told me, is really Gerald Kellman. I tracked down Kellman and asked him about his portrayal in the book.

I think Barack was very accurate not only about myself but other people that I knew,'’ Kellman told me.

OK, is that enough? Not for Sweet, who oddly continues…

That’s reassuring, but most readers do not have the ability to call around to try to sort out the fictional characters from real people.

No Lynn, they don’t. Nor would they want to. Obama again explains why Sweet’s concerns are misplaced…

I say in the book it is my remembrances of what happened,'’ Obama told me. I don’t set it out as reportage . . . read the book for what it is worth.

"You reconstruct your memory for what happened. It is not reportage. It is not appearing in the New York Times or the Sun-Times. I say that explicitly in the book.'’

There’s really, really nothing here, but Sweet tries desperately one more time to convince the reader that there’s something fishy going on. And goes so far as to ask a journalism professor to pass judgment (my emphasis) …

I bounced my reservations about Obama’s book off of Caryl Rivers, a journalism professor at Boston University and a media critic who writes fiction, non-fiction and screenplays.

Rivers did not have a problem with changing names. Using composite characters — without telling the reader — is troublesome, she said. When you start to bring in composite characters you immediately bring up the question of what is true,'’ Rivers said.

Ya see that? Sweet tries to reinforce her odd construction by quoting Rivers talking about something "troublesome." Something "troublesome" that Obama didn’t actually do because he did tell his readers.

Oy, are we done yet? Not even close…

January 16th, 2007 - Rhonda Schwartz on ABC News’ the Blotter recycles most of Sweet’s 2004 article. Why recyle it when there’s nothing to it? Thankfully, many of the comments attached to that article wondered the same thing…

If this is a non-news story, as it appears to be, why do you feel compelled to try to make it a story? In such circumstances, it is irresponsible to cast aspersions as you have done, without any clear purpose for having done so.

Posted by: Ken Schory | Jan 16, 2007 3:42:51 PM

…

I have no idea whether I’ll support Obama or not but this type of "reporting" is why I get turned off from politics. Obama discloses the composites and name change; the reporter proved it out in one case. Move on. I believe these type of stories are planted - over and over and over again - to create doubt even when the facts don’t warrant it. Whoever believes that our media is unbiased is living in denial.

Posted by: Lynne | Jan 16, 2007 4:03:06 PM

The Blotter piece ends with a statement from the Obama campaign about the Sweet piece (my emphasis)…

When reached by ABC News today, a spokesman for Sen. Obama first tried to find out if the Chicago Sun-Times story was being "pitched" to ABC by a rival campaign, and after being told that was not the case, the spokesman declined to comment for the record. "It was a non-story then, and it’s a non-story now. Let the book speak for itself,"  he said.

January 18th, 2007 - Andrew Sullivan, linking to the ABC report from his ABC-hosted blog, inexplicably thinks he smells a rat…

Does he have a James Frey problem? I like Obama, but you’ve got to worry when a campaign dismisses something as a “non-story.” That almost always means it’s a real one.

January 19th, 2007 - During the infamous "madrassa" push on Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade says (and I paraphrase) "Apparently Obama’s tried to hide the fact that he made up stories and people in his memoir. I know, I know, Fox News, what do you expect? Sorry, can’t find the transcript. But, that’s basically what he said.

February 19th, 2007 - The LA Times runs a lengthy piece that includes interviews with some who suggest that Obama bent the truth and took too much credit for some of the events discussed in Dreams from My Father. Hmm, I wonder where this idea could have started?

Fortunately, the Obama campaign, with blindingly fast speed, responds with a comprehensive point by point rebuttal of the charges.

February 20th, 2007 - Lynn Sweet reposts her original article on her blog — still trying to make the case that her clearly flawed report from two and a half years ago has some relevance.

So, is that it? Well, for today. I’m sure there are many other references to this bogus attempt at undercutting Obama’s integrity, but I can’t stomach the search just yet. Expect to hear these charges over and over again no matter how often they’re shown to be meaningless. And be prepared for a number of other attempts at slander related to content in Dreams from My Father.

Let’s restate again why this is so absurd. Dreams from My Father is a literary memoir. Barack Obama clearly states in the introduction of the book what devices he uses. He has never hidden this information from anyone.

And to further demonstrate the silliness of all this: Thirty pages at the end of Dreams from My Father are what amounts to a lyrical folk tale about the African side of Obama’s family. All told in the first person voice of his Grandmother. If that doesn’t give any reader a serious clue to the literary intent of the book, I’m not sure what could.

Or, again, as Lynn Sweet wrote in 2004, "The devices well serve to eloquently take the reader along on Obama’s quest to understand his heritage…"

[A similar version of this post can be found here.]