Big Mo(ney) adds to Obama’s Big Mo
Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago,IL,USA
It’s difficult to overstate the magnitude of Barack Obama’s victory in what’s being called the first primary of the Democratic presidential campaign. …

This illustrates in dramatic terms that Obama’s campaign is about more than just novelty, or curiosity about Obama. All that interest in him and all that enthusiasm so evident at his campaign appearances have translated into solid financial support. And it’s broad-based. Obama reported contributions from 100,000 people — twice the number for Clinton. The Illinois senator got myriad small contributions, meaning the people who pitched in $25, $50 or $100 have plenty of room to contribute more before bumping into the $2,300 ceiling for a primary contribution.

As important as the actual fund-raising is the impact of this financial showing on the dynamics of the campaign. The inevitability of a Clinton nomination, long nurtured by the New York senator’s supporters, has been blown away. That’s not to say that the mantle of unstoppable candidacy has been transferred to Obama. Much can happen in the months ahead. Clinton will fight back. The third leading Democratic candidate, John Edwards of North Carolina, collected $14 million and is said to be ahead in polling in Iowa, where the early caucus can serve as a powerful springboard for a presidential candidacy. But the $25 million gives Obama’s candidacy powerful momentum, which he will build upon in the weeks and months ahead. As sportwriters will tell you, every team wants "the big Mo" on its side.

Panel Endorses Obama at KSG Event
Harvard Crimson - Cambridge,MA,USA
US Senator Barack Obama may be the youngest major contender vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, but three prominent Harvard faculty members …

U.S. Senator Barack Obama may be the youngest major contender vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, but three prominent Harvard faculty members said yesterday that the 45-year old’s life experiences, particularly his time overseas, give him an edge over his older competitors.

“Barack Obama is the only candidate who can give us 21st-century solutions to 21st-century threats,” foreign policy scholar Samantha Power said at an event last night for Obama.

Power, the Lindh professor of practice of global leadership and public policy, took a leave of absence from the Kennedy School last year to advise Obama on foreign policy.

Sen. Barack Obama
Slate - USA
The biggest knock on Barack Obama is that he’s short on substance. This comes from his opponents, like John Edwards, who says it in public, and from Hillary …

But putting out detailed white papers isn’t the only way to show your substance. Obama likes to strut his policy stuff by playing the professor. After 10 years teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago and several before that running meetings as a community organizer, he’s highly skilled at talking to an audience in a way that exposes his knowledge. He did this at the two health-care forums he moderated last week.

…

Obama had clearly done his homework on this subject. He regularly offered facts: Two-thirds of the uninsured are employed; 20 percent to 30 percent of the $2 trillion spent annually on health care goes to paperwork and red tape. He occasionally referred to index cards to prompt the audience with questions about employer-based plans or their tolerance for possible tax increases. He appeared to be listening so intently that he neglected to laugh when one of the speakers made a joke.

Half sister in Hawaii joins Obama campaign
Honolulu Star-Bulletin - Honolulu,HI,USA
Barack Obama’s half sister sent a letter to potential Hawaii supporters last night, debuting as an enthusiastic campaigner for her older brother. …

Barack Obama’s half sister sent a letter to potential Hawaii supporters last night, debuting as an enthusiastic campaigner for her older brother.

"It’s obvious that we like him a lot," wrote Maya Soetoro-Ng, 36, who lives in Honolulu, where Obama was born. "He’s sharp, loving, and makes a mean chili."

Soetoro-Ng said in an e-mail letter to nearly 800 people that Obama’s decision to run for the Democratic presidential nomination was not easy, but family members and supporters recognized the campaign is about more than winning.

"If, by running, the campaign inspires a diverse group of people across the country to come together and become politically and socially engaged, then the decision to run becomes clear; it’s about making a difference, however big or small, in the lives of the people around us," she said in the letter also posted online.

South Asian grassroots support for Obama
India eNews.com - Gurgaon,Haryana,India
… the support of the South Asian American community to help elect Senator Barack Obama as the next US president, launched its New York chapter Thursday. …

With chapters in seven US cities already, SAFO continues to grow and unite the South Asian community around US Senator Obama’s vision for America’s future.

Last week, SAFO’s Los Angeles chapter was officially launched by Nimmi Gowrinathan, Zachariah Mampilly, Rishi Manchanda, Nitasha Sawhney, Kanwarjit Singh and Varun Soni. The launched also attracted more than three dozen South Asian youth, India West, an ethnic Indian newspaper, reported.

Obama lands a key backer in Adam Smith
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Seattle,WA,USA
Barack Obama, D-Ill. "At the top of the list, in my reasons why, is his ability to bring people together," Smith said. "In the last six to 15 years, …

The "spring training" phase of the 2008 presidential campaign has produced a commitment by a key player. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., who put together John Kerry’s campaign for this state in 2004, is backing Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

"At the top of the list, in my reasons why, is his ability to bring people together," Smith said. "In the last six to 15 years, the country has been more and more divided. I am impressed by his background and by the variety of his experiences. He also understands the new economy."

Smith will keynote a Seattle "Meetup for Obama" on April 28 at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

Building Obama’s money machine
Chicago Tribune - Chicago,IL,USA
Barack Obama tapped everyone from small Internet donors to Hollywood stars and industry titans to raise a towering $25 million in the first three months of …

"Everybody claims Barack now, of course," said Les Coney, a Chicago businessman who now serves on Obama’s national finance committee. "I have people who call me and say, ‘We’ll give the maximum,’ without me even asking."

In federal election reports Obama will file alongside other candidates this weekend, he will detail where his campaign raised its surprising tally, an amount that certainly does not guarantee success but has forced his rivals to consider him a serious contender.

His fundraising apparatus has won attention for its innovation and breadth. Obama’s more than 100,000 donors range from entertainment impresario David Geffen to a former serviceman who gave $5 over the Internet.

A Tribune examination of the remarkable growth of Obama’s money machine illustrates the methodical steps by which he advanced to become a top-tier national fundraiser.

For a pupil, Obama gives insight on life after politics
WQAD - Moline,IL,USA
WASHINGTON Barack Obama (ber-AHK’ oh-BAH’-muh) is giving folks an idea of what he might do after being president — or after being senator if the White …

The question from young Elijah Smith was: "When you are done being president what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?"The question generated laughter from the dozens in attendance and a "that’s very funny" remark from Obama.The Illinois Democrat says he would still want to work on issues relating to AIDS, disease and poverty — whether as an ex-president or an ex-senator.

Couric’s "Notebook" rehashed debunked Obama rumors
Media Matters for America - Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama has arguably the most diverse religious background of any candidate ever. He was raised in Indonesia by a Christian mother and Muslim …

In the April 12 edition of her "Notebook" video blog, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric asked, "Is America ready to elect a president who grew up praying in a mosque?" and proceeded to repeat debunked rumors surrounding Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) childhood years in Indonesia.

Couric claimed that Obama’s "background sparked rumors that he had studied at a radical madrassa, or Quranic school — rumors his campaign denied, declaring that Obama is now a practicing Christian." However, in noting simply that Obama’s campaign "denied" the rumors that he attended a madrassa, Couric ignored the fact that these allegations have been thoroughly debunked.