Obama Media

Obama’s leaked talking points memo

Newsweek’s Howard Fineman prints excerpts from a leaked set of Obama talking points for appealing to undecided political players like Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and Federico Pena, Bill Clinton’s secretary of transportation.

The document shows him working the margins of the Clinton juggernaut, reaching out to leading African American politicians not yet sewn up by Clinton, John Edwards or other campaigns.

They show a careful attention to detail—down to the names of the politicians’ children—and the call sheets leave space for the candidate (or his personal aide) to note whether the phone connection had been made. Many refer to Obama in the second person as YOU or YOUR—the capital letters meant to focus the reader on precisely what he should say.

The talking points at times are frank—though never disrespectful—in their assessment of those from whom Obama is seeking support, an endorsement or a chat….You have to wonder if Obama is a little too generous with his offers of top roles—for several of the call memos warn him about the same thing: don’t make commitments.

Where’s Obama?

The WashingtonPost.com has created a Google Map mash-up campaign tracker. This weekend, Obama’s in SoCal. According to CBS, Obama is

scheduled to conduct a $500 per person fundraiser at the Hollywood Boulevard nightclub Boulevard3, emceed by Cedric the Entertainer, along with one at agent Ari Emanuel’s [Rahm’s brother and the inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s character in Entourage] home Saturday, according to Daily Variety….Obama is also scheduled to speak Sunday at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles.

Final Debate Thoughts

Obama looked great. Kucinich’s and Gravel’s closing barbs helped him to appear calm and cool.

Obama disingenuously referred to his criminally indicted friend of 17 years and political patron Tony Rezko as “this donor” (I wonder if HRC smiled at that one) and as someone “engaged in ethical [sic] behavior and I denounced it.”

Obama appropriately spent more time talking about the rise in black infant he did on the Confederate flag.

Best tie: Edwards’, followed by Richardson’s.

Nary a negative word about hedge funds.

Brian Williams asked horserace, not substantive questions. Does it matter to anyone how Biden feels about the LA Times calling him a “gaffe machine?”

HRC oddly referred to Cho as “this shooter, as he’s called.”

Five Takeaways From Obama’s CCGA Foreign Policy Address

I took an early lunch in order to attend Obama’s (delayed) address to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on his foreign policy objectives. He gave “five ways America will begin to lead again when I’m President;” here are five points I heard.

• Love for Dick Lugar: Obama name-checked his senior colleague to the east twice. The two have worked together on issues of nuclear weapons proliferation and on energy policy.
• Generational pride: He twice referred to the passing of the generational torch: The war in Iraq “was based on old ideologies and outdated strategies – a determination to fight a 21st century struggle with a 20th century mindset,” and “Now it’s our moment to lead – our generation’s time.”
• India and China should be treated as developed countries for purposes of carbon emissions: “We should push for binding and enforceable commitments to reduce emissions by the nations which pollute the most – the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, and India together account for nearly two-thirds of current emissions.”
• Wars other than self-defense are OK: “No President should ever hesitate to use force – unilaterally if necessary – to protect ourselves and our vital interests when we are attacked or imminently threatened.”
• We need fewer “high-alert” nukes: “The United States and Russia must lead by example. President Bush once said, “The United States should remove as many weapons as possible from high-alert, hair-trigger status – another unnecessary vestige of Cold War confrontation.” Six years later, President Bush has not acted on this promise. I will. We cannot and should not accept the threat of accidental or unauthorized nuclear launch. We can maintain a strong nuclear deterrent to protect our security without rushing to produce a new generation of warheads.” He doesn’t address how many nukes should be retired, or “removed from high-alert status?”

Scott Paul and Matt Stoller shared their thoughts earlier today. I agree with Matt’s suggestion: I heard echoes of Gary Hart this morning. Here’s Paul:

Even in a speech as broad as this one, when discussing appropriate circumstances for the use of force, Obama needs to define what “our vital interests” are. Something so important cannot be left to the imagination.

Obama Knows Insider Politics

Steve Rhodes of the Beachwood Reporter  has a more extensive, and more critical, reading of Tim Novack’s Sun Times article (Part 1) on Tony Rezko, Obama and His Slumlord Patron than the one I did. He envelopes it with a reading of Sunday’s Tribune profile of Michelle Obama:

This story says as much about Obama’s relationship with Rezko (and in finally raising questions about how well he represented his state senate district) as it does his lack of devotion to honest dealings with the media. And in the end, that could prove more deadly….when Obama says “our politics feels very much like an insider’s game,” he knows of what he speaks.

Obama’s Friend Tony Rezko

Tim Novack of the Sun Times has a look at past Obama donor and friend Tony Rezko:

Obama has been friends with Rezko for 17 years. Rezko has been a political patron to Obama and many others, helping to raise millions of dollars for them through his own contributions and by hosting fund-raisers in his home.

Obama, who has worked as a lawyer and a legislator to improve living conditions for the poor, took campaign donations from Rezko even as Rezko’s low-income housing empire was collapsing, leaving many African-American families in buildings riddled with problems — including squalid living conditions, vacant apartments, lack of heat, squatters and drug dealers….Over the years, Rezko, Mahru, their wives and businesses have given more than $50,000 to Obama’s campaign funds, records show. And Rezko has helped raise millions more.

Rezko was among the people Obama appointed to serve on his U.S. Senate campaign finance committee, the Sun-Times reported in 2003. The committee raised more than $14 million, according to Federal Election Commission records, helping send Obama to Washington in 2004.

As a U.S. senator, Obama grew closer to Rezko.

Two years ago, Obama bought a mansion on the South Side, in the Kenwood neighborhood, from a doctor. On the same day, Rezko’s wife, Rita Rezko, bought the vacant lot next door from the same seller. The doctor had listed the properties for sale together. He sold the house to Obama for $300,000 below the asking price. The doctor got his asking price on the lot from Rezko’s wife.

Last year, Rita Rezko sold a strip of that vacant lot to Obama for $104,500 — a deal Obama later apologized for, acknowledging that people might think he got a favor from Rezko. Obama called the episode “boneheaded'’ and a “mistake.'’

At the time Obama bought that strip of land, it had been reported that Rezko was under federal investigation for influence-peddling involving the administration of Blagojevich, whose campaign also received Rezko’s financial support.

Rezko has since been indicted for allegedly demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Blagojevich. Rezko’s trial has been postponed while investigators sort through his finances.

Obama Donors:”The Same Wealthy Interests”

Dan Morain of the Tribune looks at the gray areas of Obama’s refusal to accept donations from lobbyists:

The Illinois Democrat’s policy of shunning money from lobbyists registered to do business on Capitol Hill does not extend to lawyers whose partners lobby there.

Nor does the ban apply to corporations that have major lobbying operations in Washington. And the prohibition does not extend to lobbyists who ply their trade in such state capitals as Springfield, Ill.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Sacramento, though some deal with national clients and issues.

“Clearly, the distinction is not that significant,” said Stephen Weissman of the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on campaign issues.

“He gets an asterisk that says he is trying to be different,” Weissman said. “But overall, the same wealthy interests are funding his campaign as are funding other candidates, whether or not they are lobbyists.”

Obama Extends War on Coarse Language

Obama took on rappers in the aftermath of Imus. Yesterday at the National Action Network he went after the barber shop and the basketball court. Quote via MultiCultClassics:

“We are all complicit. … Let’s not just single out the rappers,” said Obama, pointing out he’s heard vulgar words “at kitchen tables, barber shops and basketball courts.” Look for Sharpton to launch a boycott on kitchen tables.

Russell Simmons Answers Obama

Hip hop pioneer (and, in recent years at least, kinds of a strange guy) Russell Simmons answers Obama’s post-Imus criticisms of rap. He makes a good point: there’s a difference between artists and moronic punditry/jockdom, or whatever it is that Imus did. I always feel a bit hinky when government officials use their time to go after the arts.

My response to Sen. Obama is that you have to talk about the poverty and ignorance that creates such a climate that the poets can talk like that and all the politicians owe them an education and an opportunity for a better life and maybe they’ll say something better.”

Simmons defended hip-hop artists further stating, “People who are angry, uneducated and come from tremendous struggle, they have poetic license and they say things that offend you, you have to talk about the conditions that create those kinds of lyrics. When you are talking about a privileged man who has a mainstream vehicle and mainstream support and is on a radio station like that you have to deal with them differently.”

Obama Winning on Wall Street

The Washington Post reports that Obama raised more money from Wall Street than either Giuliani or HRC. Has anyone looked at how all this newfound money from the investment and banking sectors will affect his policy pitches?