Barack Obama, then and now

Tribune political reporters David Jackson and Ray Long. "The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it."

"He's been given a pass," says Harold Lucas, the community organizer in Chicago. "His career has been such a meteoric rise that he has not had the time to set a record."

The above excerpts are from the article, Obama and Me, by Todd SpivaK. You should go read all five pages, but here's a taste:

It was the year 2000, and I was a young, hungry reporter in Chicago with a young, hungry state legislator on my speed dial. [snip]

I never heard him launch into the preacher-man voice he now employs during speeches. He sounded vanilla, and activists in his mostly black district often chided him for it. [snip]

His intelligence was intimidating, [snip]

When asked about his legislative record, Obama rattles off several bills he sponsored as an Illinois lawmaker.

He expanded children's health insurance, made the state Earned Income Tax Credit refundable for low-income families, required public bodies to tape closed-door meetings to make government more transparent and required police to videotape interrogations of homicide suspects.

And the list goes on.

It's a lengthy record filled with core liberal issues. But what's interesting, and almost never discussed, is that he built his entire legislative record in Illinois in a single year. [snip]

"He [Emil Jones Jr] said, 'Cliff [Kelly], I'm gonna make me a U.S. senator.'"

"Oh, you are? Who might that be?"

"Barack Obama."

Jones appointed Obama sponsor of virtually every high-profile piece of legislation, angering many rank-and-file state legislators who had more seniority than Obama and had spent years championing the bills. [snip]

The article began, "It can be painful to hear Ivy League-bred Barack Obama talk jive."(continue reading)

Read it all here, you really should. Then pop over to my friend Zee's place and read, "Goodness Gracious! Moderately Peaceful Loving Muslim Kidnappers"

Maybe Obama the Great pretender can practice initiating dialog with these fine outstanding exemplars of Islamic predation rationality. [snip] I’m sure Obama will know the particulars, cause, hey - he’s the multicultural dude - he can get down with boys in the hood….

Members of the North African branch of the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda announced Monday that they are holding two Austrian tourists hostage “in retribution” for what they claim is Western support for Israeli counter-terrorism operations. Al-Qaeda threatened more such kidnappings.

Continue reading…Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb kidnap Austrian tourists

The Al-Qaida Caucus, Investors Business Daily, hat tip Steve T. at Internet Radio Network

Obama takes exception to a McCain supporter's suggestion that jihadists might welcome his victory. Considering Obama wants to withdraw from the central front in the war on terror, why would they do that? [snip]

So if you were the leader of AQI, who would you prefer? King says Obama. So too did former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who reacted to Obama's candidacy by saying: "If I were running al-Qaida in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

"I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory," Howard told Australia's Nine Network television.

UPDATE: Author confirms: Terrorists 'rejoice' at Obama victory -- Says lawmaker correct policies
further goal of Islamic domination -- by Aaron Klein:

WASHINGTON, Mar 11, 2008 - Was Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King on the mark last week when he asserted Islamic terrorists would rejoice if Senator Barack Obama becomes the next U.S. president?

As a journalist and author who has conducted dozens of on-the-record interviews with Muslim terrorists, including some of the most notorious Palestinian terror leaders, and who has documented many of those interviews in a recently released, 210-page book, "Schmoozing with Terrorists," Aaron Klein says he can answer the above question with a resounding "yes."

Terrorists worldwide would indeed be emboldened by an Obama election victory not so much because of the senator's middle name - Hussein - or because of his family background, but because, Klein argues, terrorists know many of Obama's policies would translate into victory for the global jihad movement. [snip]

Obama has made clear he favors a swift American withdrawal from Iraq, direct dialogue with Iran – the largest state sponsor of terrorism – and a more "evenhanded" approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What do the terrorists think about these policies? Well, I recently asked them:

* Ramadan Adassi, leader of the Al Aqsa Brigades terror group in the West Bank's Anskar refugee camp, pointed to Obama's rise to stardom as "an important success. He won popularity in spite of the Zionists and the conservatives."

* Abu Hamed, leader of the Al Aqsa Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, explained Democrat candidates' anti-war positions "prove that important leaders are understanding the situation differently and are understanding the price and the consequences of the American policy in Iraq and in the world."

* Muhammad Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, said talk of withdrawal from Iraq makes him feel "proud."

* "As Arabs and Muslims we feel proud of this talk," he told me for my book. "Very proud from the great successes of the Iraqi resistance. This success that brought the big superpower of the world to discuss a possible withdrawal."

* Abu Abdullah, a leader of Hamas' military wing in the Gaza Strip, was more direct: the policy of withdrawal, he stated, "proves the strategy of the resistance is the right strategy against the occupation." (continue reading)

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Also see Obama You Ain’t No Messiah, at The HILL Chronicles

Other reading:
A bomb threat against the Gathering of Eagles...UPDATED , A Newt One
Debbie Schlussel: NAUSEATING: U.S. Negotiating with HAMAS, Islamic Jihad
How Dhimmedia produces extraordinary success... for Hamas, Boker tov, Boulder
Federal Employee Opens Letter Containing Powder and Threat - Fort Worth
Debbie Schlussel: Jerusalem . . . Detroit: The Attacks on Jews Continue Their Escalation
Suspicious Liquids Used In Terror Plan To Crash Airliner - China
Islamic blogger explains how Islam will dominate America, Infidels are Cool

Comments

[Debbie]

Thanks for the comments and input everybody.

Layla, I took some time today to smell the roses, enjoy the nice weather. Thanks for being concerned.

[Layla]

I hope all is well Debbie! I missed your postings, but I hope you are just taking some time to sit back and relax - a little ole TLC!

[Michael]

Unfortunately the terrorists will be very happy with whomever we are saddled with.

http://www.globalpresence.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/hillary_arafat.jpg

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols2/hil.arab.jpg

http://jeremayakovka.typepad.com/jeremayakovka/images/hillary_and_suha_2.jpg

Welcome to the 3rd world

[Aurora]

Debbie, great expose on Obama. Unfortunately I think he's set to win (barring a miracle). And I can't bear to think what this will do to America if he does. He has literally risen out of nowhere. The phenomenon is a media one obviously. They've decided on him.
Great bunch of links there too, by the way.

[MK]

Obama is the media's candidate, too bad for hillary. That terrorists around the world are rooting for this fellow should be enough to worry people, but they are not, go figure.

[Zee]

Hi Debbie,
Yikes! I just posted a different excerpt from that Spivak piece. I should have visited you first (but then I never get around to posting anything), and I do thank you for the link.
It's kind of amazing how much can be found on Obama, yet it simply escapes the mainstream's attention.

Good job rounding up all of this info. That Klein piece makes me livid. Obama simply must lose.

[Layla]

Why am I not shocked or surprised. Before I moved from Chicago in 2002 - I never heard of him. Pfffffffffft!

Great work Debbie. Thanks.