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Barack Obama speaks Saturday at Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, appealing to working-class voters who spurned him before Nevada’s Democratic caucus.
By J. Patrick Coolican (contact) 
, David McGrath Schwartz, Michael Mishak
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Barack Obama Early Vote for Change Rally
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Barack Obama visited Las Vegas today for some last minute campaigning.
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Beyond the Sun
Sen. Barack Obama spoke at the Doolittle Community Center about a year ago, and the working class crowd began streaming out before he was even finished.
This was just after Sen. Hillary Clinton ran the table on the Sunday talk shows, and Obama’s campaign seemed like a well-intentioned lark.
His key problem a year ago, and one he explicitly — if clumsily — tried to confront that day at Doolittle, was connecting with working-class voters on the bread and on the butter: jobs, home values, health insurance.
He was the dreaded “wine-track” candidate, the hero of arugula eaters and Volvo drivers.
What a difference a year makes.
After a grueling Democratic primary season during which Obama was forced to learn how to communicate economic empathy and anger, the junior senator from Illinois has settled into his role as a champion of the working class.
This Obama was on full display during rallies Saturday that drew thousands in both Reno and at Bonanza High School.
The economy has collapsed, both here and nationally, and Obama has been well positioned to scoop up voters looking for a more activist government to lend them a hand, and stick it to the rich guys a little in the offing.
“We need policies that grow our economy from the bottom up, so that every American, everywhere, has the chance to get ahead,” Obama said. “Not just the folks who own the casinos but the folks who are serving in the casinos. Because if we’ve learned anything from this economic crisis, it’s that we’re all connected; we’re all in this together; and we will rise or fall as one nation — as one people.”
That was the high-minded stuff, but Obama also seemed practically giddy delivering a series of blows right to the Republican kidney — a failing economy, the blame for which voters are placing squarely on the GOP from top to bottom.
“At this rate, the question isn’t just ‘Are you better off than you were four years ago?’ it’s ‘Are you better off than you were four weeks ago?’ ”
Obama used a similar message earlier Saturday at the UNR baseball stadium in Reno, repeating the phrase “middle class,” “middle class,” “middle class.”
The campaign of Republican nominee Sen. John McCain has done its best to claim the mantle of the working and middle classes, using an Ohio plumber as a symbol of defiance against Obama’s economic policies, which they say are “socialist.”
Rick Gorka, a McCain spokesman, said in an e-mail: “Barack Obama brought his ever evolving campaign to Las Vegas today where he continued to promote his plan to raise taxes on ‘Joe the Plumber’ ...”
This battle for the middle class is especially acute in Nevada, where Obama is trying for a Western trifecta, having run up comfortable leads in Colorado and New Mexico. Polls here give him a slim, statistically insignificant lead, though early voting totals — thus far favoring Democrats — have astounded Nevada political veterans. In his 19th — and likely final — trip to Nevada since the campaign began 18 long months ago Obama told voters in Reno and Las Vegas to vote early.
Obama’s line of attack isn’t particularly novel, but it is brutal in a time of economic distress, joblessness, rising health care costs and depressed home values.
“When it comes to the policies that matter for middle-class families, there’s not an inch of daylight between George Bush and John McCain,” Obama said in Las Vegas.
He began a refrain: “Like George Bush, John McCain wants to ...”
What followed were attacks on Bush/McCain for trying to privatize Social Security; giving tax breaks to oil companies and corporations that ship jobs overseas; and proposing to tax health care benefits.
And finally: “I think we’ve had enough of the Bush-McCain economics.”
He said the Wall Street bailout was the first step to economic recovery but added the country needs an “immediate rescue plan.”
Obama proposed a jobs tax credit for each new employee companies hire, eliminating capital gains taxes for small businesses, giving emergency loans to struggling businesses and enacting a three-month moratorium on home foreclosures.
He also pledged to cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. To illustrate his point, he asked those in the audience making less than $250,000 a year to raise their hands. Nearly everyone did. (He’s promised to increase taxes on families making more than $250,000, and cut them for everyone else.)
Obama also has a proposal for near-universal health insurance and $15 billion a year in research and development for renewable energy.
Given the tough economic times, the wars and the immediate cost of the Wall Street bailout/rescue, achieving all these will be difficult, if not impossible.
McCain has called for making the Bush tax cuts — which he originally voted against and are going to sunset — permanent. He’s also called for cutting corporate taxes, phasing out the alternative minimum tax and doubling the value of exemptions for each dependent to $7,000.
McCain has also vowed to cut government spending by eliminating earmarks, though they make up a tiny percentage of federal spending, which is dominated by defense, Social Security, Medicare and interest on debt.
McCain knows he’s saddled with the Bush legacy, which is why he’s unleashed tough attacks on his own president in recent days.
But Obama is allowing no space between Bush and McCain. “I can take ten more days of John McCain’s attacks, but the American people can’t take four more years of the same failed policies and the same failed politics. We’re not going to let George Bush pass the torch to John McCain. It’s time for change.”
David McGrath Schwartz reported from Reno.
Obama has pressed the raise taxes for 10 years. Watch him hear tell a group the problem is WHITE people don't want to pay taxes because they will go to the inner cities. Why isn't this racist?
http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate...
"Obama has pressed the raise taxes for 10 years."
ZZZZzzzzzz...
Look neiman, once the taxes and/or inflation kicks in as we repay the trillions being given to the banks and wall street by his excellentness, King Bush, you can blame president Obama. Okay? It'll be stupid to blame him for it, but that hasn't seemed to stop you so far.
redstate.com, neiman? Is that some sort of non-partisan news site?
List a tax-hike proposal / bill Barry has NOT voted for?
That is, when he shows up to vote, lol!
LOL - this discussion a a consistent bunch of innuendo and character association of various kinds. Ok, Barry and John - hmmm - vote Libertarian!
that is character assassination - so are we all assassins? or are we all just very silly?
"...vote Libertarian!"
I wanted Ron Paul first. But sadly he was recast as another Ross Perot. Something which he is not.
Don't mean to assassinate. Do mean to hit back at lies and innuendo by having fun at the liars expense.
If you Bushies here have another way of paying down $10.7 TRILLION in debt than raising taxes on Sheldon Adelson, then please go ahead and offer it.
Or should we ask Palin what her plan is?
Jeez....I hope when this election is over I can get my eyes from an almost permanent position of being rolled back.
Both of these candidates have supported shipping millions of jobs offshore, allowed millions of illegal aliens into the country who take jobs from the poor, issued millions of H-1B visas to millions of cheap foreign workers who take jobs from the middle class, meddled with energy until we are sending 100s of billions of dollars per year out to foreign oil producers, supported trade agreements where we buy their stuff and they don't buy our stuff until we run out of money, allowed our military to be used to transfer trillions of dollars worth of wealth, transferred a trillion dollars worth of wealth to banks who have backed themselves into a corner with derivatives, and borrowed, spent, given away, and wasted $11 trillion.
Now they both want to grow the government bigger and spend more.
http://ewebsmith.com/Finance/notlistenin...
(Folks, you should be scared of B.O., very scared!!)
Obamas First 10 Executive Orders?
Quotes from BarrackObama.com
Obama enacts stronger federal hate crimes legislation to reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
Obama creates a fund to help people refinance their mortgages and provide comprehensive supports to innocent homeowners.
Obama, following through on his pledge to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe, signs a non-agression pact with the Hitler of Iran.
Obama doubles foreign aid to $50 billion to cut poverty around the world in half by 2015.
Obama removes our troops from Iraq, leaving a power vacuum filled by Iran.
Obama enacts socialized medicine, destroying small businesses with taxes to pay for illegal alien healthcare.
Obama enacts amnesty for illegal aliens.
Obama enacts legislation demanding carbon friendly cars, hammering the final nail in the coffin of the US car industry.
Barack Obama enact laws to reinforce affirmative action by funneling money to women and minority-owned businesses.
Obama repeals the Bush tax cuts.
Obama enacts the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to entrench the power of the homosexual lobby.
Obama will give illegals his new government health coverage, medicaid and medicare.
It won't be the Economy, Stupid.
Al-Jazeera for Obama
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/al-jazeera...
Before you vote check out www.actforamerica.org
Why can't the citizens of Las Vegas have an impartial news source, I ask it again. Why can't the Las Vegas Sun/Las Vegas Review (same company) disclose how much the Obama campaign is paying them for all the front page web space?
It was suggested in another post that the citizens of Las Vegas are smart enough to read other papers or the internet. However, according to a publication by the Las Vegas Sun, they are not.
http://www.newspapersfirst.com/MarketPDF...
Scroll down to the second page and read the highlights and here is what you will find!
- The Las Vegas Review-Journal & Sun accounts for 67% of all daily and Sunday newspaper circulation in the state! (Really balanced!)
- Over 9 out of 10 adults (92%) who read a daily newspaper in the Las Vegas DMA turn to the Review-Journal & Sun, and 97% on Sunday
- On an average weekday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal & Sun reaches over 195,000 metro households -- over 4 times more households reached by Newsweek, Time, & U.S. News weekly magazines combined (46,997) (Circulation 2007; ABC Magazine Market Coverage Report, 2006- MSA) (really balanced!)
- reviewjournal.com, website for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is the area's most powerful local medium for effective online advertising, with 930,000 unique visitors (NAA NADBase/Nielsen/NetRatings, 11/06)
You are being duped, plain and simple. At the very least, the paper should disclose the value of the advertising, to put some perspective on their endorsement?
jfnance32 - "Obama will give illegals his new government health coverage, medicaid and medicare."
Why do you care? You wont be around for it. Bill Ayers is coming to your house Nov 5th. I'm paying for it with the money Obama gave me for ACORN but which Tony Rezco and I have hidden away instead. And you know what? I'm never going to apologize for it neither.
Get a life nance. Your party is going down in flames.
Uh, yetis? The R-J is almost as right-wing as The Moonie Times. It's part of Stephens Media Group ..... look it up.
Oh and they are NOT "the same company". The Sun is INDEPENDENTLY OWNED by Greenspun. Again, the R-J is owned by Stephens Media which owns dozens of papers across the country.
All you have to do is google & it's right there before you.
Intellectual laziness is what has brought this country to the brink.
"Oh and they are NOT "the same company". The Sun is INDEPENDENTLY OWNED by Greenspun. Again, the R-J is owned by Stephens Media which owns dozens of papers across the country."
Finally, thank you "Patricia" for independent confirmation that the Socialist Sun DOES leech its financial lifeblood by riding the back of the RJ.
Why can't the Sun support itself stand-alone in the marketplace of ideas?
The Sun HAS-BEEN around LONG after being selected out by the marketplace? Why??
Why should the Greenspuns continue to be compensated for an asset long since selected out by the news-consuming public?
xxx
"Intellectual laziness is what has brought this country to the brink."
I agree!
Your side of politics exemplifies that statement every day with almost every post here.
The truth about ACORN:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdNgMKPV9...
Please see Penn and Teller on Obama's Tax Plan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=491_5Wxfc...
You have to copy and paste to your browser.
I like the 10 things claimed from Obama's platform. I don't think he talked about the Hitler of Iran - I think he was far more respectful. Some think that these days Hitler may have lipstick on - hmmm - can you put lipstick on him/it and change it? Oh well - assassinate us all always! And God bless all of his children - legal, illegal, of various persuasions and appearances!
How did we get to a point in our nation's history that we would elevate a man with NO public record of accomplishment at the executive or national level to the highest office of the Presidency?
A man who ridicules its own citizens? A man who is uncomfortable with its symbols and creates his own? A man who has an anti-American terrorist as a political mentor, an anti-American preacher as his spiritual mentor, and a convicted felon as his chief financial backer?
This is exhibit 1A in what textbooks call "the cult of personality". And its happening in the U.S.
Step right up and drink the Kool-aid as Uncle Barack asks you.
"How did we get to a point in our nation's history that we would elevate a man with NO public record of accomplishment at the executive or national level to the highest office of the Presidency?"
Look, Bush is almost gone. Leave the man alone already. He's pathetic as it is.
Obama as a Socialist Candidate 1995/96
http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2008/10/obam...
NV, you ARE the example of intellectual laziness, along with your cohorts on this and other threads.
Not once can any of you craft your own words. Rather you use others' words (especially those all important talking points you're propping up each other with day after day after day courtesy of hate media) to "say" something.
As to the existence of the Sun, I for one am thankful there is an alternative to right wing media. I'm not alone.
Now crawl back to your 2-3% friends and leave us little people alone, please. After all, isn't this quite beneath your station in life? LOL.
NVMakz: "List a tax-hike proposal / bill Barry has NOT voted for? That is, when he shows up to vote, lol!"
Uh, McCain has a poorer voting attendance record than Obama, nitwit. In fact, McCain is the only senator who's attendance is worse that SD Senator Johnson, who suffered from s serious stroke.
And remember that it was McCain who said the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy -- the ones he NOW wants to keep -- were "irresponsible". Nothing like a need to pander to the rich and powerful (including their 29 lobbyists on his campaign staff) to make you see taxes in a different light, eh?
Obama's ACORN organization violently agitated for loans to unqualified minority applicants and Janet Reno (under Bill Clinton) gave in and forced banks to make risky loans which ultimately resulted in the current financial crisis which has cost Americans ONE TRILLION DOLLARS.
So by all means, turn the government over lock stock and barrel (the White House and a supermajority, filibuster proof Congress) to the culprits who caused the mess.
We are probably looking at Reparations which is another demand that ACORN is only temporarily tabling but is a tab which will be called in on November 5th.
Stop wasting your time! This is the undeniable ACORN truth! What you WONT hear or read on Faux News!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn
Obamas First 10 Executive Orders?
Quotes from BarrackObama.com
Obama enacts stronger federal hate crimes legislation to reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
Obama creates a fund to help people refinance their mortgages and provide comprehensive supports to innocent homeowners.
Obama, following through on his pledge to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe, signs a non-agression pact with the Hitler of Iran.
Obama doubles foreign aid to $50 billion to cut poverty around the world in half by 2015.
Obama removes our troops from Iraq, leaving a power vacuum filled by Iran.
Obama enacts socialized medicine, destroying small businesses with taxes to pay for illegal alien healthcare.
Obama enacts amnesty for illegal aliens.
Obama enacts legislation demanding carbon friendly cars, hammering the final nail in the coffin of the US car industry.
Barack Obama enact laws to reinforce affirmative action by funneling money to women and minority-owned businesses.
Obama repeals the Bush tax cuts.
Obama enacts the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to entrench the power of the homosexual lobby.
People. Sober up! They found the guy who started the rumors about Obama.
"The McCain campaign's "Obama is a Muslim" platform sure is catchy. Bet you think that Steve Schmidt is one shrewd guy to make that the campaign's overarching message.
Well you're wrong. Steve Schmidt is just a puppet. The real architect of McCain's campaign is some guy named Andy Martin, a self-described "colorful person" who back in 2004 sent around an "Obama is a Muslim" press release. Recent weeks show that the message in that release has been embraced by John McCain as the core ethos of his candidacy.
CREDENTIALS: Graduated law school, but blocked from the Illinois bar after a psych evaluation found "moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character." Well, he did say he was colorful.
EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE: Ran for president twice, in 1988 and 2000. No need to check Wikipedia. Those runs were unsuccessful.
CONGRESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: attempted to run for Congress in Connecticut. Paperwork for one of his campaign committees included as its purpose: "To exterminate Jew power." Clearly, this committee did not achieve its goals. (I mean, look around!)
CONNECTIONS: according to the New York Times, "He has left a trail of animosity -- some of it provoked by anti-Jewish comments -- among political leaders, lawyers and judges in three states over more than 30 years." Take out the anti-Jewish stuff, and this sentence could be about John McCain's relationship with his own party.
JAIL-TIME: Funny you should ask. Yes! Andy was jailed in Florida in a case involving a physical altercation.
MEDIA COVERAGE: Has filed so many frivolous lawsuits that he was once the subject of an hour-long episode of the news-program "48 Hours." He's famous!"
http://www.236.com/news/2008/10/13/forge...
ACORN issue needs to be settled once and for all. It is simple.
1. ACORN hires hourly workers to help register people to vote. Some of these hourly workers bring back incomplete registration forms, or even goofy ones with false names 'cause the worker was too lazy to go out where real potential voters are.
2. The workers turn in the forms. ACORN reviews the forms and puts all the incomplete or goofy ones in a group.
3. BY LAW, all forms must be turned in whether goofy, incomplete, or complete. ACORN turns in all forms, including the packet of goofy ones.
4. Elections officials determine which voter registratoin forms are acceptable and check them against their data base.
5. Acceptable registrations now go on a list of qualified voters. Unacceptable registrations don't.
6. When a registered voter shows up to vote, they must prove they are who they are, then they get to vote.
7. Accortding to the NY Times, in a three year period there were 70 cases of voter fraud in the ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
8. RELAX, no person doing voter registration can affect any votes!
Whew.
BTW, Obama does not run or consult for ACORN.
He is far too busy consulting with people like Warren Buffet, the nations's top economists, the nations's top health care, education, and foreign relations people.
Do you really think that people like Susan Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater's granddaughters, Christopher Buckley, Colin Powell, and others would endorse a wacko socialist? Think about it.
Another Republican endorses Obama's economic plan -
Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) - the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the United States Senate, is the latest Republican to back Sen. Barack Obama.
Pressler donated $500 to the Obama campaign, cited the Democrat's response to the financial crisis as the primary reason for his decision, saying - "I just got the feeling that Obama will be able to handle this financial crisis better, and I like his financial team of Robert Rubin and Paul Volcker better," he said. Pressler also said McCain's "handling of the financial crisis made me feel nervous."
Okay people. I am not here to bash Obama or push McCain down your throat.
But to think that Obama is going to make America's economy stronger or make it easier to be the middle class I think you might take into consideration the programs he feels are necessary and how he intends to fund them.
Now just simple math should tell you that the top 5% of wage earners are not going to be able to pay for these programs. So who is going to ultimately get stuck with paying for them.
Visit the link I've posted here and see if it even makes the slightest bit of sense to you.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?i...
As responsible American citizens we should all read as far to the right and as far to the left as possible, toss the crap out the window, and hopefully make a well informed decision as to who should run the country.
There is good and bad in both of our candidates, it's just a matter of who has more bad and who has more good.
Don't be misled.
I didn't think it was possible, but I have now seen so much about Obama to be afraid of that I am back to voting "None of the above". I still can't take the chance on Palin as POTUS, but I just can't bring myself to vote for Obama.
In a perfect world I'd want a Democrat President, a non-filibuster proof Democrat Senate, and a solid Republican House. But that assumes someone grew a pair and got rid of ear-marks.
I was an undecided leaning towards Obama, until I did my own research. The more I educated myself on this man, I more concerned I am. I love this country, I urge you to do YOUR OWN RESEARCH FIRST. Here are notes I've taken so far-
Odinga-cousin, Obama campaigned for in 2006 in trip to Kenya (funded by taxpayer money). Odinga supports Sharia Law, ties to extermists. After initially losing election around 1,000 killed in riots, including 50 christians seeking refuge in a church burned alive. Ran under slogan of "change"
Frank Marshall Davis- Communist childhood mentor to Obama in Hawaii
Khalidi-PLO terrorist organization, Obama gave presentation praising this man, dinner and money buddy
Rezko-convicted felon, 16 counts of political corruption, friendship with Obama, controversy over land purchase for Obama 1.8 million dollar home, which he paid 300,000 less than value, huge financial supporter
Rev Wright, Rev Meeks, Father Phluger- Obama's spiriual advisers, men known for anti-white, anti-American theology, 20 year history with Rev Wright, supposedly "cut ties" After public scrutiny
Trinity Church- presented Farrakan with a Lifetime achievement award, has make comments such as "Hitler was a great man" and called Obama the Messiah
Ayers- domestic terrorist, Obama's first intro party into politics held at Ayer's house, appointed Obama, then community organizer to Chairman of CAC, worked together Woods Fund-funded 70,000 grant to Arab American Action Network founded by Khalidi-ties to the PLO terrorist organization
The media has even made jokes about Ayers Connection, I've seem Obama laugh over this relationship-
What's so funny about a man whose own girlfriend died from a bomb that was intended to be set at a dance for US SOLDIERS at FORT DIX. How could Obama set foot in this man's house!
One question, just one question for Mr. Obama: If only 60% of Americans pay taxes, how can you give 95% of Americans a tax cut? With that kind of math, Obama will double the national debt and claim to have balanced the budget. While we're at it, let's push economic policies that will push us into a depression. Since when has anyone taxed a country out of a recession? Spread the wealth? Sounds more like Obama is spreading the purple colored Kool-Aid of double-speak and left-wing foolishness. Nevada, we can't gamble on Obama. Keep the "change" and give me real leadership: McCain.