6/5 News

Obama takes control of DNC fundraising

Barack Obama has been the presumptive Democratic nominee for two days but is already changing the party from within. He has instructed the committee to accept his proposal of denying funds from PACs and lobbyists, among growing insider concern about the DNC’s lackluster fundraising. The move not only unifies Obama’s policy with the party but stabs at McCain’s lobbyist ties.

The Republican National Committee has raised twice as the DNC’s 77.6 million this year, and has ten times more than the DNC’s 4.4 million on-hand cash. Leaders hope Obama’s fundraising knack will translate for more funds for the Convention in August.

News Observer

Obama prepared to help Clinton with debt

Barack Obama and second-place finisher Hillary Clinton appear to be reconciling after a bloody 16-month primary season. An Obama campaign advisor says Obama will help Clinton pay back the $20 million dollar campaign debt, including 11.4 million she owes herself.

According to the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, Clinton must pay the loan back by the Democratic Convention or she’ll only be able to repay a fraction. Though Obama can’t directly donate from his fund experts predict they will both reach out to Obama’s maxed out donors.

Bloomberg news

Clinton to end her bid

At the same time, a Clinton campaign issued a statement last night announcing that Hillary will voice her support for Obama and end her bid on Saturday. Aides say she originally wanted to wait but by Thursday had been convinced to back down.

“Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, D.C., to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity,” said a chief strategist.

The tide turned as Obama declared himself the nominee Tuesday night and soon created a three person vice-president selection group, including longtime supporter Caroline Kennedy. Many Clinton supporters like former Vice President Walter Mondale expressed support for Obama after Tuesdays primaries, which may have prompted her exit.

NY Times

6/4 News

Obama makes history

Barack Obama addressed a roaring crowd yesterday as he declared himself the Democratic presidential candidate after passing the 2,118 delegate threshold. Obama weathered an improbable 17-month long campaign against once likely nominee Hillary Clinton. He praised the New York senator for her hard work and tenacity, as she pledged to unify the party without actually stating she was dropping out.

Obama’s delegate total kicked off the general election, as Republican presumptive nominee John McCain admitted either candidate would bring change. “But the choice is between the right change and the wrong change, between going forward and going backward.”

Obama responded quickly with a similar tone, attacking McCain for supporting Bush’s policies.

“It’s not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush 95 percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year. It’s not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs. … And it’s not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave young men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians.”

The first-term Illinois senator addressed 17,000 fans in a St. Paul stadium, where the GOP convention will be held in September. The historic campaign kicked off with a surprising Iowa victory on January 3. That began a firefight between the two popular candidates, Obama standing for change and Clinton standing for experience. Obama attracted the support of blacks, younger voters, more liberals and more well-off voters while Clinton was popular among Hispanics, working-class and women.

Clinton stopped shorting of formally ending her campaign as she spoke in New York. She admitted she was open to vice-president during a conference call with a New Mexico representative.

There are mixed numbers about the strength of this “dream ticket.” Critics said he needs Hispanic, southern and female support and point to candidates like New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Nebraskan Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, Virginia Senator Jim Webb and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano.

Huffington Post
Yahoo

It’s finally over

The exhausting, drawn-out Democratic Presidential primary has come to an end. After 54 contests and 35,000,000 votes, we finally have an unofficial candidate.

I say unofficial because Clinton hasn’t dropped out yet. What do you expect? A candidate this stubborn and egotistical doesn’t admit defeat easily. Sure, she will. But it’ll take some time, just like it took her time to realize the primary election wasn’t going to be a cakewalk.

The funny thing is that Obama was mathematically guaranteed the nomination by early March. But it kept going. Reverend Wright was brought up. Hillary slammed him to talking about “guns and religion.” Of course, Hillary and her husband haven’t exactly been grassroots for the past sixteen years.

Well now it’s assured. Every time she lost a front, she changed it. First it depended on delegates, then superdelegates, then popular vote. Every time she lost, she changed the goal post. Now Obama has won every front, and there’s nothing she can do.

I don’t think he’ll pick her as vice-president. There are a lot of people that don’t like Hillary Clinton. The kind of people that don’t like Barack Obama wouldn’t vote for him just because he has Clinton on his ticket. During this season, when one candidate loses, his supporters say they won’t support the other candidate. They always do.

So Barack Obama, don’t pick Hillary. Pick Bill Richardson. He’s a governor of a Hispanic state and Hispanic himself, he’s older, and has been Governor, UN Ambassador, Energy Secretary and Representative.

No one can top a beard like that.

Another pick, I think, is Chuck Hagel. Obama could fulfill his promise of reaching across the aisle by picking this Vietnam vet, former VA secretary under Raegan and Nebraska Senator. Hagel has said this will be his last term as Senator.

I think I’ll also plot my candidate support.
Q2 2007: Obama (Thought he was cool)
Q3 2007: Kucinich (Starting Digging)
Q4 2007: Paul (Kucinich can’t win)
Q1 2008: Obama (Paul can’t win)

And here I am. As you can see, I don’t care if they’re Democrats or GOP. Iraq war opposition, good economic policy and stricter foreign policy is what I care about.

Now that all liberals have a common opponent it’s time to throw our weight around. For years pundits have been saying that only a Democrat can win this year. They’re right. He leads in every poll.

YES WE CAN.

6/3 News

Senator Clinton to concede tonight

Senator Hillary Clinton will concede tonight that her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Barack Obama, has enough delegates to secure the nomination according to some anonymous senior campaign officials. Obama is currently about 40 delegates short of the nomination but is expected to secure the 2,118 delegates needed through the South Dakota and Montana primaries today in addition to superdelegates, which have been flocking to the Illinois senator.

However, the campaign officials said she will stop short of formally ending her campaign, in order to leverage other options for Clinton like the vice-presidential nod. She also wants to pressure him to polish his platform, especially when it comes to her signature issue, healthcare.

Huffington Post

Phoenix Probe stumbles across ice

NASA scientists say the Phoenix Probe has discovered a small ice patch on Mars. The discovery is a big step for the mission, which is to find ice that can be tested for organic compounds, or “life on Mars.”

When the probe landed last week, its thrusters may have blown away some surface dirt. Scientists just discovered the picture of one of the legs resting on what appears to be ice.

The scientists are confident about bringing the ice back. “We were worried that it may be 30-, 40-, 50-centimeters deep, which would be a lot of work. Now we are fairly certain that we can easily get down to the ice table,” said project chief Peter Smith. A robotic arm will scoop ice samples and deposit it in ovens, where the samples will turn into gases to be tested upon return.

Daily Mail