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Yvettep
Veteran Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 1724
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 04:53 pm: | 
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Via Blackprof:
From: Bacardi L. Jackson
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 2:31 PM
Subject: On Barack: An Open Letter and Invitation to Thoughtful Brothers and Sisters In America
On Barack: An Open Letter and Invitation to Thoughtful Brothers And Sisters In America
As I and my husband sat watching The State of Black America 2007, presented by Tavis Smiley, we were awe struck, motivated, inspired, filled with pride and edified by the broad ranging views of the impressive collection of black intelligencia represented on the stage. Following each of the richly-crafted commentary from rapper Chuck D to astronaut and engineer Mae Jemison to Professor Cornel West to poet Sonya Sanchez to one of my innovative classmates Omar Wasow (just to name a few), I ooohhed and ahhhed out loud as each broke it down, laid it out and spoke truth to power.
But then it happened . . . my enthusiasm came to a screeching halt! Here we go again . . . that same gratuitous question mainstream media outlets across America seem to be commissioning ambitious black folk to answer and justify: Is our brother, Barack Obama, down enough with the cause to deserve our support? I just knew this panel of amazing minds and deep souls would once and for all stop the madness and give a resounding, "we're not falling for another Rove-ian mindtrick to sidetrack us from the substantive issues at hand to debate your historical lies and give credibility to your ignorance." I just knew this conscientious crew would cite to Obama's academic excellence and obvious intelligence, his outstanding achievements, his proven commitment to our community through his life's work, his impressive legislative record, his coalition-building skills and political experience. But instead, Malcolm's proverbial crabs started grabbing, pulling, pinching and reaching for dear brother Barack's neck. I was mortified.
Seeming to come to his aid, one of my longtime heroes, Professor Olgetree, pointed out that Barack, Michelle Obama and others of his students had not only been impressive students at Harvard, but had dedicated their lives and careers to public service. But, (damn it), he added, he can't take our vote for granted. Then, Brother Cornel (whose audio version of Race Matters I listened to so many times I almost committed chapters to memory) chimed in, not to save Brother Barack, but to highlight his absence from the State of Black America panel to be (how dare he) at some other event to boost his Presidential candidacy when he knew about Tavis' event more than a year ago. While Professor West did mention that his questions about the depths of one's love for the people were relevant for all candidates everywhere, they, unfortunately, were explicitly asked only of Obama. Finally, our fearless leader and host, Tavis, who, by his own admission, knew Barack before he was "Barack Obama" sealed the tomb. He assured the audience that, the night before, he got a call from an apologetic Barack who was unable to attend, but "really wanted to be here." As if completely cued in by the tone in Brother Tavis' statement, the audience gave a loud and unambiguously sarcastic "Aaawwww." Adding salt to the wound, dear friend Tavis responded, "well, that's what he told me" in that familiar I-know-he-sounds-like-he's-full-of-it-but-I'm-going-to-pretend-to-be-his -brother-anyway delivery.
Now, I don't point out the dynamics of this dialogue to take away from the amazing legacies of Brothers Ogletree, West or Smiley. They've all made important and lasting contributions to our community and will likely continue to do so, but I do question why they, and we as a community, tend to be so uncharitable toward our own, but inexplicably benevolent to others.
For example, how does a white man who signed the deeply disparate crack-cocaine bill into law, introduced a devastating crime bill that further entrenched the prison industrial complex at the expense of black communities and black political power everywhere, oversaw the murder of more people on death row during his presidency than any president in the history of our country, completely dissed and dismissed our sister Lani Guinier, who would have been an amazing Attorney General for our country and for our community, purely for the sake of political expediency, get to be donned the "First Black President"? Is our loyalty so easily spawned because one acts like a "pimp," plays the saxophone and visits a few pulpits? I am absolutely amazed at the absence of critical black analysis about Clinton's performance in office while Brother Barack has to be hyper-analyzed, criticized and have his thumbnails extricated for DNA samples before we'll believe he's one of "us." There is no other candidate in this or any other Presidential race (save Shirley Chisholm who, in her day, was hung out to dry by the Black Caucus) who has had to work so hard despite an extraordinary track record to show us that he or she is about the business of making the country better for black people and thereby making the country better for all people.
Al Sharpton, you are absolutely right that everyone who looks like "us" is not one of "us" - at least to the extent that you mean not all black people work for what's in the collective best interest of black people (that is, if such a collective interest still exists - which is another discussion altogether) - but when did you become the blackometer? And, why raise a question of loyalty when you have no substantive evidence of disloyalty? Just to hear yourself talk? Because he's getting more press than you? I'm not suggesting for a minute that Obama and every political candidate not be held accountable for their voting records, their political past, or even their personal judgment, but to question Obama's blackness simply because he is black is the ultimate irony and a dumb distraction, for which Republicans and racists everywhere are cheering us on. And, to question Obama's loyalty simply because he didn't make an appearance at this week's forum hosted by the black gatekeeper flavor of the month is sheer idiocy.
I think a more relevant question is what do the black commentators who make the television and radio appearances to raise and answer the question of Barack's blackness have to gain? It certainly provides them with more face time before the American public and cushions their backsides with a blacker-than-thou throne (even if only in their own minds). I think a more relevant question to our so-called black leaders and academicians is what (other than a supersized ego or potential profits) gets in the way of their unequivocal support of the only person in the race who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to implementing policies that best serve black people? To be sure, there may be valid critiques of Obama, but his absence from a forum, his failure to be stereotypically "black" or the fact that he is black are not valid or even useful critiques. So, forgive me for being just a bit skeptical of those black politicians (who reside in key states - e.g., Brother Al and South Carolina State Senator Robert Ford) whose primary critiques are that Barack just may not be black enough or, even better, that America's just not ready for a black President, so they can gain the political spoils and spotlight press of selling out a brother early and often.
If I had the technological saavy, I would jump off this page with all the passion, hope, rage and volume of Spike Lee's Dap and tell you, brothers and sisters everywhere, please please please WAKE UP!!!!!!!!
The best thing Barack can do for us is to win, not show up at yet another black forum simply to prove he's one of us by placating the egos who believe Barack should clear his calendar for their "ultimate black" event! There are plenty of other candidates (and so-called leaders) who warrant our scrutiny and skepticism - not to mention a host of misogynistic lyricists, child molesting musicians, and other unaccountable black-community-made millionaires. Barack, however, has proven with his excellence, his achievements, his commitments, and his life's work that he warrants our support.
Rather than using his credentials and connections to build his personal wealth, Obama chose to pursue careers like providing job training for residents of poor neighborhoods, directing voter registration drives and fighting for civil rights. Unlike other candidates in the race, Obama has been consistent in speaking against sending our black babies to murder, and to be murdered by, brown people in the Mesopotamia for the sake of multinational corporate interests. He has successfully forged coalitions with people across racial and political lines to introduce a host of legislation that would, among other things, get guns off our streets, reduce greenhouse emissions, and limit the influence of special interest lobbyist on Capital Hill.
As for whether Barack's black enough, let us not forget that race exists in America not in our biology, genetic code or even our phenotype, but rather by the institutionalization of the economic and social construct of chattel slavery and its vicious offshoots. Under that regime, "a dab'll do ya." Whiteness equates to economic and social privilege and that privilege fades as it traverses the racial spectrum. Anyone who has any black ancestry living in this country, whether for a day or for generations, will experience the vestiges of slavery and the consequences of white privilege, making the question of whether one is descended from enslaved Africans or colonized and oppressed Africans irrelevant. It is not simply the experience of that oppression, however, that demonstrates loyalty to our community and that deserves our community's loyalty, but rather recognition of the injustice of it and actions taken to dismantle it. Clearly, Obama has met this test!
Let the record of each candidate speak for itself. But, for the sake of our ancestors and, more importantly, our descendants, do not inadvertently become a pawn of white privilege by demanding that Obama's record be scrutinized more closely and meet a higher standard than his white counterparts simply because some narcissistic crab in a barrel didn't find himself at the top.
Sincerely,
B.L. Jackson
A Sister Who Unequivocably And Without Apology to Hillary, Bill or Al Supports Barack Obama for President And Invites Other Thoughtful Brothers and Sisters To Do the Same
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7679
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 06:41 pm: |
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Barcardi!? I thought that was a type of rum. This letter was a very eloquent plea, but why do I get the feeling that it was composed before "The State of Black America" was even aired and that it is being issued now in a timely manner as a thinly-disguised piece of campaign literature. LOL. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3841
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 06:48 pm: |
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I refuse to read anything that Bacardi even wrote. Who the •••• names their baby after the liquor they consumed on the night the child was conceived??? And why hasn't Bacardi come to the realization that they would never be taken seriously??? Bacardi - get a •••• ing clue - a name change is in order here!!!
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Lil_ze
Veteran Poster
Username: Lil_ze
Post Number: 873
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 07:12 pm: |
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so i suppose if you disregard this open letter and barack obama, then you are not a "thoughtful brother or sister"?
why in the hell would i (or any) brothers or sister throw their support behind barak obama?
because his father is from kenya?
because he was born in hawaii?
because he has BIG EARS?
what the hell has this guy (barak obama) EVER said or done that would give ANY indication that he is qualified to be the president of the united states?
like i said before, condi rice is MUCH more qualified to be president than barak obama.
barak obama is a "white media novelty".
nothing more.
this guy has NO chance of EVER being president.
lets be honest with ourselves. |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4746
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 07:47 pm: |
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Boy, this Bacardi person sure sound like an "angry/ingrateful Black man". |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4747
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 08:11 pm: |
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This Bacardi person sound just as angry as this guy.
February 23, 2007
Barack Obama and White Media Shock! Get over it American WASP!
by Ted Duplessis
American media and their African-American obsessions.
O.K. It is getting to the point where American media need to start minding their own dam business. The days of white media attempting to bestow a king on the coloreds is over! Get it! Time magazine, cable news stations, white Democrats and their spokes-people are all upset that every single black or brown person isn't drinking Kool Aid due to Barack Obama being the H.N.I.C. (Head •••••• In Charge) because Barack doesn't have every person of color just licking his ass. African American isn't all people of color or of African descent in the U.S. Barack Obama is African-European American and not African American. Creoles aren't African American. Just because one has some African ancestry-somewhere along the way doesn't put one into this tribe that white media wants to put all people of color in. It doesn't mean that you have any rights to come into our homes and tell us who the hell we are. Creoles have a different religion from African Americans, different language and different ancestral history in this country. When a white person comes from South Africa or an Arab comes from Egypt -and moves to the U.S. aren't they considered African American? Theresa Hines-Kerry is from Africa-is she African-American also? There are more Italians, Jews, Greeks, Arabs walking around with more black ancestry than at least 5% of all so called African-Americans in the U.S. Shall we start taking this Jim Crow -racist "one drop" rule to the levels that it was meant to be applied? If that is the case than most Americans are African-American. I can write all day long with scientific legitimacy on the whites in America who should be defined as African, if they insist on playing the ancient American race games.
Journalist have no idea of what they are writing about and should just go bury their heads in the mud. They just write off the top of the their heads, with little research and sell this mess to their white public. Time magazine has an article called "The New Black Nativism" by Orlando Patterson, which states that blacks do not blindly support Barack due to him being so at ease among whites!! Give me a fucking break! That is absurd. Blacks have the freedom to choose a candidate and look at what that person can do for them-just like whites have these freedoms!! Is American media for real when they write this mess? Then he goes on to define how African-American means all oppressed people of any amount of African ancestry(who told him this I do not know). It is 2007 and these people are so out dated that they are laughable. Americas are some of the most close mined, racist, ignorant people on Earth and they swear that they can go around the planet and dictate personal issues of identification to every other being.
This one drop-KKK-Jim Crow rule that whites and blacks in America, think that they can force on people in 2007 need to really move their dumb asses back to the 1800's. It is racist to label Barack Obama and African American instead of Afro-European American. The man has a white mother and was raised by his white family. The idea that if anyone has any African blood-makes them 100% black is racist. This one drop concept was used to etch in the minds of Americans that black blood is so dirty and undesirable that just ONE drop makes one a complete Negro. Get the •••• out of here with that ancient American slave massa shit and blacks need to stop enforcing that racism in their communities. Barack Obama isn't an African American. Get it through your head and white American media, needs to get out of shock that they can not dictate what people consider themselves in this country. Sorry for the wake up call! Get over these inaccurate labels. There is no such thing as an African-American unless you are from Africa or one of the blacks, who went directly from the slave ship, to a plantation. to a ghetto in urban America. People of color aren't entitled to kiss Barack Obama's ass and the white media will have to get the •••• over it! sorry! Don't fucking tell me who in the hell I have to vote for! Just think-the audacity of knowing ones on identity in America appears to be a crime if you listen to all these media outlets attempting to tell people who in the hell they are.
American whites and African Americans have this slick habit of taking people of color who were not black or African-American and then using them to bestow historic accomplishments on a people that the U.S. oppressed. The majority of anti-slavery people who led up abolishment movements weren't African Americans. The majority of so called African American entrepreneurs in the past hundred years-weren't all that black. No one could tell that these people were African-American. America uses people of color to make the country look more civilized than what it was towards African Americans and blacks just take the bait. Barack Obama is a Mulatto and every black person in America knows that mulatto isn't the same as being full African-American in the U.S. No matter what people say-if Barack Obama was U.S. born full African-American then whites wouldn't like him. Plain and simple. Why isn't Harold Frod Jr. of Tn. state getting all this hype?
Senator Barack Obama will sign off on anything that will promote illegal immigration and amnesty. History shows that anytime, amnesty is granted to illegal immigrants, the black community are the first ones disenfranchised. Black people can be dumb and tricked into the voting for this man but he will seal their doom and jail cells when they are jobless in the U.S. due to another wave of amnesty for cheap, foreign Mexican labor. He is anti-affirmative action but pro-illegal labor! He's a token-don't be fooled.
February 23, 2007 at 02:28 PM in Current Affairs
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Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4748
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 08:18 pm: |
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Give me a fucking break! . . . .Blacks have the freedom to choose a candidate and look at what that person can do for them-just like whites have these freedoms!!
Totally A-fucking-gree! LOL!!! |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 1993
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 01:45 am: |
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Articles like this should be provided on rolls......for the bathroom. And used for you know what..... |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4749
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 08:48 am: |
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http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/youth/classic/TheStoryofLittleBlack Sambo/chap1.html
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8683
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 11:08 am: |
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Yvettep,
I saw what Barcardi describe of the The State of Black America 2007 and were as appalled by what was done to Obama as she.
As I said in another thread, I can't help noticing how amid the building chorus of Obama's kneegrow naysaying very LITTLE is mention of how the man has actually conducted his professional and personal business.
What they all appear to do is cheerypick any/every little thing associated with the man that can be extrapolated into some fallacious, unfounded fantasies of Barack being unfaithful to Blacks.
A Dr. Moss said something during The State of Black America 2007 his fellow guest speakers and Black foks as a whole should heed as they consider whether to support Obama: "We [Black people] should be careful how we DISS & MARGINALIZE imperfect BLACK men and women and EMBRACE, KISS, HUG & FOLLOW imperfect WHITE men and women."
PS: I wonder how many of Tavis' conferences Barack had been invited to PRIOR to his giving the rousing speech that faithful night of the 2004 Democratic Convention? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7683
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 01:26 pm: |
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I'd be much more willing to jump on the Obama bandwagon if there weren't people constantly applying pressure, and continuously preaching that I have an obligation to do this because of his being one of our own(?). It's simple: For years blacks have demanded to be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Now all of a sudden we are being told to blindly disregard all white candidates, some of whom might be in a better position to advance black causes than a black president who will definitely be handicapped when it comes to this, lest he be accused of showing favoritism to his race. I can't help but wonder if Clarence Thomas was running for president, would we be told to forget his imperfections and be good brothers and sisters and unconditionally support him??? |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 3870
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 02:58 pm: |
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Cynique:
You won't be able to stay in Illinois and not back Obama. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 2003
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 03:40 pm: |
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"I'd be much more willing to jump on the Obama bandwagon if there weren't people constantly applying pressure, and continuously preaching that I have an obligation to do this because of his being one of our own(?). It's simple: For years blacks have demanded to be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Now all of a sudden we are being told to blindly disregard all white candidates, some of................. "
Excellent point. I agree 100%. The only problem I have with the relentless rancor coming from Negro haters, is they do not focus on important aspects of Obamas bid for presidency. Rather than asking valid critical questions about where he stands and what solutions he offers for American foreign policies, national security, the American health care debacle, our energy dependence, the national deficit or how would he deal with the immigration chaos, they focus on his physical appearance, the race of his parents, is he black enough (?) or he ain't one of us (??).
Negroes dwell on the petty and the insignificant while arrogantly ignoring the real issues and conveniently side stepping important criteria that should be taken into consideration when evaluating an individuals potential to be POTUS. I'm not an Obamanite and I do believe all presidential candidate should be critically evaluated. No one should get a free pass because of their race or any other reason! Would I vote for Obama? Maybe. Would I vote for Obama just because and only because he is black? No. Do I think he can be elected as POTUS? No. Do I feel Negroes are criticizing him for all the right reasons? Hell No!
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7698
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 11:13 pm: |
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Nobody in Illinois is monitoring who "little ol me" is backing for president, chrishayden, and once I get in the voting booth, I can vote for anyone I please. Only in America! |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4772
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 04:15 am: |
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Oh lord. Obama (and apparently Hilary too) sets out to Blow up Iran.
Obama: Iran threatens all of us
March 3, 2007
BY DAVE NEWBART Staff Reporter
Sen. Barack Obama said Friday the use of military force should not be taken off the table when dealing with Iran, which he called "a threat to all of us."
Speaking before a pro-Israel crowd at a downtown hotel, Obama also repeated his call for a phased pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq and strongly backed a strong U.S. relationship with Israel.
Earlier in the day, the Republican National Committee took aim at Obama, issuing a research memo aimed at highlighting the Illinois freshman senator's lack of experience on foreign affairs. That the gloves-are-off memo was even generated at this time is a testament to Obama's growing strength in the Democratic primary field.
Obama campaign spokesman Dan Pfeiffer dismissed the Republican memo as an "example of the type of politics Barack Obama is hoping to change." He said Obama has spoken out against the war for years.
Iranian leader 'reckless'
While he was being attacked in Washington, Obama was in friendly territory in Chicago as he appeared at a forum attended by 800 members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobby. He received a standing ovation from the crowd and a hug from one of the group's leaders.
Obama said global leaders must do whatever it takes to stop Iran from enriching uranium and acquiring nuclear weapons. He called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "reckless, irresponsible and inattentive" to the day-to-day needs of the Iranian people.
The Iranian "regime is a threat to all of us," Obama said.
While Obama wouldn't rule out force, he said the United States should engage in "aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions" to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear threat.
Visited Israel last year
Again taking aim at the Bush administration and the war in Iraq, he said the war had actually strengthened Iran's influence in the region. He noted the war had spurned "anti-U.S. and further anti-Israel propaganda."
Obama told of a trip he took to Israel in January 2006, visiting a village that resembled a suburb in the United States. He said he was deeply moved by a visit to a home hit by a rocket launched by Hezbollah.
"Our job is to never forget that the threat of violence is real," he said.
Obama's appearance was seen as a move to court Jewish donors, although the event wasn't a fund-raiser. He did pose for photos with AIPAC members at a private reception before the speech. Although the event was billed as a "forum," he took no questions from the audience or media and left immediately after his half-hour speech.
Even though many in the crowd endorsed his remarks, some said they are waiting to hear more from him in the coming months to better gauge his position on Israel and other foreign-policy questions.
"He is an unknown," said Diane Dubey, an AIPAC member from Lincolnwood.
Others said Obama, who largely read from prepared remarks, seemed slightly less passionate about the topic than presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, who spoke at AIPAC's national convention last year. Both Clinton and Obama will be at the convention March 11 in Washington.
"He speaks beautifully, but we don't find a lot of emotion in what he says," said Mark Sherman of Northbrook.
Contributing: Lynn Sweet
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7699
Registered: 01-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 12:02 pm: |
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Red Flags. |
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