Authors Eric Alterman and Pepe Escobar debate whether Obama is a real liberal or more a practitioner of realpolitik. Alterman argues that to be effective, a politician “msut speak from within the consensus.”
Sound bite from Alterman: “I don’t know what he really believes in his heart.”
Sound bite from Escobar: “That’s my point, Eric. Nobody does.”
Alterman: “Politics is about compromise….I think he’ll be the most effective president if he wins than Franklin Roosevelt.”
Obama’s fans organize hundreds of house parties across the country on Sunday. Here’s one:
It’s interesting to note that Obama supporters who disagreed with his stand on telecom immunity used the campaign’s own tools — the same ones used to put together these house parties — to bring together a pressure group on the issue. Ari Melber at The Nation has the story and I have a few thoughts on the implications.
The McCain campaign gives Barack Obama the needle for that ersatz presidential seal that adorned the podium when the Democratic candidate spoke last week in Chicago. (Question: Is this the first presidential campaign ad to include the word “Photoshop”?)
Sound Bite: “For Barack Obama, it’s change you can make in Photoshop.”
Asking any presidential candidate to be open, spontaneous and honest is a fool’s errand, but the plucky Alexis Glick from the Fox Business channel plays a word association game with Barack Obama anyway — with the predictable results. Then she asks him to play some hoop the next time they meet — “I got game,” she crows.
Barack Obama says he supports the basis of the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment ruling today. He’s also in favor of “sensible, reasonable gun laws.” (No mention of how he feels siding with Justices Roberts, Thomas, Scalia and Alito for the second day in a row.)
Not surprisingly, the Libertarian candidate enthusiastically applauds the Supreme Court’s landmark Second Amendment ruling today (re: the Washington, D.C. handgun ban). The spot uses a riff from U2’s “Beautiful Day” in its intro and outro. (Bono’s lawyer on line 2, Mr. Barr.)
Former Democratic candidate Don Quixote, er, Dennis Kucinich is still trying to bring Articles of Impeachment against President Bush. He wants people to sign a petition or something. More here. (We really miss Elizabeth.)
John McCain says that as president he’s going “break with the energy policies” of the past and “achieve energy security for America.” How? He rounds up the usual suspects: wind, solar, biofuel, clean coal, nuclear and, oh yeah, drilling for more of that stuff that’s going for $138 a barrel.
So here’s a “behind-the-scenes look” at (read: commercial for) an Obama poster, ending with a link to the Obama store, where it’s for sale at $70. Title of the video: Artists for Obama.
