'Democrats should choose Obama' - Lexington Herald-Leader Endorses Obama

Ill. senator suited to lead U.S. into future

May 16, 2008

Voters are feeling bruised and conflicted as a long, grueling battle for the Democratic presidential nomination comes down to the wire.

So, before Kentuckians go to the polls Tuesday in one of the last primaries, let's just pause to savor this moment in history: For the first time in 232 years of nationhood, an African-American or a woman will lead a presidential ticket.

That alone makes this election a hopeful turning point.

The opportunity for national renewal will be even greater if, as appears almost certain, Sen. Barack Obama is the nominee.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has waged a tough campaign. Her experience and mastery of the challenges facing the next president are impressive. So is her ability to connect with voters. She has emerged as a political force in her own right, outside the orbit of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Both Democrats are more than qualified to be president.

But while Clinton is an adept practitioner of politics as we know it, Obama is offering something new. He makes a convincing case that he can lead this country without sowing fear and dividing people, the cynical ploys of a political era that has run out of steam.

Obama has given voice to a widespread yearning not just for a changing of the guard but for a changing of the game. And that ability to express a people's aspirations is a mark of leadership.

Like President John F. Kennedy, another senator who electrified young people, Obama also has the substance to transform idealism into action.

The current storyline that he is an elitist who doesn't identify with the struggles of average people is absurd. His is a classic rags-to-riches story in the finest tradition of the American dream. He was still paying off his college loans until a few years ago.

It's worth remembering that Kennedy's Catholicism seemed as large an obstacle to popular acceptance in 1960 as Obama's biracialism today. Our endorsement of Obama is also a statement of our faith in the electorate to look deeper than skin tone.

It's disappointing that we haven't seen more of Obama in Kentucky, and more important, that he hasn't seen Kentucky beyond Louisville and Lexington.

This primary campaign has revealed a gap in his support, one that will be evident in Kentucky on Tuesday, as lower-income, less-educated, older and rural white voters line up behind Clinton.

Obama needs to better connect with these voters and learn about their concerns, if not to win, then to govern in the unifying way that he has promised.

Americans in huge numbers are fed up with an economy built on reckless borrowing, tax policies that favor the richest few, a bellicose and aimless foreign policy and an unnecessary war that has been incalculably costly.

Obama and Clinton both promise an exit from Iraq, though not precipitously. But only Obama called the war a mistake from the start.

On most issues, Clinton and Obama have few differences. Clinton's plan for covering the health care of all Americans is more comprehensive.

But Obama has shown a greater willingness to tell the truth about the choices confronting us. Case in point: the proposed gas-tax holiday. (Clinton, at least, would pay for it with a windfall profits tax on oil. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain's support for suspending the federal gas tax is pure unfunded pander.)

This country will have to face up to some hard truths, especially about our energy policy, to get back on course. But never underestimate the ingenuity and power of the American people.

Obama is uniquely suited to lay out the challenges, reignite this country's can-do spirit and lead us into a better future.

Obama: 'Hometown'

Another Super: Native American Leader, Kalyn Free, Endorses Obama

Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is the founder and President of INDN's List. The Indigenous Democratic Network, INDN's List, is the only political organization that recruits, trains, and funds Indian candidates and staff and mobilizes the Indian Vote throughout America. Kalyn is honored to serve on the Democratic National Committee, having been appointed by the DNC Chairman, Governor Howard Dean.

“Today, I am casting my support for a new kind of leadership and a new possibility of what America can be. Barack Obama is a once-in-a-generation kind of leader and the best hope the American people have to rebuild the erosion our collective foundation has endured the last eight years. In 2008, we must elect a President who will restore our faith in the possibilities of each and every American, including the First Americans.

“As a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, I am proud of what it means to be an American Indian. I am proud Barack Obama is committed to our unique issues and willing to tackle our toughest problems, from historical inequities and injustices to contemporary issues, like protection of our right to tribal self-determination, access to health care for our elders, and education for our children. Despite the threats that have faced our culture and our people, hope has lifted Indian people through the most difficult times. Because we remain connected to our past, our culture and our communities, we never gave up that hope. American Indians need not just progressive ideas but new and visionary leadership that inspire us to build a better future for all Americans. No President alone can rebuild the American public after eight years of George Bush’s disastrous policies and poisonous politics. I support Senator Obama because I believe the only way to rebuild America is to rebuild what makes us great – the hope and drive of the American people.

“Senator Obama is committed to bringing American Indians into the national discussion and into the political process as voters, organizers, and leaders. He will start a two-way dialogue with Tribes by coming to Indian Country to seek solutions for our unique issues and by bringing Indians into his administration.

“For centuries the First Americans have had politicians talk to them, not with them. That kind of politics-as-usual leadership hasn’t worked for Indian Country, and it isn’t working for America. Senator Obama will forge a new era for the First Americans by looking for answers in Indian Country, not from Washington lobbyists.

“I am proud to stand in solidarity with another DNC Indian superdelegates Frank LaMere (Winnebago) in support of America’s best hope for a better tomorrow, Senator Barack Obama.”

Obama is the Change We Need

Guam Superdelegate Endorses Obama!

Jaime Paulino, a superdelegate and Vice Chair of the Guam Democratic Party, endorsed Barack Obama today:

"Having grown up in Hawaii, Barack Obama understands the culture and challenges of growing up in the Pacific Islands. I feel Barack will make sure our voices and concerns are finally taken seriously in Washington. We've been looking for a leader with the character to be honest with us about the issues we face and the courage to make real change, and that's why I am proudly supporting Barack Obama for President."

This brings the total number of superdelegates to endorse Barack Obama to 257. Senator Obama is 275 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.

Two More Key Indiana Newspapers Endorse Obama

After Much Discussion, We Like Barack Obama

Sen. Barack Obama is the best candidate in the race for the Democratic nomination for president. He represents America's best chance for a real and positive change in direction for a country beset by an unpopular war and economic doldrums.

The United States is as polarized as it has ever been in its 232-year history. From the Oval Office all the way to Main Street, the division has paralyzed the country. Obama has demonstrated a unique ability to unite Americans of all ages, race and gender and has the best chance to end the culture war at home. He also could unify a country that that needs to pull together, not apart, if it expects to keep its position as world leader and restore its moral authority.

Restoring America's moral authority means finding a way to end the war in Iraq, which a majority of Americans now believe was a mistake. Obama, who opposed the war from the start, was right when he said at a Muncie appearance that if the Iraqis had not found a way to take control of their own country during the past five years, it was not likely to happen in the foreseeable future. The U.S. must find a way out of the Iraqi morass, and at the same time open a dialogue with other countries, particularly those in the Middle East, on stabilizing the region.

The fact that venerable former Indiana congressman and foreign policy expert Lee Hamilton, who was vice chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, has endorsed Obama should not be dismissed lightly.

"Barack Obama has the best opportunity to create a new sense of national unity and to transcend divisions within this country, not by ignoring them or smoothing them over, but by working together with candor and civility to meet our challenges," Hamilton said in a statement.

Obama has breathed new life into the Democratic party, helping to rebuild it into a 50-state party through his appeal to important and previously disaffected young voters. Youth are the future of our country, but both parties have either ignored or been unable to reach them for generations. The fact that many are paying attention now, thanks to Obama, bodes well for the future.

The Star Press Editorial Board does not ordinarily endorse candidates in primary races for a variety of reasons. The importance of the 2008 Democratic race and the fact that for the first time in 40 years Hoosier votes might actually make a difference in the outcome are why we are making an exception to this policy.

It was not an easy decision, nor was it unanimous. The opinions and political passions of our board members (whose names appear above) reflect those of Indiana as a whole. The Obama endorsement was the result of several volatile and, above all, fascinating discussions held over a period of about a month. At the beginning, there were more members undecided than espousing either candidate. In the final decision, as in the voting booth, undecided was not an option. Members selected who they would vote for if the election were held that day.

Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are extremely smart, and it is obvious that both are more than capable of running this country. The differences in their positions on major issues are slim. But, we've had a preview of what a Hillary Clinton administration would probably look like, and while it might be an improvement over the present one, it would still reek of old, partisan politics.

Obama represents our best hope for a different kind of presidency with a different attitude that could lead to a better America. Change is a word that has become the key -- and the most overused -- word in this campaign. The truth is, however, a real change in the leadership style at the top could lead to change all the way down to Main Street. We need someone who will inspire us to be better as a people and as a country -- to change. Barack Obama is that person.

from the Gary Post-Tribune

Obama Represents Best Hope For Change

The buzz word in the race for the Democratic nomination for president has been “change” — change from the failed policies of President Bush, who has little positive to hold on to as he approaches the end of his presidency.

Barack Obama has taken the crusade for change a step further, calling for a change in the politics and policies of Washington and the country as a whole.

We recommend a vote for Obama because he potentially represents more of what is new than Hillary Clinton, who is part of the inside crowd in Washington.

While Obama and Clinton have very similar views on many of the key issues — health care, tax revision and ending the war in Iraq — true change and government reform can be brought about only through the unity of Republicans and Democrats across the country, but particularly on Capitol Hill.

Obama, in part because of his newness, represents the best hope for change. Should he be the nominee, Obama’s first task will be to unite the Democratic Party, fractured by many months of acrimonious campaigning. Should he succeed, it bodes well for what he could do for the country, bruised by the economy and the war, and left lacking in confidence of the government.

Obama, too, has pledged to take back Washington from the corporate PACs that he says made $470 million in political contributions to those in Washington during the last election cycle. We also are impressed that Obama largely has kept his campaign focused on the future and what he wants to accomplish, rather than attacking Clinton.

While Obama still needs to spell out more of the particulars for his plan for change, we see him as his party’s choice to do so. Still, should he not unite the party, then the voters likely won’t give him a chance to lead the country.

Without Soundbite Distortions: Obama Sits Down With Meet the Press

Time For a Change: Charlotte Observer Endorses Obama

Do the Democrats need a restoration of the past, or is it time for a change? We think it's time for a change. We recommend a vote for Barack Obama in Tuesday's primary.

The choice between Sen. Obama and Hillary Clinton is not easy. She is indeed ready to be president on day one. After two terms with her husband in the White House and almost eight years in the Senate, she knows how things work. Smart and tenacious, she offers a progressive agenda. There are many reasons to think she'd be a good president.

There are arguments against her as well. For example, many Democrats won't forgive her for voting to authorize President Bush to use force against Iraq. We don't fault her on that. She understood the need for firmness to force Saddam Hussein to admit UN inspectors to ensure Iraq wasn't building weapons of mass destruction. She received assurances that force would be used only as a last resort. She isn't responsible for the debacle in Iraq; President Bush is.

Concerns about Clinton

Yet we're troubled by, to cite a few examples, these aspects of her presidential campaign:• Many of her supporters seem intent on depicting Sen. Obama as the Jesse Jackson of 2008, a leader who appeals to an ethnic minority but not to the broader electorate needed to win.

• She sometimes exaggerates her influence and experiences, as when she claimed she "helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland" and said she ducked under sniper fire in Bosnia.

• Florida and Michigan were stripped of national convention delegates after breaking party rules by scheduling their primaries too early. The candidates didn't campaign in them. Yet after Sen. Clinton did well in those states, she pushed to change the rules and count the votes. That's a cynical, self-serving effort to corrupt the selection process.

• Her tendency to tell voters what they want to hear is disturbing. Her proposal to suspend the federal tax on gasoline this summer is campaign gimmickry, not leadership. Her assertion that she was a critic of NAFTA from the beginning is simply unbelievable. The record shows she was an ardent advocate of the trade deal.

Some Democrats accept that as just the way the political game always has been played. Perhaps it is. But is that the best Americans can expect? We think not.

Is Obama ready for the job?

As to Sen. Obama, he's one of the most powerful, effective speakers to seek the presidency in years. He offers a different vision of politics. Is he ready for to be president? His relative inexperience is reason for concern. He has been a U.S. senator for three years, an Illinois state senator for eight. He has no executive experience.

Experience is important, but it's no substitute for good judgment and the ability to assemble and wisely use capable advisers. George W. Bush had six years' experience as governor of a big, complex state, yet his administration has made some of the worst decisions in recent history.

Sen. Obama is a man of uncommon intelligence. He's a graduate of Columbia University with a law degree from Harvard, where he was editor of the law review. He bypassed lucrative job opportunities to become a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor Chicago neighborhoods plagued with crime and joblessness.

In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to win a Senate seat. His record there is not extensive. It is impressive.

His first law -- cosponsored with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. -- ensured greater citizen access to information by creating a searchable online database on federal spending.

Early in his term he attracted the attention of Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., who at the time chaired the Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Lugar invited him on a trip through the former Soviet Union, inspecting projects to decommission Cold War-era weapons. The two worked together to pass legislation to control the spread of weapons. Sen. Lugar later observed that Sen. Obama has "a sense of idealism and principled leadership, a vision of the future. At certain points in history, certain people are the ones that are most likely to have the vision or imagination or be able to identify talent and to manage other people's ideas. And I think he does this well."

Sen. Obama's legislative achievements are few, but that's no surprise. He's near the bottom in seniority. Republicans ran the Senate his first two years there, so Democratic proposals rarely went anywhere. Nevertheless he has helped shape the national debate on immigration, energy and some other important issues. He sponsored or co-sponsored the bills that made up what the Washington Post called "the strongest ethics legislation to emerge from Congress yet."

A change for the better

He has made missteps in his first national campaign, such as failing to quickly and firmly reject radical statements by his former pastor. But in the campaign, as in the Senate, he has shown the ability to learn.

Nominating Sen. Obama would send a powerful message to the world. He's the son of a white mother from Kansas and an absent father from Kenya. His personal story would make it plain that America is changing for the better. His appreciation of the need for international cooperation is a welcome change from the Bush administration's know-it-all, go-it-alone tendencies.

Many N.C. Democratic leaders recognize his strengths. State Treasurer Richard Moore and Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, the party's leading candidates for governor, have endorsed him. So have U.S. Reps. David Price, Mel Watt and G.K. Butterfield as well as Harvey Gantt, a former Charlotte mayor; Jim Phillips Jr., a Greensboro lawyer who chairs the UNC Board of Governors; and state Senate majority leader Tony Rand of Fayetteville.

Early in the campaign, Sen. Obama said, "We want a politics that reflects our best values. We want a politics that reflects our core decency, a politics that is based on a simple premise that we stand and fall together."

Yes, we do.

From a Friend Who Grew Up With Him: "Obama has the stuff to back up his hope and inspiration"

In the 1970-71 school year I was a student at Walker Middle School at Fort Knox. In the next year my dad was transferred to Hawaii. By the 1975-76 school year, I found myself one of four African-American young men attending Punahou Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Though we each had our own personal friends, three of us -- Rik Smith, "Barry" Barack Obama, and I had a standing date roughly once a week to talk.

In those weekly conversations we discussed the social climate on our cosmopolitan campus (whether any of the non-black girls would date us black guys). We talked about sports and religion (I was a Christian; Rik and Barry were agnostics). We talked about our classes and the charges that a black person with a book was "acting white." We talked about the social issues of the day and whether we would see a black U.S. president in our lifetime.

We discussed our vocational choices. I was going to be a lawyer (I'm not one). Fourteen-year-old Barry wanted to be a basketball player. He even jokingly wrote in my yearbook that when I'm a bigshot lawyer and he's a basketball star, I could negotiate his NBA contracts.

We held these discussions sometime before the adolescent angst that Obama records in his memoir, Dreams From My Father.

I went off to college the next year so I never heard the agony and never knew the regrettable choices he reveals in that text, but I believe him. The seeds of the agony were in our conversations. The forces of puberty and the depth of Barack's mind surely drove the issues deeper. But neither am I surprised by Barack's subsequent ability to rise above the agony and poor choices. It is no surprise that he graduated from an Ivy League university, that he went on to devote his life to service, that at Harvard Law School he was the popular editor of Harvard Law Review and that he moved on to teach constitutional law and to serve in elective office for these 11 years.

I, like most of the country, was taken aback by the soaring rhetoric first displayed nationally at the 2004 Democratic Convention. I have been unpleasantly surprised by the suggestion that because he gives a good speech, he is somehow shallow -- as if the gifts of speaking and leading are mutually exclusive. His leadership record and his policies are readily available from his Web site and from his campaign headquarters. His "Blueprint for Change" is comprehensive, well thought out, and available for perusal and discussion.

What impresses me most about Barack is not simply that he has the stuff to back up his hope and inspiration. His approach to the presidency is one of deep thoughtfulness. He exhibits quick judgment when necessary; and when issues require deeper thought, he reflects and finds the way to solve problems.

Punahou is an incredible school that taught us to think, to pursue excellence in all areas, and to serve the world. His Illinois state record and his U.S. Senate record reflect this same thoughtfulness, excellence and service.

TONY PETERSON

Nashville, Tenn

Louisville Courier-Journal Endorses Obama for BOTH the Indiana and Kentucky Primaries

Many Democrats have taken to worrying that the protracted and excruciatingly close battle for their party's presidential nomination may divide their ranks and diminish their chances of victory in November.

But that's a glass-half-empty view. A more positive outlook is that at a time when the departing administration has steered the nation severely off course, Democrats are blessed with two candidates of intelligence, vision and vigor.

And Americans have responded, with a surge in voting and registration.

Sen. Barack Obama referred to that excitement in a teleconference interview last week with this newspaper's editorial board. "We were always the longshot," he said. "The fact we've done so well speaks to the hunger of the American people for a different message and a different direction."

We agree, and we also believe that Sen. Obama is the Democratic candidate better equipped to restore Americans' hope for the future and to bring change to Washington.

For that reason, we endorse Sen. Obama in Tuesday's Indiana primary and in the May 20 contest in Kentucky.

Both Sen. Obama and his rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, offer aggressive, detailed platforms. Many positions are virtually identical, others diverge on some points. But there is no ideological gulf, and both candidates' views down the line are superior to those of the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain.

Each candidate outlines a plan for a gradual, orderly withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq beginning soon after taking office but taking many months to accomplish.

Sen. Obama stresses that such a timetable would give Iraqis ample time to take control of their security and affairs.

Sen. Clinton, who met separately in person with the editorial board, argues persuasively that removal of the American "security blanket" is the only way to compel Iraqis to resolve political differences.

Equally important, Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton make the strong case for a more expansive view of American interests.

Sen. Obama rightly criticizes President Bush's focus on Islamic terrorism as "too cramped a vision." He emphasizes the importance of hunting down and fighting al-Qaida, but he also notes the security dangers of nuclear proliferation, rogue states, energy shortages and a weakening American economy.

Sen. Clinton adds the importance of winning the war in Afghanistan while America ends the war in Iraq.

While both candidates talk of offering encouragement and real aid to working- and middle-class Americans, there are differences in approach.

On health care, for example, we lean toward Sen. Clinton's insistence on mandating universal care. Sen. Obama, who focuses on reducing costs, is right that such a mandate would be costly and difficult to enforce, but too many people inevitably would fall between cracks and wind up uninsured.

On the other hand, we applaud Sen. Obama's opposition to a suspension of the federal gasoline tax, which Sen. Clinton favors. He is right that the move would save consumers little money, might be negated if oil companies raise prices and would encourage gasoline consumption instead of conservation.

Still, the differences are sufficiently minor that the key point becomes one that Sen. Obama stresses: Who is best able to actually accomplish new directions?

Sen. Obama's relentless focus on change, and the hordes of new voters he draws to the polls, would make it hard for his victory to be read as anything other than a mandate for changing how Washington works.

Sen. Clinton actually has engaged in more collaborative efforts with Republicans than she is given credit for. But she is battle-scarred, widely viewed as divisive and, we believe, would face a harder time enacting her program.

It's a difficult choice, but the better pick for Hoosier and Kentucky voters is Sen. Obama.

Two More Obama Superdelegates for Obama: Kentucky Congressman, Ben Chandler and Iowa DNC Member, Richard Machaceck

By Ryan Alessi

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler said that after months of intense and mounting pressure, he decided to ignore any political risks and back Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency.

"I've listened to the man. I have met with him and, like many of you, I am excited by his message of change for the future," Chandler told about 40 Obama supporters Tuesday morning in Louisville.

He praised Obama as "a man of great integrity and intellect" and of "quiet strength."

As one of the key sought-after Democratic superdelegates, Chandler's decision holds more weight than a normal endorsement. He and Kentucky's other eight superdelegates can pick a candidate during the August Democratic National Convention regardless of the outcome of the state's May 20 primary election...

...Chandler, the grandson of former Kentucky governor and U.S. Sen. Happy Chandler, compared the move to his grandfather's endorsement during the hard-fought 1960 Democratic primary of a young Catholic Massachusetts Senator, John F. Kennedy.

That was an endorsement "against all odds" and the will of other Kentucky Democratic leaders, Ben Chandler said.

Chandler conceded that he is taking some risk by backing Obama, who is trailing Clinton in the polls in Kentucky. But he cited Obama's popularity among young voters as a key reason why he chose to announce his support.

"Now is not the time to be timid. It's instead a time to be bold and support a candidate who can transform our future," he said.

Winthrop farmer Richard Machaceck, an Iowa superdelegate, said today he is pledging to support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Machacek, a member of the Democratic National Committee, had been uncommitted. He said he saw little difference between Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton on policy positions or ability.

Machacek, a Buchanan County Democrat also on the party's state central committee, said Obama's performance at Saturday's Democratic district conventions in Iowa tipped the balance in his favor.

Obama netted 16 of the 29 national convention delegates at stake in the state's five congressional districts, while Clinton received nine. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards received four delegates, having retained sufficient support in some districts despite leaving the race in January.

"I think it needs to be over, and in good conscience, I can't fly in the face of my precinct, county and district," Machacek told The Des Moines Register in a telephone interview. "The raw numbers coming out of the district conventions really sat me down hard."

Obama won Iowa's leadoff caucuses on Jan. 3, but has expanded his share of Iowa's pledged national national delegates through the county and district conventions.

Youngest Council Member in Fairmont, West Virginia Endorses Obama

It is a truly rare occurrence that a person can ignite the otherwise tamed resource of our nation’s youth I remember in high school being drawn to President John Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. not just because of what they did or what they stood for, but because they asked that generation what they could do and inspired them to achieve it. This opportunity has come again

As a high school student studying the Kennedys and Dr. King, I recognized my generation lacked that type of leader who could inspire and unite us like our parents’ generation had been inspired and united. When I was watching the telecast of the Democratic National Convention on July 27th, 2004, I discovered the man who could lead my generation into a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous future. As we all know a star was born that evening in Senator Barack Obama. Senator Obama has been a true inspiration to me. He encourages me to dream big and to dedicate myself to the betterment of others. We also all know there is a lot more to Senator Obama than his amazing oratory skills.

On November 7th, 2006, at age 20, I was elected as the youngest council member in the city of Fairmont, West Virginia’s history (Population 19,000). When I decided to run for the council, my critics said I was too young and that I did not have enough experience. I was discounted from the start. What they didn’t know was the citizens of Fairmont were tired of the political bickering and the standstills that prevented us from moving into the future. The great people of Fairmont were ready for change.

Today, the United States of America is ready for change. Some people will say Senator Obama is too young or that he doesn’t know the ins and outs of Washington, but what they are really saying is that they want to cling to the political standoffs that are preventing us from solving the pressing problems that we now face. In my case the criticism at least had some semblance, but Senator Obama’s unique life experiences put him in a place to restore America’s standing in the world and heal our nation from the political battles of past administrations.

As a local elected official, I respect Senator Obama’s hard work as a community organizer assisting people who lost their jobs from plant closings. As President, he will recognize the battles we face not only at the local level, but at the national and international level as well. While it is one thing to have the foresight to see that the Iraq War was wrong, it took a lot of courage to stand up and say so during the days leading up to war. Senator Obama’s opponent only came around to opposing the war when it became politically convenient.

One of the primary reasons I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama for president is what he calls the politics of hope. Like me, he believes in uniting our citizens to work together for the common good. I have witnessed, on a local level, the detriment derived from divisive politics. When I stepped into office, I inherited years and years of schismatic local politics brought on by personal conflicts. This type of politics gives us policy that is not created out of compromise for the common good, but policy that is made in spite of a political rival for the interests of a select few. He understands this because he has lived this from his time on the streets of Chicago to his times in the halls of the Senate.

At the most pivotal election of my lifetime, I pray my state and nation does not pass up on Senator Barack Obama. As President, Senator Obama will be a true blessing to the Mountain State and begin to heal the wounds of our nation and world.

Matthew S. Delligatti
Fairmont City Councilman
Harry S. Truman Scholar ‘07
West Virginia University Senior

'Nothing's Changed'

Obama Speaks on Iraq in Pennsylvania