Obama Press

Michelle Obama: 'How can we hand this mess to our children?'

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:23:03 -0500

By Sherryl Peters

"This is not my first time voting," Shaw said, "but it is the first campaign I have been involved in. I really believe in Obama's platform." Wertsch agreed, adding, "I am a political science major, and I enjoy working for this campaign because I believe in Obama's message concerning change."

Read the full article at The Orangeburg Times and Democrat.

Obama appeals to young voters at Clemson

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:51:15 -0500

By Ron Barnett

Barack Obama told a Clemson University crowd of about 2,000 Friday that "anything is possible if you're ready for change," as he sought to inspire young voters on a cold afternoon on the eve of today's Democratic primary.

...The crowd, which included a number of university employees and people from the local community, responded with Clemson Tiger enthusiasm to his appeal, breaking into chants of "Fired up, ready to go" and "Obama, Obama" at times.

He accepted an orange Clemson T-shirt from supporters, saying, "Thank you, Tigers! Thank you, Clemson!" and replied "I love you back" when someone in the crowd shouted, "I love you."

...Matt Troutman, a grad student from Maryland, said he was taken by Obama's optimistic tone.

Read the full article from Greenville News

Obama, Clinton take different paths to win voters

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:26:00 -0500

By Robert Behre

Before Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama appeared to talk to a few thousand people earlier this month at the College of Charleston, a student asked those in the audience to send a text message to his campaign if they wanted a shot at a free T-shirt or better seats.

Read the full article at The Charleston Post and Courier.

The Greenville News endorses Barack Obama in Democratic primary

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:13:35 -0500

Greenville News Editorial Board

...In this race that's ultimately about giving the Democratic Party its strongest candidate for the November general election, Barack Obama has emerged as one of the most attractive candidates on the political scene in decades. He has a refreshing lack of political guile, and he inspires with his words and with his life's story. His father came from Kenya, his mother from Kansas, and Obama was born in Hawaii. He has moved easily between different cultures, and he has said before that his life built on diverse experiences has prepared him to be a political leader devoted to uniting people and seeking common solutions.

Obama brings characteristics to this primary that lift up many people and elevate their sense of hope. He is not a hardened ideologue. While he does not minimize his Democratic Party roots, he talks openly and encouragingly of wanting to get "Democrats, Republicans and independents to work constructively on problems instead of (trying) to score political points."

He could help Washington move past its stubborn and destructive partisan politics. As he said in an editorial board meeting at this newspaper, "The politics we have seen and grown accustomed to over the past 20 years have not been productive." That's so true.

...Obama's approach to governing would be based on openness, inclusiveness and transparency. That approach would serve our country well.

Read the full article from The Greenville News

Obama Echoes King's Call For Unity at Atlanta Church

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:00:28 -0500

By Alec MacGillis

Sen. Barack Obama took the pulpit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s church here Sunday and drew a clear link between King's vision of an America free of segregation and racism and the central tenet of his own presidential campaign, a call for unity after years of partisan rancor and division.

"If Dr. King could love his jailer, if he could call on the faithful who once sat where you do to forgive those who set dogs and fire hoses upon them, then surely we can look past what divides us in our time, and bind up our wounds and erase the empathy deficit that exist in our hearts," Obama said.

The Illinois Democrat spoke to more than 2,000 people in the large, modern sanctuary of Ebenezer Baptist Church, across the street from the original structure where King and his father preached.

Read the full article from The Washington Post

Superdelegate from S.C. endorses Obama

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:47:09 -0500

Columbia, SC -- A Democratic Party superdelegate from South Carolina on Friday endorsed presidential hopeful Barack Obama, saying the Illinois senator appeals to independents and disillusioned Republicans.

Read the full article at The Associated Press.

Co-founder of BET speaks in support of Obama at SCSU

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:07:11 -0500

Sheila Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, spoke to South Carolina State University Young Democrats on Thursday. Johnson's a supporter of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, while her ex-husband Robert Johnson has been criticized for his words in support of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Read the full article at The Orangeburg Times and Democrat.

Michelle Obama's Homecoming

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:09:26 -0500

By Scott Harper and Clayton Stairs

While her husband Barack Obama was busy campaigning in Nevada Monday afternoon, Michelle Obama was in Georgetown speaking on her husband's behalf - and she spent time catching up with family members.

Read the full article at The Georgetown Times.

Adviser 'blown' away' by Obama

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:19:28 -0500

By Chris Trainor

It is somewhat of a leap of faith for any politician to allow someone else to speak on his behalf.

The leap is a little less risky when the one doing the speaking is a Yale graduate with a law degree from Harvard, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and a professor of human rights and foreign policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Samantha Power appeared Tuesday in Greenwood, speaking to a packed house at the Federal Building in Uptown Greenwood. Power is a foreign policy adviser to Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.

Read the full article at The Greenwood Index-Journal.

Obama adviser says 'historic tide' sweeping nation

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:29:50 -0500

By Emily Dagostino

Samantha Power, a senior policy adviser for Obama, said "a historic tide," extending beyond Obama's campaign, was sweeping through generations of Americans who are asking themselves all over again who they want to be and how active they want to be as U.S. citizens.

"Just dare to hope," Power said.

"Hope is what gets you out of your chair."

That message of hope is resonating with Goode's students - "they refer to him as an agent of hope and change," the teacher said - and also with college students like Wofford senior Trey Antley.

Read the full article at The Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

Pulitzer winner stumps for Obama

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:17:14 -0500

By Anna Simon

Clemson, SC -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has set the terms of the national security debate, Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power, a senior policy adviser to Obama, told a Clemson University audience Monday.

Instead of ideology, Obama offers pragmatic, constructive policy solutions, said Power, who discussed Obama's plan to restore American leadership on the world stage and decrease the risk of terrorism by attacking global poverty and rebuilding international cooperation.

Right off the bat, Power addressed Iraq to make it clear the candidate opposes the war.

Obama always opposed sending U.S. troops to Iraq, even in the early years when the war was more politically popular, Power told the audience of about 200 people at Clemson University's Strom Thurmond Institute.

Read the full article at The Greenville News.

Obama rally draws 400 in Georgetown

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:51:19 -0500

By Kelly Marshall Fuller

A message of change and helping regular people was brought to Georgetown on Monday by Michelle Obama, during a visit to a historic church in the city.

Obama, campaigning for her husband, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, told about 400 people at Bethel AME Church that her husband is the candidate who can turn things around.

...She described her trip to Georgetown as a "homecoming," since her great grandfather, Fraser Robinson II, and her grandfather, Fraser Robinson Sr., both worshipped at Bethel AME in Georgetown.

Read the full article from The Myrtle Beach Sun

Clinton an easy target while Obama is not

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:53:54 -0500

ISSUE: The Clinton and Obama records

OUR VIEW: Clinton right to stress that more must be know about Obama

Hillary Rodham Clinton has taken a lot of heat for her assertions that Sen. Barack Obama does not
have the requisite experience to be president of the United States. Her campaign has been built
around the concept of readiness to lead based on more than three decades in public life. Not a
surprising approach -- but one that may or may not work in 2008.

It's not unreasonable to question Obama's credentials to lead the nation. In fact, it is essential,
with more than his opponent doing the questioning. He has been a U.S. senator from Illinois for two
years. His positions are very similar to Clinton's yet he was not yet elected when such key votes as
going to war in Iraq were taken. He has argued that had he been there, he would have voted against
the war, unlike Clinton. Yet just as Clinton he has voted to continue war funding.

Clinton is stressing such votes and looking to put the Obama record under the microscope. That is
exactly what should be happening. Every American should be looking seriously at a candidate on such
a run of popularity with a genuine eye on the person being the national leader. If the hunger for
change is so great among voters, Obama well could win the White House, but it should not be without
a serious and thorough examination.

Read the full article at target="_blank">The Orangeburg Times and Democrat.

Kerry endorses Obama at College of Charleston appearance

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:47:58 -0500

By Robert Behre

U.S. Sen. John Kerry returned to the Lowcountry, where he launched his 2004 presidential bid, but he
came Thursday to introduce and endorse the Democrat who he hopes will win this time: U.S. Sen.
Barack Obama.

Kerry's appearance provided a surprise twist to Obama's packed rally at the College of Charleston's
Cistern, which drew thousands of people- making it the largest political rally in Charleston in
recent memory. Hundreds also stood outside along the iron fence.

It wasn't the first time Kerry has helped Obama. Kerry's decision to let the then-unknown Illinois
state senator deliver the 2004 Democratic keynote address catapulted Obama onto the national scene.

Read the full article at target="_blank">The Charleston Post and Courier.

Exclusive: A One on One Interview with Sen. Barack Obama

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:43:40 -0500

By Marika Kelderman

When asked what he thought were the most important issue to South Carolinians, Senator Barack Obama
quickly said a loss of jobs since farming and manufacturing has declined. He was also quick to bring
up the state of South Carolina's school system.

"Here in South Carolina as I've traveled through the corridor of shame, seen buildings that were
built in the 1800s where kids are still trying to learn. That obviously is something that we are
going to try and emphasize," the Senator said.

Obama is campaigning on the idea that change is possible and not only at home but for the war in
Iraq as well.

"I want to start bringing our troops home in a careful, responsible way. I believe that we can have
our troops, our combat troops, out of Iraq by the end of 2009," Obama said.

Read the full article at target="_blank">Live 5 News.