Posted on 01/19/2007 7:38:16 PM PST by nickcarraway
Sen. Barack Obama has not yet officially said he is running for president, but supporters in Silicon Valley are already preparing to help pay for his bid.
Tech-savvy politicos in the wealthy California region have formed a political action committee backing the Illinois Democrat and are planning a major local fundraiser for next month. The Obama for America Draft Committee PAC, created by San Jose Democratic consultant Jude Barry, raised $30,000 in December.
Organizers say the phone is ringing off the hook from potential contributors and volunteers.
Obama, 45, formed an exploratory committee earlier this week for a 2008 presidential run and plans to make an official announcement Feb. 10.
His anti-war stance and upbringing are a natural draw to the progressive leanings of the San Francisco Bay area. He's the son of a Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother, was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia, and graduated from Harvard University.
His popularity has only grown since he delivered a stirring keynote speech at the 2004 National Democratic Convention and published a 2006 best-seller, "The Audacity of Hope."
"I think his candidacy reminds Americans that we are a diverse country," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland. "What Sen. Obama reflects is America."
But the nation is also politically diverse and Obama's success is far from guaranteed. Potential Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., also remains popular and has a strong California organization.
Democratic political consultant Chris Lehane put it this way: "Is he going to be the Google of the presidential campaign and redefine the model or will he be the Webvan.com, which has a lot of promise on paper and takes off quickly, but ultimately sinks?"
Ping
You know, Hussein Osama is really well-spoken. I watched him on TV the other day. He said "ask" instead of "axe."
Obama is picking up all the "anybody but Hillary" people early. Good for him.
Support for Osama Obama?? Why?? He is totally unqualified to President. Oh, I forgot. It's about money and favors, not qualifications. My bad.
Have people taken leave of their senses? Unbelievable!!!
a rather unimportant detail that was omitted
He's won considering it's so close to the elections.
he attended a madrassa in Indonesia for 4 years as well.
Thanks, saw that a little earlier.
The phone is ringing off the hook says the dem consultant,, eager to cash in no doubt on Obama's magical popularity.
We'll know it's official when he disappears for a week or two to get his ears pinned back.
The sources said the background check concerned Mr. Obama's years in Jakarta. In Indonesia, the young Obama was enrolled in a Madrassa and was raised and educated as a Muslim. Although Indonesia is regarded as a moderate Muslim state, the U.S. intelligence community has determined that today most of these schools are financed by the Saudi Arabian government and they teach a Wahhabi doctrine that denies the rights of non-Muslims.
Although the background check has not confirmed that the specific Madrassa Mr. Obama attended was espousing Wahhabism, the sources said his Democratic opponents believe this to be the case—and are seeking to prove it. The sources said the opponents are searching for evidence that Mr. Obama is still a Muslim or has ties to Islam.
Mr. Obama attends services at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago’s South Side. However, he is not known to be a regular parishioner.
"Obama's education began a life-long relationship with Islam as a faith and Muslims as a community," the source said. "This has been a relationship that contains numerous question marks."
The sources said Mr. Obama spent at least four years in a Muslim school in Indonesia. They said when Mr. Obama was 10, his mother and her second husband separated. She and her son returned to Hawaii.
http://www.insightmag.com/Media/MediaManager/Obama_2.htm
John Fund of WSJ when interviewed on KSFO this morning said folks shouldn't go down this road re: madrassa..
Let the chips fall where they may!
Ah well, Silicon Valley - California, the land of fruits and nuts....
Doesn't surprise me, at all, that he'd instantly pick-up support from one of the biggest liberal hotbeds in the whole country.
Some of those supporters are probably falling all over themselves trying to get to the head of the line of people who support a really heavyweight politician. (GAG)
Indonesia is a moderate Muslim nation. The madrassas are a lot more Wahabbi infected today than during Obama's day. Thus my guess is Obama went to an Islamic run school for four years but it was not mad dog Wahabbi. He did get Koran training and lessons.
My understanding is any Muslim school can be called a madrassa. I'm well acquainted with the really nasty madrassas on Pakistan and other countries where Jihad is taught
a rather unimportant detail that was omitted......
That Obama Husain Obarfarama Snr. was on the staff of Jomo Kenyatta that notable Mao-Mao terrorist organization.
This would have been 30 years or more ago when he attended which would be the late 60s early 70s timeframe, I am not sure that the strain of teachings would have been quite as virulent then, altho I can't say with any certainty that is the case.
I guess we should not expect to see Dorothy Lamour in a sarong along this road to madrassa?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.