Posted on 05/18/2008 10:30:13 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said.
From this story:
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Barack Obama set his sights on November's general election Saturday as he campaigned in Oregon, where he hopes to declare victory in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Obama has said Tuesday's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky could mark the end of his drawn-out battle with rival Hillary Clinton, and his campaign pressed home that message by announcing a symbolic return to Iowa that day.
Iowa was the scene of the Illinois senator's first victory in the 2008 presidential nominating race, and his campaign noted Saturday it is "a critical general election state that Democrats must win in November."
Polls show Obama leading in Oregon, where 52 delegates are up for grabs, while Clinton is ahead in Kentucky, a state with 51 delegates that has a similar demographic to West Virginia, where she won a thumping victory Tuesday.
His campaign says he needs just 17 more pledged delegates won through state votes to reach a majority of 1,627, not counting the "superdelegates," party officials who can vote either way at August's Democratic national convention.
Using a baseball analogy, Obama said May 8 that if after Tuesday's primaries "we have a majority of pledged delegates, which is possible, then I think we can make a pretty strong claim that we have got the most runs and its the ninth inning and we have won."
The official finishing line is 2,025 delegates, including superdelegates.
During a rally in Roseburg, Oregon, Saturday, Obama presented himself as the front-runner almost without question, attacking presumptive Republican nominee John McCain on foreign policy, the environment and healthcare.
Reviving Friday's furious row sparked by President George W. Bush's suggestion that Democrats wanted to appease terrorists, Obama said that not talking to North Korea and Iran had only made those states stronger.
"I want everybody to be absolutely clear about this because George Bush and McCain have suggested that me being willing to sit down with our adversaries is a sign of weakness and sign of appeasement," he said.
He also attacked McCain's plan for a gas tax holiday to cope with rising pump prices, which Clinton supports, as well as his other environmental plans, saying the Republican had consistently opposed fuel efficiency standards.
"For him to come to Oregon as an environmental president, but his big strategy is to do more drilling and to have a gas tax holiday for three months, that's a phony solution," he said.
Pitching his message to Oregon's environmentally-conscious voters, Obama called on the United States to "lead by example" on global warming, and develop new technologies at home which could be exported to developing countries.
"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said.
"That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added.
The Illinois senator also argued that the differences between his healthcare plan and that of Clinton "pale in comparison to the differences we have with John McCain," whose proposals would only work "if you're healthy and wealthy."
The escalating rhetoric between Obama and McCain has evoked the kind of campaign battles more common in the immediate run-up to an election -- and emphasized further Obama's pole position in the Democratic race.
But Clinton has vowed to keep fighting until the end of the primary season on June 3, and campaigning in Kentucky Saturday, she defended the plan for the gas tax holiday and accused McCain of having no idea how to fund it.
"Senator McCain said let's give everybody a gas tax holiday but doesn't want to pay for it. I think I've got the best plan. Let the oil companies pay it out of their excess profits," she said.
Ox tail is a wonderful thing. Thankfully people dont know about it and its dirt cheap
OH, so now the Libs, excuse me, Socialists are going to try and tell us what we can and can’t do to a larger extent?
Next they will change the Constitution from “WE THE PEOPLE” to “WE THE GOVERNMENT”
Folks, if this doesn’t scare you...I mean even the thoughts or rhetoric, then all we have fought for, worked for, lived for means nothing.
Si Si Pueda! L0L
And what of those that don’t have SUVs or keep our thermostats above 68 now? And while my family has enough food to eat, our gardening and hunting, sales shopping and casseroles contribute greatly to that. His comment sounds so elitist.
Sorry.. Si Se Pueda, I no hable
Sorry Barry O but I’ll drive what I want, eat what I want, and live where I want. He sounds like he should be running for the Supreme Soviet instead of the presidency.
Well, I am in Florida but when I DRIVE up in my SUV to my second home in Tennessee, yes, I light up both my fireplaces and the heater too.
Nice callback--and very good reminder of what Republicans are up against.If a republican had said anything remotely similar, Democrats would scramble their flying monkeys in seconds screeching, "He's going to cut your food stamps!"
Republicans don't have to selectively edit or twist Mr & Mrs Obama. Running their full remarks is more damning than the snippets. I hope they have the smarts and spine to do it.
I agree with you. A braised oxtail can be every bit as sumptuous as the braised veal shank from Italy I use to parody the opulence that liberals perceive conservatives live. It is actually more flavorful and the high concentration of gelatin makes it one of the most nutritious cuts of beef you can get.
I don’t but I have picked up and taken in enough stray dogs to qualify. That is an old saying that I am old enough to remember the really old people who said it first, and yes, I do sleep with my dogs, don’t you?
He also attacked McCain's plan for a gas tax holiday to cope with rising pump prices, which Clinton supports, as well as his other environmental plans, saying the Republican had consistently opposed fuel efficiency standards.Once again the MSM puts Obama in the limelight to say something about an issue, taxes in this example, without expecting Obama to state a real bottom line. But why don't we seize the opportunity provided by the MSM's deification of Obama to permanently de-claw the IRS?"For him to come to Oregon as an environmental president, but his big strategy is to do more drilling and to have a gas tax holiday for three months, that's a phony solution," he said.
This post (<-click), while addressing taxes, helps to explain why government "leaders" like Obama are actually in contempt of the Constitution that they have sworn to defend, foolishly following in the footsteps of FDR's dirty federal spending politics. In fact, the article referenced below shows that Obama is the #1 federal spending proposer in the Senate for '08; Clinton is #2.
Obama, a big-shot federal spenderThe people need to reconnect with the Founder's division of federal and state government powers. The people then need to wise up to the major problem that the federal government is not operating within the restraints of the federal Constitution, particularly where constitutionally unauthorized federal spending is concerned.
The bottom line is that the people need to send big-shot, Constitution-ignoring federal spenders like Obama home as opposed to trying to send people like him to the Oval Office. The people need to get in the faces of the feds, demanding a stop to constitutionally unauthorized federal spending while appropriately lowering federal taxes - or get out of DC.
You betcha
Despite the stereotype of the rich fat country club person, obesity is most epidemic in the ghetto and other poor neighborhoods. It's their choices in what type of food they eat and lack of exercise regimine. Obama isn't going to be able to change that regardless of how awesome he thinks he is.
Braised Lamb shank is wonderful
Yes, I CAN!
And I will, too.
I’ll second that. I really think sometimes that there should be some kind of test of maturity and intelligence to be able to vote. Women who say that they are going to vote for Hitlery solely because they think it’s time there was a woman president or that they are going to vote for Obama because they think he’s charismatic, make me sick. They know nothing and care nothing about the major issues facing us.
Vote vagina
Vote Skin color
Sheesh
We are in a critical election cycle and this is what the masses are thinking?
The real title of the article:
Obama camp spies endgame in Oregon
Excellent! I was just about to ask whether anyone knew what Obama was chauffered around in on the campaign trail. So SUVs are okay for me, but not for thee.
Typical lying, hypocritical, elitist politician.
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