Hey, Obama. First thing, when you're inaugurated, line-item veto the CIA budget, the FBI budget, and the Pentagon budget. Oh, and Hopeless Security. Then spend the first year just walking around America -- down the coast, across, up the other coast, and back.

No hoopla. Shake a hand, make a friend. Get on board.

Invite foreign heads-of-state to join in walking some stretches.

When you got back to D.C., you'll know what to do, and people will back you to do a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g you'd like.

Bill Clinton's 8 years - thumbs up or down? And strongest three points supporting your call?

After reading your platform how do you REALLY expect to support all the programs that you propose? From the looks of all that you brag about we could tax everyone an extra 50% and still not fund all your programs. Exactly HOW do you propose to do this?

How do you know if honesty is the best policy unless you've tried some of the others?

"Mr. Obama, people often fantasize about how a serious threat to the human race from outer space would unite the world's people against a common enemy, enabling us to see our differences as trivial compared to our common humanity.

You should realize that we do face such a threat, and that is the threat of a destabilized climate, which is likely to cause all four horsemen of the apocalypse --- famine, pestilence, disease and war --- to ride roughshod across the world.

By refusing to act decisively, the West is essentially telling billions of of poor and disaffected people that their survival is less important to us than our plasma screen TVs and SUVs; we should not be surprised if many of these take a different view and are willing to act violently in response.

The change from a stable to a chaotic climate regime is a fiendishly difficult problem because, unlike a hot stove, the mistakes of today provide no immediate feedback -- but those same mistakes create consequences that are felt for many centuries. There is, literally, no time left to lose. If there was ever a problem that required as much eloquence as you can muster, and all your intelligence and your devotion to the poor and oppressed, this is it."

I'd like to follow Meg with...Sen. Obama, respectfully sir, enough, please, with the platitudes and shining up your base. Say something to the rest of us.

I'm not so sure the O'Man listens all that well.

(1) Energy. What's your 2009-2012 energy policy? Oil, gas, coal, solar? How do you intend to work with Congress to help Americans who are paying more and more each month at the pump?

(2) Housing. Home ownership reached an all time high recently (69%) but now that it's the morning after we're all paying for it. With tightening credit because of bad loans (that shouldn't have been made) what's your approach to helping first time home buyers or low income earners?

I would like to ask Senator Obama, "You have said that education is a key to bring youth out of poverty. With respect to higher education, and in particular community colleges in Oregon, how would you make higher education more accessible and would you allow it to be done on the backs of contingent (part-time) faculty that make 40 to 60% of a full-time wage per class, have few (if any) benefits, and no job security?"

Tenskey/Seldes:

What are you smoking? Where was it grown?

Is there any possibililty the rest of us could live in your whirrrled, just for a few hours.

I want to walk on the beach with Obama while the rest of the world plots to overthrow us with the help of pissed off intergalactic global warming police.

Dude: that's heavy.

Amen Jack~

"You're our last hope. Four more years of what we've been through in the last eight? That will be the end of the America we used to know and love. Even if we get someone as bright and spirited as yourself in the White House, it may be too late to save it. You've got to win, Senator. We're behind you. Show us how we can help you."

That sounds pretty naive to me.

I see Richardson is endorsing Obama today. I sent him money early on because of the programs I had seen him put in in New Mexico Schools. It is a gutsy move on Richardson's part since Obama's dive in he polls last week with the preacher thing, which I don't claim to understand either. I thought Obama's speech was on target on that topic, and refreshingly open in its discussion.

Sen. Obama, is there anything about the messianic image among your supporters that troubles you in the least?

"You're our last hope."

Sounds like the holographic message that Princess Leia programmed into R2D2 to deliver to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Hmmm...things turned out OK in that situation.

I'm sure they will in this election too.

Translation: McCain wins the White House, due to the Democrats shooting themselves in the foot...yet again.

A somewhat offtpic - kinda - funny video for ya. Be sure to watch this until the very end.

Yeah.

The trouble w/a B.O. presidency for me is, why do we think it's such a good idea to have a repeat of the Carter years when what we really need is someone who will be effective at cleaning up after 8 years of Bush!?! The real "audacity": words alone are enough to effect change in moribund DC. Even leaders in Congress of his own party don't want to work with him. Ah, well - just proves my theory: an electorate dumb enough to elect W - twice! - is just about dumb enough to fall for anything.

Senator, can I please have my water bottle back on the airplane (and not the $5 kind I have to buy after clearing security)?

Hey Senator Obama, what are you planning to wear to President McCain's inauguration?

First thing, when you're inaugurated, line-item veto the CIA budget, the FBI budget, and the Pentagon budget.

Even Obama is not stupid enough to do that.

I'm with you, Jack.

Oh, and line item vetoing the CIA, Defense, and Homeland Security budgets may not be politically smart, but it is rational and necessary.

So Senator O - if you actually do get elected to the white house, will you and your wife still hate America?

Hey Senator Obama, what are you planning to wear to President McCain's inauguration?

Bob W,

You win!

Jack, you send in Bill MacDonald to speak for you. Bill where are you?
As for the ya hoos above who think John MaCain-Bush is going to save us...good luck with that program. Get set for 100 more years, IF our republic can survive that long.
And as for Hillary...she is just another 'old white man' in drag!

Just got back from the Memorial Coliseum. My favorite line this time was, "I'm tired of having a President who doesn't believe in science."
That reached me.

Here's what I would say:

Obamar, you need to make a hard right after you get the Demo nod. That's what made Bill Clinton's administration successful. Clinton became a centrist and folks gladly gave him a second term.

P.S I think Jack's way too pessimistic about America and even PDX. I guess bad news sells, though.

Here Here Bob!

If I had the good luck to have a few minutes with Obama, I would first make a financial contribution to his campaign—no decent politician will hear the sound of your voice elsewise—and I would then express the hope that he would do his part in whatever capacity he is able to assist in the total exclusion and complete destruction of the Republican party.

"I'm tired of having a President who doesn't believe in science."

I thought Gore lost.

cc, you owe me a new keyboard :D

cc, this was the funniest comment I've seen in weeks. Thanks for a great bellylaugh.

You and ecohuman are my new heroes...

An Obama Nation would be an obamination.

Larry...
Return to the cave you usually occupy. NOW!
or get a nice little piece of clear plastic, and stick in your belly button so you can see where you are going.

portland native, are you sure you ain't a arkansas native?

RSW,

Is it me, or do the people on my left seem to have extraordinarily thin skins?

The inability to laugh at one's self is symptomatic of a far more serious problem..

...constipation, or the fear of it.

When Dubya was elected I left the Republican party and became an Independent. Then two days ago I surrendered to our flawed political system (Thanks, Gov K) and switched to the Democratic party. I'll do my part by voting for Obama in May and again in November, most likely. He looks good enough to take a chance on, especially given the other choices. Hillary offends about half the country, and McCain offends the other half. If either got elected the country would be thoroughly divided--again.

PS. The March 1st issue of the Economist has a nice piece on Mr. Obama's economics.

Gracious. It is actually a useful exercise to prioritize what you'd say, ahead of time, since you just never know when you may bump into him. I happened to be about ten blocks away from this place at this time, unsuspecting:

Surprise pizza stop, By Theresa Novak, Corvallis Gazette-Times, March 22, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama makes an unscheduled visit at the downtown American Dream Pizza

Saying “There’s something very metaphorical going on here,” Obama made his way into American Dream Pizza on Second Street about 5:30 p.m. for an unscheduled and unannounced stop on his way to Eugene ...

... "metaphorical" ? ? Is that the same as 'mozzarella'?

"I thought Gore lost."

Gore actually won the election.

What Gore lost was the lawsuit Bush filed against him that invalidated the will of the Florida voters.

Funny joke, though--I sprayed scotch whiskey all over my monitor, I chuckled so hard!

You owe me a new monitor, cc!

Ah-huh, huh, ah.

Is that flat earth society opening a new chapter in Portland?

Our constitution spells out in great detail that our country is ruled by law
and the remedies that can be taken to solve the problems that pop up in the Executive legislative and Judicial braches of our country.

The rub or bone of contention is that a church has taken on the care and feeding of a large segment of our society and has included political indoctrination for what ever reason.The evidence of this is on the recorded videos' we have repeatedly seen on TV that document the assertions that the USA govt. has resorted to programs of controling Black Americans that are similiar to what were used by Nazi Germany.

So what are we going to do about this?
First we should understand that when a person(s) repeats a lie often enough and the targets or victims of their efforts are made to feel totally dependent then it is perfectly understandable that they can control and or deceive those persons to what ever ends they choose.

Oboma claims of no knowledge of his churches accusations concerning the lies told by his church concerning our country. If he is successful in persuading the voters of the United States of his ineptness in not knowing what his church stands for then we deserve what we get.