News Cut: October 19, 2008 Archive

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On political endorsements

Posted at 9:32 AM on October 19, 2008 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

The Barack Obama campaign matched McCain's Joe the Plumber bet by seeing a retired war general's endorsement. Colin Powell today endorsed Obama.

Mark Halperin of Time called it "one of the most important symbolic moments of the campaign."

Sources say Obama courted Powell's support for well over a year, with private discussions that have largely involved policy consultations, but also some explicit pleas for support. Powell's neutrality up until now had worried some Republicans, and a possible nod for Obama has been rumored and discussed for months. Whenever he has been asked in public about Obama, Powell has had nothing but kind words but, before his appearnace on Meet the Press, always stopped short of a full endorsement.

The Powell endorsement comes as influential newspapers are beginning a week of endorsements. The Star Tribune, for example, today urged a "no" vote on the sales tax increase for outdoors and cultural programs. The Pioneer Press editorial board followed suit.

Do endorsements make a difference to you?

(3 Comments)

Coleman rejects Bachmann's view on Obama's 'Americanism'

Posted at 10:05 AM on October 19, 2008 by Bob Collins (53 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

(Please be sure to read the comments section for a parsing of Rep. Bachmann's statements.)

At a time when his campaign strategy has tacked to the middle, Sen. Norm Coleman is distancing himself from controversial remarks made by Rep. Michele Bachmann about Sen. Barack Obama.

"I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views," Bachmann said on MSNBC on Friday.

"I would not label his views as anti-American. Clearly folks can look at past relationships but in the end I have a different perspective than that.... In the end the voters will decide," Coleman said on WCCO TV this morning.

Speaking on the same program after Coleman, Bachmann denied saying Obama was unamerican, "I view his views are'concerning,' I'm not saying his views are anti-American; that's a misreading of what I said. I'm calling on the media to take a look at what he's said."

Here's the transcript of the MSNBC statement:

REP. BACHMANN: It's important because we look at the collection of friends that Barack Obama has had over his life, and usually we associate with people who have similar ideas to us. And it seems that it calls into question what Barack Obama's true beliefs and values and thoughts are -- his attitudes, values and beliefs with Jeremiah Wright on his view of the United States --

MR. MATTHEWS: Okay --

REP. BACHMANN: -- which is negative; Bill Ayers, his negative view of the United States. We've seen one friend after another. It calls into question his judgment, but also what is it that Barack Obama really believes? And we know that he's the most liberal senator in the United States Senate, and that's just after one year after being there. He's the most liberal. Joe Biden is the third most liberal. You've got Harry Reid who's liberal, Nancy Pelosi who's liberal.

MR. MATTHEWS: Right. What's the connection?

REP. BACHMANN: You have a troika of the most leftist administration in the history of our country.

MR. MATTHEWS: If you have liberal views, does that mean you have anti-American views? What's the connection? I don't get the connection. What's the connection between liberal and leftist and anti-American?

REP. BACHMANN: Anti-American is the point, because --

MR. MATTHEWS: I mean, if you're liberal, are you anti-American?

REP. BACHMANN: Well, the liberals that are Jeremiah Wright and that are Bill Ayers, they're over-the-top anti-American. And that's the question that Americans have. Remember, it was Michelle Obama who said she's only recently proud of her country. And so these are very anti-American views.

MR. MATTHEWS: Okay.

REP. BACHMANN: That's not the way that most Americans feel about our country. Most Americans, Chris, are wild about America, and they're very concerned to have a president who doesn't share those values.