IF this pans out, Obama's on his way and it won't be close....

http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary .do?diaryId=1782

Richardson Set to Send Obama Second-Choice Support
by: Chase Martyn
Wednesday (01/02) at 23:30 PM

[Exclusive] Gov. Bill Richardson's campaign is expected to direct their supporters to caucus for Sen. Barack Obama in the second round of voting at Thursday's caucuses in precincts where he is not viable.  Two sources familiar with the plan told Iowa Independent that the New Mexico Governor's organizers have been instructed to direct supporters to Obama in the places where they fail to reach the 15% threshold for viability.
Richardson, whose poll numbers in Iowa have hovered near 10% since June, may need a solid fourth-place finish in the caucuses to continue his campaign.  And he is best served by directing support away from former Sen. John Edwards, who consistently polls between him and the two national front-runners, Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, in national and early state polls.

...................
Richardson would prefer an Obama victory over Clinton because a Clinton victory could end the campaign before New Hampshire voters even head to the polls.  And if Edwards's numbers look weak, Richardson could head to New Hampshire as the best alternative to the top two contenders for the Democratic nomination.

It seems that the presumption of Republican tilt among the military is just one of many strongholds that conservatives can no longer count on thanks to George Bush.  It seems the blinders may finally be starting to fall from their eyes when it comes to who really has their back.  According to the article below, Ron Paul, libertarian, comes in second among presidential candidates receiving campaign contributions from people who work for the four branches of the military and National Guard, and none other that Barack Hussein Obama is leading among these same soldiers. It seems that not only do they want to support candidates they believe will end this war, but, they want to give their hard-earned, limited resources to candidates who DID NOT play a role in putting them in the godawful situation they're in. This is going to be on hell of an election year for Democrats.  If we can just make sure the bleeping votes get counted!

Glenn Greenwald:

"If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend this memo from Samantha Power, a Harvard Professor and top foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama. It is one of the best and potentially most important political documents I have read in some time."

How one responds to this depends, I guess, on how much regard one has for Glenn Greenwald's analysis.  I think his writing and analysis are among the very best on the left.  Therefore, I think those who would try to convince us that Barack Obama's foreign policy statements over the last few weeks sound the death knell for his campaign are mistaken.  He may not win the nomination, but it will not be because his judgements are somehow inferior to his opponents. This part of the debate is far from over and I do believe Obama's point of view (the actual one as opposed to the distorted one that is being spun/misrepresented)  is gaining ground and exposure.

The Greenwald post is linked below along with a link to the Powers memo.  I encourage everyone to actually READ them:

I cannot believe that ANYBODY who has followed even ONE presidential primary, would post or refer to, in ANY way, ANY kind of National poll numbers, FIVE MONTHS out from Iowa, except as a joke.  Doesn't ANYONE remember that JOHN KERRY (the 2004 Democratic Presidential NOMINEE?) was barely breaking double digits in the NATIONAL POLLS just ONE MONTH before he WON the Iowa caucuses?  He was fighting Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich for top dog status in the THIRD tier.  Even had to give his campaign a loan cause all the money was going to Howard Dean and Wesley Clark.  Remember them?  They were LEADING in all the National polls right up to January 2004 when Howard Dean lost a TWENTY-ONE POINT LEAD in LESS than a month!  And, John Kerry, who had been stuck in the middle of the pack for most of the months leading up to Iowa,  won Iowa with 38% and Edwards, who had never actually broken double digits NATIONALLY, came in a close 2nd with 32%.  The MSM, having tired of the primarys, basically declared them over and John Kerry was the nominee.

There are a few links below if anyone wants to refresh their memories:

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy:)

WASHINGTON -- The daughter of Republican hopeful Rudy Giuliani has signaled she's backing Democrat Barack Obama for president.

According to her Facebook profile, Giuliani's 17-year-old daughter, Caroline, belonged to Democrat Barack Obama's Facebook group "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)." She left the group Monday morning after the online magazine Slate sent an inquiry.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires 20070806/giuliani-daughter

He must have some polling that tells him he's on to something 'caus he just keeps swinging and whatever your opinion of him, he's not stupid.  If he was hurting himself, he'd leave it alone, but that is definitely NOT what he's doing and he has to be encouraged by the recent Iowa poll.  Now is the time to make his move and he's going for it.  He's laid the ground work, he's got the money, and people are just now starting to even think about paying attention to the primaries.

I could not figure out why Hillary went after Obama with the naive, irresponsible comment after the debate.  She had scored during the debate, why go after him again.  I think they must have seen something they didn't like in the early states polling and decided they had to do something.  Whatever it was, provided Obamba with his opening and he's making the most of it.

link to Powers Memo below:

I know it can't compare to the great blogger caper, but I think this is a good move by Obama.  It focuses on transparency in government where it matters most, taxpayer dollars and who's getting rich at the public trough. It's also a much better way of drawing a distinction between himself and other candidates  than the (D-Punjab) memo.  This is, IMO, a more professional and effective way to go after the oppostion, and it's out in the open instead of 'not for attribution' which makes it look like your trying to be sneaky even though everybody else is doing it.  

Link and item below:

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/ electioncentral/2007/jun/21/obama_will_r eveal_his_earmarks_challenges_other_dems _to_follow_suit#comment

This is interesting: Barack Obama is vowing to detail all his earmark requests today and is challenging his Presidential rivals to do the same.

Obama, who's tried to be out front on good government and ethics issues, is apparently the first Presidential hopeful to do this.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton says that Obama will detail his earmarks today by posting a 113-item list on his Senate office website.

In the 24-hour period following Wednesday morning's announcement that his campaign raised $25 million during the first quarter, Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign says it has taken in an additional $435,000 via the Internet. The campaign says the contributions came from more than 4,600 people, including nearly 4,300 who had not previously given. ................................................................. The 4,600 new donors to Obama (D-Ill.) represents roughly a 5 percent increase in the 100,000 donors the campaign reported during the entire first three months of the year. ................................................................. There also was a healthy surge of contributions in final 36 hours leading up to the March 31 deadline. During that period, the campaign says $900,000 came in over the Internet from 8,600 donors, including 7,500 who had never previously contributed. So far in April, the campaign says it has logged 6,650 new donors online.