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Title: Obama says he grew up less privileged than rivals
Source:
http://www.reuters.com/
URL Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0143937020080501
Published: May 1, 2008
Author: Andy Sullivan
Post Date: 2008-05-01 11:27:17 by robin
Keywords: None
Views: 914
Comments: 71
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday said he had grown up in less privileged circumstances than his rivals as he fought a perception among some voters that he is "elitist." In an interview on NBC's "Today Show," Obama sought to explain a series of missteps that have dogged his candidacy over the past month and led some voters to conclude that he is out of touch. "The irony is, I think it is fair to say that both Michelle and I grew up in much less privileged circumstances than either of my two potential opponents," Obama said in an interview with his wife, Michelle, at his side. Obama's Kenyan father was largely absent from his life as a child, and his mother raised him with the help of his grandparents. His rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, grew up in an affluent suburb of Chicago as the daughter of a small-business owner. The Republican candidate for the November presidential election, John McCain, is the son and grandson of Navy admirals. Obama's front-runner status for the Democratic nomination has eroded in recent weeks amid a firestorm over racially charged remarks by his former pastor and his own comments at a San Francisco fund-raiser that small-town voters are "bitter" and "cling" to guns and religion. "The comments I made in San Francisco at the end of a very long day were very poorly phrased," Obama said. "I should have said 'angry and frustrated' instead of 'bitter.' I should have said, people 'rely on' their religious faith during these times of trouble, instead of 'cling to.'" Obama said he did not immediately denounce his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, when his incendiary comments were first made public because of his personal ties to the man who presided over his marriage and the baptism of his two children. "I thought it was important to give him the benefit of the doubt because if I had wanted to be politically expedient I would have distanced myself and denounced him right away," Obama said. Obama said the criticism is inevitable, given his international background and status as the first black who has a good chance of winning the White House. "Let's be honest, here I am an African American named Barack Obama who's running for president. I mean, that's a leap for folks," he said. (Editing by Jackie Frank) (To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
#1. To: robin, *Obama Reality Check* (#0)
I smell a book here; poor black boy, trapped in Hawaii, twitters away his youth at a private school (Punahou), only to be saddled with more grief at Columbia and Harvard.
I smell a book here; poor black boy, trapped in Hawaii, twitters away his youth at a private school (Punahou), only to be saddled with more grief at Columbia and Harvard.
A kid pretty much raised by his middle class grandparents who obviously had to make some sacrifices to send him to a good school (in which he did well) somehow becomes defined as an elitist? You must think you could sell ice cubes to Eskimos.
Is your reading comprehension really all that poor? Another poster made a comment that I thought was funny and I posted some laughing smiley faces.
; _
White guilt? Yeah, sad, ain't it?
btw it's good to see you up and taking nutrition...sunny side up as itwere. ;)
Thank you kindly. Always good to see you too.
Anyone paying attention can see that OMarx got setup in The Party® before the 2004 'breakout' convention. He's made millions since...look it up, the OMarxist racist liberation theology students have made millions and stand to make tens of millions more. Wright gets his payday, they all pass around paydays among themselves in the cabal...race pimping effs.
www.wherethemoneygoes.com /newSearch.php? SearchString=Obama&Submit=Search+WTMG
#26. To: FOH (#25)
Senator Obama wants Wal-Mart to be a good corporate citizen. We want his wife's hospital to be a good corporate citizen. Description: Senator Obama speaks to the UFCW union. Published: November 17, 2006 We reported yesterday that as part of his unannounced campaign for President, that Il. Senator Barack Obama was scheduled to do a conference call with members of the United Food and Commercial Workers, as part of their effort to force Wal-Mart to unionize. Here's in part, what the Associated Press reported. "U.S. Sen. Barack Obama praised a union-led campaign to change working conditions at Wal-Mart, telling activists Wednesday that their efforts were part of a needed, broader debate about jobs and economic opportunity in America. "The Illinois senator, weighing in on the increasingly politicized debate over Wal-Mart, told a conference call with the union-backed group WakeUpWalMart.com there was a 'moral responsibility to stand up and fight' for a better economic future with adequate wages, health care and retirement benefits. "This is a much broader issue than Wal-Mart but I think the battle to engage Wal-Mart and force them to examine their own corporate values and what their policies and approaches are to their workers and how they are going to be good corporate citizens, I think, is absolutely vital,' Obama said." As I predicted he did not talk about the fact that his wife recently was promoted to a $300,000 a year plus position as a Vice-President of supposed not- for-profit The University of Chicago Hospitals. She became the 13th Vice-President, all who make more than $300,000 a year. He did not talk about the fact, that his wife's hospital spent $5 million on collection agencies last year, in an attempt to force people to pay trumped up bills. He did not talk about the fact that his wife's hospital marks up their actual cost of drugs by 538%. He did not explain why how his wife's hospital, which is supposed to be a not- for-profit was able to make almost $100 MILLION in profit last year. He did not discuss whether these and other facts would allow his wife's hospital to be considered a good corporate citizen. Now did he discuss an item I wrote about a few months ago that bears repeating. According to their latest 990 Federal Tax Form of The University of Chicago Hospitals where they list the "5 highest paid employees other than officers, directors and trustees" you will find one medical professional listed. (Doctors usually never appear as they are independent contractors.) Gwendolyn Moton, an operating room nurse received $227,817 in total compensation for her work in helping to save lives. That's $89,145 less than Michelle Obama-gets for helping save their profits, but then again, Gwendolyn is not married to a U.S. Senator. Why don't the fawning newspapers cover this hypocrisy?
AAAAAAAArp..............;P
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President Barack Obama? Let's check in on Vice President Michelle Obama first. Description: The total compensation of Michelle Obama. Published: September 15, 2006 Shortly after her husband was sworn in as U.S. Senator, Michelle Obama was sworn in as a Vice President of The University of Chicago Hospitals. The President of not-for-profit The University of Chicago Hospitals announced her appointment as Vice President, Community and External Affairs, apparently a newly created position, as I could not find this position listed on their previous tax form. Michael Riordan the Pres/CEO said at the time, "We are excited to have her join the ranks of senior management. She brings to our team a new level of compassion, commitment and close connections to the community." "My goal in this position," Obama said in response "is to continue to broaden the Hospitals' relationships with our neighborhood and with our city." Vice President Obama became the 13th Vice President at The University of Chicago Hospitals, according to their latest 990 Federal Tax Form. While her total compensation through year end 6/30/05 is listed as $148,939 it's clear that is only for a part of the whole fiscal year, as the other 12 Vice Presidents all took home no less than $300,000 in total compensation for a full twelve months. Why would they pay her less, especially when they are so proud of her work, her picture actually appears twice in their 44 page annual report, more times it seems than any other VP. As for her outreach work, I wonder how she explains to the community that her hospital marks up their actual cost of drugs by 538%. That they mark up their actual cost for laboratory work by 597%. That they mark up their actual costs for anesthesiology by 928%. That if you are uninsured and make more than 200% of the federal poverty level, they expect you to pay the full amount charged. That even if you offer to pay cash, if you are uninsured they still have no policy to give you a discount. And if you don't pay the full price-gouged amount, they'll send a collection agency after you. As a matter of fact this not-for-profit hospital has spent well over $10 MILLION on collection agencies in the past 2 years. Price gouging uninsured minorities, using collection agencies, arbitrage, all these things helped this not-for-profit hospital make a profit last year of $96,424,000 according to the American Hospital Directory (AHD). In 2004, they made over $77 MILLION in profit, and in 2003 they made over $35 MILLION in profit, all without paying a single dime in taxes, to help other not- for-profit hospitals like the under funded John Stroger hospital, that doesn't mark up its costs by one penny (according to the AHD). Her husbands picture was once featured on the SEIU website with a quote that hospitals "terrorize" the uninsured. He could have and should have been talking about The University of Chicago Hospitals. Liberals, you got to love them. www.wherethemoneygoes.com /newSearch.php? SearchString=Obama&Submit=Search+WTMG If you thought Hillary care was a bad idea, imagine what Michelle care might look like............. imagine what it would be under government control......... Boo.
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#12. To: Jethro Tull (#1)
#13. To: James Deffenbach (#12)
I smell a book here; poor black boy, trapped in Hawaii, twitters away his youth at a private school (Punahou), only to be saddled with more grief at Columbia and Harvard.
#14. To: iconoclast (#13)
#15. To: James Deffenbach (#14)
Is your reading comprehension really all that poor? Another poster made a comment that I thought was funny and I posted some laughing smiley faces.
#16. To: FOH (#15)
#18. To: James Deffenbach (#16)
#20. To: FOH (#18)
btw it's good to see you up and taking nutrition...sunny side up as it were. ;)
#21. To: James Deffenbach (#20)
#23. To: FOH (#21)
They are up to their elbows in 'healthcare'........................$
#25. To: Peppa (#23)
(Edited)
Communists suck...
Replies to Comment # 25. www.wherethemoneygoes.com/printArticle.php?id_art=2108
#28. To: FOH (#25)
#29. To: FOH (#25)
One more.......
End Trace Mode for Comment # 25.