Did You Know?---- Information About Obama

[John317]

The American people should know everything about the two candidates in order to make the best decision for America. The election is not really about two men or even about 3 men and 1 woman. It is about what is best for America and Americans as a nation.

Check this out:

From the Wikipedia on MRaila Odinga:

SEE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raila_Odinga

Obama Connection

In August 2006, Mr. Obama visited Kenya and spoke in support of Mr. Odinga's candidacy at rallies in Nairobi. [Mr. Odinga is a socialist having been trained in East Germany.]

Raila Odinga is of the Anglican faith and is married to Ida Odinga (born Ida Anyango Oyoo). They live in Nairobi (but has a second home in Bondo District) with their four children - two sons and two daughters. His oldest son, Fidel, is named after Fidel Castro and their youngest child, Winnie, is named after Winnie Mandela.

In a January 2008 interview, Odinga suggested that he was the first cousin of American Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama through Senator Obama's father. However, Barack Obama's paternal uncle Said Obama has denied any direct relation to Odinga, stating "Odinga's mother came from this area, so it is normal for us to talk about cousins. But he is not a blood relative." Obama's father belonged to the same Luotribe as Odinga.

^ Senator Barack Obama in Kenya - Obama and Odinga: The True StoryAfrican Press International (API)

^ The Standard, November 5, 2007: ODM promises smooth transition if it wins

^ a b Odinga says Obama is his cousin, BBC News, 1/8/08.

^ Some Kenyans forget crisis to root for Obama, Reuters, 1/8/08.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7176683.stm

Odinga says Obama is his cousin

Mr Obama ® is descended from the same Luo tribe as Mr Odinga (l)

Odinga on Obama

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has said he is a cousin of US presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Mr Odinga told the BBC's The World Today that Senator Obama's father was his maternal uncle.

Mr Obama's father - a Kenyan also called Barack - met and married his American mother when they were students at the university of Hawaii.

Mr Obama has previously been identified as a distant cousin of Vice-President Dick Cheney.

Mr Obama's father came from the same Luo community as Mr Odinga.

The Kenyan leader made the statement in an interview in which he discussed foreign interest in the political turmoil in his country.

He said Mr Obama had on Monday taken time out of campaigning for the New Hampshire primary to call him twice, to express his concern, and to say that he would also be calling Mr Kibaki.

Mr Obama's parents separated when he was two and later divorced.

His mother subsequently married an Indonesian, and the young Barack lived in Jakarta for some years before returning to the United States.

He saw almost nothing of his birth father, who moved back to Kenya and later died in a car crash.

But he entitled his autobiography Dreams from my Father.

[Neil D]

So?

[John317]

The American people should know everything about the two candidates in order to make the best decision for America.

We want to know everything we possibly can about the man who may be the next president. This is part of what we should know.

I want to know what makes him tick, how he thinks, what he thinks, how he makes decisions, why he thinks as he does, etc. The more we know the better.

As far as I'm concerned this goes for all four candidates.

[Neil D]

I beleive you are missing the point....

So what that he is related to some socialist leader of a third world country....So what that he talked to some communist...If you want to understand who Obama is, begin by looking at his website....decide what policys you think he is talking about and question him on it.....

If you want, I can show that McCain has had dealings with some communist leadership...Is that cause for concern?

To me, it looks like you are grasping at anything to paint Obama in a bad light....I think Shane calls this "gutter politics"....Or is it "swiftboating"? I forget..nor do I care....

[John317]

I beleive you are missing the point....

So what that he is related to some socialist leader of a third world country....So what that he talked to some communist...If you want to understand who Obama is, begin by looking at his website....decide what policys you think he is talking about and question him on it.....

If you want, I can show that McCain has had dealings with some communist leadership...Is that cause for concern?

To me, it looks like you are grasping at anything to paint Obama in a bad light....I think Shane calls this "gutter politics"....Or is it "swiftboating"? I forget..nor do I care....

I do go to the official web-sites.

I would ask that you show anything you know about McCain.

It sounds as if you do not want people to find out these things about Senator Obama. I think that's a bit peculiar, to say the least.

Do you have evidence that McCain has ever campaigned for a socialist? If you have such information, I would very much like to know it.

And if you know of a similar situation with McCain as there is with Obama being friends with someone like Bill Ayers, let me know that also.

I believe on the basis of what I have heard Obama say and on the basis of Obama's past, that he is a socialist himself. He has campaigned for socialists. That says a lot. He has been voted as the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate. I think Americans should know these things before they vote. Personally I do not want a socialist for my president. I seriously doubt most Americans do, either. They never have before. Have we changed? In the election we will find out, won't we?

[Neil D]

I do go to the official web-sites.

I would ask that you show anything you know about McCain.

It sounds as if you do not like me to find out these things about Senator Obama. I find that a bit peculiar.

All right, I will give you a fairly good example of what I am talking about.

Of course, I am aware of McCain having 'intimate' conversations with several communists. And I am aware that he has done so for many years. And I do know that I can make a case that these talks have definately influenced McCain 's politics to the point where McCain has utter epitaphs against nations and peoples.

Now that I have said that, are you sure you want to continue in this vien? Quit frankly, to know EVERY little detail about the life of the prospective president and how it is influencing current policies, is a bit going overboard, in my humble opinion...

[John317]

Originally Posted By: John317

I do go to the official web-sites.

I would ask that you show anything you know about McCain.

It sounds as if you do not like me to find out these things about Senator Obama. I find that a bit peculiar.

All right, I will give you a fairly good example of what I am talking about.

Of course, I am aware of McCain having 'intimate' conversations with several communists. And I am aware that he has done so for many years. And I do know that I can make a case that these talks have definately influenced McCain 's politics to the point where McCain has utter epitaphs against nations and peoples.

Now that I have said that, are you sure you want to continue in this vien? Quit frankly, to know EVERY little detail about the life of the prospective president and how it is influencing current policies, is a bit going overboard, in my humble opinion...

I've given you the source of the information on Obama: the wikipedia.

Now give the source or reference for the information you just gave here about McCain.

Yeah I heard that stuff about McCain before. So let's get to the bottom of it like we get to the bottom of information about Obama. Let's find out the truth-- all of it.

The difference between McCain and Obama as far as our knowledge of those two men are concerned is that McCain has been out in the limelight for years, at least since he ran for President against Bush in 2000. Even before, too.

However, Obama has fairly recently been discovered by most Americans. I had not even heard of him before his announcement to run for the presidency. And I know that most Americans hardly know who he is or what he represents.

Therefore it is important for Americans to find out more about Obama than they need to about McCain, because they been watching McCain for years already. On the other hand, Obama is practically an unknown quality, relatively speaking. I think that can be dangerous because a nation like the US needs to know its presidents really well before electing them.

[John317]

Not at all. Let me know what you believe is inaccurate or untrue in the post about Obama.

It is true that the current leader of Kenya, Raila Odinga, claims that Obama is the son of his maternal uncle.

It is true that Obama's father was from the same tribe as Raila Odinga.

It is true that Raila Odinga is a Maxist.

It is true that Obama supported Odinga and campaigned for him.

It is also true that Odinga's followers caused riots and civil unrest in Kenya and that Odinga encouraged them to do so as part of his plan to become the leader of that country.

Finally it is true that Obama campaigned for a socialist Congressional candidate and is the most liberal member of the US Senate.

(He has the right to do all of these things. Americans simply need to know them before choosing the next president.)

[D. Allan]

Obama, Interrupted

By Michael Powell NYTimes, Aug.1, 2008

Quote:

There, standing and shouting and pointing at him in the top row of the bleachers, are seven self-styled “voices of the African socialist revolution.” You, they tell the candidate at a rather high decibel level, are a capitalist running dog. You, they observe, are intent on undermining revolutionary struggle.

You are in the pay, they suggest, of greed heads and counter-revolutionaries and so on and on. At this point, the crowd is booing the seven men and women who constitute the Uhuru News Service.

The rest is here

/dAb

[D. Allan]

January 8, 2008, 1:53 pm

Obama Reaches Out to Kenyan Leaders

By Jeff Zeleny, NYTimes

Quote:

HANOVER, N.H. — As he campaigned for his presidential bid in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, Senator Barack Obama was following developments in Kenya and was working with the U.S. State Department to speak with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.

Mr. Obama, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee whose father was Kenyan, spoke Monday with opposition leader Raila Odinga in Kenya. Mr. Obama asked Mr. Odinga to meet directly with the president without any pre-conditions, a spokesman for Mr. Obama’s spokesman said.

“He said the country would see the message that both you and Kibaki do not want chaos and that violence on all sides must stop,” said the spokesman, Robert Gibbs. “If the country sees you talking and a willingness to resolve this political situation peacefully, a powerful message will be sent to the people.”

Looks like he was working to stop violence in Kenya.

The rest is here

/dAb

[D. Allan]

Odinga lost by a disputed margin and there has been violence since the elections.

Quote:

It seems that the much-anticipated talks are falling victim to the same cycle of action and reaction that has sent Kenya into a tailspin since the elections, on Dec. 27. Since then, more than 650 people have been killed and 250,000 driven from their homes in a burst of violence that has ethnic and socioeconomic roots but has been fueled by politics. -Jeffrey Gettleman, NYTimes, Jan.25, 2008

/dAb

[John317]

Interesting information on Raila Odinga and his activiities:

http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2008/01/odinga-obama-and-lack-of-courage.html

[D. Allan]

Quote:

Mr. Odinga says he will be different. For starters, he is a Luo, another big tribe in Kenya but one that many Kenyans feel has not gotten its due.

He is also an unusual blend of privilege and populism. His father was a rich businessman and the country’s first vice president, but espoused socialist values.

source

/dAb

[John317]

Onto Raila Odinga, the man behind the Orange Democratic Movement, National Rainbow Coalition, Million person march and instigator of the recent unrest due to losing a close election. Or maybe not, we will not know as Mr. Odinga does not want to go through the civil court system to work out problems with the election and, instead, looks towards marches and riots to cement his non-win victory. Back on 31 JUL 2007 The Standard, in Kenya, looked at MP Odinga and had some of the following as their viewpoint:

Apart from meeting the top executives in the US, other events lined up included hosting Kenyans at black-tie dinners where a plate went for $100 (Sh7,300). Other dinners he attended drew about 300 people, mostly organised by his supporters, who paid between $40 (Sh3,000) and $70 (Sh5,200) a plate.

His biography, Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics, launched locally in July is selling at $50 (Sh3,650). The MP then left an indelible mark on his audience that he would stop at nothing short of the presidency.

"Raila is not talking as if he is prepared to play second fiddle to anyone. He is talking as the person who has put his whole in the coming presidential elections, which makes him a danger to the ODM-Kenya coalition," said Mr Maurice Mwangi of Maryland, who attended one of the dinners.

[..]

Raila’s list of local and foreign political friends — thought to be immensely wealthy — remains a closely guarded secret, for strategic reasons.

While still Energy minister, Raila re-established and nurtured his links with the Libyan Government of Col Muammar Gaddafi, where again he not only did good business in oil importation, but also got substantial material support during the 2002 General Election.

More on what is going on in Kenya:

http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2008/01/odinga-obama-and-lack-of-courage.html

[John317]

Yes, true. I hope it never happens here! Americans have never done that.

[John317]

J

Looks like he was working to stop violence in Kenya.

The rest is here

/dAb

Obama working to stop the violence? I wouldn't doubt that. I don't think Obama wants violence in Africa. But it's a different matter with Raila Odinga.

There is no question that Odinga wanted his followers to commit violence. That was his only chance to become the leader once he appeared to lose the election.

[D. Allan]

Unity Cabinet Formed in Kenya, Ending Deadlock

By JEFFREY GETTLEMANNYTimes, April 14, 2008

Quote:

NAIROBI, Kenya — President Mwai Kibaki announced a new — and enormous — national unity cabinet here on Sunday, ending weeks of anxious deadlock that had threatened to plunge Kenya back into violence.

... Allies of Mr. Kibaki, who was declared the winner of a deeply flawed election in December, retained the most powerful ministries, like finance and foreign affairs, but the leading opposition party managed to get some major posts, including local government and agriculture.

And as anticipated, the top opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who claims to have won the presidential vote, was appointed prime minister.

no mention of the political parties involved. source

/dAb

[carolaa]

I'm wondering what your purpose was for showing the photo of Obama not putting his hand over his heart.

[carolaa]

There is no question that Odinga wanted his followers to commit violence. That was his only chance to become the leader once he appeared to lose the election.

Rural Kenya has had undercurrents of unrest for decades. It didn't take much to put them over the top when they saw a rigged election and knew that nothing but violence would change things. I'm not convinced Odinga was much of an instigator of the violence. Perhaps he could have done more to stop it, I don't know.

[John317]

Watch the video and tell me what you think:

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Obama_doesnt_put_hand_over_heart_1022.html

(I'm pretty sure he does put his hand over his heart now, and there are other things he has changed. But this is what he was doing evidently before he realized it could be harmful to his campaign.)

No hand over heart from Obama during national anthem

David Edwards and Jason Rhyne

Published: Monday October 22, 2007

Weeks after coming under fire for his refusal to wear an American flag pin, Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama is again facing questions about his patriotism from some conservative blogs -- this time for apparently failing to put his hand over his heart during a rendition of the national anthem at an Iowa campaign event.

A video of the event in question, obtained by ABC News, shows Obama with his hands firmly clasped in front of him during the song. Meanwhile, rival Democratic candidates Gov. Bill Richardson (D-AZ) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) strike a traditional anthem pose beside him, holding their right hands over their hearts.

The conservative NewsBusters media watchdog group first reported on the story, linking to a Time Magazine photo of Obama at the event. "Does [Obama] perhaps believe that, like wearing the flag pin, the hand on the heart isn't "true patriotism?" asked the site's Mark Finkelstein.

The episode took place during a Sept. 16 steak fry hosted by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) in Indianola, Iowa.

The following video is from ABC.com, broadcast on October 22, 2007.

[John317]

OK, I'll accept that. I'd like to do more research, though. Thanks.

[carolaa]

Watch the video and tell me what you think:

All I can go by is what Obama himself said, and that was that he was taught that you put your hand over your heart for the Pledge of Allegiance.

That is what I was taught, as well, and I was surprised to see a big deal made out of him not doing it for the National Anthem. I knew you're supposed to stand for the National Anthem, but I never knew you were supposed to put your hand over your heart. I've seen people do it, but not overwhelmingly. Anyway, he stood respectfully and clapped at the end. What's the big deal? As far as I know, he always puts his hand over his heart for the Pledge. It's a total non-issue, just a grasp for something to criticize.

[John317]

Yes, but there seems to be a pattern here. For instance, consider the video and article about Obama's refusal to wear the American flag." It seems that there are reasons for these things and that they are not simply by chance or accident or lack of knowledge.

http://abcnews.go.com/politics/story?id=3690000

Don't you think that it's odd that everyone else knew to put their hand over their heart except Senator Obama?

Do you know if he now put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem?

I can't imagine President Kennedy or any other President not knowing this or not doing it.

Obama ought to realize that these things are important because the American people are looking to see what the candidates are like and how they think and feel about this country.

[Stan]

What's up with our American cousins putting their hand over their chest anyway?

[John317]

It has to do with love of country.