Barack Obama In France; Translated Interview Reveals Desire For "Less Ideological Politics"

One possible key reason why Europeans are excited about Senator Barack Obama's tour of that part of the World is that he's advocating a politics that's less "ideologically based". I discovered this from this translated interview Senator Obama gave to The Paris Match in late January of this year:

The flight of Obama

Our correspondent in the USA Regis Le Sommier tells the fervor and enthusiasm surrounding the campaign and Barack Obama, by contrast, supporters calmer and more reflective of Hillary Clinton.

Regis Le Sommier and Laurence Haim Canal + were also able to interview Barack Obama in exclusivity. Find our interview with one of the favourites of the race for the White House below.

Barack Obama: "I want to talk directly with Iran and Syria. We do not stabiliserons the region if we are not talking to our enemies "

Regis Le Sommier interview (Paris Match) and Laurence Haim (Canal +)
(published in Paris Match No. 3063 of 31 January 2008)

Paris Match. How will you take to improve the image of the USA in the World?

Barack Obama. Priority should be given, to end the war in Iraq. Occupying this country puts us in a door at odds with the world. Likewise, we must close Guantanamo prisoners and provide a legal framework which allows them to trial. I also, once elected, hold a summit in the Muslim world, with all heads of state, to discuss frankly on how to contain the gap widens each day between Muslims and the West. I want to ask them to join our fight against terrorism. We must also listen to their concerns. I also want us to be leaders in areas such as climate change, that the Bush administration has neglected so long. And this position concern worldwide. If we show that we are a leader in fields such as development, climate change and nuclear non-proliferation, then we will have in exchange for greater cooperation in issues that concern us.


Paris Match: This is a campaign very hard ...

Barack Obama. Yes.

Paris Match: The Clinton are against you. Which of the two is the most difficult to cope?

Barack Obama. No doubt, both are formidable opponents. It is a solid team. I personally have great admiration for things they have done in the past. But I think I'll be more effective as that of lead America on a new path, and especially our foreign policy.

Paris Match: Between them and you, is it a question of generation?

Barack Obama. Not only. Especially the fact that they are associated with certain practices that date back 90 years. The political maneuvers they use for a month in this campaign demonstrated. Their attacks against me are intended solely to score points. For Clinton, there is plenty of time devoted to politics and little to govern, to bring people together to advance, doing things together. I think that voters now want results. They are no longer content to permanent political confrontation.

Paris Match: The USA are mired in Iraq. How do you leave?

Barack Obama. I want to start withdrawing our troops as soon as possible, the pace of one or two brigades per month. This would allow us to leave Iraq around 2009. Thus, we send a signal to the Iraqis to tell them that we will not be forever. At the same time, we must work with them so that Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds agree on a way to govern together. To demonstrate a real change of foreign policy USA, I want to talk directly with countries like Iran and Syria. We will not succeed in stabilizing the region if we are not talking to our enemies. When you are in deep disagreement with someone, you need to talk to him directly.

Paris Match: You have a chance to become the first black president. Have you personally suffered from racism?

Barack Obama. There is no Black American who, in one way or another, has not suffered from racism. I was lucky because it did not traumatized. I grew up in Hawaii, where racial tensions were not also present in other parts of the country. I was born in 1961. If I had been campaigning here at this time, I was asked to come in a toilet for blacks and other public places reserved for people of color. This speaks volumes about the progress we have made. It is still a lot of disparities in health, wages and living conditions among black Americans and others. There is much to be done.

Paris Match: What do you think of President Nicolas Sarkozy?

Barack Obama. He came to visit me in my office in Washington. That was before his election in France. It is an energetic man with a lot of talent. I am impressed by his way of looking at problems specific to France with a fresh eye. It is not fists and feet bound by traditions burdensome or dogmas. It is an example for many leaders. In politics, today it is necessary to look at things with a new vision. I want to travel to France and meet as soon as I won the investiture. I want to see with him how we can further strengthen Franco-American relations.

Paris Match: France will Does the first country where you want to go?

Barack Obama. It is one of my priorities. After my appointment, I want to do a tour in Europe, to meet Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy. For all embody, in their own way, a new approach less ideological politics.

Kabul Kabol Afghanistan Searches YouTube For Obama Videos

You read the title correctly. someone in Kabul, Kabol Afghanistan's looking for YouTube videos on Obama with President Harmid Karzai and my guess is that it may be the President of the country or someone associated with him. Why because that person's looking up the President's name and the search attempt hails from the President's city.

How do I know this? Because I was checking my traffic stats and saw the listing report you see here. Hitslink is a program I use and swear by because of this detailed information. I certainly hope President Harmid Karzai enjoys Zennie's Zeitgeist.

John McCain Commits Adultery; ABC News, CNN Don't Tell Us About It

Ok. What if I told you that the LA Times ran a story on Senator John McCain that went like this:

An examination of court documents tells a different story. McCain did not sue his wife for divorce until Feb. 19, 1980, and he wrote in his court petition that he and his wife had "cohabited" until Jan. 7 of that year -- or for the first nine months of his relationship with Hensley.

Although McCain suggested in his autobiography that months passed between his divorce and remarriage, the divorce was granted April 2, 1980, and he wed Hensley in a private ceremony five weeks later. McCain obtained an Arizona marriage license on March 6, 1980, while still legally married to his first wife.

Until McCain filed for divorce, the Reagans and their inner circle assumed he was happily married, and they were stunned to learn otherwise, according to several close aides.

"Everybody was upset with him," recalled Nancy Reynolds, a top aide to the former president who introduced him to McCain.

Well, if you clicked on the link above, you will find the LA Times did run that story. What if I told you that the mainstream media ignored it? Well, they did, according to Carpetbagger blog.

That's not fair play. If it were Obama, they would have ran the story. But the fact is that some of these reporters, I believe, are being told by higher-ups to avoid any expose on McCain. They're trying to help him against Obama. It's not right to do this and we have to make them stop.

Some how.

DNC Convention: Kanye West, Wycef To Have Parties

I understand that Kanye West, Wycef Jean, and others are planning parties around Denver for the DNC Convention. Our question is where? We're going. We'll find out. Stay tuned.

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Bob Barr Uses Twitter - Bet John McCain Never Heard Of It

Hey, do you Twitter? Twitter is the social networking system where one can send a short post of up to 150 characters on anything and post it to their Twitter profile and from a cell phone. It's a handy system and even a good Internet traffic strategy as well as a way to just call for help or send out news. You'd expect Barack Obama to Twitter, but a conservative? Enter Libertarian Presidential Candidate Bob Barr -- he does Twitter and quite frequently it seems.

I just ran accross this post on Tech President reporting that Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr uses Twitter. It reads:

I'm sitting in the Austin airport waiting to board my Southwest flight to Houston and on home to BWI after a great conference at Netroots Nation. Who sits down two rows away but Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr. I went on over to ask what anyone would ask: do you Twitter for yourself?

Indeed, Barr says that he does twitter on his own. Barr joins the growing ranks of Twittering elected officials like John Culbertson and Tim Ryan. But unlike fellow Presidential candidate Barack Obama, Barr twitters himself. No staff, no help. (And that may explain why his tweets are a bit...off, at times.

So, congratulations, Congressman Barr, on taking the dive and Twittering for yourself. Have a great flight and and keep the tweets coming.

Heck. I'll bet John McCain never heard of Twitter!

Tom Hayden Questions Obama's Afghanistan Plan As He Sees It

In The Nation, Tom Hayden questions Senator Barack Obama's strategy -- or as he understands it -- to shift troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Hayden's point is that the country is so unstable that we may be going from the frying pay to the fire. I agree.

But I don't think that Obama's plan is to recreate our Bush-style Iraq situation in Afghanistan.

At any rate, it's worth checking out.

John McCain "I Hate The Bloggers" - Statement Made On 12/29/07

Boy, for a guy who claims he doesn't understand or use the Internet, Senator and Presidential Candidate John McCain sure knows who bloggers are. He says he hates them. At this town hall meeting, Senator McCain goes off on bloggers. Watch this video:

Obama A Hit With U.S. Troops In Kuwait - Video

Senator Barack Obama hit basketball three-point shots as easily as he hit the mark with U.S. Troops in Kuwait, and in the process showing a different and more personable Presidential candidate than we've seen perhaps in history. The video reveals just how popular he is with the soldiers, and it's because of that I think he's going to get a lot of authentic straight talk on what's going on over there because he can relate to them.

Barack Obama With Afghan President Hamid Karzai

Barack Obama, right, the Democratic presidential candidate, walks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai outside the presidential palace Sunday in Kabul. The two met during Obama's tour of war zones and foreign capitals. Obama has criticized Karzai for not do, originally uploaded by EYASU.SOLOMON.

"Barack Obama, right, the Democratic presidential candidate, walks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai outside the presidential palace Sunday in Kabul. The two met during Obama's tour of war zones and foreign capitals."

That's what the caption read. But while it was reported that Obama has been crtical of Karsai, not today. Indeed, he was nice to him. And that was the plan.

Barack's not a cowboy like Bush, who's going to shoot his mouth off, or call Karsai a name, as Senator Clinton did to Russian President Putin when she said he was "soulless".

Barack's there to make a connection and learn from it.

Charles Krauthammer's Obama Envy

I read Charles Krauthammer's column on Senator Barack Obama visting Germany and hit the ceiling. This is what I wrote to him, or whomever answers his mail:

Charles,

I'm very disappointed in you that you would pen a column which
demonstrates an inability to think outside the mental bounds this
society has formed for you because of your skin color. It does not
take a genus to determine the significance of Obama's appearance at
the Brandenburg Gate. Do I have to spell it out for you?

Ok.

Name one -- just one -- other African American elected official who
has appeared at the the Brandenburg Gate? Then name one -- just one -
African American elected official who has come this close to being
President of the United States. Shall I go on?

You miss what leadership is about. Your column demonstrates that your
don't get it. And it shows that you don't know or intellectually
understand what kind of role the President of the United States
serves. That person is considered this: LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.

Do you understand? Ok. I'll repeat it.

LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.

That means to most people, the SYMBOL of freedom. That is what
Senator Obama represents to many. To ho-hum or sigh or cringe at the
presentation of this mear fact is to show a true ignorance of the
intense desire many people in the World have to rid ourselves of the
true mentail illness that is racism.

Charles. The bell's ringing. Time to get with the program.

--
Zennie Abraham, Jr.

Political Bloggers Cutting Back On Profanity?

I just read this blog post which explains that NY Times reporter Katherine Q Seelye has it that Netroots Nation bloggers are reporting an attempt to cut back of profanity. So, I went to the article itself and have to really disagree.

If you take the comments over at DailyKos as an indicator, cussing is alive and well and all over the place.

See "Abbreviated Pundit Round-Up" over at Kos:

on Afghanistan, no doubt to once again give McCain cover to steal Obama's position.

Why the fuck is no one in the media calling their colleagues out? Keith, it's your goddamn channel. Saying "Bushed" doesn't make up for your cocktail pals' complicit

See what I mean? It only took me about 45 seconds to find that little gem.