US Election Coverage 2008

[Susuviri]

NYANI - THIS IS MY GIFt TO YOU TODAY! THERE'S GOOD NEWS COMING FROM HILLARY CAMPAIGN
Congrats - honestly, maana I really like Ellen De Generes, I think it's a great endorsement!

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres made a surprise appearance by video uplink at a Hillary Clinton rally on Monday evening, energizing the young audience and tossing Clinton a few inside-the-beltway questions she might get on a Sunday morning talk show.

Clinton took several questions from DeGeneres, who led off by jokingly asking Clinton if she would consider banning glitter. Then the comedian put on a straight face and turned to the presidential horserace.

“As we all know,” Degeneres noted, “Obama has now won 11 states in a row. What needs to happen to change the momentum?”

Clinton was ready with an answer about her now well-known comeback plan, but she accidentally swapped out one state for another that must also be on her brain: “Well, we’re going to win Ohio and Michigan!”

After ten seconds of applause and smiles, she let the crowd know that her strategy hadn’t taken a suddenly bizarre turn.

“Wait a minute, Ohio and Texas,” she shouted. “We already won Michigan."

Degeneres also asked Clinton if she is “being given a harder time” because she is a woman (the question got a loud cheer from the mostly female audience at George Washington University).

“I think that it's my opportunity to make my case the best I can,” Clinton said with a smile, while offering a standard line that she is up to whatever challenges the White House may hold.

Clinton was introduced at the event, a “low dollar fundraiser," by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who told the college students that “we won’t need to win in Pennsylvania” in April if Clinton pulls off victories in Ohio and Texas next week.

Rendell attempted to contradict the prevailing wisdom that Barack Obama has a lock on the youth vote. He told the crowd that “the young people of America don’t belong to any one candidate."

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

NYANI - THIS IS MY GIFt TO YOU TODAY! THERE'S GOOD NEWS COMING FROM HILLARY CAMPAIGN
Congrats - honestly, maana I really like Ellen De Generes, I think it's a great endorsement!

Huh!! and you must have missed Louis Farakkhan's endorsement...I really admire him and I think it's a wonderful endorsement...

About McCain...his record, intergrity, and patriotism speaks for itself. It doesn't need Nyani to do anything on his behalf. On the other hand what change has your man brought to Washington since he's been there for the past 3 years? Please answer the question and don't dance around it, ok?

 

[Game Theory]

HILLARY THE MOVIE

[media]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-759678069579033335&q=hillary+the+movie+duration%3Along&total=22&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0[/media]

 

[Susuviri]

Huh!! and you must have missed Louis Farakkhan's endorsement...I really admire him and I think it's a wonderful endorsement...

About McCain...his record, intergrity, and patriotism speaks for itself. It doesn't need Nyani to do anything on his behalf. On the other hand what change has your man brought to Washington since he's been there for the past 3 years? Please answer the question and don't dance around it, ok?

Unajua rafiki yangu Nyani, sijui kwa nini ulifikiri ninakukejeli, au ndiyo hasira imepanda. I REALLY like Ellen. Unlike your sarcastic remark about Farakkan.

Anyway, tuache hasira uliomba changes atakazoleta Obama naomba nianze kwa kuonyesha record yake in the senate

1. Ethics
Naamini ya kuwa Obama ataleta mabadiliko ya 'business as usual' in Washington kwa kuhakikisha ya kuwa lobbyists do not 'buy' votes on Capitol Hill. Sign ya kwanza ni kwamba campaign yake is financed by grass root supporters - they plan to make it to 1 million supporters by March 4th! This is unprecedented.
What he has done to prove that he is serious about Ethics inaweza kuonekana katika kazi yake akiwa Senate

a. Senator Obama is one of the authors of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (S. 2180). The bill would lengthen the cooling off period to two years for lawmakers and staff who seek to become lobbyists, and it would require immediate disclosure as soon as any job negotiations begin. The bill would open conference committee meetings to the public and require that all bills be posted on the Internet for 24 hours before they can be voted on by the Senate. Finally, the bill would end all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthen the Senate office that monitors lobbyist disclosure forms.
b. The Congressional Ethics Enforcement Commission Act (S. 2259)
The bill would create an outside ethics commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists. The commission would have the authority to investigate complaints and present public findings of fact about possible violations to the House and Senate Ethics Committee and Justice Department. By taking the initial fact finding out of the hands of members of Congress, who are often reluctant to investigate their colleagues, the bill ensures prompt and fair disposition of public complaints.
To avoid manipulation of the commission for political purposes, any person filing a complaint that they knew to be false would be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. No complaints could be filed against a member of Congress for 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election.
The bill has been widely endorsed by reform groups. According to Common Cause, "this legislation would do more to reform ethics and lobbying than any other piece of legislation introduced thus far because it goes to the heart of the problem: enforcement." Public Citizen praised Senator Obama "for having the courage to challenge the business-as-usual environment on Capitol Hill and introduce far-reaching legislation." Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated: "This is the first bill that deals seriously with the lack of oversight and enforcement in the existing congressional ethics process. . . . This bill will help restore Americans' confidence in the integrity of Congress.
c. The Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act (S. 2261) The bill would shed light on the almost 16,000 earmarks that were included in spending bills in 2005. Under the bill, all earmarks, including the name of the requestor and a justification for the earmark, would have to be disclosed 72 hours before they could be considered by the full Senate. Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project or earmark recipient. And, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists.
d. The Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act) (S. 2179)
The bill aims to improve public access to information about all legislation, including conference reports and appropriations legislation, in particular after hurried, end-of-session negotiations. Conference committee meetings and deliberations would have to be open to the public or televised, and conference reports would have to identify changes made to the bill from the House and Senate versions. Finally, no bill could be considered by the full Senate unless the measure has been made available to all Senators and the general public on the Internet for at least 72 hours.

 

[Susuviri]

How Obama will change Washington and his past legislative experience to prove it:

2. Healthcare
Obama kama most Democrats are concenrned that all Americans should have health coverage. However the difference is that Obama is not ready to garnish the wages for coverage for everybody. He is ready to find ways of enforcing health insurance coverage for children. He also wants to have an open discussion about Healthcare and wants it on C-Span. Obama has authored or sponsored several bills regarding health care:

Senator Obama is a cosponsor of the Medicare Informed Choice Act (S. 1841), which would extend enrollment without penalty until the end of 2006. This bill would also allow all Part D beneficiaries to change their plan once during 2006.He helped draft and introduce the National MEDiC Act (S. 1784), which promotes patient safety initiatives, including early disclosure and compensation to patients injured by medical errors. He also introduced the Hospital Quality Report Card Act (S. 2359), which will use federal hospital quality reporting requirements to inform and assist patients and other consumers in making their health care decisions.
He introduced the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act (S. 2247), which would leverage the federal government's purchasing power to encourage increased adoption of technology by participating health plans.
Starting in March 2005, he obtained $25 million for international efforts to combat the avian flu and called for an inter-agency task force to immediately address this issue. This funding is now being used to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in Southeast Asia.
Senator Obama introduced the Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act (S. 969), which calls for collaboration and cooperation at the state, national, and international level to ensure preparedness in the event of pandemic influenza. Such preparedness includes the procurement of antivirals, development of effective vaccines, and improvement of the public health infrastructure and medical surge capacity in hospitals.
Senator Obama also worked to push $7.9 billion through the Senate to help the U.S. prepare for the possibility of an avian flu pandemic.
As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Obama pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to issue long overdue rules for home remodeling and renovation that could prevent 28,000 lead-related illnesses each year, resulting in an annual net economic benefit of more than $4 billion.
In 2005, Senator Obama introduced the Lead Free Toys Act (S. 2048), requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban any children's product containing lead.
He also introduced the Healthy Communities Act (S. 2047) to identify and address problems in communities that are at high risk from environmental contaminants. In addition, recognizing the contribution of housing, parks, trails, roadways, and public transportation to healthy lifestyles, Senator Obama introduced the Healthy Places Act (S. 2506) to assess and support improvements to the built environment.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Unajua rafiki yangu Nyani, sijui kwa nini ulifikiri ninakukejeli, au ndiyo hasira imepanda. I REALLY like Ellen. Unlike your sarcastic remark about Farakkan.

Anyway, tuache hasira uliomba changes atakazoleta Obama naomba nianze kwa kuonyesha record yake in the senate

1. Ethics
Naamini ya kuwa Obama ataleta mabadiliko ya 'business as usual' in Washington kwa kuhakikisha ya kuwa lobbyists do not 'buy' votes on Capitol Hill. Sign ya kwanza ni kwamba campaign yake is financed by grass root supporters - they plan to make it to 1 million supporters by March 4th! This is unprecedented.
What he has done to prove that he is serious about Ethics inaweza kuonekana katika kazi yake akiwa Senate

Ok and how are these little insignificant bills going to directly affect or drastically change my life for the better...?

 

[Susuviri]

How Obama will change Washngton:

3. Immigration
Najua hii ni hot issue button lakini pia nina uhakika Obama ataleta mabadiliko ya kifikira ili kuhakikisha kuwa illegal immigrants ambao wanalipa taxes etc wanaweza kuwa intergrated. Alicheza part kubwa katika issue hii hivi karibuni:

Senator Obama played a key role in the crafting of the immigration reform bill that the Senate passed in May 2006. The bill, which President Bush supports, would provide more funds and technology for border security and prevent employers from skirting our laws by hiring illegal immigrants. The bill also would provide immigrants who are now contributing and responsible members of society an opportunity to remain in the country and earn citizenship. But not all illegal immigrants would be guaranteed the right to remain in the U.S. under this proposal; they would first have to pay a substantial fine and back taxes, learn English, satisfy a work requirement, and pass a criminal background check.
Senator Obama offered three amendments that were included in the Senate bill. The first amendment strengthens the requirement that a job be offered at a prevailing wage to American workers before it is offered to a guestworker. The second amendment makes it simple, but mandatory, for employers to verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States. And the third amendment authorizes $3 million a year for the FBI to improve the speed and accuracy of the background checks required for immigrants seeking to become citizens.

Naomba kumalizia kwa
4. FOREIGN POLICY

Nadhani kwamba kutokana na kwamba ameishi nchi za nje na baba yake si raia wa Marekani na amekutana na kuinteract na watu wa culture tofauti, Obama ana nafasi nzuri ya kuanzisha dialogue muhimu na mataifa mbalimbali na ku-improve the standing of America that has come tobe viewed as a Bully. He is ready to take swift action against terrorists but he knows that iraq is a a waste of time and he said that long before it was fashionable in Washington. He also said he wouldn't hesitate to bomb Al Qaeda targets in Pakistan even without Pakistan's authorization - something that McCain tried to ridicule but was actually practiced by the CIA fairly recently! He has shown leadership in dialogue and also to ensure that nuclear proliferation is done:

S.J.RES.23 : A joint resolution clarifying that the use of force against Iran is not authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law
S.1977 : A bill to provide for sustained United States leadership in a cooperative global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, stop the spread of nuclear weapons and related material and technology, and support the responsible and peaceful use of nuclear technology.

Naomba niishie hapa maana nimeona bills kama 10 kuhusu elimu ambayo amehusika nayo ambapo tunaweza kuona kwamba amepanga kubadilisha mfumo wa elimu kwa kuiboresha, kuongeza vocational training n.k. Also kuna bills kama 7 hivi kuhusu welfare of veterans ambazo ame co-sponsor or authored. Hizi tunaweza kujadili baadaye kama utakuwa tayari

I REST MY CASE.
Naomba na wewe unieleze candidate wako Hillary Clinton atabadilisha vipi 'business as usual' in Washington

 

[Susuviri]

Ok and how are these little insignificant bills going to directly affect or drastically change my life for the better...?

Duh Nyani! Mbona unakuwa mbishi?

Ok tuchukulie 'insignificant bill' 2180 itakusaidia kuhakikisha kwamba takrima INAKOMA katika Congress ya USA. Jamani you want to tell me that's not important

... the bill would end all lobbyist-funded gifts, meals, and travel and strengthen the Senate office that monitors lobbyist disclosure forms.

Hawa lobbyists kwa mfano wanahakikisha that bills and etc are passed to benefit large corporations who are their clients, so you the consumer pay more and more for things you don't have to. Chukulia mfano wa madawa huko Marekani! Duh! Naona tuna kazi leo.
Naomba utulize akili yako usome vizuri niliyokuwekea hapa na punguza jazba.

 

[Koba]

Susuviri endelea kumpa shule kijana maana anaonekana hajui kwa nini tumeamua kusimama na Obama au hataki tuu kukubali kama HC,maana ethics bill imepitishwa na Republican Senate ambao ni wajeuri kwa vitu kama hivi lakini kijana yeye still anaona insignificant,labda anataka siku credit companies wamlipishe 100% interest ndio ataelewa kwanini ...BTW Chris Dodd for Obama!

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Duh Nyani! Mbona unakuwa mbishi?

Ok tuchukulie 'insignificant bill' 2180 itakusaidia kuhakikisha kwamba takrima INAKOMA katika Congress ya USA. Jamani you want to tell me that's not important
Hawa lobbyists kwa mfano wanahakikisha that bills and etc are passed to benefit large corporations who are their clients, so you the consumer pay more and more for things you don't have to. Chukulia mfano wa madawa huko Marekani! Duh! Naona tuna kazi leo.
Naomba utulize akili yako usome vizuri niliyokuwekea hapa na punguza jazba.

Basi bana Almighty Obama atashinda ushindi wa Kitsunami na atabadilisha kabisa Marekani na dunia nzima. Huyu kashushwa na Mungu...ni Messiah....kila kitu kitabadilika duniani...kutakuwa hakuna chuki, mivita, Hillary na McCain wataenda motoni na kuungua milele. Go President Obama..Go...

Sina zaidi ya kusema nasubiri aapishwe aanze mavitu yake...

 

[Capitol Hill]

OBAMA’S REAL EXPERIENCE: HIS CANDIDACY
The best evidence of Obama’s readiness to lead the nation is the ability with which he has run for president. After all, what is more difficult, complicated, or challenging than getting elected president? What other life experience better illustrates one’s qualification to hold the office than a manifest skill in seeking it. For anyone who has ever been elected president, the race that sent them to the White House was the single most important event in their lives and dwarfs any other experience they might have had before running.
As we have watched Obama surmount the hurdles that lay in his path, we cannot help but be impressed with his judgment. Adam Wallinsky, who served on Bobby Kennedy’s staff, once singled out good judgment as JFK’s most salient characteristic. Obama has faced so many delicate questions and issues and seems always to have the right feel for how to handle them.
At the start of the contest, he chose to avoid running as a black candidate for president and ran, instead, as a candidate who happened to have black skin. He crafted a middle course between the determined rejection of his race and its grievances of a Clarence Thomas and its emphatic embrace by a Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton. While Hillary invoked her gender at every turn, Obama decided to transcend his race rather than invoke it.
He began his candidacy eschewing donations from PACs and lobbyists, preserving his purity and giving him ground on which to stand in his claim to represent a new kind of politics, rejecting the special interests. When Hillary, whose campaign decisions have been as faulty as Obama’s have been flawless, wallowed in such donations, the Illinois Senator used the difference to paint her into the corner of the status quo candidate.
Beyond simply avoiding special interest money, Obama learned the lesson of Joe Trippi and the Howard Dean campaign of 2004 (even though Trippi was working for Edwards) and used his star power to develop a massive cyber-roots fund raising base which he mobilized again and again by the click of a mouse. He realized the potential of the Internet to democratize campaign funding in a way the other candidates in general, and Hillary in particular, did not. (Mrs. Clinton invested tens of millions in direct mail instead with all of its costs and limited returns).
When Hillary criticized him for lacking experience, he brilliantly seized the opening she provided by becoming the candidate of change. He realized, as Hillary and Bill did not, that America wanted a change beyond the Bush/Clinton oscillation and grasped the fact that Hillary’s emphasis on experience would play into his hands.
And when the Clintons tried to use race to derail Obama, he countered skillfully by making Super Tuesday a referendum on tolerance and inclusivity, overtly rejecting the racial polarization which seemed to have set in after South Carolina. Underscoring his message with victories in white states like Utah, Idaho, Colorado and North Dakota, he buried the race issue.
While the Clintons went for the knockout blows of winning New York and California, Obama created a fifty state organization to win each caucus state. As Hillary’s campaign wasted half a million dollars on flowers, Obama’s husbanded his resources to put teams on the ground in the small states where his organizing paid off and brought him sufficient victories to survive the loss of the two big Super Tuesday states.
And when the Clintons went to full time negatives, Obama carefully parsed the attacks he would answer from those he wouldn’t and disdained to engage in the tit-for-tat negative campaigning, realizing that the process turned voters off more than the negatives themselves ever did.
Will he be a good president? If he is half as skillful in serving as he has been in running, he can’t miss.

Source: www.dickmorris.com

Dick Morris ambae kwa sasa ni political consultant alikuwa Campaign Manager kwa former Rais Bill Clinton mwaka 1996.

 

[Game Theory]

 

[Capitol Hill]

Here's what Mrs. Clinton has to do: She has to get out of the race and endorse Barack. Do it before Edwards does. It will be the smartest thing politically she could ever do. After Wisconsin she should know that her tactics aren't working and she can't win in states where she should be winning. Her donors are going to dry up while superdelegates change their mind daily and Barack continues to rack up endorsements.
She can't expect to be able to beat up on America's sweetheart (Obama) anymore. She should hitch her wagon to his coattails and ride them into Washington... She could then come back in 4 or 8 years if things didn't work out for him. She could also take care of her funding problem by getting on board with him.
Her positives would rise, she would be revered by the party. Her supporters wouldnt hate Obama so they wouldn't have a hard time with her switching.
Mccain can't really help her beat up Barack anymore and she has a long time till March 4th. At about a million a day, she just can't afford to campaign for that long.
Plus, Obama might just be required to choose her as VP if she bowed out, backed him, and did it for the good of the party. With lower negatives from doing this she could help his ticket by bringing New York, maybe California, Latinos, other states.
Both she and BIll are smart enough to know that this would be a good decision. And they just might do it. Just a thought.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Haters haters haters...big up to all her haters...

 

[William J. Malecela]

Now it is over, Jaluo sasa na Makeni ya soda, sijui itakuwaje ngoja nikatambikie, yaaani itakuwa kwenye kura ukipigia makeni kumbe unampigia Jaluo, ukitoka kwenye kura ndio unashitukia kuwa umeharibu tayari, too late,

off course ndumba zinaweza kuvuka bahari mpaka huko ma-US, unafikiri Jaluo anashinda hivi hivi wazungu wanampa kura tu thubutu, maneno ya kijaluo hayo!

 

[Geeque]

Kuna watu wengi especially kwenye hii forum, wamewalabel Obama supporters kwamba ni un-informed na delusional . Nimeiona hii clip moja kwenye you tube ambapo Mwandishi mmmoja mzungu alimfuata huyu kijana kwa lengo la kuprove his theory - kwamba watu wengi wanamshangilia tuu bila sababu , to his amazement the guy was able to articulate his position so eloquently. Hii clip ni classic example ya kuwa Citizens who are supporting Obama are well informed and they are not drinking Kool Aid as it has been potrayed by the media.

Please check these two clips

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kica8hmSdAM&feature=related[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2zO5d-XZWA&feature=related[/media]

Nimeiangalia hii clip yaani huyu jamaa Mghana amenifurahisha sana jinsi alivyompelekesha yule mwandishi aliyedhani ana-deal na mtu ambaye hajui anachokiongolea.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Nimeiangalia hii clip yaani huyu jamaa Mghana amenifurahisha sana jinsi alivyompelekesha yule mwandishi aliyedhani ana-deal na mtu ambaye hajui anachokiongolea.

Vipi na yule State Senator wa Texas kwenye kipindi cha Chris Matthews....mimi nadhani yule anafurahisha na kuwakilisha wengi zaidi...Lol

 

[Geeque]

Vipi na yule State Senator wa Texas kwenye kipindi cha Chris Matthews....mimi nadhani yule anafurahisha na kuwakilisha wengi zaidi...Lol

hahahahaha sawa bwana LOL !! Yule jamaa utakuta ndio ilikuwa mara yake ya kwanza kuongea kwenye National TV kwa hiyo alipatwa na mchecheto kidogo pale Chris Matthews alivyokuwa anamuuliza maswali kwa hasira.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

hahahahaha sawa bwana LOL !! Yule jamaa utakuta ndio ilikuwa mara yake ya kwanza kuongea kwenye National TV kwa hiyo alipatwa na mchecheto kidogo pale Chris Matthews alivyokuwa anamuuliza maswali kwa hasira.

Ahahahahahaha...Mazee state senator na former Mayor wa Austin inakuwa mara yake ya kwanza kuongea kwenye national TV...okay....binafsi alinifurahisha sana, nevertheless...

 

[YNIM]

Ahahahahahaha...Mazee state senator na former Mayor wa Austin inakuwa mara yake ya kwanza kuongea kwenye national TV...okay....binafsi alinifurahisha sana, nevertheless...

HRC jana ka-choke!!. "Barack Obama, meet me in OH for the debate.....blablahblah"......watu jana wame-show up, mama domo zege!! analialia tu ati kwanini yeye anakuwa wa kwanza kuulizwa maswali. sio kweli, kwani ipo 5:3 nani anaanza!!!
aka-jump issue ya farrakhan, akajibiwa kwamba, " i denounce and reject." watu haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah(wanakanga chips).