Free Republic

Vote of Confidence A huge black turnout in November 1992 altered Chicago's electoral landscape—and raised a new political star: a 31-year-old lawyer named Barack Obama. By Gretchen Reynolds A huge black turnout in November 1992 altered Chicago's electoral landscape-and raised a new political star: a 31-year-old lawyer named Barack Obama. In the final, climactic buildup to November's general election, with George Bush gaining ground on Bill Clinton in Illinois and the once-unstoppable campaign of senatorial candidate Carol Moseley Braun embroiled in allegations about her mother's Medicare liability, one of the most important local stories managed to go virtually unreported: The...

BANGKOK, Thailand - A Russian dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for allegedly supplying weapons to Africa's bloody conflicts over power and diamonds was arrested Thursday in Thailand on suspicion of conspiring to smuggle guns to Colombia's leftist rebels. Viktor Bout, 41, whose dealings reportedly inspired a 2005 movie about the illicit arms trade, was arrested at U.S. request in his hotel room in Bangkok, said police Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayapan. Bout had eluded arrest for years and was finally seized after a four-month sting organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In New York, federal authorities unsealed a criminal complaint...

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Proverbs 8:1-5

Barack Obama's chief campaign strategist David Axelrod, once worked for a man who was an identified member of the Communist Party USA, a registered agent of the Soviet Union and a paid disseminator of Soviet black propaganda. This man went on to become a key Chicago political fixer who helped elect communist linked politicians including the late Chicago mayor Harold Washington and former US Senator Carol Moseley Braun. This man knew Barack Obama and was a key member of an organisation which endorsed Barack Obama in his 2004 US Senate race. Barack and Michelle Obama were active members of this...

In 1985, Barack Obama traveled halfway across the country to take a job that he didn't fully understand. But, while he knew little about his new vocation--community organizer--it still had a romantic ring, at least to his 24-year-old ears. With his old classmates from Columbia, he had talked frequently about political change. Now, he was moving to Chicago to put that talk into action. His 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father, recounts his idealistic effusions: "Change won't come from the top, I would say. Change will come from a mobilized grass roots. That's what I'll do. I'll organize black folks....

Two students who helped former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun as she was being robbed at knifepoint reaffirmed her faith in humanity, she said Monday. "When something like this happens, when one person's right decision makes a difference, it's humbling," said Braun, who broke her left wrist. "It reminds you of how big a difference one person can make." Braun stressed the importance of how these two strangers, University of Chicago junior Zachary Trayes-Gibson and freshman Rachel McFadden, saved her life. Braun was attacked shortly after midnight Saturday when the assailant sprung from behind some bushes near her home in...

An engineer at a nuclear power plant near Sacramento has been charged with sending threatening letters containing a powdery substance to the same Sierra foothills country club where President Bush will appear Tuesday for a Republican campaign event. Michael Lee Braun, 51, appeared Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento on two federal charges of sending threats through the mail. The FBI said he also is a suspect in mailing dozens of similar threats since shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The charges relate to two letters prosecutors said Braun mailed on Thursday to the Serrano Country Club and Serrano...

In the morning of March 11, 2004, Susan Lindauer woke to find five F.B.I. agents at her front door. After reading her her rights, the agents took Lindauer from her home in Takoma Park, Md., to the F.B.I. field office in Baltimore, where she was charged with having acted as an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government and otherwise having elevated the interests of a foreign country above her allegiance to the United States. ''The only visible sign of stress is that I'm chain-smoking,'' she said when I met with her recently. Forty-one and free on bail, she wore...

Liberal Losers...Join Al Gore and Joe Lieberman in a toast to their fellow losers: John Kerry, Dick Gephardt, Tom Daschle, John Edwards, Ralph Nader, Wesley Clark, Dennis Kucinich, Howard Dean, Bob Graham, Al Sharpton, and Carol Moseley-Braun. This is an email-able, copyright-ready graphic you can use in emails, on blogs, in flyers, on posters... anything that's noncommercial.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS A BIG PROBLEM named Susan Lindauer, but you would never know this from the reporting by America’s dominant Left-leaning news media. Last Thursday Ms. Lindauer, 41, was arrested in her suburban Washington, D.C. home and charged with “prohibited financial transactions” from, acting as “an unregistered agent of,” and “conspiring” to act as a spy, both before and after the incursion a year ago, for Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS). Known in Arabic as the Mukhabbarat, the IIS has reportedly been involved in terrorist operations, intimidating and killing Iraqi defectors and dissidents, and according to Anwar...

Carol Moseley Braun dropped her Democratic presidential bid Wednesday in better shape than when she started a year ago, throwing her endorsement to Howard Dean in time for it to be useful to him. During the year Braun has been running for the White House, I wrote in columns and stories that the former Illinois senator and ambassador to New Zealand was in the race mainly to rehabilitate her image and revive her career. I never doubted her other reason, though in some ways it was a byproduct of the first. Braun wanted to lay the groundwork to take, as...

<p>The world will have to wait at least another four years for a female president.</p> <p>Carol Moseley Braun -- the first presidential candidate endorsed by the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 20 years -- pulled out of the race for the democratic nomination and threw her support to Howard Dean. Braun was always a long shot, and even the New York Times called NOW's race to embrace her fringe candidacy "silly."</p>

If you think Hillary let Carol make this endorsement to help Dean then you are crazy. In Iowa you will see the result of this endorsement is to drop Dean to fourth place. On to New Hampshire where Dean will finish behind Clark. After bouncing around the south Dean will fall off the radar and Clark will pick Hillary for his Veep. Thanks, Carol, you did a good job.

NOW Salutes Carol Moseley Braun's Historic Bid for President of the United States 1/15/04 10:42:00 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk Contact: Lisa Bennett of NOW, 202-628-8669 ext. 123 WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a statement of NOW President Kim Gandy on Carol Moseley Braun's historic bid for President: "Feminists across the United States salute Carol Moseley Braun's historic bid for this nation's highest office and celebrate her unprecedented candidacy for president of the U.S. "Just as Sally Ride and Mae Jemison gave little girls hope that they could be scientists and space explorers, Carol Moseley...

FORT DODGE, Iowa, Jan. 14 — Former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun plans to drop out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and endorse Howard Dean on Thursday, giving him an important symbolic boost just four days before Iowa's leadoff caucuses, Dean campaign aides said on Wednesday. Ms. Braun, a former senator from Illinois and ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, had failed to garner much money or support in polls, but had distinguished herself with eloquent performances in several nationally televised debates. She and Dr. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, had developed a mutually respectful relationship throughout...

District of Columbia Democratic Presidential Primary Updated 1/13/04 9:20 PM ET 68% Precincts Reporting Incumbent* declared winner Candidates Votes % Howard Dean 7,586 42 Al Sharpton 6,254 35 Carol Moseley Braun 2,092 12 Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich 1,465 8 Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr. 220 1 Arthur H. Jackson Jr. 109 1 Florence Walker 104 1 Vermin Supreme 56 0 Harry Braun III 29 0 Jeanne Chebib 18 0 Lucian Wojciechowski 11 0 Source: AP EDITOR'S NOTE: Primary results are only advisory. Official allocation of D.C.'s 16 pledged delegates to the National Democratic Convention occurs during the D.C. Democratic Caucus on...

THE ISSUES: TAXES AND SPENDING Democratic Candidates Differ on Economy, but Often Subtly WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 — As the Democratic presidential candidates put the economy at the front and center of their campaigns, their differences boil down to a handful of issues: how much to roll back tax cuts, how much to raise spending, how much to reduce deficits and how to approach trade. But the dividing lines are often subtle. The rival platforms can look like different sides of a Rubik's Cube: varying combinations of the same basic proposals. All the candidates say they would repeal at least some...

Test your knowledge [and patience] of the Democratic presidential candidates. 1. Which Democratic presidential hopeful's world-class hair inspired the White House staff to nickname him "Breck Girl"? a) John Kerry b) John Edwards c) Al Sharpton 2. Which two of these actions did the candidate take after being called "Breck Girl"? a) Accused President Bush of "trying to hide his follies behind my follicles." b) Handed out bottles of Breck shampoo when he announced his candidacy. c) Issued a press release accusing Mr. Bush of "scalping the middle class." d) Declared that "the era of big hair is over." e)...

The Designer: "Morally, I think Kucinich is incredible." Many of us have also concluded Dennis is a menace who can't be believed on anything, including his explanation of why it was important to take Cleveland into bankruptcy. * * * Gulp! Could this also be short for Geppetto, a workcutter who carves puppets like Pinocchio? * * * This reads like the epitaph for Kerry's moribund campaign. BTW, who wouldn't want someone else? * * * You may think that this is an announcement that herald's the imminent release of Dean's governor files to the public, but you would...

PORTSMOUTH - The pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church said he is frustrated by presidential candidates who use his congregation for racially motivated photo opportunities rather than as a place for a serious discussion of issues. "I’m tired of people coming in here to pimp the church," the Rev. Arthur Hilson said. He made that statement Sunday, during a sermon in which he endorsed the presidential candidacy of Carol Mosely Braun, a former senator from Illinois, who was the first female African-American elected to that chamber. "Come because you want to be here," Hilson appealed to the candidates. "Don’t...

THE CONTENDERS : Defining Issues In Braun-Helms Fight, Senate Searched Soul By Helen Dewar Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 12, 2003; Page A08 Second in an occasional series At first, many senators failed to see the trouble ahead, figuring they were just doing a harmless favor for a colleague and one of his favorite groups. But, for then-Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), renewal of a federal patent for the insignia of the United Daughters of the Confederacy -- which featured the first national flag of the Confederacy encased in a wreath -- was anything but a harmless exercise. The...

NEW YORK — ABC News says it will stop having producers travel full time with the Presidential campaigns of Carol Moseley Braun, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton. The network says it’s a routine coverage decision, but it has angered Braun and Kucinich — particularly after the Ohio congressman had a testy exchange with ABC News’ Ted Koppel during Tuesday’s debate in New Hampshire. ABC said the change was designed to better deploy forces for the upcoming Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. The producers who had been traveling with the three candidates will continue to follow the campaigns by phone....

<p>NEW YORK — ABC News says it will stop having producers travel full time with the presidential campaigns of Carol Moseley Braun (search), Dennis Kucinich (search) and Al Sharpton (search).</p> <p>The network says it's a routine coverage decision, but it has angered Braun and Kucinich -- particularly after the Ohio congressman had a testy exchange with ABC News' Ted Koppel (search) during Tuesday's debate in New Hampshire.</p>

FAIR  Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting     112 W. 27th Street   New York, NY 10001ACTION ALERT:ABC Narrows the Field: Did Kucinich's criticism of Koppel influence decision? December 11, 2003 A day after ABC's Ted Koppel moderated a debate between the Democratic presidential contenders, the network decided to withdraw three off-air producers from the campaigns of Dennis Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun and Rev. Al Sharpton. ABC's decision was attributed to the fact that these candidates are perceived to have a slim chance of winning the Democratic nomination. An ABC spokesperson explained (Boston Globe, 12/11/03) that "as we prepare for...

<p>Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, the only African-American woman in the 2004 Democratic lineup for president, insists she is undiscouraged by single-digit polls and diminishing campaign coffers. "I've never been given a chance to win any election I ran for," said Braun, 56, a former Illinois state legislator whose election to the U.S. Senate in 1992 made her the only African-American woman ever in that body.</p>

The Democratic presidential candidates' debate Monday night really brought out the best in my generation. The event, sponsored by CNN and "Rock the Vote," was in front of an audience of 18-to-30-year-old Democrats, from which most of the questions for the candidates came. Quickly viewers learned why it is that most question-asking in presidential debates is left to people who act like adults, particularly adult journalists. Parents routinely tell their children that there's no such thing as a stupid question. Parents are liars. The debate last night proved that to be the case. (Perhaps it showed less about the questions...

The three contenders trailing in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination likely knew their chances of winning were slim even as they began to battle for the nation's top post. Experts say that with poor campaign organization and lagging funds, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and the Rev. Al Sharpton are not necessarily looking to duel with President Bush to become the 44th U.S. commander in chief. Rather, they are seeking a national platform from which to champion their causes. "They know they're not going to win," said Adam Schiffer, professor...

The embarrassing leadership famine so starkly evident among Democratic presidential hopefuls has come to characterize what is now their party’s irreversible plummet into political oblivion. Sunday night’s Detroit “debate” on Fox News Channel featuring the nine major candidates for the nomination was the latest in a series of such opportunities they had to redefine and rescue their party. Once again they muffed it. These were public events over which the Democratic wannabes had almost exclusive control. They could depict themselves as they wanted to be perceived. Bush Busy Elsewhere Their opponent next November, George W. Bush, although he occupies the...

<p>A presidential forum at the South Carolina NAACP's annual convention will be missing several candidates, a prospect that has upset leaders of the civil rights group.</p> <p>Only three of the 10 Democratic hopefuls -- Carol Moseley Braun, Al Sharpton and John Edwards -- have accepted invitations to attend a round-table discussion on minority issues in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 10. A day earlier, all the candidates will be on the opposite end of the country at a Democratic presidential debate in Phoenix.</p>

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A presidential forum at the South Carolina NAACP's annual convention will be missing several candidates, a prospect that has upset leaders of the civil rights group. Only three of the 10 Democratic hopefuls - Carol Moseley Braun, Al Sharpton and John Edwards - have accepted invitations to attend a round-table discussion on minority issues in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 10. A day earlier, all the candidates will be on the opposite end of the country at a Democratic presidential debate in Phoenix.``They realize black people want to see, touch and feel their candidate and know that...

<p>Democrat Carol Moseley Braun, who made history as the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, formally launched her long-shot bid for the presidency yesterday, vowing to "fix the mess" created by the Bush administration.</p> <p>Mrs. Braun faces nine other Democratic candidates &#8212; all men who, for the most part, have raised more money and are beating her in the polls. Nevertheless, she is forging ahead with her campaign, saying that as a former ambassador, senator and local government official she is uniquely qualified to be president.</p>

<p>WASHINGTON — Democrat Carol Moseley Braun (search), the only black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, formally declared her candidacy for president Monday, forging ahead with a long-shot bid in an otherwise all-male contest for the White House.</p> <p>"I am uniquely qualified to do the job of president, and I offer the clearest alternative to this current administration, whose only new idea has been pre-emptive war and a huge new bureaucracy," Braun said in a low-key appearance at Howard University (search). Her only introduction came from her son, Matthew Braun.</p>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Carol Moseley Braun formally declared herself a presidential candidate Monday, forging ahead with a long-shot bid in an otherwise all-male contest for the White House. "I am uniquely qualified to do the job of president, and I offer the clearest alternative to this current administration, whose only new idea has been pre-emptive war and a huge new bureaucracy," Braun said in a prepared speech declaring her candidacy official. "A women can fix the mess they have created, because we are practical, we are not afraid of partnerships and we are committed to making the world better...

To the Editor: Re "NOW's Woman Problem" (editorial, Sept. 14): One of the reasons women had to struggle so long to win the vote — and why we continue to fight for full equality — is the trivializing of women and our concerns. It smacks of sexism when the endorsement of two major women's organizations is demeaned as "silly." And it smacks of more than that when a qualified African-American woman who is running for president is disparaged not for her experience or platform but for her presumed "vanity." NOW has more than 500,000 contributing members, and our goal is...

Wednesday, September 10 2003 THE DEMOCRAT'S DEBATE: Some initial thoughts and grades from the Democrat's debate last night in Baltimore. THE BIG THREE Howard Dean (A-): Dean wasn't great, but he was very solid, which is probably exactly what his campaign wanted him to be. It was obvious he was trying to portray an image of seriousness and responsibility, as opposed to trying to gin up the faithful. Hey, he's already got the faithful. He came in as the front-runner and he left the front-runner, if not even stronger in relation to Kerry and Gephardt. John Kerry (C-): The man...

Greetings from balmy Powhatan! The weather is just too good to be true for Virginia in August and is perfect for FReeping leftists. CRITICAL BIKE MASS, MONROE PARK, FRIDAY, JULY 25TH. I went to this event as an observer to assess it for future FReeps. The purpose of the bike ride is to raise the public's awareness of the benefits of riding bicycles by riding in a mass and slowing traffic. They started an hour late. From where I sat (on a very hard stone bench on the Cathedral steps) it looked like several of them were making a series...

Last night in Chicago, the AFL-CIO held a Democratic debate with all nine Democrat presidential candidates: former Gov. Howard Dean (Vt.), Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), Rep. Dick Gephardt (Mo.), Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.), Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.), former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (Ill.), and Rev. Al Sharpton. The candidates were in true form – lamenting tax relief, urging more spending, demanding a balanced budget, carping about President Bush, doing everything one would expect from candidates who know they face an uphill battle. What follows are some interesting quotes made by the nine...

Jackson, Miss. — Democratic presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun made her first-ever visit to Mississippi on Saturday, saying the state figured prominently in a strategy to raise money for her fledgling campaign. “This is an important state for us,” Braun told The Associated Press. “We’re targeting Mississippi as one of the states in which we want to do well. I want to do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, also, but we’re doing the best we can.” Braun, a former Illinois senator and ambassador to New Zealand, participated in voter registration drives in Jackson and Yazoo City. . Braun’s campaign...

WASHINGTON - While President Bush tours the nation drawing huzzahs from the Republican multitudes and raises millions for his re-election bid, a few hopeful Democrats are more quietly trying to muster the support required to depose him. With just over six months before the initial Democratic showdown in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19, nine contenders are positioning themselves to grab the party nomination. Polls indicate that few Americans can identify any of the hopefuls. Meanwhile, Bush collected as much money in the most recent fund-raising quarter - more than $34 million - than all the Democratic contenders combined. But...

WASHINGTON, July 2 Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor making his first bid for national office, raised substantially more money this quarter than all his more established opponents in the Democratic presidential contest, according to figures released today. The result forced Dr. Dean's rivals to reconsider how to deal with an opponent they had until now viewed as little more than an irritant. At the same time, Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, who had initially been seen as a formidable fund-raiser with strong ties to labor, has apparently come in fifth among Democrats in fund-raising in the second quarter,...

DEAN WINS 2Q FUNDRAISING PRIMARY.From news reports and statements released by the various Democratic Presidential candidates, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean finished first in the most recent "money primary." Dean surprised all his rivals by placing first in the money hunt for the 2Q 2003 period that ended June 30 -- raising $7.5 million from 59,000 individual contributors. US Senator John Kerry was next with an estimated $6 million.US Senators Joe Lieberman and John Edwards say each of their campaigns raised at least $5 million for the quarter. Lieberman -- who still leads in national polls -- surprised the pundits...

WASHINGTON - President Bush's fund-raising tour, combined with donations through the mail and Internet, produced $34.2 million for his re-election campaign in just six weeks, far more than any of his Democratic rivals have raised. The candidate to announce the highest second-quarter total so far was Democrat Howard Dean, who raised about $7.5 million from April through June. His amount included $3 million raised over the Internet in the last week. Bush entered the race in mid-May, and he, Vice President Dick Cheney and first lady Laura Bush raised close to $22 million at roughly a dozen fund-raisers around the...

BRAINS NOT BRAUN By Robert Wolf This may begin a series of articles on the alternatives to George Bush in the 2004 election. I say may, because it could become a repetitious to do them all. They are very much alike, as Republicans are very much alike, at least in what they say. The information will be culled mostly their platform statements on their web pages. I am using the candidate list on the MoveOn.org site which is why Ms. Moseley Braun is first up. In a letter to MoveOn members from Carol Moseley Braun highlights her resume as follows:...

Last year, when Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe was pushing through the presidential primary calendar changes that he hoped would accelerate the choice of the 2004 Democratic nominee, he was asked how many of his party's potential contenders he thought could meet the stiff financial challenge of the front-loaded contest. McAuliffe, to my surprise, said enough Democratic money was around for "five or six -- maybe more" of the contenders to mount full-scale campaigns. Those who accept partial public financing of their campaigns -- and so far, all of the nine declared candidates indicate they will do that --...

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Democrats are starting to wrestle with a thorny problem: how to brush aside three fringe candidates for president who have no realistic chance of winning their party's nomination next year. Several state Democratic Party chairmen think the national party should find a way to limit debates to the top six candidates and exclude the three widely considered to make up the bottom tier: Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York. In interviews before this week's annual meeting of the Association of State Democratic...

76% of Dems Say Bush Re-election Likely, According to New Zogby Poll Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is the most popular Democratic presidential candidate in New Hampshire polling by Zogby International for the state’s primary election next January, followed closely by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, 25% - 22%. Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman was a distant third at 10%. Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt, regarded as likely to win the Democratic caucus in Iowa, finished fourth in New Hampshire polling with 7%. North Carolina Senator John Edwards and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich each earned 2% of the vote, and the three remaining...

WASHINGTON, June 5 — Thursday began with this elegantly simple and simply elegant C-SPAN call-in question: “Are Democrats too negative?” THURSDAY ENDED with Democratic presidential candidates saying the following: “This president is betraying the American people. He comes from a place where wealth is inherited, not earned. He believes in making sure that those who have it, keep it, that they are part of an exclusive club.” — John Edwards “This administration is timid when it ought to be bold, bumbling when it ought to be smart, and when it comes to homeland defense, this administration has left those on...

WASHINGTON - Carol Moseley Braun says she starts off with two disadvantages in her presidential campaign — being black and a woman — but it's still theoretically possible for her to win the Democratic nomination. The former Illinois senator and ambassador to New Zealand said she will decide whether to stay in the race in September, but at this point she intends to pursue the nomination with a campaign strategy that may bypass New Hampshire, the first primary state. "Too much goes into the electoral process for it just to be a lark," she said in an interview with The...

Rumours at the Democratic National Committee have [Former Ambassador] Carol Moseley Braun mulling a quick exit from the 2004 Democratic Presdiential Primary.The former Illinois Senator did not stay in Iowa after the debates last Saturday evening and inside the DNC her campaign is said to be in disarray.'She isn't raising money, she doesn't seem to have any kind of support staff in Iowa or New Hampshire,' says a DNC staffer. 'It is not clear what she is doing.'Since joining the Presidential race in mid February, Ms. Braun has raised less than $80,000.00, and only recently has she opened office space...