Barack Obama

Candidates Woo Largest Spanish-speaking Audience in the Country, Part I

Yesterday, U.S. Sen. John McCain appeared on the Sunday political show Al Punto, hosted by Jorge Ramos on the Spanish-language network, Univision. Mr. Ramos noticed the absence of any discussion on Latin America and on tough issues, such as immigration, during the debates and asked Sen. McCain about his positions.

ON IMMIGRATION - Sen. McCain avoided responding to the tough questions asked by Mr. Ramos, but when he did not, he gave this Spanish-speaking/Hispanic audience very different answers from what he tells crowds of English-speaking conservatives.

Below is an outline of Jorge Ramos's questions on immigration, Sen. McCain's answers during this interview, and prior statements.

JR: Do you agree with the immigration raids that are separating thousands of Hispanic families?
JM: "We must have enforcement....on two occasions I stood before the Senate, knowing that my Party was against me, that the members of my party were against me, and spoke for comprehensive immigration reform." "I am committed to comprehensive reform, but we have to have enforcement, too". McCain called for "humane" and "compassionate" enforcement, and a temporary worker program as well.

The truth is that ever since the McCain-Kennedy bill in 2006, Sen. McCain has never again fought his party on this issue, as he claims. McCain has been constant in his lack of support for immigration reform.

When not speaking to Hispanics: McCain on immigration at CPAC - advocating for enforcement-only; "Secure our borders first...and only after we've achieve widespread consensus that our borders are secure would we address other aspects of the problem..."

John McCain would not sign his own legislation, if it came up now:

JR: If you were president, would you suspend the immigration raids until immigration reform passed?
JM: Well, if we know that some of those immigrants come and commit crimes...
JR: But they are not - they're Hispanic families and people who are not criminals or terrorists...
JM: ....First, my priority would be comprehensive reform, where we left off...then we'll solve this, I can't say we should stop arresting those who come in illegally but we can treat them with compassion.

Why McCain wants to appear on Spanish-language television, attempting to seem for immigration reform:

JR: In key battleground states, like New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Hispanics aren't supporting you - why not?
JM: We're having good results and we're improving. Obama hasn't travelled to a single Latin American country. I come from a border state, I know [Hispanics]. I got 70% of the Hispanic vote in my last reelection bid....I'm very confident.

Yes, but only 21% of Hispanics voted for McCain in the AZ Presidential primary (AZ has a closed primary). McCain recognizes:

JM: The debate on immigration hurt me and I fought against my party, I fought the members of my party because I think we have to have comprehensive immigration reform. And as a President I'll achieve it, it will be one of my top priorities as president.

The truth: Sen. McCain did not fight his party at all on immigration - that's why his popularity has fallen so dramatically among Hispanics. How can Sen. McCain allege that reform would be his priority as President if he didn't even get his party to include reform in the Republican platform? Instead, the Republican platform is one that has anti-immigrant zealot, Tom Tancredo, saying he's "very pleased" with it, and that he got "basically all that" he wanted. The Republican platform on immigration does not allow for reform, its aim is "to deport criminal aliens without delay", and says: "we oppose amnesty...rejection of enmasse legalization is especially appropriate...".

 

Monday Morning from the Campaign Trail: Economic Plan vs. a New Speech

This morning, the state of the campaign further clarified. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama is set to unveil an economic recovery plan targeting the middle class and, US Sen. John McCain's campaign, which had been discussing unveiling a new economic plan - as many Republicans wanted him to do - will instead press reset on their rhetoric.

Obama's press release on today's policy address:

Today in Toledo, OH, Senator Obama will deliver a major policy address to lay out his economic rescue plan for the middle class. Our economy is facing its greatest uncertainty in over 70 years, we have lost 760,000 jobs this year and the unemployment rate is expected to reach 8 percent. Families, who saw their incomes decline by $2,000 in the economic "expansion" from 2000 to 2007 now risk seeing deeper income losses. Retirement savings accounts have lost $2 trillion. Millions of homeowners who played by the rules have seen their housing values plummet and are having a hard time making their mortgage payments. And credit markets are nearly frozen, preventing businesses large and small from accessing the credit they need to meet payroll and create jobs.

An excerpt, courtesy of Politico.com, from McCain's new speech:

"Let me give you the state of the race today. We have 22 days to go. We’re six points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq. But they forgot to let you decide. My friends, we’ve got them just where we want them.

"What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I come from a long line of McCains who believed that to love America is to fight for her. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but I’ve never been the kind to do it from the sidelines." 

The directions these two campaigns are taking today couldn't be more different, with McCain's new speech calling Obama presumptuous, but shying away from policy prescriptions. Obama today, on the other hand, looks to be getting specific on the economy. Republican politicos have been looking for a retool from the McCain camp that better dealt with the economy. Time will tell if they like what they see.

Some Sunday Morning Reading

Frank Rich has one of his best columns of the year today.   It focuses on the way the McCain Palin ticket is stoking anti-Obama fires in a way most ugly.

A Kos dairist, DCDemocrat, reviews Alaskan news coverage of Troopergate, reminding us that further action might be taken against the Governor's unlawful and unethical acts, including impeachment.  

David Leonardt has an excellent essay this morning looking at America's financial overreach and the challenges to come.  

In the Washington Post Sumit Ganguly has a disturbing article on Pakistan's march to becoming a failed state.  

And DemFromCT's morning poll roundup has more good news for Obama.

Happy Sunday.

One More.  From today's lead story in the New York Times: 

As international leaders gathered here on Saturday to grapple with the global financial crisis, the Bush administration embarked on an overhaul of its own strategy for rescuing the foundering financial system.

Two weeks after persuading Congress to let it spend $700 billion to buy distressed securities tied to mortgages, the Bush administration has put that idea aside in favor of a new approach that would have the government inject capital directly into the nation's banks - in effect, partially nationalizing the industry.

As recently as Sept. 23, senior officials had publicly derided proposals by Democrats to have the government take ownership stakes in banks.

The Treasury Department's surprising turnaround on the issue of buying stock in banks, which has now become its primary focus, has raised questions about whether the administration squandered valuable time in trying to sell Congress on a plan that officials had failed to think through in advance.

It has also raised questions about whether the administration's deep philosophical aversion to government ownership in private companies hindered its ability to look at all options for stabilizing the markets.

Some experts also contend that Treasury's decision last month to not use taxpayer money to save Lehman Brothers worsened the panic that quickly metastasized into an international crisis.

On this page, in post after post, essay after essay, we questioned whether Bush and Co had any idea what they were doing, and suggested again and again that the Bailout plan would not resolve the financial crisis.   None of this should come as any suprise for these are the guys who brought us Iraq, Katrina, incredible levels of corruption, out of control spending, declining standards of living, more people in bankruptcy, without health insurance and in poverty.   Virtually everything this Administration has attempted to do has ended up in disaster.  Why all of a sudden did we believe they could get the financial crisis right after ignoring all the warning signs for so long?  

Friends tell me the reason Treasury hasn't signed on to the Gordon Brown plan is that it wasn't their idea, and they couldn't look like they are following the lead of those across the pond. It will be interesting to see what happens here in Washington the next few days, and how Congress reacts to the Administration's apparent repudiation of the sky is falling strategy they made Congress embrace just ten days ago.

Unpublished
n/a

Ad Wars: En Español

And the war continues...Barack Obama seems to be really ramping up his attacks on the air against John McCain, and he continues to do it in Spanish with his latest radio ad, called Impuestos, or "Taxes," airing in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina, as well as Florida. And a television ad by the same name airing in New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, as well as Florida.

**Update: The day after the release of this ad in Spanish, an English language version of the ad was released.

Translation of the ads:

Impuestos (Radio Version)

[ANNOUNCER:]
On taxes and the economy, who's on your side?

John McCain pledges hundreds of billions in corporate tax breaks for big corporations. But for 100 million households - nothing.

McCain's health plan - even worse - will tax benefits for the first time ever. Rather than helping us, John McCain's plan punishes us.

And the tax credit McCain promises will go straight to the pockets of insurance companies.

These are the facts about his plan that John McCain and the Republicans want to hide from the public.

But, with Barack Obama, taxes will be cut for 95% of the county's working families. Period. Not one penny more of taxes for any family earning less than a quarter million dollars.

Barack Obama and the Democrats know that working people and the middle class are the ones that most need relief during this crisis.

Barack Obama is on our side.

[BO:] I'm Barack Obama, candidate for President, and I approve this message.

[VO:] PAID FOR BY OBAMA FOR AMERICA AND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE.

Impuestos (TV Ad Version)

[ANNOUNCER:]
On taxes, who's on your side?

John McCain pledges hundreds of billions in corporate tax breaks. Billions for oil companies. But for 100 million households - nothing.

And McCain's health plan will tax benefits for the first time ever.

Barack Obama. No tax hikes on any families earning less than a quarter million dollars.

Barack Obama and the Democrats...for the change we need.

[BO:] I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message.

 

Daily Ad Wars Continue...in Spanish

The ad wars continue en español. Barack Obama moves on from immigration to speak to Hispanic voters in Spanish about another issue close to their heart: Healthcare. Obama just launched a television ad called Seguro Médico, or "Health Insurance", and a radio ad called Batallando, "Battling". Another demonstration of the increasing importance of Spanish language media as the Hispanic electorate grows.

TRANSLATION OF RADIO AD:
[TALENT #1:]

For the last 12 years, I have been battling diabetes.

With the economy being so bad, I lost my job and my health insurance. Now I don't know how I will pay for my medicines and my medical bills.

John McCain's health plan allows insurance companies to deny people coverage if they have preexisting conditions.

This doesn't help people like me.

Barack Obama is the only one that offers us a solution.

[ANNOUNCER:]
Barack Obama's health plan makes health insurance accessible for all ...
...and it reduces costs for families struggling to pay for their insurance.

One out of every three Hispanics in this country lacks health insurance. What will John McCain and the Republicans do for them?

Barack Obama will stand up to insurance companies and special interests so that are families are protected.

That is his commitment.

[BO:] I'm Barack Obama, candidate for President, and I approve this message.

 

TRANSLATION OF TELEVISION AD:

[Nexador Rodriguez:]
A lot of people that I know have to decide between getting sick and eating.

[Liz Carrazco:]
I have relatives in my family that don't have health insurance and they have serious illnesses.

[DALIA GALLEGO:]
...I'm not working, and well, I don't have health insurance and right now it's very difficult.

[ANNOUNCER:]
Barack Obama and the Democrats are fighting to make health care accessible to everyone. Reducing the costs.
Covering more families.

[DALIA GALLEGO:]
NOT ON CAMERA

And I think that he is going to be the person that is going to help us. He is my inspiration.

[BO:] I´m Barack Obama and I approve this message.

Translation of Visuals:
One in three Hispanics have no health care

Health Care for All

The Obama Health Care Plan

Learn more about the plan: BarackObama.com/issues

Lower Costs for Families

APPROVED BY BARACK OBAMA. PAID FOR BY OBAMA FOR AMERICA AND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE.

 

Ad Wars: New Obama Ad, "Tested"

US Sen. Barack Obama's campaign released a new TV ad today, entitled "Tested", which hits US Sen John McCain for his newly-announced plan to "order the Secretary of the Treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America."

Here is the ad:

Cero y Van Dos - En Los Debates No Se Habla de Inmigración

Cero y van dos - se esperaba que los candidatos a la presidencia hablaran sobre el tema de inmigración durante el primer debate, enfocado a relaciones exteriores, pero no sucedió. Entonces se esperaba que seguramente hablarían sobre sus propuestas con respecto a inmigración en el segundo debate, sobre políticas nacionales...tampoco sucedió. Con el empeoramiento de la crisis económica, el tema de inmigración ha sido relegado al olvido durante los debates. Sin embargo, sigue al centro del esfuerzo publicitario de ambos candidatos para ganarse el voto de Hispanohablantes.

La batalla sobre el tema de inmigración continúa. Después del último anuncio del Senador John McCain sobre inmigración, el Senador Barack Obama responde. El reportero Chris Cillizza puntualiza que el Senador Obama esta invirtiéndo lo triple que John McCain en anuncios de televisión.

Por mucho tiempo, NDN ha destacado la importancia del tema de inmigración como un factor que motiva a Hispanos a votar, sin importar si son nacidos en EEUU o en el extranjero, y esto se demuestra en el hecho que los candidatos estan teniendo esta batalla sobre inmigración en español. Con el porcentaje tan importante de votantes Latinos en estados clave en la contienda de esta elección, los candidatos estan luchando para ganarse a este grupo demográfico por medio del tema de inmigración. En este anuncio, Obama reconoce el daño que ha sufrido el partido Republicano en la comunidad Hispana a raíz del tono negativo que tomó ese partido durante el debate sobre inmigración, y relaciona a McCain con su partido y con los ataques anti-inmigrante del partido Republicano.

 

 

The Debate: Keeping People In Their Homes, A Spending Freeze and More

McCain has argued for paying for people's mortgages, huge investments in energy, etc tonight yet he also calls for a spending freeze.  This needs greater examination.  

My guess is that the instapolls have it 50 percent Obama, 35 percent McCain. 

I still feel that John MccCain is like an aging pitcher whose fastball no longer pops.  You see flashes of brilliance, but he can no longer play at the level he once did. 

All in all I thought it was a good debate, both men had their say.  But McCain just can't keep up with Obama in these settings.

And of course NDN is pleased that both candidates made a big pitch for keeping people in their homes, and Obama embraced two ideas we've been promoting - incentives for people to buy fuel-effecient cars and for weatherizing their homes.

But on the energy front I couldn't keep from thinking - $700 billion each for Iraq and the bailout, $15b a year to move America to a low carbon economy? Somehow we are going to have to come to a much different understanding of the urgency of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels....

Update: CNN's instapoll has Obama winning the debate, 54-30.

730am Update - DemFromCT has a good overview of the post-debate polls from last night.  It is all good news for Obama.  No wonder McCain hurumphed off stage last night after the debate.  He felt it.  

Battle on the Immigration Issue Continues

And the immigration battle continues. After U.S. Senator John McCain's last ad on immigration, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama responds in kind.  Chris Cillizza reports that overall, Obama is outspending McCain 3 to 1 on television.

NDN has long advocated on the importance of immigration as a motivating issue for Hispanics, regardless of whether they are native or foreign born - as demonstrated by this back and forth. With a significant percentage of Latino voters in key battleground states, the candidates are working to win over this important voting demographic by speaking on the issue of immigration. In this ad, Obama taps into the damaged Republican brand among Hispanics, linking John McCain to his party and to the GOP's hateful anti-immigrant attacks and the pressure that party exerted to halt immigration reform. The ad is called, "Otra Vez lo Mismo", or "Here We Go Again".

The translation of the script of the ad:

[Announcer:]
Here We Go Again...
McCain is still manipulating and lying on the issue of immigration.
He wants to hide the fact he's the one who turned his back on us...
[CNN video]
McCain caved to the anti-immigrant crowd
And, along with the Republicans, betrayed our community.
If John McCain is not willing to stand up to his own Republican Party, how will he defend us in the White House?

 

 

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