Barack Obama: Speech on Patriotism

June 30, 2008
Independence, MO

Voices from the Iowa Democratic Convention

Democrats from across Iowa gathered at the State Convention to discuss the direction of our country, the issues that shape our party, and our work to help us move forward towards honest solutions with common sense leadership.

Colorado Unites for Change

Supporters of Senator Obama from all over Colorado held house parties on June 28th, 2008, as part of Unite for Change.

Barack Obama at 25th Annual NALEO Conference

Washington, D.C.
June 28, 2008

Unite For Change: Sen. Hillary Clinton in Unity, NH

June 27, 2008
Unity, New Hampshire

Unite For Change: Barack Obama in Unity, NH

Unity, New Hampshire

Unite for Change: House Parties Video

On June 28, all across America thousands of people will gather in each others homes to discuss why they're involved in politics. Find out more at my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange

David Plouffe (Obama Campaign Manager) on Our Strategy

Campaign Manager David Plouffe records a video to supporters on a laptop, sharing his presentation about the Obama campaign's strategy for the general election.

Change that Works for You: Pittsburgh, PA

Barack participated in a panel discussion about American competitiveness, and first shared these opening remarks.

Obama disagrees with Supreme Court on Capital Punishment ruling

"Democrat Barack Obama said Wednesday he disagrees with the Supreme Court's decision outlawing executions of people who rape children, a crime he said states have the right to consider for capital punishment.

"I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes," Obama said at a news conference. "I think that the rape of a small child, 6 or 8 years old, is a heinous crime and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable, that that does not violate our Constitution."

The court's 5-4 decision Wednesday struck down a Louisiana law that allows capital punishment for people convicted of raping children under 12, saying it violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The ruling spares the only people in the U.S. under sentence of death for that crime — two Louisiana men convicted of raping girls 5 and 8. It also invalidates laws on the books in five other states that allowed executions for child rape that does not result in the death of the victim.

Obama's Republican rival, John McCain, also criticized the court's decision, calling it "an assault on law enforcement's efforts to punish these heinous felons for the most despicable crime."

"That there is a judge anywhere in America who does not believe that the rape of a child represents the most heinous of crimes, which is deserving of the most serious of punishments, is profoundly disturbing," McCain said in a statement.

Obama, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, said that had the court "said we want to constrain the abilities of states to do this to make sure that it's done in a careful and appropriate way, that would have been one thing. But it basically had a blanket prohibition and I disagree with that decision."

Obama has two daughters, ages 7 and 9.

He has long supported the death penalty while criticizing the way it is sometimes applied.

As an Illinois legislator, he helped rewrite the state's death penalty system to guard against innocent people being sentenced to die. The new safeguards included requiring police to videotape interrogations and giving the state Supreme Court more power to overturn unjust decisions.

He also opposed legislation making it easier to impose the death penalty for murders committed as part of gang activity. Obama argued the language was too vague and could be abused by authorities.

But Obama has never rejected the death penalty entirely. He supported death sentences for killing volunteers in community policing programs and for particularly cruel murders of elderly people.

"While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes — mass murder, the rape and murder of a child — so heinous, so beyond the pale, that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment," he wrote in his book "The Audacity of Hope.""

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Senator Obama on the Economy and Energy

At a Press Availability in Chicago IL Senator Obama spoke about the economy, off-shore drilling and America's Energy Future.

Change that Works for You: Las Vegas, NV

Barack Obama held a discussion about energy at Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 24, 2008.

Change that Works for You: Albuquerque, NM

Barack held a discussion with working women in Albuquerque, NM on June 23, 2008.

Barack Obama used his address at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami to shore up support for a $300 billion foreclosure bailout and assail McCain

"Making his pitch to a key group of power brokers, Barack Obama promised hundreds of mayors gathered in Miami that he would push back on President Bush's threatened veto of legislation aimed at rescuing homeowners facing foreclosure.

The bill would allow the federal government to insure $300 billion in new loans so homeowners who can't pay their mortgages could refinance. The legislation is a priority for many mayors whose cities are faltering under the housing crisis.

''If George Bush carries out his threat to veto the housing bill -- a bill that would provide critical resources to help you solve the foreclosure crisis in your towns and cities -- I will fight to overturn his veto and make sure you have the support you need,'' Obama said."

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Barack Obama at U.S. Mayor's Conference

An excerpt from Obama's address to the U.S. Mayor's Conference in Miami, FL on June 21, 2008.

Obama Team Weighs Nunn, Edwards As Running Mate

"WASHINGTON — Former Sens. John Edwards and Sam Nunn are on a list of potential running mates for Democrat Barack Obama, a congresswoman said Thursday, one day after she met with the team Obama has reviewing possible candidates.

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, said members of her caucus asked her to forward the names of Edwards and Nunn when she met Wednesday with Obama's vice presidential search team. The team, Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, indicated the two were on the list."

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Exclusive: MoveOn To Close Its 527 In Response To Obama's Candidacy

"MoveOn, the advocacy group supporting Barack Obama, has decided to permanently shutter its 527 operation, partly in response to the Illinois Senator's insistence that such groups should not spend on his behalf during the general election, I've learned from the group's spokesperson."

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Barack’s Bounce: The latest NEWSWEEK Poll shows the Democrat with a 15-point lead over McCain

"Barack finally has his bounce. For weeks many political experts and pollsters have been wondering why the race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had stayed so tight, even after the Illinois senator wrested the nomination from Hillary Clinton. With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country's direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that. A new NEWSWEEK Poll shows that he has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters nationwide."

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Obama Calls Muslim Women Barred From Stage

Updated Shimaa Abdelfadeel and Hebba Aref, the two Muslim women who were asked not to sit where they could be photographed behind Senator Barack Obama because they were wearing traditional religious head coverings, received a call from the candidate himself today to follow up on his campaign’s initial apology. They released a statement about it to The New York Times:

At the rally for Senator Obama in Detroit on Monday, June 16, two volunteers denied us seating behind the stage the Senator would soon take. The volunteers informed us that we were not allowed to sit in that area due to the hijab, the headscarf that each of us was wearing.

This incident was unfortunate and extremely disappointing. Senator Obama has called us each to personally convey his deepest apologies and acknowledge that this was inexcusable. We both immensely appreciate the Senator’s phone call and his commitment to remedy this issue. We commend him for displaying qualities befitting an effective President. We acknowledge that this injustice has been taken seriously and that Senator Obama does not tolerate discrimination against Arabs, Muslims or any community. We are assured that he and his staff are committed to upholding the principles of justice for all peoples and bringing about change we can believe in. The infringement on our rights occurred and has been addressed; now we are ready to move forward. We will continue to support Senator Obama in his campaign and wish him the best as the race continues.

Regards,
Shimaa Abdelfadeel
Hebba Aref

Update: Mr. Obama’s released the following statement:

I reached out to Ms. Aref and Ms. Abdelfadeel this afternoon. I spoke with Ms. Abdelfadeel, and expressed my deepest apologies for the incident that occurred with volunteers at the event in Detroit. The actions of these volunteers were unacceptable and in no way reflect any policy of my campaign. I take deepest offense to and will continue to fight against discrimination against people of any religious group or background. Our campaign is about bringing people together, and I’m grateful that Ms. Abdelfadeel accepted our apology and I hope Ms. Aref and any who were offended accept my apology as well.

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Barack Obama on Offshore Oil Drilling

Jacksonville, FL
June 20, 2008