THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER | Close Up: Barack Obama and Leadership Pt.1 | PBS

[Jackstowne]

In October 2002, Obama was in the middle of a STATE Senate campaign and in IL the war was not popular. Senator Durbin was running for re-election that year and he opposed the war without suffering hardly any flack for it from the voters.

[07liberian]

Hail To The Chief

President Barack Obama

[allymetoo]

Susan Rice serves on the boards of several organizations, including the National Democratic Institute, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF board of directors of the Atlantic Council,advisory board of Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, the board of directors of Bureau of National Affairs,[10] board of directors of Partnership for Public Service[11], the Beauvoir School, and past member of the Internews Network's board of directors. Member of CFR and Aspen Group

[CommonSpecies]

What I think so far if Obomination gets in the Oval Office is will that terrorist and friend of the Obama's William Ayres get to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom ? And maybe Ayres can fulfill his long term sick twisted desire and blow up the White House. Hm, I vote seed Obama back to Chicago or where ever they are from.

[lokojoe17]

Dang man hes not a terrorist, calm down. no ones gonna blow up the white house, chill

[iamalbright2]

This country's problems are far larger than the "right to life" issue. If you don't believe in abortion, don't get one. NOONE, including our government should be involved in the most personal of choices about life EXCEPT the woman and doctor. I commend McCain and Palin for their personal beliefs - but this does not mean that they are the best choice to lead this country out of our fiscal and foreign policy debacles. We need real leadership, Barack Obama is that man!

[lokojoe17]

Amen

[jeskao3]

please, tell me you think it is right to go through with a pregnancy that is unwanted, to be brought in to an education level of low standards, proudly enacted by these republican, who personify in the worst way-gun touting, oil drilling, animal killing, profit above all ethics . That is not fair, Dems must untie on the differences, and use all various ideas constructively and to allow America to recover. Bring the technology jobs back, build new energy stations ( that are not nuclear) !

[UltraSWG]

An embryo is not a child, and any claim that an embryo is a child is a purely faith based position, not a scientific one.

Your "God" is a faith based belief and has no tangible authority outside your religion. Since our government is secular, your "God" has no authority over our laws and is not a valid point of debate.

If you wish to make an argument against abortion, please make it non-religious and based on science.

Otherwise, your arguments against it hold no merit in our legal system.

[grannyvonng]

You are spouting about'your "God" and your"God".Who is your god?I've given an opinion on this matter in another place which attests to the fact that the existence of a person is established at conception. From my personal experience,just two weeks ago,my daughter's best friend gave birth by caesarian section to a seven-month old baby girl;she weighed 3 pounds and is doing fine.This is proof that the unborn child is an actual human being and not a mere potential that will become human at birth.

[UltraSWG]

God has nothing to do with this debate, this is a matter of law.

There is no "person" at conception. To be recognized as a "person" under the law, one must first be born.

You cannot give birth to a blastocyst or embryo. In the first trimester and most of the second, the only viable human is the mother, so her rights over her body take precedence over the unborn.

There are already bans on late-term abortions to protect a viable fetus, but 89% of all abortions occur in the first trimester.

[theopenmikers]

Killing older kids in war is ok though. Don't kill kids when they are young just when they are older.

Your views should not affect other people who don't share your views. What you think is no more right than what other people think.

[ius74]

"LotAMuscle" did not say what you claim. You throw up a smokescreen in a vain attempt to justify yourself not speaking out against abortion AND the war.

[trevoreriksmoen]

barack received campaign contributions from hamas and hezbollah. wake up people, he might be more change than you think

[Ambushofblacks]

ha so tru, obamas emotions never get to him, unlike his running mate, obama is a peoples person, back in the day thats how a government worked, now its all about how many years somone sat their ass down doing nothing in the white house...clearly bush didnt have the smarts and with mccain 9.9% smarter and 26yrs in office i dont think its much of a change...

*OBAMA 08* OR THIRD PARTY* NoMCSAME...

[marcaGeronis]

Obama: DO YOUR JOB!

I think BOTH McCain&Obama should quit their Senate job to run for President. But, lacking that, during a severe crisis they should return to their jobs. Why Barack Hussein Obama II refuses to DO HIS JOB is beyond me. It seems a pattern with this individual. He moves on from one job to another before constituents and bosses can realize that he didn't do any work- or in some cases show up!

Can you LEAVE YOUR JOB to seek a BETTER job and not get fired? Why should Obama?

[joshdood1021]

I AGAIN. OBAMA 08

[RATBOY808]

DO YOUR JOB? McCain and Obama are not Senate leaders. They'll vote and conduct legislation etc. And at the same time campaign. Think he is doing his JOB as a senator...don't make your biased observations before doing your research.

[BeortheMad]

god all of you guys are brainwashed..

[haven7734]

one can see the integrity/seriousness in him, our country really needs that.

[PloverWI]

I would support Obama if he really will try to do what he said. He is one chance of a life time leadership for America.

[masterhook]

then why cant you get behind him? what is holding you back?

[PippinPogle]

Obama has so many of the qualities of a great president. He uses reason, sense and fairness.

[SCW01902]

I love how republicans use all that inexperience nonsence. For someone who supposely lacks experience, Barack beat the mighty Clintons, and both Bill and Hillary have much experience. Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld also had tons of experience in foreign affairs,....look where their experience got us. I think in some elections, experience may be what is needed. This election is different however, this election year demands new vision and a change in political direction. On November 4th, Obama/Biden!!!

[twistedspecies]

New vision is great, but I keep hearing the word "change." Exactly what change is he talking about and how will he institute it. He's very evasive in what he intends to accomplish.

[UltraSWG]

"Exactly what change is he talking about"

I assume you mean Obama. Cutting taxes for 95% of Americans while repealing the stupid Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% is a start. Investing in alternative fuels is good. A 16 month withdrawl from Iraq and redeployment into Afghanistan is wise. Offering affordable (not free) BASIC healthcare for every citizen would be nice. Opening up diplomacy again and tearing up the Bush Doctrine is also a good change.

That's all 500 characters will allow.

[mdkpubs]

If you believe Obama will cut taxes, you'll believe anything....

No one who supports infanticide should be able to propose Supreme Court Justices.

A man with Marxist roots should not be leader of the free world.

Someone who got his political start with a domestic terrorist should not be Commander in Chief.

Those who look to Obama as their messiah are sadly placing hope where it does not belong. We believe that Obama will make changes, but they're not changes we can trust.

NObama!

[UltraSWG]

mdkpubs, dishonest discourse like yours is what is wrong with Washington.

All you have done is slam the man, not the issues he represents. Your whole argument can be summed up like this:

"I don't like him, so I will believe anything negative about him and nothing positive"

I'm a life-long Republican, but even I can take the Reagan Test and see that we are WORSE off after 8 years of Republican governance.

Time to let the other party lead the country for awhile.

[Divalicious813]

"A man with Marxist roots should not be leader of the free world."

Obviously, your opinion doesn't matter (or didn't matter some weeks ago) cuz he is!

[mherbc]

AMEN

[cosmlayla]

He's calm and collected. He picked Biden to help him govern and not for political reasons. He'll think through problemss.

[1BuckeyeNation]

Biden said Obama wasn't ready but John McCain was. Hillary said the same. We can't trust that Biden will always be able to educate Obama on the right course of action to take or that Obama will even take his advice as he rebuffed Bidens advice to finish his term of Senator before trying to become President.

This was a puff piece if I've ever heard one.

[masterhook]

and the one they did on McCain was not. The fact is looking that has happen over the last week or so McCain is not ready for the job. He cuts and runs when things are not going his way. If he is so ready to lead us why not debate Friday and want to move the VP debate? We need to hear from both men and it will not be that much time to fly to the debate and fly back after. McCain is only going to mess things up if he tries to get in the way in DC now

[1BuckeyeNation]

We NEED to get the financial mess sorted out and our Presidential candidates are Senators who should be helping to solve this crisis before they start debating their plans for the future.

I was ticked off when I heard there wasn't going to be a debate but I also understand why McCain would put it off until a compromise can be worked out on something that REALLY matters right now and not 6 weeks from now. There is only going to be 3 debates so don't get your pantys in a bunch.