Stories related to: Barack Obama

In the Democrats' dramatic race to the White House, Michael Scherer writes in Salon, “the leading man is a woman and the leading woman is a man." While Barack Obama soothes audiences with his nurturing baritone, Hillary Clinton attempts to parry the disadvantages of a female candidacy with broad-shouldered tough talk, borrowing military metaphors for her campaign and even waxing Reaganesque. More »

With Barack Obama determined not to be a Jesse or an Al, Hillary Clinton has emerged as the candidate most comfortable targeting the concerns of the black community,  a Washington Post op-ed argues. Last week’s debate at the Howard University showcased Hillary in the role “forefeited” by Barack Obama, says Amina Luqman. More »

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama took a swipe yesterday at his main Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, saying  "change can't just be a slogan" --a reference to the slogan she introduced just a few days ago, "Ready for Change, Ready to Lead."  In fact, her approach is more like “change – but not too much change,” says the Washington Post. More »

Barack Obama raised $32.5 million in total campaign contributions in the second quarter of 2007, handily beating Hillary Clinton's powerhouse fundraising machine to lead the Democratic pack, the Washington Post reports. Some 154,000 contributors, most giving relatively moderate amounts, ponied up for the campaign while Clinton raised an estimated $28 million. More »

Democratic contender Bill Richardson raised $7 million in the second quarter of this year, beating  his first quarter take, the AP reports, and giving him a solid fourth place in the competition for funds. The New Mexico governor, who has benefited from clever advertising, has also gained in polls in early states Iowa and New Hampshire. More »

The Supreme Court decision limiting the role of race in public-school assignments was the talk of the town yesterday—even at the Democratic debate. The agenda at historically black Howard University was minority issues, and although attention naturally fell on Barack Obama, his seven competitors also had their moments in the spotlight, the Washington Post reports. More »

Barack Obama assailed right-wing evangelical leaders yesterday, accusing them of "hijacking" faith and politicizing religion, the Daily News reports. Addressing the national conference of the United Church of Christ, he criticized "so-called leaders of the Christian right" for demonizing Democrats and convincing Americans that Christians' main concerns are gay marriage and abortion. More »

Barack Obama has apologized for a campaign memo that vilified Hillary Clinton for her financial ties to India and her campaign efforts among Indian Americans. Particularly offensive was a reference to Clinton's affiliation as "(D-Punjab)"; aimed to link her to the sore subject of outsourcing. Obama called it a "dumb mistake," Time reports. More »

They were in a dead heat two weeks ago, but a new USA TODAY/Gallup poll out today puts Hillary back in front for the Dem nomination with a double-digit spread over Barack. The red team is also shaking up, with not-quite-official candidate Fred Thompson stealing second standing from John McCain. More »

Nobody wants to see Whitewater II, least of all the Clintons. As Hillary barrels towards the White House, they've liquidated a blind trust worth $5 million to $25 million in an effort to avoid potential conflict-of-interest charges. The fund, invested on their behalf since Bill took office, included live-wire investments in oil companies, military contractors, and Arkansas favorite Wal-Mart. More »

Caught between his increasingly carbon-conscious party and a major player in his home state, Barack Obama has backed off his support for converting coal into liquid vehicle fuel, the LA Times reports. Global warming is important to Democrats, but coal is important to the Illinois economy, and the senator's shift left industry leaders scratching their heads. More »

In the race for New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton has shot ahead of her Democratic opponents, opening a 14-point lead over Barack Obama since the June 3 debate. With the primary 7 months away, Clinton is overwhelmingly considered the strongest leader, thumping a list of rivals that includes Al Gore. And there's a new name on the radar: Bill Richardson. More »

The Bush nominee for surgeon general is under fire over a 1991 academic paper in which he argued that  gay sex is unnatural and unhealthy. In the report, ridiculed by other doctors for imposing politics on science, Dr. James Holsinger compares sexual body parts with pipe fittings and concludes, "when the complementarity of the sexes is breached, injuries and diseases may occur." More »

The Democratic presidential field already has three leaders, and they're so eager to distinguish themselves by staking out their Iraq stances that the other five candidates can barely get a word in. The Politico looks at last night's debate in New Hampshire and finds Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton taking up all the air in the room. More »

These days Barack Obama's more likely to be rubbing elbows at a fundraiser than throwing elbows on the court, but pickup basketball is his game, and he's damn good, Jodi Kantor reports in the New York Times . He's quick, wily and aggressive on the court, with a left-handed jump shot that catches other players off guard. More »

Thirteen years after Hillary-Care, politicians are ready to think big again about the US health care system, the Wall Street Journal reports. Skyrocketing costs and the rising ranks of the uninsured are combining to form a climate where candidates feel that they can tackle the issue without political backlash—even if it means taking on insurance, medical, and pharmaceutical lobbies. More »

White House applicant Barack Obama has unveiled a health care plan which will offer all Americans coverage comparable to what federal employees get. The Obama Plan would cost upwards of $65 billion a year, which the Senator plans to fund by cancelling Bush tax cuts and increasing efficiency, the Chicago Tribune reports. More »

Congress approved $95 billion to pay for the war in Iraq—without a timetable for troop withdrawal. The bill, which Bush says he'll sign, passed both houses last night, ending a long and bitter struggle between Democrats and a veto-ready White House over bringing the troops home. Aspiring presidents Clinton and Obama voted against the bill. More »

Hillary Clinton rejected a top adviser's plan to bypass the Iowa caucuses, the New York Times reports, and she'll visit the state this weekend. An internal memo suggested focusing money and time on February 5's 20-state Super Tuesday instead of the January 14 caucuses. All but one of the last 14 nominees have won Iowa, New Hampshire, or both. More »

Presidential hopeful John Edwards ranked first in a poll of voters from Iowa, home of January's pivotal caucus and the first step to the Democratic ballot. Edwards landed 29 percent of the vote in the Des Moines Register poll, compared to erstwhile frontrunners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who took 23 and 21 percent, respectively. More »