Obama is slated to win. Some candidates are opportunistic and are hopping on the gravy train.//Lazy Fair will corrupt your morals. :-)
On Oct 26, 2:58�am, "moveon.org mike532" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Prominent Republicans Cross the Aisle to Endorse > Obamahttp://www.truthout.org/102508Zhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/24/uselections2008-republica... > Washington - Joel Haugen, a Republican fighting a tough congressional > race against the Democrats in Oregon, has fallen out with his party. > The reason: his surprise endorsement of Barack Obama for the > presidency. > > � � "I believe in putting nation before party and my first priority is > following my conscience with regard to what is best for America," > Haugen said in a statement issued by his office today. "I have a huge > amount of respect for John McCain, but I believe that he has more of a > cold war mentality." > > � � Haugen is just one of many Republican politicians, dubbed > "Obamicans", who have defected to Obama. The latest high-profile > desertions include Scott McClellan, George Bush's former press > secretary, who endorses Obama in a taped CNN programme to be broadcast > this weekend, and William Weld, the Republican governor of > Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. > > � � Weld, in a statement released today ahead of a press conference in > New Hampshire, described Obama as "a once-in-a-lifetime candidate." > > � � Last weekend, Bush's former secretary of state, Colin Powell, > Obama's biggest Republican catch so far, publicly backed the > Democratic candidate. > > � � It is unusual to see so many prominent Republican politicians and > columnists shift, even allowing for the fact that party affiliations > are more fluid in the US than Europe. > > � � The 'Obamicans' have their own website, listing those who have > endorsed Obama and exchanging views. Campaign paraphernalia is also > available from Barack Obama's team that includes a "Republicans for > Obama" button badge. > > � � According to Haugen's campaign manager, Sarah Tiedeman, he made no > secret of his views while fighting for the party nomination, telling > the press about his unhappiness with Bush's eight years in office and > that he was likely to endorse Obama over McCain. He won 70% of the > nomination vote. > > � � The Republican party became increasingly "unfriendly", Tiedemann > said, and has since withdrawn all financial support. > > � � Haugen, as a compromise, is now standing under an independent > banner, though he remains a registered Republican. Tiedemann said the > reaction among Republicans over his endorsement was mixed. She > acknowledged it was "unusual" to make such an endorsement but Haugen > "feels the Republican party has got so far from its roots." > > � � Other defectors include Arne Carlson, the Republican governor of > Minnesota from 1991 to 1999, who wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune > yesterday: "The choice of governor Sarah Palin as a running mate, and > the resultant shallow campaign based on fear and suspicion, looks > frighteningly similar to the politics of Karl Rove [Bush's campaign > strategist]." > > � � He described Obama as having "the potential to become a truly > great president". > > � � McClellan, who published a book earlier this year critical of the > Bush administration, accusing it of lying, told CNN he would vote for > Obama because he offered the best chance of changing the way > Washington works. > > � � The founders of Republicans for Obama include a former Iowa > congressman, Jim Leach; a former Rhode Island senator, Lincoln Chafee, > and a former Bush fund-raiser, Rita Hauser. > > � � Another defector this week is Ken Adelman, a foreign policy > adviser to Ronald Reagan, who told the New Yorker he would endorse > Obama because of McCain's temperament, describing as weird his > behaviour in response when the economic meltdown began. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
