Tales from the Trail » 2008 » April » 21

Obama leaves it to his wife to discuss his flaws

Caren Bohan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:47:37 +0000

MCKEESPORT, Pa. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama often tells the adoring audiences he draws to his large campaign rallies that he is “not a perfect man.”

But he usually steers clear of offering any specifics about his flaws.

At a town-hall style gathering outside of Pittsburgh on Monday, he was asked by a young supporter to give an example of both a “good quality” and a “bad quality” he has.

Obama eagerly delved into the first part of the question, saying he was honest and forthright. He offered a list of examples of that from his political career, citing a decision to give a speech in Detroit calling for strict fuel-economy standards and a separate speech on Wall Street calling for higher taxes for the wealthy.

But he was more hesitant about tackling the second part of the question.

“In terms of the bad qualities, what I’m going to have you do is talk to my wife after the town-hall meeting and she will tell you — she will have a pretty long list,” Obama said.

He did offer one example from his wife Michelle’s list.

“One of the things she complains about is, sometimes I put clothes up on the door instead of putting them on the hanger,” he said.

Obama is hardly the only politician who is reluctant to talk in detail about his flaws.

President George W. Bush has been tripped up by such questions. At a press conference in 2004, he was asked about his biggest mistake but struggled to come up with an answer.

“I wish you would have given me this written question ahead of time, so I could plan for it,” Bush said as he complained that he had been put on the spot.

Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.

- Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Cohn (Obama with his wife Michelle at a rally in Pittsburgh)

‘Why can’t I just eat my waffle?’

Caren Bohan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:35:46 +0000

SCRANTON, Pa. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama kicked off a day of campaigning in Pennsylvania by dropping by a Scranton diner for a breakfast of waffles, sausage and orange juice.

But the press corps went hungry — hungry for an answer that is.

The Illinois senator brushed aside a question from one reporter on his reaction to former President Jimmy Carter’s description of a positive meeting with leaders of the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas.

“Why can’t I just eat my waffle?” Obama replied.

Reporters traveling with the Illinois senator, fighting with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton over Pennsylvania ahead of its vote on Tuesday, are venting frustration over a lack of access to the candidate lately. Obama has not held a press availability in 10 days, though he has given dozens of interviews to local press in Pennyslvania.

Republicans have pounced on Obama’s “waffle” comment, suggesting he is evading tough questions.

“Today, Obama continued to dodge questions from the media, responding that he just wanted to eat his waffle,” the Republican National Committee said in an email sent to reporters that included press accounts of the waffle incident at the Glider diner.

Both Obama and Clinton are far less accessible to the media than presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, known for holding lengthy question-and-answer sessions with reporters on his Straight Talk Express bus.

The sessions last so long that some reporters say they run out of questions.

Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.

Photo credit: Reuters/Tim Shaffer (Obama greets Pennsylvania supporter)

Feds to keep an eye on Pennsylvania primary

Jeremy Pelofsky — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:51:21 +0000

WASHINGTON - As Democrats go to the polls on Tuesday to pick between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as their presidential nominee, the Bush administration said on Monday they will be keeping a close eye on the voting.

Citing previous allegations that the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, had violated voting rights laws, the Bush administration’s Justice Department announced it would monitor the primary contest.

A year ago, the city settled with the government over the allegations, agreeing to provide additional Spanish-speaking poll officials, to give additional training for election workers, and to ensure better access for disabled voters, among other things.

“Philadelphia has an obligation to provide all election information, ballots and voting assistance information in Spanish pursuant to Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act,” the department said. “The monitors will gather information concerning compliance with this requirement and other federal voting rights statutes.”

The Justice Department said it had almost 1,600 monitors watching 119 elections in 24 states during the 2006 election year.

Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.

- Photo credit: Reuters/Bradley Bower (Obama at a rally outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia)