Rush to Judgment

Sen.  Barack Obama “went to Harvard and became an educated fool.”  On the surface, it would seem such vitriol directed at the likely 2008 Democratic presidential nominee would originate from Rush Limbaugh or a similarly aligned right-wing blog site. 

 

However, the source of this broadside was none other than Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., during the 2000 Illinois congressional primary.  The incumbent, Rush, a former Black Panther, disdainfully referred to the young upstart state senator as an “elite.”

 

Now, in what can be described as the vagaries of politics, the congressman and superdelegate has endorsed Obama.  Rush is recuperating from cancer surgery and is currently unavailable to comment.  But a spokeswoman for Rush said that the lawmaker is firmly behind Obama.  “The bottom line is that [Rush] is looking forward to [Obama] being the next president of the United States. “

 

According to the spokeswoman, the 2000 Illinois primary was just a case of Obama’s ambition vs. Rush’s legacy.  She further dismissed any notions of hard feelings by noting that when Rush’s son died in gun violence in October of 1999, he received an outpouring of sympathy from Obama. 

 

Rush would eventually prevail over Obama in 2000, retaining his congressional seat.  Regarding that victory, Rush’s aide added a tidbit that indicates how the loss served as a springboard for Obama.  “[Rush] was probably the last person to beat [Obama] at anything.”

 

by Sri Raman

 

 

Superdelegate Interview: A Texan supporting Obama

Interview with Al Edwards, Texas Superdelegate, Minister and Real Estate agent in Houston

by Jonathan Rubin

May 16, 2008

Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Q. You picked Obama as your candidate. Do you think he can make it to the presidency?
A. I really think he will make it. I think at some point, the Democrats will come together and stop the bloodletting, so to speak… I’m a firm believer that Americans are not going to be stupid enough and blindfolded to go back and elect a Republican president.

Q. What are your personal feelings about Obama?
A. It a disgrace how Americans have to live today. The economy is horrible. We have lost the value of our dollar around the world. We are a debter nation, rather than someone who did all the lending, as before. Our jobs are just vastly going abroad. We’ve got senior citizens having to choose medicine over food, or vice versa. I like that Obama is going to do a national health program. We need some leadership… someone who is going to take care of homeland security… I think he’s sincere about really making changes in this nation. I think he’s going to be a worker and that he’s going to get things done. He’s going to work for all the people – not just blacks or whites or browns or blues.

Q. Has your life changed since becoming a super delegate?
A: It keeps you in tune to the news. It’s a matter of keeping up so you can give an intelligent response, and personally knowing what they (candidates) are doing.