This presidential election is exposing elite hypocrisy on both sides. Obama has made clear that this election is not about him but the people. He has not failed to make clear his vision to build a new majority coalition that would make change possible. Why can't people understand this, an old strategy employed very fruitfully by none other than Ronald Reagan in service of capital. I remember whenever Congress would not do what Reagan thought important and desirable, he went straight to the People who then put pressure on their congressmen.

The agents of the staus quo are hell-bent on frustrating not Obama the messenger but that aspirations of the American people across the racial spectrum. Those paying close attention to the emerging campaign will no doubt observe that there is a gulf between the aspirations and desires of the People, the majority coalition that Obama is seeking to empower on the one hand and the hegemonic interests and desires of the dominant elite, their agents and intellectuals. They talk about "false hopes," they racialize the campaign with talk of "one drop rule" as Shelby Steele was discussing in a PBS interview with Bill Moyer. Probably the most damaging statements have come from the camp of the so-called black conservatives and liberals. Glen Ford insisted that Obama is a destroyer of the "Black Agenda," something only he called the core of progressive liberalism in the United States.

Of all the candidates, only Obama seems to be standing in a central rostrum addressing both Americans and the people of the world. The rest of the candidates are clearly facing and speaking to Americans while they all have their back to the rest of the world. It would be narrow-minded to think presidential election in the United States, the world's only global leader, is only about American life.

Barack Obama is the "political Jesus" in this presidential election and we will all do well to let his message reach the people without opprobious distortion and corruption.

Please vote for the most polarizing candidate.nothing will change(status quo).The oceans wil rise and my hillside property will become ocean front.The sick without insurance will do without.Voters will grow old enough to find medicare is not free,Social Security is taxable if you have a pension.Widow get nothing if they're not 65.The man who sent jobs to Mexico will return.And we'll all live happily ever after.

The Clintons can't loose with this one. If they make a few comments about Martin Luther King, they can move the issue over to Black Leaders.

Then they compliment LBJ and stir up a little race history question.

Nothing major. Just a little tidbit for the press to go crazy with. The tidbit gets blown into a full scale story.

This leaves Obama with a choice. Do I not answer this and #### off Black voters who already accuse me of being "too white" or do I call the Clinton's on this and get accused of playing the race card?

Either way the Clintons win.

**

Edwards can go home and learn to sell used cars. He is just like the user car dealer.

GOD BLESS John Edwards. I think I speak for a growing majority of grassroots Democrats and Independents that would have preferred to see the Democratic Race be about the future of America. Hillary is a wedge making moving forward more challenging. In the end, I think more Americans will rally to OBAMA & EDWARDS and I hope that the two gentleman UNITE to defeat and destroy the CORRUPT CLINTON MACHINE.

I wish people would listen to the entire comment by Clinton. I was lucky enough to go to a few different candidates rallies in NH, and I heard her speak of this the Monday before the primary. She basically said MLK was an inspiring leader who headed a great movement for civil rights, but he still needed help in Washington having his dreams become law. As necessary as religious and civic leaders may be to any cause, you still need the votes to make it law. I didn't see any insult to MLK in that statement. As much as some people may not like LBJ for a number of reasons, I do think he has to be commended for his work on civil rights.

If Hillary had a vision,she should have joined the formers Bill C,George and Barbara Bush,Jimmy & Rosilynn Carter,Al Gore and done something truly altruistic(a selfless act for others)N.H. voters please note meaning.There is no I in team or tears.Sometimes experience makes a better coach than player.Yes I agree list to the entire comment of Hillary.Its about her losing the opportunity overhaul health care to redeem herself for her previous failure.

The Hillary people need to stop claiming that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are behind Obama's campaign....stop it. Spreading such lies is not helping your candidate Hillary.

Of course Edwards "defended" Obama - he is kissing up to him, hoping to be named as the Vice President candidate! He is so transparent! He started ganging up with Obama, attacking Hillary tag-team, during the New Hampshire debate. He was even caught whispering to Obama in the middle of the debate, during the break. Now Edwards is intentionally distorting what Hillary said; Edwards is distorting the facts to the point that he is lying. As a lawyer, he really should know better - that is slander. And to think I used to respect and actually like Edwards - what a shame. Well, I still like Edward's wife - maybe she should be the one running - she seems more ethical.

Hillary said what she said. Her own supporters, along with most neutral observers criticized her.

When Obama refused to criticize Senators like Kerry, Edwards and Clinton for their Iraq votes in 2004, she was grateful. Now she's angry? And Bill "I was always against the war" Clinton is the one saying Obama wasn't?

Even campaigning for Senate, just as now, Obama has refused to offer empty promises of ending the war instantly, because he recognizes that we have to live with the mistakes of Senator Clinton and others. She needs to stop blaming him for her mistakes.

This dude Edwards is a demagogue who feeds on people's emotions, nothing more. No substance - just talk, talk, talk.

The only person who is playing the race card is Hillary! I have not heard anything about the matter from the Obama campaign. The thing I love about Obama is that he is not a black candidate.He is running not on the mere fact that he is black but on the faith that america can change and become as great to americans and people in the international community as it once was. I believe he is very capable and I am behind him 100%. The clintons need to just admit that there was a misunderstanding and apologize for the mistake and move on with their campaign. This whole debate is not doing anyone any good. In fact the more I hear about it the more I feel like we as a society have not made as much progress as we should have by now. The clintons should stop the finger pointing and grow up. And one more thing,just because some members of the black community have seen those remarks as racist doesn't automatically mean everyone including obama has viewed them the same way. I think if you are going to switch from supporting Obama to Clinton based on this silliness you really did'nt believe in Obama's campaign in the first place, and thats okay. Fact is he is a great leader, inspiring with a world of potential and I believe he is what america needs.

This whole thing is a non story, MSM is making a mountain out of a molehill. Clintons comment about LBJ is right on, if it had not been for LBJ MLK would not have lived long enough to see his dream come true. Nixon or Ford would not have signed the act, Carter may have and you can bet Bill Clinton would have but that would have been 24+ years after MLK's death. Lets move on to some important issues facing America!

Rick: Martin Luther King led the movement, and the movement pressured the political situation. Just because a physician pulls out the baby with forceps, does not mean the physician can take credit for the new life. Obama is right. Change is spurred when we the people get behind a purpose and have a competent and inspiring leader. Hillary has shown little evidence of appreciating this process. She is a policy wonk who loves power. But she displays no talent to lead a movement towards change. She can't heal divisions, convey a vision, nor shepherd towards a future that requires trust.

It has been interesting reading the coments. I did not read all as I have to work but as much as I detest the Clintons, what Bill was trying to say, is that LBJ was instrumental in getting civil rights legislastion past. MLK was not in government. He was a charimastic Baptist preacher trying to stir people up to get change to occur. Sadly his legacy, as well as LBJ's have been distorted over the years. Had MLK not had someone like LBJ fighting for this already in the government, it may have taken another 10 years to occur. Neither lived in a bubble and both had their faults but together change did occur. As to Edwards "I grew in the South." We'll Bubba, I did too and MY south was not as weirded out as YOUR South. There were some ugly moments but nothing like the big cities. On a side note....does anyone know how Edwards really made all his money? Check into it and then decide.
Obama for President? A freshman Senator from Illinois with NO international experience? THAT is scary!

I am so very disappointed in this so called race for the white house. The bible say's he who is without sin, cast the first stone. I could care less about Obama, Clinton, and Edwards past. None of these people are perfect and and it seems to me that they all are electable and if they weren't they wouldn't be running.
I must agree with Obama when he said during a recent debate that” words do mean something" The mud slinging with words has cause so many statements made by all the candidates to be taken out of context.
Here is what should happen, Clinton should run her experience, Obama should continue to run on the platform of change and Edwards should go home and be with his family.
The American people aren't stupid and when the time comes for us to vote, we will.

obama edwards 2008. You guys would would make a great team for the little people. My husband provides well for me and my family. I know it is hard out there for a lot of people. Let's start a movement. Go Edwards! Go Obama
I don't care what order its in. No one would care. This seem to be the ticket. John stay in no matter what anyone would say to you. You do matter.

John Edwards is speaking with such complete CLARITY and drive in these past few months, I cannot see how he cannot be thought of as the most deserving to actually and truthfully FIGHT for our interests (the poor and working class) in DC!

READY.
TO.
LEAD.

Race IS a social construct. Therefore, we are arguing about something that is in our minds, but that is not tangiably real. To stop racism, we need to stop given it value. This doesn't imply ignoring the struggles of African Americans and several other minorities in this country. Gender on the other hand is tangible and real, it is an unspoken and socially accepted form of bigotry, and it looks like these two are playing their hand at it.

This is what you get when you "attack" instead of building the country up, which is Obama's central message.
If Hillary focused on the campaign, and how to help the American people, etc, instead of attacking Obama, we will not be having this discussion.
The Clintons should stop attacking Obama, since Obama is not attacking them.