Obama's Interview With NPR June 1

Obama spoke with NPR's Michele Norris of All Things Considered and Steve Inskeep of Morning Edition today on his speech in Egypt, Iran, Hamas, Afghanistan, Israel--"part of being a good friend is being honest"--and Cheney. Obama is as graceful and calm as ever when he talks about Cheney. Norris asks Obama if Cheney makes things more difficult. Listen to the entire interview here.

"I don't think we have to change strong support for Israel," Obama said during an interview with NPR hosts Michele Norris of All Things Considered and Steve Inskeep of Morning Edition.

"We do have to retain a constant belief in the possibilities of negotiations that will lead to peace," Obama said. "And that's going to require, from my view, a two-state solution."

It will also require, he said, a freeze on Israeli settlements, including expansion to accommodate successive generations of settlers, and for Palestinians to make progress on security and end "the incitement that understandably makes Israelis so concerned."

The president also suggested that the United States' special relationship with Israel requires some tough love. "Part of being a good friend is being honest," Obama said. "And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory, in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests. And that's part of a new dialogue that I'd like to see encouraged in the region."

Obama's Inauguration a Sea of Color

NPR's Michele Norris says many young black men live in Washington, but they don't usually attend inaugurations.
This inauguration was different.
Moderator David Gregory points out that there are many, mostly the young generation, who see Obama outside of his race.
Stephen Hayes of the conservative Weekly Standard said he was deeply moved when he overheard snippets of conversation from three generations of black men.
NYT's Tom Friedman says he wishes Sarah Palin was at the inauguration so that she could see what the "real America" is. Good stuff.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

NPR's York Project on Race

I loved this series, which had its final episode recently. It explored race in the context of the election. NPR met in York, Penn. with a mix of 13 people from all racial backgrounds, who supported Hillary, McCain and Obama. They spoke frankly of their racial prejudices, discrimination, white fears and some even believed Obama was a Muslim.
Here is the first day in the series. 
Here are the final session's: one, two. It's interesting to see how the voters changed with Obama's election as president. One man, a black man, says he feels like he needs to represent well and he feels like he himself is the president. They talked about how whites would get mad if Obama had a "minority agenda." Michele Norris asks: what is a minority agenda? 
NPR should continue this series.

McCain's Uphill Battle

artwork at obamaartreport.com

McCain's done for.
We can't take that for granted (McCain is a nasty man) but that's the conclusion, given the analysis on the morning political shows.

On Meet the Press this morning, Chuck Todd showed that Obama could win in a landslide, according to the electoral map.

Guests were republican strategist Bob Shrum and democratic strategist Paul Begala. Shrum says McCain has lost his way and needs to connect with voters. Shrum said Palin was a bad choice. She was a base pick and this isn't the year for that, he said. McCain's a liar when he says he puts country first (I said that).

Tom Brokaw asked if the Ayers thing could hurt Obama and Begala says the guilt by association thing isn't going to work and then he brilliantly mentioned mcCain's service for the U.S. Council for World Freedom, some wack group in the 1980s that McCain was associated with. (Begala needs to speak on behalf of the Obama campaign more often. He's more effective than John Kerry, who always seems to be out there.)

Of course, there's McCain's Keating scandal. What about yachting on his birthday with convicted felon? Guilt by association works both ways.

During the roundtable, Gwen Ifill says the McCain camp is going to try something new every week to distract. She said she herself was one of those distractions leading up to the debate. McCain's camp said she couldn't be fair because she was writing a book that they said was pro-Obama. She's writing a book about the new generation of black politicians.

Chuck Todd says McCain is just using a series of tactics -- not strategy. That's because McCain doesn't know the difference between strategy and tactics (me again).

On the Chris Matthews show, Kathleen Parker said there really is no republican party. There is a lack of confidence. They're not for McCain. They're voting against Obama. (I guess this is why they're spewing so much hate). Parker is the conservative columnist who came out against Palin. She said she did so to preserve her journalistic integrity. Love it. All these weasels still defending McCain's stupidity will lose credibility, except for a small audience who wants to only hear good things about McCain. 

Parker said Palin was like a windup doll during the debate. She spoke so fast because she had to answer questions before she forgot. She said that Palin will be kept in a bubble for the remaining days.

NPR's Michele Norris said of the debate: You saw in Joe Biden a wise old hand, who could handle a crisis and you also saw someone who was allergic to complexity.

Morning Joe dude, a conservative, said that once the bailout is behind us, people will stop talking about the economy. What? This is the out of touchness that McCain has as well. When you don't really care about people who are suffering because you don't really have an answer for them, you don't really care. It's a vicious circle.

Morning Joe said that the McCain strategy here on out is to focus on getting out the conservative vote, it's base. Palin won't be on any news shows and she won't be sitting down for interviews, he said. She'll be campaigning.

For the upcoming town hall debate, Norris said Obama will use his youth and athleticism to work the stage and may take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves like he does in the town hall.

Tom Brokaw, moderator of the debate, apparently is going to ask mostly substantive questions during the debate Tuesday night.

Norris said Obama still could lose the campaign. Will the people of Appalachia vote for the white guy or will they vote their interests? I happen to think the youth vote will more than compensate for the racist vote.

Here's a video they played on Meet the Press. McCain gets testy when asked about Palin's competence (about 1.26 mins in)

Meet the Press roundtable

Obama's Name Didn't Appear

on the michigan ballot and obama barely campaigned in florida but hillary has her angry face on and is not letting up. that's just nasty, completely unfair. the obama camp, which has always contended that those two states delegates would be seated, says it's willing to compromise with hillary. but that probably won't be enough for her. she's awfully ungracious.

cnn: Obama senior adviser David Axelrod says the Illinois senator’s campaign is “open to compromise” and willing to cede Hillary Clinton the advantage in talks over the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations at the Democratic National Convention this summer.

"We are willing to go more than half way. We're willing to work to make sure that we can achieve a compromise," Axelrod tells National Public Radio’s Michele Norris in a Wednesday evening interview. "And I guess the question is: is Senator Clinton's campaign willing to do the same?"

Clinton spent Wednesday in Florida highlighting her push for full delegations from both states to be seated in accordance with their January votes, which were not sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee because of the early primary dates. Her campaign has charged the Obama team with blocking a compromise on the issue – a claim that campaign has denied.

Obama's Dignity Politics