Obama on 60 Minutes: No Torture, No Gitmo (Video)

By Ari Melber

In his first television interview since being elected President, Barack Obama talked about a range of personal, economic and foreign policy issues on "60 Minutes" Sunday night. In one of the most important exchanges, Obama reaffirmed his commitment to human rights and restoring America's "moral stature" by banning torture and closing Gitmo.

Some commentators have been speculating (or advocating) that Obama will back off his campaign pledges on this score. In a premature article last week, The Wall Street Journal speculated that "pragmatists" in the new administration might "keep the road open in certain cases" for the "CIA to use harsh techniques not approved by the military," or potentially torture. Thankfully, Obama ruled that out in the interview:

Read More »

November 16, 2008

Facebooking Obama's Cabinet

By Ari Melber

While many politicos have been speculating about how President Obama will tap technology to govern, some of the tools that propelled his campaign are already being used to monitor his transition team.

Obama announced some new staff pics on Wednesday. Within hours, Christina Bellantoni, who traveled with the Obama campaign for The Washington Times, was busy blogging their Facebook profiles. She found that Josh Gotbaum, who has the huge task of heading the "review team" at Treasury, has the right interests posted on his profile: "Fixing organizations, business, government, politics and singing." And while he only has 159 friends, one of them is Larry Summers. "Could be a tea leaf for Treasury Secretary, or could just mean they are pals," observes Bellantoni. And that's the thing about Facebook friends -- you never know whether they are real friends, or just wonks building a network for the next cabinet.

Read More »

November 13, 2008

Totally Awesome Obama Ohio Video Hits YouTube

By Ari Melber

You know this whole thing could still come down to Ohio.

The presidential race was so close last time, in fact, that the margin averaged out to just nine votes per precinct across the Buckeye state. That's one of the motivating points in a new GOTV video on YouTube, which Obama's aides uploaded on Thursday night, appealing for more volunteers in the homestretch.

The feature starts with footage from Obama's recent address to a statewide meeting for organizers, and then dashes through images of Ohio scenery and hard-working volunteers. Like other Obama GOTV messages, the video closes by pressing supporters to remember that victory would be enthralling, but defeat is always possible. In other words, Don't Let Up.

Read More »

October 30, 2008

Bill Clinton Touts Obama's Organizing & Internet Prowess

By Ari Melber

Former President Bill Clinton had plenty of love for Barack Obama on Wednesday night, but as The Nation's Net movement correspondent, the emphasis on Obama's Internet prowess really caught my ear.

Obama's web team liked it, too, apparently. This short clip of Clinton's "rousing praise" for Obama's qualifications as chief executive was uploaded to Obama's official YouTube within hours of the rally:

Read More »

October 30, 2008

Palin's 2012 Talk Leaves McCain Aide Speechless

By Ari Melber

Asked about the prospect of losing this election, Sarah Palin told ABC News in a Wednesday interview that she is not backing down.

Palin said she would never wave a "white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken," which has people buzzing, again, about her desire to run at the top of a presidential campaign ticket. (Transcript below.)

CNN's Dana Bash upped the ante on Wednesday night, reporting that she read Palin's remark to a McCain aide, rendering the person speechless. "This is certainly not a surprise to anybody who has watched Sarah Palin that she is interested in potentially future national runs," Bash said, "but it is an 'if,' and people inside of the McCain campaign do not want any discussion [of] it six days before the election." Bash, who covers Sen. McCain for CNN, stressed that Palin's comment was not playing well on The Straight Talk Express: "This is not at least initially being received well inside of the McCain campaign."

Read More »

October 29, 2008

Devastating New Ad Hits McCain on Bush Economics

By Ari Melber

The only thing more damaging to John McCain than Keating Economics is Bush Economics.

That's the idea behind a devastating new attack ad that the DNC launched Sunday. To kick off the last full week before the election, Democrats are stressing McCain's firm support for Bush's economic policies with a web ad featuring a fleet of senior McCain surrogates. Some took to the TV studios to tout McCain's Bush-like approach to taxes and growth, while others are shown, cornered and empty-handed, when asked to name a single economic issue on which McCain disagrees with the President. "McCain's own surrogates have repeatedly said that John McCain would continue President Bush's economic policies," explains the DNC, so the video just brought all the documentary footage together in one spot.

The ad's ending is priceless, as Gov. Mark Sanford flails and fails to offer a single contrast between McCain and Bush on the economy. Briefly and meekly, he floats NAFTA, but then concedes that example is more about "consistency." You almost feel for him, unless you recall that he only looks bad because he is awkwardly, consciously dissembling without a scrap of evidence. Just like his candidate.

Read More »

October 26, 2008

McCain: Upload Your Joe The Plumber Video

By Ari Melber

When it comes to Joe The Plumber, it will get worse before it gets better. The McCain campaign is not letting Joe go.

On Monday, in fact, McCain launched a new Internet competition for supporters to explain how they are most like Joe The Plumber. Seriously.

"How are you like Joe The Plumber?" asks a new campaign email, directing people to the website www.johnmccain.com/Joe, and promising that the best video submitted "could end up on the air as a TV ad."

Read More »

October 20, 2008

Obama Speaks Out on Powell Endorsement (Updated re George Will)

By Ari Melber

Barack Obama welcomed the endorsement of Colin Powell at a North Carolina rally on Sunday, linking the decorated veteran to soldiers serving today.

"With so many brave men and women from Fayetteville serving in our military, this is a city and a state that knows something about great soldiers," he told the crowd, according to remarks released by the campaign. "And this morning, a great soldier, a great statesman, and a great American has endorsed our campaign to change America. I have been honored to have the benefit of his wisdom and counsel from time to time over the last few years, but today, I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to have the support of General Colin Powell," said Obama.

Obama benefited from some of Powell's wisdom on Sunday morning, when the two spoke for about ten minutes. Robert Gibbs, a senior aide to the senator, said Obama told Powell that "he looked forward to taking advantage of his advice in the next two weeks and hopefully over the next four years."

Read More »

October 19, 2008

Fox News on Obama's Fox Attacks

By Ari Melber

Barack Obama gave Fox News a hard time this week. He tweaked the channel at the last debate and mocked their coverage at the Al Smith dinner, with Rupert Murdoch sitting in the audience. The campaign says it decided to confront Fox more aggressively, as I recently reported, and now Fox is giving the issue prime time attention.

Greta Van Susteren devoted a segment to Obama's "Attack Fox Strategy" on Thursday, which ran as the show's top clip online all day Friday. Citing the remarks from the debate and the dinner, Van Susteren laid out the question. "It doesn't end there," she said. "According to the magazine The Nation, an aide to Senator Obama actually says this is part of a coordinated strategy by the Democratic nominee to take on Fox News. Why is Senator Obama doing this?"

The answer, at least according to writer and Fox contributor Bill Sammon, is nerves. "[Obama] must be a little nervous if he feels compelled to beat up on FOX News," Sammon said.

Read More »

October 17, 2008

Jay-Z Uploads New Video for Obama

By Ari Melber

The rapper and music mogul Jay-Z cut a new video today, but there's no fancy cars or beautiful women in this number. This one is about Change.

The flamboyant rapper uploaded a spare, serious message on Barack Obama's official YouTube channel, advising Michigan residents on the state rules for voting. "Even if you don't have I.D. you can still vote," he says. This is not the first time Obama and Jay-Z have met on YouTube, as I wrote during the primary, though it does show the Obama campaign's sophisticated use of celebrity support and online organizing. The campaign is tapping Jay-Z's star status for targeted education and mobilization, and leaving the press aside. (There has been no press release about the video so far.) And Michigan, home of a famous music scene in Detroit and a large African American Democratic base, might just listen to Jay-Z's advice.

Read More »

October 16, 2008