Terrorists drafting letter of congrats to be sent directly to president-elect
Posted: November 05, 2008
12:16 pm Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
JERUSALEM – The Hamas terrorist group believes the election of Sen. Barack Obama is an "historic victory" for the world and an opportunity to change U.S. foreign policy toward engagement with America's foes, Ahmed Yousef, Hamas' chief political adviser in the Gaza Strip, told WND in an exclusive interview today.
Yousef, speaking by cell phone from Gaza, said Hamas is drafting a letter of congratulation to be sent tomorrow directly to Obama. He said the current draft of the letter praises the president-elect as "another John F. Kennedy, or great Roosevelt."
"We want to be one of the first to congratulate him," Yousef said.
"This is an historic day, a turning point. I think this is the very first time in history that one country's election concerned everyone everywhere all over [the] world," said Yousef. "Everybody is looking forward to Obama's change, for a change in the U.S. policy, particularly in the Israeli-Palestinian equation, which is the mother of all conflicts."
Yousef told WND he believes an Obama administration will be more willing to engage in dialogue with Hamas.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fidel Castro praises Obama but doesn't endorse him
The Associated Press
HAVANA -- Fidel Castro praised Barack Obama Tuesday as smarter and less warlike than John McCain, but stopped short of endorsing either U.S. presidential candidate.
Cuba's former president said he delayed weighing in until the U.S. election day so that "no one would have time to say I wrote something that could be utilized by the candidates in their campaigns."
"Without a doubt, Obama is more intelligent, cultured and levelheaded than his Republican adversary," Castro wrote in state-controlled newspapers. "McCain is old, bellicose, uncultured, of little intelligence and not healthy."
Castro, 82, has struggled with his own health problems. He has not been seen in public since July 2006. His younger brother Raul formally succeeded him as president in February.
The elder Castro also expressed skepticism about both candidates.
"Worries about the overwhelming problems of the world will not really occupy an important place in the mind of Obama and much less in that of a candidate who, as a fighter pilot, dropped dozens of tons of bombs on the city of Hanoi," he wrote, alluding to McCain's military service.
Castro also wrote that if the Republicans win due to U.S. racism, "the danger of war will increase and the opportunities for peoples to move forward will be reduced."
HAVANA -- Fidel Castro praised Barack Obama Tuesday as smarter and less warlike than John McCain, but stopped short of endorsing either U.S. presidential candidate.
Cuba's former president said he delayed weighing in until the U.S. election day so that "no one would have time to say I wrote something that could be utilized by the candidates in their campaigns."
"Without a doubt, Obama is more intelligent, cultured and levelheaded than his Republican adversary," Castro wrote in state-controlled newspapers. "McCain is old, bellicose, uncultured, of little intelligence and not healthy."
Castro, 82, has struggled with his own health problems. He has not been seen in public since July 2006. His younger brother Raul formally succeeded him as president in February.
The elder Castro also expressed skepticism about both candidates.
"Worries about the overwhelming problems of the world will not really occupy an important place in the mind of Obama and much less in that of a candidate who, as a fighter pilot, dropped dozens of tons of bombs on the city of Hanoi," he wrote, alluding to McCain's military service.
Castro also wrote that if the Republicans win due to U.S. racism, "the danger of war will increase and the opportunities for peoples to move forward will be reduced."
Barack Obama's Kenyan family to celebrate by slaughtering bulls, chicken and goats
Times reporter attends the Obama family victory feast in the village of Kogelo, Kenya, and brings along a live goat
Rob Crilly in Kogelo, Kenya
There's only one thing to take to a Kenyan election victory feast: a goat. Preferably still breathing - “a sign of freshness“ - and with big testicles, apparently the sign of quality breeding.
And so it was that I found myself bouncing along a dirt track towards the ancestral home of the Obamas in a saloon car with the sound of John the goat bleating miserably from the boot.
It had not been easy finding such a quality specimen. The local livestock market had mostly sheep and cattle, with only a few scrawny goats on hand.
Instead, John was spotted at the side of the road by my driver George, who was impressed by the size of its belly and, well, other attributes.
He was mine for 2500 shillings, a little under £20, and roughly the price of 20 pints of beer or eight malaria-proof bednets.
“This is a fine animal,” said Abongo Malik Obama, at the lush family homestead in the far west of Kenya, surrounded by grazing cattle and fields thick with maize. “You are certainly welcome now to stay and sit around the fire tonight.” By then John will be nyama choma - the Swahili term for grilled meat.
He was to be only one small part of a vast celebration feast starting last night and comprising four bulls, 16 chickens and assorted sheep and goats.
“We are Africans, so our plan is to slaughter a bull and have friends come over,” said Abongo, the candidate’s oldest half-brother.
“We invite Kogelo (the village where Mr Obama's Kenyan family lives) to come over and it will be open house. People will just come on over and bring a couple of sodas.”
Losing has never been considered in a country gripped by Obamamania for the best part of four years. Ever since their “lost son” was elected to the Senate everyone has been expecting him to become president.
Every twist and turn of his primary battle and general election campaign have been followed in the local papers and on television in the belief that his rise was inevitable.
Today, early signs of celebration were obvious everywhere, long before the polls opened.
American flags hung from trees in the city centre of Kisumu, the regional capital, and flapped from the handlebars of bicycle taxis.
The Jamaican reggae hit, “Barack Obama”, by Cocoa Tea boomed from matatus - the battered minibus taxis that most locals use to get around.
And bars were setting up big screens so that patrons could watch television coverage from the US as a whole nation held its breath for the signal to celebrate.
In Kogelo, women peeled onions and stoked cooking fires - yet another reminder of the vast gulf between his American dream and their African reality.
Children rehearsed their songs ahead of a party being held at a neighbouring school, the Senator Barack Obama Secondary School, while gospel music pumped from a marquee where priests were praying for victory.
Abongo, sitting in front of the tin-roofed shack that once belonged to Obama’s father, a government economist who died in a car accident more than two decades ago, said dozens of family members had congregated for a historic event.
“The reason we are here is that we are looking forward to a great day to celebrate,” he said, rubbishing any suggestion that Mr McCain might win. “We are not considering that possibility. I am not,” he said confidently, as a cock crowed in the shade of a mango tree.” The first stage of the celebrations was starting tonight.
Relatives, including some from England, were planning to stay up watching the results start to filter across the Atlantic.
Tomorrow, they will move to the neighbouring school where the chickens are breathing their last.
“It’s going to be chaotic,” said Ben Semel, from New York, who was helping organise the feast, “especially when everyone goes through the election night without sleeping.”
The Role of Race: It Was Important
The Corner,
[Byron York]
The exit polls suggest that race was a factor in a lot of voters' decisions — and that, on balance, it worked to Barack Obama's advantage. In Ohio, for example, six percent of voters said that race was the most important factor in their decision. Among them, Obama won 59-40. Another 13 percent said race was an important factor in their vote, and Obama won among them, 52-46. So nearly one in five voters said race was an important part of their decision, and more of them voted for Obama than McCain.
Beyond that, eight percent said race was a "minor factor" in their decision — and they went for McCain, 56-44. Finally, 71 percent said race played no role at all in their decision — and Obama won among them, 54-45.
[Byron York]
The exit polls suggest that race was a factor in a lot of voters' decisions — and that, on balance, it worked to Barack Obama's advantage. In Ohio, for example, six percent of voters said that race was the most important factor in their decision. Among them, Obama won 59-40. Another 13 percent said race was an important factor in their vote, and Obama won among them, 52-46. So nearly one in five voters said race was an important part of their decision, and more of them voted for Obama than McCain.
Beyond that, eight percent said race was a "minor factor" in their decision — and they went for McCain, 56-44. Finally, 71 percent said race played no role at all in their decision — and Obama won among them, 54-45.
Obama Wins White House, Becomes First Black President
FOXNews.com
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Barack Obama will become the first black president of the United States, with a sweeping Election Day victory.
Change has come.
Barack Obama made history Tuesday night when he was elected to become the first black president of the United States.
The 47-year-old Democratic junior senator from Illinois swept to a landslide victory over his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, building an Electoral College majority of at least 349 votes.
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," Obama told a massive crowd of cheering supporters in Chicago's Grant Park Tuesday night.
"It's been a long time coming, but tonight because of what we did on this day, in this election, on this defining moment, change is coming to America."
With his victory, Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, is poised to turn the page on Republican policies of the last eight years, as well as some racial barriers that have stood for generations.
McCain, speaking in Phoenix, Ariz., said he called Obama to concede. He urged his supporters to move beyond their "disappointment," and said Obama was worthy of respect for the race he had run.
"Whatever our differences, we are all Americans," McCain said, with running mate Sarah Palin standing by his side. "Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours."
President Bush also called Obama to congratulate him.
The Illinois senator climbed over the top at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday with victories in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. It takes 270 electoral votes to win.
The crowd of tens of thousands in Grant Park erupted in cheers once it was clear the Illinois senator had clinched the presidency.
They were eagerly watching the returns build in their candidate's favor all evening. Obama delivered a crushing defeat earlier in the night by clinching Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, states that were key to McCain's electoral strategy. Obama later won the major swing state of Florida.
The Democratic nominee also took a commanding lead over his Republican rival with a slew of victories in reliable East Coast and Midwestern territory, and red states scattered throughout the country. In the end, he significantly expanded his party's 2004 electoral map.
Obama has so far won New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Vermont and the District of Columbia. He also won all four electoral votes in Maine and scored a victory in his home state of Illinois, as well as in Indiana, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and New Mexico.
McCain has won Texas and Georgia, as well as Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, South Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Utah, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. He won three of Nebraska's five electoral votes.
The Democratic nominee has so far amassed 349 electoral votes to McCain's 158.
Pennsylvania, with its 21 electoral votes, was one of the few states that voted Democratic in the 2004 presidential election that McCain was actively pursuing. Another was New Hampshire, which Obama also won Tuesday. McCain aides initially objected to the Pennsylvania call, complaining that it was too early to project.
But McCain's narrow path to victory was made air tight after he lost Ohio and its 20 electoral votes, and Virginia's 13.
Races in Missouri and North Carolina were still too close to call.
Both candidates took their campaigns well into Election Day, as each battled for votes at the 11th hour.
McCain, who all along faced an uphill road to attaining the 270 electoral votes needed to win, first flew into Colorado for his final rally. Then he visited dozens of volunteers at a New Mexico phone bank, before finally heading home to Phoenix.
Obama, in an election day tradition that perhaps demonstrated his confidence, played basketball Tuesday afternoon in Chicago with friends and staff.
Both candidates and their running mates joined enthusiastic voters Tuesday morning in casting their ballots. An estimated 153 million voters were eligible, and in an indication of interest in the battle for the White House, 40 million of them had already voted as Election Day dawned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Barack Obama will become the first black president of the United States, with a sweeping Election Day victory.
Change has come.
Barack Obama made history Tuesday night when he was elected to become the first black president of the United States.
The 47-year-old Democratic junior senator from Illinois swept to a landslide victory over his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, building an Electoral College majority of at least 349 votes.
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," Obama told a massive crowd of cheering supporters in Chicago's Grant Park Tuesday night.
"It's been a long time coming, but tonight because of what we did on this day, in this election, on this defining moment, change is coming to America."
With his victory, Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, is poised to turn the page on Republican policies of the last eight years, as well as some racial barriers that have stood for generations.
McCain, speaking in Phoenix, Ariz., said he called Obama to concede. He urged his supporters to move beyond their "disappointment," and said Obama was worthy of respect for the race he had run.
"Whatever our differences, we are all Americans," McCain said, with running mate Sarah Palin standing by his side. "Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours."
President Bush also called Obama to congratulate him.
The Illinois senator climbed over the top at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday with victories in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. It takes 270 electoral votes to win.
The crowd of tens of thousands in Grant Park erupted in cheers once it was clear the Illinois senator had clinched the presidency.
They were eagerly watching the returns build in their candidate's favor all evening. Obama delivered a crushing defeat earlier in the night by clinching Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, states that were key to McCain's electoral strategy. Obama later won the major swing state of Florida.
The Democratic nominee also took a commanding lead over his Republican rival with a slew of victories in reliable East Coast and Midwestern territory, and red states scattered throughout the country. In the end, he significantly expanded his party's 2004 electoral map.
Obama has so far won New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Vermont and the District of Columbia. He also won all four electoral votes in Maine and scored a victory in his home state of Illinois, as well as in Indiana, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and New Mexico.
McCain has won Texas and Georgia, as well as Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, South Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Utah, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. He won three of Nebraska's five electoral votes.
The Democratic nominee has so far amassed 349 electoral votes to McCain's 158.
Pennsylvania, with its 21 electoral votes, was one of the few states that voted Democratic in the 2004 presidential election that McCain was actively pursuing. Another was New Hampshire, which Obama also won Tuesday. McCain aides initially objected to the Pennsylvania call, complaining that it was too early to project.
But McCain's narrow path to victory was made air tight after he lost Ohio and its 20 electoral votes, and Virginia's 13.
Races in Missouri and North Carolina were still too close to call.
Both candidates took their campaigns well into Election Day, as each battled for votes at the 11th hour.
McCain, who all along faced an uphill road to attaining the 270 electoral votes needed to win, first flew into Colorado for his final rally. Then he visited dozens of volunteers at a New Mexico phone bank, before finally heading home to Phoenix.
Obama, in an election day tradition that perhaps demonstrated his confidence, played basketball Tuesday afternoon in Chicago with friends and staff.
Both candidates and their running mates joined enthusiastic voters Tuesday morning in casting their ballots. An estimated 153 million voters were eligible, and in an indication of interest in the battle for the White House, 40 million of them had already voted as Election Day dawned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
