June 2008 Entries
Governor Tim Pawlenty told The Brody File today that he is defined by his commitment to Christ and is not bashful to talk about it. You can watch the answer above and read the transcription below. Pawlenty is clearly on John McCain’s shortlist for VP candidates. Pawlenty is a born-again Christian and could be the one guy who helps (in part) to motivate Evangelicals to the ballot box and at the same time is able to help woo working class moderates because of his blue collar background
Should Governor Tim Pawlenty be John McCain’s running mate? He’s on the short list and we chatted about that in a Brody File interview here in Washington DC this morning. <
Before some analysis, read more from The Associated Press about the meeting Sunday: John McCain met Sunday with evangelist Billy Graham and his son, Franklin, at the family's mountaintop retreat. The Republican presidential candidate, who is actively courting religious voters and trying to reassure skeptical conservatives, visited privately with the Grahams on the grounds of Little Piney Cove in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. "We had a very excellent conversati
The Brody File producer Robin Mazyck here with another guest blog. David's on vacation, and I'm taking over -- just don't tell my news director.
Before I start let me just say I am writing this on vacation. That my friends (as John McCain would say) is total Brody File dedication! And yes, I have no life!
Brody File Producer, Robin Mazyck, here with this guest blog. David is on vacation, but trust me, he'll find time to post something. So stay tuned for his blog.
Barack Obama has released his first national campaign ad. It's called, "Country I Love." Watch it here.
Brody File producer Robin Mazyck here with a guest blog.
So here you are. On Let's Make a Deal. You're Barack Obama. What do you do when it comes to public financing? Do you take Curtain number 1? Behind it is roughly $80 million in public financing money. Guaranteed money. Or do you take what's in the box? You're not exactly sure what's in the box but you know two things: it's more than $80 million (way more, like potentially $200-300 million) but it comes with a downside. You'll be labeled by your opponent as a hypocrite.
The Brody File recently sat down one-on-one with Barack Obama. I asked him if he thought there was a culture war going on in America.
Brody File producer Robin Mazyck here with this guest blog.
Earlier today The 700 Club aired my story on Barack Obama's outreach efforts to court evangelicals. He's making some strides, but there could be pitfalls too.
Barack Obama dusted off a Ronald Reagan line from the past at his recent meeting with religious leaders in Chicago. In a 1980 convention of Evangelical Ministers Reagan once famously said, "I know you can't endorse me, but I endorse you."
On Tuesday near Detroit, Michigan I spent about 10 minutes one-on-one with Barack Obama. In our conversation I asked him about his message to black conservatives who may be struggling with the fact that they have an historic chance and a real viable shot to vote for an African-American candidate for President yet may have to sacrifice some of their core principles to do it.
The Brody File is not at my home base in Washington, DC today. No. Instead I write this blog from near Detroit where I just completed a 10 minute one-on-one interview with Barack Obama.
Larry Lessig is a law professor at Stanford University and a NON-PAID technology advisor for Barack Obama's campaign. During a handful of lectures throughout the last few years, he has shown a controversial video mocking Jesus You can view it here.
Three days have passed since Tim Russert has passed away and I think about his death constantly. It's so tough. He gave me such a wonderful opportunity to go on "Meet The Press."
Ok. So it's not Father's Day. Sue me. I know Barack Obama gave his Father's Day speech yesterday and I'm just getting around to it now but I was busy opening my ties and Brut by Faberge and Old Spice colognes. Can The Brody File not get something really useful for Father's Day like a new pair of 'blogger pajamas" so I can wear them in the basement while I blog? Sorry. Too much detail. I digress. Let me get to the real reason for this blog.
Here's the relevant question: How far will McCain go to court Clinton voters and Independents at the risk of alienating the base?
The Brody File has just received two important letters.
Read below from The Minnesota Independent: Pawlenty became an evangelical Christian in the mid-1980s when he married Mary Anderson, a member of Wooddale Church, an evangelical megachurch in Eden Prairie. The couple were married by the Rev. Leith Anderson, a senior pastor at Wooddale since 1977. Anderson happens to be the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an organization representing more than 30 million American evangelicals. In fact, Anderson had been the president
The Obama campaign told The Brody File last year through spokesman Bill Burton that: "Barack Obama supports sensible, community-driven education for children because, among other things, he believes it could help protect them from pedophiles. A child's knowledge of the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching is crucial to keeping them safe from predators." Back then, the campaign directed me to Oregon Department of Education guidelines which they said would give
Franklin Graham and Barack Obama in the same room.Yes, it's true. When they both met the other day in a roomful of religious leaders in Chicago, The Brody File was told that Franklin Graham and Sen. Barack Obama shook hands afterwards. Earlier we had reported that they hugged. A Franklin Graham spokesman called and said actually it was a handshake, not a hug. My source called it a "man-hug" but whatever. The bottom line is he was in the room.
How did Barack Obama manage to beat the front runner Hillary Clinton? I went out to Chicago and went inside Obama headquarters to explore how this campaign team pulled it off.
It's politics 101. When your campaign has a distraction get rid of him or her. Jim Johnson, welcome to politics 101.
Barack Obama has some new Christian friends. Mara Vanderlsice is heading up the new Political Action Committee (PAC) called "The Matthew 25 Network" and she tells the Brody File tonight that they will endorse Barack Obama. The group is having a fundraiser tonight but the official rollout isn't for a couple weeks. Vanderslice talked to me about the goal of the group.
More now on Barack Obama's meeting with religious leaders in Chicago this afternoon. As we first reported on The Brody File, Obama is meeting with influential mega-pastor TD Jakes and pro-life Catholic constitutional law professor Doug Kmiec. Read more here on that. That's a big deal. A really big deal. The fact that these two conservative men are meeting with Obama may be a signal that Obama's campaign is ready to break down the traditional wall of separation between conservatives and lib
Sources in Washington D.C. tell me that Barack Obama is meeting with religious leaders in Chicago, including influential mega-pastor TD Jakes and prominent conservative Catholic constitutional lawyer Doug Kmiec. They are in the meeting with Obama. More information to come here on The Brody File.
Because of the false report earlier that the McCain campaign had rejected a meeting with Billy Graham, Jeremy Blume, a spokesperson for Franklin Graham wanted to clarify the situation.
There's a story out there that the McCain campaign has rejected a meeting with the Rev. Billy Graham.
The Brody File’s good friend, Dan Gilgoff over at Beliefnet.com has a great interview with Evangelical Public Relations Executive Mark DeMoss. DeMoss has a good read on the climate among Evangelicals. He’s well respected. He believes Barack Obama could get up to 40 percent of the Evangelical vote this November. Read below and then get my take. <
Obama may have a “Jerusalem problem.” The other day in front of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee he told the audience that Jerusalem “must remain undivided”. Now it’s not as clear. Read below from The Washington Post. <
It’s a brilliant move by the McCain campaign. Challenge Obama to new style debates across the country and in the process look like the bi-partisan guy and box Obama into a corner. I’ll explain below but first read from The Los Angeles Times below: <
I went on The 700 Club and talked to Pat Robertson about the state of the Democratic race and a look ahead to the general election. Watch it above.
Shortly after Sen. Barack Obama clinched enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination, I gave my analysis of the historic event on The 700 Club.
Barack Obama vs. John McCain.
Barack Obama, virtually unknown four years ago, has made history.
In the general election, Barack Obama will paint John McCain as "George W. Bush III." In a speech delivered tonight, McCain is effectively saying, "Give me a break."
Barack Obama’s friend, Pastor Michael Pfleger has been told to leave his parish for awhile. Read below from the Chicago Sun-Times:
posted @ Tuesday, June 03, 2008 4:00 AM | Feedback (0)
GG: Who’s Jesus to you? OBAMA: Right. Jesus is a historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher. I think it’s important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history. GG: The conversation stopper, when you say you’
This coming in from Ben Smith at The Politico this afternoon. Read below: <
Goodness gracious. I want to take a lunch break but this dwindling delegate math is so riveting I can’t break away. I think I’ll order out. Let me just say that since it looks like Hillary Clinton won’t concede tonight she really is robbing Obama of a clear cut victory. She could have seen the writing on the wall and she could have looked at the delegate clock and then decided to drop out and let Obama have his moment tonight. That doesn’t look like it will happen. The ev
Life is so confusing. I can’t even keep my checkbook straight and now I’m supposed to make heads or tails about this Democratic nomination fight. Yeah, right. <
A Christian group called the Anti-Defamation Commission wants a Christian as Vice President. They have started an online petition and will send the results to each presidential campaign. You can view the petition here. <
Hillary Clinton has a choice. After today’s Rules and Bylaws Committee decision on Florida and Michigan, she can stand down, praise party unity and sing Kumbyya. Or she can fight on and create chaos. My bet is on chaos. <