Obama Gets Involved In Local Georgia Race

[wyldwolf]

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has taped a radio commercial on behalf of U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah, who faces a July 15 primary challenge.

... the Obama campaign made clear... that it sees Barrow, a two-term Democrat, as an important ally.

“Senator Obama believes that Congressman Barrow has worked hard to bring change that families in his district deserve, and we’ll work hard to help John Barrow win in November,” Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.

Barrow beat a Republican incumbent in 2004 and had tough GOP opposition in 2006. But this April, Barrow picked up unexpected opposition from Regina Thomas, a well-known African-American state senator based in Savannah. Barrow is white, and In past primaries in the 12th District, black voters have cast nearly 70 percent of the ballots.

Barrow had endorsed Obama in late February, a few weeks after the Illinois senator won the Georgia primary. And within weeks of Thomas joining the race, Barrow, a conservative Democrat, was placed at the top of a list of 14 national co-chairs for Obama’s massive, 50-state voter registration drive...

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/06/18/obama_cuts_an_ad_to_help_john.html

John Barrow, Blue Dog Democrat, and I believe targeted by MoveOn.

[NightWatcher]

1. Barrow is my rep and he is Super Blue Dog

I cant stand him. He folds faster than a GAP salesman. Good on Obama for the support of a local.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Does not compute.

[JeffR]

3. I was really happy about Barrow's win last time around.

IIRC, it was the narrowest winning margin of any Congressional race in the country.

Since then, he's been pretty much a big disappointment.

[SparkyMac]

6. Tip O'Neil once said: "All politics is local" ....

You have to be local to really understand just how worthless most Congressmen really are.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. I can't get down with Obama on this one. It's time to get rid of DLC scum. n/t

[enough]

5. Glenn Greenwald has a scathing analysis of this today. Barrow is PRO telecom immunity.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/06/19/obama/index.html

I cannot understand why Obama is supporting this guy.

[cloudythescribbler]

7. Similar criticisms were made -- eg by the indomitable Lenni Brenner -- about Jesse Jackson

Politics isn't always pretty -- and this axiom, often brushed aside in situations like this (admittedly not pretty, and not one that I endorse) is typically invoked in situations of the most horrific brutality and injustice as committed by the always-adulated privileged Tories of US politics.

[Fire_brand]

8. Chance to test the waters in GA, i'm guessing