Obama's sister stumps in Denver
By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published June 24, 2008 at 7:12 p.m.
Updated June 24, 2008 at 7:12 p.m.
Barack Obama's campaign is still working to heal any rifts between his supporters and those who backed Hillary Clinton during the Democratic Party's primary season.
And Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, extended an invitation in Denver Tuesday to that end by asking "recovering Clintonites and recovering Republicans" to support her brother.
"It really is imperative now that we unite and that uniting takes place on a local as well as a global level," she said.
But Clinton superdelegate Mannie Rodriguez could've done without being labeled a "recovering Clintonite" — something he called "pejorative."
"Recovering, huh?" he said. "I guess it's different all over the country. Some have recovered well and some aren't recovered yet."
Still, Rodriguez is taking the "big picture" view and will support Obama because "it's not so much about the man and more about a Democrat in the White House."
And, in a short interview afterwards, Soetoro-Ng clarified remarks in her speech to more than 100 volunteers at the Rude Park Recreation Center in Denver.
"People that were not in the camp are being brought into the fold. That's all I mean," she said. "And that's a beautiful process. It's not without its challenges, but with enough reassurance and affection and industry, the outcome will be quite successful."
Obama clinched the delegate total needed to be the presumptive nominee — something that will become official at the Pepsi Center Aug. 25-28 during the Democratic National Convention.
He also won handily over Clinton in the Colorado caucus and his campaign believes the state will be a battleground during the general election cycle against John McCain.
Soetoro-Ng also went to Boulder for a $250-a-person fundraiser for her brother and urged the volunteers gathered in the gym to work hard to deliver Colorado's nine electoral votes to put Obama in the White House.
Her comments were sprinkled with personal anecdotes about growing up with Obama and how it is a "quintessential American story."
About how their grandmother was a Boeing inspector during World War II and ended up becoming the first female vice president in escrow at a bank in Hawaii. About how their mom taught them to recognize other people's humanity and wasn't afraid of dialogue.
"I think she has given this gift to my brother," she said. "This flexibility, this fearlessness, this ability to walk into any room and say you are a brother, you are a sister and mean it — to hear people, not just to listen, but to actually hear them and understand. To manipulate the space between people so it's charged with positive energy."
And they're hoping to do that within their own party.
On hand at the speech was former Denver Mayor and Obama National Co-Chair Federico Peña, who has already begun working on the healing between Clinton supporters and the Obama campaign as well as doing outreach in the Hispanic community — a block that went solidly for Clinton in Colorado's caucus.
Pena, who served in President Clinton's cabinet, said he has been meeting with Clinton supporters and plans to continue outreach to salve any wounds from the long and bruising primary. He noted the meeting was in the center of a large Hispanic community.
"The Hispanic vote is going to be very important in the state of Colorado and because of that we're going to carry the state for Barack Obama," he said. "Si se puede."
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June 24, 2008
9:28 p.m.
Who_Me writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 24, 2008
9:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
ANOLECOWBOY writes:
I THINK PEOPLE BETTER THINK REAL HARD BEFORE VOTING THIS GUY IN, HE IS SLICK W/HIS ANSWERS AND REMIDIES. JUST LIKE A CON MAN. NEVER IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS, OR ASSOCIATIONS, ALWAYS THE OTHER PERSONS FAULT. OR HE IS UNAWARE OF WHAT HAS BEEEN GOING ON AROUND HIM. KICKS GRAMDMA TO THE STREET, NOW HAD THE BEST UP BRINGING U COULD HAVE IN MID-WEST.
HIM SPEAK W/FORKED TONGUE.
June 25, 2008
3:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
choice2008 writes:
Barack Obama's background is easily available to anyone who has the ability to use the internet for more than posting comments that demonstrate a lack of initiative and an abundance of self-imposed ignorance. It's tiresome that the same drivel is repeated over and over, claiming someone else's catchy phrase as a substitute to taking the initiative to do some basic research. This election is too important to believe that our right to vote frees us from the responsibility to become informed.