India Post: Indo American Clinton supporters merge loyalties with Obama (at Clinton's request)

[highplainsdem]

http://indiapost.com/article/usnews/3259/

Sunday, 07.13.2008

India Post News Service


NEW YORK: For the scores of Democrats among the South Asian community, the recent move of former Clinton campaign advisor Neera Tanden to the Obama campaign has sealed beyond doubt, the merger of loyalties to get a Democratic President elected this November. Indian American Neera Tanden, a longtime policy aide for Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her campaign's policy director, has moved to the Obama campaign as his domestic policy director. Significantly, the senior most Clinton loyalist's move was a strategic and deliberate one that was capped with Clinton's blessings. Prominent South Asian fundraisers in the Clinton campaign, notably New York hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, have also reportedly been asked by Sen. Clinton to lend their fundraising capabilities to the Obama campaign.

Hardcore supporters of both Senators Clinton and Obama among South Asian Democrats and active campaigners, have welcomed the mergers not only in the larger interest of the Democratic Party but also see the moves as a combining of forces to defeat Republican attempts at regaining the White House. "We are willingly working for the Obama campaign now," said New Jersey-based businessman, Prakash Shah, who is a longtime Democrat and a diehard Clinton supporter. "A lot of us seniors have been specifically requested by Sen. Clinton at various meetings in different cities, to support Sen. Obama." Although Shah wholeheartedly agrees that Sen. Obama is a far better candidate for President than presumptive Republican candidate John McCain, he admits that the shifting of loyalties does not come easy.

"When you work feverishly for one campaign, which does not make it, there is bound to be disappointment and the usual moaning and groaning. But you move on," he says. Move on they did, because, as Shah says, "we definitely don't want another Republican in the White House." Shah also concedes that he does not think Sen. Obama the perfect candidate for President, owing to his lack of experience. "Sen. Clinton would definitely have made a better President of course," he says unflinchingly, while rationalizing that a lot of Americans feel experience is not important. "So, we got what we got," he adds smilingly. Active political workers apart, such merging of loyalties is not likely to confuse the South Asian voters who may have been supporters of one or the other Democratic candidate, according to Hrishi Karthikeyan, co-founder of South Asians for Obama (SAFO). SAFO is a national grassroots effort to mobilize the South Asian American community behind Senator Obama's candidacy.

"Such moves (such as Neera Tanden's) are typical of the party consolidation that occurs after the primary race has concluded and the party unites in preparation for the general election contest ahead," explains Karthikeyan. "Tanden is one of the brightest, most thoughtful minds within the Democratic Party today, and I think her strong support of Senator Obama speaks volumes to his strength as a candidate." Further elaborating the point, he says, "I don't believe the community is "confused" by these moves.

-snip-

For South Asian Democrats it is perhaps good enough that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama favor universal health care, a responsible end to the war in Iraq, a rollback of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, a restoration of the basic rule of law in both domestic and international affairs, a comprehensive foreign policy that makes full use of our diplomatic as well as military resources, and an energy policy that focuses on innovation and conservation rather than a further erosion of the planet and resources. "I would note that our community is diverse in its backgrounds and viewpoints, and I would never suggest that we are monolithic or that we proceed in lockstep," says Karthikeyan.

"That said, however, I do believe that our community will overwhelmingly support Senator Obama in the fall as a result of his positive message and agenda for our future. He represents the same values (hard work, education, responsibility, humility, fairness, equality, opportunity and hope) that brought our families to this country in the first place. I believe that our community, like the country at large, is fundamentally unsatisfied with the results of 8 years of failed policies from the current president. They understand that Senator McCain simply offers a continuation of those failed policies, try as he may to convince us otherwise. For that reason, I am confident that the South Asian American community will be solidly behind Senator Obama in November." Shah, who was one of the highest fundraisers for the Clinton campaign - he raised over half-a-million dollars -- is now organizing a fundraiser of Indian Americans for Sen. Obama on July 23rd at the Royal Albert's Palace in New Jersey, which will be attended by Hollywood filmmaker Manoj Night Shyamalan, and several Clinton supporters.

[highplainsdem]

1. kick

:kick:

[Hope And Change]

2. Kick!

[highplainsdem]

3. Kicking again, so people will read how HRC is asking her donors to support Obama.

It's a shame threads like this tend to sink, while the Clinton-bashing threads get a lot of attention and agreement.

[Egnever]

4. I will kick it for ya

this is a good step the more of it that is seen the quicker we can out this puma /denver group nonsense to rest