Barack Obama was interviewed on The Ed Schultz Show on Air America Radio just now.
http://www.bigeddieradio.com/
Below is my 'transcript' and commentary.
I'm glad I met Obama twice in person shortly after he was elected to the Senate because it makes it easier to understand what he is saying, how he thinks, how he reacts. He is always rather slow and deliberate. If I hadn't met him in person I might have misunderstood how he pauses and reflects before answering.....
P.S. I'm a lousy proofreader these days. All help is appreciated.
Barack Obama on Ed Schultz Show on Air America Radio. April 2, 2008.
Schultz asked about John Edwards.
BHO: We talk (often)...
the more I talk to him, the more I admire him....he ran a great campaign........
the poor and workers.......
I hope he's heavily involved in my Administration.
ES: Do you want his endorsement.
BHO: pause. Of COURSE I want his endorsement.
Oil.
BHO: Having a President who isn't rattling the saber would probably help (on oil prices).
Temperament.
ES: We never see you sweat.
BHO: I don't get too high with the ups or too low with the downs. I think that is a good temperament for president.
So much of politics is manufactured, is 'ginned up' by the press...We need to focus on the issues.....Most of the 'gotcha' moments aren't relevant to ...the soldier in Iraq, the mother (looking for childcare for her kids).....
ES: Education. Dropout rate?
BHO: Invest in kids' preparedness to start school. Every dollar invested yields (10?). Teachers... not to be teaching to the test. Parents need support, too.
ES: McCain. Did you ever see him lose his temper?
BHO: (sounding slightly embarrassed?) Yes. (Everybody has?)
(McCain has many good qualities but bottom line =) Main issue is that McCain wants to push George Bush's policies for the next four years.
I didn't catch the exact conversation about the mortgage crisis but I think the gist was stabilizing mortgages to prevent economic turmoil (downward) and to keep people in their houses with fixed mortgages they can afford......financial counselling. . . . .
Obama is working with Dodd and others.
(Sounds normal but mild to me. In my ideal world, there would be stern punishments, restoration of New Deal regulations along with modernized laws including plain English contracts and transparency, and more help for the homeless. No home or commercial space would stay empty for long in my ideal world!)
And Obama talked about reducing taxes on seniors getting Social Security ...increasing to $50,000 in income before taxable?
(Did you know that currently seniors and the disabled pay taxes on their Social Security income if their total income is over $25,000 or so?)