^Jorthxub (©böerUCr__________________________ May 21. 2008
PageA2
Obama: Lay Off My Wife
Calls strategy ‘low class'
(A P) — D em ocrat B arack
O b a m a has a m e ssa g e for
Tennessee’s Republican Party:
"Lay o ff my wife."
Obam a, his party's presiden­
tial front-runner, and his wife.
Michelle, were asked in an in­
terview aired Monday on ABC's
"Good Morning America" about
an online video last week by the
state's G O P taking her to task
for a com m ent some consid­
ered unpatriotic.
"The GOP, should I be the
nominee, can say w hatever they
want to say about me, my track
record," O bam a said. "If they
think that they’re going to try to
make M ichelle an issue in this
cam paign, they should be care­
ful because that I find unac­
ceptable, the notion that you
start attacking my wife or my
family."
He called the strategy "low
class."
T h e v id e o , p o s te d on
YouTube, centered on remarks
M ichelle Obam a made while
cam paigning in W isconsin last
February, when she said: "For
the first tim e in my adult life, I
am really proud of my country."
The four-m inute video re’
played the remark six times,
interspersing it with com m en­
tary by Tennesseans on why
they are proud o f America. In a
news release that included a
link to the video, Tennessee's
G O P said "the Tennessee Re­
publican Party has always been
proud of America." It urged ra­
dio stations to play "patriotic
music" during Michelle Obama's
visit to Nashville last Thursday.
M ichelle Obam a later clari­
fied the rem ark, saying she
meant she was proud o f how
Am ericans were engaging in
P o rtla n d W a te rfro n t R a lly - Sen. Barack Obama generated the largest political crowd in Oregon
history Sunday when 7 5 .0 0 0 people packed the downtown waterfront on a sun-drenched afternoon
to hear the Democratic presidential candidate speak. It was also the biggest crowd by any candi­
date in the presidential primaries this year.
the political process and that
"W hoever is in charge o f the campaign they want to run, and
she had alw ays been proud o f Tennessee G O P needs to think I think that stru eto rev ery b o d y ,
her country.
long and hard about the kind of D e m o c ra t o r R e p u b lic a n ,
Obam a said in the ABC inter­
view, adding: "These folks should
lay o ff my w ife.”
O bam a said his wife "loves
this country. For them to try to
distort or to play snippets of her
remarks in ways that are unflat­
tering to her is, I think, just low
class. I think that most o f the
American people would think
that as well."
T e n n e s s e e ’s R e p u b lic a n
Party was roundly criticized in
March, including by likely presi­
dential nominee John McCain,
for a news release that used
Barack Obama's middle name
— Hussein — and showed a
photo o f him wearing what it
said was "M uslim attire."
The release ultimately was
rem oved from the party's Web
site at the urging o f the state's
tw o Republican senators and
Republican National C om m it­
tee Chairm an M ike Duncan,
who said he "rejects these kinds
o f cam paign tactics."
PDC Considers Heritage Markers
The P ortland D evelopm ent
C o m m issio n is inviting the
com m unity to review and com ­
ment on a concept m aster plan
fo r a sp ec ia l g a te w a y and
m arkers into northeast P ort­
land neighborhoods.
An open house will take
place W ednesday, M ay 28,
betw een 6 p.m . and 8 p.m . at
Irvington V illage, 420 N.E.
M ason St.
The main gateway would be
located at the traffic triangle
A North Star beacon is one o f
the conceptions for a series o f
heritage markers for N ortheast
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
BUILD YOUR SMALL CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS?
where M artin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard and Grand Avenue
merge. The plan also includes a
series o f heritage makers along
MLK between the gateway and
Rosa Parks Way.
The concept for the m ark­
ers project was d ev eloped in
collaboration with m em bers o f
the northeast com m unity. A
stak eh o ld er advisory co m m it­
tee has been m eeting since
O cto b er to provide guidence
to PDC staff and the design
team .
In ad d itio n , public events
w e re h e ld in Ja n u a ry an d
M arch to obtain input and com ­
m ent from com m unity m em ­
bers.
T he plan also suggests that
a gatew ay should enhance the
pedestrian environm ent, incor-
Sheltered Market Program. Certified Minority, Women and Emerging Small
A panel o f historical im ages
is one o f the conceptions for
a Portland Development
Commission “Gateway"
marker into northeast
Portland neighborhoods.
Festival Celebrates Diversity
continued
The City of Portland is Re-opening the application period for the Construction
porate m ulticultural public art
and announce the entrance
to an historic area o f P ort­
land.
The heritage m arkers may
honor individuals, cultural or
historical ev en ts or topics o f
significance to P o rtlan d 's in ­
ner northeast neighborhoods.
PDC is in the p ro cess o f
securing funding for the c o n ­
struction phase.
For m ore inform ation, con­
tact Irene B ow ers, p roject
m anager at 5 03-823-2419 or
B o w e rsl@ p d c .u s.
from Front
“We seek answers to the ques­
tions of why there is so much racial
discrimination,” says Zach Free­
man is a junior at PSU and a Roots
Festival coordinator. "Why is there
is so much man-made pollution and
an overwhelming lack of tolerance
for difference in the world? This
day is a chance to celebrate our
flourishing differences in concert.”
PSU is the most diverse student
body in Oregon, representing ap­
proximately 25,000 students.
For more information, visit the
Roots F estiv al’s w ebsite at
ro o tsfe stiv al.g ro u p s.p d x .ed u /
index.php.
Businesses (M/W/ESB) in business for two years or more may apply for
The Portland hip-
hop group Lifesavas will perform at Thursday's Roots Festival on
the Portland State University Park Blocks.
r-
the program. Program participants will have opportunities to bid on City of
Portland construction projects, and can receive free technical assistance to
Oregon
D ep a rtm en t
o f Transportation
improve their business management skills.
The following areas of work will be open for applications from
Monday April 7 to Friday May 30
Street Improvements
Concrete flat work
Reinforced concrete construction
Sewerage treatment lines
Excavation
Plumbing
Building construction
Structural Demolition
For more information, contact:
Gene Jackson, Program Coordinator
(503) 823-9166, Eugene.jackson@ci.portland.or.us
I WORK ON
OREGON’S HIGHWAYS
Please drive cautiously in all work zones. Because at the end
of the day, just like you, I want to come home to my family.
This summer the Oregon Department of Transportation is
working on our highways, repairing and replacing bridges on
Interstate 5.
Please, be patient, be safe and be prepared:
Visit TripCheck.com or dial 5-1-1 before you go.
OHM
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