VOA标准英语2008年-Obama Picks Up Fresh Support in Nomination Batt

By Jim Malone
Washington
09 May 2008

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama picked up more support Friday in his battle with rival Hillary Clinton for the party's presidential nomination¹.  Both candidates campaigned in Oregon, which holds a primary on May 20.  VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the U.S. presidential campaign from Washington.

Following his decisive victory in North Carolina on Tuesday and his narrow defeat in Indiana, Barack Obama has been shifting his focus away from Senator Clinton to the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain.

Obama took his campaign to Beaverton, Oregon, on Friday.

"We have a fundamental difference on our priorities for president," he said.  "John McCain wants to continue George Bush's war in Iraq, losing thousands of lives and spending hundreds of billions of dollars to fight a war that is not making us safe.  I want to end this war.  I want to invest that money in America, in our roads and our bridges and our ports and our schools."

Obama campaigned amid fresh signs that he is picking up momentum² in his fight with Senator Clinton to nail down the Democratic nomination.

Five more superdelegates announced their support for Obama, including the president of a large labor³ union and a congressman⁴ from New Jersey⁵ who had been supporting Senator Clinton.

Obama has now wiped out Clinton's longstanding lead in the number of superdelegate committments.  The nearly 800 superdelegates are Democratic officeholders and party activists⁶ who are not bound by the results of caucuses⁷ and primaries and can vote for either candidate at the convention.

Obama continues to lead in the overall delegate count and most experts give Clinton virtually no chance to catch him by the end of the primary season on June 3.

Obama is favored in the May 20 primary in Oregon, while Clinton is counting on keeping her fleeting⁸ hopes alive with strong showings in West Virginia next Tuesday and in Kentucky, which also holds a primary on May 20.

In her campaign stops, Clinton continues to cast herself as a champion of working class Democrats⁹.

"You have to have a president who gets up every day and fights for you, who never gives up on you, who always keeps going for our country," she said.  "That is what I will do if I am given the chance to serve as your president."

In another sign of Obama's march toward the Democratic nomination, Republican John McCain increasingly mentions his differences with Obama on the campaign trail.

In New Jersey Friday, McCain was asked to respond to Obama's comments that McCain had lost his bearings and was trying to smear¹⁰ him by repeatedly saying that the Islamic terrorist group Hamas was supporting Obama in his presidential bid.

"It is very obvious to everyone that Senator Obama shares nothing of the values or goals of Hamas, which is a terrorist organization," he said.  "But it is also a fact that a spokesperson for Hamas said that he approves of Senator Obama's candidacy.  I think that is of interest to the American people, and that is something that needs to be discussed."

McCain also denied a claim by political blogger and commentator¹¹ Arianna Huffington that he told Huffington that he did not vote for President Bush in the 2000 election.

Huffington says two other guests at the dinner party, both television actors, have confirmed her contention¹².  But McCain told reporters Friday that he voted for the president in 2000 and worked hard to get him elected despite the fact they were opponents in the Republican primaries that year.

1 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

8 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

11 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

12 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。