President Eisenhower's granddaughter isn't the only Republican for Barack Obama. Susan Eisenhower may have a famous name, but some Wisconsin political insiders may know Tom Ourada, a former state lawmaker from Antigo, and Jennifer Lord-Kouraichi, a former staffer for a Republican member of Congress. Both cite a number of reasons they support Obama, including concerns over attacks on civil liberties by the Bush administration. "Our elected leadership on both sides of the aisle need to look at that," Ourada said during a recent conference call with reporters. "I certainly believe that Senator Obama is going to be much more inclined to do that, then the Republican nominee in this case," Ourada said. Added Lord-Kouraichi, "I think that the scare tactics of the Bush administration need to end. And, I think the wise leadership of Senator Obama and Senator Biden will make this happen."
Ourada says he's been disappointed by McCain. "The John McCain of this election has voted for George Bush more than ninety percent of the time," he said. "He has fully embraced the failed George Bush agenda that he once opposed, and the tactics of political division of Karl Rove, that he once despised." Lord-Kouraichi, who described herself as a born-again Christian," said she's struck by Obama's commitment to his Christian faith. "I am also extremely impressed by his belief that we can disagree while still finding common ground," said Lord-Kouraichi. "For example, I think Senator Obama is absolutely correct that if we don't agree on whether abortion should be legal, that we can pursue policies that would reduce the number of abortions.
Ourada and Lord-Kourachi are not the only members of one political party to step up and support the other party's nominee: erstwhile Hillary Clinton Democrat Deborah Bartoshevich has gone so far as to appear in an ad for Republican John McCain.
