Bloomington For Barack
Bush McCain Challenge
From Move on . Wish I could host an event with this. It would be fun. But of course I'm a poor working schmuck. So are most of us I bet. So check out the link and pass it on. Its fun and informative and will surprise you.
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?r=3640&id=12656-9109838-iSg.CY&action_id=121
also Yeah John Edwards!!!! and NARAL action needed here. take the time to tell NARAL thank you for endorsing Barack Obama
NARAL Pro-Choice America
1156 15th Street, NW Suite 700
Washington, DC 2000can@prochoiceamerica.org
Main Number: 202.973.3000
Main Fax: 202.973.3096 thank you and yes can!!!
This is What This Campaign is all About
I read a story last night that needs some publicity. It's not a copyrighted work so I will reproduce it wholesale, but you can find it by clicking here
This is not my story, but it is indicitive of the movement that is building to take America back:
This afternoon I started calling West Virginia for Barack Obama. I had read "Big Coal" by Jeff Goodell and felt a special empathy for the people of West Virginia and wanted to share with people why I thought they would be best served by an Obama presidency.
Most of the people I called weren't home so I left several messages. I did speak to one woman who was undecided and said she appreciated hearing from me and having a chance to hear what I had to say. She said she was most concerned about the candidates' principles and their faith.
Then came the call that put a wrench into my calling.
Read more below...
(read more)Indiana Defended!...
Hoosiers came out in record numbers yesterday and said no to pandering and divisiveness, and yes to the true American leader we see in Barack Obama. And though we may not have won our state's bragging rights, we (along with the help of our North Carolina brothers and sisters) have indeed won the night, and may very well have stopped Hillary Clinton in her tracks.
I'm extremely proud of my state... proud to be a Hoosier... and very proud of my next President, Barack Obama!
Thank you Indiana!
Obama '08
YES WE CAN!!!
(read more)
Don't throw your signs away go to:ObamaCycle-supporters who need signs, campaign gear‏
This site was set up to help Obama supporters who have or need campaign gear find each other. Don't throw your
materials away, reuse them for future primaries! Go to the forum section and you will see many posts. And remember,
all of the materials from NC, IN can be used in upcoming states- http://www.obamacycle.com/ (read more)
Happy are those who dream dreams...
My interest in Senator Obama was ignited during the years I lived in Chicago. During this time Senator Obama planted seeds and built a path that led him to the infamous speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention, and finally to the Indiana primary race.
After years of voting in Illinois where I was comfortable among people of like political minds I am thrilled to say that for the first time I am truly proud to be a voting Democrat in Indiana. While our State's combined grassroots efforts did not result in a win for the Senator, we did something equally important. We proved that despite all of the political trickery Senator Obama's 2% difference makes him a strong candidate in Indiana in the general election against McCain.
I am pleased to have had the chance to work with each and every one of you over these last few weeks, and I hope to continue this effort in the months to come. At the same time I am extremely grateful to those staffers and traveling volunteers who came to Indiana to mobilize efforts here. Your energy, passion, and dedication is truly amazing. As we all take these next few days to reassemble our professional and personal lives I leave you with this thought, "Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."
I look forward to seeing you at Senator Obama's 2009 inauguration.
(read more)I want to have hope folks, but...
I get so discouraged by the effectiveness of "say anything" kitchen-sink smear tactics, incessant tabloid-media distractions passed off as real news, pandering, innuendo, and outright lies that rely on the general ignorance of the lowest common denominator in this country - confidently knowing all along that by the time the actual truth filters down to the masses, it'll be too late!... it makes me sick!
Over the weekend, my girlfriend was walking through the parking lot of our semi-rural Indiana Walmart wearing her Obama shirt, when some hayseed jackass called her a "terrorist lover"!
You know, I WANT to have hope... I WANT to believe in this country's ability to rise above the BS... But misinformed hate like this makes me infinitely frustrated, bitter, and angry! Not to mention the fact that it happened to MY girlfriend! (I really hope I'm the one that runs across you next time you redneck pr***!)
I'm no less proud to be an American, but I'm a little less proud of America - and its liars and hate-mongers from both the GOP and (yes) the Clinton campaign that continue to perpetuate their vile messages to the gullible, with absolutely no remorse what-so-ever! Stupid people shouldn't be allowed to vote, but unfortunately they are - with their evil puppet-masters happily pulling their strings all the way to the polls!
HOPE...
I HOPE the majority of people aren't this ignorant. I HOPE we outnumber the stupid. I HOPE we will collectively rise-up and politically crush the manipulative evil that runs rampant within our system. I HOPE this really IS "our time".
Rednecks 4 Obama '08
Ye-ha we can, y'all!!!
P.S.: Let's do it tomorrow Hoosiers!!! I DO have faith in us!!!
(read more)
STEVIE WONDER & BARACK IN INDIANAPOLIS!
Legendary musician STEVIE WONDER will join Barack tonight for a rally in INDIANAPOLIS!!! Location: American Legion Mall
Entrance: N. Meridian St. & E. North St.
Gates Open: 7:30pm
Monday, May 5thhttp://my.barackobama.com/page/s/indianapolis BE THERE EARLY!VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!3pm - Volunteers please meet at the corner of N. Meridian St. & E. North St.Let's rock the Mall!
HILLARY TO ATTEMPT TO STEAL NOMINATION
According to the Huffingtonpost.com, Clinton Aides say that when the Democratic National Committee meets at the end of May, Hillary will try to use her influence and negative campaigning to seat Michigan and Florida, and will use tomorrows elections in Indiana and North Carolina as reasons that she is the only nominee. She has employed ABC, who is owned by Disney, whose CEO is a Clinton Contributor, and CNN and Fox News to spread her negative message.
To all those in Indiana and North Carolina, please show up to vote and get as many people you can to vote....its the end. It is all up to you. If you dont show for Obama, it could be over.
(read more)Calculate your savings a better site
For the smart argument against the Gas tax Holiday.
http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=13lkzo (read more)
Job Losses with Gas Holiday
Economists agree the job losses would be costly. The price would be hiked anyway consumers often absorb corporate taxes. Here is one assessment of the cost in jobs.
This is from the DailyKos: State by State breakdown of the Jobs and Federal Highway Funds that would be lost during the 15 week "Gas Tax Holiday" proposed by John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
NC 7,071 Jobs -$203 Million, IN 6,390 Jobs - 183 Million, OR 2,881 Jobs - $82 Million, KY 4,298 Jobs - 123 Million, MT 2,348 Jobs - $67 Million, SD 1,623 Jobs- $46 Million, WV 2,691 Jobs - $77Million. Just here 7 States america loses 310,750 Jobs and 8.9 Billion Dollars
(read more)
Friends of the Earth endorses Barack
Now this may seem at first glance as though it is nothing more than a peripheral endorsement, however, this is a well established group and the reason because Barack speaks the truth about that gas tax holiday plan. His is the principled stand. As is his whole being. So here is the link to this Great Endorsement. Make sure you let your NC and Indiana Friends know. And lastly with 95% in and Obama maintaining his lead I say go Guam go!!!!
http://action.foe.org/t/4027/pressRelease.jsp?press_release_KEY=367 (read more)
With Us or Against Us
Seems like a no-brainer to me. I throw my hat in with the "against" folks.
In case everyone hasn't already heard, Sen. Clinton--tired of co-opting John McCain's campaign material, dusted off one of President Bush's golden oldies during a campaign speech in Indiana the other night. The line was in reference to her gratuitously pandering "gas-tax holiday" idea.
Always one to double down on a bad bet, Sen. Clinton stated she would introduce legislation in Congress, which she framed this way:
I want them [meaning Congress] to tell us, are they with us or against us when it comes to taking on the oil companies?
Don't we already have enough experience with a president that refuses to admit they're wrong and plows ahead despite all evidence to the contrary? How's that been working out for us?
OK--put aside for the moment that the "them" to which Sen. Clinton refers is a Congress that is controlled by the Democratic Party; the party of which she is a member.
Put aside that the "us" to which she is referring are members of the Democratic Party that support her.
Put aside that the Speaker of the House, a democrat, has said the proposal is going nowhere.
Put aside that no one actually believes Sen. Clinton's proposal is a good idea, which more than likely includes herself. In fact, 150 economists across the political spectrum independently put out a petition stating what a hare-brained idea this is.
Putting aside all that, is there really anyone left out there--with the exception of the most dyed-in-the-wool Clinton supporters, that honestly believes Sen. Clinton is placing the interests of the country or her party ahead of herself?
Aren't we long past accepting this type of cheap gimmickry from our elected leaders? If not, this is exatcly the type of vote-buying crap that we deserve. (read more)"Indiana? Those people are sh*t!" Gee thanks, Hillary!
Want to know what the Clinton campaign "really" thinks of Indiana voters?Forward to every contact you have...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-MzByUHIzw&feature=email (read more)
NPR is on the RoboCall fiasco w/Clinton ties
Check out the article on NPR. Activist all over the country got this into the press. Send this to every one you know.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90114863#email
scroll up
this needs to hit the regular newscasts. Send this to all your friends.
(read more)The "Gas-Tax Holiday" is the Defining Issue of the Campaign
The current Clinton campaign spin, which actually means the Clinton campaignitself, is that they have a political "winner" with regards tothe "gas-tax holiday" issue. Never mind that the McCain-Clinton proposal hasbeen universally panned as the crassest form of short-term pandering.
Sen. Obama has a put out a response ad that I believe is largely ineffectiveand walks right into a trap that has been set by the Clinton campaign. InSen. Obama's ad, he mocks the amount of money that the average driverwill save on gas and decries the McCain-Clinton proposal as typical
Washington game-playing [which is exactly what it is].
However, Sen. Obama has exposed his flank with the ad. It allows the Clinton campaign to respond with the kind of mock-outrage and tsk-tsk'ing for which they have no peers. The Clinton campaign response, which I'm paraphrasing, goes something like this:
Well, Sen. Obama might not think that $30 is much money, but to working families struggling to make their mortgage payments and put food on the table it's a welcome break.
The response plays right into the perceived weakness of Sen. Obama [which I happen to think is ludicrous]; which is, that he doesn't understand the struggles of blue-collar workers and cannot connect with them.
The intrepid folks at Talking Points Memo reported the spin from the Clinton campaign in today's conference call this way:
Is Hillary gaining politically by her support for a so-called "gas tax holiday"?
On a conference call with reporters just now, Hillary chief strategist Geoff Garin claimed that the campaign's internal polling shows that it is.
"We're seeing in our polling that working people appreciate the fact that Senator Clinton understands the incredible economic strain they are facing," Garin said.
Also, Garin sought to spin one of the main arguments against the gas tax holiday -- the fact that it saves consumers a negligible amount on average -- as a further sign that Hillary's in touch with blue-collar workers.
"It may not seem like a lot to some people," Garin said, adding that "every penny counts."
The fact that Hillary supports the gas tax holiday because she understands that the meager average savings involved do matter to ordinary folks is likely to be core Hillary spin as the gas tax argument continues to unfold.
Sen. Obama needs to put out a response ad that basically squarely hits back on the jaw-dropping hypocrisy of the Clinton campaign spin. No one actually believes that Sen. Clinton thinks this is a prudent policy choice. However, because the Clinton campaign's internal polling shows that this is a good political issue, then Sen. Clinton is willing to crassly milk it for all its worth.
Never mind that no one actually believes that its a good idea. Sen. Obama should be hammering this issue because it plays right into the worst stereotype with regards to Sen. Clinton--and fairly, I believe. That is, that she is willing to do or say anything in order to win an election. That every decision she makes is not about what's best for Indiana, or North Carolina, or America; but rather, what is best for her.
She has the same position as John McCain on this issue.
She was with John McCain in voting to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.
She was with John McCain in voting to authorize this disastrous war.
Why? Because she believed it was the right thing to do? No--it was because it was the politically expedient thing to do at the time for her; damn the consequences for the country. Republican policies have been a disaster for blue-collar folks for the past eight years. The Democratic Party will not win this year simply by being republican-lite.
That's why today's conference call should be so damaging to the Clinton campaign. Chief Strategist Geoff Garin only stated what many folks already know: that the Clinton campaign is pushing this proposal because their internal polling tells them it helps Sen. Clinton now.
It's really this simple: Sen. Clinton is doing what she thinks is best for her; Sen. Obama is doing what he thinks is best for America.
Think about the question posed by TPM and the answer for America and states such as Indiana & North Carolina:
Is Hillary gaining politically by her support for a so-called "gas tax holiday?
When she wins; we lose.
As always folks take care and keep up the good work.
Jeff Cronin
(read more)
VoterID what to Bring Indiana
Here is a link about what kind of ID you need to bring to be eligible to vote in the primary!
My driver's license is expired so I am bringing my passport too, just in case!
(read more)
FINAL PUSH: "The Undecided Voter" Kit‏
Democratic Pollster Peter Hart said these are the questions undecided voters have about Barack.--"Is he one of us? Is he safe? Does he love America?"
Most undecided voters are not voting on issues, but their GUT...
how they FEEL about the candidate...below is a DVD to go 'for the gut' and
for any who may still need more info on an issue, flyers on 3 TOP ISSUES.
UNDECIDED VOTERS have never heard Barack's famous "not a red America, not a blue America,
but the UNITED States of America" speech. Imagine what a difference it would
make if EVERY undecided voter in IN heard it. That's not possible, but we can make a real,
targeted difference. Let's do our part, door to door, block by block... .
I encourage you to download the speech and 'burn' it onto a DVD to give away. Directions below...
2004 Democratic National Convention Speech P1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awQkJNVsgKM
Convention Speech P2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDKXKGZ3PY&feature=related
HOW TO TRANSFER VIDEOS TO DVD:
Here's how to download videos and transfer to dvd-
- first find the URLs of the videos you want ...listed above
- then go to VideoDownloadX.com and paste the video URL into their download box
- now click 'Download' and it will open a new page with the download link
- download each video to your computer
- download free DVD authoring software called DVD Flick; it takes all your videos in a batch, and converts into a DVD format and
- burns a DVD that can play inside any DVD player or even your computer.
Top 3 ISSUES/Flyers; plz share while canvassing--
"Plan to Strengthen the Economy" ...use with "Economic Crisis Plan"
"Economic Crisis Plan" (deals with foreclosure crisis)
"Mother" Healthcare ...echoes NEW Barack tv ad & new Time cover
"Making College Affordable"
Issue Flyers for College Students (read more)
Anyone need a ride to the rally?
Hi there,
If there is anyone out there who needs a ride to Assembly Hall on Wed. Please let me know.
I'm likely to plan on getting there early, as I am excited about the chance to hear Senator Obama speak live..
Please send me a message to this site and I will get back to you;
(read more)The Undeniable "Bill" Factor
Lately, I’ve heard political pundits and so-called analysts asking questions like, “If Senator Obama is supposed to be such a great candidate, then why in outspending Hillary Clinton nearly 4 to 1 in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, can he still not seal the deal?”
Well, I think I have part of the answer…
Last night, President Bill Clinton came to my small little hometown of Martinsville Indiana, to speak at one of our two local middle schools. And even though I’m a huge Obama supporter, I HAD to go see him… I mean, c’mon, he IS Bill Clinton! Plus, an intimate setting like that, here in Martinsville Indiana, just doesn’t come around that often.
So I faithfully donned my big, black, “Obama ‘08” t-shirt (which I love by the way), took my Obama rally sign, and marched straight into the lion’s den of about 600 (mostly) Clinton-democrats gathered in a small school, in a rural, republican Indiana county. As it turned out, the lady to my left was a huge HRC supporter, but her friend was an Obama supporter… as was the lady to my right, and a man in a wheelchair in front of me (funny story – he also wore an Obama shirt, but covered it up with another shirt… I suppose if I were already in a wheelchair, I too might not risk being beaten with sticks by an angry Hillary mob). Anyway, in talking with these nice people, it seemed the general consensus (at least right around me) was that they didn’t care too much whether Obama or Hillary eventually won the nomination, just as long as the Republicans didn’t win in November. Primarily (like me), they were really all there to see Bill. Then it struck me…
Hillary’s out stumping in the cities, and Bill’s cleaning up with the rural democrats, while Barack Obama is just one man. And although I admire Michelle Obama’s efforts… she’s no Bill Clinton. Meaning; meeting “the great orator” in person really sticks with us rural folks and probably goes a long way to swaying an otherwise “toss-up” crowd toward Hillary come Election Day. So while it may be true that Senator Obama outspends HRC nearly 4 to 1, the Clinton campaign effectively out-rallies Senator Obama 2 to 1 in charismatic, larger-than-life figures, which I believe partially is what's keeping her alive in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and (hopefully not) Indiana.
And when they call Bill Clinton “the great orator”, it’s well deserved. He said he started his career in the car business which didn’t surprise me one bit after listening to him speak. I swear, the man would get to talking about details then say something like, “… and that’s why I think you should vote for Hillary”, and I’d quickly snap back to reality and remember, “Oh yeah, HE’S not running… SHE is!” But when the man talks for a little while, you unconsciously stop differentiating between the two… It’s scary, and extremely effective.
I couldn’t have had a much better spot in the crowd too, standing right up front-stage-right, about 2 people back – 20 feet or so from the podium with that big Obama logo splayed across my chest, glaring the former President right in the face the entire time. It didn’t faze him though, and I really didn’t expect it to… It was the principle of the thing. However, I didn’t lower myself to heckling or taunting him though – that just wouldn’t have been cool. And in all fairness, he didn’t slam Obama the entire evening… not once. In fact, he spoke favorably on those few occasions where he DID mention Senator Obama. Instead, he spoke about issues and details in a way that really connected with people. But in the end, he gave a speech that pretty much mirrored Senator Obama’s positions on the real issues… it’s just that it was “Bill” giving it, and like I said, I think that’s going to have a lasting effect on my fellow townsfolk come Election Day.
I will share this about the man though…
At the end of the rally, I got the chance to meet him briefly and shake his hand. I told him it was an honor to meet him, and asked if he would be willing to autograph my Obama rally sign as a “gesture of good will”, to which he smiled and said, “sure”. So he took my sign along with everyone else’s books and signs and stuff, and at the end of the reception line brought them all backstage to autograph. An assistant came out periodically to give the items back. Eventually, she came out with the freshly-autographed Hillary rally sign that had been taped to the podium during his speech (duct tape and all), and came up to me and said, “The President wanted you to have this”. Wow!... I was very grateful, but wondered if I’d ever get my Obama sign back. At the end, she DID give it back to me, unsigned of course. To which I said, “He isn’t going to sign it is he”? “No”, she said with a grin… Oh well, I tried.
So basically, Bill Clinton lied to my face!... He didn’t have sex with that woman, he didn’t inhale, and he didn’t autograph my Obama sign after he said he would!... slick, Willie… slick!
All-in-all though, I walked away happy; with an autograph, a smile, and a moment to remember. Thanks Bill! It really WAS an honor to meet you…
But I’m still voting for Obama! ;)
Obama '08
Yes we can!!!
(read more)
John McCain's Hyper Macho Posturing
Cutting off your nose to spite your face is generally thought of as "an expression used to describe a needlessly self-destructive overreaction to a problem."
With Sen. McCain's recent--and borderline loony, comments that he will be "Hamas' worst nightmare;" it's becoming increasingly clear that John McCain will cut off America's nose to spite its face.
Sen. McCain made the comment while dishing out a little red meat on a conference call with conservative bloggers. The comment, made in the context of criticizing Barack Obama, is as follows:
All I can tell you is that I think it's very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States ... I think that people should understand that I will be Hamas' worst nightmare ... If Sen. Obama is favored by Hamas I think people can make judgments accordingly.
This statement is not just wrong-headed and foolish, but rather, incredibly dangerous and destructive. It's exactly the kind of foreign policy perspective that spends far too much time seeking to punish others for perceived slights and too little promoting our own bests interests.
Matthew Yglesias had an interesting, and what I believe should be the predominant, reaction to Sen. McCain's comments in his blog at the Atlantic yesterday:
As well as being kind of scumbaggy, this way of looking at the world reveals a seriously flawed foreign policy outlook. Consider Saddam Hussein. He's a bad dude. And which American president is his worst nightmare? Well, it's George W. Bush. Thanks to Bush, Saddam got booted from power and killed. Compared to George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Dubya was a disaster for Saddam. But of course Dubya's Iraq policy has also been a disaster for the United States of America, whereas Clinton and Papa Bush ran policies that made us better off. International politics shouldn't be conceived of as some nutty zero-sum race to the bottom where our goal is to make Hamas cry -- the question is who are we trying to help and do we have ways to do it. Probably the worst thing that could happen to Hamas would be for it to be supplanted by some more radical group like al-Qaeda. But that wouldn't help Israel or the United States, any more than getting into a self-destructive conflict with Iran is a good idea just because it might make some bad Iranians suffer.
Unfortunately, Sen. McCain's loony comments seem to form the prevailing view over the past eight years. Everything is about retribution. It's about punishment. It's about taking an eye for an eye. What it's not about is taking actions that promote the long-term interests of the United States and its allies.
It's time for a little nuance. It's time for a little "turn the other cheek". What it most definitely is not time for, is John McCain's retributive views on dealing with the people that he doesn't like.
John. C. Reilly's police officer in movie "Magnolia" debates these issues aloud in a voice-over narrative near the end of the movie. John McCain could learn a thing or two from this statement:
And what most people don't see is just how hard it is to do the right thing. I have to take everything and play it as it lays.
Sometimes people need a little help.
Sometimes people need to be forgiven.
And sometimes they need to go to jail.
And that is a very tricky thing on my part . . . making that call.
Very tricky indeed.
Isn't it about time to turn the page on the needlessly self-destructive "lock 'em up and throw away the key" crowd? Aren't we long past realizing that this sort of hyper-macho, bring-'em-on posturing has been a disaster to the long-term prosperity of America? Do we really want another hot-tempered practitioner of sandbox diplomacy in the White House?John McCain's foreign policy world-view, and domestic policy view for that matter, is a retribution-based folly that would only ensure this country's continued moral erosion around the world and make us all decidedly less safe.
The policies and worldview of John McCain are America's worst enemy. (read more)
"VOTE EARLY" FLYER
AVOID LONG LINES...VOTE EARLY !!! What You Need to Know-
- The Indiana primary is open to all registered voters.
- If you are 18 by November 4th, 2008, you can vote on May 6th, 2008!
- You must bring a photo ID issued by the state of Indiana or federal government.
- It must include an expiration date.
- Student ID from an Indiana state school works if it includes a photo and an expiration date.
- If you are a new registrant, you must bring a photo ID with your current address
- or a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government document with your current address.
TO FIND YOUR EARLY VOTE LOCATION--
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/inevlookup
(read more)"Is he one of us? Is he safe? Does he love America?" --the ANSWER
Democratic Pollster Peter Hart said these are the questions undecided voters have about Barack.--
"Is he one of us? Is he safe? Does he love America?"
Because they dont know him, if these qustions were answered, he would have their support. Here's how to answer these questions,,,let Barack do what he does best--
Hard to believe, but there are ALOT of people, UNDECIDED VOTERS among them,
who have never heard Barack's famous "not a red America, not a blue America,
but the UNITED States of America" speech. Imagine what a difference it would
make if EVERY voter in IN and NC heard it. That's not possible, but we can make a real,
targeted difference. Most undecided voters are not voting on issues, but their GUT...
how they FEEL about the candidate. Let's do our part, door to door, block by block... .
I encourage you to download the speech and 'burn' it onto a DVD to give away. Directions below...
2004 Democratic National Convention Speech P1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awQkJNVsgKM
Convention Speech P2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDKXKGZ3PY&feature=related
HOW TO TRANSFER VIDEOS TO DVD:
Here's how to download videos and transfer to dvd-
- first find the URLs of the videos you want ...listed above
- then go to VideoDownloadX.com and paste the video URL into their download box
- now click 'Download' and it will open a new page with the download link
- download each video to your computer
- download free DVD authoring software called DVD Flick; it takes all your videos in a batch, and converts into a DVD format and
- burns a DVD that can play inside any DVD player or even your computer.
...or call your nearest geek...or your Obama office volunteers to help you,.
To see a complete VIDEO/AUDIO ARCHIVE of SPEECHES, go here
(read more)ObamaPodcast.blogspot.com Is A Hit
In only 2 days since I started publicizing the Obama Podcast on Sunday, it went from 2 Subscriptions to 145 subscriptions as of Tuesday evening. Thanks for passing this URL on to all the callers and door knockers. Undecideds and volunteers alike can finally get an in depth look at Senator Obama with these audios and videos.
The Monday talk with Working Families in Blue Bell PA audio is now up and video will be up in a few more hours. If any of you can take the initiative, please try to make sure all callers and door-to-door canvasers have this URL with them for undecideds and other volunteers to use to get more info about Barack.
ObamaPodcast.blogspot.com also listed in the iTunes Podcast Store FREE of course.
I flew into Louisville Wednesday afternoon from Philly but not soon enough to document Barack's Town Hall in New Albany IN. So I headed out to LaGrange KY where I have temporary accommodations with a volunteer until Monday.
On Monday April 28 I need another housing volunteer to come forward for me to stay with. Could be in South or Central Indiana, anywhere Kentucky, west WV or western NC. Please email me at Support at FutureMedia.org or phone 323.819.5659 Taylor Barcroft.
I am a Macintosh and Multimedia Consultant and fun to be around. I need stability to be able to continue the videography of Barack Events, editing and posting. I will also be doing phoning and door to door work when nothing's happening and everything is posted to date. I walked door to door all day on Tuesday in the Philly area. I can provide references from the Springfield PA office as well as whom I stayed with.
The Springfield staff was thrilled that I was doing videos for everyone. Full support from their Manager and staff in that office.
Please Subscribe and Leave Comments. Barack Obama AV Podcast-Blog iTunes - Barack Obama AV Podcast Feedburner: Camp Obama Video-Audio Blog-Podcast New High Quality Video & Audio National Obama Podcast
I've been working my heart out here in PA since April 2nd to give you the most extensive and highest quality Obama audio and video in the world. Please do what you can to get this URL in the hands of all phone and door to door canvassers.
These are complete PA Town Halls, The Complete 54 minute Michelle Obama at Haverford College Tuesday April 15 MASTERPIECE. I cannot stress enough how all undecided voters will be convinced Obama is the one by watching Michelle from Tuesday. Be prepared to cry. She makes Barack look like a Hack Speaker.
The 35,000 persons Friday Night Rally on Independence Mall COMPLETE without edits. There are audio as well as video files for all these events. Over 20 posts to date. Saturday morning Whistle Stop in Wynnewood PA is up. Audio too.
These videos are super high quality HD, iPod, iPhone, AppleTV and Zune compatible files that play fantastic on your TV. I Start Shooting Indiana and Kentucky Events Friday with a Michelle event in Fort Wayne IN and a new Barack Town Hall Saturday morning.
Taylor Barcroft Videographer, Editor, Publisher Barack Obama AV Podcast
(read more)another gop for ObamA - maybe...
just had a long conversation with a die hard gop that would like Obama- if he was showing stronger (doesn't want mccain.) and says clinton needs to either do the vp positon or bow out Now.as mccains just smiling and piling up stuff to use fro Nov.
what do you thinK?
Bill Clinton Denies Race Card Comment
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:43 PM
Article Font Size
Former president Bill Clinton was embroiled Tuesday in a new campaign flap after accusing his wife's White House rival Barack Obama of playing "the race card on me."
A day after making the race card remark in a radio interview, in a discussion about January's bruising South Carolina primary, Clinton told reporters in Pittsburgh: "No, no, no. That's not what I said.
"You always follow me around and play these little games, and I'm not going to play your games today. This is a day about election day," he said, as Pennsylvania Democrats decided between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
"You have mischaracterized it to get another cheap story to divert the American people from the real urgent issues before us, and I choose not to play your game today. Have a nice day," the former president added.
Interviewed Monday by a Philadelphia radio station, Clinton was asked whether it was a mistake by him in January to liken Obama's candidacy to the African-American Jesse Jackson's in 1988.
"No. I think that they (the Obama campaign) played the race card on me. And we now know, from memos from the campaign and everything, that they planned to do it all along," Clinton had told the WHYY station.
After the interview was over but with the microphone still on, Clinton was heard to growl: "I don't think I should take any s(expletive) from anybody on that, do you?"
Clinton's South Carolina remark alienated several top black Democrats, who saw an attempt by the former president to belittle the mixed-race Obama and portray his White House bid as fueled only by African-American support.
Asked about Clinton's latest intervention Tuesday while campaigning in Pittsburgh, Obama said he had "no idea" what the former president was talking about.
"Was there a plan to get him to say that my campaign was like Jesse Jackson's? I don't know what he was referring to, unfortunately," the Illinois senator told reporters.
"So former president Clinton dismissed my victory in South Carolina as being similar to Jesse Jackson and he is suggesting that somehow I had something to do with it? OK, well you better ask him what he meant by that," he said.
Clinton adopted a much lower profile on his wife's campaign trail after the South Carolina primary, which Obama won in a landslide.
But the former president has periodically waded into controversy, most recently being admonished by Hillary Clinton for reviving her exaggerated claim that she endured sniper fire during a 1996 trip to Bosnia.
--AFP
(read more)let's cOunter this nOw/ BE THE CHANGE
Group to Air Obama 'Willie Horton' Ad
Monday, April 21, 2008 8:34 PM
By: Jim MeyersArticle Font Size
The political operative behind the Willie Horton ad that helped defeat Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential race is releasing a new ad this week targeting Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama.
Floyd Brown, a longtime conservative strategist who heads the conservative National Campaign Fund, said he is launching the ad to expose Obama’s weakness on gang violence.
“The ad draws a parallel between Obama’s weakness on gang violence and the war on terror,” said Brown. Brown is the former head of Citizens United, which claims to be the largest political action group for conservatives in the United States.
In his new ad Brown tells of a woman leaving church choir practice who was killed by gang gunfire while shielding her 6-year-old daughter, a 15-year-old boy beaten with bricks after a gang member crashed into his car, and a 14-year-old boy shot five times in the back for refusing to flash a gang hand sign.
“They all died in 2001. In Chicago,” the voice-over declares.
That same year, Barack Obama — then an Illinois state senator — voted against expanding the death penalty for gang-related murders, the ad points out.
The ad concludes, “When the time came to get tough, Obama chose to be weak. So the question is: Can a man so weak in the war on gangs be trusted in the war on terror?”
Brown says the ad will run in targeted states beginning on Tuesday.
You can view the ad by Clicking Here Now.
During the early part of Barack Obama's political career he opposed the death penalty. In recent years, however, he has modified his position to
support the death penalty in cases involving the "most heinous" of crimes.
In 2001 as an Illinois state senator, Obama did vote against a proposed law that would have widened the scope of the death penalty to include some gang activity. The bill passed the legislature but was later vetoed by then Republican Gov. George Ryan, who imposed a moratorium on death penalty executions.
Obama defended his opposition to the gang death penalty bill because, he argued, it would unevenly apply to minorities.
“There’s a strong overlap between gang affiliation and young men of color . . . I think it’s problematic for them to be singled out as more likely to receive the death penalty for carrying out certain acts than are others who do the same thing,” Obama said at the time.
Whether this highly partisan ad will stick as Obama’s “Willie Horton” is yet to be seen.
Massachusetts inmate Willie Horton was serving a life sentence for murder, without parole, when he was released as part of a weekend furlough program in June 1986. He did not return, and in April 1987 he twice raped a woman in Maryland after pistol-whipping and knifing her fiancé.
Michael Dukakis was the governor of Massachusetts at the time of Horton’s release. He supported the furlough program as a method of criminal rehabilitation, and when the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill prohibiting furloughs for first-degree murderers, Dukakis vetoed the bill.
Beginning in September 1988, an organization headed by Floyd Brown backed George H.W. Bush in his race against Dukakis. Brown’s group produced and aired an ad detailing the Horton case and Dukakis’ role.
To conservatives, the name Willie Horton became synonymous with soft-on-crime liberalism. Liberals said the ad was nothing more than veiled racism. Horton was an African-American. The ad is widely thought to have played a significant role in helping Bush win the presidency.
© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
(read more)Lawyers and law students needed May 6th in Indiana!
The Obama for America campaign is looking for lawyers and law students to volunteer with our Promote the Vote program. Election law experience is not required, but a commitment to protecting the voting rights of Indiana citizens is a must.To be a volunteer election monitor, we ask that you commit to spending Tuesday, May 6th assisting all eligible voters in casting their votes. In addition to helping voters, you will be the campaign’s eyes and ears on the ground, reporting any problems that need to be resolved at the precinct, township, county or state level. We will provide training materials to assist you, and ask that you attend a training session in the weeks just prior to the election, specific dates and times TBD.
If you are interested in being a part of this effort, please fill out the form here:
http://my.barackobama.com/IndianaPTV.
Also, please feel free (and be encouraged) to share this invitation with others. You can email IndianaLegal@BarackObama.com with any questions. Together we will work to elect a president who will unite our country and bring about change we can believe in.
Join us.
Indiana Promote the Vote Team
Obama for America
(read more)
Bloomington For Obama Sign
Made a sign "Bloomington For Obama" - You can download it from my flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/historyweaver/2432519993/in/set-72157604670070163/
You can easily print the original size on a single sheet of paper to hang in a window. I also made a 17x8 version to print in two halves.
(read more)
Sen. Clinton May Have Secured My Vote
I'm wavering in my support for Sen. Obama.
I've been leaning towards Barack Obama for a few months now. However, Sen. Clinton, in a speech today highlighting the importance of the Pennsylvania Primary on Tuesday, said the words that these ears have longed to hear:
Continue reading:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/sen-clinton-may-have-secured-m.php
(read more)Jay Carson's Letter to Tom Shales
Instead of posting the entire blog, I'm leaving a link to Talking Points Memo where the story is currently #4 on the reccommended reader list.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/jay-carsons-letter-to-tom-shal.php
Hope everyone has an opportunity to read it. Keep up the good work and, as always, take care.
Jeff Cronin
(read more)Why Nash McCabe Makes Barack Obama's Point
Instead of posting the entire blog, I'm leaving a link to Talking Points Memo where the story is currently #2 on the reccommended reader list.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/why-nash-mccabe-makes-barack-o.php
Hope everyone has an opportunity to read it. Keep up the good work and, as always, take care.
Jeff Cronin
(read more)Reich, Nunn, Boren, & the Boss for Obama: Appalled at meanness, demonizing, bickering
Reich: “appalled” at “outright meanness and negativity.”
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/
On his decision:
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/04/heilemann_robert_reich_to_endo.html
“I saw the ads and I was appalled, frankly. ” — the negative man-on-street commercials that the Clinton campaign put up in Pennsylvania in the wake of Obama’s bitter/cling comments a week ago —” I thought it represented the nadir of mean-spirited, negative politics. And also of the politics of distraction, of gotcha politics. It’s the worst of all worlds. We have three terrible traditions that we’ve developed in American campaigns.
1. One is outright meanness and negativity.
2. The second is taking out of context something your opponent said, maybe inartfully, and blowing it up into something your opponent doesn’t possibly believe and doesn’t possibly represent.
3. And third is a kind of tradition of distraction, of getting off the big subject with sideshows that have nothing to do with what matters.
And these three aspects of the old politics I’ve seen growing in Hillary’s campaign. And I’ve come to the point, after seeing those ads, where I can’t in good conscience not say out loud what I believe about who should be president. Those ads are nothing but Republicanism. They’re lending legitimacy to a Republican message that’s wrong to begin with, and they harken back to the past 20 years of demagoguery on guns and religion. It’s old politics at its worst — and old Republican politics, not even old Democratic politics. It’s just so deeply cynical.”
Former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn: “demonizing” Obama
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/04/18/sam_nunn_lines_up_behind_barac.html
“Based on my conversations with Senator Obama, reading his book and his speeches and seeing the kind of campaign he has run, I believe that he is our best choice to lead our nation. Senator Obama, as evidenced by his words and his deeds, recognizes that:
— We have developed a habit of avoiding the tough decisions and seemingly lost our ability to build consensus to tackle head-on our biggest challenges.
— Demonizing the opposition, oversimplifying the issues, and dumbing down the political debate prevent our country from coming together to make tough decisions and tackle our biggest challenges.”
Former Oklahoma Sen. David Boren: “Stop the political bickering”
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/04/nunn_boren_back.html
“Our most urgent task is to end the divisions in our country, to stop the political bickering, and to unite our talents and efforts. Americans of all persuasions are pleading with our political leaders to bring us together.
I believe Senator Obama is sincerely committed to that effort. He has made a non-partisan approach to all issues a top priority.”
Nunn and Boren are top Democratic security, foreign policy heavyweights. Their endorsements come after the earlier one by former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton (vice chairman of the Sept. 11 commission).
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1727145,00.html
Bruce Springsteen: “head and shoulders above the rest”
http://brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html
“LIke most of you, I’ve been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I’ve envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that’s interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where “…nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.”
At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man’s life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams From My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.”
(read more)
All I Hope (Obama in 60 Seconds)
Hello Everyone,
So I made a simple 60 second video that responds to the recent rain of brouhaha that has been coming down on our heads.
All I hope (Obama in 60 Seconds)
The purpose of the video is to focus on what is best about Barack Obama's campaign: the joy of possibility, the power of optimism and the excitement of hope. I hope you enjoy it. And please share it with your friends.
(read more)Want to see what a true patriot looks like?...see it/share it‏
Hard to believe, but there are ALOT of people, UNDECIDED VOTERS among them,
who have never heard Barack's famous "not a red America, not a blue America,
but the UNITED States of America" speech. Imagine what a difference it would
make if EVERY voter in PA heard it. That's not possible, but we can make a real,
targeted difference. Most undecided voters are not voting on issues, but their GUT...
how they FEEL about the candidate. Let's do our part, door to door, block by block... .
I encourage you to download the speech and 'burn' it onto a DVD to give away. Directions below...
2004 Democratic National Convention Speech P1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awQkJNVsgKM
Convention Speech P2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDKXKGZ3PY&feature=related
HOW TO TRANSFER VIDEOS TO DVD:
Here's how to download videos and transfer to dvd-
- first find the URLs of the videos you want ...listed above
- then go to VideoDownloadX.com and paste the video URL into their download box
- now click 'Download' and it will open a new page with the download link
- download each video to your computer
- download free DVD authoring software called DVD Flick; it takes all your videos in a batch, and converts into a DVD format and
- burns a DVD that can play inside any DVD player or even your computer.
...or call your nearest geek.
To see a complete VIDEO/AUDIO ARCHIVE of SPEECHES, go here
(read more)ABC news= Already Biased for Clinton
I was so annoyed with ABC. Lets not talk about the issues that matter most to this country, lets talk about the issues that the media fabricates instead. Surely, getting our troops out of Iraq is not NEARLY as important as whether or not one wears a flagpin. Sheesh. It is not the accessories that one wears that makes them a true Patriot of this country. Come the hell on! If the media continues to dwell on non-issues then a good portion of the American people will forget what is important come voting day. We like to credit the American people as being "smarter than that" but in reality, some voters decide their candidate based on whomever their favorite talk show hosts endorses. I wish Obama would have said "enough". Enough with the non-essential questions, ask me how I am going to fix this country, not why I don't wear a flag pin. And why was George a commentator on the debate? Wasn't he involved with President Clinton's administration? (read more)4 points & the real travesty
Point 1: William Ayers
Here's the facts... William Ayers was once a member of the radical, anti-war, "Weather Underground Organization", responsible for a dozen bombings between 1970 and 1974 (Barack Obama would have been 8-12 years old during this time). Mr. Ayers is currently a distinguished professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago and a prominent, influential figure in Chicago democratic politics.
In 1995, State Senator Alice Palmer chose Mr. Ayers home to announce she was stepping down from the State Senate to run for Congress. Among a handful of others, she decided to invite to the event, her chosen successor, Barack Obama.
Between 1999 and 2002, Mr. Ayers and Mr. Obama both served on the board of the anti-poverty charity group, the "Woods Fund of Chicago".
In April of 2001, Mr. Ayers donated a whopping $200 dollars to then-State Senator Obama's re-election fund.
And that's basically it... Attempting to make anything more out of this and tie Senator Obama to Mr. Ayers' radical views during the time Senator Obama was a child half-a-world away is just ludicrous. Here’s a wild parallel... The current Pope was enrolled into the Hitler Youth in 1941 after his 14th birthday. Now does that make the Holy Father guilty by association of Nazi atrocities? I know this is an extreme analogy, but goes to prove my point. This extreme twisting of guilt-by-association is just a distraction meant to influence people who may not have all the facts. (BTW: In all fairness to the Pope, membership in the Hitler Youth was legally required in Germany beginning in 1939.)
Point 2: Reverend Wright, and "God damn America"
To echo the sentiments of columnist/author Dan Savage, I too might say "God damn my mother!" when she's out of line and really pisses me off... and I love her dearly and unconditionally, as I, and I'm sure Rev. Wright, loves this great country. What is wrong with rebuking the people and things we love the most when they're clearly in the wrong? Remember, as an ex-Marine who faithfully served this country, Rev. Wright is also a patriot. Additionally, as a black man who lived through segregation, riots, and worse during the height of the civil rights movement, he has a first-hand perspective that tends to stick with a man.
But again, taken out of context, this all becomes a twisted, guilt-by-association attack on Barack Obama that is just as ludicrous as the Ayers attack - again, as a distraction meant to influence those who may not have all the facts.
What upsets me about these first two points is that they're used as political tactics by those who know that sensationalistic innuendo (and sometimes outright lies) spreads like wildfire to the public. What upsets me even more is that these same people also know that because the truth is usually not so sensational, it takes much longer to filter down to the masses... hopefully sometime well after the polls close. Case in point... if even one person refuses to vote for Senator Obama because they're still convinced he's a Muslim, then the tactic worked!... shame on those people.
Point 3: Flag Pins
Really?... I mean, really?!!... Look, putting the Senator's patriotism under a microscope at this level, and stirring up fervor over it is not only ridiculous, it's dangerous. To paraphrase Travis Smiley (in my own way), this type of massive suspicious questioning of patriotism can lead to rampant nationalism, which in-turn can lead a nation to jack boots and arm bands. This type of diversion needs to stop before it gets out of hand.
Point 4: "bitter":
My mother would often get flustered in her speaking when she was impassioned, fatigued, or just plain mad... and whenever she'd gaffe and I called her on it, she'd always say, "Listen to what I mean, not what I say." I think this is good advice we should all take, especially when listening to the media or the opposition. It's for this reason I don't attack John McCain too badly when he mixes Shiites and Sunnis, and it's for this reason Senator Obama's "bitter" remark is really a non-issue. Listen to what the man meant, not what he said... and reject (AND denounce) anyone who focuses too much on syntax.
The travesty of it all:
The real travesty here is that these four mostly irrelevant points are what ABC News (and I now use the term loosely) chose to focus on during the majority of their "so-called" debate last night. It's what the Republicans will focus on going forward, it's certainly the sensationalistic crap Fox News likes to focus on, and sadly Senator Clinton's campaign does its share too. These are all four, utter distractions that keep the American people from engaging in serious dialogs regarding the relevant issues of our time. Remember… dirty tactics baby, dirty tactics.
In conclusion:
Forget this garbage! Senator Barack Obama is a true, unifying leader, and a great American. His candor and character are outstanding, his record and achievements, impeccable. Never in my lifetime have I witnessed a presidential candidate with the charisma, integrity and ability to deftly unite this nation and bring about real and lasting change in Washington that returns power to the American people - in such a way as to get us back on track to becoming a caring national family, tolerant international neighbor, and responsible global tenant.
In this election, don't let sensationalist political tactics cloud the real issues... Instead, look to the those who will best mobilize “we, the people” and get this great nation back on track... Look to Senator Barack Obama, and look to ourselves.
Obama '08
Yes we can!!!
(read more)
Top 5 Flyers/voters' concerns; plz share while canvassing‏
- "Plan to Strengthen the Economy" ...use with "Economic Crisis Plan"
- "Economic Crisis Plan" (deals with foreclosure crisis)
- "Mother" Healthcare ...echoes NEW Barack tv ad & new Time cover
- "Making College Affordable"
- Issue Flyers for College Students
I know these are challenging times right now, but the MOST constructive way to spend our energy is to spread Barack's message to undecided voters; everything else is secondary. (read more)
I voted!
My civic duty is "officially" over but now the unofficial work begins.
Look forward to encouraging others to go vote early. If there are people out there
that need a ride to the polls. Please let me know..
Yes We Can (bitter or not)
Kellye
(read more)I Just Voted!
It was so quick and easy to do here in Bloomington at 8th and Morton (I think). I'd recommend anyone go ahead and vote early. I was probably in and out in about 7 minutes. There were two obama vans there shuttling people to vote. Excellent! (read more)NEW "Making College Affordable" flyer; copy/distribute
NEW Flyer:"Plan to Strengthen the Economy" -plz distribute‏
Plan to Strengthen the Economy
Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief
Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama will cut income taxes by $1,000 for working
families to offset the payroll tax they pay by creating a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up
to $500 per person, or $1,000 per family.
Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans: Obama will simplify tax filings so millions of
Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes, giving the option of
pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and return, saving Americans up to 200 million total hours of
work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.
Labor
Raise the Minimum Wage: Obama will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase
the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Ensure Freedom to Unionize: Obama cosponsored the Employee Free Choice Act to assure that
workers should have the freedom to choose whether to join a union without harassment or
intimidation from their employers.
Technology, Innovation and Creating Jobs
Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies: The plan will increase funding for
workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training,
such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans
find stable, high-paying jobs. Obama will also create an energy-focused youth jobs program to
invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth.
Invest in U.S. Manufacturing: The Obama comprehensive energy independence and climate change
plan will invest in America's highly-skilled manufacturing workforce and manufacturing centers to ensure
that American workers have the skills and tools they need to pioneer the first wave of green
technologies that will be in high demand throughout the world.
Barack's Campaign Faux Pas
Well, the media is all over it. Barack made a mistake. Barack called voters bitter. Barack is out of touch. Haven't we heard it before?
Just as I think its important to consider the context of what Obama said during his speaking engagement in Indiana, I think it is equally important to consider why both Hillary Clinton and John McCain are attacking him as a result of that very speech.
I don't know what other people think, so I can only write for myself when I pose this question, "Do politicians think the majority of Americans are stupid?". It certainly seems to be the case. Do politicians think that if you say "Americans are bitter" you are looking "down on them"? That is most certainly a leap of logic. And finally, do politicians think we don't know the spin tactics when we see the spin tactics? Do they think we just dote on every word they utter and consider it biblical?
We are in a war that has cost many lives, affecting many American families. This country's current deficit will be an enormous burden on future generations. Many Americans have no healthcare coverage; they can't afford to see physicians. And if they do absolutely have to visit a doctor, the bill they will inevitably receive will be a knowing burden, an outrageous sum that will affect their lives, their contribution to society as a result of such a deficit. Most Americans are appalled at gas prices. Many others are out of work entirely. The economy is another frightening topic to address. And if all that isn't bad enough, let's bring Russia, Iran and China into the discussion.
Bitter? I don't think bitter quite expresses it. I am appalled at the debacle our government has created for the majority of Americans. They think they know best. Cheney said it all when he said "So, what?" to the fact that most Americans don't want our presence in Iraq. I won't attempt to spin the "so what?" into the price of American lives that have been sacrificed or that hang in the balance, but it certainly begs the question.
Obama wasn't looking down on Americans when he claimed we are bitter about government. He was expressing a sentiment that any American feels when we cough up money for the IRS during tax seasons, when we look at our paychecks and see the large sum government has removed from it ... TO GOVERN. We've paid for this debacle. Isn't it time for Americans to stand up and demand to know where their hard-earned money is going each week, month ... each year. Look at a paycheck and multiply just one check by 302 million people. That's our money. This is our government. And they are failing to represent our interests. The only individuals who wouldn't be bitter about at this are the ones that are either unaffected or the ones that are so busy trying to make ends meet, they don't have the time or energy to think about it. Bitter doesn't come close to describing what Americans should feel. This is a great country and those chosen to represent it are squandering our hard-earned dollars away on interests that do not belong to us. Obama wasn't looking down on anyone when he presented that expression. He was attempting to do what few politicians ever do in government ... empathize with the struggle of normal American citizens and put our interests on the stage using his voice.
Parrhesia. What is it? Parrhesia refers to speech that represents the truth, for one. It involves taking a risk that can cost them quite a bit in the process. It can involve telling people something (a truth) they don't necessarily want to hear. Parrhesia is just as much a right as it is a duty. Barack is a politician that will tell the American people the truth. He is not about spinning the truth for his own benefit. He is simply put a parrhesiastes. He takes a risk when he says these things because they are so easy to spin by other politicians who are more geared for the "game" that politics presents. What Obama said WAS the truth. And, I still believe that prevails. Americans aren't stupid. We do see the spin. And, I for one, am beginning to find it repulsive.
American people are intelligent people. It takes more than a sound byte to explain a concept. Anything can be spun. Let's not entrust our futures to those who adhere to this type of practice.
(read more)
I just met Obama
he was at the little 500 in bloomington. he had a huge smile on his face the whole time and you could tell that he was excited to be there.
He has an incredible feeling about him that seems to spread to all those around.
It was an honor to shake the hand of our Nation's next President.
-k
(read more)From HQ: Issue flyers for college students
These have been created by my.barackobama.com to help students in canvassing--
Barack Obama on EducationBarack Obama on the EnvironmentBarack Obama on the War in IraqBarack Obama on IsraelBarack Obama on EnergyBarack Obama on the Job MarketBarack Obama on Stem CellsBarack Obama on LGBT RightsBarack Obama on Women's Rights
"Making College Affordable" flyer
Other Flyers to Download:
Flyers are a great way to share information about Barack...pass them out in public spaces, share them with or leave them in key places; print them out and pass them along! 
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/resourceflyers/
(read more)
FLYER that echoes NEW Barack ad & new Time cover; plz distribute to coordinate w/new ad campaign‏
"My mother died of cancer at 53. In those last painful months, she was more worried about paying her medical bills than getting well. I hear stories like hers everyday.
For 20 years Washington has talked about health care reform and reformed nothing. I've got a plan to cut costs and cover everyone. But unless we stop the bickering and the lobbyists we will be in the same place twenty years from now."
(read more)
-The typical American family will save up to $2,500 per year on medical costs.
-Offering a new public health plan that will give individuals the choice to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to federal employees. The new public plan will be open to individuals without access to group coverage through their workplace or current public programs.
-Establishing a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase an insurance plan for themselves. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible.
-Requiring all employers to make a meaningful contribution towards health coverage for their employees.
-Mandating all children have health care coverage and expanding the number of options for young adults up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parent's plans.
-Expanding eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function.
VIDEO ARCHIVE of SPEECHES; convert to DVDs; distribute
I encourage you to download some of the videos of Barack Obama's speeches and 'burn' them onto DVDs to give away. Seeing and hearing him speak is one of the best ways to recruit supporters.
- Here is an AUDIO archive someone else set up w/directions to convert to CDs to give away.
- Below is the VIDEO archive w/directions to convert to DVDs---
2004 Democratic National Convention Speech P1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awQkJNVsgKM
Convention Speech P2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDKXKGZ3PY&feature=related
Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tydfsfSQiYc
Iowa Caucus Victory Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqoFwZUp5vc
Yes We Can...NH Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe751kMBwm
South Carolina Victory Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iVAPH_EcmQ
Super Tuesday Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dzHDzvTfzQ
Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hUngQ8-wLU
Potomac Primary Victory Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxd8x7UGOuo
Speech in San Antonio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxvSqSXs0io
Barack Obama Speaks at Dr. King's Church http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0x_TpDris
Barack Obama at Cooper Union http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSuT5zN2SPI
Obama Speech: 'A More Perfect Union' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo
HOW TO TRANSFER VIDEOS TO DVD:
Here's how to download videos and transfer to dvd-
- first find the URLs of the videos you want
- then go to VideoDownloadX.com and paste the video URL into their download box
- now click 'Download' and it will open a new page with the download link
- download each video to your computer
- download free DVD authoring software called DVD Flick; it takes all your videos in a batch, and converts into a DVD format and
- burns a DVD that can play inside any DVD player or even your computer.
Barack 's "Economic Crisis Plan" flyer; plz email, copy, distribute
Obama would enact a comprehensive plan to help bring an end to the foreclosure crisis that threatens millions of families. Obama supports efforts to create a new FHA Housing Security Program to provide significant incentives and guarantees for lenders to buy out mortgages that exceed the value of homes and convert them into stable 30-year fixed-rate mortgages that homeowners can afford. This is a responsible plan designed to help responsible homeowners without rewarding borrowers or investors who helped create the problem.
Obama would couple this plan with a direct interest-rate subsidy for low-and middle-income borrowers patterned on the mortgage interest deduction used by high-income itemizers, as well as with comprehensive credit counseling, additional aid for loan workouts and reform of the bankruptcy code.
Obama is now calling for a second stimulus package to help hardworking families and strengthen our middle class: making sure that we get money into the pockets of people who need it and invest in sustainable job growth, giving substantial permanent tax relief to seniors and working people --up to $1,000 per working family This would include extending unemployment benefits, helping those make ends meet while they're out of work, and make sure they're still spending money so we can keep the wheels of our economy turning.
Obama's called for a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years and generate nearly two million new jobs - many of them in the construction industry that's suffered during this housing crisis. And that's why he's proposed investing $150 billion in our green energy sector over the next ten years. This won't just help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and it won't just help save this planet for our children. It will also create up to five million new jobs - and those are jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced.
Obama wiill work to insure that a housing crisis like this does not happen again by installing responsible oversight of credit markets that has been lacking -- on mortgages, but also on credit cards, which threaten to be the next version of the mortgage crisis. It also means increasing people's savings so they have something to fall back on; enacting his long-run savings program would give every worker in America a portable pension savings account.
(read more)JUDICIAL WATCH VS HILLARY
PASS THEM TO THE LOCAL NEWS..AND WE CAN WORK ON THE POSITIVES of OBAMAhttp://www.judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-files-lawsuit-obtain-hillary-health-care-records-clinton-presidential-library
http://www.judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-asks-court-continue-lawsuit-over-hillary-s-health-care-task-force-records
Judicial Watch Asks Court to Continue Lawsuit Over Hillary’s Health Care Task Force Records
Contact:Press Office 202-646-5188
Also Seeks Limited Discovery into Clinton Presidential Library Operations - National Archives Seeks to Delay Records Release Until After Election
(Washington,DC) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that Judicial Watch filed on February 27th a new brief in its lawsuit to obtain records related to the National Taskforce on Health Care Reform, a “cabinet-level” taskforce chaired by former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton [Judicial Watch, Inc. v U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Civil Action No: 1:07-cv-07-1987 (PLF)]. The National Archives has asked the court for permission to delay the release of any records indefinitely (after the November presidential elections). Per the request of Bill Clinton, the earliest some of the records could be released is 2012.
“…More than seven years after taking possession of the records of former President William J. Clinton, and almost two years after receiving [Judicial Watch’s] FOIA request, the Clinton Presidential Library (“Library”), which Defendant controls, has not even begun processing [Judicial Watch’s] request,” Judicial Watch states in its brief. “…Instead, Defendant asks this Court to dismiss or stay this case despite Defendant’s admission that it wildly underestimated the public’s interest in the records, was woefully unprepared when it started receiving FOIA requests, and remains understaffed and entirely unable to comply with its statutory responsibilities…. At a minimum, Defendant’s motion to dismiss or stay this case should be denied.”
According to Clinton Presidential Library records, “The cabinet-level Task Force, chaired by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, was given primary responsibility for providing advice and making recommendations to the President regarding the national health care reform package.” A small category of Health Care Task Force-related documents have been released by the Clinton Presidential Library, but the records of the Health Care Task Force itself have not been disclosed.
The National Archives admitted in correspondence to Judicial Watch that there are approximately 3,022,030 textual records, 2,884 pages of electronic records, 1,021 photographs, 3 videotapes and 3 audiotapes that must be reviewed to respond to Judicial Watch’s April 4, 2006 FOIA request. Recently, Judicial Watch agreed to limit its FOIA request to the universe of 1 million responsive documents which include the Task Force staff files and internal documents. In addition, given the byzantine and arbitrary system the Archives has developed for responding to FOIA requests, Judicial Watch is also seeking court permission for limited discovery into the operation of the Clinton Presidential Library.
“The National Archives does not want to do what the law requires – make the Clinton records available to the public in a timely basis,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Virtually every public request for Clinton records has been stonewalled by the Clinton Presidential Library. This serves no interest but that of the Clinton campaign.”
In a separate lawsuit, Judicial Watch also seeks access to Hillary Clinton’s daily schedule, among other records. The Justice Department has confirmed that the National Archives completed its processing of these records and that they are now in the hands of former President Clinton’s representatives. Bill Clinton can authorize the release of these records at any time. A status report from the Archives on these and other records is due to the court on Monday, March 3.
To read Judicial Watch’s brief, click here.
February 28, 2008
###
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/vendors-say-clinton-deadbeat Vendors Say Clinton Is A DeadbeatWed, 04/02/2008 - 11:04 — Judicial Watch BlogAlthough Hillary Clinton has millions in the bank, she has for months stiffed hundreds of small vendors who are owed tens of thousands of dollars for work on her presidential campaign.
Two Ohio businesses that are owed more than $25,000 for staging campaign events are warning those who plan to do business with the former First Lady to get the money up front. Employees say Clinton’s campaign has ignored phone calls, electronic mail and even a certified letter seeking payment leaving one worker to say “I feel insulted by the way that the campaign treated this company and treated us personally.”
Clinton owes money to many other small businesses that depend on regular and timely payments to survive. She owes an Iowa catering firm $3,500, a New Hampshire school district $4,400 in event costs, a local phone company $24,000 for service, an Iowa supermarket chain $15,000 for food and beverages and a Massachusetts theatrical group nearly $8,000 for equipment costs.
Early in Clinton’s campaign, a New Hampshire landlord, an Iowa office cleaner and a New York caterer reported that they were not paid by the New York senator and evidently the problem has snowballed, victimizing dozens of small businesses across the nation.
It’s not like Clinton doesn’t have the money. She ended February with $33 million in her presidential campaign account, which makes the owners of the stiffed businesses all the more frustrated. One of Clinton’s trusted spokesmen, Jay Carson, denies any wrongdoing and insists that the campaign pays its bills “regularly and in the normal course of business.”
Bookmark/Search this post with: (What's this?)
4 Videos that can win the Indiana Primary !!!
The pollster Peter Hart says the central questions in the voters' minds are: "Is Hillary honest?" and "Is Obama safe?"
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS:
We can answer these questions with 4 short videos you can burn on a DVD...instructions below...(or a mini video cd