By Sally Ride
October 29, 2008 - Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO - Somewhere in America today, there's a 10-year-old girl who could be the first person to walk on Mars. She's probably playing with a toy chemistry set or a kid's telescope right now, gazing up at the heavens and dreaming big dreams. I know a lot about that girl because in 1961, during the inspirational early days of our space program, that was me.The world that girl will enter, and in particular the state of our space and science industries, is different for her than it was for me. In some ways, she has greater opportunities. While still unacceptably behind men, women have more avenues to becoming scientists today than they did when I answered a call in a newspaper ad to become an astronaut. In other ways, our space program has lost the national stature it had when I was growing up. In both regards, though, we can and must do better.
ORLANDO - Somewhere in America today, there's a 10-year-old girl who could be the first person to walk on Mars. She's probably playing with a toy chemistry set or a kid's telescope right now, gazing up at the heavens and dreaming big dreams. I know a lot about that girl because in 1961, during the inspirational early days of our space program, that was me.
The world that girl will enter, and in particular the state of our space and science industries, is different for her than it was for me. In some ways, she has greater opportunities. While still unacceptably behind men, women have more avenues to becoming scientists today than they did when I answered a call in a newspaper ad to become an astronaut. In other ways, our space program has lost the national stature it had when I was growing up. In both regards, though, we can and must do better.
Last week Senators Hillary Clinton and Amy Klobuchar were in Hibbing, MN, where they asked supporters to keep working for the last few weeks before the election.
Hillary said it was an "All Hands on Deck" moment.
Here are some photos and video from the event:
Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks to the sold-out crowd.
People stood in line for hours to get in!
Hillary talked about what everyone must do in the last few weeks before the election:
Read on for more pictures!
By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) -- John McCain's health plan would bring about a dramatic shift in how millions of people get health insurance coverage. He would let people shop around for plans offered by insurers in other states. New Yorkers could look to Alabama, for example, or any other state when shopping for coverage."Why not? Don't we go across state lines when we purchase other things in America?" McCain asks.The idea sounds simple, but has huge implications.Consider this:Cervical cancer screenings, contraceptives and diabetic supplies are just some of the benefits that health insurers in New York must cover when serving customers there. New York also requires insurers to accept people regardless of pre-existing health conditions and without charging them higher premiums.The state has some of the best consumer protections around, but those protections come at a price. Few insurers offer coverage in New York's individual health insurance market. The ones that do have pricey monthly premiums.Now shift to Alabama, identified as having among the fewest consumer protections of any state. Dozens upon dozens of plans offer coverage at a much lower cost. The trade-off: Insurers can reject applicants with previous illnesses and there's no mandatory coverage of cervical cancer screenings, treatment of eating disorders, or many of the other insurance benefits that New Yorkers get.Health care experts say McCain's plan would make it easier for younger and healthier people to shop around for affordable health insurance coverage. That's a huge group: Nearly half the nation's uninsured adults are ages 19-34.But people with health troubles could have more trouble obtaining coverage. Because of their pre-existing health conditions, they would not have the luxury of buying coverage in the least-regulated states. They would be stuck with plans in the most-regulated states, where premiums would increase if younger, healthier people went elsewhere for coverage."In the long run, what you'll end up with are fairly bare-bone policies sold to the healthy," said Len Nichols, a health economist at the New America Foundation, which is pushing for universal medical coverage.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- John McCain's health plan would bring about a dramatic shift in how millions of people get health insurance coverage. He would let people shop around for plans offered by insurers in other states. New Yorkers could look to Alabama, for example, or any other state when shopping for coverage.
"Why not? Don't we go across state lines when we purchase other things in America?" McCain asks.
The idea sounds simple, but has huge implications.
Consider this:
Cervical cancer screenings, contraceptives and diabetic supplies are just some of the benefits that health insurers in New York must cover when serving customers there. New York also requires insurers to accept people regardless of pre-existing health conditions and without charging them higher premiums.
The state has some of the best consumer protections around, but those protections come at a price. Few insurers offer coverage in New York's individual health insurance market. The ones that do have pricey monthly premiums.
Now shift to Alabama, identified as having among the fewest consumer protections of any state. Dozens upon dozens of plans offer coverage at a much lower cost. The trade-off: Insurers can reject applicants with previous illnesses and there's no mandatory coverage of cervical cancer screenings, treatment of eating disorders, or many of the other insurance benefits that New Yorkers get.
Health care experts say McCain's plan would make it easier for younger and healthier people to shop around for affordable health insurance coverage. That's a huge group: Nearly half the nation's uninsured adults are ages 19-34.
But people with health troubles could have more trouble obtaining coverage. Because of their pre-existing health conditions, they would not have the luxury of buying coverage in the least-regulated states. They would be stuck with plans in the most-regulated states, where premiums would increase if younger, healthier people went elsewhere for coverage.
"In the long run, what you'll end up with are fairly bare-bone policies sold to the healthy," said Len Nichols, a health economist at the New America Foundation, which is pushing for universal medical coverage.
Chicago, IL – With 9 days left until the election, Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, delivered this week’s Democratic radio address from Columbus, Ohio. In her address, she talked about her background, growing up on the South Side of Chicago, and how her father, a precinct captain, always stressed the importance of voting to their friends and neighbors.
Mrs. Obama also touched on how the dream of a better life is something all American families hope for, but that has become harder to realize in the last eight years under the current administration. In this election “we all have a choice to make. And when you look at the issues, and the candidates, and their plans for our future – the choice is clear,” said Mrs. Obama.
To hear the audio of the speech, click HERE.
The embargoed text of the radio address, as delivered, is below:
Good morning. I’m Michelle Obama.
Nine days from now, millions of folks across this great country will head into the voting booth and cast their ballot for the next President of the United States.
When I do, I’ll of course be thinking about my husband, Barack.
But I’ll also be thinking about my dad. He was my rock. He was a blue-collar city worker who never missed a shift in hopes that he could give my brother and me a better life.
He was also a precinct captain who believed that the right to vote was one of the most precious gifts of our democracy. Some of my earliest memories are of tagging along with him as we’d walk door to door and help folks register to vote. We’d sit in neighbors’ kitchens for hours and listen to their opinions, their concerns, and the dreams they had for their children.
And before we left those kitchens, my father would make sure that everyone could get to the voting booth on Election Day – because he knew that a single vote could help make their dreams a reality.
That’s the opportunity you have in just nine days. November 4th is our chance to begin building a better future for our families, our communities, and this country that we love.
Each of us has our own reason for voting.
I’m a wife who believes with all my heart that my husband will be an extraordinary president.
I’m a Mom whose girls are the center of my world – they are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Their future, and all our children’s future, is my stake in this election.
And that’s why, for me, the issues the heart of this election aren’t just political. They’re personal.
I know they are for you, too.
Maybe you’re a student who wonders if you’ll be able to pay off your loans or find a good job after you graduate.
Maybe you’re a small business owner unsure of whether you can pay your employees next month.
Maybe you’re a mother who puts off taking your child to the doctor because you can’t afford the co-pay.
So we all have a choice to make. And when you look at the issues, and the candidates, and their plans for our future – the choice is clear.
There’s only one candidate in this race who can bring about the change we need, restore our economy, and rebuild our middle class.
That candidate is Barack Obama.
His leadership and his policies are the change we need in the White House. But first, we’ve got to send him there.
That’s why your vote is so important. Because if you don’t vote, you are saying that you’re fine with the way things are. You cast an equally powerful ballot for four more years that look just like the last eight.
In 2004, 16 million Americans who could have voted didn’t. Yet, the election was decided by just 59,000 votes in Ohio.
This time, we can’t wake up November 5th only to discover we fell just short and didn’t elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. We can’t look back and think about what might have been.
So visit your neighbors. Listen to their concerns. Tell them what’s at stake. Then take them with you to vote.
In most states, you can vote early and avoid long lines on Election Day. To find the early vote location most convenient for you, go to VoteForChange.com, and then go vote today.
If you do, we will win this election. We’ll put Barack Obama in the White House. And we will change this country and fulfill the hopes of all those like my father, who work so hard to give their children a better future and guarantee that the American Dream endures.
I’m Michelle Obama. Thank you for listening, and I hope you and your families have a great weekend.
# # #
By Mark Silva
September 24, 2008
With the Democratic nominee for president away in Hawaii to see his "gravely ill'' grandmother, Michelle Obama campaigned for Barack Obama in Ohio today.The candidate's wife distilled a message that Obama has attempted to drive home about the difference between himself and Republican rival John McCain during a tough time for working families and people without jobs or health insurance - McCain, the Obama campaign maintains, "doesn't get it.'' Obama, his wife said, "gets it.''"What I know is, my husband Barack Obama gets it,'' she said. "He gets it."The campaigning spouse also demonstrated why the Democrat wasn't forfeiting all that much, politically, by spending more than a day off the campaign trail with less than two weeks to go - though certainly there could be an empathetic edge to be gained in the trip to see grandma."She's doing OK,'' Michelle Obama said of the grandmother whom they call "Toot.'' She helped raise Barack, she noted."She's tough. Her birthday is on Sunday... I asked Barack the other day, how are you doing this (campaigning)? You are tough. He said, I got my toughness from Toot...."So, 11 days to go,'' she said in Columbus, with the flair of a natural stump speaker, the case-closing argument of a lawyer and the passion of a wife, mother and daughter of a shift worker going through an historic campaign. "That's how we greet each other in the campaign - we say, 'How ya' doin?'... 'Eleven.'"I come here first and foremost as a wife who loves her husband,'' she said. "I know in my heart, with no hesitation, that he will be an extraordinary president.''She arrived in Ohio as a mother, and a daughter as well, she said. What's at stake in this election is her children's future, she said. What got them this far are their families."What my father and my background reminds me of deeply is that is the American dream that we are fighting for,'' she said. "When I think of the issues that are at stake in this election... how we're going to fix this broken economy... how we're going to fix a broken health care system... how we're going to end this war, how we're going to clean up the environment, all these issues to me aren't political issues. They are personal."We're all feeling it now,'' she said. "And if you're not feeling it, you're living real close to someone who is.''"What I know is, my husband Barack Obama gets it,'' she said. "He gets it.''
With the Democratic nominee for president away in Hawaii to see his "gravely ill'' grandmother, Michelle Obama campaigned for Barack Obama in Ohio today.
The candidate's wife distilled a message that Obama has attempted to drive home about the difference between himself and Republican rival John McCain during a tough time for working families and people without jobs or health insurance - McCain, the Obama campaign maintains, "doesn't get it.'' Obama, his wife said, "gets it.''
"What I know is, my husband Barack Obama gets it,'' she said. "He gets it."
The campaigning spouse also demonstrated why the Democrat wasn't forfeiting all that much, politically, by spending more than a day off the campaign trail with less than two weeks to go - though certainly there could be an empathetic edge to be gained in the trip to see grandma.
"She's doing OK,'' Michelle Obama said of the grandmother whom they call "Toot.'' She helped raise Barack, she noted.
"She's tough. Her birthday is on Sunday... I asked Barack the other day, how are you doing this (campaigning)? You are tough. He said, I got my toughness from Toot....
"So, 11 days to go,'' she said in Columbus, with the flair of a natural stump speaker, the case-closing argument of a lawyer and the passion of a wife, mother and daughter of a shift worker going through an historic campaign. "That's how we greet each other in the campaign - we say, 'How ya' doin?'... 'Eleven.'
"I come here first and foremost as a wife who loves her husband,'' she said. "I know in my heart, with no hesitation, that he will be an extraordinary president.''
She arrived in Ohio as a mother, and a daughter as well, she said. What's at stake in this election is her children's future, she said. What got them this far are their families.
"What my father and my background reminds me of deeply is that is the American dream that we are fighting for,'' she said. "When I think of the issues that are at stake in this election... how we're going to fix this broken economy... how we're going to fix a broken health care system... how we're going to end this war, how we're going to clean up the environment, all these issues to me aren't political issues. They are personal.
"We're all feeling it now,'' she said. "And if you're not feeling it, you're living real close to someone who is.''
"What I know is, my husband Barack Obama gets it,'' she said. "He gets it.''
Read the original article here.
UPDATE: The live chat has now ended. Thank you to everyone who participated.
Thank you for joining us today for our Town Hall Discussion on Health Care. Our guests today are Dr. Susan Wood, former Assistant Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration for Women's Health and Director of the Office of Women's Health and Neera Tanden, the Domestic Policy Director for Obama for America.
They will be answering questions you have about what is at stake in this election with respect to the health care.
To kickoff the town hall we have a moving video about the crisis we are all facing from the broken health care system. At 5pm Eastern, Dr. Wood and Neera will begin taking your questions in the comments section.
When you finish watching the video, please click “Show Reader Comments” to see what other participants have asked or “Write a Comment on This Post” to ask a question. Dr. Wood and Neera will reply to your questions in the comment area. Please be patient as it takes a few minutes to write a response and post it.
Thank you all for taking part today and enjoy the video.
-Dana Singiser
Senior Advisor for the Women's Vote
Thank you for joining us today for our Town Hall Discussion on the Economy. Our guests today are Dr. Laura Tyson, former Chairperson of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors and Brian Deese, the Deputy Economic Policy Director for Obama For America.
They will be discussing what is at stake in this election with respect to the economy and answering questions that you have for Senator Obama.
The first segment of the town hall is a video clip from the economy panel discussion with Dr. Tyson and former Secretary of Treasury Bob Rubin during the recent Women’s Leadership Forum/Women For Obama National Issues Conference in Chicago. At the conclusion of the video, Dr. Tyson and Brian will begin taking your questions.
Thank you all for taking part today and enjoy the video!
John McCain and his campaign are yet again offering false attacks on Barack Obama’s plan for small businesses. Factcheckers and independent analyses prove McCain’s attacks wrong. The truth is, Obama’s plan will help small businesses create jobs and afford health care, offering them a better deal than John McCain’s plan.
TODAY’S ECONOMIC SUMMIT FEATURES SMALL BUSINESS OWNER VICTORIA VILLALBA, WHO WOULD GET $20,000 UNDER OBAMA’S PLAN TO HELP PROVIDE HEALTH CARE
Victoria Villalba is President and owner of Victoria and Associates Career Services, Inc. the staffing/recruitment company she founded in 1992. For the past 17 years she has lived and worked in South Florida. Her staffing company places direct hire, temp-to-hire, and temporary staffing jobs. She now employees a team of 7 people who work in her office, and approximately 100 people per week work offsite at client companies where they have been assigned. Victoria has placed over 17,000 employees over the last 17 years.
Victoria is able to offer health insurance to her employees, but it is very expensive. The health plan covers 100% for internal employees, which costs close to $500 per person, per month paid to Blue Cross Blue Shield. In total she pays about $40,000 annually for her health premiums – and under the Obama plan her business would be eligible for a tax credit of 50 percent of that total, or $20,000 annually, to help her business afford to continue to offer health insurance.
As a result of the economic slowdown, there is less demand for the services of a staffing company and this lack of demand is hurting her company. As companies downsize and are forced to lay off workers, they are not in the recruitment mode. Despite the challenges and concerns she faces today, Victoria remains confident about the future of her business.
Victoria resides in Coral Gables. Her daughter, Vicki is a junior attending Florida State University.
The rest of the plan is after the break.
BY JUDY GOLD
Here in Illinois, our state law provides one of the most comprehensive remedies in the country for survivors of gender-based violence. That is in no small part due to Sen. Joe Biden, who was the architect of the federal Violence Against Women Act. That law paved the way for the development of the Illinois Gender Violence Act, which then-state Sen.Barack Obama helped pass. Obama also was the lead co-sponsor of legislation to ensure that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Illinois could seek treatment and care without losing their jobs.Obama and Biden understand that every law enforcement system, federal and state, needs instruction and resources to stop this war at home. That phrase is no exaggeration. One in five women will experience domestic violence at some time in her life, and one in four women will be sexually assaulted. When children witness or experience violence in the home, it normalizes violence for the rest of their lives. The terrible truth is: Violence at home makes violence feel like home.A national interest in ending domestic violence, sexual assault and other gender-based violence was Biden's reason for passing the federal Violence Against Women Act. Because such violence is a crime with national and even international implications -- and because state laws were (and, overwhelmingly, still are) inadequate -- the act made clear that women must have access to the federal courts to obtain remedies for the violence.
Here in Illinois, our state law provides one of the most comprehensive remedies in the country for survivors of gender-based violence. That is in no small part due to Sen. Joe Biden, who was the architect of the federal Violence Against Women Act. That law paved the way for the development of the Illinois Gender Violence Act, which then-state Sen.Barack Obama helped pass. Obama also was the lead co-sponsor of legislation to ensure that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Illinois could seek treatment and care without losing their jobs.
Obama and Biden understand that every law enforcement system, federal and state, needs instruction and resources to stop this war at home. That phrase is no exaggeration. One in five women will experience domestic violence at some time in her life, and one in four women will be sexually assaulted. When children witness or experience violence in the home, it normalizes violence for the rest of their lives. The terrible truth is: Violence at home makes violence feel like home.
A national interest in ending domestic violence, sexual assault and other gender-based violence was Biden's reason for passing the federal Violence Against Women Act. Because such violence is a crime with national and even international implications -- and because state laws were (and, overwhelmingly, still are) inadequate -- the act made clear that women must have access to the federal courts to obtain remedies for the violence.
By Dexter Hill
NEWYORK-Taking a look at our daily endorsement tally so far (see link below), the Obama-Biden ticket has a hefty lead in both total newspapers and total circulation. But another figure that favors the Democratic candidates is the number of newspapers that have endorsed Sen. Obama despite supporting President Bush’s reelection in 2004.
At least twenty-six newspapers have switched their support to the Democrat, while only four newspapers (all in the South) endorsing Sen. McCain supported John Kerry in 2004.
In California alone, the Obama-Biden ticket picked-up six newspapers that endorsed President Bush in 2004.
By CATHARINE A. MACKINNON
Women are at a crossroads in our struggle for legal equality as a means to social equality. Having women in politics matters, but it is crucial to have the policies women need. At this moment we risk losing ground gained, but we also have the opportunity to advance. At stake in this presidential election are the federal courts.Despite inroads, women's status remains characterized by sex-based poverty and impunity for sexual abuse from childhood on. The next president will appoint scores of lower court federal judges who will have the last word in most cases. One, perhaps three, justices may be named to a Supreme Court that in recent years has decided many cases of importance to women by just one vote. Equality can be promoted in employment, education, reproductive rights and in ending violence against women -- or not.The equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution is stalled. The fate of affirmative-action programs that have helped open doors for qualified women of all races may be vulnerable. The scope of Congress's power to legislate -- key to what a majority of Congress can accomplish for all our people -- has become uncertain.
Women are at a crossroads in our struggle for legal equality as a means to social equality. Having women in politics matters, but it is crucial to have the policies women need. At this moment we risk losing ground gained, but we also have the opportunity to advance. At stake in this presidential election are the federal courts.
Despite inroads, women's status remains characterized by sex-based poverty and impunity for sexual abuse from childhood on. The next president will appoint scores of lower court federal judges who will have the last word in most cases. One, perhaps three, justices may be named to a Supreme Court that in recent years has decided many cases of importance to women by just one vote. Equality can be promoted in employment, education, reproductive rights and in ending violence against women -- or not.
The equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution is stalled. The fate of affirmative-action programs that have helped open doors for qualified women of all races may be vulnerable. The scope of Congress's power to legislate -- key to what a majority of Congress can accomplish for all our people -- has become uncertain.
MEMO from Missouri Campaign for Change
TO: Interested Parties
RE: Women Voters in Missouri
DATE: October 13, 2008
On Friday, Bloomberg reported that as the economy continues to sour, women voters in Missouri are beginning to break towards Barack Obama. The article, “Obama Makes Inroads Among White Working Class Women in Missouri,” quoted several Missouri women - previously undecided - who are now supporting Obama because of their deep concerns about how the faltering economy is affecting their families.
The report is not remarkable considering the stark differences between the candidates on issues like health care, jobs, equal pay, and other bread-and-butter issues that are foremost in women voters' minds. This is not a surprise. Women are more at risk with an economic downturn; they are more likely to be paid minimum wage, to not have health care, and to be “last in, first out” in the workplace.
As women become increasingly anxious about the economy, they are closely examining the candidates’ positions on these key issues – and women are concluding that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the right choice to bring the change we need.
By Michelle Obama
Tuesday, October 14th
A few days ago, thousands of women from all across the country came to Chicago for a national conference on the major questions and concerns facing women today. For two days, they discussed many important issues facing our nation… from health care to energy to diplomacy and peace… led by women who are experts in those fields. And so many fantastic people gave speeches—including the men we are rooting for to be our next president and vice-president, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.The conference was terrific—productive, powerful, and filled with a sense of shared purpose. I was just blown away by the energy and the excitement from the crowd. But I was also impressed for a different reason. As I looked around the room, I thought to myself, “How did this sea of women—with everything we have going on in our lives—all manage to be here?”
A few days ago, thousands of women from all across the country came to Chicago for a national conference on the major questions and concerns facing women today. For two days, they discussed many important issues facing our nation… from health care to energy to diplomacy and peace… led by women who are experts in those fields. And so many fantastic people gave speeches—including the men we are rooting for to be our next president and vice-president, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The conference was terrific—productive, powerful, and filled with a sense of shared purpose. I was just blown away by the energy and the excitement from the crowd. But I was also impressed for a different reason. As I looked around the room, I thought to myself, “How did this sea of women—with everything we have going on in our lives—all manage to be here?”
This weekend, Barack took some time to personally knock on doors in Holland, Ohio. Take a look at some photos from the day.
For Immediate Release
Monday, October 13, 2008
Washington, D.C. – Sarah and Jim Brady and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence with its network of Million Mom March Chapters endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President and Senator Joseph Biden for Vice President today, and urged Americans to vote for them. Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign, issued the following statement on behalf of the organization and the Bradys:“Senators Barack Obama and Joseph Biden know that we make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons in this country. They know that our weak gun laws have too many loopholes, which lead to over 30,000 deaths and 70,000 injuries from guns every year.“Senators Obama and Biden know that we can reduce those deaths and injuries from guns by strengthening our Brady background check system, getting military-style assault weapons off our streets, and giving law enforcement more tools to stop the trafficking of illegal guns.“Fortunately, the candidates most favored by the gun lobby were rejected by the voters during the primaries. The gun lobby has lambasted Senator John McCain for being a leader on gun violence prevention issues in the past. In 2000 and 2001, he introduced legislation, gave floor speeches, and appeared in television ads to close the gun show loophole. In 2004, he gave floor speeches supporting access to crime gun trace data, requiring gun dealer inventories, and retaining background check records. Back then, Senator McCain was a “maverick”, willing to take on the gun lobby. “But now, Senator McCain has stopped talking about these issues and, instead, has pandered to the gun lobby whose opinions he once disdained. His erratic approach to gun violence prevention leads to our concern about whether a President McCain would remember and follow the leadership shown by Senator McCain in 2000 and 2004 and take steps to help reduce gun violence."The difference between the two tickets is clearest with regard to assault weapons. Senator Obama made his position clear in his acceptance speech in Denver when he said “the reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.” And Senator Biden helped get a ban on assault weapons passed in 1994 and fought for its renewal in 2004.“Senator McCain, however, opposed the assault weapon ban in 1994 and voted against its renewal in 2004. McCain’s running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, told ABC’s Charles Gibson that she also opposed a ban on assault weapons, saying that they were part of her “culture”.“The Obama-Biden ticket understands that the rights of law-abiding gun owners can co-exist with the reasonable restrictions which the U.S. Supreme Court recognized as “presumptively lawful” in its recent Second Amendment decision finding a general gun ban unconstitutional. As Justice Scalia stated, there is “not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever for whatever purposes.” Senator McCain once understood this concept but that “straight talk” is now silent.“The Obama-Biden ticket will work with law enforcement, gun violence victims, and ordinary citizens who want to do more to protect themselves, their families, and their communities by making it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons.“Along with Sarah and Jim, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and its dedicate network of Million Mom March Chapters strongly endorses the Obama-Biden ticket and encourages our supporters to vote for them on November 4, 2008.” To find out more about other Brady Campaign endorsements, as well as where the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates stand on the gun issue, go to the Brady Voter Education Fund's web guide at BradyVoter.org (http://www.bradyvoter.org).As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.Visit the Brady Campaign website at www.bradycampaign.org. For continuing insight and comment on the gun issue, read Paul Helmke's blog at www.bradycampaign.org/blog/.
Washington, D.C. – Sarah and Jim Brady and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence with its network of Million Mom March Chapters endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President and Senator Joseph Biden for Vice President today, and urged Americans to vote for them.
Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign, issued the following statement on behalf of the organization and the Bradys:
“Senators Barack Obama and Joseph Biden know that we make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons in this country. They know that our weak gun laws have too many loopholes, which lead to over 30,000 deaths and 70,000 injuries from guns every year.
“Senators Obama and Biden know that we can reduce those deaths and injuries from guns by strengthening our Brady background check system, getting military-style assault weapons off our streets, and giving law enforcement more tools to stop the trafficking of illegal guns.
“Fortunately, the candidates most favored by the gun lobby were rejected by the voters during the primaries. The gun lobby has lambasted Senator John McCain for being a leader on gun violence prevention issues in the past. In 2000 and 2001, he introduced legislation, gave floor speeches, and appeared in television ads to close the gun show loophole. In 2004, he gave floor speeches supporting access to crime gun trace data, requiring gun dealer inventories, and retaining background check records. Back then, Senator McCain was a “maverick”, willing to take on the gun lobby.
“But now, Senator McCain has stopped talking about these issues and, instead, has pandered to the gun lobby whose opinions he once disdained. His erratic approach to gun violence prevention leads to our concern about whether a President McCain would remember and follow the leadership shown by Senator McCain in 2000 and 2004 and take steps to help reduce gun violence.
"The difference between the two tickets is clearest with regard to assault weapons. Senator Obama made his position clear in his acceptance speech in Denver when he said “the reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.” And Senator Biden helped get a ban on assault weapons passed in 1994 and fought for its renewal in 2004.
“Senator McCain, however, opposed the assault weapon ban in 1994 and voted against its renewal in 2004. McCain’s running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, told ABC’s Charles Gibson that she also opposed a ban on assault weapons, saying that they were part of her “culture”.
“The Obama-Biden ticket understands that the rights of law-abiding gun owners can co-exist with the reasonable restrictions which the U.S. Supreme Court recognized as “presumptively lawful” in its recent Second Amendment decision finding a general gun ban unconstitutional. As Justice Scalia stated, there is “not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever for whatever purposes.” Senator McCain once understood this concept but that “straight talk” is now silent.
“The Obama-Biden ticket will work with law enforcement, gun violence victims, and ordinary citizens who want to do more to protect themselves, their families, and their communities by making it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons.
“Along with Sarah and Jim, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and its dedicate network of Million Mom March Chapters strongly endorses the Obama-Biden ticket and encourages our supporters to vote for them on November 4, 2008.”
To find out more about other Brady Campaign endorsements, as well as where the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates stand on the gun issue, go to the Brady Voter Education Fund's web guide at BradyVoter.org (http://www.bradyvoter.org).
As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.
Visit the Brady Campaign website at www.bradycampaign.org. For continuing insight and comment on the gun issue, read Paul Helmke's blog at www.bradycampaign.org/blog/.
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For Immediate Release Tuesday, October 7, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement after the Small Business Administration announced its final rule concerning women-owned small business (WSOB):"I am deeply disappointed by the SBA's final rule concerning women-owned small business (WOSB) contracting procedures and a new proposed rule on the industries eligible for WOSB contract assistance. These two decisions go against the very spirit and mandate of promoting equity in contracting opportunities."Small businesses are the engine for economic growth in Illinois and across the country. And I call on the SBA to implement a women's procurement program that will support the 5% goal for federal contracts awarded to women business enterprises. This program should also require contract monitoring and reporting by all agencies to ensure that this goal is being achieved through best practices currently utilized in the contract compliance monitoring and reporting industry. "Achieving this goal of 5% of federal contracts going to women-owned businesses is an important first step. I am committed to providing technical assistance and other support to ensure that we eliminate the barriers that WOSBs continue to face and that the government benefits from the skills and resources of many more WOSBs."According to 2008 statistics from the Center for Women's Business Research, women are majority (51% or more) owners of 29 percent of U.S. businesses. Nearly 10.1 million firms are 50% or more owned by women, employing 13 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales. There are 2.3 million firms owned 50% or more by women of color in the U.S., employing 1.7 million people and generating nearly $235 billion in sales annually. Between 2002 and 2008, the number of privately held firms 51% or more owned by women grew 11%. Yet, women-owned businesses receive only 3.4% of government contracts.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement after the Small Business Administration announced its final rule concerning women-owned small business (WSOB):
"I am deeply disappointed by the SBA's final rule concerning women-owned small business (WOSB) contracting procedures and a new proposed rule on the industries eligible for WOSB contract assistance. These two decisions go against the very spirit and mandate of promoting equity in contracting opportunities.
"Small businesses are the engine for economic growth in Illinois and across the country. And I call on the SBA to implement a women's procurement program that will support the 5% goal for federal contracts awarded to women business enterprises. This program should also require contract monitoring and reporting by all agencies to ensure that this goal is being achieved through best practices currently utilized in the contract compliance monitoring and reporting industry.
"Achieving this goal of 5% of federal contracts going to women-owned businesses is an important first step. I am committed to providing technical assistance and other support to ensure that we eliminate the barriers that WOSBs continue to face and that the government benefits from the skills and resources of many more WOSBs."
According to 2008 statistics from the Center for Women's Business Research, women are majority (51% or more) owners of 29 percent of U.S. businesses. Nearly 10.1 million firms are 50% or more owned by women, employing 13 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales. There are 2.3 million firms owned 50% or more by women of color in the U.S., employing 1.7 million people and generating nearly $235 billion in sales annually. Between 2002 and 2008, the number of privately held firms 51% or more owned by women grew 11%. Yet, women-owned businesses receive only 3.4% of government contracts.
By Suzanne Charlé
This is the seventh in our series profiling women in key positions with the Obama campaign. Suzanne Charlé , a supporter in New York City - an independent writer and editor - has volunteered her time and talent to conduct the interviews.
Amy Chapman, Michigan State Director for the Barack Obama campaign, has been involved in politics for over 20 years. At 46, Chapman is veteran of many campaigns—local, state, and national. She worked on her first campaign while still in junior high school and, after graduating from college, worked on Frank Lautenberg’s successful 1982 bid to become Senator from New Jersey. After a stint in journalism, Chapman worked on a succession of national and local campaigns with progressive groups including organized labor. In 1996, while heading the Michigan Coordinated Campaign for Clinton/Gore, Chapman led a training session when she “met her destiny” – John Freeman, a state representative from Royal Oak, Michigan. The couple married in 1997, and later moved to Washington, D.C, where Chapman worked as campaign director of the national AFL-CIO. After the attacks of 9/11, the couple moved their family back to Michigan. There, Chapman worked as Midwest political director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and then served as executive director of Grassroots Democrats, a non-profit organization, helping Democratic parties throughout the nation build their infrastructure so that they can better support the election of Democratic candidate.
Before we get into your personal connection with Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign, would you please give us your views about McCain’s campaign staff suddenly deciding to leave Michigan? I was very surprised by McCain's pull out from Michigan, although I'm pleased – and at the same time, somewhat skeptical about it. The Republicans are still on the air for the next few days, despite their announcement and McCain's brother Joe has been in the state for the last few days as a surrogate. So we have to wait and see what pulling out of the state really means to them. It was ironic that they announced on a day that both Senator and Mrs. Obama were in Michigan in four separate media markets, covering 90 percent of the voters. Will the McCain pullout impact your campaign plans? It doesn't change anything for us on the ground. We are still working hard according to our plans because McCain could come back any time at the drop of a hat, since his operation was just TV, mail and visits. I think the Republicans are waiting for us to blink and let up our intensity, but that won't happen. We won't let up.
Before we get into your personal connection with Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign, would you please give us your views about McCain’s campaign staff suddenly deciding to leave Michigan?
I was very surprised by McCain's pull out from Michigan, although I'm pleased – and at the same time, somewhat skeptical about it. The Republicans are still on the air for the next few days, despite their announcement and McCain's brother Joe has been in the state for the last few days as a surrogate. So we have to wait and see what pulling out of the state really means to them. It was ironic that they announced on a day that both Senator and Mrs. Obama were in Michigan in four separate media markets, covering 90 percent of the voters.
Will the McCain pullout impact your campaign plans?
Editorial Staff
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
As the presidential campaign season rolls on, the stark differences between the presidential candidates could not be clearer: Sen. Barack Obama, a proven advocate who will advance women's access to critical health services; or Sen. John McCain, who will turn back the clock and insert politicians into the doctor's office to make decisions for women.Sen. McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP pick has brought many important issues about motherhood, contraception, teen pregnancy, sex education and choice to the forefront in this election. These issues are extremely important to women voters and to women's health advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. And there is no better way to highlight the clear distinctions between the McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden ticket when it comes to women and our families. The candidates' records speak for themselves.Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin support the same regressive Bush policy that politicians, not women, their families and their doctors should make health care decisions -- unless, of course, the family involved is Gov. Palin's or Sen. McCain's. Both have stated that when it comes to their families, reproductive health decisions are a private matter. Yet the McCain/Palin ticket does not afford your family that same privilege. If your daughter was raped, McCain/Palin would say she should have no choice should she become pregnant. They believe that the state should outlaw most abortions; regardless of whether your pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; regardless of whether your health is put at great risk continuing a pregnancy.
As the presidential campaign season rolls on, the stark differences between the presidential candidates could not be clearer: Sen. Barack Obama, a proven advocate who will advance women's access to critical health services; or Sen. John McCain, who will turn back the clock and insert politicians into the doctor's office to make decisions for women.
Sen. McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP pick has brought many important issues about motherhood, contraception, teen pregnancy, sex education and choice to the forefront in this election. These issues are extremely important to women voters and to women's health advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. And there is no better way to highlight the clear distinctions between the McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden ticket when it comes to women and our families. The candidates' records speak for themselves.
Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin support the same regressive Bush policy that politicians, not women, their families and their doctors should make health care decisions -- unless, of course, the family involved is Gov. Palin's or Sen. McCain's. Both have stated that when it comes to their families, reproductive health decisions are a private matter. Yet the McCain/Palin ticket does not afford your family that same privilege. If your daughter was raped, McCain/Palin would say she should have no choice should she become pregnant. They believe that the state should outlaw most abortions; regardless of whether your pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; regardless of whether your health is put at great risk continuing a pregnancy.
On Saturday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5, Florida Women for Obama held organizational meetings and canvasses in Hillsborough, Duval, Miami-Dade and Orange counties. Our goal was to help register as many voters as possible in a final push before the Oct. 6 voter registration deadline.
Volunteers joined us across the state to be briefed on the Obama plan to stand up for women and families and then to fan-out in their communities to deliver the message. We informed voters about what is at stake in this election, and that Barack Obama will fight for equal pay for equal work and to make health care accessible and affordable for all. The response was very reassuring - women get it and are moving into the Obama column in ever increasing numbers!
A group shot!
Florida Women for Obama at HQ:
Women for Obama hard at work:
