The news is getting ugly -- not only because of the precipitous drops on Wall Street, but also because of the barrage of smears and attempts to discredit Barack that are coming from right-wing extremists. I believe these attacks are rooted in fear, and the anger that is erupting at recent Palin and McCain rallies is another symptom of this fear. Americans are losing jobs; Americans are losing health care; Americans are losing their retirement savings... and we're worried about what might come next.
In this context, Barack Obama made another important speech today -- and his words stand in stark contrast to those you see coming from other quarters. I wanted to call your attention to his words, because when we're standing on our neighbors' doorsteps over the next 25 days, we need to anchor our efforts and our responses in Barack's example. We have an AMAZING candidate here -- someone with the extraordinary character, intelligence and talents needed to steer us toward extraordinary solutions to the crises we face.
I encourage you to read this speech as you prepare for the next 3.5 weeks. They will be difficult weeks, but we stand at the threshold of a new era, and it's up to us to make this historic opportunity a reality. Our future, and the future of our kids and grandkids, is in our hands -- let's stay positive and speak from our hearts. If we do that, we're gonna change the world.
Read the speech here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gGgK27
"Now is not the time for fear. Now is not the time for panic. Now is the time for resolve and steady leadership. We can meet this moment. We can come together to restore confidence in the American economy. We can renew that fundamental belief – that in America, our destiny is not written for us, but by us. That’s who we are, and that’s the country we need to be right now. " -- Barack Obama, 10/10/08
The Obama campaign just posted a story about our 15th Ward team on the home page. In case you missed the headline, here's the full story:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/mollyclaflinblog/gG5rL9
Not in the 15th ward? Don't fret! Similar efforts are happening all around the city. Click on "events" and type in your zip code to find out what's happening in YOUR neighborhood. (And if you're in the Tower Grove South area, please come join us at Hartford Coffee Company one day soon!)
-- Jen G.
Yesterday's rally was great (though way too hot). Everyone was so energized, and Joe Biden did a great job with his first speech as a member of the Obama team. Check out some of my pics from the rally here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7295954@N03/
Yesterday, I stood in line for 5 hours to see Barack Obama and Joe Biden at their first rally together. It was a two hour trip each way from St. Louis, and the five hours in the blazing sun were brutal, but it was worth it to see and feel all the enthusiasm and positive energy of people who just HAD to be there for this historic moment. Many folks had been there for Barack's announcement 19 months ago as well... and some were at a rally for the first time. All were swept up in the excitement and anticipation -- the irrepressible optimism that maybe, just maybe, we'll find a way to win this time. Maybe, just maybe, the power of ordinary people working together will be enough to take this country back.
But I knew before I left for Springfield yesterday morning that standing in line and feeling excited was not the best use of my time. There is SO MUCH work to do in our neighborhood... in St. Louis as a whole.. and all around Missouri. With only 46 days left to register voters in Missouri, we have a daunting task ahead of us. We MUST get every voter registered in St. Louis. We MUST reach out to those who have been systematically disenfranchised, who have felt excluded from American politics for years because of their economic status, or their race, or their level of education. We must give them each an opportunity to participate in this movement... and that participation starts by filling out 10 easy questions on a voter registration form.
So, feeling that urgency as a I stood in line yesterday, I decided to use my time as best I could by making phone calls. I had a list of potential volunteers and was able to get several people scheduled for volunteer shifts. Even better, some other supporters overheard me making calls, and asked how they could get involved in something like that. They didn't realize that volunteering could be as simple as spending a few minutes on the phone while standing in line.
As we approach the opening of the Convention tomorrow, I figure there will be a few hundred thousand people who find themselves standing in line for an Obama event this week. The Obama website makes it easy to print a list of people to call or visit, so I encourage you to do so. The phone calls are easy -- and so much more effective -- when you're immersed in the excitement of supporters at an event. Harness that enthusiasm and share it with others by dialing the phone while you're in line.
Thanks!
-- Jennifer G.
Despite his ad's implication that he supports development of clean, renewable energy sources, McCain's voting record on the issue is clear: he can't even be bothered to show up for votes to support it. His absence speaks volumes.
Read the entire story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/opinion/13friedman.html
Yesterday, Helen and I hosted a Listening to America Platform Meeting. We had 22 attendees, representing a wide range of ages, income levels, and occupations. Some were our friends already, but most were people we had never met before – people from the neighborhood who saw the event listed online. Everyone was there because they were excited about this opportunity to own a piece of the campaign by helping to craft our party’s platform. I could tell by the stories shared that these folks were well informed on the issues but felt relatively unheard in the political process. In fact, several in attendance had never been involved in a political campaign before, and they were here because they felt that, for the first time in their lives, a major political candidate actually cared about what they had to say.
Although many issues were discussed during our initial conversation, we decided to focus specifically on five. They are: Health Care, Economic Justice, International Relations, the Environment, and Education. We did not have time to write policy statements on each one, but we did come up with a list of important values that should be included in the platform planks, as well as proposed solutions that we hope the new President and Congress will implement. Here they are:
This op-ed piece is so great that I decided it needed to be posted here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27rich.html
IT almost seems like a gag worthy of “Borat”: A smooth-talking rookie senator with an exotic name passes himself off as the incumbent American president to credulous foreigners. But to dismiss Barack Obama’s magical mystery tour through old Europe and two war zones as a media-made fairy tale would be to underestimate the ingenious politics of the moment. History was on the march well before Mr. Obama boarded his plane, and his trip was perfectly timed to reap the whirlwind.
He never would have been treated as a president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all he offered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew them instead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shaping events and the power to move markets, including TV ratings. (Even “Access Hollywood” mustered a 20 percent audience jump by hosting the Obama family.) Power begets more power, absolutely.
Last night we did our first door-to-door effort in the 15th ward. It was a beautiful night to be walking through the neighborhood, made even more fun as we encountered lots of enthusiastic support for Barack. We did find many people not home, but even so, in just six blocks, we registered 6 new voters and found several new volunteers. I hope to have many more volunteers at the next canvass so that we can cover even more ground, and get even more people FIRED UP about this campaign.
The 15th Ward has many people who have recently moved or who are new to voting. It's essential that we visit each and every door in the neighborhood to make sure that everyone is registered to vote and empowered to volunteer if they wish. I hope you'll join us for the next canvassing event!
In last night's CBS interview with Senator McCain, he clearly misrepresented the facts surrounding the surge. Thankfully for him, CBS decided to clean up the error before it aired the interview on CBS nightly news. I note that they also decided to follow up Senator McCain's comments with some "statistics" regarding the success of the surge, completely forgetting Senator Obama's point that diplomacy might have worked as well -- or better -- than the surge has. And yet, McCain just promoted his new video about the press being in love with Obama....
Here's the full story:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/22/mccain-gets-history-of-th_n_114419.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/07/21/nyt_op-ed_page_sends_mccain_ir.html
Also, here's an opinion piece that quotes (toward the bottom) Newt Gingrich's thoughts about Obama's trip overseas. I'm shocked to find that I agree with Gingrich in his assessment of what America needs to see from Obama when he returns. I don't think that Obama will find that the "world is harder" than he expected to find it... but I do think that Obama will need to demonstrate that in listening, he learned something. Of course, somehow he'll need to show he learned something without giving the impression that he was wrong before, or that he is "flip-flopping." If anyone can pull off that extraordinary tight-rope walk, I think Obama can. Let's hope I'm right.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/07/21/obamas_unprecendented_trip.html?hpid=topnews
In two dramatic policy "flip-flops," the White House announced today that they are agreeing to a "time horizon" for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, AND they confirmed that they are planning to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Iran for the first time since the hostage crisis in 1979.
These are major policy changes, flying the face of the Administration's adamant insistence against timelines in Iraq and diplomatic talks with Iran. It brings the White House into closer alignment with the overwhelming sentiment of the American people... and while one might speculate that the timing is not coincidental (Obama is on his way to the region next week, and the White House would love to TRY to undercut the significance of his visits), any change is welcome at this point, I think.
I believe these changes are direct evidence of the fact that so many voices, united in opposition to the Administration policies, really CAN make a difference in determining the direction of our country. Obama's campaign -- his overwhelming popularity and surprising success -- are shining a gigantic spotlight on the enormity of President Bush's disconnection with the American people. The Republican establishment is feeling tremendous pressure to change its policies -- they are beginning to recognize that the groundswell of voices calling for change simply cannot be ignored. We may not have money, but in numbers, we have power.
Win or lose, we're already creating change. Let's keep up the good work, and we can be certain that we'll take back our government.
For more info about the "time horizon" plan, see:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/world/middleeast/19iraq.html?hp
For more info about the plans to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Iran, please see:http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/17/10411/
My girlfriend & I just got home from registering voters who were standing in line for the premiere showing of "The Dark Knight." (Thanks to fellow volunteer, Melanie Shouse, for suggesting this great idea!)
What a great opportunity for reaching out to brand new voters!! About a third of the voter registration cards we collected tonight were from people born in 1990 -- young adults new to the democratic process, but FIRED UP and ready to vote for change! Other cards were from college students who are registered where their parents live, but wanted to make sure they could vote here -- in person -- this November. They usually don't bother to vote, some said, but this time they know it counts.
Above all, people seemed grateful that we were there. Getting registered was on their minds, but they weren't sure where to go. Over and over people thanked us for being there, or said simply, "Yep -- already registered. Go Obama!"
I know the theaters are going to be packed all weekend, and it works really well to catch movie-goers while they wait in line for seats (some of our new voters had been in line for 4 hours or more). I definitely plan to go back out there tomorrow evening, and I invite others to join me. We need all the voters we can get here in St. Louis to help turn Missouri BLUE in November!!
(If you'd like to join me at the Moolah Theatre & Lounge on Lindell Blvd. tomorrow night, I'll be there from 5 to 6 pm, in advance of the 6:05 pm showing. There is also a 9:05 showing that will surely attract a big crowd -- I hope someone can take that shift as well! I'll create an event where you can RSVP on this website.)
Fired up in St. Louis,
Jen G.
In today's New York Times, Senator Obama published an editorial laying out his plan for the U.S. presence in Iraq. The last paragraph in this piece illustrates exactly what I said about the Obama difference in my first blog, and demonstrates the primary reason why I support Senator Obama for President:
"In this campaign, there are honest differences over Iraq, and we should discuss them with the thoroughness they deserve. Unlike Senator McCain, I would make it absolutely clear that we seek no presence in Iraq similar to our permanent bases in South Korea, and would redeploy our troops out of Iraq and focus on the broader security challenges that we face. But for far too long, those responsible for the greatest strategic blunder in the recent history of American foreign policy have ignored useful debate in favor of making false charges about flip-flops and surrender."
Sen. Obama recognizes the need for a return to intelligent dialogue in Washington. He realizes that partisan posturing is holding back our progress on the most pressing issues of the day. He is taking a courageous stand in favor of real investigation, growth, and debate -- often in the face of criticism by those who seem to assert that once you've taken a position, that position cannot change, even in the face of new information or persuasive arguments from those who see the issue differently. I applaud him for having the audacity to believe that he can bring inteliigent, meaningful dialogue back into the process of American policy-making.
(Read his entire editorial here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/13/AR2008071301659_pf.html
Monday, July 14, 2008; A12
SEN. JOHN McCain says that President McCain would balance the federal budget by 2013. The plan is not credible.
The Congressional Budget Office projects a deficit of $443 billion in 2013 if President Bush's tax cuts are extended, as Mr. McCain wants, and the alternative minimum tax is merely patched to make certain it does not hit growing numbers of taxpayers. But Mr. McCain is proposing far more tax cuts. The only way he avoids having them add hundreds of billions more to the deficit in 2013 is by phasing them in and adding other caveats. Mr. McCain says on the campaign trail that he would repeal, rather than merely adjust, the alternative minimum tax, slash the corporate tax rate, now 35 percent, to 25 percent, and double the exemption for dependents. It turns out that none of that would be fully implemented by the end of the first McCain term. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates the extra cost of the scaled-back plan at $47 billion in 2013, bringing the deficit to a daunting $490 billion. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign claims it would be far higher, somewhere between $650 billion and $750 billion.
The McCain campaign says it will fill the hole with spending cuts. It would "reclaim billions" by rooting out existing earmarks and prohibiting new ones; impose a one-year freeze on discretionary spending other than for defense and veterans; and "reserve all savings from victory in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations" to use toward deficit reduction. These claimed savings are illusory. The campaign assumes $150 billion in savings by cutting in half deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Congressional Budget Office says that even reducing troops to 30,000, far beyond Mr. McCain's estimate, would save just $55 billion in 2013 beyond the costs that the CBO projects as part of its deficit calculation. The campaign assumes an additional $160 billion in cuts to the Pentagon procurement budget and other discretionary spending. But eliminating every procurement program that the CBO has identified as a potential budget target would save perhaps $30 billion in 2013.
In any event, Mr. McCain has called for billions more in new spending: increasing the size of the military, launching a new energy independence project, fully funding the No Child Left Behind law. Where's the savings? Mr. McCain says that he would limit overall growth in discretionary spending to 2.4 percent annually. History suggests that this would not be easily achievable: Discretionary spending has grown an average of 6.9 percent over the past seven years.
Mr. McCain's campaign says that he would rein in the growth of entitlement spending, saving another $160 billion, but it does not explain how. His campaign cites "excessive agricultural and ethanol subsidies," but eliminating all farm subsidies would trim less than $15 billion in 2013. Mr. McCain's opposition to the pending Medicare bill does not offer comfort on his willingness to deal with entitlements. He's willing to reverse $13 billion in scheduled cuts to doctors but opposes paying for it by reducing overpayments to the private Medicare plans. These overpayments -- the plans cost, on average, 13 percent more -- are just about the lowest-hanging fruit in tackling Medicare. In fact, Mr. McCain's chief economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, told USA Today in May that the plans should have to "compete on a level playing field" with traditional Medicare.
I've read several blogs on this site talking about how Senator Obama has lost supporters because of his recent vote on the FISA legislation. I respect those who care passionately -- as I do -- about the grave violations of the basic rights upon which our country was founded. I understand their reaction to the recent vote of "yes" on anything that extends the warrantless invasions of Americans' privacy while also granting immunity to the telecom companies that colluded with the Bush Administration. And I am saddened by the decision by some not to support Sen. Obama any further because of this vote.
I think that Sen. Obama's statement to his supporters who disagree with him is important, and though I disagree with the Senator on this legislation, I believe in the America he has envisioned, in which intelligent, compassionate people can come together to discuss important issues and respectfully disagree. I believe that a vote for Sen. Obama is a vote for a new kind of politics, in which dialogue not just tolerated, but expected, nurtured, and valued. Our need for a return to civil, intelligent dialogue about the pressing issues of our day trumps any particular vote in my book -- because it opens the door to multiple voices, and creates potential for real change to occur in American policy.
