Okay folks, time is winding down on this marathon campaign/election and the Joe Ruwe Fundraising Team, while still chugging right along, has already made history in our own minds. As we surpass $30,000 in donations raised for the Obama campaign, we would like to take a minute to thank everyone who boldly made it possible. Although more than 500 people have donated to our FR page, and we'd like to thank them all personally, we simply cannot. However, we want to start by presenting the first in our series of thank-yous, gratitudes and celebrations of the top donors who have really blown us away with their sacrifice and generosity. You guys ROCK!! Here it is....
JOE RUWE DONATION ARMY TOP TEN DONORS AND OTHER LAUDABLES
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Honorable Mention: My good friend, Anne Cross, who missed the Top Ten by about 60 bucks, nevertheless, is one of my all-time favorite donors who has come through in the clutch so many times for me, kept the Streak alive over and over, and has kept me FIRED UP!!! day in and day out. THANK YOU ANNE!!!! You are a true pal.
And now....
10. A 3-way tie!!!!!! That's right, it was so close, they all made the top 10! They are: my mom, Gail Ruwe!!!! (thanks Mom!), Lorie Caven (you are so clutch, Lorie!), and Valorie Thompson (Val - thank you!)
9. Linda Niehaus!! Linda, over and over you have thrown down and we really appreciate it. You are awesome and congratulations for making the Top Ten!!!!
8. Maureen O'Halloran!!! This is remarkable because Maureen started to donate to the Joe Ruwe Fundraising Team fairly recently, and in no time at all, in dramatic fashion, sealed her legendary status in the Top Ten!!! Maureen - you are awesome and Alaskans the world over should be proud of your effort.
7. Another legendary tie!!!!!! This time, two of my all-time favorite Obama bloggers: Daniel McKernan and Valerie Jean Bailey!!!!!!! Val and Dan - you know I love you both and you two have kept the Streak alive for more days than anyone else!!! Thanks for being there day in and day out for me and the Team!!! YES WE CAN.
6. My neighbor and friend out here in Santa Cruz, John Hunt, with one single whopper of a donation, propelled himself into the JRDA Top Ten and all the way to #6!!! Woah, is right. Thank you John and family!!!
5. Um, now we are starting to get into the big bucks. Number 5 goes to my friend Monica Bradford!!!!! Monica - you are a legend!!! You have steadily been in the Top Ten all aong, and I am so grateful for all that you have done! Thank you for everything!
4. Judy Mackesy!!!!!!!!!! You are in 4th place out of over 500 donors! You are amazing, we love you and you have definitely been an inspiration to the Team!!!! Wow - when I look at your totals, I am blown away.
3. Gram!!!!! That's right, my own grandmother way up in the great state of Maine!!!!! Gram - you know for a fact how much I appreciate what you have done for me and the Obama campaign. You are in the very elite OVER 1000 BUCKS CLUB and I hope you have saved a few bucks for yourself!!! Your investment in the future of our country will help the future generations, aka Maya and Desmond. We love you GRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. # 2 goes to James "Obamacrat" and his great, great family. James - if you happen to read this - we love you sir. You were a good early friend on this campaign trail and we miss seeing you around. You and your daughter, wife, aunt and uncle are amazing and have earned a clear 2nd place for all that you have done this past year. Thank you sir - and bless you and your great family!
1. Number 1 needs a drumroll.........................
You all know her. She has given more money just to my page than I can even count. No one will catch up with her. She is the top donor of the Joe Ruwe Donation Army and I thinks that makes her the 5-star general in command. The first female 5-star Fundraising general .............
..... MIA KANG!!!!!!!!
MIA - YOU ARE SO UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME, I HAVE TO WRITE IT IN ALL CAPITALS. Thank you so much! You have been a true friend and a donating/fundraising GODDESS!
The very top spot out of the more than 500 donors goes to you and you alone.
So, there it is! A big shout out and THANK YOU to the top ten, and all the great people who have helped prop up the Fundraising Team and keep the Streak alive! I would also like to mention a few special people who have been so instrumental to my fundraising efforts and an overall inspiration to me and this campsign. Just because their totals aren't in the top ten doesn't mean they aren't appreciated!! You guys really rocked my socks off and I love you for it. They are:
Kelly Shepard, Danielle Guillou, Katheryn Houston, Benjamin Mbouombouo, Nancy Rebore, Carol Robinson, justin Olsen, Craig Vanderbrough, Steven Von Kampen, Leslie Morris, Jill Adams, Jim Barrett, Mary Harris, Teresa Blommers, Kristin Xander, Patricia Yarbrough, Susan Blumenberg and the legendary Tracy Squatrito! Hey - you guys have donated hundreds of dollars each and don't think that I haven't noticed! You all rock and are legendary in my book.
A special thank you to Donna Skinner - who has been a true inspiration and a whirlwind of hope and action for this campaign.
A shout out to Anita Lasiter - AJ - I love you!!! I wish I could come give you a hug for all that you have done. I'll always remember you and your 5's....
Marianne Stanciu - I still don't have the right words to express to you my full gratitude. I just hope you know anyway. I will never forget....
My friend Hitomi Sera up in Seattle - you are so clutch! High 5 from Santa Cruz!!! Thank you.
My pal, Marytnurse - again, I don't have the words. You rock twice as much as I could ever even imagine!!!
Imiebihoro Aisuku - with the coolest name on the planet - thanks for all that you have done, pal - I won't forget!
And a final ((HUG)) and thank you to Val. My friend. Val - you have kept me going for awhile now and I will always be grateful. Even though you made the Top Ten, I felt the need to shout you out again and give you thanks and praise.
THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!!!
From Joe Ruwe Fundraising HQ - Y E S W E C A N ! ! ! ! ! !
p.s. Keep the Streak alive!
Let me begin by saying that I am no economist. I can't even balance my damn checkbook. But this bailout stinks. I mean, really stinks.
Now, since George W. Bush stole his way into power over 7 long and gruelling years ago, I have become something of a conspiracy theorist - don't ask me why.
Everything that originates or passes through the current White House reeks of foul play. Not a single word can be trusted. Clouds of suspicion and distrust waft from the White House like never before.
I do not trust our President or our Vice President. I do not and cannot trust our Secretary of State or Secretary of Treasury. The EPA is laughable. The National Security Advisor is a puppet. I do not trust Karl Rove. It might go without saying that I do not trust the Federal Reserve, nor it's chairman. I most certainly do not like or trust Mukasey. Robert Gates is actually growing on me though..... but you get the drift.
After the 2000 election, the 9/11 suspicious and still largely unexplained attacks, the subsequent 9/11 Coverup Commission, the Iraq War and WMD hoax, the Bin Laden hoax, Attorneygate, CIA ValeriePlamegate, secret torture, domestic spying and all the rest - how can we possibly trust anyone even loosely associated with the Bush White House on this one?
I cannot.
And thank God Congress cannot. Though I fear a pathetic caving-in within days...
Why would we bail out Wall Street? Why would we instantly feel compelled to throw $700 billion dollars that we do not have (thanks to the Iraq War) at a problem that we do not yet fully understand? Where is this money going to come from? China? Who will be getting this money? Why would we put this sort of extraordinary power and responsibility in the sole dirty hands of yet another Bush administration official? This stinks.
I say - let the economy collapse. Is the stock market really propping up our flimsy little economy? The mortage crisis? Can the greed of a handful of creepy executives, manipulators and risk-takers really sink the entire US economy? What happens if we don't buy all those toxic mortages? I know I don't want my hard-earned tax dollars going to that. What happened? What happened to our schools? What happened to our hospitals and our health care? We have borrowed nearly 800 billion dollars to ruin two foreign and faraway countries (the GWOT - Global War on Terror) and we need to borrow another $700 billion for this? What am I missing? Probably a lot, but I am pissed. Maybe the end of credit isn't such a bad thing. Maybe a "collapse" is actually a painful restructuring of our economy of credit. Who knows, but this stinks.
I have heard, in my conspiracy circles, that the Great Depression was caused much in this same way - the over-leveraging of stocks by the elite of the elite. Using someone else's money to buy things that don't really exist, speculate on the future of these financial "products" and sell these "illiquid" fantasy assets to someone else for a large profit. Or something like that... Some say that the market was intentionally crashed by the Federal Reserve, who were testing their new power. It all is over my head, but I find it hard to believe that this could not have been prevented, foreseen, prepared for, or somehow altered. Or if it is even true at all.
How could our President, John McCain, Ben Bernanke and others flatly tell the whole world that the American economy was "sound", "solid", on "sure-footing" and "not to be alarmed" - and then a matter of days later, the sky is literally falling. Our flimsy little economy, propped up by little more than a wing and a prayer - is now on the brink of collapse, which could somehow deflate the entire global economy? All because of a sub-prime meltdown hoax? Who was asleep at the wheel on that one? Yeah, right.
Let's say that I have 500 bucks in the bank. What will happen to my little pittance if the stock market crashes? I won't get it? Someone else will get it? Will my little community bank fail? Is that $400 even my money once I deposit it? Will the entire economy collapse? Will I get fired from my job? Will the cost of goods and services immediately shoot through the roof? (More than they have already this year?) I guess it's easier for me to say - I'm a renter. I don't have a stake in the Stock Market. Or do I? How will all this affect me? Someone needs to explain that A LOT better than they have so far. Why do I need to be ordered by my government to step in a and finance this greedy, corrupt little trick by the banking cartel that already dominates all of civilization? Beats me.
Well, I'm still not scared enough to support this bailout.
And what of the @#$%ing bastards that caused this mess? Or the evil @#$-&%%^$$#@- @##%$sons-of-s%$%##$#$ who were supposed to be watching over our economy, watching over our banking systems, protecting our national financial security? WHAT ABOUT THOSE SCOUNDRELS? I have yet to see a single head roll. Not one executive has been fired, much less indicted. Not one government regulator has been reprimanded.
Politicians want to limit the amount of compensation for these unpatriotic and greedy criminals? Oooooh, that will teach them. What the hell? What about oversight from Uncle Sam? Who will enforce that? How will we prevent former CEO's of Goldman Sacks from becoming Secretary of the damn Treasury? How will we stop the revolving door between government and the private sector? This bailout addresses few of my concerns. But it spends a lot of my money. And Paulson gets to decide how to spend it.
No thanks.
The Obama Presidency can't come soon enough.
President Bush said that this bailout package need to be passed by last Friday, or we could face a national panic. Well, it's Tuesday and I still have my job, I ate dinner tonight, and I still have my $400 in the bank. (more like $350..) I'm calling bullshit, George. I don't believe you and I don't believe anyone in your administration.
You have lied to me too many times. It is on YOUR watch that our great country was attacked by "terrorists" and it has been on your watch that the entire US economy has somehow been destroyed. It's up to you pal. I say: you fix it, jerk.
Get your Dad to bail you out again. He's made plenty of money from the Carlyle Group recently.
Get old Dick to cover you - we all know Halliburton has been raking it in in the Middle East.
But don't take my money. It's your problem, not ours.
Get on the phone and start talking to some CEO's. Pass the hat. I don't care.
You are a disgrace and this is the final straw.
The total collapse of the global economy certainly would be the final verdict of the Bush administration.
Just like Obama said.....
Senator Obama - the economy truly sucks right now. I believe it is collapsing. People are starting to freak out. But, this is your golden opportunity, sir. Right now. You can open up this election and leave McCain in the dust if you want to.
It is clear to most of us that McCain is weak on the economy, among other things - but especially economic issues.
Senator Obama - SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
The economy is far worse than anyone is telling us. Years of GOP "Let the Market Sort it Out" is being completely debunked by current events. John McCain, for decades, has repeatedly fought for and voted for increased deregulation of financial institutions. This is the root cause of this mess. No oversight breeds corruption and we are all seeing it play out. These recent government bailouts are suspicious and extraordinary. They are solving nothing.
Alas, this is an opportunity for our campaign!
Seize it!
Senator Obama, you know that saving us from complete economic collapse will take an incredible national effort, along the lines of FDR's 'New Deal.' You can come up with a dramatic plan and hammer it home. Abolish the Federal Reserve. Allow Congress to print our own money. Put limits on CEO salaries..... GET DRASTIC!
Americans are worried. They are angry. CEO's are jumping from the flaming plane of the economy with golden parachutes worth many millions of dollars. Disgraced, corrupt speculators are exiting the stage quietly while taxpayers are further burdened with the heavy yoke of debt. It is a disgrace and a travesty. Why should we have to bail out corporate greed and irresponsible risk-taking? ENOUGH!
We have seen what deregulation does. Greedy rich bastards, left unchecked, will not be proper stewards of the economy. THEY WILL TAKE EVERY LAST PENNY THEY CAN THEN JUMP SHIP BEFORE IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN.
We have seen what focusing all our resources and attention on faraway "democracy building" scams can do back here at home. For 8 long and miserable years, our government has completely neglected our country. The economy, healthcare, infrastructure, our veterans - the list is long and goes on and on. We are sick of it, we are scared and we want you to step up and win this election. THIS WEEK!
Seize the moment, sir.
McCain and his handlers are clearly unprepared for this monumental looming crisis, and they are part of the reason we are in this mess.
McCain cannot reinvent himself after decades of staunch conservative, deregulatory, free-market leanings and voting record. If you ever had a golden opportunity to open up a huge lead on your far inferior oppponent, this is that moment.
HIT HIM HARD! Come up with a plan. Be bold! You can do it. Come on - a complete market overhaul. The republican economic schemes are a complete failure. These last few days are proof. Our country is in crisis.
I'm one of your number one supporters sir - and this will be your best week to convince America that you are the bold and innovative leader that we know you are. Time is short.
Please hammer him on this. Play offense for 48 more days. Put him on the ropes. He's out of his element! He's part of the problem! You know it and I know it.
This is your chance, sir.
Yes You Can.
I stand by ready to help in any way I can.
Joe Ruwe
I'm going to raise $50,000 for the Obama campaign. Many feel that I am just joking around or something, but I'm not.
I know it won't be easy. Just like this campaign overall, I will have to work my tail off and I will need your help.
Almost 600 people have made more than 800 donations so far. At an average donation of 30 bucks, it is really starting to add up. Some people donate 25 dollars every paycheck. Some give 100 bucks a month. I've had people donate $500 and $1000 at a time! I've had a whole bundle of 5 dollar donations. Every dollar makes adifference.
There's this thing called the Streak happening - you might have heard. Awhile back, I committed myself to securing at least one donation every day until Obama won the election. Today was the 119th day in a row.
I found this website called Vistaprint and managed to get a box of free business cards made up. They are the Joe Ruwe Obama Fundraising Team with a link to the website. I carry them everywhere I go and pass them out to everyone who will take 'em.
You guys, there are only 47 days left to go until the most profound election of our lifetimes.
We will either win or lose.
We will either save our country, or we will hand it back over to the GOP and the corporate world for another 4 years of disaster and disgrace.
It's up to us.
Sadly, it will take all the money we can possibly muster.
Please consider contributing to this great campaign. Consider it an investment in your future, your children's future, and the future of our country.
3 simple word: YES WE CAN.
Here's my fundraiser: fundraising page
Obama/Biden '08
Since going to Denver, my fundraising, blog and all the rest has been in chaos and my time has been short. But I wanted to report that regardless of my hectic life and yours, the Streak has lived on for 110 days in a row. At least one donation has come into the FR here for 110 in a row. 5 dollars, 20 dollars, a thousand dollars at a time. People donate 20 bucks out of every paycheck, some contribute 10 per week. Some put in 5 almost every day. Some go big and drop a grand or more at a time on the Obama for America campaign. It adds up. The average donation has been 29 dollars. 768 donations so far - that just blows my mind. I'm going for 1000.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who donates to my page - it really is making a difference. And THANK YOU to my friends like Marytnurse, Recovering Whine-O, Rich in FLA, My Gram, Anne, DDD, Maureen who keep the Streak going for me when I can't and help me overall in general.
Keep the Streak alive. Grassroots fundraising certainly beats lobbyists and special interests bribing everyone. The masses can control this election if we want to. It will take money (that's us) and organization and inspiration (that's Obama) and we have both and we need to go all out.
Less than 2 months to go.
Soon, this will all be over. We will either win or lose. It's us against them - and we all know it. The People versus the Machine. High stakes and profound implications are overbearing. I shudder to contemplate the historic and unimaginable importance in this years Presidential election. This race should be a silly landslide at this point - McCain/Palin is no match for Obama/Biden when it comes to experience, intellect, integrity, temperament, organizing abilities, fundraising, capacity to inspire people. Alas, it is not. Sadly, this election will come down to the wire and somehow miraculously be decided in a few key states. Humbug.
Every little extra thing we can do to help the Obama campaign will be adding up to make the ultimate difference this year. This election is about us, just like Obama says. It isn't about him, or history. It is a test to see if we can take back our government from corporate interests and allow it to be run by honest representatives. The eternal challenge. Only this time, it is more serious than ever. Frighteningly serious.
I have no doubts that the Bush/Cheney regime will continue to bungle the operation and stewardship of our government to increasing levels of national peril. I foresee even more economic chaos, military aggression or false-flag attacks on our Constitution before January of this winter. These guys still aren't behind bars or in front of a war crimes tribunal - these guys are still operating our government as I write this. I can only shudder and be prepared for anything.
We gotta win this year, that's all there is to it. So much is at stake. I think probably more than we know. I think the failures of the Bush administration are not even close to fully known or even imagined at this point. We have a lot of work to do still. The most important of course, is to win this election. Fixing our country happens after. Every single dollar will help. Everything we do will help. Keep doing it. And get a few friends to do it too.
Yes we can.
DONATE.
Well, the final day of the DNC. Still cannot believe that I am here. Still cannot believe the dramatic pandamonium of yesterday. Bill, Kucinich, Kerry, Biden, Obama - holy smokes. My voice is almost totally gone.
Met up with Meta for breakfast. Feeling quite haggard from the events of last night, the late commute home, the early rise for credentials. Felt hungover but wasn't.
Everyone in the restaurant was abuzz with anticipation - you could see it and feel it. The two ladies next to us had a laptop open and a layout of the Mile High Stadium, trying to see where their seats were. They were kind enough to let us see ours too, and a series of other eager supporter lining up behind us. Seats looked quite good... Breakfast and lots of coffee but still no energy. Feeling tired and crappy to say the least. I was going to have to double my efforts.
We wandered briefly downtown but presently made our way to the Stadium. We had a hunch that the lines would be long and we were right. Woah.
Surprisingly, we made it in around an hour - which was far less than the average wait that we heard about later, 3-4 hours. We got there before 2 in the afternoon and the already-long lines were growing fast.
Being inside unleashed a great wave of enthusiasm, not just for me but to all who entered. Passing through the gates meant the great making of history. Tonight was the night. I cannot believe that we are here. Obama won the primary and is soon accepting the party's nomination. It's official. Wow. Woops and yells were spontaneous throughout the day, but few moments compared to the public thrill of passing through the gates in the Stadium of History.
The seats, were, well - you wouldn't believe me. Suffice it to say - I had a great, great view. My luck surely must have played out after this. The long series of amazing good fortune had continued and followed me right to my seat at the Stadium. After sitting down, I decided to stop taking notes the rest of the day, though I took a few hear and there. It was like a rock concert. A Hopefest. Hot, sunny, hopeful. Serious. Historic.
Stevie Wonder, Cheryl Crow, John Legend and will.I.am (a total and complete highlight if ever there was one), the yonder Mountain String Band (!), Michael McDonald, and an incredible Star-Spanged Banner by this amazing lady:
YouTube - Jennifer Hudson Sings National Anthem at 2008 DNC
and this:
YouTube - Democratic National Convention-Will.I.AM & John LegendSo that was definitely cool.
Bill Richardson got the crowd fired up, Tim Kaine rocked it a little, but the crowd saved the love for Al Gore. It was cool to watch as he strode to the podium - we all went wild. For a brief moment, everyone paid their respects to this amazing man - an author, Noble prize winner, Vice President and environmental legend. For a brief moment, 84,000 of us imagined what life would have been like if the neocons hadn't stolen those elections, and this man would have been our President.
Here it is:
YouTube - Former Vice President Al Gore speaks to the DNCThe guy is a legend in my book. 2000 was one of the darkest years in the history of our great democracy, but I won't get started...
He nailed it, the crowd loved it and the audience was electrified. My vocal chords were likely shredded and completely ruined. We were ready.
A procession of military generals lined the stage, including Wes Clark and others, and proceeded to provide a powerful backdrop of military might through their strong endorsement. Senator Dick Durbin, Obama's close friend in the Senate, gave a generous and warm introduction. Then it was on.
I'm sure you have seen it:
YouTube - Barack Obama at the 2008 DNCI don't have much to add. Everyone around me was crying. I'm not kidding. As the fireworks were shooting off, the crowd still cheering, confetti raining down - we all knew that something was happening. Something had just happened. Change was coming. Change is coming. Everyone could feel it. I was high-fiving people I had never met, hugging women I would never know - and witnessing the great turning point of our country. The whole incredible week had led us to this point. All the great statemen, speakers, and stars had spoken on behalf of this man. It seemed like the whole world was behind him, if only temporarily. I will never forget it and I can only think of my friend MaryanneAZ who I still have not met, who gave me her trip so that I could be here. Thank you Maryanne.
The night was a party, everyone was celebrating. But I was tired, and I knew the hardest part of the campaign was just beginning. Two months of brutal Washington War. Good versus evil. Sanity versus insanity. Smears, lies, spin, and the GOP - I knew it would be getting dirty and the media would not help us. I was tired and I needed to get back to work. I pledged then and there, even though I didn't need to, that I would do something to get Barack Obama and Joe Biden elected every single day until Nov. 4th. I will not take a day off. Raising money, registering voters, spreading the word, spreading the truth, making phone calls, convincing people - I will do something every single day until these guys are in the White House.
They are our last best hope. These past 8 years have been too catastrophic for our country, too profound, to gamble with anything other than Obama/Biden. The GOP has practically ruined us. Just look around. How do you feel? How could anyone in their right mind even think about entertaining the notion of voting Republican this year? I don't get it.
But I know it won't be a landslide, even though it should be. I know that it will take all of us, every day until the end, to win this election. Too many forces are working against us.
So I say more than ever - this is our time to do something great. This is our time to save our country from ruin. This is our time to save and protect our democracy, something we now see teetering on the brink of disaster. THIS IS OUR TIME.
Get involved, spread the word, wear your gear, make a donation, write a letter to the editor, call your friends and family, know the facts, stay positive and focus! We can't not win this time, that's all there is to it. The stakes are too high. The danger is too great. Every one of us should consider this the single most crucial and profound election of our lives.
You can count on me to do my part and more.
I was in Denver and I saw what was happening. Something really is stirring out there. The media isn't covering it, and the GOP doesn't get it. The little guy is rising up again. The average citizen is getting involved.
Only two months to go, my friends. We can rest on November 5th.
Let's do this.
I wore my black suit today and I was glad I did. I was going all out. I was representing the Joe Ruwe Fundraising Team, the Obama Blog, and Santa Cruz! I was all decked out... Thank goodness it was slightly cooler today.
As I walked to the light rail station from the Days Inn, I pondered the previous night. Was I just still mad at the Clintons from the primary? Nahh, maybe. If so, I needed to get over it. And fast.
Since I had elected to leave the Ruwe Private Helicopter at home in CA, my daily commute consisted of a leisurely half-mile stroll over hill and dale, the longest pedestrian bridge I had ever encountered and a few sidewalks more - to a light rail station. 3 bucks and 25 minutes later, I was downtown in the thick of it. I shuffled through the throngs on the 16th Street Mall, taking it all in. I looked like Secret Service in my black suit and new shades. (No I didn't.) I thought to myself, "dude, you are lucky to be here."
As I made my way to the Hyatt , my feelings against the Clintons solidified and I became reckless with my thoughts of dissatisfaction. She could have done way more. That was my bottom line. For all she did in the primary, she could have done and said way more to unite this party.
What was my problem? Geeze, it was a rollercoaster. My notes lamented: "Great disturbances on the waves of my mind over Bill and Hillary. Unease. Tonight's roll call should be a complete @#$#ing spectacle. Bill's final chance to redeem himself. Pathetic."
Harsh.
After getting my daily credentials, I was waiting to go to a tea party with Nancy Pelosi (no kidding) and I got this urgent text from meta: "If you are not busy, get to the CC. Black Caucus."
As I discovered the tea party had been postponed, I raced over. Maybe one hundred people had crowded into the Wells-Fargo theatre inside the Colorado Convention Center and meta was nowhere to be seen in the hall. Michelle Obama was on stage!
Her speech was incredible. It was heartfelt and totally honest and refreshing. She spoke of the hard work left to be done, the knocking on doors, the registering, the donating. She seemed worried, hopeful, steadfast. I wanted her to be First Lady.
Afterwords, as I found meta and we excited, we ran square into the legend John Conyers. A lion in the House of Representatives, Conyers is a hero to both meta and I and apparently some others, as he was surrounded by a large crowd of supporters and fans. We managed to squeeze in and shake hands with and talk to the soft-spoken Congressman, and exited in jubilation. I've always liked John Conyers and it was a pleasure to meet him. A great honor, actually.
Meta and I had a great lunch and compared notes of the trip. A relaxing and pleasant couple of hours with my friend. Meta was my contact to the blog when I was in Denver, keeping me abreast on the Streak, and other things.
On to the Pepsi Center.
Inside, the crowd seems way more fired up today than usual. Wow. Almost a packed house and it is only 4:00 pm. Roll-call starts.
Each state starts with a very brief speech by either the governor or a senator or another big-wig of some kind, then the amount of delegates are read for each candidate (Obama and Clinton's names were both on).
Alabama - Clinton 5 gelegates. Obama 48!
Alaska - Clinton 3. Obama 15.
American Samoa - Unanimous! 9 delegates for Obama!
Arizona - Clinton 27. Obama 40. woah.
Arkansas - "honoring the call to unity by our native daughter" - Unanimous! All 47 delegates for Obama!!!!! The crowd went nuts and the energy/intensity level spiked. Awesome!
California - Barbara Boxer declares that California passes. WTF? What does that mean? People in my skybox looked around at each other, perplexed.
Colorado - 15 Clinton. 55 Obama!
still wondering about California...
Connecticut - Clinton 21. 38 Obama.
Delaware - Yes! Unanimous! All 23 delegates for Biden, I mean Obama!
Democrats Abroad - for the first time ever - Clinton 2.5. Obama 8.5. Yeah, I don't get it either.
District of Columbia - for the first time ever! - Clinton 7. Obama 33!
Florida - 51 Clinton. 166 Obama !
Georgia - 18 Clinton. 82 Obama!
Guam -3 Clinton. 4 Obama. (light, scattered applause)
Hawaii - 1 Clinton. 26 Obama, the native son...
Idaho - the largest margin of an Obama primary victory (I guess?) 3 for Clinton. 20 Obama!
Illinois - Dick durbin: "Illinois passes." WTH? I started thinking that something was up at this point. Why would Illinois pass? Or California, for that matter. I smelled a conspiracy.
Indiana - 6 Clinton. 75 Obama!
Iowa - where it all began - 9 Clinton. 48 Obama!
Kansas - 6 Clinton. 34 Obama.
Kentucky - 24 Clinton. 36 Obama.
Louisiana - 7 Clinton. 43 Obama.
Maine - 8 Clinton. 24 Obama!
Maryland - 6 Clinton. 94 Obama !!!!!
Massachusetts - 52 Clinton. 65 Obama. yikes.
Michigan - 27 Clinton. 125 Obama!
Minnesota - 8 Clinton. 78 Obama.
Mississippi - 8 Clinton. 33 Obama.
Missouri - 6 Clinton. 82 Obama !
Montana - 7 Clinton. 18 Obama.
Nebraska - 3 Clinton. 28 Obama.
Nevada - 8 Clinton. 25 Obama.
New Hampshire - where Hillary won the Primary - "answering the call" - unanimous! All 300 for Obama!!!!
The crowd is going nutty at this point...
New Jersey - "following the lead of Hillary Clinton" - unanimous! all 127 for Obama!!!!!
The thunderous applause are deafening. Rousing speech by NJ Governor. The place is wild.
New Mexico - yields to Illinois (crowd going berserk)
Illinois - yields to the great state of New York (crowd out of control)
The suddenly - the crowd goes wild and a spot light shines on the Clinton entourage making its way to the floor, over to the NY delegation.
The rest as they say, is history. The crowd literally erupts at this point.
YouTube - DNC 2008: Official Nomination of Barack Obama (video of the drama)
The roll call was quite possibly the highlight of the entire week. It may sound crazy, but it is true. It all came together - a great light bulb in my head. Of course! Hillary was saving it up for tonight! I couldn't believe how mistrustful I had been. Or distrustful. The symbolism of Hillary's nomination by acclamation was incredible. The suspension of the rest of roll call. Historic. I couldn't believe that I was there, in the room where American history was being made. Obama had the nomination! It was official. Hillary had come through in the end! I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to fall down. Voice - all but gone.
It took a long time for the crowd to settle down after that. A long time. There was actually some kind of intermission. I went out onto the concourse and took several calls from my friends on the East Coast. "Did you see that?" "That was amazing!" "I can't believe you're there!" And so on.
It really was incredible and if you have time, I suggest you watch the whole roll call. Maybe on a rainy day.
As I turned to walk back to my skybox, I practically bump into Patrick Leahy! Holy smokes! I thought fast.
"Senator Leahy!" I called out as he walked past. He turned as I approached, and thankfully, because of the great guy that he is, stopped and talked to me for a couple minutes. I introduced myself and told him that I was from Maine but now lived in Santa Cruz, and had grown up idolizing him and most recently for his firm and dedicated resolve to hold the criminals in the White House accountable. I thanked him for his great work on the Senate Judiciary Committee and his tough hearings and told him he had a hero in Santa Cruz. It was the highlight of my night, personally, and the fact that he stopped to talk to me, if only for a few minutes, really blew my mind. John Conyers, Pat Leahy. I was fired up! I immediately called my mom in Maine. "Mom! I just met Patrick Leahy!" She knew how important this was to me. Ahh, what a night. And it was only just getting rolling...
I got back to my skybox and could baraly contain myself. The drama of the roll call, my appreciation for Hillary and her dramatic nomination, shaking hands with Pat Leahy - it was quite a shocker, all of it put together. I'm glad I wore a suit.
Jay Rockefeller spoke, but I could barely hear him above the roar of the crowd - left over from before the intermission. Melissa Ethridge played a little medley that rocked the house down. Harry Reid got up and blasted BushCo. for it's corruption and failings. Madeline Albright took the stage and tried to give a speech above the crowd's insane decible level, but from my vanateg point - was unsuccessful. I had to read the teleprompter for about 5 speeches in a row - the place was so loud. Evan Bayh came out and did a great job of getting the crowd even more fired up! I made a mental note that the attacks on BushCo. and his criminal gang of jackals was getting noticeably sharper. I liked it. Terms like "disgraceful incompetance" and "miserable failure" were finally getting tossed about with gusto. About time!
Daschle came out and to the crowds delight, ripped into Bush and Cheney as few can do. If anyone knows how bad these scoundrels are, it's Tom Daschle. He lit off on a great and fiery speech. He practically received a hero's welcome.
Then up next, the King.
The crowd had somehow saved some serious energy for Bill Clinton, and when he walked to the podium, I thought my ears were going to fall off onto the floor. The screams and cheers and whistles all globbed together to form a thick crashing cymbal of noise directly into my brain. Democrats still loved Bill, no doubt about it. He came right out and said, "I'm here to support Barack Obama." The crowd went nuts, myself included, and he proceeded to give one of the best speeches of his life. I was amazed, grateful, and inspired. Bill was in rare form.
Here it is....
YouTube - Pres. Bill Clinton Address at Democratic National ConventionIt was off the hook. It was more than I could have asked for. He redeemed himself. He was back to his old self. I sound like a blathering idiot, but he really blew me away, no pun intended. He was incredible! And as you can see - the crowd ate it up. The thirst for the good old days was everywhere. The Clinton Years, up against the current 8 nightmare Bush years, released an amazing outpouring of emotion from the 24,000 inside the Center. I still cannot believe that I was there.
From across the hall, I could see Michell Obama sitting in her skybox and could feel the waves of relief washing over her in rivulets.
Bill brought the house down, that's all I can say. Relief, satisfaction, relief. Ahh, what a relief!
But amazingly, John Kerry followed that up with an incredible speech of his own. I was amazed and impressed that he managed to salvage the energy level that Bill had brought. Very impressive indeed.
Kerry was in top form and did an excellent job talking about Obama's patriotism and readiness to lead.
I didn't take any notes while Joe Biden was talking. I took it in. I was simply in awe of this man. Talk about the straight-talk express! Wow. Such a straight-shooter. The crowd gave him an insane ovation which lasted for quite a spell. I got the sense that Barack could not possibly have chosen a better running mate. The feeling in the hall was that the ticket was superior, inspiring, and unstoppable. Joe gave a great speech that everyone in the room could relate to. Joe is the man.
The night was mind-numbing. I have done a disservice to it by posting such a hasty outline of a rich, and jam-packed evening of incredible speeches, but you get the drift. The party is energized. The party is united. Tonight was out of control.
and then at the end, I mean right at the end, Obama came out. It was the first time I had ever seen him in person and I went wild. Everyone went wild. His cameo brought the house down for the tenth straight time tonight. I was hoarse and wild. People were high-fiving each other. What an amazing way to end the evening. Tonight, Wednesday night, the 3rd day of the DNC, was something that I would remember for all time.
I had met Pat Leahy. I had seen Bill Clinton. I had seen Barack Obama.
The Streak was still alive.
I didn't even try to imagine how it could get any better.
In bed by 2:00 am. Ouch.
Tommorrow is the big day...
The first lines in my journal regarding Day 2: "Big improvement over yesterday already. Things happening. Credentials - check. Positive vibrations throughout the town."
Tuesday was really the first true day of my DNC experience. The DCCC tracked me down and gave me credentials. I had only a vague knowledge of credentials, but at the Convention, they are a cool thing to have. A pass to get you around and involved in the action. Not only that - but the DCCC had a private skybox just above stage left for all three nights of the events at the Pepsi Center. Needless to say - I was styling.
Despite my auspicious start to the 2nd day in Denver, thoughts kept returning to Hillary. Don't ask me why. Perhaps the oppressive heat was altering my normal thought processes. As I wandered through downtown, joyous about credentials and a skybox seat, an insidious and alarming nervousness began to spread. As I wandered by newspaper machines, headlines screamed of Tension Within the Party, or a Possible Revolt by Hillary - things that played into my already unfounded paranoia. The heat, mixed with the moronic chants of pockets of Hillary-supporters-turned-McCain-supporters steadily fed my skepticism and slowly started killing my natural buzz of HOPE and CHANGE. What would Hillary do? Would she blow it all, her reputation and her legacy - just because she lost the primary? I shuddered. The word on the street was unease about the role of the Clintons in Denver. Hmmmm.
I sought refuge in a coffee shop, where open newspapers haunted my free time and plagued my thoughts about tonight at the Convention. I decided to just dive in. I'm going to the Pepsi Center right now, and Hillary better not blow it. I made haste down the avenue....
The Pepsi Center is cool. Literally and figuritively. It was the first real AC I had felt iin Denver, and the energy inside was amazing. I got there several hours early, just as the gavel was coming down and Speaker Pelosi was calling the Convention to order. It is an understatement to say that my seats were awesome. Unbelieveable, actually, as in - you would not believe me if I told you. I will try to find a picture for proof.
I was pleasantly surprised by a great speech from Iowa's Governor, Chet Culver. The guy could talk and he was well-liked here. David Patterson from New York followed to a rousing ovation from the half-filled auditorium. He gave an extremely forceful speech. I sat right above the band, which was directly next to the podium, so we had a great view and sound of the action both during and in between the speeches. I noticed beach balls being knocked around on the delegate floor. The air was alive with a fierce, raw energy.
I checked the clock: 4:00 p.m. Wow - still so early.
The Congressional Black Caucus came out to a standing ovation and stirred into a moving tribute to Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. Congressman John Conyers launched into a blistering critique of those old war criminals Bush and Cheney to hearty applause. His speech touched on the stolen elections of '00 and '04. He kept coming back to the chant: "NEVER AGAIN!" which the crowd echoed angrily.
My long-time hero in the Senate, Patrick Leahy took the stage next and gave a much quieter, but quite excellent speech on Rural America that went over well. Leahy lacked some of the fire of the other speakers but the man can do no wrong in my book, for the many times he has stood up to the Bush/Cheney criminal cartel as Chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I personally gave him the loudest ovation of anyone in the entire room.
The crowd was growing steadily in size and intensity. People could tell that tonight was a big night.
At around 5:00 pm, Dennis Kucinich (though not scheduled to speak) took the stage and launched into one of the highlights of the entire week. If you didn't hear about this speech, you better watch it now. The crowd went absolutely insane and I practically lost my voice on the spot due to uncontrollable bursts of shouting, yelling and cheering.
The guy threw it down and said what needed to be said.
YouTube - Dennis Kucinich * WAKE UP AMERICA!!!* Dems Convention 2008All I can say is, after this speech, the crowd was instantly FIRED UP and never calmed down again.
I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Definitely one of my personal highlights from Denver.
Barbara Boxer from my own great state tried to follow that and did well. The crowd was too loud to hear much of what she said, but I was close enough to read the podium teleprompter, so I followed along. Kucinich's words were still ringing in my ears.
Believe it or not, Ed Rendell opened up a little can of whoop-ass on Bush and Cheney and had nothing but praise for Obama. I was surprised to be impressed with his forceful and seemingly genuine speech.
Speakers followed in rapid succession, Johnn Sweeney from the AFLCIO, Rahm Emmanuel, Steny Hoyer, Jennifer Granholm, Jim Whitaker, and two of my favorites: Napolitano and Sebelius.
YouTube - Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ)and Sebelius:
Dnc - SebeliusI'm not sure if the crowd was still fired up from Kucinich or what (maybe that was just me) but these two ladies went over extremely well. Both received standing, prolonged ovations.
More speakers continued, singing the praises of Obama and slamming Bush, Cheney and McCain for their abysmal failures and horrible performance - Ted Strickland, Bob Casey Jr., Mark Warner, Duval Patrick (great speech), and others.
The highlight of the night for me came when Brian Schweitzer took the stage. Now, I didn't know him that well before and I can tell you - HE MADE AN IMPRESSION. The guy was off the hook! I had no idea....
YouTube - Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MT)He blew the roof off the Pepsi Center, that's all I can say. It suddenly was pandamonium in the audience. Raving jubilation swept over the crowd. I think I saw confetti. I couldn't even hear the band just below me. It was awesome. I doubt the country would be ready for him, but I remember thinking, this guy could be President someday. Except Kucinich (in my book), this was the greatest speech of the night.
And then a strange thing happened. I started seeing a sea of white Hillary signs all across the crowd. The house was packed and everyone was starting to wave these Hillary signs. Random chants of "Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!" broke out spontaneously across the venue. A video tribute came on with syrupy and gentle music, and silly naration. I feared for my safety and my sanity. My blood pressure started rising. Late primary nausea and shivers broke out across my body. Sweats. Chills. What was happening? The enthusiasmm in the crowd was getting uncontrollable. I wondered where I was - I had somehow gone back in time to a Hillary rally in PA or West Virginia! My notes in my journal read something like this: " WTF? What the hell is going on? OMG - is this a Hillary rally? Thinking about throwing up. Shudders and sweats. Weird, very weird. Fear and loathing in Denver. Totally over the top and worrisome. Skepticism rising. Rapidly."
I was @#$#ing nervous.
Hillary came out and got the old 5-minute standing ovation. A smug and annoying Bill looked on, proudly. It seemed like a bad dream. Ten minutes in, she started talking about Barack. Kind, forceful and to the point. I was expecting more. Maybe I was too shell-shocked at the introduction, the signs, the feel-good video and the crazy crowd, to think clearly. But I was unsatisfied. Something was still missing.
She ended with another 5-minute standing ovation but I was nervous. I didn't see her giving it her all. She never said "Obama is ready." I had to process. I exited the Pepsi Center with e few people from my skybox and scrambled for safety.
I found a joint called the Cheesecake Factory downtown and swaggered in. I had no need for cheesecake, but found solace in a pint of strong margarita, Don Julio. Sippin away, my brain swirled. I scanned my notes. Wow, I was here in Denver. I had just seen Senators, Governors, Congresspeople and the Speaker of the House from less than 100 feet away. A couple of days ago, I had been working hard in Santa Cruz, landscaping, thinking about the family and the Streak, and tonight I was pondering the incredible history being made before my very eyes. I could not get that oddball, amazing patriot Dennis Kucinich out of my mind. The guy was awesome. And Schweitzer! Holy @#$#. Leahy, Boxer, Warner - all stepping up to support our guy Obama and plead for change in this country. It all seemed so genuine. For some reason, my healthy skepticism and distrust of American politics (either party) faded temporarily, and it truly did seem like the Democrats were trying their hardest to unite this party and win this election. I was on cloud nine.
But I could not answer that pesky question. What about the Clintons? For some reason, her speech left me more uncertain than ever, and ever less satisfied that she was truly behind Barack 100%. I was puzzled, but the margarita was perfect.
I wasn't dissapointed. I can't explain it. I went to bed unsure. Tommorrow would have to be better, I was thinking. Something was missing from tonight, a nagging question, a mild let-down from the long series of fiery speeches that proceeded her. Was I just being biased? I would have to sleep on it. And slowly approaching 2 am, I fell asleep - questions swirling.
Wednesday - Bill's big night. I would have to prepare myself. Bill could do it. Bill could unite the party. If anyone can do it, old Bill can.
And the Streak was alive for the 98th day.
I smiled right before I nodded off...
Coming up: Day 3 - Meeting My Heros, Roll-Call, I Knew I Loved Bill and Obama Cameo......
Yep, I was there. I didn't plan to be, I didn't think I'd be, but I was. And man, was I surprised when I got there. A lady who I had never met had won a trip and then suddenly I was there, sent on her behalf. I knew I had stumbled into a miracle, with airfare and a hotel room, but beyond that - I was totally clueless. It fell in my lap, I only had a week to prepare, and I went and it was incredible. I went as a representative for the Joe Ruwe Fundraising Team, the Obama Blog, Santa Cruz, and Citizens For Change all throughout the world. I felt change and momentum and hope in the air every single day I was there. It would be my first time to see Barack speak in person. And many other legends of American politics.....
The biggest surprise, of course, was my email from MaryanneAZ the week before - telling me that she had won this all-expense paid trip to the DNC through the organization, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and she wanted to transer it to me. Read this: Barack Obama | Joe Ruwe's Blog: MaryanneAZ That was the heart attack, fall-down, pass-out moment of the whole week. She had very little info for me, very few details, but it surely did not matter to me. Just get me to Denver and I'll see what I can do. Amazingly, the DCCC itself had virtually no information for me except my travel/lodging reservations. No problem. I felt a sudden and painful realization that I was totally underinformed when representing this historic democratic mechanism of nominating a President. I couldn't really even remember exactly what went on in a national convention. Speeches, confetti, a good band if you're lucky. ?Hmmmm... Woefully inadquate for a few moments, but it passed.
However - my world was about to be rocked.
I left for Denver Monday morning, scheduled to meet my DCCC contact at 5 pm at the downtown Hyatt Regency but due to flight delays in the beautiful, sweltering town of Phoenix AZ, I was late arriving. This was a nervous moment for me, since my 5 pm meeting would organize and essentially dictate the rest of my week. So, in the back of my mind, I started thinking - if I missed this meeting, which it looked like I would, the whole week would be reduced to mayhem and chaos. I had no DCCC contact info, no cell numbers, no nothing - just the adress and Mapquest of where to go to get to the Hyatt Regency. I am an idiot.
Needless to say, I missed the meeting. My plane had been too late for me to even have a chance. I found out later that I missed getting my credentials for the first night of the Convention. I missed getting into the Pepsi Center to see Michelle Obama and Teddy Kennedy, two historic and inspired speeches to say the least. We learned only that afternoon that Kennedy had made it to Denver and would be appearing onstage. Travelling by air sucks nowadays, that's all that can be said. You have to pay extra now to have the plane and its crew actually take your luggage with you on your trip. I paid 2 dollars for the very smallest bottle of water from a friendly flight attendant who seemed as embarassed as I was startled. A bottle of sunscreen was confiscated. I took off my flip-flops and walked through the X-ray barefoot, remembering travels by plane in my 20's with long hair and a huge beard. Official airline interactions always had suspicious and nervewracking undertones in the past, and my strange airline paranoia of yesteryear had subsided. As I watched the clock tick by that day, watched my flights delayed, my shuttle connections delayed - the eery sense of fear and loathing in a large, western city crept up on me, I fought to remain calm and hopeful. It was however, much like most things we worry about - no problem. Much greater things were in store.
As I ambled through the crowds in downtown, seeking strong drink to quench my thirst and soothe my nerves - I called meta, who had left me her cell phone number in case I made it to Denver. Well, I'm glad I missed my 5 pm meeting because I GOT TO MEET META!! Yes, it's true. And I can tell you that she is somehow even cooler and more amazing in person than she is on the blog. Incredible! We made our way to an overcrowed and overpriced, noisy joint and sat down outside to compare notes, talk about the blog and introduce ourselves. I skipped strong beverage in favor of a meal and a great meeting of the minds. With one eye on the convention that was visible on all the TVs around, we had a @#$%ing excellent few hours - eating drinking and being merry. We got to see Teddy on screen and shared the magic moment from Marlowe's - a classy little ripoff of a joint. Cheers meta! All my troubles from the previous hours vanished, all the dust from the trail from Santa Cruz to Denver somehow whisked away..... Ahh, the irony of worry! Everything always works out the way it should.
Among many other intriguing things, meta and I also agreed that despite a preponderance of sinister and depressing scandals and failures of the Bush administrations and the probable long-term, negative impact on the world because of these scoundrels - there was an underlying sense of seriousness, urgency and hope all throughout the town and quite possibly the whole country. People seem to be feeling that there is something going on in this country behind Obama. People are getting involved again. People are waking up. People are uniting and mobilizing. We realize that unless we stay engaged in our government, it can become hijacked and grotesquely distorted. 2008 will be a pivotal and crucial year for our great country. I gave meta an extra helping of Joe Ruwe Rants against the Machine for old times sake. I think Dick Cheney's name came up once or twice....
Hours later we parted, and I made it back to my Days Inn on the light rail and called it a night. Now, this needs to be a whole side-story on its own, because my Days Inn could not possibly have been any further away from Denver or the Downtown area and even remotely been still considered part of the Convention. We're talking a 10 to 15 minute walk to the light rail station, a 20,25-minute light rail to Downtown, and then footing it to reach the Hyatt or wherever else I needed to go. But Denver was packed to the gills, and I understood and I was happy to be there. In shock still, actually. Comical though, how many miles I walked and tickets I bought. Excellent light rail system in Denver, however. Clean city, on the outside at least.
The D.I. was not a bad little place - a free hotel is always a refreshing delight, so I hunkered down and watched CNN rebroadcast of the night's highlights, Michelle and Teddy's speeches. As I drifted off to la-la land, my wife called and told me that the DCCC had frantically been trying to reach me, had left multiple messages on my home phone instead of my cell phone (?) and were eager to meet me in the morning. Aha! Great news! Directions were given, instructions relayed, and critical cell phone numbers were recorded. Several days too late, but terrific news anyway. A great night had just gotten greater, and the next day promised to be even more incredible than this first Monday had been. I drifted off quickly with a smile on my face and an eageness to sleep through the night for only about the third time since my boy Desmond was born in December. Ah - the thrill of it all!
First day a success by almost all accounts. Though I had missed my meeting, I had met meta, Teddy had made it to the Convention and even delivered a speech(!), and although I missed Michelles speech, I would have opportunity to see her speak again... Plus, meta had told me that the Streak was still alive.
Incredibly, Day One was, highlighted by meeting up with the legendary meta - a great start to the week. Each day would get increasingly and exponentially more inspiring, moving and historic, as I would soon find out.
I thanked my lucky stars (MaryanneAZ) and slept like a rock for 6 hours. When you have an 8 month-old and a 3-year old, sleeping 6 hours is like hibernating for the winter.
I new that Denver and the Democratic Party hadn't even seen the beginning of Joe Ruwe yet.
Stay tuned for Day 2 and more highlights from Denver......
I'm not sure if you guys have heard this story, but it is certainly worth repeating. And all of it is true.
A couple weeks ago, I received a mysterious Omail that went something like this:
Sender: MaryanneAZ
Subject: URGENT message re. Trip to Convention
I have just been contacted by the DCCC that I have won an all-expense paid trip to the Denver Convention. I am unable to attend due to health issues and I immediately thought to ask if I could transfer my win to another supporter. The DCCC only does this in cases such as mine where I cannot go because of health reasons. The reason I am contacting you is that I am hoping to transfer my trip to you, or if you are already scheduled to attend, to another die-hard supporter. You don't know me beyond my posts on the blog, but I have noted your valuable contributions and I think it would be appropriate to pass on my good fortune to another die-hard supporter who has made a difference. Anyhow, I need to contact the DCCC immediately so please contact me.....
Maryanne
Can you believe that?
I almost had a heart attack. I almost fell down. I grew weak at the knees, I started to sweat and my hear rate increased.
Had I read that right? My name wasn't even in the message - surely this was some accident or mistake. I re-read the message a dozen times. Without consulting my wife or the Joe Ruwe Fundraising Team, I immediately replied that YES! I WOULD DEFINITELY GO!
So, when I finally spoke to sweet Maryanne in Arizona, later that day, it was all true. It was me she was talking about and yes - the DCCC would let her transfer her trip to me. It was all a dream. A whirling, unbelievable fantasy....
And so I went.
And it truly was extraordinary. And as soon as I can find the time, I will start posting the epic story of my week in Denver. Epic is the only word for it.
So I say thank you Maryanne, for this most extraordinary gift you have given me. When I saw Barack's speech from my incredible seat at Mile-High Stadium, I thought of you and what you had done for me. When I saw Bill and Hillary Clinton unite the party in historic and dramatic fashion, I thought of you. When I shook the hand of my hero in the Senate, Patrick Leahy, I thought of you and I told him about how I happened to be there. When I shook hands with the legendary Congressman John Conyers, I thought of you and how incredibly lucky I was and how unbelievably generous and inspiring you are in my book.
Being in Denver was truly historic. Beyond historic. And as I begin to tell my epic 5-day tale, you will understand why.
Thank you Maryanne. Thanks for thinking of me. I know many people who have done more for this campaign than I have, but I could never question why and how you chose me. I just went with it and made the most of it, like I told you I would.
I agree with you about many things, and our politics sound almost exactly alike! I also agree with you that nothing happens by accident, and I thought about that every day that I was there.
Your story, and mine, was quite legendary in Denver and within the DCCC, and now within the Obama/Biden community. You have inspired a lot of people, the least of which is obviously me, my wife and the JRFT.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I will never, ever forget last week or you - the person who made it all possible.
Now, I know in my heart, more than ever.......
Y E S W E C A N ! ! ! ! ! !
Your grateful friend in Santa Cruz,
joe ruwe
Do not forget about Iraq. Though it is becoming difficult to find any stories anymore about the two wars we are still mired in, it's on my mind every day. The Olympics have distracted us. The Presidential race has distracted us. The Russian war in Georgia has distracted us. The anthrax hoax has distracted us. The economy has distracted us.
Do not be distracted.
This country should be demanding an end to this war at the top of their lungs. It has proven to be based on lies, document forgeries and other sinister foundations. We are not "winning", whatever that means, and the "surge" did not work. In fact, now that troops are slowly leaving, combat deaths and attacks are going back up. Well, DUH!!!??!!
What did we think was going to happen? Iraqi politics is a corrupt mess. Our mission there is murky and questionable. Iraq still has nothing to do with the hoax called the "war on terror." We still have not found Osama bin Laden or brought anyone to justice in connection to the crimes of 9/11. There is growing consensus among experts around the globe that bin Laden is probably dead and most likely was NOT behind the 9/11 attacks.
Yet we slog along in Iraq, losing more good people every day. All for nothing. Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars being flushed down the toilet. Innocent people being killed, families destroyed, and chaos raining down all over the country. Still no proper water and electricity in Iraq. I know, unbelievable. All I can do is shake my head.
I wish the war was still on everyones mind like it is mine. If the war was on the front pages, if the names of those killed were on the nightly news each night, if pictures of flag-draped coffins rolling home were everywhere, perhaps there would be a much greater public outcry. And McCain and the GOP would lose in a landslide in November.
I say again, do not be distracted. We were fools to invade and occupy that country. We will eventually be held accountable, in one way or another. We have helped make the world considerably less safe. We have created a generation of new enemies who hate us more than ever. And we have saddled our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with a debt that they might not be able to ever repay.
Stay focused. Stay angry. Keep pushing. Do not let the war mongers off the hook.
Not this time.
Already almost totally faded from headline or memory, the recent "conviction" of Salim Hamdan, the accused driver for Osama bin Laden, is further proof to many that the "war on terror" is a sham.
The US government created this entirely new system. It was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The lazy and corrupt Congress wrapped it up in new shiny wrapping and handed it back to the White House and the Pentagon and off they went.
The US government created it's own rules, allowing heresay evidence, evidence procured through torture, and other legal trickery that would never be allowed in civilian or military court.
The US government took 7 years to build it's flimsy case, that this man had anything to do with 9/11 or the "war on terror," which the independent panel of jurists quickly rebuffed.
The US government created all the rules, picked the venue, made things up as they went, sought 30 years, and Hamdan's sentence will be up in 6 months.
What happened? Why, after the worst attacks ever on US soil, an exhaustive, exspensive, and wide-sweeping assault on "terror," can we only prosecute bin Laden's driver? Where are the others? Where is our justice?
We've waited 7 horrendous years only to send one low-level criminal to 6 more months of prison?
Something, like many other things, doesn't smell right.
Is bin Laden's chef next?
We have not seen justice yet for the attacks of 9/11. We have made ourselves and the world much less safe. We have not even answered the numerous, mind-boggling mysteries of 9/11 itself!
Yet the defense industry is booming. Warships, fighter jets, submarines, and all the accompanying missiles and guns are being constructed at record pace. How do we fight terrorism with these things? Seemingly random countries are being invaded and occupied indefinitely. People are being tortured, innocent people are being imprisoned indefinitely without charge, and many, many thousands of innocent people are being needlessly killed.
And our grandchildren and greatgrandchildren will be paying for it all.
Damn. Getting mad all over again. Here's some articles that explain it better than I can.
Salim Hamdan’s Sentence Signals the End of Guantanamo - CommonDreams.org
and
Analysis: Bin Laden driver Salim Hamdan trial a disaster for George Bush - Times Onlineand
The Forged Iraqi Letter: What Just Happened? - CommonDreams.org
or
Andy Worthington: Folly and Injustice: Salim Hamdan's Guantanamo Trialor
Senate Report's New Findings on Pre-War Deception | Newsweek Voices - Terror Watch | Newsweek.com
Educate yourself. Ask questions.
The man knows what he is talking about and isn't afraid to talk about it.
I consider this an important look at the other side of the "war on terror."
Marching Off Into Tyranny | BaltimoreChronicle.com
The anthrax debacle is quite possibly the last straw for an increasingly skeptical and incredulous American public. The incredible story of a raving lunatic psychopath bioweapons engineer with a sorority-girl fetish and an alter ego who suspiciously "commits suicide" as the FBI is just now "closing in" on this almost 8yr old case is almost as creative as it is ludicrous. Have you guys heard the details of this story yet? Nothing short of amazing, and insulting if you ask me. Right or wrong, the government does not give much credit to the collective intellect of the American people.
Many of us have consistantly wondered what ever happened to the Anthrax case. Considered a minor detail in the overall 9/11 traumatic experience, this extraordinary domestic biological attack never received the public scrutiny it deserved. And now, the main "person of interest" has been cleared by the US government and paid millions of taxpayer money in a settlement for his ruined career and reputation, and the subsequent "suspect" has committed suicide. So, after years of silence, the FBI and Justice Dept. are closing the case, asking us to trust their judgement, investigative abilities and overall integrity and thoroughness of work and move along.
Funny, I remember for weeks and even months, our media proclaimed repeatedly that this was the work of radical Islamic terrorists. That all-capital handwritten PRAISE ALLAH and all the rest are practically seared into our memories from sheer repetition of viewing. When they "developed" their list of one person of interest, in early 2002, he was an American scientist! And the next suspect in line was.... an American scientist! I never heard this news in the media over and over again like I heard the first reports. Why didn't our government come out and clearly explain to us that the anthrax attacks had nothing to do with Muslims, al Qaeda or 9/11? (rhetorical)
There are also plenty of other huge holes in this case. The suspect, being dead, will have no opportunity to defend himself or discuss any of the evidence presented about him. Peer testimony has largely contradicted the "official story" that he was deranged and mentally unstable.
And if so, then how did this man enjoy a long, distinguished career in a sensitive, military bioweapons lab? No one caught this? After decades? This wasn't just some random office where everyone just does their own thing in some cubicle and punches out and goes home. These people have top-level security clearance and have been vetted. Thoroughly. It doesn't seem right.
And the FBI can't, after 7 years of intense, high-tech detective work place him at the scene of the crime - the post office in New Jersey where the letters originated.
The description of this man by the FBI does not correlate with the testimony from peers who worked with him, and in most cases contradicts it. At least, that's what many of us are reading and learning.
I say all this because I cannot in good conscience, simply take the Justice Dept. at it's word. Can you? I know it's probably a hard and stressful line of work, but this latest debacle is pure fallacy. This whole story is so suspicious and incredible, many of us are dumbstruck and practically speechless.
And what about ties to Islamic terrorists, links to al Qaeda, or any relationship to Iraq? I mean, the biggest single issue for invading and occupying that innocent country was the Weapons of Mass Destruction. Since our country had already seen a biological attack on our own soil, it was much easier to rush us off to war to prevent further biological or chemical chaos.
Even the mainstream media is suspicious of this whopper, and that's really saying something.
This story smells foul and does not hold up under the smallest modicum of scrutiny. Like much of the other stories we have been told by our White House, they grow increasingly difficult to believe. It is like the vast ice shelves rapidly melting in Antactica and Greenland and all over the Earth. Increasingly, the House that George and Dick built is starting to crumble. I believe this will be the story that finally snaps the country out of its trance and back into reality.
This story is likely the most ludicrous and unbelievable story out of the Bush/Cheney fortress yet, in itself a staggering statement, and only raises further questions and doubts about the US-manufactured "war on terror." Who are we fighting and what are we fighting for? That's what I want to know.
I miss the truth.... The raw old truth.
Ahhhh, maybe someday.
Here are some useful articles:
BBC NEWS | Americas | Ambiguous case of 'anthrax killer'and
George Washington's Blog: The Anthrax Attack Was a Classic False Flag Operation Targeting Arabsand
BBC NEWS | Americas | US anthrax 'suspect' found dead
Vital Unresolved Anthrax Questions and ABC News - CommonDreams.organd
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Well, what do you know? The main suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks has committed suicide - just when the FBI was closing in on him! Yeah right.
8 years later, the FBI was just getting ready to indict? Really.
In my opinion, the anthrax attacks were the true smoking guns of 9/11, (well, along with the demolition of the Twin Towers and WTC Building 7, the miltary's response, our President's behavior and all the rest) proving that someone other than radical jihadist hijackers were involved in that horrible event.
Do you guys remember that madness? Only WEEKS after 9/11, anthrax spores were sent to Tom Dashcle and Patrick Leahy - two of the most outspoken critics of the Bush administration. Daschle was actually heading the Congressional investigation of the 9/11 attacks. He was even pressured by Bush and Cheney personally to limit his investigation. Hmmmmm.
Also, prominent journalists were sent the spores which overall resulted in 5 deaths and almost complete paralysis of an already traumatized capital and country. I was suspicious the second I heard about it.
The anthrax that was used, the Ames strain, is only produced in a small handful of laboratories and is under the close watch of the US military - the only known source for it in the world.You can't just pick this stuff up on a street corner.
The letters containing the spores were supposed to be from Islamic terrorists, remember? All capital letters with phrases like "PRAISE ALLAH" thrown in for extra scary effect. Yet, only one American scientist was ever even deemed a "person of suspicion", let alone indicted or arrested.
Why does the country choose to forget about this incredible story?
It was nothing compared to the events of 9/11, but in some ways was just as significant and possibly even more suspicious and alarming. WMD attacks on our own soil, using weapons that only our military is known to posess. Only a couple weeks after 9/11 itself, when people were starting to ask questions and Congress was ramping up its own investigation. The anthrax event threw everyone into panic, cast Washington DC into chaos, and delayed any investigation or serious inuiry into the abysmal failures of our government on 9/11 for many many months. This should have been a HUGE story, and the unsolved nature of this crime should have been on everyone's minds. Yet it served its purpose, and increased the chaos, and simply threw gas into the fire that was burning since 9/11/01, obscuring everything else.
This scientists suicide, while quite possibly true and as it appears, reminds me more of Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby. A known mobster, with ties to the CIA and the US government, walks into a police station and murders the only suspect in the assasination of JFK in cold blood, thus shutting the door forever an the truth about that day.
Convenient, don't you think?
Perhaps, like much of the circumstances and suspicion surrounding 9/11, the anthrax case will never be solved. But I think we owe it to ourselves not to forget about this very serious and incredible event.
Question everything. Don't be complacent, and do not neccesarily take the media at its word. Certainly not the government.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the past 8 years. Some of us want some answers.
Just as I was about to put out a post regarding Obama supporters knocking McCain around and disrespecting him and calling him McSame, McBush, McPain, McSurge, McGoo, McSenile and all the rest, I heard about his new ad. And I've changed my mind.
I have nothing but respect for all of our veterans, my late Grandpa Bade, and my uncle Russ are veterans. I cannot imagine how poorly I would hold up as a POW for 5 years in Vietnam. And torture? I cringe at the thought of my whimpering self being thrashed about or stretched or waterboarded or whatever.
This has all made McCain who he is and I hate to see him disrespected so thoroughly by a large cross-section of Obama supporters. He is simply out of touch. His time has past. He has too old a view of the world and the challenges we face as a nation. He would make an absolutely horrible President at this time in our country's young life.
His ad today proves it. He clearly does not understand the strength and size of the Obama movement. When he tries to mock Obama for his lack of foreign policy credentials and practically dares him to visit the Middle East, Obama turns it on its head. That trip was a brilliant success.
When McCain tries to trap Obama as not supporting the "surge" in Iraq, he fails to see that the entire effort in Iraq, the entire IDEA of invading and occupying and surging in Iraq was and remains a serious disaster and an ultimate failure. We must not forget that even if we "win" in Iraq, whatever in the hell that means, we have still lost more than 4000 troops. We have still lost five years that we could have been actually fighting terrorists. We have still spent 800 billion dollars that could have been spent on terrorism, border security, nuclear security, properly investigating 9/11 - you name it! McCain is spin warmed over. His politics are old.
When he tries to belittle Obama's celebrity appeal, and equate the hundreds of thousands of supporters who come to hear his speeches with the fans of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton - he belittles all of us. Why on earth would he mock the crowds of Americans, and Europeans and everyone else who comes to see him? Are we all foolish? Are we all naive and blinded by his celebrity status?
I don't think so.
In November, McCain will catch up on current events in this country. It's a new day out there.
The old politics that have practically ruined our country and destroyed our Constitution are dead.
Negative attacks are dead.
Lies are dead. (well, that might be wishful thinking on my part)
New politics are coming to town.
Hope is coming with it.
Thanks to the wonderful work of our friend Carey yesterday, the Streak stayed alive for the 71st day!
That's 71 days in a row that someone has donated to this historic campaign through my personal fundraiser. My goal is to somehow get at least one donation a day until Obama is our President.
I should have started earlier!
Thank you Carey!
Stay tuned.....
Obama '08
I sure haven't heard much about Dick Cheney in the news lately. I wonder what he's up to these days?
Makes me nervous. Scares the hell out of me.
(shudder)
