Don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in these last few days, because it does. But I know this, Ohio, the time for change has come. We have a righteous wind at our back. And in these last couple of days, I need you to knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and go to barackobama.com and find out where to vote - and remember, you can vote early here in Ohio. If you will stand with me, and fight by my side, and cast your ballot for me, then I promise you this - we will not just win Ohio, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.
"I strongly condemn today's outrageous attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen. I honor the embassy guards who defended the compound, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. While I am thankful that no American citizens were killed, I am deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives. "Over seven years after 9/11, this latest attack calls on us to redouble our efforts to root out and destroy al Qaeda and its affiliates across the globe. This attack demonstrates the grave terrorist threat that exists from North Africa to Southeast Asia and around the world. This threat is made more dangerous by the sanctuary that al Qaeda has in Pakistan, which has allowed the organization to regroup, retrain, and re-establish links with operatives and affiliated groups. "We must do more to strengthen the military, police, and intelligence capability in nations like Yemen that are on the front lines in the fight against terrorism. We need a Shared Security Partnership Program to build the infrastructure to deliver effective counter-terrorism training, and to create a strong foundation for coordinated action against al Qaeda and its affiliates. This program will provide assistance with information sharing, training, operations, border security, anti-corruption programs, technology, and the targeting of terrorist financing. "We must also build on the successful investments in securing our embassies that were made after the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. This attack reminds us that we are all grateful for the Americans - troops and civilians - serving our country in dangerous places around the world."
Obama Campaign Joins with Michigan Families Facing Foreclosure to Defend Voting Rights Detroit, MI - The Obama Campaign and the Democratic National Committee are joining with three Michigan residents in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to defend the lawful right of families facing foreclosure or who have lost their homes to vote in the November election. "Senator McCain said last week that he was 'divorced from the day-to-day challenges people have,' and he certainly has proven that to Michigan families," said Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe. "Senator McCain has no real plan to turn Michigan's economy around or help families faced with losing their homes - so his party has decided the only way to save his campaign is to deny the right to vote to families most affected by his disastrous economic policies." The complaint filed today seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to challenge the "lose your home, lose your vote" vote-suppression program adopted by the Macomb County Republican Party, in concert with the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, as well as unnamed Defendants who will implement the scheme at polling places in Macomb County and throughout the State. This "lose your home, lose your vote" program is part of a broader scheme - misnamed an "election integrity" program - to harass voters and suppress the vote throughout the State of Michigan in the upcoming election on November 4. In an interview with the Michigan Messenger last week, Macomb County Republican Party Chairman James Carabelli discussed GOP plans to systematically deny the vote to citizens who have wrestled with foreclosure, saying, "We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren't voting from those addresses." Nothwitstanding Carabelli's later denials that he meant what he said, the Complaint filed today shows how this "lose your home, lose your vote" program remains a live threat in Michigan and elsewhere in the country and why action by the courts is urgently needed to stop this attack on the rights of Americans who in hard times have lost or are about to lose their homes. A copy of the complaint is available online at: mi.barackobama.com/michigancomplaint # # #
As another storm threatens the Gulf Coast, I'm praying for the safety of all those in Hurricane Ike's path and urge everyone to heed the warnings of local authorities and seek safer ground immediately. Those who choose to stay are putting not only themselves at risk, but the emergency personnel working to ensure their safety. Now is the time to help those who want to leave but aren't able to - and once the storm passes, we must work to provide swift relief wherever it is needed.
Today in Norfolk, Virginia, Senator Obama responded to the latest round of outrageous attacks and manufactured controversy:
Had enough of slash-and-burn, "swiftboat" politics? Make a contribution today and help us end the politics of diversions and distractions.
In response to the McCain campaign's latest attack, Obama Campaign Senior Advisor Anita Dunn released the following statement:
Enough is enough. The McCain campaign's attack tonight is a pathetic attempt to play the gender card about the use of a common analogy - the same analogy that Senator McCain himself used about Senator Hillary Clinton's health care plan last year. This phony lecture on gender sensitivity is the height of cynicism and lays bare the increasingly dishonorable campaign John McCain has chosen to run.
Laurin -- The McCain campaign has finally admitted that this election is about change. Their new ad uses what news organizations are calling "naked lies" to reinvent two politicians whose records embody the same culture of corruption and far-right policies we've seen from the Bush administration. The biggest whopper in the ad (that's still being repeated day after day by McCain and Palin on the campaign trail) is that Governor Palin stopped the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" -- in fact, she supported it, and even hired a lobbyist in Washington to get more pork-barrel projects like it. If the McCain-Palin campaign wants to have a debate about who is prepared to bring the change we need, we're more than ready. So we just launched a new ad to set the record straight on McCain and Palin. Will you watch our response ad and make a donation to help us keep it on the air? Here are the facts ... Sarah Palin was a vocal supporter of the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" -- the symbol of the Republican culture of corruption -- turning her back on it only after the project's bloated pork-barrel waste was exposed. Their ad also claims John McCain has "reformed" Washington -- which would undoubtedly come as a surprise to the Washington lobbyists who are running his campaign and the special interests who have been funding it. The most "maverick" thing about these two politicians right now is that they continue to support George Bush's disastrous policies long after we have all seen the damage they are doing to our country. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are ready to bring the change we need to Washington. They're on the campaign trail every day talking about it -- just today, Barack laid out his plans to transform education. But we can't let these ridiculous claims from the McCain campaign stand. Watch the ad and make a donation now to help us set the record straight: https://donate.barackobama.com/thetruth Thanks for everything you're doing. David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
"On the same day that dozens of news organizations have exposed Governor Palin's phony Bridge to Nowhere claim as a 'naked lie,' she and John McCain continue to repeat the claim in their stump speeches. Maybe tomorrow she'll tell us she sold it on eBay," said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor.
"You wouldn't know that this is such a critical election by watching the convention last night. I know we had our week and so, you know, the Republicans deserve theirs. But it's been amazing to me to watch. Over the last two nights, if you sit there and you watch it, you're hearing a lot about John McCain - and he's got a compelling biography as a POW. You're hearing an awful lot about me, most of which is not true. What you're not hearing is a lot about you."
Statement by Senator Barack Obama in Support of California Airport Workers CHICAGO, IL - Senator Barack Obama issued the following statement today in support of passenger service workers at airports throughout California: "Today, I stand with the airline service workers on strike at Los Angeles International Airport. The demands they're fighting for aren't unreasonable - access to health care, adequate training, proper equipment, wages that can support a family - they're what America's workers deserve. Their efforts send a strong signal that it's not good for workers, passengers, or the industry when business fails to live up to its end of the bargain. "By supporting the security personnel who don't have the staffing or training to ensure passenger safety or deal with high turnover rates, the crewmembers in dangerous conditions who can't afford health care, and the service workers who after more than a decade on the job still don't earn a living wage that makes ends meet, we all benefit. "For the airline industry, meeting these demands is inextricably tied to passenger safety, quality service, and the health of our economy. Our airlines have a responsibility to their workers and passengers to come back to the bargaining table so that union members can go back to work." To read Senator Obama's plan to continue fighting for America's workers, click here.
I'll save all of the blow-by-blow commentary, since the MSM did most of that already and I'll simply say that I'll never, not ever forget the feeling that speech, the people, and the atmosphere gave me. It was one of those moments where you see your life and your purpose with absolute clarity: To be of some use to your community. To move through the world with a grateful heart, aware of those who came before you and those who will come after. To love well. The intellectual clarity will inevitably cloud again, but the feeling will remain. Walking back to the bus afterward, i thought how wonderful it was to have a public servant who not only asked people to have high expectations for him, but who routinely lived up to those expectations. What a refreshing change from scraping by on low expectations manipulated by political pundits. Others called the speech "a symphony" and "transcendent." I call it a revelation.
One of the best parts of being a member of the host state delegation at the convention is having front row seating during the convention. They didn't help my photographic skills, but I managed to get a few shots that I share with the world on the flip. Unfortunately, I 'lost' a lot of pictures while downloading to my computer. These are the ones I managed to save. ... Thanks to everyone that came to Colorado to share this historic experience.
The joy and relief felt and expressed by people of color in the streets, in the meetings, on the buses, in the halls...The hugs and kisses, the warm handshakes, the fistbumps...This was the culmination of a lifetime of marches, meetings, speeches, shouting, negotiating, letters to editors, arguments within committees, hurt feelings, broken bones, smashed families, rebuilding, interference, misunderstandings, and, ultimately, love. This is not to imply that the struggle is over. Far from it. Justice takes a long time. ...
We've just received word that the Obama campaign will be in Southeastern Ohio tomorrow just as Gov. Strickland kicks off a tour stumping for Obama throughout southeastern Ohio. Obama will campaign in New Philadelphia and Dillonvale tomorrow, while Gov. Strickland will be in Belpre, Pomeroy, Gallipolis, Jackson and Piketon today. This sort of campaigning is absolutely essential to winning this swing area of the state. ...
This speech is amazing, one of the best I've ever heard by Barack Obama -- or anyone, for that matter. This is what progressivism is all about. This is what America is -- or certainly should be - all about. I urge you to watch the speech in full (it's not that long, definitely quality over quantity!). In the meantime, here are a few highlights (it gets stronger and stronger, building to an amazingly powerful climax at the end)...
"Over the last couple of days, everybody's attention has been focused on this hurricane coming. Whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or an independent doesn't really matter because we want to make sure that those areas are safe. We don't have time for small politics when we are faced with a threat like this." - Barack Obama | Battle Creek, MI
The struggles of working women and families across America aren't new to any of us. And they're certainly not new to Barack. Growing up, he saw his mother--a young single mom who was only eighteen when he was born--put herself through school while raising him and his sister. He saw her struggle to pay the bills--even going on food stamps at one point. And in her final months, when she was sick with cancer, she was as worried about paying her medical bills as she was about getting well. Barack saw his grandmother--the primary breadwinner for his family--work her way up at a bank. But he also saw how, despite her hard work and abilities, she hit a glass ceiling and watched lesser-qualified men pass her on the race to the top. And he sees me, his wife, trying to juggle jobs and raise kids, often feeling like when I'm with the kids, I'm shortchanging work. And when I'm at work or on the campaign trail, I'm shortchanging the kids. I know you all understand this guilt. Barack understands it too--because the women he loves most in the world have gone through it. That's why he carries our stories--and the stories of women he's met all across America--with him every day. And that's why as President, Barack will change Washington so that instead of just talking about family values; we actually have policies that value families.
Forty-five years ago, more than a quarter of a million people gathered in our nation's capital for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. They stood under the blazing sun and listened to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as he lifted our sights and our hearts with his dream for our nation. … On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that day, Dr. King told us, "1963 is not an end, but a beginning." And his speech did mark the beginning of a powerful journey for our nation. It launched a thousand individual journeys as well--as men and women stood up and seized new opportunities to pursue their dreams and make the most of their God-given talents. Today, we are all here as part of another improbable journey--one that began 19 months ago, on a clear February day, when we joined my husband Barack Obama on the long road that has brought us to this moment. And tonight, we will make history again--when Barack Obama accepts our nomination to be the next president of the United States. But just as August 28, 1963 was not an end, but a beginning--August 28, 2008 is not an end. We still have a long road ahead of us. And our journey doesn't end on Election Day, either. That day is just another beginning as well. Because we are still far from achieving Dr. King's dream of equality and opportunity for all Americans.
What a day! We woke with the sun this morning to get to Curtis Park here in Denver for our service project with the DNC's Delegate Service Day. Watch a recap of the service project below:
Following the service project, we headed back downtown to drop by a meeting of the DNC's Hispanic Caucus. Michelle spoke before the group and echoed a key message from her speech Monday night: we must fight to make the world as it should be - not settle for the world as it is. Michelle's message was warmly received. Toward the end of her remarks, the crowd jumped to their feet and erupted into several rounds of robust cheering: "Si se puede! Si se puede!"
This is a historic election -- and not just because Barack is at the top of the Democratic ticket. It's historic because of what's at stake for our shared future and our children's future. This election is about the Latino families who are often the first ones hurt by an economic downturn and often the last ones helped by an economic upturn. It's about the Latino communities that have been devastated by the housing crisis. There are so many urgent problems that we must address in this election. That's why Barack is running for President. Because he believes that if we come together, and work together, we can build the world as it should be. In the world as it should be, anyone willing to put in an honest day's work can make a good living and support their family--because we'll have an economy that works for all Americans--not just on Wall Street, but on Main Street, too.
After the Hispanic Caucus, we headed over to the Denver Convention Center and paid a visit to the DNC's Black Caucus. The crowd - which didn't know Michelle would be joining them - was elated to see her! Michelle's message to the Black Caucus focused on themes of equality and justice:
I'm particularly glad to be here on a week that commemorates some of the great strides our nation has made toward equality and justice. Eighty-eight years ago yesterday, the 19th Amendment became law, guaranteeing women the right to vote. And tomorrow will be the 45th anniversary of when Dr. King stood up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and lifted our sights and our hearts with his dream for America. We all know that our country's journey of equality is not yet finished. But this week, we celebrate how far we've come--and how deep our shared capacity is to break through any barriers that stand in the way of our progress as a nation.
Tonight Michelle is at the Pepsi Center and is looking forward to hearing from the Vice Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party -- Joe Biden! He's scheduled to speak around 8:30 Mountain Time/10:30 Eastern Time. Stop back by the Obama campaign's blog for the latest coverage of Joe's speech.
'To whom much is given, much is expected.' That's what our parents used to say to us. My brother and I were taught that you have an obligation to give back." - Michelle Obama
The Colorado sunlight burned off the early morning chill, drying the dew on the grass. Peppy rock tunes blared from the speakers. At the sight of the motorcade pulling up behind the small outdoor stage, those in attendance hushed and rushed toward the stage. Children leaned over the railing to catch the first glimpse of the special guests taking part in the Democratic National Convention's Delegate Service Day. Out of the vehicles emerged Michelle Obama, her daughters Malia and Sasha, Michelle's mother Marian, Michelle's big brother Craig, Jill Biden, Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter, and a cadre of Obama and Biden friends and family members. All were sporting bright blue tee shirts emblazoned with the words, "Supporting Our Troops" on the front. The crowd erupted in applause at their arrival. Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the non-partisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, welcomed the group. Paul acknowledged special guest Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran from Illinois who lost her legs at war when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. (Duckworth will speak at tonight's session of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.) Rieckhoff called on Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter, who introduced Michelle. Michelle offered brief remarks about the day's emphasis on service and shared with the crowd the plans to assemble "care packages" for American troops at the conclusion of the program.
"These projects are our way of saying thank you to the people of Denver, our gracious hosts this week. But our work today is also out of support and great admiration for the troops who are serving our country abroad and keeping us safe at home. My family is thrilled to be here today to send a few comforts of home to our soldiers overseas. We hope the more than one thousand delegates taking part in the many service projects across Denver today will carry that commitment to service back to help their communities long after our Convention is over."
Hear a personal greeting from Michelle on-site at today's service event:
Learn about the Obama-Biden National Service Plan here.
Barack believes that if we come together, and work together, we can build the world as it should be. In the world as it should be: We work together to repeal laws like DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell, and we oppose divisive constitutional amendments that would strip civil rights and benefits away from LGBT Americans--because discrimination has no place in a nation founded on the promise of equality. Anyone willing to put in an honest day's work can make a good living and support their family--and employers are held accountable for discrimination against LGBT Americans. The federal government fully protects all of us--including LGBT Americans--against hate crimes. In the world as it should be, we recognize that equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights isn't an abstract principle, but goes directly to whether all Americans can lead lives of dignity and freedom.
On this 88th anniversary of women's suffrage, Michelle Obama joined several of the most prominent women leaders in the country -- including Senator Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- at a gathering with EMILY's List earlier this afternoon in Denver. Michelle spoke to a packed house of primarily women who were brimming with enthusiasm and are ready to elect a president who will stand strong on women's rights. Last night's big speech notwithstanding, Michelle admitted her mom duties have caused her some distraction from the festivities of the convention, given the event's timing.
School is about to start, and I was thinking about how I was going to get Malia's books and locker combination.
Check out this video excerpt from Michelle's remarks at today's EMILY's List event:
You know, I spent 20 years in business. If you ran a company whose only strategy was to tear down the competition, it wouldn't last long. So why is this wisdom so hard to find in Washington? I know we're at the Democratic Convention, but if an idea works, it really doesn't matter if it has an "R" or "D" next to it. Because this election isn't about liberal versus conservative. It's not about left versus right. It's about the future versus the past.
Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia and 2008 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, delivered the keynote address tonight, the second night of the Democratic National Convention.
Warner knows a thing or two about change. As he shared in his speech, during his tenure as governor of Virginia, Warner inherited a dire state budget shortfall. Warner worked with the heavily Republican legislature to close the budget gap. Under his leadership, Virginia was named the best-managed states in the nation. The state made record investments in education, innovation, and job training and got 98 percent of Virginia children who were eligible enrolled in the children's health care program.
Warner shares Barack's vision for change and commitment to working together to solve the problems we face. Check out pictures from Warner's speech below:
