See, got your attention didn’t it? What if the title was It’s about Issues? Would you have skipped this post? Well this is the point of Palin, to distract supporters, volunteers the media from focusing on the real issues, concerns and solutions offered for each of them.
So Obama supporters/volunteers how do you fight back?
If you go to a phonebanking session and spend one hour talking about Palin and not to voters about their concerns and why they should support the Democrat ticket, then the distraction works.
If you don’t send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper extolling them for not covering the candidates’ solutions, then the distraction works.
If you spend more time on the web, arguing, sharing news bits, writing diaries about the latest GOP outrage…well, I think you are getting the point.
Lots of people will be coming out to the see the McCain/Palin show, we just need to constantly remind them who really is offering solutions to their concerns. They can enjoy the show while we work to get their votes on November 4th.
A farewell to my Uncle Eric who died too soon and will not have the opportunity to vote for Barack Obama nor witness him elected POTUS.
Eric A. Johnson died on Friday, March 28 2008. After living 83 years he went peacefully in his sleep. Mr. Johnson was a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and briefly lived in England before settling in Hartford in 1946. He was part of a dwindling group of immigrants from Jamaica who came to Connecticut in the 1940s to work on the local tobacco farms. Like so many other immigrants who came to the area during that time via the Farm Workers Program, he forged friendships that have lasted throughout his lifetime. He, as well as others found jobs at area companies, purchased and worked on their homes and built their lives. He contributed to the West Indian community via the social clubs and lodges of which he was a member. Mr. Johnson was employed by Chandler Evans where he worked as a machinist for thirty-five years and retired as a skilled toolmaker. He was a member of the Caribbean American Society of Hartford and the International Order of Mechanics, Utopia Lodge No. 5. Although he was not someone who wished to be in the limelight, as the saying goes, “his word was his bond,” and he expected the same of others.
Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife Minnie Blackshear, whom he married in 1948, as well as their children Alric and Gary Johnson of Hartford and Deborah Johnson Dixon of Bloomfield; two other members of the Johnson household were his granddaughter, Teresa Butler Franklin of Delaware and niece, Novlette White of West Hartford. He is also survived by additional family members from marriage and birth. Through marriage, Stanley Dixon and Danny Franklin; step-son Charles Campbell, New London. Grandchildren Christopher Johnson of South Carolina; Aaron Johnson, New Britain; Deanna and David Dixon, Bloomfield; Gwendolyn, Perry and Dana Franklin of Delaware; great-grandchildren, Kywanna Harrison, Kaia Johnson and Carrera Makins all of South Carolina. He is survived by his sisters Monica and Evelyn as well as brothers Kenneth and Egbert Johnson, all of Jamaica, W.I. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. In addition to his parents, Rebecca and Thelophilius Johnson he was preceded in death by his sister Sylvia Johnson and step-daughter Eva Belle Butler.
We would like to thank the nurses, social workers, musicians, therapists and homecare providers of Connecticut Hospice Care for their attentive care and support. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Eula Lee Chambers for providing exceptional care to Eric Johnson in his final days.
I can see it now. The Q & A session with Rev. Wright is going to cause some individuals (Obama supporters, pundits, bloggers…etc) to say this is not good for the Obama campaign. This will hurt Barack.
I often think about why the media dislike Barry Bonds. It’s not because they believe he used steroids, but I think it is due to his “hostile” attitude towards the press. Those whom the media like who does wrong, they express disappointment and those sports figures whom they don’t, they express glee.
Rev. Wright’s Q & A and other appearances will cause many people to worry, be upset. I hear Black folks are calling CNN mad at Rev. Wright. But their feelings are based on the fear of what White folks are going to think of us. Well we can’t be lead by fear, worrying about what White folks think. We must step up to the challenge of overcoming our racial stereotypes. If not now, when? When the campaign is over? Why? Rev. Wright’s sermons are being used by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain and the MSM as a weapon against Barack. So if we don’t collectively work to take away this “weapon” from those trying to use it against Barack, who’s going to do it? Isn’t this part of the national conversation about race? Why are Hagee’s sermons not televised and used as a weapon against John McCain? Why are Black folks always asked by the media to denounce other public figures of their race?
I’d planned to make calls to Wisconsin today but after visiting my uncle in the hospital, I’m not in the mood to talk with anyone. He looks fine, not suffering but he has lung cancer and the doctor told him there isn’t much they can do. I was fine during the visit, wasn’t trying to hold back tears because my cousin (his grand daughter) was in the room and there was stuff to do. Make sure his IV was replaced, catch up a bit with my cousin, then another cousin (his daughter) dropped by on the way back to church for an ushers anniversary, and one then old friends dropped by, Mr. Rose and Mr. Giscombe. They are all now in their eighties. As they are want to do, they reflected some on their early days of knowing each other and some events through the years, as well as, matter of factly discussing the location of their burial plots in the same cemetery.
These friends are all from Jamaica. They arrived in this country in the 40s, worked on farms and tobacco fields, married southern girls from Georgia and put in their 30 plus years at Pratt and Whitney or Chandler Evans, purchased their home in the 60s and fixed them up. The Johnsons (my aunt and uncle), The Giscombes, The Newbys, The Roses, the Hudsons and The Baileys these where the couples/friends/lodge brothers and sisters, the circle of friends. They first met at the housing project Charter Oak Terrace.
But as I was walking to my car, the tears began to fall. Realizing I wont have Uncle around much longer I guess.
I must explain that Uncle is also a surrogate father. You see, when I was 11, the same year I arrived in this country from Jamaica, I went to live with Uncle and his family. Uncle Eric is my mother’s younger brother and during my years before leaving for college, he always made me feel at home. He built a room for his two sons and then re-do “the boys” old room for my cousin (the granddaughter) and me. I know my father sent him money but I doubt Uncle ever asked my father for anything extra. You see, of all his siblings he was the one to count on. To this day, he is the one who would give you a helping hand if he sees you are also trying and sometimes when you are not. His sister lived in England for many years, owned a business, sold her business, retired to Jamaica but took her money in cash. Well guess what…it was stolen. Although Uncle used to remark on the folly of her actions he would try to send her some money and would always give her something when he visited JA.
Although far from a perfect man, husband, father (for uncles he was pretty good), he had a code and quite a logical mind. My father was very emotional when it came to me and it took me a while to realize his bark was worse than his bite. But my uncle dealt with situations during my cousins’ and my years growing up without much yelling. I don’t recall him hitting (not abuse) any of his children. You must understand this was a standard reprimand in West Indian and African American families. I recall some events such as when his college age daughter was working part-time at the Elks club. He didn’t think it was appropriate because of the way he observed the men treating the “bar maid” at the social clubs he was a member. He had no moralistic view of these men’s actions, he just didn’t want his daughter treated in the same manner. But Deb countered it was different at the Elks, so he visited the club to see for himself. It didn’t change his mind and she eventually quit. I recall another incident when he received a letter from the school his granddaughter and I attended. You see, we had a substitute bus driver whom we took a disliking to and decided to give him wrong directions to our school. My aunt was back and forth between railing against the driver (whom we thought made racial remarks) to asking why neither I nor my cousin spoke up to give the correct directions. My uncle, he just said as long as he didn’t receive a letter from our school specifically naming us in any incident he had no issue because he understand group dynamics (those weren’t the word he used but..) and why we may not have felt we could speak up.
I’m going to miss Uncle. I asked him if he voted for Barack. He voted for Clinton he said but he didn’t realize ……….about Barack (he couldn’t recall the last name). But he was disappointed that he didn’t vote for Obama because he could then tell his grandchildren that he voted for the first African American President of the United States. I hope he lives long enough to do just that. But even if he does not make it to November, it’s good to know that he wanted to.
So tomorrow I’ll make some more calls to Wisconsin. Today, my heart and heavy spirit belongs to Uncle.
On Saturday, November 10th I traveled to Keene, NH to help canvass in the area. This was my third time canvassing so I knew what to expect. I left more literature than talk with people which is to be expected. So those few times when someone opens the door and chat for a few minutes are more memorable and meaningful to our effort. When one of those people who open the door, invite you in to their living to give your spiel, it makes those times even more special.
Such was the case when I rang the bell at one house. As life long residents of New Hampshire they knew why I was there and invited me in to sit down. I thought it best not to start off with why I was there (they could clearly see the campaign buttons) but instead to ask how they were doing. Well in the time I spent with The Princes, I found out Mr. Prince was just recovering from surgery to have a pacemaker installed (he's 91), they were both in the military and traveled to Boston in 1946 to get married and they are originally from the Manchester area. I then asked Mr. Prince if he had decided on which candidate he would vote for. He said no, but made a point to say that he always vote. I also found out there was no one particular issue which would determine the candidate he would support. My impression was that he would vote for the person he felt would do the least harm, be the less corrupt and be more honest (as far as politicians go). My impressions were borne out when as I was heading out, he shared that it seemed to him when politicians get to Washington they are just out for the money, they don’t try to do things that will help the majority of people but instead only things that will help a few.
I learned more about what Mr. Prince thought as I was heading out the door. I can’t recall what I said to make him share his feelings but I mentioned Senator Obama’s view about the ways of Washington and fairness and being honest about what people need to hear. He probably wont recall all of that and which campaign worker visited his home to talk with him. So I suggested and will encourage the staff in the Keene office to send postcards, wishing him a speedy recovery from his surgery, best wishes for Thanksgiving and the coming New Year.
There’s a book titled Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, but I think with Mr. Prince, it’s the small stuff which may be the difference in who he votes for in the voting booth.
Before there was Jesse's Rainbow Coalition, there was the Boston rainbow coaliton.
But the major moment was his mayoral race. It was during the time of the electoral upsurge when a number of Black mayors were first elected to office, including Harold Washington. In Boston, a coalition of races, students, labor, women, gays and lesbians....etc came individually to work together in supporting Mel's mayoral campaign. When I saw the formation of the groups for Barack, it reminded me of all the groups who form Under the Rainbow, Women Under Rainbow, Labor Under Rainbow and so on. In fact Obama's logo is very similar to Mel's (the closest is the GLBT logo).
The Boston Globe newspaper's headline the day after the Preliminary (sort of an open primary) was a separation of ONE vote between Mel and his competitor Ray Flynn, with Mel short that one vote. The final count would put Mel on top but I was in the office the day after the Preliminary and so many people called in, particularly Black folks, pissed because they had trouble voting on Election Day. But the night of the preliminary, we were sooooo excited and pleased by the results of a Black man in Boston (with its history) coming in that close. So many people showed up at the Parker House hotel downtown Boston, there wasn’t room inside the hotel to accommodate everyone and they brought a chair out to the sidewalk so Mel could address the overflow crowd. Afterwards, a group of us still in a celebratory mood went to a bar at one of the hotels. I don’t know how Mel found us but he dropped by to thank those at this gathering.
But although Mel did not win the final election, at the "election night/victory" party we realized what we had built which tampered the disappointment of not "winning". We partied that night, and the mood of the room left one news channel reporter commenting, that maybe we didn’t know Mel had lost. What they didn’t get is that we realized what we had gain through the skills learnt, the people we met and the joy of having a candidate whom we believed in and was very much proud of.
I periodically visit Hillary Clinton’s website to check out their latest items. I just viewed a video of a group, African American Men for Hillary and was left sadden by the content.
Here's a link: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/video/45.aspx
Now, I believe in the privacy of the voting booth, everyone is entitled to select the person they deem best suited to be president. I do hope most will end up voting for Senator Obama. But what saddened me in viewing the video was that these men spoke with such passion, authority and righteousness about Hillary Clinton being the right person to support for president. Although it's not surprising they can more easily envision her as president because she's the known commodity, is there nothing in Senator Obama's background, credentials or policy positions which give them pause to see what impact he would have? How he would stand up to campaigning. Also, isn’t the positive subliminal message emanating from this viable campaign and conveyed to young children of African descent (deliberate wording to include Americans, immigrants and bi-racial children) in this country, not worth waiting or donating money?
I find it ironic that many of these men mention the Clinton campaign line ready to lead on day one, but ask any presidential biographer and they will tell you years of experience as a governor, U.S. senator and even first lady is no indicator of whether someone will be a good president. And when you ask biographers in their opinion which past presidents were good or effective, they usually mention traits such as political courage, character and judgment, not their experience prior to becoming president.
I want share an excerpt from a piece written by Andrew Sullivan (a conservative blogger writing on theatlantic.com) about the political baggage which encases Hillary:
"They are of different Democratic generations. Clinton is from the traumatized generation; Obama isn't. Clinton has internalized to her bones the 1990s sense that conservatism is ascendant, that what she really believes is unpopular, that the Republicans have structural, latent power of having a majority of Americans on their side. Hence the fact that she reeks of fear, of calculation, of focus groups, of triangulation. She might once have had ideals keenly felt; she might once have actually relished fighting for them and arguing in their defense. But she has not been like that for a very long time. She has political post-traumatic stress disorder. She saw her view of feminism gutted in the 1992 campaign; she saw her healthcare plan destroyed by what she saw as a VRWC; she remains among the most risk-averse of Democrats on foreign policy and in the culture wars . . .Obama is different. He wasn't mugged by the 1980s and 1990s as Clinton was. He doesn't carry within him the liberal self-hatred and self-doubt that Clinton does. The traumatized Democrats fear the majority of Americans are bigoted, know-nothing, racist rubes from whom they need to conceal their true feelings and views. The non-traumatized Democrats are able to say what they think, make their case to potential supporters and act, well, like Republicans acted in the 1980s and 1990s. The choice between Clinton and Obama is the choice between a defensive crouch and a confident engagement."
"They are of different Democratic generations. Clinton is from the traumatized generation; Obama isn't. Clinton has internalized to her bones the 1990s sense that conservatism is ascendant, that what she really believes is unpopular, that the Republicans have structural, latent power of having a majority of Americans on their side. Hence the fact that she reeks of fear, of calculation, of focus groups, of triangulation. She might once have had ideals keenly felt; she might once have actually relished fighting for them and arguing in their defense. But she has not been like that for a very long time. She has political post-traumatic stress disorder. She saw her view of feminism gutted in the 1992 campaign; she saw her healthcare plan destroyed by what she saw as a VRWC; she remains among the most risk-averse of Democrats on foreign policy and in the culture wars . . .
Obama is different. He wasn't mugged by the 1980s and 1990s as Clinton was. He doesn't carry within him the liberal self-hatred and self-doubt that Clinton does. The traumatized Democrats fear the majority of Americans are bigoted, know-nothing, racist rubes from whom they need to conceal their true feelings and views. The non-traumatized Democrats are able to say what they think, make their case to potential supporters and act, well, like Republicans acted in the 1980s and 1990s. The choice between Clinton and Obama is the choice between a defensive crouch and a confident engagement."
There is one statement I agreement with in the video, that this is the most important election in our lifetime. Not because of Senator Obama’s racial make-up but because a majority of people in this country are open to and concern with such issues as universal health care, environmental issues, and U.S. foreign policy (or image around the world). The next president will have an enormous opportunity for change. We therefore need someone such as Senator Obama, who has the audacity and confidence to believe in things that could be, and is not constrained by the fatalism of these men who support Hillary.
I wonder if at the end of day when the actual votes are tallied, one message as a result of this presidential campaign experience, may be less about was Barack Black enough and more about Black folks deep rooted inferiority complex and fatalism, no matter the size of the person's bank account or investment portfolio.
We started out from Ct on Friday and the two hour journey to Nashua went fast. Keri and I chatted the time away and as we entered NH and I looked out the window for as state store, I realized we had just missed our exit. But, not a problem, we found our way to the hotel. After a quick rest, I checked my voicemail and a message from a NH campaign staffer suggested we bring our cell phone and charger because we might have a large scale phonebanking session, if the weather is too bad to canvass. After checking in we headed to downtown Nashua looking for food! Nashua has a Vietnamese noodle house, Thai and Indian restaurants, but we decided on Brazilian. The food was pretty good and I loved a wonderful lime drink with a nice kick to it, Calpirinha. It was then onto a chocolate place for some treats and back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.Canvass Day, May 19th, rain, rain was here to stay. We arrive at the meeting site early and after picking up our information, got right up front to wait for Barack. Oh did I mention the rally was outside? But while waiting, we met some folks from Syracuse (we didn't feel so bad for our drive). One member of the Obama Syracuse group was so enthusiastic about the campaign, she really made the time pass quickly and the next thing we knew, it was time for Barack! It was a bit surreal to see him in person but more so that we were so close to the front and would get a chance to shake his hand. He shoke hands, chatted, joked, gave a special greeting (hey sweetie!) to these two cute little kids and then waved goodbye. I realized after he left that while he was around, I'd forgotten the dreary weather.I was ready to go knock on some doors! Both Keri and I were happy we that the canvassing would still take place. After some quick instructions, we headed to our turf. Kerrie and I spent some time figuring out how best to attack this and a little bit nervous. I knew the only way to get into your spiel was just to start, we would stumble at first then get into a groove which we did. Most people weren't home/didn't answer the door so the few who did and signed our petition gave us a sense of accomplishment. Of those who came to the door and were not the people on our list and not Republicans, we didn't encounter any hostile people. So at the end of canvassing, we obtained some good information the campaign could use, such as people who've moved, a Republic household, apartments with security entries and people willing to sign the petition.Keri and I felt a sense of accomplishment!I wasn't worn out by canvassing. What really tired me out, even though I had a good time, was spending a couple of hours at the NH campaign office talking with other supporters and campaign staff about politics, our experiences, what brought us to the campaign. People of all ages. As I was ready leave, Kerry introduced another campaign staffer and I half jokingly said no I can't talk to you otherwise we would never get out of here. We had a good laugh but I made haste to leave to avoid getting into another conversation.Great campaign staff. I met Brain Sullivan (pictured above) and Jake in the Keene office and Julia and Julie. Hats off to all of them for their hard work!!
To blog with pictures Link
To rediscover Nikki Giovanni. A favorite poem, best enjoyed having her recite it.
EGO TRIPPING (there may be a reason why)
I was born in the congo I walked to the fertile crescent and built the sphinx I designed a pyramid so tough that a star that only glows every one hundred years falls into the center giving divine perfect light I am bad
I sat on a throne drinking nectar with allah I got hot and sent an ice age to europe to cool my thirst My oldest daughter is nefertiti the tears from my birth pains created the nile I am a beautiful woman
I gazed on the forest and burned out the sahara desert with a packet of goat's meat and a change of clothes I crossed it in two hours I am a gazelle so swift so swift you can't catch me
For a birthday present when he was three I gave my son hannibal an elephant He gave me rome for mother's day My strength flows ever on
My son noah built new/ark and I stood proudly at the helm as we sailed on a soft summer day I turned myself into myself and was jesus men intone my loving name All praises All praises I am the one who would save
I sowed diamonds in my back yard My bowels deliver uranium the filings from my fingernails are semi-precious jewels On a trip north I caught a cold and blew My nose giving oil to the arab world I am so hip even my errors are correct I sailed west to reach east and had to round off the earth as I went The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid across three continents
I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal I cannot be comprehended except by my permission
I mean......I can fly.......like a bird in the sky
After a dreary and rainy week, the sun broke on Friday, April 20th just in time for some of Obama Connecticut campaign volunteers to show some visible support for our presidential candidate. The group was small but showed lots of energy and from the many bumper stickers we passed out and thumbs up we received, Obama is big in CT. We had some challenges standing out amid all the Chris Dodd campaign signs but we found a great spot as most attendees to the dinner had to pass us to enter the parking lot.
Shortly after I arrived at the site of the dinner, someone in our group had arranged to have campaign stickers, buttons...etc. A lady approached us ready to scoop up what items she could and stated she'd been waiting to see some visible support for Obama. She said she normally didn't put any bumper stickers on her car, but she was going to make an exception for Obama. Also, a shuttle bus driver stopped his bus to get an Obama sign and promptly placed it in the window of the bus.
A nice end to the day, was exiting the parking garage and seeing one of the bumper stickers we passed out in the window of the person in the booth. A nice promo for attendees at the dinner to see when leaving.
Link
I found the following article on Media Matters for America in response to some of the hit pieces on Obama. Below is a link to the article and in case there's a problem the full article is listed below.
The recent hit pieces show the importance of being familiar with the "major" provisions of Obama's proposals which are listed on this website and in his speeches. Most people wont want to delve so deep into many of these issues, but when we are out in our communities campaigning on Obama's behalf, we need to be knowlegeable so we can respond to questions. This will be particularly important when reaching out to non-connected groups of individuals who don't use the internet to obtain news or will not visit to this website.
I must also add that the format of this website which allows individual to read and share other supporters' enthusiasm and learn about what's happening beyond my small universe has been very gratifying and reassuring. Especially given all the negative pieces I've seen lately in checking the online news articles. I know it's going to be a rollercoaster ride but it's good to have a place and local supporters with similar feelings about the misinformation that is circulating out "there".
NO NEED TO READ ANY FURTHER IF THE LINK ABOVE WORKS
AP falsely claimed Obama has "delivered no policy speeches" on campaign trail
Summary: A March 27 Associated Press article falsely claimed that Sen. Barack Obama has "delivered no policy speeches" while campaigning "and provided few details about how he would lead the country." In fact, the Chicago Tribune described a March 2 address by Obama as a "major policy speech on U.S.-Israel policy," and numerous news outlets have reported on Obama's policy proposals on the campaign trail.
A March 27 Associated Press article">Link -- headlined "Is Obama All Style and Little Substance?" -- falsely claimed that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has "delivered no policy speeches" while campaigning "and provided few details about how he would lead the country." In fact, on March 2, Obama delivered what the Chicago Tribune described">Link as a "major policy speech on U.S.-Israel policy," and news reports indicate that in campaign speeches across the country, Obama has offered policy proposals on Iraq, education, the environment, energy, and health care.
Moreover, the article itself undermined Pickler's claim. The third to last paragraph of the article noted that during the campaign: "Obama has offered a plan to get troops out of Iraq, beginning with a drawdown in May that would extended through a March 2008 goal of redeploying all combat troops. The plan is unlikely to become reality with Bush in office, but is what Obama says he would do if he were in the Oval Office today." Indeed, Obama even mentioned his Iraq plan during his February 10 address">Link announcing his candidacy.
Contrary to Pickler's assertion that Obama has "delivered no policy speeches," on March 2 he delivered a speech">Link to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in which Obama offered specific policy proposals for dealing with Iraq and the Middle East. In the speech, Obama asserted that the Iraq "war has fueled terrorism and helped galvanize terrorist organizations. And it has made the world less safe." Continuing, Obama detailed his proposal for ending the war in Iraq:
That is why I advocate a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq to begin no later than May first with the goal of removing all combat forces from Iraq by March 2008. In a civil war where no military solution exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage to pressure the Iraqi government to achieve the political settlement between its warring factions that can slow the bloodshed and promote stability.My plan also allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain and prevent Iraq from becoming a haven for international terrorism and reduce the risk of all-out chaos. In addition, we will redeploy our troops to other locations in the region, reassuring our allies that we will stay engaged in the Middle East. And my plan includes a robust regional diplomatic strategy that includes talking to Syria and Iran -- something this Administration has finally embraced.
That is why I advocate a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq to begin no later than May first with the goal of removing all combat forces from Iraq by March 2008. In a civil war where no military solution exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage to pressure the Iraqi government to achieve the political settlement between its warring factions that can slow the bloodshed and promote stability.
My plan also allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain and prevent Iraq from becoming a haven for international terrorism and reduce the risk of all-out chaos. In addition, we will redeploy our troops to other locations in the region, reassuring our allies that we will stay engaged in the Middle East. And my plan includes a robust regional diplomatic strategy that includes talking to Syria and Iran -- something this Administration has finally embraced.
During the speech, Obama also discussed his plan for dealing with Iran, which he called "one of the greatest threats to the United States, Israel and world peace." Obama also warned of the dangers of a nuclear Iran. Obama further explained his plan:
To prevent this worst-case scenario [Iran possessing nuclear weapons], we need the United States to lead tough-minded diplomacy. This includes direct engagement with Iran similar to the meetings we conducted with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War, laying out in clear terms our principles and interests. Tough-minded diplomacy would include real leverage through stronger sanctions. It would mean more determined U.S diplomacy at the United Nations. It would mean harnessing the collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran's major trading partners. It would mean a cooperative strategy with Gulf States who supply Iran with much of the energy resources it needs. It would mean unifying those states to recognize the threat of Iran and increase pressure on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. It would mean full implementation of U.S. sanctions laws. And over the long term, it would mean a focused approach from us to finally end the tyranny of oil, and develop our own alternative sources of energy to drive the price of oil down. We must also persuade other nations such as Saudi Arabia to recognize common interests with Israel in dealing with Iran. We should stress to the Egyptians that they help the Iranians and do themselves no favors by failing to adequately prevent the smuggling of weapons and cash by Iran into Gaza.
To prevent this worst-case scenario [Iran possessing nuclear weapons], we need the United States to lead tough-minded diplomacy.
This includes direct engagement with Iran similar to the meetings we conducted with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War, laying out in clear terms our principles and interests. Tough-minded diplomacy would include real leverage through stronger sanctions. It would mean more determined U.S diplomacy at the United Nations. It would mean harnessing the collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran's major trading partners. It would mean a cooperative strategy with Gulf States who supply Iran with much of the energy resources it needs. It would mean unifying those states to recognize the threat of Iran and increase pressure on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. It would mean full implementation of U.S. sanctions laws. And over the long term, it would mean a focused approach from us to finally end the tyranny of oil, and develop our own alternative sources of energy to drive the price of oil down.
We must also persuade other nations such as Saudi Arabia to recognize common interests with Israel in dealing with Iran. We should stress to the Egyptians that they help the Iranians and do themselves no favors by failing to adequately prevent the smuggling of weapons and cash by Iran into Gaza.
Obama also stated: "[W]e have to press for enforcement of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which demands the cessation of arms shipments to Hezbollah, a resolution which Syria and Iran continue to disregard. Their support and shipment of weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas, which threatens the peace and security in the region, must end."
Moreover, Obama's campaign speeches have reportedly focused on education, environmental, energy, and health policies. For instance, a March 26 South Florida Sun-Sentinel article">Link on Obama's recent Palm Beach County fundraising appearance reported: "Focusing on domestic priorities, Obama advocated for a universal health care system by 2012, pay raises for teachers and expanded early childhood education programs, and a new energy policy to increase fuel-efficiency standards and confront global warming." According to the Sun-Sentinel, Obama "did not detail how he would pay for these priorities," but did "say that money now going to the Iraq war could be used on domestic programs."
Similarly, a March 20 article in The Journal Record (Oklahoma City) reported that in a March 19 campaign appearance, Obama "discussed the war in Iraq, health care and education." According to The Journal Record, Obama advocated increasing educators' salaries and "said the country should use fossil fuels more efficiently as well as harness solar and wind power." A March 20 article">Link in The Oklahoman also reported that during his speech, Obama "said if elected, he would have an energy policy to make the country less dependent on foreign oil with an increased use of biofuels and wind and solar power."
Covering Obama's March 18 appearance in Denver, a March 19 Colorado Daily article">Link reported in detail on Obama's domestic policy proposals:
Obama went on to discuss oil dependency and showed great concern for the environment by calling for higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, the development of biodiesel and alternative fuels, and putting a price on greenhouse gases to cap the amount of CO2 manufacturers are allowed to put into the atmosphere.Other proposals in his domestic agenda included a need for "not just a minimum wage, but a living wage," installing broadband cable in rural and urban areas to increase access to the digital economy, and making children's education competitive with those in Beijing and Bangalore, a comment on what Obama sees as America's declining global standing.Yet, his most concrete statement came when he committed himself to providing basic health care for every American by the end of his first term. In a series of points outlining ways that the U.S. government already knows it can make improvements, Obama listed funding early prevention, providing caseworkers for the chronically ill, and embracing information technology as a way to reduce medical bureaucracy and cut costs.
Obama went on to discuss oil dependency and showed great concern for the environment by calling for higher fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, the development of biodiesel and alternative fuels, and putting a price on greenhouse gases to cap the amount of CO2 manufacturers are allowed to put into the atmosphere.
Other proposals in his domestic agenda included a need for "not just a minimum wage, but a living wage," installing broadband cable in rural and urban areas to increase access to the digital economy, and making children's education competitive with those in Beijing and Bangalore, a comment on what Obama sees as America's declining global standing.
Yet, his most concrete statement came when he committed himself to providing basic health care for every American by the end of his first term. In a series of points outlining ways that the U.S. government already knows it can make improvements, Obama listed funding early prevention, providing caseworkers for the chronically ill, and embracing information technology as a way to reduce medical bureaucracy and cut costs.
A February 27 Akron Beacon Journal article">Link noted that during a recent appearance in Cleveland, "Obama pledged to create a health-care system for the country's uninsured by the end of his first term in office." The article also reported that Obama "called for an end to tax breaks for companies that export jobs overseas and for an energy policy that would use solar and wind power not only to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, but to create jobs as well."
While Pickler appears to be asserting that Obama has "delivered no policy speeches" since Obama "began his campaign," previous policy speeches Obama made would give further insight into the themes of his campaign speeches and further challenge Pickler's suggestion that Obama might be "all style and little substance." For example, Obama gave a Link title="Link on September 20, 2006, at Georgetown University, in which he laid out proposals to encourage energy independence. In his speech, Obama proposed raising corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in automobiles; negotiating with "the Big Three automakers" to encourage "invest[ment] in more fuel-efficient cars"; and creating "a national biofuel infrastructure":
We start by producing cars that use less oil. The auto industry has not been asked to raise fuel economy standards in seventeen years, and lately we've just stopped asking them to.Today, we have no choice. Starting in 2008, if we raised CAF'E standards a modest 3% a year over the next twelve years, by 2020 passenger vehicles would average 40.5 mpg and light trucks would average 32.6 mpg. This is by no means a dramatic increase -- five years ago, the National Academy of Sciences concluded that raising CAF'E to 33 mpg for passenger cars could easily be done without compromising passenger safety.Not only would this reduce America's oil consumption, but it would increase profits for the auto industry. Yesterday a University of Michigan report came out that said if the Big Three automakers took proactive steps to increase the fuel-efficiency of their vehicles, they would stand to gain up to $2 billion more in profits per year. But if they continue on their current path, they could stand to lose up to $3.6 billion in profits.[...]We should strike a grand bargain with the Big Three automakers where the government picks up part of the tab for their retiree health care costs -- a tab that ran almost $6.7 billion just last year -- in exchange for the car companies using that savings to invest in more fuel-efficient cars.Beyond raising CAFE, however, it's time we replace oil altogether as America's fuel of choice. This doesn't just mean singing the praises of ethanol and hoping that it finds its way into our fuel supply on its own. It means taking major steps now to put a national biofuel infrastructure in place.Already, some cars on the road have the flexible-fuel tanks necessary for them to run on E85, a cheaper, cleaner blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. But millions upon millions of cars still don't have these tanks.It's time for them to install those tanks in every single car they make, and it's time for the government to cover this small cost, which currently runs at just $100 per car. We should also make sure that from now on, every single automobile the government purchases is a flex-fuel vehicle.It's also a time to start making E85 fueling stations more available to the public. Currently, only 681 out of 170,000 fueling stations in America offer E85 pumps. This is not acceptable. Every American should have the choice to fill up their car with E85 at any fueling station. And oil companies should stop standing in the way and join us in making this happen. If the big oil companies would devote just 1% of their first quarter profits this year to install E85 pumps, more than 7,000 service stations would be able to serve E85 to hungry motorists.Finally, we should reduce the risk of investing in renewable fuels by providing loan guarantees and venture capital to those entrepreneurs with the best plans to develop and sell biofuels. And we should create a market for renewable fuels by ramping up the renewable fuel standard and creating an alternative diesel standard in this country that together would blend 65 billion gallons of renewable fuels into the petroleum supply each year.
We start by producing cars that use less oil. The auto industry has not been asked to raise fuel economy standards in seventeen years, and lately we've just stopped asking them to.
Today, we have no choice. Starting in 2008, if we raised CAF'E standards a modest 3% a year over the next twelve years, by 2020 passenger vehicles would average 40.5 mpg and light trucks would average 32.6 mpg. This is by no means a dramatic increase -- five years ago, the National Academy of Sciences concluded that raising CAF'E to 33 mpg for passenger cars could easily be done without compromising passenger safety.
Not only would this reduce America's oil consumption, but it would increase profits for the auto industry. Yesterday a University of Michigan report came out that said if the Big Three automakers took proactive steps to increase the fuel-efficiency of their vehicles, they would stand to gain up to $2 billion more in profits per year. But if they continue on their current path, they could stand to lose up to $3.6 billion in profits.
[...]
We should strike a grand bargain with the Big Three automakers where the government picks up part of the tab for their retiree health care costs -- a tab that ran almost $6.7 billion just last year -- in exchange for the car companies using that savings to invest in more fuel-efficient cars.
Beyond raising CAFE, however, it's time we replace oil altogether as America's fuel of choice. This doesn't just mean singing the praises of ethanol and hoping that it finds its way into our fuel supply on its own. It means taking major steps now to put a national biofuel infrastructure in place.
Already, some cars on the road have the flexible-fuel tanks necessary for them to run on E85, a cheaper, cleaner blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. But millions upon millions of cars still don't have these tanks.
It's time for them to install those tanks in every single car they make, and it's time for the government to cover this small cost, which currently runs at just $100 per car. We should also make sure that from now on, every single automobile the government purchases is a flex-fuel vehicle.
It's also a time to start making E85 fueling stations more available to the public. Currently, only 681 out of 170,000 fueling stations in America offer E85 pumps. This is not acceptable. Every American should have the choice to fill up their car with E85 at any fueling station. And oil companies should stop standing in the way and join us in making this happen. If the big oil companies would devote just 1% of their first quarter profits this year to install E85 pumps, more than 7,000 service stations would be able to serve E85 to hungry motorists.
Finally, we should reduce the risk of investing in renewable fuels by providing loan guarantees and venture capital to those entrepreneurs with the best plans to develop and sell biofuels. And we should create a market for renewable fuels by ramping up the renewable fuel standard and creating an alternative diesel standard in this country that together would blend 65 billion gallons of renewable fuels into the petroleum supply each year.
Reporter and media writer Greg Sargent also noted">Link the AP article on his weblog The Horse's Mouth
As an update to my previous blog concerning the South Carolina Black Caucus (or in truth the two Clinton operatives in the Black Caucus) trying to disinvite Senator Obama from speaking at their annual Spring Gala in April (see my blog with the same heading as this)...they have "unanimously" elected to only feature Senator Obama. I guess the Clintons didn't want Selma Part Deux. But this is really and sadly about we as Black folks always trying to be equal from an unequal position. I mean...how do we catch up? Now, let me say that no one what's a handout or favoritism BUT...understanding how the oppression of us as a people still has strong chains around our psyche and how sad that some Black folks can't see those chains, has been quite revealing.
A separate thought. Why is Hillary not taken to task asking women to vote for her because she's a women? Do you think Senator Obama would be raked over the coals if he asked Black folks to vote for him because he's of African descent?
The SC Black Caucus chairman Leon Howard said "the invitation was not extended to Obama because he is a minority. Howard said he does not support people based on skin color." See how fair we are?
You must read this article. Loved Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter's statement!!
Black Caucus picks Obama for addressMembers say Clinton will have later opportunity to speak to group BY YVONNE M. WENGERThe Post and CourierCOLUMBIA - As the rest of the nation watches South Carolina for early developments in the 2008 presidential election, key players in the state Legislative Black Caucus ended a dispute Tuesday that divided its members between U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.The caucus decided to invite Obama, D-Ill., as the keynote speaker for its annual gala in April after battling last week over which presidential hopeful to feature. The vote was unanimous among the approximately 25 members of the caucus who were present. The caucus has 36 members.While one caucus member remembered last week's infighting, another offered an olive branch.Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, used an analogy of a spring football game to try to unite the caucus. He and Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, have endorsed Clinton."One of the No. 1 rules in a spring football game is that you play hard, you work hard, but you don't kill each other because, ultimately, in September you have to play together to work against the real opponent," Jackson said.Ford reaffirmed Jackson's comments and added, "We're not going to have no blood fight over nothing like this."Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said she appreciated Jackson and Ford's support but was disapproving of their earlier approach."I appreciate Senator Jackson and Senator Ford coming in today with a different spirit and a different frame of mind," she said. "What a difference a week makes. ?We're all very supportive of having Senate participation, but for some of us it's very difficult for the first involvement of the Senate to be one of destruction and division.""What's that mean?" Ford responded."Robert, leave it alone," Jackson said to stave off a fight.Jackson and Ford opposed the caucus' committee report last week to have Obama speak at the gala instead of Clinton. The conflict generated unwanted media attention because of the stakes involved in black support for presidential candidates in a state where 49 percent of the Democratic presidential primary votes came from blacks in 2004."Some victories cost too much," Jackson said to explain his deci-sion to support Obama's invita-tion. "You have to look at the price. Even if you win, what do you win?"Ford said he decided to support Obama's invitation out of tradition. Obama had accepted an earlier invitation to speak."We've never had a speaker other than a black person address the caucus (at the gala), and it wouldn't be fair," Ford said. Although a verbal invitation was extended to Clinton to speak at the event, Ford said there will be plenty of other opportunities for her."She'll understand," he said. "There is nobody with a better understanding on these kinds of issues than the Clintons."Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said the New York senator is looking forward to arranging a time to address the caucus."There is an opened-ended invitation on the table for (Clinton) to come address the Legislative Black Caucus," he said. "We're looking forward to finding a date that works and having a conversation."Caucus Chairman Rep. Leon Howard, D-Columbia, said the decision does not serve as an endorsement. Individual caucus members are supporting a mix of candidates.Howard said the invitation was not extended to Obama because he is a minority. Howard said he does not support people based on skin color."We need someone who can help us come out of the bad economy and the war and the issues we are facing," Howard said of the next president. "(The caucus) is united, and we're moving forward with our mission."
Black Caucus picks Obama for addressMembers say Clinton will have later opportunity to speak to group
BY YVONNE M. WENGER
The Post and CourierCOLUMBIA -
As the rest of the nation watches South Carolina for early developments in the 2008 presidential election, key players in the state Legislative Black Caucus ended a dispute Tuesday that divided its members between U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.The caucus decided to invite Obama, D-Ill., as the keynote speaker for its annual gala in April after battling last week over which presidential hopeful to feature. The vote was unanimous among the approximately 25 members of the caucus who were present. The caucus has 36 members.
While one caucus member remembered last week's infighting, another offered an olive branch.Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, used an analogy of a spring football game to try to unite the caucus. He and Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, have endorsed Clinton."One of the No. 1 rules in a spring football game is that you play hard, you work hard, but you don't kill each other because, ultimately, in September you have to play together to work against the real opponent," Jackson said.Ford reaffirmed Jackson's comments and added, "We're not going to have no blood fight over nothing like this.
"Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said she appreciated Jackson and Ford's support but was disapproving of their earlier approach."I appreciate Senator Jackson and Senator Ford coming in today with a different spirit and a different frame of mind," she said. "What a difference a week makes. ?We're all very supportive of having Senate participation, but for some of us it's very difficult for the first involvement of the Senate to be one of destruction and division.
""What's that mean?" Ford responded."Robert, leave it alone," Jackson said to stave off a fight.Jackson and Ford opposed the caucus' committee report last week to have Obama speak at the gala instead of Clinton. The conflict generated unwanted media attention because of the stakes involved in black support for presidential candidates in a state where 49 percent of the Democratic presidential primary votes came from blacks in 2004."Some victories cost too much," Jackson said to explain his deci-sion to support Obama's invita-tion. "You have to look at the price. Even if you win, what do you win?"Ford said he decided to support Obama's invitation out of tradition. Obama had accepted an earlier invitation to speak.
"We've never had a speaker other than a black person address the caucus (at the gala), and it wouldn't be fair," Ford said. Although a verbal invitation was extended to Clinton to speak at the event, Ford said there will be plenty of other opportunities for her."She'll understand," he said.
"There is nobody with a better understanding on these kinds of issues than the Clintons."Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said the New York senator is looking forward to arranging a time to address the caucus."There is an opened-ended invitation on the table for (Clinton) to come address the Legislative Black Caucus," he said.
"We're looking forward to finding a date that works and having a conversation."Caucus Chairman Rep. Leon Howard, D-Columbia, said the decision does not serve as an endorsement. Individual caucus members are supporting a mix of candidates.Howard said the invitation was not extended to Obama because he is a minority. Howard said he does not support people based on skin color.
"We need someone who can help us come out of the bad economy and the war and the issues we are facing," Howard said of the next president. "(The caucus) is united, and we're moving forward with our mission."
It's quite interesting and revealing how the legacy of slavery still has a strong hold on some people of African descent who have long generational ties to the “American Black experience”. I was reading a news item in the South Carolina newspaper, The State, in which they reported the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, Gala Committee issued an invitation to Senator Obama to give the keynote address at this year's event. Senator Obama accepted the invitation but the entire caucus has rejected that invitation or put it hold depending on which legislature you speak with. I have no doubt one reason for this consternation about Senator Obama speaking at this event is the Clintons and their supporters in the SC Black Caucus, being concerned about sending an implied endorsement/support to voters in their state, to the media and other Black voters, of Senator Obama's presidential campaign.
The kicker? The purpose of the Caucus taken from their website:
"The creation of the Legislative Black Caucus in the South Carolina legislature was a direct result of the civil rights movement and the legislation that came out of the movement. Following the Voting Rights Act of 1965, African-Americans began voting in large enough numbers to elect African- Americans to office. ...." Link
Now we know that Senator Obama giving the keynote address at this event is not an actual endorsement by this body, tacit or otherwise because some caucus members have already made public their endorsement of certain candidates.
Members of the Legislative Black Caucus who have endorsed candidates for president in 2008:
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.: Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland; Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston; Rep. John Scott, D-Richland; Rep. Terry Alexander, D-Florence; Rep. David Mack, D-Charleston Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.: Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland Note: Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, says he is supporting Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., but hasn’t endorsed him.
But this is a sad example of some caucus members being more concerned with the politics of what Senator Obama's appearance will mean to the people they are supporting, rather than the historical significance of having the only current U.S. Senator and viable candidate campaigning for the highest elected office in this country, who is of African descent.
The other item of interest is a mentioned in a NY Times article stating that Robert Johnson, who created BET (Black Entertainment Television) is supporting Hillary Clinton. Now Black folks have the right to support whichever candidate they wish. I just thought it was ironic that in this case, Bob Johnson would understand the importance of at least financially contributing to the candidacy of Senator Obama for all the reason's stated above.
Missy
I strongly feel that Senator Obama has no reason to apologize to the Clintons for Geffen's remarks, and may have wished he hadn't made the remarks. BUT we must all remember who the opponent is and the style of campaign they will run. Slash and burn and personal attacks politics is what the Clintons know and do. They spread innuendos about something that is false. Hit me here, they deflect by hitting back unjusticely in another place rather than directly at the source. PLUS these comments came from someone who was CLOSE to the Clintons, not Obama. Further, Geffen's critisim of them have been made public prior to this. Their campaign just elevated the exposure of the Dowd column, bringing more attention to Geffen's critisims by responding in the manner they did. Let's not fall into the trap of feeling bad about the nastiness of how campaigns are operated by having unreasonable expectations of a candidate we support, when an opponent unfairly attempts to draw him into to fray that is not of his doing or inclination.
Suggestions from other supporters:
#1 - National Supporters Meeting
More importantly showing our strength, building momentum and constantly organizing should be our mandates. There are enough of us already that I RECOMMEND A NATIONAL "MEETING" OF OBAMA SUPPORTERS as early as Saturday March 31st. Or soon thereafter. Here is my specific suggestion. On Saturday mornings movie theatres all over country are dark and many are also increasingly set up for broadcast ( such as the Metropolitan Opera live ). The Obama campaign should organize a LIVE broadcast in theatres in major cities throughout the country featuring Barack Obama most of all speaking at length and informally just as if he was at a private meeting with his supporters PLUS other key individual maybe even some live entertainment broadcast most likely from Chicago that will assemble thousands of Obama supporters in dozens of movie theatres from coast to coast for a 2-3 hour LIVE broadcast which can prove an important milestone in the development of the campaign, And display to the media and the other candidates the strength of the Obama campaign. I think it is more than reasonable for each attendee at each theatre to contribute just $10 to cover the cost of the event. #2 - DODGEBALLThere is a useful FREE serrvice at dodgeball.com that allows you to use your cell phone in a very useful and unique way. When you want to let others find you and you find others based on the inherent characteristic of cell phones. Thy are all minuture global positioning devices. So far the service as only been used to link up friends and lovers but its potential is far more profound especially for a "self organizing" campaign like ours fo rObama.Here is how it works for those not familiar.1) You do to dodgeball.com and register and provide your cell phone number. 2) You then list other individuals in your "group" you would like to be able to reach using this service. If they are not already members the sytem will send them an email inviting them to join using their cell phone.3) After that anytime you or they are somewhere anywhere and want to meet up you or they send a text message to dodgeball.com as an example " I am at Starbucks on Beaver and Broad for the next hour stop by and discuss the campaign." All those on your list that the sytem finds who are approx. within 10 city blocks of your cell phone will get that text message letting them know that you are nearby and would enjoy meeting up.4) IT IS THAT SIMPLE AND FREE5) IF you do PLEASE also join the group DODGEBALL FOR OBAMA so we can maintain a master list of those using the service and share advice regarding using the service within the campaign.As an experiment I think it has vast potential for us to use as another tool for the "team" staying in touch and become familiar with each other. In a best case scenario the Obama Website would include this function embedded in the WEbsite and available on our DASHBOARDS and allow all sorts of options for how each of us can define and personalize it who we want on our dodgeball contact list(s) why and when. Another example is for finding Obama suporters when travelling.For now I urge everyone to check it out, And give it a try especially for members within distinct groups in specific cities or towns.
More importantly showing our strength, building momentum and constantly organizing should be our mandates. There are enough of us already that I RECOMMEND A NATIONAL "MEETING" OF OBAMA SUPPORTERS as early as Saturday March 31st. Or soon thereafter. Here is my specific suggestion. On Saturday mornings movie theatres all over country are dark and many are also increasingly set up for broadcast ( such as the Metropolitan Opera live ).
The Obama campaign should organize a LIVE broadcast in theatres in major cities throughout the country featuring Barack Obama most of all speaking at length and informally just as if he was at a private meeting with his supporters PLUS other key individual maybe even some live entertainment broadcast most likely from Chicago that will assemble thousands of Obama supporters in dozens of movie theatres from coast to coast for a 2-3 hour LIVE broadcast which can prove an important milestone in the development of the campaign, And display to the media and the other candidates the strength of the Obama campaign. I think it is more than reasonable for each attendee at each theatre to contribute just $10 to cover the cost of the event.
#2 - DODGEBALL
There is a useful FREE serrvice at dodgeball.com that allows you to use your cell phone in a very useful and unique way. When you want to let others find you and you find others based on the inherent characteristic of cell phones. Thy are all minuture global positioning devices. So far the service as only been used to link up friends and lovers but its potential is far more profound especially for a "self organizing" campaign like ours fo rObama.
Here is how it works for those not familiar.
1) You do to dodgeball.com and register and provide your cell phone number.
2) You then list other individuals in your "group" you would like to be able to reach using this service. If they are not already members the sytem will send them an email inviting them to join using their cell phone.
3) After that anytime you or they are somewhere anywhere and want to meet up you or they send a text message to dodgeball.com as an example " I am at Starbucks on Beaver and Broad for the next hour stop by and discuss the campaign." All those on your list that the sytem finds who are approx. within 10 city blocks of your cell phone will get that text message letting them know that you are nearby and would enjoy meeting up.
4) IT IS THAT SIMPLE AND FREE
5) IF you do PLEASE also join the group DODGEBALL FOR OBAMA so we can maintain a master list of those using the service and share advice regarding using the service within the campaign.
As an experiment I think it has vast potential for us to use as another tool for the "team" staying in touch and become familiar with each other. In a best case scenario the Obama Website would include this function embedded in the WEbsite and available on our DASHBOARDS and allow all sorts of options for how each of us can define and personalize it who we want on our dodgeball contact list(s) why and when. Another example is for finding Obama suporters when travelling.
For now I urge everyone to check it out, And give it a try especially for members within distinct groups in specific cities or towns.
The Rev. Randolph Sipio of North Charleston said Obama didn't have to come through the civil rights movement to understand it.
"You don't have to fall off a cliff," he said, "to understand the law of gravity."
