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President Obama Announces Appointments to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Jun 17th, 2009 at 10:22 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

Washington, DC – Today, President Obama appointed 28 members to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. This accomplished group of citizens representing a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and professions are responsible for recommending a group of exceptional men and women to the President for selection as White House Fellows. The commission will be chaired by John Phillips, a partner at Phillips and Cohen Law Firm. Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, will vice-chair the commission. A full list of commissioners and their biographies can be found below.

"The men and women of this commission embody what makes the White House Fellows program so special," said President Obama. "These leaders are diverse, non-partisan, and committed to mentoring our next generation of public servants. I'm confident that they will select a class of White House Fellows that demonstrate extraordinary leadership, strong character, and a deep commitment to serving their country."

The White House Fellowship is America’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service, providing young individuals with experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors and complete service activities throughout the year. Alumni of this non-partisan program include former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, and author Doris Kearns Goodwin.

"The White House Fellows program is so important as it allows for a variety of perspectives to come together to offer expertise and experience on important policy issues and then these Fellows carry what they’ve learned back to their own communities to benefit Americans far outside the walls of the White House," said First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Commission will convene this week in Washington, DC to select the 2009-2010 class of White House Fellows. The Commission will select 11 to 19 fellows from among the 30 chosen as national finalists; more than one thousand people applied for the class.

Additional information about the program is available at www.whitehouse.gov/fellows.

2009-2010 President’s Commission on White House Fellowships

John R. Phillips (Chair)
John R. Phillips is a partner in the Washington, DC Law Firm of Phillips & Cohen, LLP. Mr. Phillips has a long history of involvement in public interest law, having founded the Center for Law in Public Interest in 1971 in Los Angeles, one of the first Ford Foundation funded "Public Interest Law Firms." He was its co-director for seventeen years, focusing on the environment, civil rights, corporate fraud and other issues. From 1984 to 1986, Mr. Phillips successfully worked with Congress to amend and modernize the dormant Civil War-era law – the Federal False Claims Act – to make it an effective tool to combat fraud against the government. After President Reagan signed the amendments into law in 1986, Mr. Phillips and his firm initiated law suits under the law against corporations that defrauded the government which has returned approximately $4 billion dollars to the government. For his efforts he has received numerous citations and life-time achievement awards. For the past decade, he has been included on the National Law Journals’ list of "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America". From 1988 to 1993, Mr. Phillips was an appointed member of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. In 1997, he was appointed by President Clinton to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. He graduated in 1966 from the University of Notre Dame and in 1969 from the University of California School of Law in Berkeley (Boalt Hall), where he was an editor of the California Law Review.

Cheryl Dorsey (Vice Chair)
Cheryl Lynn Dorsey is the President of Echoing Green, which provides funding and support to social entrepreneurs launching organizations globally. She was a previous White House Fellow from 1997-1998. Afterwards, Dr. Dorsey became the Special Assistant to the Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and then the Director of Public Health Initiatives for Danya International, Inc. She has received numerous other fellowships and awards including the Pforzheimer Foundation Fellowship from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and the John Whitehead Social Enterprise Award from Harvard Business School. In addition, Dr. Dorsey is the co-author of Be Bold: Create a Career with Impact. She served as the American delegate to the Perspectives on Europe Conference as well as a facilitator of the Social Entrepreneur Summit hosted by the Schwab Foundation and World Economic Forum. Currently, she sits on the board of Freelancers Insurance Company, Donorschoose.org, City Year, Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, Action Tank for Social Entrepreneurs, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Visiting Committee. She received her B.A from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and M.P.P from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

John Berry
Mr. Berry serves as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. He began his federal career as a Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a major leader on all issues affecting the Civil Service. Mr. Berry was responsible for overseeing Hoyer's work on federal employees, and was the primary craftsman behind the locality pay reform, among many other issues affecting pay and benefits of employees and retirees. Mr. Berry began his management career at the Department of Treasury, where he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and acting Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement. Later during the Clinton administration, Mr. Berry was appointed Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, where he focused on employee partnerships, worklife issues for employees and reversing years of decline by achieving one of the largest budgetary increases in the Department's 150-year history. As Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Mr. Berry worked with Interior Inspector General, Earl Devaney, to reconcile 20 years of financial records, establish sound management practices, while also conserving over 3 million acres of wildlife habitat through innovative public-private partnerships. Most recently, Mr. Berry served as Director of the National Zoo.

Tom Brokaw:
Tom Brokaw is a Special Correspondent for NBC News. During 2008, he served as the Interim Moderator on Meet the Press. From 1982 to 2004, he served as the White House correspondent, the Chief Correspondent for Today, and the NBC Nightly News anchor. He has reported on 23 NBC News documentaries and authored five books, including The Greatest Generation and Boom! Talking About the Sixties. Also, Mr. Brokaw has served as an overseer for the International Rescue committee, a public trustee for the Mayo Clinic, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Museum of Natural History.

General Wesley Clark:
Wesley K. Clark, General, US Army (retired), came home on a stretcher from Vietnam in 1970, where he was wounded in action as an infantry company commander. He stayed with the Army for another thirty years. In his last position, as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, he led NATO forces to victory in a 78-day air campaign which saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing. He now heads his own consulting firm and is active in the energy, banking and business services field. He is a noted author and TV commentator. He also teaches at UCLA's Burkle Center, and works with numerous not for profit efforts, including the International Crisis Group. He was a Democratic candidate for President of the United States in 2004. General Clark graduated first in his class from West Point and received his B.A. and M.A. as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He was a 1975-76 White House Fellow and a Commissioner from 1993-2000. Among his awards are the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Silver Star, Purple Heart and honorary knighthoods from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and numerous honorary degrees.

Thomas Daschle:
Thomas Daschle is an advisor to the Alston & Bird law firm and a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for American Progress. He is the only senator to have served twice as both Majority and Minority Leader. Senator Daschle served his home state, South Dakota, in the Senate from 1987 to 2005. In 1988, he became the first Co-Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. He was the National Co-Chair of Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign and continues to be a leading advocate for universal health care. In addition, Senator Daschle co-chaired ONE Vote ’08 initiative and co-founded the Bipartisan Policy Center. He is also the Vice Chair of the National Democratic Institute. He authored Like No Other Time: The 107th Congress and the Two Years That Changed America Forever and co-authored Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.

Nelson Diaz:
Mr. Diaz joined Cozen O'Connor Law Firm in May 2007 as Of Counsel in the Government Affairs and General Litigation Departments. Mr. Diaz served as a Judge for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 1981 through 1993, the first Latino and youngest to serve. He was also appointed administrative judge by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. During his distinguished career, Mr. Diaz also served as City Solicitor of Philadelphia and a partner at Blank Rome Law Firm for 10 years and was appointed by President Clinton to be the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he focused on reforming public and mixed-use housing programs. Mr. Diaz is a member of the Board of Directors of Exelon Corporation, the Advisory Board of PNC, and the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Temple University, where he also served on the University’s Presidential Search Committee. He is a former chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Hispanic Caucus.

Helene Gayle:
Helene D. Gayle, President and CEO of CARE USA, is an internationally recognized expert on health, global development and humanitarian issues. Dr. Gayle spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, focused primarily on combating HIV/AIDS. Dr. Gayle then directed the HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. At CARE, she heads one of the world’s premier international humanitarian organizations, with programs in more than 70 countries to end poverty. Named one of Newsweek’s top 10 "Women in Leadership" in October 2008 and the Wall Street Journal’s "50 Women to Watch" in 2006, Dr. Gayle has published numerous scientific articles and has been featured in media outlets as diverse as the New York Times, Washington Post, Glamour, O magazine, Ebony, Essence, the Financial Times, National Public Radio and CNN. Dr. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Barnard College, an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Gayle serves on several boards, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, ONE, the American Museum of Natural History, the Institute of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Vartan Gregorian:
Vartan Gregorian is President of Carnegie Corporation of New York, a position he assumed in June 1997. Previously, he served as President of Brown University from 1989-1997. From 1981-1989, he was President of The New York Public Library. Gregorian has taught European and Middle Eastern history at San Francisco State College, UCLA, and the University of Texas at Austin. In 1972, he joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty and was appointed Tarzian Professor of History and professor of South Asian history. In 1974, he became the founding dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania and four years later became its twenty-third provost. Gregorian is the author of The Road to Home: My Life and Times; Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith; and The Emergence of Modern Afghanistan, 1880-1946. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships, including those from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Social Science Research Council, and the American Philosophical Society. Currently, he serves on several boards including Brandeis University, The Hunter Foundation, National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center, The American Academy in Berlin, Qatar Foundation, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, Central European University, Human Rights Watch, Museum of Modern Art, and The Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton. Among the many awards and honors Gregorian has received are the American Academy of the Institute of Arts and Letters’ Gold Medal for Service to the Arts (1989), the National Humanities Medal (1998), and the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civil award (2004). After majoring in history and the humanities, Gregorian graduated with honors from Stanford University in 1958 and was awarded a Ph.D. in history and humanities from Stanford in 1964.

Cynthia Hale:
Cynthia Hale is the founding and Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia. Averaging 1,500 in worship each Sunday morning, Ray of Hope has been recognized as the Church of the Week by the 700 Club as well as in Excellent Protestant Congregations: The Guide to Best Places and Practice. She established Elah Pastoral Ministries, Inc., a mentorship program that assists in the development of pastors and para-church leaders, in 2004 and convened the first Women in Ministry Conference in 2005. She gave the opening invocation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and was also a participant at the National Prayer Service for President Barack Obama’s inauguration and served as Co-Chair for Women in Ministry for Obama. As a member of numerous boards, she serves on the Board of Trustees at Hollins University, Secretary of the Board of Beulah Heights University, Chairperson of City of Hope Ministries, Inc, Co-Chair of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, and Chair of the 21st Century Vision Team Christian Church. As a recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Hale received the Trumpet Awards’ Spiritual Enlightenment Award in 2005, the Sisters of African Descent’s Religious Leadership Award in 2006, and the Pinnacle Leadership Award in 2007 from the Fortitude Educational and Cultural Development Foundation, Inc. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Dr. Hale received her B.A. from Hollins College, M.Div from Duke University, and Doctorate of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Deborah Harmon:
Deborah Harmon is the President of Harmon & Co. and a Principal of Caravel Management LLC, a firm established to manage the Caravel Fund International Ltd., an emerging markets long-only public equities fund. Ms. Harmon joined the J.E. Robert Companies, Inc. (JER) in 1991 as a founding principal of the Blackstone Robert Group, which was a joint venture of the Blackstone Group and the J.E. Robert Company. From 1996 through 2007, Deborah Harmon was President of JER and, in 2001, assumed the additional role of Chief Investment Officer. Prior to JER, Harmon was a Managing Director at Bankers Trust Company in New York City. From 1991 through 1999, she worked in both the corporate finance and real estate groups. She was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Women for Women International (WFW), a non-profit organization that supports women and children in war-torn countries. She also currently serves as Leadership Chair of the Washington, DC branch of WFW. Since 2002, Ms. Harmon has served on the Board of Trustees for Sidwell Friends School (SFS) in Washington, DC, and is Chairperson of Sidwell’s Investment Committee. In 1999, she served as a Regional Panelist for the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.

Christy Haubegger:
Christy Haubegger is an executive at Creative Artists Agency where she provides insights and expertise on multicultural markets. In 1996, she founded Latina magazine, which showcases fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and empowerment for Hispanic women, serving as its publisher, president, and CEO until 2001. She continues to be a member on the board of Latina Media Ventures. In 2002, Ms. Haubegger expanded into the television and motion picture world, serving as the Associate Producer on Chasing Papi and Executive Producer of Spanglish. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including being one of Newsweek’s "Women of the New Century" in 2001 and Advertising Age’s "Women to Watch." In recognition of her advances made in raising the profile of the Hispanic market, Ms. Haubegger was the youngest inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. Currently, she serves on the Board for Management Leadership for Tomorrow, which is dedicated to increasing the number of minority MBA candidates at the nation’s top business schools. Ms. Haubegger received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Stanford Law School.

Peter Henry:
Peter Henry is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of International Economics, the John and Cynthia Fry Gunn Faculty Scholar, and Associate Director of the Center for Global Business and the Economy at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Henry has received numerous awards and honors including a National Science Foundation Faculty Early CAREER Development Award, a National Science Foundation Minority Graduate Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and the National Economic Association Dissertation Prize. He has published several articles in journals and books, including "Capital Account Liberalization, the Cost of Capital, and Economic Growth" in the American Economic Review and "Financial Instability" in Bjorn Lomborg’s Solutions for the World’s Biggest Problems: Costs and Benefits. After receiving his B.A. in Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, earning a B.A. in Mathematics. He received his PhD in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John Hockenberry:
John Hockenberry is the host of the PRI distributed public radio program The Takeaway. The recipient of four Peabody Awards for broadcast journalism, he has conducted weekly public radio commentaries on The Infinite Mind for more than a decade. In his twelve year career in television for ABC and NBC, he won four Emmy awards. He is also the recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award and Casey Medal. Mr. Hockenberry launched, Hockenberry, a news interview program and the format breaking Edgewise at MSNBC , Talk of the Nation on National Public Radio and was a longtime contributor to public radio programs. In addition, he is the author of A River Out of Eden and Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence. He contributes articles to publications such as The New York Times, the New Yorker, Metropolis and The Washington Post.

Claudia Kennedy:
Claudia Kennedy retired as a Lieutenant General in the United States Army and was the first woman in the Army to be appointed to that rank. General Kennedy’s last position of her 32-year career was serving as the head of Army Intelligence, 1997-2000. Since retirement, she has served on boards of a number of non-profits, including Opportunity International (micro-finance), Population Action International and Neighborhood Outreach Connection (anti-poverty effort in Beaufort County, South Carolina). For the last three years, she has been a member of the Employment Practices Advisory Panel reporting to the Board of Walmart, Inc.

Maya Lin:
Maya Lin is an artist whose exhibition, Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes, is currently on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC through July 12. She is the designer for the Museum of Chinese in America in Manhattan’s Chinatown, opening June 26. In addition, she is working on her last memorial, entitled What is Missing?, which focuses on the issues of biodiversity and habitat loss. Her works include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC and recent site-specific installations such as Storm King Wavefield at the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY, Where the Land Meets the Sea at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and Eleven Minute Line in Wanas, Sweden. Her architectural works include institutional and private commissions, from a chapel and library for the Children's Defense Fund to the Sculpture Center's space in Long Island City to Aveda's headquarters in downtown Manhattan to private residences throughout the country. Ms. Lin has addressed social issues in all of her memorials, which include the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, AL, the Women's Table at Yale University, and the Confluence Project, a multi-sited installation spanning the Columbia River system in the Pacific Northwest that focuses on the history of Lewis and Clark as well as the history of the Native American tribes in those regions. She has received numerous awards including the Presidential Design Award, a National Endowment for the Arts artist award, and the Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2005, Ms. Lin was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame. She received her Master of Architecture from Yale University in 1986.

George Muñoz:
George Muñoz is a Principal and Co-founder of Muñoz Group Investment Banking, and a partner in the law firm of Tobin, Petkus & Muñoz. He has held Presidential Appointments before, including having served as the President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) from 1997-2001. Mr. Muñoz was also an Assistant Secretary and the Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Treasury Department from 1993 to 1997. Prior to moving to Washington, DC, Mr. Muñoz was a partner in Stevenson, Colling, & Muñoz (1990-1993), an investment banking firm in Chicago, IL; and an Associate and Partner at Mayer Brown and Platt, a Chicago law firm (1980-1989). Currently, he is on the Board of Directors of Marriott International, Altria Group, and the National Geographic Society. Mr. Muñoz is a former President of the Chicago Board of Education (1984-86), Executive Vice-Chair of the CFO Council of the Federal Government (1994-97), a member of the Governing Board of the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards (2003-2005), and has been listed in Hispanic Business’ "Top 100 Influential". He is a Certified Public Accountant and received his B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a Master’s degree of Law in Taxation from DePaul University, a M.A. in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and his JD from Harvard Law School.

Lloyd Newton:
Lloyd W. Newton is the Director of Goodrich Corporation’s Industrial Goods and Aerospace/Defense Products and Services Sector, Sonoco Products Company’s Consumer Goods and Paper & Paper Products Sector, and Torchmark Corporation’s Financial and Life Insurance Sector. He retired as a four-star General from the United States Air Force and was Commander, Air Education and Training Command, which consisted of 13 bases, 43,000 active duty personnel, and 14,000 civilians. General Newton was appointed by the President in 2005 to serve as a Commissioner on the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. In 2000, he became the Vice President of Pratt & Whitney Military Engines and eventually became the Executive Vice President. Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors of Goodrich Corporation, Sonoco Products Company and Torchmark Corporation; and the Boards of the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and the Air Force Association. He received a B.S. in Aviation Education from Tennessee State University and a M.A. in Public Administration from George Washington University.

Pierre Omidyar:
Pierre Omidyar is the founder of eBay, which today enables more than 85 million buyers and sellers worldwide to connect and prosper. Starting from the premise that people are basically good, Pierre created a platform that gave people equal access to information, opportunity, and tools to pursue their goals. In 2004, Pierre and his wife Pam founded Omidyar Network to invest in nonprofit and for-profit efforts that enable people around the world to improve their lives and make powerful contributions to their communities. Omidyar Network has funded organizations in areas such as microfinance, social media, and government transparency. As an extension of Omidyar Network's work in microfinance, Pierre and Pam gave $100 million to Tufts University to create the Omidyar-Tufts Microfinance Fund, which aims to accelerate the growth of the microfinance industry. Today, Pierre serves as a trustee of Tufts University, Punahou School, and Santa Fe Institute, and as chairman of eBay

Roger Porter:
Roger B. Porter is the IBM Professor of Business and Government and the Master of Dunster House at Harvard University. He is also the Director of Harvard’s Center for Business and Government and a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Mr. Porter is a former White House Fellow (1974-75) and Commissioner. He has served in three White House administrations as Assistant to the President for Economic and Domestic Policy (1989-93), Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Policy Development (1981-85), and Special Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the President’s Economic Policy Board (1974-77). He also served as Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury (1981-85). Mr. Porter joined the Harvard faculty in 1978. His teaching, research and writing focus on economic policy, strategic decision making, the relationship of business and government, and the American Presidency. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the White House Historical Association and was a member on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships (1976-81, 1982-93, 1994-2001, 2008-09). After graduating from Brigham Young University, Mr. Porter was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he received his B.Phil. He received his M.A.and PhD degrees from Harvard University

Paul Sarbanes:
Paul Sarbanes is the former United States Senator from Maryland. He was elected to three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970, and then served the U.S. Senate from 1976 to 2007, becoming the longest-serving senator in Maryland history. As senator, he served on several financial and economic committees and sponsored the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which reformed federal securities laws after the 2002 corporate accounting scandals. Mr. Sarbanes was a Rhodes Scholar and earned degrees from Princeton University, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School.

Ruth J. Simmons:
Ruth J. Simmons is the President of Brown University and also a professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of Africana Studies. She has served in various administrative positions at the University of Southern California, Princeton University, and Spelman College prior to becoming President of Smith College in 1995. At Smith, she was responsible for various initiatives including the first women’s college engineering program. Dr. Simmons has received numerous awards and fellowships including the Fulbright Fellowship, the 2001 President’s Award from the United Negro College Fund, the 2002 Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, and the 2004 Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal. In addition, Dr. Simmons has been featured as a speaker at the White House, the World Economic Forum, the National Press Club, the Association of American Universities, and the American Council on Education. Currently, she resides on a number of boards, including the Howard University Board of Trustees, Texas Instruments, and the Goldman Sachs Group. Dr. Simmons graduated from Dillard University and received her PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University.

Maya Soetoro-Ng:
Maya Soetoro-Ng, PhD. has taught and developed Humanities curriculum in public and private schools in New York and Hawaii for fifteen years. She also taught Multicultural Education and Educational Theory at the University of Hawaii’s College of Education. In 2007 and 2008, she campaigned across more than a dozen states for her brother, President Barack Obama. Her children’s book Ladder to the Moon will be published in the winter, and she is currently working on a book about high school Peace Education.

George Thibault:
George E. Thibault is the seventh president of the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. He has held several leadership and director positions at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Brockton/West Roxbury VA Medical Center, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Thibault was the Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Partners HealthCare System, Inc. from 1997 to 2007. He has served as the Daniel D. Federman Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at Harvard Medical School and was chosen as the first Director of The Academy for Harvard. In addition, he has served and chaired on the committees of national organizations including the Institute of Medicine, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the American College of Physicians. Dr. Thibault is also the recipient of various awards from both Georgetown University (Ryan Prize in Philosophy, Alumni Prize, and Cohongaroton Speaker) and Harvard University (Alpha Omega Alpha, Henry Asbury Christian Award and Society of Fellows). He graduated from Georgetown University and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School.

Bryan Traubert:
Bryan Traubert is the Founder and Partner of Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, which is a comprehensive ophthalmic group practice, since 1986. He received a Medical Ethics Fellowship in 2002 from the University of Chicago. Currently, he is the President of the Board of Marwen and resides on the Harvard School of Public Health Board of Visitors, the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago Board, National Public Radio Foundation Board, Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind Board, and Chicago Public Radio Board. In addition, he served as the President of the Renaissance Society at University of Chicago Board from 1998-2001, as well as the Founder and Board Chair of Chicago Run. He is also a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Illinois Association of Ophthalmology. Dr. Traubert received his B.S. in Biology from the Citadel and his M.D. from the University of Illinois.

Laurence Tribe:
Laurence Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. Prior to this appointment, he was Harvard’s Ralph S. Tyler, Jr. Professor of Constitutional Law from 1982-2004 and has been a member of Harvard’s faculty since 1968. Mr. Tribe has argued 35 U.S. Supreme Court cases including Bowers v. Hardwick and Bush v. Gore. He was a Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer and has authored over 110 scholarly articles and books including The Invisible Constitution and American Constitutional Law, the most frequently cited legal text since 1950. As the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and other awards, Mr. Tribe was appointed to deliver the Constitution Day Lecture for the National Archives of the United States in 2008 and received the American Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Scholar Award for 2009. He has been a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1980 and a member of the National Advisory Board for the American Civil Liberties Union since 1995. Mr. Tribe received his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics summa cum laude from Harvard College and his Law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Eleanor Kaye Wilson:
For over 35 years, Kaye Wilson has worked in a variety of positions in education institutions, government agencies, foundations and nonprofit organizations. As one of the first staff members of DePaul University’s School for New Learning, Ms. Wilson served as the Director and Assistant Dean. She has served as Executive Director of Urban Programs at Chicago City-Wide College, where she developed Project Choice, a welfare-to-work education and training program for General Assistance participants; and as founder of the Wells Prep School, which was a juvenile delinquency prevention demonstration program designed in an elementary school setting for public housing children in Chicago, Illinois. For the past twelve years, Ms. Wilson has been a nonprofit consultant in the metropolitan Chicago area. She is an active volunteer on numerous boards, committees, and taskforces. She is currently Vice Chair of two boards: Community Assistance Programs and the Rich Township District 227 Foundation.

Judy Wise:
Judy Wise is the Senior Director of Facing History and Ourselves, a non-profit professional development organization for educators. She was the founder of the organization’s first regional office in Chicago and served as its Executive Director until 2002. In addition, Ms. Wise serves on Chicago’s Human Rights Watch committee and is a Board Member of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, which recognized her as one of 40 Who Made a Difference in celebration of the organization’s 40th Anniversary. During Barack Obama’s campaign, she was on the National Finance Committee. She has also served as Executive Director of the Committee on Illinois Government prior to her involvement with Facing History and Ourselves. Ms. Wise received her B.A. from Washington University and M.A. in psychiatric social work from the University of Chicago.

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The President's Plan for Financial Regulatory Reform: "A careful balance"

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Jun 17th, 2009 at 9:48 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

Today President Obama announced the details of a proposed plan to reform the financial regulatory system, the culmination of a months-long process that included the President, his economic team, experienced regulators, and leaders in Congress. In his remarks, the President explained:
It is an indisputable fact that one of the most significant contributors to our economic downturn was a unraveling of major financial institutions and the lack of adequate regulatory structures to prevent abuse and excess. A culture of irresponsibility took root from Wall Street to Washington to Main Street. And a regulatory regime basically crafted in the wake of a 20th century economic crisis -- the Great Depression -- was overwhelmed by the speed, scope, and sophistication of a 21st century global economy.
...Now, we all know the result: the bursting of a debt-based bubble; the failure of several of the world's largest financial institutions; the sudden decline in available credit; the deterioration of the economy; the unprecedented intervention of the federal government to stabilize the financial markets and prevent a wider collapse; and most importantly, the terrible pain in the lives of ordinary Americans. And there are retirees who've lost much of their life savings, families devastated by job losses, small businesses forced to shut their doors.Millions of Americans who've worked hard and behaved responsibly have seen their life dreams eroded by the irresponsibility of others and by the failure of their government to provide adequate oversight. Our entire economy has been undermined by that failure.So the question is, what do we do now? We did not choose how this crisis began, but we do have a choice in the legacy this crisis leaves behind. So today, my administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system, a transformation on a scale not seen since the reforms that followed the Great Depression....In these efforts, we seek a careful balance. I've always been a strong believer in the power of the free market. It has been and will remain the engine of America's progress -- the source of prosperity that's unrivaled in history. I believe that jobs are best created not by government, but by businesses and entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk on a good idea. I believe that our role is not to disparage wealth, but to expand its reach; not to stifle the market, but to strengthen its ability to unleash the creativity and innovation that still make this nation the envy of the world.That's our goal -- to restore markets in which we reward hard work and responsibility and innovation, not recklessness and greed; in which honest, vigorous competition is the system -- in the system is prized, and those who game the system are thwarted.
Some of the specifics outlined by the President in his proposal today included:
• Providing clear accountability in financial oversight and supervision. Financial institutions that are critical to market functioning should be subject to strong oversight. No financial firm that poses a significant risk to the financial system should be unregulated or regulated only weakly. • Establishing comprehensive supervision of financial markets. Our major financial markets must be strong enough to withstand both system-wide stress and the failure of one or more large institutions.
• Protecting consumers and investors from financial abuse. To rebuild trust in our markets, we need strong and consistent regulation and supervision of consumer financial services and investment markets. We should base this oversight not on speculation or abstract models, but on actual data about how people make financial decisions. We must promote transparency, simplicity, fairness, accountability, and access.
• Providing the government with the tools it needs to manage financial crises. We need to be sure the government has the tools it needs to manage crises, if and when they arise, so that we are not left with untenable choices between bailouts and financial collapse.

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Message from the President: "This is why"

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Jun 17th, 2009 at 8:36 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

This morning, President Obama sent the following email to supporters:
Last year, millions of Americans came together for a great purpose.

Folks like you assembled a grassroots movement that shocked the political establishment and changed the course of our nation. When Washington insiders counted us out, we put it all on the line and changed our democracy from the bottom up. But that's not why we did it.

The pundits told us it was impossible -- that the donations working people could afford and the hours volunteers could give would never loosen the vise grip of big money and powerful special interests. We proved them wrong. But as important as that was, that's not why we did it.

Today, spiraling health care costs are pushing our families and businesses to the brink of ruin, while millions of Americans go without the care they desperately need. Fixing this broken system will be enormously difficult. But we can succeed. The chance to make fundamental change like this in people's daily lives -- that is why we did it.

The campaign to pass real health care reform in 2009 is the biggest test of our movement since the election. Once again, victory is far from certain. Our opposition will be fierce, and they have been down this road before. To prevail, we must once more build a coast-to-coast operation ready to knock on doors, deploy volunteers, get out the facts, and show the world how real change happens in America.

And just like before, I cannot do it without your support.

So I'm asking you to remember all that you gave over the last two years to get us here -- all the time, resources, and faith you invested as a down payment to earn us our place at this crossroads in history. All that you've done has led up to this -- and whether or not our country takes the next crucial step depends on what you do right now.

Will you donate whatever you can afford to support the campaign for real health care reform in 2009?

It doesn't matter how much you can give, as long as you give what you can. Millions of families on the brink are counting on us to do just that. I know we can deliver.

Thank you, so much, for getting us this far. And thank you for standing up once again to take us the rest of the way.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obam

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The Senate is expected to vote on Senator John McCain's alternative budget today

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Apr 2nd, 2009 at 6:41 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

The Senate is expected to vote on Senator John McCain's alternative budget today, as well as a number of proposed amendments. These amendments, and these votes, are where a large portion of the budget battle will be fought. Senate GOP leaders have said that they will use the amendment process to try to alter the budget rather than presenting their own, comprehensive alternative. Yesterday the Senate defeated a proposed Republican amendment that would have enacted a spending freeze on all non-defense discretionary spending in 2010, a move that would deeply undercut the effects of the President's recent stimulus package. John McCain's suggested alternative would make deeps cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, while extending the Bush tax cuts for the rich.

If you haven't already done so, there is still time to call your representatives and let them know that you support the President's budget plan, and ask them to vote against any last minute amendments that would weaken it.

As OFA Director Mitch Stewart explained in a message to supporters recently, this budget represents an historic opportunity to create jobs, restore our economy, and invest in our future. We can't let this important moment slip away.

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FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Mar 25th, 2009 at 8:09 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

When people ask Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate. First and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom.
But before she was a mother — or a wife, lawyer, or public servant — she was Fraser and Marian Robinson's daughter.
The Robinsons lived in a brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. Fraser was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, he hardly ever missed a day of work. Marian stayed home to raise Michelle and her brother, Craig, skillfully managing a busy household filled with love, laughter, and important life lessons.
A product of Chicago public schools, Michelle studied sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met the man who would become the love of her life.
After a few years, Michelle decided her true calling lay in encouraging people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service.
In 1996, Michelle joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together. As associate dean of student services, she developed the university's first community service program, and under her leadership as vice president of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.
As First Lady, Michelle Obama looks forward to continuing her work on the issues close to her heart — supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, and encouraging national service.
Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters: Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. Like their mother, the girls were born on the South Side of Chicago.

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The following op-ed by President Obama on the urgent need for global economic cooperation ran in more than thirty papers around the world today.

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Mar 25th, 2009 at 7:45 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

The op-ed ran in the following papers:

1. Al Watan (Gulf States)
2. Arab Times (Gulf States)
3. Asharq Al Awsat (Arab-wide paper in Arabic)
4. The Australian (Australia)
5. Baltimore Sun (United States)
6. Bangkok Post (Thailand)
7. Chicago Tribune (United States)
8. Clarin (Argentina)
9. Corriere della Sera (Italy)
10. Die Welt (Germany)
11. El Pais (Madrid)
12. El Mercurio (Chile)
13. Eleftyropiea (Greece)
14. Estado de Sao Paulo (Brazil)
15. Gulf News (Gulf States)
16. The Hindustan Times/ The Hindu (India)
17. International Herald Tribune (London)
18. Kristeligt Dagblad (Denmark)
19. Le Monde (Paris)
20. Lidove Noviny (Czech)
21. Los Angeles Times (United States)
22. The News (Pakistan)
23. NRC Handelsblad (Netherlands)
24. Saudi Gazette (Saudi Arabia)
25. South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
26. Straits Times (Singapore)
27. Sunday Times (South Africa)
28. Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden)
29. Syndey Morning Herald (Australia)
30. WProst (Poland)
31. Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)

Barack Obama: A time for global action
By Barack Obama
Tribune Media Services
Monday, March 23, 2009

WASHINGTON: We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation. Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.

No one can deny the urgency of action. A crisis in credit and confidence has swept across borders, with consequences for every corner of the world. For the first time in a generation, the global economy is contracting and trade is shrinking.

Trillions of dollars have been lost, banks have stopped lending, and tens of millions will lose their jobs across the globe. The prosperity of every nation has been endangered, along with the stability of governments and the survival of people in the most vulnerable parts of the world.

Once and for all, we have learned that the success of the American economy is inextricably linked to the global economy. There is no line between action that restores growth within our borders and action that supports it beyond.

If people in other countries cannot spend, markets dry up — already we've seen the biggest drop in American exports in nearly four decades, which has led directly to American job losses. And if we continue to let financial institutions around the world act recklessly and irresponsibly, we will remain trapped in a cycle of bubble and bust. That is why the upcoming London Summit is directly relevant to our recovery at home.

My message is clear: The United States is ready to lead, and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and common purpose. Much good work has been done, but much more remains.

Our leadership is grounded in a simple premise: We will act boldly to lift the American economy out of crisis and reform our regulatory structure, and these actions will be strengthened by complementary action abroad. Through our example, the United States can promote a global recovery and build confidence around the world; and if the London Summit helps galvanize collective action, we can forge a secure recovery, and future crises can be averted.

Our efforts must begin with swift action to stimulate growth. Already, the United States has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — the most dramatic effort to jump-start job creation and lay a foundation for growth in a generation.

Other members of the G-20 have pursued fiscal stimulus as well, and these efforts should be robust and sustained until demand is restored. As we go forward, we should embrace a collective commitment to encourage open trade and investment, while resisting the protectionism that would deepen this crisis.

Second, we must restore the credit that businesses and consumers depend upon. At home, we are working aggressively to stabilize our financial system. This includes an honest assessment of the balance sheets of our major banks, and will lead directly to lending that can help Americans purchase goods, stay in their homes and grow their businesses.

This must continue to be amplified by the actions of our G-20 partners. Together, we can embrace a common framework that insists upon transparency, accountability and a focus on restoring the flow of credit that is the lifeblood of a growing global economy. And the G-20, together with multilateral institutions, can provide trade finance to help lift up exports and create jobs.

Third, we have an economic, security and moral obligation to extend a hand to countries and people who face the greatest risk. If we turn our backs on them, the suffering caused by this crisis will be enlarged, and our own recovery will be delayed because markets for our goods will shrink further and more American jobs will be lost.

The G-20 should quickly deploy resources to stabilize emerging markets, substantially boost the emergency capacity of the International Monetary Fund and help regional development banks accelerate lending. Meanwhile, America will support new and meaningful investments in food security that can help the poorest weather the difficult days that will come.

While these actions can help get us out of crisis, we cannot settle for a return to the status quo. We must put an end to the reckless speculation and spending beyond our means; to the bad credit, over-leveraged banks and absence of oversight that condemns us to bubbles that inevitably bust.

Only coordinated international action can prevent the irresponsible risk-taking that caused this crisis. That is why I am committed to seizing this opportunity to advance comprehensive reforms of our regulatory and supervisory framework.

All of our financial institutions — on Wall Street and around the globe — need strong oversight and common sense rules of the road. All markets should have standards for stability and a mechanism for disclosure. A strong framework of capital requirements should protect against future crises. We must crack down on offshore tax havens and money laundering.

Rigorous transparency and accountability must check abuse, and the days of out-of-control compensation must end. Instead of patchwork efforts that enable a race to the bottom, we must provide the clear incentives for good behavior that foster a race to the top.

I know that America bears our share of responsibility for the mess that we all face. But I also know that we need not choose between a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism and an oppressive government-run economy. That is a false choice that will not serve our people or any people.

This G-20 meeting provides a forum for a new kind of global economic cooperation. Now is the time to work together to restore the sustained growth that can only come from open and stable markets that harness innovation, support entrepreneurship and advance opportunity.

The nations of the world have a stake in one another. The United States is ready to join a global effort on behalf of new jobs and sustainable growth. Together, we can learn the lessons of this crisis, and forge a prosperity that is enduring and secure for the 21st century.

Barack Obama is president of the United States. A Global Viewpoint article distributed by Tribune Media Services.

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President Obama Signs Major Disaster Declaration For North Dakota

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Mar 25th, 2009 at 7:41 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of North Dakota and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding beginning on March 13, 2009, and continuing.

Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis in the counties of Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Dunn, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Grant, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Sioux, Stark, Stutsman, Walsh, and Williams and the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Indian Reservations for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance.

Michael J. Hall has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said that damage surveys have been requested and will be conducted as soon as the situation permits.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.

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President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Mar 25th, 2009 at 7:35 pm EDT

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts: Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Phyllis C. Borzi, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security, Department of Labor; Helen R. Kanovsky, General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary for Policy Management and Budget, Department of Interior; and Hilary Tompkins, Solicitor, Department of Interior.

President Obama said, "At a time when our nation faces many challenges, it gives me confidence that these fine individuals have agreed to give their talents to serving the American people. They will be a valuable addition to my administration, and I look forward to working with them in the coming months."

President Obama made the following announcement today:

Dr. Howard Koh, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Howard Koh is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice, and Director of the Division of Public Health Practice at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). At HSPH, he has served as the Principal Investigator of multiple research grants related to community-based participatory research, cancer prevention, health disparities, tobacco control, and emergency preparedness. He is also Director of the HSPH Center for Public Health Preparedness. Koh previously served as Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1997-2003) where he emphasized the power of prevention for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which included four public health hospitals and a staff of over 3000 professionals. Koh graduated from Yale College, Yale University School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate training and chief residencies at Boston City Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. He has earned board certification in internal medicine, hematology, medical oncology, and dermatology, as well as a Master of Public Health degree. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine and Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the CDC’s Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response. Koh has published over 200 articles in the medical and public health literature. He has received numerous awards and honors including the Distinguished Service Award from the American Cancer Society. President Bill Clinton appointed Koh to the National Cancer Advisory Board (2000-2002). In recognition of his contributions to early detection and prevention of melanoma, the Boston Red Sox designated Koh as a "Medical All-Star" (2003), and invited him to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park. He and his wife, Dr. Claudia Arrigg, are the proud parents of three children.

Phyllis C. Borzi, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security, Department of Labor
Phyllis C. Borzi is currently a research professor in the Department of Health Policy, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University Medical Center, where she is involved in research and policy analysis involving employee benefit plans, the uninsured, managed care, and legal barriers to the development of health information technology. In addition, she is of counsel with the Washington, D.C. law firm of O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue, LLP where she specializes in ERISA and other legal areas affecting employee benefit plans, including pensions and retirement savings, health plans, and discrimination based on age or disability. Until January 1995, Borzi served as pension and employee benefit counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations of the Committee on Education and Labor. She was on the Committee staff for 16 years. In 1993, in connection with the Presidential Task Force on Health Care Reform, chaired by former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Borzi served on working groups dealing with insurance reform, workers’ compensation and employer coverage. She holds a Master of Arts degree in English from Syracuse University and received her law degree from Catholic University Law School, where she was editor-in-chief of the law review. Borzi is a charter member and a former President of the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel; she served as a member of its Board of Governors from 2000-2008. Borzi is also a current member of the Advisory Board of the BNA Pension & Benefits Reporter (and a former co-chair of the Board) and a former member of the Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Pension Research Council, The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Board of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER). In 2008, Borzi was appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to serve as a public member of the Administrative Committee for the Goodyear VEBA, an entity that was judicially established pursuant to a negotiated settlement agreement between the company, the Steelworkers and class representatives for the Steelworkers retirees. Borzi has published numerous articles on ERISA, health care law and policy and retirement security issues and is a frequent speaker on programs sponsored by legal, professional, business, consumer and state and local governmental organizations. An active member of the American Bar Association, Borzi is the current chair of the ABA’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (representing the Health Law Section) and a member of the CLE committee of the D.C. Bar Association. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Helen R. Kanovsky, Nominee for General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Helen R. Kanovsky is currently the chief Operating Officer of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. She has been with the Trust nearly 13 years. The Trust is a $3.4 billion registered investment company which invests in housing securities for its institutional investors, who are union and public pension plans. The AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust has provided over $5.25 billion to finance 86,000 units of multifamily housing creating over 58,000 union jobs in the construction industry. Kanovsky previously served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator John Kerry. She was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of GE Capital Asset Management and its predecessor, Skyline Financial Services Corporation. She was a partner and associate at Dickstein, Shapiro and Morin. She served as Special Assistant to Secretary Patricia Roberts Harris at HUD, HEW and HHS. For the past three years she has been the Chair of the National Housing Conference and she is a member of the Boards of the Center for Housing Policy and the Special Olympics of the District of Columbia, as well as a Trustee of the National Labor College. She holds an A.B. cum laude from Cornell University where she was Phi Beta Kappa and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School. Kanovsky has two children, Dr. Jennifer Dorfman, a resident in emergency medicine; and Emily Dorfman, union organizer.

Rhea Suh, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Policy Management and Budget, Department of Interior
Most recently, Rhea Suh was a Program Officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she managed the program’s portfolio of grants designed to protect the ecosystems of the western part of North America. Suh has served as a consultant for the US National Park Service where she wrote educational strategy & developed educational programs for under-served constituencies (such as low-income communities) to bring National Park lessons to a broader audience in public schools. She served as Senior Legislative Assistant to Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell where she drafted & developed legislative initiatives, staffed the Senator at meetings & events, and regularly met with constituents. Prior to her work for Senator Nighthorse Campbell, Suh was a high school science teacher in New York City. Rhea serves on the board of the Environmental Grantmakers Association and is on its inclusive practices committee. She is also a member of the Asian-American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy Association. Rhea holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Education from Columbia University and a masters’ degree in Education from Harvard. Suh’s graduate school project at the Kennedy School of Government focused on helping the US Park Service think through the options for how they could create a formalized educational program that could help bring the parks into classrooms around the country.

Hilary Tompkins, Nominee for Solicitor, Department of Interior
Hilary Tompkins has been Chief Counsel & Deputy Counsel in the Governor's office in New Mexico to Governor Bill Richardson from 2003 - 2008. Tompkins advised Governor Richardson on such legal and policy issues as legislation, political appointments, executive orders, constitutional authority, civil litigation, statutory interpretation, and intergovernmental affairs. Tompkins also managed the legal staff in the Governor's office as well as the general counsels in over twenty state executive agencies. She served as the Governor's liaison to the NM Attorney General's office as well as serving on several state commissions on the Governor's behalf. Tompkins provided expertise to the Governor in Native American affairs. From 2000 - 2002 she was an associate at Sonosky, Chambers, et al where the focus of her practice was water and environmental law although she also practiced in areas such as employment, taxation, gaming, lands, constitutional issues, torts and tribal jurisdiction. Additionally, Tompkins served as general counsel to several Indian tribes nationwide and was responsible for federal and tribal court litigation practice. From 1998 - 1999 Tompkins worked as Special Assistant US Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. There she was responsible for the defense and prosecution of civil actions on behalf of federal agencies in several legal areas including torts, constitutional law, employment, discrimination, forfeiture, bankruptcy, social security, environmental law and taxation. From 1996 - 1998 Tompkins was an Honors Program Trial Attorney with the US Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resources Division. There she practiced enforcement of environmental statutes and regulations on behalf of client agencies. Tompkins was a Law Clerk and Extern for the Navajo Nation Supreme Court in 1995 where she analyzed complex questions of law raised upon appeal. She drafted bench memos, legal memoranda and court opinions. She also conducted an advanced research project on gender roles under traditional Navajo common law principles. Prior to that experience Tompkins was a legal intern at both the US Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Counsel. Tompkins is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and both her study and practice of law reflects her passion to provide legal assistance to other Native Americans as well as those in her home state of New Mexico.

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Presidente Barack Obama assina decretos para ‘dar transparência’

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Jan 22nd, 2009 at 1:06 pm EST

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

O presidente dos Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, assinou ontem, uma série de decretos regulando o comportamento ético de sua administração e fomentando a transparência de seu governo. “A transparência e o estado de direito serão a base de minha presidência”, disse Obama em uma cerimônia, na qual prometeu “uma nova era de abertura” em seu país. Entre as medidas assinadas por Obama no primeiro dia de trabalho está uma ordem para congelar o salário dos funcionários da Casa Branca que ganham mais de US$ 100 mil - aproximadamente 100 -, em um momento em que o país passa por uma difícil crise econômica. “As famílias estão apertando o cinto e Washington deve fazer o mesmo”, afirmou o novo líder, que tomou posse nesta terça-feira. Além disso, Obama anunciou uma medida para estimular a transparência do governo, que exigirá que todos os organismos governamentais analisem os pedidos de informação que receberem sob a Lei de Liberdade de Informação. “A Lei de Liberdade de Informação é a ferramenta mais poderosa que temos para fazer com que o nosso seja um governo honesto e transparente”, afirmou o presidente. Os funcionários “não só terão que obedecer à sua letra, mas também a seu espírito”, insistiu. O líder também condenou as práticas “de segredo excessivo” da administração anterior, que, disse, “se havia um argumento plausível para não fornecer informação, não era divulgado”. O presidente assinou ainda uma ordem executiva que estabelece rígidos limites aos lobistas, que representam os interesses de grupos de pressão ou de empresas perante as entidades políticas. Os lobistas não poderão ocupar cargos do governo relacionados com áreas que eles tenham representado nos últimos dois anos. Após ocupar um posto na administração, não poderão pertencer a um grupo de pressão até que Obama tenha deixado a presidência, nem poderão tentar exercer influência sobre seus ex-colegas. Os lobistas em exercício não poderão, por sua vez, dar presentes aos funcionários públicos. O serviço público “é um privilégio” e não deve “servir para ajudar aos amigos, aos interesses das empresas ou para promover um programa ideológico”, afirmou, em outra aparente crítica ao governo de George W. Bush.

http://kemptecnologia.blogspot.com/

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Obama pede união para 'aperfeiçoar' os EUA

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Jan 17th, 2009 at 3:40 pm EST

Also listed in: Citizens Of The World For Barack Obama | Latinos for Obama

O presidente eleito dos Estados Unidos Barack Obama iniciou sua viagem de Filadélfia a Washington, onde ocorrerá a posse no dia 20 de janeiro, com um discurso no qual pediu união de todos.

"Acredito que nosso futuro é nossa escolha e se pudermos nos reconhecer nos outros e unir todos: democratas, republicanos, independentes, norte, sul, leste oeste, negros, brancos, latinos, asiáticos, nativos americanos, gays e heterossexuais e deficientes... então isto não apenas restauraria a esperança e oportunidade onde são necessárias, mas talvez poderíamos aperfeiçoar nosso país no processo", afirmou.

Pouco antes de embarcar no trem que o levará por uma viagem que refaz a viagem do presidente Abraham Lincoln no século 19, Obama pediu que todos os americanos construam um país melhor.

"Começando agora, vamos levar para nossas vidas o trabalho de aperfeiçoar nosso país. Vamos construir um governo que é responsável com o povo. Vamos aceitar nossas responsabilidades como cidadãos para manter nosso governo responsável." "Vamos fazer nossa parte para reconstruir este país, vamos garantir que esta eleição não é o fim do que fazemos para mudar a América, mas apenas o começo", acrescentou.

O presidente eleito lembrou dos problemas dos Estados Unidos e afirmou que o país precisa adotar novas formas de pensamento.

"Nossos problemas podem ser novos, o que é preciso para superá-los não é. O que é preciso é a mesma perseverança e idealismo que nossos fundadores mostraram." "O que é preciso é uma nova Declaração de Independência, não apenas em nosso país, mas em nossas vidas. Independência de ideologia e pensamento estreito, independência de preconceitos e intolerância, independência do egoísmo", disse.

Viagem histórica Assim como Abraham Lincoln antes de assumir a presidência dos Estados Unidos, a viagem de Barack Obama começou em Filadélfia, onde o presidente eleito, seguranças e um grupo da imprensa embarcaram em um trem de 80 anos de idade.

A viagem segue para Claymont, Delaware, onde o trem passará lentamente para que Obama possa acenar para o público. A parada será em Wilmington, para que o vice-presidente eleito Joe Biden e sua família se juntem à viagem.

Outra parada também está planejada para Baltimore, Maryland, onde Obama deve fazer um discurso para 100 mil pessoas.

Ainda sábado, a viagem deve chegar à Washington, onde, na terça-feira, Obama fará o juramento da posse.

Antes da posse, uma série de eventos deverá iniciar as comemorações.

No domingo Obama participará, junto com celebridades e cantores, de um concerto no Lincoln Memorial.

Na segunda-feira, o feriado de Martin Luther King, Obama, Biden e suas famílias participarão de atividades que visam encorajar cidadãos a ajudarem suas comunidades, em Washington.

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Holiday Message from Michelle Obama: Help make a difference this holiday season

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Dec 26th, 2008 at 10:20 am EST

Also listed in: Latinos for Obama

Michelle Obama sent out a special message today, wishing everyone a happy holiday and encouraging those who can to reach out to those in need this holiday season:
This holiday season, the grassroots movement you helped build can make a big difference for those in need.I hope you will join me in supporting your favorite charity or contributing to causes that are especially meaningful to me and my family.While many of us will spend the holidays counting our blessings and sharing dinner with loved ones, millions of people around the country won't be so fortunate. Donating to your local food bank will help provide a holiday meal to people in your community who can't afford one.Talking with the families of deployed troops was one of the most rewarding experiences I had during the campaign. Giving to Operation USO Care Package is a great way to send members of our military stationed around the world a reminder that someone back home is thinking of them.This is a time to celebrate our blessings, the new year, and a new era for our country. But it's also a time to come together on behalf of those who need our help.Do what you can to help today by locating your local food bank and giving your support.Or send a care package to an American in uniform.Thank you for all that you do and have a very happy holiday season, Michelle

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Obama é eleito Personalidade do Ano pela revista Time

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Dec 23rd, 2008 at 6:21 pm EST

Also listed in: Latinos for Obama

A revista Time elegeu o presidente eleito dos Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, a Personalidade do Ano de 2008, após ele ter se tornado o primeiro negro a chegar à Casa Branca.Mas a escolha mais difícil foi a dos outros finalistas. O secretário do Tesouro dos EUA, Henry Paulson, o presidente francês, Nicolas Sarkozy, a candidata republicana à vice- presidente dos EUA, Sarah Palin, e o diretor chinês Zhang Yimou, responsável pela cerimônia de abertura dos Jogos de Pequim, ficaram atrás de Obama na eleição."É improvável que vocês estejam surpresos por ver o rosto de Obama na capa", disse a Time."Em uma das eleições mais excêntricas da história norte-americana, ele superou a falta de experiência, um nome diferente, dois candidatos que são instituições políticas e a divisão racial para se tornar o 44o presidente dos Estados Unidos", afirmou a revista.Sobre os outros concorrentes, a Time afirmou: Paulson "exerceu um papel histórico, em um momento histórico. Um presidente que está prestes a deixar o cargo deu a ele o controle da política econômica do país no meio de um colapso financeiro".Sarkozy "colocou a França no mapa", segundo a revista, enquanto Palin, governadora do Alasca, "teve a estréia política mais surpreendente dos tempos modernos"."Ela é moderna, uma inspiração para as mulheres, um insulto para elas. Um futuro brilhante para o Partido Republicano", disse a Times.O nome do outro finalista, o diretor chinês Zhang Yimou, pode ser menos conhecido para muitos, mas a Time disse que sua criatividade deu ao mundo um espetáculo inesquecível na cerimônia de abertura da Olimpíada.

"Ele criou indiscutivelmente o maior espetáculo do novo milênio".

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION FOR A NEW GENERATION

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Nov 26th, 2008 at 10:38 pm EST

The Problem

We need to connect citizens with each other to engage them more fully and directly in solving the problems that face us. We must use all available technologies and methods to open up the federal government, creating a new level of transparency to change the way business is conducted in Washington and giving Americans the chance to participate in government deliberations and decision-making in ways that were not possible only a few years ago.

America risks being left behind in the global economy: Revolutionary advances in information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other fields are reshaping the global economy. Without renewed efforts, the United States risks losing leadership in science, technology and innovation. As a share of the Gross Domestic Product, American federal investment in the physical sciences and engineering research has dropped by half since 1970.

Too many Americans are not prepared to participate in a 21st century economy: A recent international study found that U.S. students perform lower on scientific assessments than students in 16 other economically developed nations, and lower than 20 economically developed nations in math performance. Only one-third of middle class physical science teachers are qualified to teach in that subject, and only one-half of middle school math sciences have educational background in that subject area.

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Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Nov 17th, 2008 at 7:29 pm EST

BID INVESTIRÁ US$13 BILHÕES

O Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento (BID) vai preservar programas de longo prazo com foco em pesquisas que agreguem valor nos territórios (regiões ou países) de aplicação e vai disponibilizar em 2009 US$ 13 bilhões.
A meta da instituição foi anunciada pelo representante do Bid no Brasil, Jose Luis Lupo, na abertura do Workshop Internacional sobre Inovações Metodológicas em Avaliação de Impacto da Pesquisa Agropecuária, na quarta-feira (12), em Brasília.
Lupo disse que a Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa), vinculada ao Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, é uma das instituições incluídas nesse esforço do banco, pois desde a década de 70 tem sido uma das principais instituições parceiras na América Latina no desenvolvimento de projetos para as diferentes áreas do desenvolvimento agrícola no Brasil. “Agora, o Bid quer focar o desenvolvimento das tecnologias inovadoras para medir impactos das pesquisas e alocar recursos a investimentos mais produtivos”, comentou Jose Lupo.
O workshop , promovido pela Embrapa, Universidade de Campinas (Unicamp) e Bid, faz parte da agenda do Programa de Inovação Tecnológica e Novas Formas de Gestão na Pesquisa Agropecuária (Agrofuturo).
Instalado pela estatal brasileira em julho de 2006, com financiamento do Bid na ordem de US$ 60 milhões, o Agrofuturo tem sido um dos programas chave da Embrapa em várias frentes da pesquisa agropecuária.

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AMÉRICA LATINA

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Nov 17th, 2008 at 7:22 pm EST

ETANOL SUCESSO BRASILEIRO

Mundialmente reconhecido por seu pioneirismo no desenvolvimento do etanol como combustível, o Brasil é hoje,além de maior produtor e consumidor do produto, também o maior exportador. O crescimento da demanda global pelos biocombustíveis fez o volume ex portado elevar-se de 565 milhões de litros em 2003 para 3,4 bilhões de litros em 2006, que renderam ao país US$ 1,604 bilhão em divisas. Desde o lançamento do Programa Nacional do Álcool (Pro-álcool), há 33 anos, a produção de álcool no país aumentou de 700 milhões de litros para 15 bilhões de litros na safra de 2004/2005. Segundo o Plano Nacional de Energia, o Brasil deverá chegar a 2030 produzindo 66,5 bilhões de litros de etanol. A produção atual ocupa cerca de 5,6 milhões de hectares e serão necessários 13,9 milhões de hectares. O Proálcool aumentou a adição de álcool anidro à gasolina. O álcool etílico hidratado passou a ser utilizado em veículos especialmente desenvolvidos para esse combustível. Em 1985, tais veículos representaram 85% das vendas totais, mas uma crise de abastecimento, quatro anos depois, ceifou a confiança dos consumidores no combustível e o percentual caiu para 2%. Na década seguinte, o carro flex que roda tanto com gasolina, álcool ou com uma mistura de ambos veio para virar o jogo novamente. Hoje, três em cada quatro veículos vendidos têm motores bicombustível.
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Áreas de pastos para agricultura

Estima-se que apenas 1% das terras aráveis do mundo seja usada hoje para produzir biocombustíveis, segundo a Agência Internacional de Energia. Em 2007, somente 7% da produção de óleo vegetal e 3,5% da de cereais teriam sido utilizadas como combustível. Mesmo assim, estudo da Organização das Nações Unidas para Agricultura e Alimentação (FAO) e do Instituto Internacional para o Meio Ambiente e o Desenvolvimento advertiu que o impulso aos biocombustíveis representa uma grave ameaça a milhões de lavradores. O relatório, divulgado esta semana na cúpula da FAO, enumera riscos sociais e ambientais dos biocombustíveis, mas isenta-os do papel de vilões da crise alimentar. “Os recentes aumentos nos preços alimentares não foram causados primariamente pelos biocombustíveis”, diz o texto, citando quebras de safras, estoques baixos e maior demanda por alimentos e rações na Ásia como causas dos reajustes. O estudo critica as subvenções concedidas aos biocombustíveis na Europa e nos EUA, mas ressalva o caso do álcool brasileiro, citado como mais rentável e viável. Presente em Roma, onde se realizou a reunião da FAO, o presidente Lula defendeu os biocombustíveis, dizendo que a culpa da alta é do petróleo e do protecionismo. Muitos dos que responsabilizam o etanol pelos altos preços dos alimentos são os mesmos que há décadas man-têm políticas protecionistas, em prejuízo dos agricultores dos países mais pobres e dos consumidores disse Lula. O diretor geral da FAO, Jacques Diouf, alerta que a crise de alimentos prejudica todos os países, por isso propôs que sejam deixados de lado “os interesses a curto prazo” ao se lidar com desafios como a mudança climática, a bioenergia e os altos preços agrícolas. Para o dirigente do WWF-Brasi l, Cláudio Moret t i, “a postura correta é negociar abertamente critérios socio-ambientais que sejam firmes e claros”. Áreas ociosas de pastagens podem ser usadas para dobrar a capacidade de produção de grãos do país e fazer frente à demanda mundial por alimentos e biocombustíveis. É o que defende o senador Osmar Dias (PDT-PR), lembrando que o governo federal deveria incentivar os agricultores a aproveitarem as áreas degradadas para ampliar o plantio. Temos mais de 220 milhões de hectares de pastagens. Utilizando 50 milhões de hectares e recuperando essas áreas degradadas poderemos, num curto prazo, dobrar a capacidade de produção de grãos afirmou.O senador propôs ainda que o Brasil estabeleça o zoneamento agrícola para garantir que os alimentos não sejam utilizados como base para a produção de biocombustível. Para o senador Gilberto Goellner (DEM-MT), sistemas de cultivos e criações integrados à floresta são a melhor forma de combinar aumento da área plantada com proteção ambiental. A integração agrossilvipastoril combina viabilidade econômica com conservação dos recursos naturais disse Goellner, autor de projeto que incentiva o uso de biocombustíveis pelas máquinas e equipamentos agrícolas.
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Por que eles são melhores.

A queima do biodiesel também emite CO2 (e nenhum outro resíduo nocivo ao meio ambiente), mas estudos apontam índices até 80% menores em relação ao combustível de petróleo. Além disso, todo o CO2 emitido na queima do biodiesel é capturado pelas plantas e utilizado por elas durante o seu crescimento e existência. O etanol é um álcool incolor, volátil e totalmente solúvel em água, derivado de cana-de-açúcar, milho, uva, beterraba ou outros cereais, produzido por meio da fermentação da sacarose. Contém 35% de oxigênio em sua composição e possui combustão limpa, ou seja, sua queima resulta somente em calor, sem presença de fuligem. Devido a isso, a emissão de CO2 na queima é baixíssima.

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OBSERVAÇÕES DO PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Nov 15th, 2008 at 9:37 pm EST

Se há qualquer um para fora lá quem ainda dúvidas que América é um lugar onde todas as coisas sejam possíveis; quem ainda quer saber se o sonho de nossos fundadores está vivo em nosso tempo; quem ainda questiona o poder de nossa democracia, é hoje à noite sua resposta. É a resposta dita pelas linhas que esticaram em torno das escolas e as igrejas nos números esta nação nunca viram; nos povos que esperaram três horas e as quatro horas, muitas por muito a primeira vez em suas vidas, porque acreditaram que esta vez deve ser diferente; que sua voz poderia ser essa diferença. É a resposta falada por novo e por velho, por rico e por pobre, Democrat e republicano, preto, branco, Latino, asiático, nativo americano, homossexual, reto, incapacitou e não incapacitou - os americanos que emitiram uma mensagem ao mundo que nós nunca fomos uma coleção de estados vermelhos e estados azuis: nós somos, e sempre seremos, os Estados Unidos da América. É a resposta que aquele conduziu aqueles que foram ditas durante tanto tempo por tão muitos para ser cínicos, e temível, e duvidoso do que nós podemos conseguir para põr suas mãos sobre o arco da história e para as dobrar uma vez mais para a esperança de um dia melhor. Tem sido uma época longa que vem, mas hoje à noite, por causa do que nós fizéssemos neste dia, nesta eleição, neste momento de definição, a mudança veio a América. Eu apenas recebi uma chamada muito gracioso do Senator McCain. Lutou longo e duro nesta campanha, e lutou mesmo mais por muito tempo e mais duramente pelo país que ama. Resistiu sacrifícios para América que a maioria de nós não podem começar a imaginar, e nós somos mais em melhor situação para o serviço rendido por este líder bravo e altruísta. Eu felicito-o e regulador Palin para tudo que conseguiram, e eu olho para a frente ao trabalho com ele para renovar nos próximos meses a promessa desta nação. Eu quero agradecer a meu sócio nesta viagem, um homem que faça campanha de seus coração e raio para os homens e as mulheres que cresceu acima com nas ruas de Scranton e monte com nesse repouso do trem a Delaware, o vício - presidente - elejo dos Estados Unidos, Joe Biden. Eu não estaria estando aqui hoje à noite sem a sustentação inflexível de meu melhor amigo por os últimos dezesseis anos, a rocha de nossa família e o amor de minha vida, senhora seguinte da nossa nação primeira, Michelle Obama. Sasha e Malia, eu te amo ambos tanto, e você ganharam o filhote de cachorro novo que está vindo connosco à casa branca. E quando for já não connosco, eu sei que minha avó está prestando atenção, junto com a família que me fêz que eu sou. Eu falto-os hoje à noite, e sei-o que meu débito a eles é além da medida. A meu responsável por a campanha David Plouffe, a minha estratega principal David Axelrod, e à melhor equipe de campanha montada nunca na história da política - você fêz este acontecer, e eu sou para sempre grato para o que você sacrificou para lhe começ feito. Mas sobretudo, eu nunca esquecerei quem esta vitória pertence verdadeiramente - pertence-lhe. Eu era nunca o candidato o mais provável para este escritório. Nós não começamos com muito dinheiro ou muitos endossos. Nossa campanha não foi chocada nos salões de Washington - começou nos pátios traseiros de Des Moines e das salas de visitas da concórdia e nos pátios de entrada cobertos de Charleston. Foi construído pelos homens e as mulheres de funcionamento que escavaram em que economias pequenas tiveram que dar a cinco dólares e dez dólares e vinte dólares a esta causa. Cresceu a força dos jovens que rejeitaram o mito da apatia da sua geração; quem deixou seus repousos e suas famílias para os trabalhos que ofereceram a pouco o pagamento e o menos sono; dos povos não-assim-novos que braved o frio amargo e o calor abrasador para bater nas portas de desconhecido perfeitos; dos milhões dos americanos que se ofereceram, e se organizaram, e se provaram esse mais de dois séculos mais tarde, um governo dos povos, pelos povos e para os povos não pereceu desta terra. Esta é sua vitória. Eu sei você não fêz este apenas para ganhar uma eleição e eu sei que você não a fêz para mim. Você f-la porque você compreende a enormidade da tarefa que se encontra adiante. Para mesmo enquanto nós comemoramos hoje à noite, nós sabemos que os desafios que amanhã trarão são as grandes de nossa vida - duas guerras, um planeta no perigo, a crise financeira a mais má em um século. Mesmo enquanto nós estamos aqui hoje à noite, nós sabemos que há americanos bravos que acordam nos desertos de Iraque e nas montanhas de Afeganistão para arriscar suas vidas para nós. Há as mães e os pais que se encontrarão acordado depois que suas crianças caem adormecido e querem saber como farão a hipoteca, ou pagam contas do seu doutor, ou excepto bastante pela faculdade. Há uma energia nova a aproveitarar e uns trabalhos novos ser criado; escolas novas a construir e ameaças a encontrar-se e alianças a reparar. A estrada adiante será longa. Nossa escalada será íngreme. Nós não podemos começ lá em um ano ou mesmo em um termo, mas em América - eu nunca fui mais esperançoso do que eu sou hoje à noite que nós começ lá. Eu prometo-lhe -nos - porque um pessoa começ lá. Haverá uns recuos e umas falsas partidas. Há muitos que não concordarão com cada decisão ou política que eu faço como o presidente, e nós sabemos que o governo não pode resolver cada problema. Mas eu serei sempre honesto com você sobre os desafios que nós enfrentamos. Eu escutar-lhe-ei, especial quando nós discordamos. E sobretudo, eu perguntar-lhe-ei que se junte no trabalho de refazer a esta nação a única maneira que foi feita em América por two-hundred e vinte e um anos - bloco pelo bloco, tijolo pelo tijolo, mão calloused por mão calloused. O que começou vinte e um meses há nas profundidades de inverno não deve terminar nesta noite do outono. Esta vitória sozinho não é a mudança que nós procuramos - é somente a possibilidade para que nós façam essa mudança. E isso não pode acontecer se nós vamos para trás à maneira que as coisas eram. Não pode acontecer sem você. Deixe-nos assim chamam um espírito novo do patriotismo; do serviço e da responsabilidade onde cada um de nós resoluções lanç dentro e trabalhar mais duramente e se ocupar não somente nós, mas. Deixe-nos recordar que se esta crise financeira nos ensinou qualquer coisa, é que nós não podemos ter um Wall Street de prosperidade quando a rua principal sofrer - neste país, nós levantamo-nos ou caímo-nos como uma nação; como um pessoa. Deixe-nos resistir a tentação cair para trás no mesmos facciosismo e pettiness e imaturidade que envenenou nossa política durante tanto tempo. Deixe-nos recordar que era um homem deste estado que carreg primeiramente a bandeira do Partido Republicano à casa branca - um partido fundado nos valores da confiança, da liberdade individual, e da unidade nacional. Aqueles são valores nós toda a parte, e quando o partido Democratic ganhar uma grande vitória hoje à noite, nós fazemos assim com uma medida da humildade e da determinação curar as partilhas que retiveram nosso progresso. Porque Lincoln disse a uma nação distante mais dividida do que nossas, “nós não somos inimigos, mas os amigos… embora a paixão pode a ter esticado não devem quebrar nossas ligações da afeição.” E à sustentação daqueles americanos cuja eu tenho para ganhar ainda - eu não posso ter ganhado seu voto, mas eu ouço suas vozes, eu preciso sua ajuda, e eu serei seu presidente demasiado. E todos os àqueles que prestam atenção hoje à noite além de nossas costas, dos parlamentos e dos palácios àqueles que huddled em torno dos rádios nos cantos esquecidos de nosso mundo - nossas histórias é singulares, mas nosso destino é compartilhado, e um alvorecer novo da liderança americana é à mão. Àqueles que rasgariam este mundo para baixo - nós derrotá-lo-emos. Àqueles que procuram a paz e a segurança - nós suportamo-lo. E a todos os aqueles que quiseram saber se a baliza de América ainda se queima como brilhante - hoje à noite nós provamos uma vez mais que a força verdadeira de nossa nação vem não do nosso o poder de nossos braços ou da escala de nossa riqueza, mas do poder de resistência de nossos ideais: democracia, liberdade, oportunidade, e esperança inflexível. Para isso é o gênio verdadeiro de América - que América pode mudar. Nossa união pode ser aperfeiçoada. E o que nós temos conseguido já damos nos a esperança para o que nós podemos e devemos conseguir amanhã. Esta eleição teve muitos primeiros e muitas histórias que serão ditos para gerações. Mas um que está em minha mente hoje à noite é sobre uma mulher que molde sua cédula em Atlanta. É muito como os milhões de outro que estiveram na linha para fazer sua voz ouvida nesta eleição à exceção de uma coisa - o tanoeiro de Ann Nixon tem 106 anos velho. Era nascida apenas uma geração após a escravidão; uma época em que não houver nenhum carro na estrada ou nos planos no céu; quando alguém como ela não poderia votar para duas razões - porque era uma mulher e por causa da cor de sua pele. E hoje à noite, eu penso sobre tudo que viu ao longo de seu século em América - a mágoa e a esperança; o esforço e o progresso; os tempos que nós fomos ditos que nós não podemos, e os povos que pressionaram sobre com esse credo americano: Sim nós podemos. Numa altura em que as vozes das mulheres foram silenciadas e suas esperanças foram demitidas, viveu para vê-las de pé e para falar para fora e alcangá-las para a cédula. Sim nós podemos. Quando havia um desespero na bacia e na depressão de poeira através da terra, viu uma nação conquistar o medo próprio com um novo contrato, uns trabalhos novos e um sentido novo da finalidade comum. Sim nós podemos. Quando as bombas caíram em nosso porto e a tirania ameaçou o mundo, estava lá testemunhar uma ascensão da geração à grandeza e uma democracia foi conservada. Sim nós podemos. Era lá para as barras-ônibus em Montgomery, as mangueiras em Birmingham, uma ponte em Selma, e um pregador de Atlanta que disse um pessoa que “nós superássemos.” Sim nós podemos. Um homem tocado para baixo na lua, uma parede veio para baixo em Berlim, um mundo foi conectado por nossas próprias ciência e imaginação. E este ano, nesta eleição, tocou em seu dedo a uma tela, e moldou seu voto, porque após 106 anos em América, com o melhor das épocas e o mais escuro das horas, sabe América pode mudar. Sim nós podemos. América, nós temos vindo até agora. Nós vimos tanto. Mas há tanto mais a fazer. Tão hoje à noite, deixe-nos perguntam-se - se nossas crianças viverem para ver o próximo século; se minhas filhas forem tão afortunadas viver contanto que tanoeiro de Ann Nixon, que mudança elas vêem? Que progresso nós temos feitos? Esta é nossa possibilidade responder a essa chamada. Este é nosso momento. Esta é nossa hora - de põr nossos povos de volta ao trabalho e aos estares abertos da oportunidade para nossos miúdos; para restaurar a prosperidade e promover a causa de paz; para recuperar o sonho americano e reafirmar essa verdade fundamental - que fora de muitos, nós somos um; isso quando nós respirarmos, nós esperamos, e onde nós somos encontrados com cinismo, e dúvida, e aqueles que nos dizem que nós não podemos, nós responderemos com esse credo intemporal que resume o espírito de um pessoa: Sim nós podemos. Obrigado, o Deus abençoa-o, e pode-o Deus abençoar os Estados Unidos da América.

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TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMAÇÃO

By Samuel from Heath, MA - Nov 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm EST

A “campanha e-marketing 2.0” realizada pelo candidato Barack Obama é fantástica e inovadora no marketing político mundial. As eleições americanas nunca foram tão imprevisíveis como a de 2008. Nos Estados Unidos o uso da internet em campanhas políticas já é comum. Aliás a internet começou por lá. Hillary tem usado muito bem a campanha na web, mas acelerou os trabalhos quando a campanha de Barack Obama já estava no topo das pesquisas. A diferença está no uso da tecnologia e métodos da web 2.0.O marketing de Barack Obama on line vai muito além de manter um blog no ar. O timing é perfeito, no momento em que os internautas do mundo inteiro já estão mais preparados com a internet e gritam por interatividade.

A sensação desde o princípio é que Barack Obama e sua equipe de e-marketing utilizaram da internet com uma sabedoria que deixariam para traz qualquer empresas que se acham expertise em “marketing digital”.

E ele demonstrou que está alinhado com a tendência WEB 2.0, num de seus comícios (ao vivo, não virtual) no Central Park em Nova York: "No ponto alto do evento, depois de um discurso empolgante, Barack convocou os presentes a se juntarem à campanha. Como? Resumindo a história, gritou em alto e bom som algo como: “Peguem seus celulares agora, digitem “Join” e enviem o SMS para o número X”. Feito. Isso foi o bastante para que os presentes se conectassem a campanha através do mais “íntimo” dos seus aparelhos. E foi também o adeus definitivo às velhinhas voluntárias que recolhem assinaturas no bom e velho papel, ao lado do palanque."

O resultado de tudo isso não poderia ser diferente. Com essa campanha 2.0, Barack Obama conquistou um verdadeiro exército de eleitores jovens, todos empolgados em militar a favor de sua moderna campanha. Não vou entrar no mérito do conteúdo, mas a forma é realmente uma mudança que pode influenciar as próximas campanhas. Dentro e fora dos Estados Unidos.

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