Ohio, there's still time remaining to make a huge difference in this election. If you've already voted, reach out to friends, family members, and neighbors down the street and make sure they've made it out to the polls today.
If someone needs a ride to their polling place and you can provide one for them, feel free to take them down to vote yourself. If you can't give them a ride for whatever reason, no problem: Give us a call at 1-866-275-2008 and we'll arrange a ride for them.
When you or the person your taking make it out to the polls tonight, remember the following:
Dear T. Neil, Right now is when we need you the most. The polls are only open for a few more hours, and we need your help to be sure as many people as possible make it out to vote in these closing hours. If you have an hour to spare and are able, it's absolutely crucial that you join us at one of our staging locations across the state and help out. Volunteers are needed to go door-to-door to turn out votes at this critical moment. Find the staging location most convenient for you right now. No need to sign up -- just join us as soon as possible and stay for as long as you can: We've come a long way in Ohio thanks to you -- now help us finish strong. Thank you, Paul Paul Tewes Ohio State Director Obama for America
Polls just opened up a few minutes ago and, even though its a little early, one thing is very certain: the Buckeye State is fired up and ready to go!
Before you head out to vote, do yourself a favor by double checking where you need to go using our online polling place locator tool and think about offering a ride to a friend or neighbor who might have difficulty going to vote themselves?
Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you are in line at 7:30 p.m. you have the right to vote. All registered voters can vote in the Democratic Primary, even Republicans and Independents. When you vote, bring ID: Ohio driver's license or state-issued ID, or any one of the following with your name and current address -- utility bill (including cell phone bills), bank statement, paycheck, government check, or government document.
Any other questions or concerns about your vote? Need a ride to the polls? Just give us a call at 1-866-675-2008 and press 4.
Our moment is now, Ohio! If we're going to make this happen today, Barack needs our support today.
Arcade Fire at Beachland Ballroom Beachland Ballroom 15711 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH (View on a Map) Show #1 Monday, March 3, 2008 Doors open: 7:00 p.m. Program begins: 8:00 p.m. Seating at the first show will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. RSVP for this performance at: http://oh.barackobama.com/arcadefire Show #2 Monday, March 3, 2008 Doors open: 10:00 p.m. Program begins: 11:00 p.m. Tickets are required for the second show. You can pick up tickets at: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Offices 1771 East 30th street Cleveland, OH (View on a Map) 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Enquirer endorses Obama on Democratic side Illinois senator offers energy, rich experiences, fresh ideas Despite all of the jokes and misplaced campaign rhetoric, it is the experiences of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama that have set them apart - set them above - the crowded Democratic field that started the race for their party's nomination so many months ago. Clinton's experience as first lady often is derided as "secondhand," or somehow invalid. Actually, it gave her a perspective on the possibilities and limitations of the presidency that no other candidate for the office ever has had. Beyond that, she has been a senator for the past eight years, carving out her own political niche on the national scene. Her service on the Senate Armed Services Committee has involved her intimately in the details of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, subjects the next commander in chief will need to come to terms with immediately. Obama was born to an American mother and Kenyan father, raised in a multicultural environment, graduated with an Ivy League education and worked as a community organizer on the streets of Chicago before becoming a civil rights lawyer. His life and experiences reflect the diversity of America in ways no other presidential candidate has experienced. He points to the richness of these experiences as the reason he has earned a reputation of uniting people around what he describes on his Web site as the "politics of purpose" - getting people to work beyond their partisan differences to achieve common goals. These are both extraordinarily talented candidates, but it is Obama's ability to reach beyond the partisan divide and gather in support that prompts The Enquirer to give him our endorsement for the Democratic nomination. The true differences on policy between Obama and Clinton - on Iraq, on trade and a host of other issues, are narrow. On health care, we prefer his approach of lowering costs rather than mandating participation. Obama and Clinton both say ending the war in Iraq, while preserving U.S. security, would be their top priority upon taking office. Both say they would consult with the military experts and withdraw American forces and quickly as prudently possible. This will be a clear point of debate in the general election with John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Clinton has shown herself to be an able senator, with an impressive grasp of details. But she remains for many in this country a polarizing figure. Much of that dislike undoubtedly is residual disapproval of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and his policies and performance in office. That may be unfair to her, but it remains a fact of political life. But her own style has opened her to criticism as well. Her major public policy involvement during her husband's administration was the failed attempt to come up with a universal health care policy. Critics remember her closed-door, high-handed and uncompromising approach, which drew opposition from many Democrats as well as Republicans and doomed the initiative. She says she has learned from those mistakes, yet her style often seems abrasive and superior when criticized. A president must be able to make hard decisions but must also be able to face - even welcome - dissenting views and understand that there can be validity in the opposition. Obama has been on the national stage for a relatively short time, but in that time he has demonstrated an ability and a willingness to work with others. He does not waste time demonizing those with different views. One obvious example is his work with Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., on a new non-proliferation effort with Russia designed to keep nuclear weapons from falling into terrorist hands. He also lists the need for coming up with a workable, bipartisan national energy policy as one of the first things he would tackle in office. But perhaps Obama's most impressive achievement so far is the excitement he has engendered in the political process itself. He is a gifted public speaker, and the energy he brings to his campaign seems to have brought many people, including many young people, into the political process for the first time. Obama has an undeniable appeal that is attracting people of divergent backgrounds. He seems able to find ways to work even with people who don't share his views. We believe that of the two, he has the better chance at quickly creating the working coalitions that would allow for the progress a new administration will need in dealing with the issues at hand.
Quiero darle las gracias a Latina Lista por haberme dado la oportunidad de contribuir a este blog y hablar del cambio en esta gran nación con la comunidad Latina. Desde el día que yo nací, he estado rodeado de mujeres fuertes. Yo fui criado por una madre soltera, estoy casado con una mujer fuerte y independiente que me ha bendecido con dos niña preciosas y ahora estoy tratando de criarlas para que ellas persigan sus sueños no importa que grandes y que se puedan convertir en lideres del futuro. Como hijo, esposo y padre, estoy consciente de que las mujeres son el núcleo de la familia. Madres, esposas y hermanas son las que nos protegen, nos cuidan, nos enseñan y nos motivan. Yo también se que mujeres de todos orígenes, mantener la familia junta es una prioridad. No es un secreto que los Latinos están siendo separados de sus familias todos los días en este país por las redadas y la política de deportación que no toma en cuenta las familias y la humanidad al enforzar la ley.
"El posee simultáneamente un aire presidencial y humanidad…..[El] es el lider del pueblo…..y por eso lo estoy apoyando."
I want to thank Latina Lista for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the blog and to talk about change in this great country with the Latina community. Since the day I was born, I have been surrounded by strong women. I was raised by a single mother, have married a strong independent woman who has blessed me with two beautiful girls and now I'm trying to raise them to pursue their dreams no matter how big, and become future leaders. As a son, husband and parent I am well aware that women are the core of family. Mothers, wives and sisters are the ones who protect us, care for us, teach us and encourage us. I also know that for women of all backgrounds, keeping their families together is a top priority. It is no secret that Latino families are being separated from their families every day in this country because of raids and deportation policies that do not take family and humanity into account when trying to enforce laws...
Where Obama Stands: On Service "Where Obama Stands" is a series of posts highlighting Obama's innovative approaches to challenge the status quo and get results on the issues that matter most to Americans. For a full list of Senator Obama's detailed policy positions, check out BarackObama.com/issues and/or download Obama's complete booklet of policy positions, "The Blueprint for Change." We are also looking for your feedback and suggestions on the issues; if you want to share your ideas, please submit your thoughts through our MyPolicy page.
Barack Obama's Plan for Universal Voluntary Service
“Your own story and the American story are not separate — they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century … I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency.” — Barack Obama, Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, December 5, 2007
The Problem
Americans Not Asked to Serve After 9/11: President Bush squandered an opportunity to mobilize the American people following 9/11 when he asked Americans only to go shopping.
Insufficient Federal Support for Service: While more than 500,000 people have served in AmeriCorps, the program turns away tens of thousands of applicants a year because of limited funding.
Need for More R&D in Nonprofit Sector: Research and development in the nonprofit sector is limited and there is a disconnect between charitable foundations that can fund innovation and the organizations on the ground that can test new concepts and bring them to scale.
Barack Obama's Plan
Enable All Americans to Serve to Meet the Nation's Challenges
Integrate Service into Learning
Invest in the Nonprofit Sector
Barack Obama's Record
A Lifetime of Service
Obama began his career by moving to the South Side of Chicago to direct the Developing Communities Project. Together with a coalition of ministers, Obama set out to improve living conditions in poor neigh- borhoods plagued by crime and high unemployment. After graduating from law school, Obama passed up lucrative law firm jobs to head Project Vote, which helped register 150,000 new African American voters in Chicago, the highest number ever registered in a single local effort. Michelle Obama was founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago, a leadership development program that identifies and prepares talented young adults for careers serving the public good.
For More Information about Barack's Plan
Read the Speech
Watch Excerpts of the Speech
Read the Plan
"Where Obama Stands" is a series of posts highlighting Obama's innovative approaches to challenge the status quo and get results on the issues that matter most to Americans. For a full list of Senator Obama's detailed policy positions, check out BarackObama.com/issues and/or download Obama's complete booklet of policy positions, "The Blueprint for Change." We are also looking for your feedback and suggestions on the issues; if you want to share your ideas, please submit your thoughts through our MyPolicy page.
"Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end."
-- Barack Obama, Speech in Kansas City, MO, August 21, 2007
Wounded Troops Suffer: The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don't always provide returning service members with the care they deserve.
Veterans Budget Shortfalls: In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.
Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken: There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.
There is Shortage of Care for PTSD: Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.
A Sacred Trust
Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve.
Help for Returning Service Members
Obama will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.
Improved Mental Health Treatment
Obama will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.
Record of Advocacy: As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Obama passed legislation to improve care and slash red tape for our wounded warriors recovering at places like Walter Reed. He passed laws to help homeless veterans and offered an innovative solution to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness. Obama led a bipartisan effort in the Senate to try to halt the military's unfair practice of discharging service members for having a service-connected psychological injury. He fought for fair treatment of Illinois veterans' claims and forced the VA to conduct an unprecedented outreach campaign to disabled veterans with lower than-average benefits. Obama passed legislation to stop a VA review of closed PTSD cases that could have led to a reduction in veterans' benefits. He passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for traumatic brain injuries. He introduced legislation to direct the VA and Pentagon to fix disjointed records systems and improve outreach to members of the National Guard and Reserves.
Join Veterans for Obama
Plan to Strengthen Civil Rights
“The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen — they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs. . . . We have more work to do.”— Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
“The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen — they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs. . . . We have more work to do.”
— Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
Pay Inequity Continues: For every $1.00 earned by a man, the average woman receives only 77 cents, while African American women only get 67 cents and Latinas receive only 57 cents.
Hate Crimes on the Rise: The number of hate crimes increased nearly 8 percent to 7,700 incidents in 2006.
Efforts Continue to Suppress the Vote: A recent study discovered numerous organized efforts to intimidate, mislead and suppress minority voters.
Disparities Continue to Plague Criminal Justice System: African Americans and Hispanics are more than twice as likely as whites to be searched, arrested, or subdued with force when stopped by police. Disparities in drug sentencing laws, like the differential treatment of crack as opposed to powder cocaine, are unfair.
Obama will reverse the politicization that has occurred in the Bush Administration's Department of Justice. He will put an end to the ideological litmus tests used to fill positions within the Civil Rights Division.
Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work.
Obama will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.
Obama will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.
Obama will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender employment and job retention rates.
Obama believes the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.
Obama will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.
Record of Advocacy: Obama has worked to promote civil rights and fairness in the criminal justice system throughout his career. As a community organizer, Obama helped 150,000 African Americans register to vote. As a civil rights lawyer, Obama litigated employment discrimination, housing discrimination, and voting rights cases. As a State Senator, Obama passed one of the country's first racial profiling law and helped reform a broken death penalty system. And in the U.S. Senate, Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting.
Speech at the Howard University Convocation
It's a new process for most people, since KS has never been "in play" before... But people are fired up! I talked to one older woman who said she couldn't wait to show up "with bells on" even though we've got very crummy weather today... the ground team in KS is working very hard to deliver to Barack his mother's home state!!!
...spoke with a Barack voter who is in Syracuse. She wants to vote but it's slippery out and she doesn't have a ride. The campaign is getting her to the polls today! If everybody makes 20 calls to voters in these crucial states, we can make a difference.
...I am SO proud...This was a huge step for my mother....who didn't even know she could vote for a Democrat being a registered Republican!
...this campaign has restored my faith in my country. I have volunteered here in California and Nevada and I have met the most AWESOME people ever, from all walks of life, ages, races... As an African American/Puerto Rican mixed child...I experience a lot of racism, a lot of bullying, a lot of grief. Finally, I can say to my sons (I HAVE 5) and my daughter (only 1) that they can really be whatever they want, even the President of the United States.
"(Obama's speech on faith) may be the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican...Obama offers the first faith testimony I have heard from any politician that speaks honestly about the uncertainties of belief." -- E.J. Dionne, Op-Ed., Washington Post, June 30, 2006
He simultaneously possesses an air of presidentially and commonality... [He's] the people's leader... and that's why I support him.
