Angelica's Blog

Denver Bound ... And Re-Cap of This Memorable Week

Angelica — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:09:39 EDT

What an extraordinary week in an already memorable year. Sunday--after a full day of work at the office--I was extremely fortunate to have the rare opportunity to watch Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduce Senator Barack Obama here in San Francisco. I was so proud of the San Francisco for Obama team, that turned out a crowd of 500 to show their support for Senator Obama in front of the Fairmont Hotel.

On Tuesday, Filipinos for Obama had its first formal kick-off event. We turned out a crowd of more than 150 Filipino Americans to enlist their support in uniting pinoys behind Senator Obama. I was so proud to be there and get to speak to the crowd about our plans for empowering Filipino Americans to make a difference in this election.

And then on Friday at work, my brother-in-law interrupted my day to put my 18-month-old nephew, Luke, on the phone, so I could hear him say "Obama!" in his adorable baby voice.

Needless to say, that call made my day. Like many of you, last night I was anxiously awaiting my text message from the Obama campaign--until CNN finally spoiled it for me. (I did finally get my text around midnight PST). Senator Joe Biden will be a terrific Vice President--not only will he be a great campaigner, but I actually think he and Senator Obama will govern well together. They are not in lockstep on every issue, which I think makes sense for the number two spot on the ticket.

After another Saturday of working--I do have a non-Obama job--I stopped by our San Francisco Obama phonebank. And now I'm trying to pack for the week. Perhaps I'm being overly ambitious, but I hope to update you from the ground!!

(Photo of Senator Obama courtesy of Dr. Mary Davidson)

Filipinos for Obama March for Hope

Angelica — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:24:26 EDT

Story courtesy of Dexter Ligot-Gordon of Filipinos for Obama. Cross-posted at Asian Americans for Obama.

The Filipinos for Obama effort hit the streets this past Saturday to spread the message that Senator Obama is the candidate for the Filipino American Community. With a large contingent, the FFO campaign passed out "Filipinos for Obama" stickers and buttons, and energized the crowed chanting "YES WE CAN" at Pistahan, a jam-packed Filipino culture festival and parade in San Francisco. (More photos here.)

Vietnam and a "Bright Shining Lie" Revisited

Angelica — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:51:23 EDT

It's been a while since I've been able to blog. I've taken on more leadership in the San Francisco for Obama team as Volunteer Co-Coordinator, and I've also been helping to launch an effort to reach out to Filipino Americans around Obama. But I read this blog today by Noel Koch, a Vietnam Vet who served as Special Assistant to the President during the Nixon Administration, and I felt like sharing it. Because I really am disturbed by how Senator McCain is hell bent on mischaracterizing Senator Obama's principled and well-informed plan for ending the War in Iraq and bringing home our troops. The author talks about the parallels to Vietnam--another war perpetuated by a lie: "the worst lie of all, in repeated appeals to the grieving hearts of our fellow citizens, was that we could only redeem the lives of our fallen by 'winning' the war. Braced by that lie, we sacrificed more."

If disgrace is to be assigned, it rests not with those who served, but with those who misused their service. The fighters of Vietnam, after all, defending their homeland, were only the instrument of our losses. It was America's misguided leadership that was the agent of those losses.

So, it is a sorrow now to hear John McCain, in pursuit of the White House, accusing Senator Barack Obama of dishonoring the sacrifices of American soldiers by calling for the withdrawal of US forces from a conflict promoted, as was Vietnam, by deceiving the American people. It is inexplicable, as the war in Iraq itself is inexplicable, that Senator McCain should charge that Barack Obama "is willing to lose a war in order to win the presidency." Buried near the surface of that discreditable allegation is the insistence that America must put still more of its best at risk in order to redeem those it has already lost.

The Senator insists we must win in Iraq. Yet, after a war that has lasted longer than World War II, and after the loss of more than 4,000 American lives, a definition of "winning" has still to be offered by the authors of this fiasco and their supporters. Senator Obama's fitness to be Commander-in-Chief is reaffirmed by his determination to end this folly, despite attacks on his motives and his patriotism. It was that determination that has served to persuade Iraq that it must now put its own house in order. And that is as close to "winning" as we are going to get in this war.

It is often said, and correctly, that Iraq is a very different war from Vietnam, but this much they have in common: American lives were wasted in Vietnam and they are being wasted in Iraq. However much American blood is shed in that sour soil, it will not be sweetened sufficiently to nurture up the seeds of democracy.

Read the full piece here.

On Philippine Independence Day, Barack's Mabuhay to Filipinos!

Angelica — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:44:00 EDT

The campaign released a statement today recognizing the Filipinos celebrating June 12 as Philippine Independence Day and used the occasion as an opportunity to highlight the ongoing struggle for justice on behalf of Filipino WWII Veterans:

Particularly important to note on this day is the continuing struggle of Filipino World War II veterans to receive the veterans benefits they rightfully deserve. During World War II, Filipino and American troops fought bravely together under some of the most trying conditions suffered by any forces during that conflict, forging a historic bond between our two nations and their people. Filipinos displayed great courage alongside American soldiers at Bataan and Corregidor, only to be denied their just benefits by our government. The Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 would honor the service of all U.S. veterans, including these Filipino World War II heroes. The Senate passed this bill last April. I urge my colleagues in Congress to take note of this day to honor the heroic service of Filipino World War II veterans by finally turning this important legislation into law.

To read the full statement, visit the AAPI Home Page.

And a permanent link to the story can be found here.

I really hope the Filipino American community--numbering more than 4 million--will turn out strong for Barack this November.

SF Obama Nomination Celebration - Tues, June 10th

Angelica — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:35:59 EDT

Event: OBAMA Nomination Celebration @ Ruby Skye
"This Is Our Time. Let's Keep Making History!"
What: Benefit
Host: Nate Mezmer, Matt Haney & Eric Casher
When: Tuesday, June 10 at 7:00pm
Where: Ruby Skye, 420 Mason, SF

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=20768965959

We did it! Feels Good.

Angelica — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:41:10 EDT

WE DID IT! Our moment is now, and we're sending Barack Obama

to the the White House! It's a long road ahead, but tonight, we celebrate all that we've already accomplished. We've broken barriers.

If we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
-- Barack Obama, June 3, 2008

Vote for Change at SF Asian Heritage Street Fair

Angelica — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:35:48 EDT

A couple friends just pointed out to me that I'm featured on the Obama Headquarters blog. (Thanks Ramey and Jenna). Check out the post here. How thrilling . . . those who know me know I'm dead serious! I'm excited to represent for Obama and our great campaign tomorrow--got 24 volunteers who are signed up to come out on a very hot and sunny day. I think it's very important that we're participating in this commemoration of APA Heritage Month--it's also the same day that APIA Vote is hosting a historic presidential town hall forum at UC Irvine. Barack is scheduled to appear via satellite from the campaign trail in Oregon. Obama supporters will be representing there and co-hosting a Unity Party with Hillary supporters afterwards. You can catch the livestream of the event online.

Last Saturday's Vote for Change event was a great time--I can't believe over 124 people came out on such a beautiful day to walk neighborhoods and register voters for Obama and for our future. Check out photos of the event here. We registered 273 voters--San Francisco is tough territory and I'm thinking we should also cast our net broader in the Bay Area for future events. I was doing more of the logistics and volunteer training, but I even got to register one voter when I went to pick up lunch in the Fillmore: I met a newly naturalized citizen--a young man from South Korea, who registered as a Democrat!

Very exciting. Thanks to all of you who keep on giving to this movement for change.

I was reminded yesterday what an important right that opportunity to vote and hold our elected officials accountable is:

I spent the day in California's capital, Sacramento, joined by over 2,000 students, parents and community leaders who were rallying with the Campaign for Quality Education to protest education budget cuts. Our group made nearly 50 legislative visits with Democratic and Republican leadership, and I had the opportunity to participate in meetings with high school students from LA, Vallejo, and Fresno. These young men and women impressed me. There was Stephanie, who so eloquently explained why it's unacceptable for California to be 46 out of 50 in education spending. "We spend more per prisoner than we do per student" and that she didn't think she should have to go to a charter school to get a quality education. And Maria who asked the aide to a Republican senator point blank, "Can we count on you to oppose education budget cuts?"

And there were also several young folks who have already turned 18, and told me that they voted last February ... for Obama.

Our nation is in good hands if we keep investing in our youth. Let's get all eligible 18-year-olds registered for November!

San Francisco Vote for Change Voter Registration Drive - Saturday, May 10

Angelica — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:53:20 EDT

Obama for America Voter Registration Drive Saturday May 10
The Obama campaign is launching it's first GENERAL ELECTION EVENT: A National Voter Registration Drive. As a former community organizer, Senator Obama believes in giving voice to disenfranchised communities and in encouraging everyone to participate in the political process. New voters have made the difference in this election and they are a testament to everything Senator Obama stands for: A NEW DIRECTION IN POLITICS. By registering new voters, we will show the continued strength of our grassroots movement and the unity that movement has helped forge.

On February 5th we proved San Francisco is Obama Country. We were a prolific volunteer force and now we need to be again.

Our goal is to get 100 volunteers to register at least 10 people each.

When: Three hour shifts 11:30-3pm or 2:30-6pm

Where: Ella Hill Hutch Community Center
1050 McAllister San Francisco, CA (between Laguna and Webster)

Following a short training session, we will send teams of volunteers to public events in selected neighborhoods. We'll be sending people to different parts of the city, so please let us know if you are able to bring a car. Also, please bring a clipboard and an Obama button if you have either.

To RSVP for the 11:30am-3pm shift, visit: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4cz8

To RSVP for the 2:30-6pm shift, visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4czy

Or email sanfranciscoforobama@gmail.com.

Thanks for your help,
Edward Webster, Linda Leu, Angelica Jongco, Anhoni Patel, Benji Hunt, Liz Voigt

San Francisco Phonebank May 3 & 4 - UPDATED: Photos

Angelica — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:37:14 EDT

UPDATED 5/4/08:

We had over 50 volunteers come to our phonebank in San Francisco this weekend, making over 2,000 calls to Indiana and North Carolina. Thanks to everyone for their help! The bells were ringing pretty regularly, signalling that someone found a supporter.

View photos from the weekend at my website.

ORIGINAL POST:

Come out to Make Calls to Indiana! Help to seal up the Nomination, your calls help. Please bring your cell phone and charger. Friends and snacks are welcome too.

When:

Saturday, May 3, 9am-6pm: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/437s
Sunday, May 4, 10am-6pm: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4334

Where:

SF Station, 1475 Folsom St, at 11th St (3 blocks south of Van Ness Muni)

YOU CAN ALREADY MAKE CALLS FROM HOME AT
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/phonebankmap/

The Kindergarten Vote

Angelica — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:12:16 EDT

Just a little break from the intensity of the campaign to share this little story with folks ...

My six-year-old nephew Nate asked my sister the other day, "Why can't kids vote?" She did her best to explain why voting was for adults. She told me Nate seemed disappointed. The reason?

"I want to vote for Barack Obama," he explained. (That kid's always been brilliant.)

Then he confided in my sister in hushed tones not to tell our mother, who is wholehearteldy pro-Obama, that his other grandmother is for McCain. With Nate campaigning for Barack though, I'm sure he can change his grandma's mind by November.

San Francisco Obama Volunteers Featured on Episode 1 of Volunteer Nation

Angelica — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:50:20 EDT

Check out the first episode of "Volunteer Nation," a series "profiling people who sign up, show up, & get involved" by filmmakers Ben Hess and Dan Janos. The first episode focuses on volunteers for Super Tuesday in San Francisco--and profiles volunteers on both Democratic campaigns. For people who came by the San Francisco Obama office, you may recognize some familiar faces, including yours truly.

Watch the video here and leave comments.

Calling Pennsylvania

Angelica — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:59:40 EDT

As I'm writing this, folks should know that it's not too late to make calls to Pennsylvania. Just follow this link. I think I speak for many when I say that I'm so glad this six week stretch is over.

Here in the Bay Area, last weekend we hosted some six volunteer phonebanks from Palo Alto, to Santa Rosa, San Mateo, to San Francisco, to Oakland--where Goapele and Martin Luther fired up the crowd at the Nation for Change Rally.

I made my calls from SF Station in San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday. We had news crews coming by--fishing around for a story about all the "negativity" in the campaign. But if they were looking for someone to take the bait, our volunteers were not biting. We each stressed how Barack is running the most positive presidential campaign we've seen in our lifetimes--with the most voters, most states won, and most people engaged in his movement.

From what I could tell, I was making most of my calls in the Pittsburgh area to predominantly white voters over 60. Some of the encounters that stand out the most:

Maria, 66, who told me she was undecided but also kept repeating to me that she thought it was just "ridiculous" to call Barack elitist. He and Michelle seemed like regular people--after all, they just paid off their student loans.

Ethel, 84, who's been a Barack supporter since she saw him speak at the 2004 DNC, and no thanks, she didn't need a ride to the polls. It's just half a block away, and she can walk there.

Mr. Velazquez, 42, who asked me to call back in 30 minutes because he had to take care of his young diabetic daughter. Exactly 30 minutes later, I gave him a call, and he assured me that he and his wife were voting for Barack. He apologized that he couldn't volunteer, but he had his daughter to take care of.

Mrs. Burgos, 56 -- I was calling for her husband, but when she picked up the phone, I ended up chatting with her instead. Now, she couldn't pronounce his name, but when I said I was volunteering for Barack--she was very emphatic that she and her husband were voting for 'that guy.' After repeating "Barack Obama" slowly and clearly some three times before getting off the phone, I rang the bell we keep for volunteers--twice for each supporter.

Found out yesterday that the moment was captured on Channel 11 nightly news!

I Ran ... Thanks Everyone for Your Support - The Real Race Goes On

Angelica — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:54:46 EDT

VIEW PHOTOS FROM MY CAMPAIGN AND THE CD 12 ELECTION

April 14, 2008

Hello all.

In yesterday’s election, I came in 4th out of a total of 40 candidates. Unfortunately, not enough to get one of the 3 spots for Denver, but it was still a lot of fun and a great experience. Thank you so much to my supporters and volunteers, especially to Patrick Wong, who was so generous with his time and enthusiasm! Congratulations to the dedicated volunteers who will be representing CD 12 at the DNC!

I’m proud of how we did and I feel like I fulfilled my purposes in running:

to raise the visibility of younger supporters and AAPI Obama supporters in CD 12
share the great work that Asian Americans for Obama is doing,
create opportunities to share our campaign’s message of grassroots change and transforming politics as usual with immigrant communities, and especially AAPI voters and the Filipino American community in CD12,
and to inspire more people to continue to be involved in this campaign.

A place at Denver would have been icing on the cake. The real race goes on. The ultimate prize is to grow the grassroots and get more people active and inspired in taking back our country. Congratulations as well to the wonderful AAPI Obama supporters who won seats to the DNC yesterday: Jenn Pae (CD 9), Brian Wang (CD8), Roger Hu (CD14), Jay Chen (CD38)!

Please keep checking this page for updates and photos. I’ll hopefully get to write more about my experience soon.

Thanks,
Angelica

AngelicaForObama.Com: Make Me Your Obama Delegate for California CD 12

Angelica — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:35:48 EDT

www.AngelicaForObama.com

Through Barack's campaign I've seen how a vibrant grassroots can reenergize traditional party politics—but only if we remain active. That's why I'm running to be a pledged Obama delegate at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August. Please help me earn one of three spots for Obama delegates in California's 12th Congressional District (CD 12). The election is less than two weeks away on Sunday, April 13 at 2pm in So. San Francisco, at the UFCW Union Hall, 208 Miller Ave. I need your help to turn out as many voters as possible. There are at least 35 candidates in the race so far.

As a civil rights lawyer, I'm working to improve public education and transit opportunities for low-income communities of color at the legal and policy advocacy organization, Public Advocates. In part, my support for Obama is rooted in a belief that his presidency would begin to change the odds for communities struggling to rise against forces of social and economic injustice. With that conviction in mind, I've done what I can to build support for his campaign:

knocked hundreds of doors and made even more phone calls as a precinct captain in San Francisco and as a volunteer in Texas and Nevada,
organized multi-ethnic phonebanks to voters across the country and targeted calls to AAPI communities and contributed to opening of SF office,
provided leadership through the grassroots Asian Americans for Obama (www.asianamericansforobama.com),
tracked and helped earn coverage of grassroots campaign events and AAPI voices in ethnic media, and
projected an active voice for an AAPI/Filipina American perspective on my blog, the Asian Americans for Obama site, and to campaign staff.

From California, and the Bay Area in particular, I believe we should send a delegation that reflects the diversity and richness of our state and Obama's new majority for change. Whether or not I'm selected as a delegate, I will continue to actively raise my voice as an Asian American activist to build our movement for the general election. But let's give it our best shot. As Barack said on Super Tuesday, and in the words of Hopi elders, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for."

Please share my website www.angelicaforobama.com and flier (at the website) with your friends and neighbors along with the reasons you support my candidacy. This is my first foray into running any campaign. I welcome your suggestions for further outreach and opportunities to gain support. I'm grateful for anything you can do to speak on my behalf between now and April 13.

Thank you for your support.

Angelica Jongco
www.angelicaforobama.com
angelicaforobama@gmail.com

Obama AAPI Issues Flier in Tagalog/Pilipino

Angelica — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:46:28 EDT

Barack Obama's one-page flier directed to Asian American Pacific Islander voters is now available for distribution in Tagalog.

The flier can be downloaded in Tagalog, as well as English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean at the Asian Americans for Obama Supporter Toolkit site.

Many thanks to Melissa Borja for leading the translation efforts.

5 Years Later

Angelica — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:26:17 EDT

Yesterday we got a glimpse of the kind of leadership that we can expect from Barack Obama as President. In treading one of the most perilous minefields in our national dialogue—race—Obama lifted up our discourse in a way that I didn't think was possible. I felt so proud to be an American and a supporter of his campaign.

With honesty and humility, he was able to speak to us—Black, White, Brown, and Asian—about the complex fears and resentments that animate and distort our politics. His words did not talk down, but instead dug deep to lift us up from the distractions that divide us in the face of our common challenges:

"The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American."

Can't we all relate to the temptation to throw our hands up and say this conversation is too difficult, too painful? Obama does not let himself or us off the hook. Consistent with the themes of his campaign and life's work, he asks us to be part of the solution, to play our part in perfecting our imperfect union.

In the words of Jesse Jackson, Obama turned "crisis" into "opportunity." Above all, he was honest and open. Imagine if we had had a president who spoke with such candor over the past 7 years. What might be different?

As we commemorate the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, the death toll of American soldiers approaches 4,000, and Iraqi civilian casualties tops 400,000. And yet, we are no more secure than we were on September 12.

In the wake of 9/11, George Bush faced a crisis that also posed a great opportunity. The world reached out to us in sympathy and solidarity. But he squandered that rare moment of global unity and goodwill.

Now we have the choice to unequivocally break from the failed policies of our past—a war that has prevented us from aggressively pursuing a compassionate domestic agenda and a bankrupt politics that leaves us disillusioned and timid of vision. Obama is the candidate that can move us forward as one nation.

A U.S. president once said, "If one candidate's trying to scare you and the other one's trying to get you to think, if one candidate's appealing to your fears and the other one's appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope."

With his words in 2004, Bill Clinton delivered a most apt justification for an Obama presidency. We've missed critical opportunities in past elections. Not this time.

Not This Time

Angelica — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:33:20 EDT

So many times we've seen our United States of America fragmented and pitted against each other in a zero-sum game. We've seen distractions and sideshows come to dominate our politics. And we lose sight of the prize altogether.

Not This Time.

Please watch and/or read Barack's entire speech today.

As Jesse Jackson said, Obama just turned a crisis into an opportunity. Last week, I wrote that the outrage about Geraldine Ferraro's comments (and then Rev. Wright) reminds us that we are missing the opportunity to have a critical and long overdue discussion about race. I respect that he used this moment to educate and explain--instead of making excuses and backing away.

But I've been doubtful about whether we can really elevate our discourse to a place where we can talk about our divisions without hurting one another and having the whole unifying project collapse.

Barack did just that--took stock of our differences, our prejudices, did not play them down or invalidate them, but he also let no one off the hook--even his own grandmother. He did not deny the complexity of these challenges. And at the same time, he is pulling and lifting us as a nation to rise above this turmoil and say, Not This Time.

Thank you, Barack Obama.

I'm so proud to be part of your campaign.

Making this Race About Race

Angelica — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:23:05 EDT

[Cross-posted at Asian Americans for Obama]

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." -- Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, March 7, 2008.

Rep. Ferraro's comments--suggesting that Barack Obama's meteoric rise is due solely to the luck of his skin color--has no place in any Democratic campaign.

No word about the superior management of his campaign. The grassroots army of volunteers his campaign has built from scratch. His strong judgment in opposing a foolish war that has taken nearly 4,000 American and a whopping 400-600,000 Iraqi lives. His record on ethics reform and transparency in government that he puts into practice. No recognition of the advantages that all U.S. presidents, the vast majority of our Congress--including Ferraro and her candidate of choice Senator Clinton, governors, state and local elected officials, have had as white folks in America. These are the tactics I expect from the Republicans in the fall, to reduce Obama's historic candidacy to the simple "concept" of his race--but not from the Democrats, and a woman who was a trailblazer in her own right as Mondale's runningmate in '84.

To compound her offensive remarks, she has since accused her critics of reverse racism: "I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?" How's that?! That's absurd, historically amnesiac crazy talk. As one commenter on Huffington Post wryly observed, Rep. Ferraro, "I'm not attacking you because you're white, I'm attacking you because you're whong."

Now she's demanding an apology from the Obama campaign. Has she no shame. I look at Rep. Ferraro as hopelessly out of touch and unaware of her privilege. Indeed, she made a nearly identical statement about Jesse Jackson in 1988. But I'm also afraid that she speaks for many others who hold their tongues, but nonetheless feel the same way. Maybe it's better to smoke out the ugliness and have it all out in the open where we're forced to wrestle with it.

In seeking to cut Obama down, comments like hers remind us that we are missing our chance to have a critical dialogue about the enduring legacies of sexism and racism in our country. A chance that is nearly all but lost during this historic marathon election.

Keith Olbermann gave a provocative but I think spot-on commentary last night--saying on mainstream media what I didn't think any anchorman would have the courage to say. I was blown away.

As an AAPI community and Obama supporters, I hope we each will speak out against the kind of rhetoric that attempts to divide us--words that say it's okay to reduce anyone to a single characteristic of race or sex, and deny the rest. For any campaigns demanding that we stick to the "issues", I'd say race is a pretty big one that's not to be swept under the rug.

By the way, if anyone missed it back in January, this reminds me of Gloria Steinem's NY Times op-ed pitting sexism against racism in early January with which I vehemently disagreed, and the way that Professor Melissa Harris Lacewell set the record straight in this debate on Democracy Now!

I welcome your comments and thoughts.

Texas Photo Albums

Angelica — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:24:09 EST

I'm still processing my whirlwind visit to Corpus Christi with other Bay Area volunteers, and hope to put together some more posts about it. In the meantime, here are my photo albums:

Day 1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12939&l=03dbb&id=555809428

Day 2

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13202&l=e9c63&id=555809428

Day 3

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13203&l=54d7e&id=555809428

Day 4 - Election Day

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13198&l=d3990&id=555809428

Barack Once Campaigned for Filipina American Now Running for Illinois Assembly

Angelica — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:09:21 EST

I just came across this article about Aurora Austriaco, an attorney who is vying for a seat in Illinois' state assembly in Chicago, coincidentally in a district that includes Senator Clinton's home suburb of Park Ridge. I had first heard of Austriaco when I was watching this clip about Filipino Americans on Super Tuesday from The Filipino Channel. Austriaco spoke out in support of Barack. The Philippine News article notes that "Three years ago when she ran as a trustee of the Maine Township, Senator Barack Obama personally campaigned for her."

Read full article here.

Texas Day 2 - This Is Why He's In It

Angelica — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:31:03 EST

I've got other friends in the big cities hobnobbing with celebrities and former Cabinet members--all of us doing our part to drum up votes for Barack. But I have to say, at the end of the day the most rewarding part of this campaign has been connecting with voters who've often been overlooked by elections and polls or who never saw a point in going out to vote . . . before now.

Please read my post by clicking here.

Texas Day 1

Angelica — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:08:24 EST

4am - Dragged myself out of bed to get ready for my 6:10am flight.

5:45am - Meet up with Liz at the airport.

6:10am - Pass out on the plane.

2:00pm - After a stopover in Houston, Land in Corpus Christi. Liz and I catch the 1 cab at the airport and head to Corpus HQ.

2:30pm - Our cabbie, Homer, puts a bumper sticker on his trunk!

3:00pm - Liz heads to precinct captain training, and I'm calling volunteers.

5:00pm - Head to the beach with AnneMarie and Liz -- not for fun in the sun but to talk to voters. Meet Abdi from Somalia. He's an Obama supporter, but he's registered in Ohio. Shoot!

6:30pm - Back at Corpus HQ. Time to sort through the volunteer calls I made and make some more calls to Obama supporters.

10:06pm - Monica should be arriving soon!

Click here to see photos from our trip so far.

The Filipino Channel: Interview with Hydra Mendoza and other AAPI supporters

Angelica — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:54:14 EST

Please click here to visit the AAPIs for Obama site and view a clip of an Asian American celebration in support of Obama. The clip is courtesy of Balitang America, The Filipino Channel's nightly news program, with viewers in the U.S and the Philippines.

Story starts at 00:40 sec. and includes soundbites with pinay San Francisco school board member Hydra Mendoza, actor Kelly Hu, and pinoy community organizer Dexter Ligot. You can really get a sense of the energy in the room--and who's that lively woman leading the Fired Up cheer?

Yours truly!

And you can watch more coverage of the event, compiled by United for Obama, if you click here, including words from Hydra and Kelly, SF Board of Supervisors candidate David Chiu, SF School Board Member Jane Kim, and enthusiastic mama for Obama Amrutha Chandra. United for Obama, the collaborative spearheaded by AAPI filmmakers and activists Eric Byler and Annabel Park, has many more videos of AAPI and Latino supporters up on youtube.

Balitang America's youtube site has ongoing Fil-Vote 2008 election coverage, including SuperTuesday coverage featuring some Fil-Am supporters for Barack Obama in Illinois, including Aurora Austriaco, who ran for the State House last fall in the 65th District.

People Power for Our Generation

Angelica — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:54:08 EST

"Nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change." -- Barack Obama, New Hampshire

Today, February 25, 2008, we honor and remember the 22nd anniversary of the Philippine's People Power Revolution. Millions of Filipinos stood up together on the streets of EDSA in peaceful protest, and with their footsteps, toppled a dictator who could not withstand the massive outcry for change.

February 1986

EDSA

Photo: Joey de Vera, February 1986, Published in People Power: The Philippine Revolution of 1986: An eyewitness history

I am so proud to be Filipino American, and to participate today in a people power movement for our generation. No more petty and corrupt politics. No more senseless wars and torture in our name. No more blaming our problems on immigrants and "others." No more corporate excess while our children go hungry and working families are forced to choose between paying rent or paying for medicine. We are all in this together.

We are history in the making, what we do now will write our next chapter. Let it be a story worth telling our grandchildren's grandchildren.

February 2008

2000 students and supporters in Waller County march 7.3 miles to cast their early ballots for Barack Obama.

Photo: Ken Basart

15,000 gather to stand for change with Barack Obama in Austin, Feb. 22, 2008.

Photo: Barack Obama Flickr Site

Hawaiian Pinoys for Barack

Angelica — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:54:22 EST

I've been doing calls this week from San Francisco to Hawaii to encourage people to go caucus for their native son, Barack. I received this email today from Grace, a Filipina American volunteer in Hawaii, and it reminds us again the power of this movement.

Aloha Angelica- Maraming Salamat for your support this weekend. Sending a big shaka and aloha from across the Pacific. There's a rally tomorrow at the University of Hawaii from 3 to 4 pm-Campus Center Ballroom. Maya, Barack's sister is speaking along with local star, Kelly Hu. And then there's a Obama Ohana Picnic on Sunday from 10 to 1 at Kapiolani Park. (Please feel free to plug this when making calls, too) Maya came by the call center yesterday which is housed in our Congressman Abercrombie's office. I didn't think I would cry, but when I told her that this was our People Power for our generation, I choked a bit. I was 15 when Edsa happened and I only understood then the historic moment, distantly as a Fil-Am. I also said that we, members of the local Filipino community were present to make target calls to our peeps and we would be there till the end. Hillary has sent Chelsea to Maui and then Chelsea stumps here on Oahu tommorrow.

...

Look forward to the victories ahead! Makibaka- Grace

I also want to bring people's attention to this video of a Filipina Hawaiian voter, Sonia Lugmao Aranza, asking Barack, Why should I vote for you? I loved that she said her 9-year-old son adores Barack. Konrad also featured this video in his blog as well as an op-ed by AJ Halagao, also from Hawaii, in Philippine News, the only nationally distributed Filipino American newspaper.

When Hawaiians caucus for Barack Obama, as I am hoping they well, it will show the country that AAPIs support Obama too!

Obama: A Proven Leader Who Gets Things Done

Angelica — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:15:17 EST

Barack Obama is best positioned to unite our country to address the common challenges that we face. In his 11 years in the Illinois and U.S. Senate, Obama has amassed experience that outshines the competition: taking power away from lobbyists, achieving greater transparency in government spending, limiting nuclear proliferation as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, saying no to racial profiling, expanding early childhood education and healthcare coverage to over 150,000 women and children, and passing tax cuts for working families. He has persuaded stakeholders from all backgrounds and political stripes to join him—from the Illinois police officers who unanimously backed taping of suspect confessions to one of the most conservative U.S. senators in DC, Tom Coburn, who partnered with Obama to pass legislation promoting government transparency and disclosure of earmarks.

We deserve a leader who will be honest with us about his positions. From early opposition to the war in Iraq to speaking up for gay rights in churches in the Deep South, Obama’s positions do not change with the polls or the audience. He refuses to scapegoat immigrants for our country's economic woes. He championed Illinois' successful DREAM Act--to provide higher education opportunities to all students, regardless of their immigration status, supported the U.S. Senate version, and advocated for California's version of the law. He did not back away from drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants.

Obama has led on issues that matter to the AAPI community: the first bill he introduced in the Senate was to raise the amount of federal aid for college tuition, and as a member of the Veterans Affairs committee, he supported the Filipino Veterans Equity Act.

Obama turned down lucrative jobs to spend 20+ years putting his nose to the grindstone and pushing consistently for reforms that would build power in the lives of working people. He brings to the presidency the rare perspective of someone who worked with working class communities as a community organizer and represented women and people of color to combat discrimination as a civil rights lawyer. He is also the only candidate with immigrant roots, who lived in Asia and is the product of a multicultural family with Asian Americans in its fold and relatives who follow the election from Hawaii and a rural town in developing Kenya.

Hope is not blind optimism but a powerful force to drum up the will to get things done. Hope unites the 18-year-old Chinese American cashier in San Francisco and the 18-year-old Filipina American in New Jersey, who are casting their first votes for Obama, and the 72-year-old Indian immigrant in Atlanta who says that she sees in Barack a son and is out stomping the pavement for him. These are people I have met in this journey to make Obama our nominee. How great it is to have a candidate who can stir excitement across such a broad base of people. How wonderful it is to believe again not just in a political leader's ability to change the way of our government, but in our own.

Banh Mi for Barack: Spreading Our Message One Voter at a Time

Angelica — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:57:36 EST

[In case you can't see the photos here, please visit this post here instead.]

At my office in downtown San Francisco, a Vietnamese sandwich shop opened up on the ground floor a couple months ago. I look forward to the fragrant coconut waffles in the morning and his barbecue chicken banh mi in the afternoon. In the days before California's registration deadline, I stopped by to ask the owner and operator, Jesse, if he was registered to vote. Even though he told me was leaning to Hillary, I provided him with a registration form and brought it over to the post office on the day it was due.

In the weeks that followed, I chatted with Jesse to find out what had him leaning toward Clinton. It turned out he simply didn't know much about Barack Obama, but was very open to hearing what I had to say. I left him some information and told him how I was volunteering my free time to secure Obama the nomination. By the time Super Tuesday rolled around, Jesse had decided to vote for Barack and hung an Obama '08 sign up in his window in the days preceding the election.

All this just to say that we can change this election one voter at a time. Along with Jesse, I was able to register Hossain, the security guard in my building, who also voted for Barack last Tuesday. And my friend Michael was able to bring the message of hope from this campaign in Cantonese to a 91-year-old woman who said she hadn't voted in ten years. Last Tuesday, he escorted her to the polls where she cast her vote for Barack Obama.

I'm so nervous and excited

Angelica — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:21:34 EST

Writing this from the San Francisco Headquarters --it's 12:18pm PST. I haven't had time to write any updates we've been working at such a breakneck pace. Up at 4:30am--so I could be out in the Bayview dropping doorhangers to remind our supporters to get out and vote. Always nice to see the sunrise over the Bay. Then out to 9th and Harrison--where we could catch cars coming off of 280 with our "Honk for Hope" signs. It was uplifting to see all the different people and kinds of vehicles honking for Obama! Big rigs, Muni buses, priuses, luxury cars, pick up trucks--and people of all ages, races, and genders. Monique and I even had a French family take a picture of us!

Now I'm back at the office entering data so we can check if our supporters got out to the polls. We're a little concerned that poll workers have been putting undeclared voters' ballots into 'provisional envelopes'--not good!

Let's keep our fingers crossed. Ever since the Giants took out the Pats (and even before), I've had a good feeling about today!

300 Turnout for AAPI for Obama Event in SF - Help Obama Win California

Angelica — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:48:17 EST

We got covered by KTVU-Channel 2 in the 10 o'clock news, ABS-CBN (The Filipino Channel), TV-Asahi, Asian Week, Philippine News, Ming Pao, Tsing Tao, and Japanese Daily Hokubei Mainichi.

MESSAGE FROM EVENT ORGANIZER KEITH KAMISUGI:

An incredible 300-plus people attended last night's AAPI for Obama gathering at Roe Restaurant. On behalf of all the volunteers who put the event together, I want to express our appreciation to you for making this event a success!

We have a lot of photos from last night to share with you. The first set is from Steve Rhodes:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/sets/72157603825793041/

I also wanted to share with you some information in hopes that you might join us in support Barack Obama for President. But first, special thanks need to go out to many people:

... To the wonderful Kelly Hu for driving up from LA to be with us and sharing her enthusiasm and support for Sen. Obama. I personally can't thank Kelly enough for headlining our event.

* It would be great if you could also express your thanks to Kelly by emailing kelly@apaforobama.com.

... To San Francisco school board members Eric Mar, Jane Kim and Hydra Mendoza and Board of Supervisors District 3 candidate David Chiu for being part of our program.

... To former Assembymember Wilma Chan for joining us in her role as a top AAPI leader in the Obama campaign.

... To our co-hosts and volunteers who really made the evening possible: Brian Wang, Catherine Park, Angelica Jongco, Jenn Pae, Tharina Sookprasert, Stella Ngai, Colbert Tse, Patrick Wong, Riya Angela Kuo, Thanh Cao, Amy Chen, Holly Lim and Angela Tseng. And to Jimmy Ku from APA5, Claire Chang from the Asian Business League and Michael Son from Google for helping us spread the word about the event.

... To Van Tamom, Jeff Kurzon, Erin Callahan, Connie Chan, Debbie Mesloh and all the staffers in the Obama campaign.

... To Jerms Estrada and his crew of photographers, Jay Jao and Steve Rhodes for taking photos of the event.

... And finally special thanks to Ben, Steve and Danny of Roe Restaurant for opening up their establishment for our function.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO WIN CALIFORNIA FOR BARACK OBAMA

Please wear your buttons every day, put up your window signs and bumper stickers, and "Talk Barack" to your friends, families and even complete strangers.

Email Angelica Jongco (angelica.jongco@gmail.com) with any questions about these activities.

HELP WITH VOTER OUTREACH AT PHONEBANKS THROUGHOUT THE BAY
Wed & Thu, 6-9pm.
Just contact or stop by any of the SF Bay offices:
San Francisco - 1874 Market (at Laguna), 415-626-1108.
Oakland - 14th and Broadway, 510-268-1008
South San Francisco, 435 Grand Ave., Suite A, (650)302-6568
Palo Alto, 650-852-9401
We also have offices in Sausalito, Santa Rosa, and Contra Costa. See california.barackobama.com
OR MAKE CALLS AT HOME: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter

API VOTER OUTREACH WITH LINDA LEU, ANGELICA JONGCO, AND JANE KIM - PHONEBANK
Fri, 2/1, 6-9pm
SF Obama HQ, 1874 Market (at Laguna) - We'll provide the training and the scripts. Please bring your cell phone and charger!
RSVP at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rzdh

SF OBAMA RALLY AND CANVASSING THROUGHOUT SAN FRANCISCO
Sat, 2/2, 9:30am
Everett Middle School, 450 Church St, SF 94114
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rkcg
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rkc9

APA GET OUT THE VOTE HOUSE PARTIES THROUGHOUT THE BAY
Sat, 2/2
Palo Alto Party @ 3PM with Terrence Yang (Classmate and ex-co-worker of Barack and Michelle) at the home of Margaret Chai and Sean Maloney, head of sales at Intel and the founder of WiFi. All welcome. RSVP here
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rks2 or email AAPI@ObamaCA.com with the subject "Palo Alto"

ELECTION DAY - GET OUT THE VOTE ACTIVITIES
Tuesday, 2/5
If you're able to take the day off work on Election Day, 2/5, please contact Linda Leu, lindaleu@gmail.com. We will need all available help.

STAY CONNECTED. Join the following groups:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/AAPISFBayAreaforObama
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/AsianAmericansforObama

DONATE at http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/AsianAmericansforObama

Why My Mama's for Obama

Angelica — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:32:32 EST

I knew Barack Obama was a special candidate when I first noticed that my ma and I both light up when we talk about this opportunity to make him our President. The hope that has sprung up in me for more than a year is clearly contagious.

Growing up, my family didn’t talk much politics. I remember just one rally for a political figure—in a sea of yellow t-shirts, a woman named Corazon Aquino addressed the crowd. She was the new president of the Philippines, widow of beloved martyr Ninoy, who surged to leadership on a tidal wave of People Power that toppled a repressive dictator.

My ma, Anita Ortega Jongco, came to the United States from the Philippines in 1971—shortly after marrying my father, Bienvenido Jongco. The two were young medical residents seeking training in Newark, New Jersey. What started as a few years abroad for education turned into a permanent putting down of roots to build their lives here and raise their three children.

In the mid-80s, my parents finally became U.S. citizens, but to be honest, I’m not entirely sure who my ma voted for in any of the elections up until today—or whether she voted at all.

I never knew my ma to be all that engaged in U.S. politics—her passions have been her work, her family, her church, and the NY Yankees. She had her heart set on becoming a doctor since childhood, following the footsteps of her mother who served their small town in the Philippines.

But in this past year, since Barack announced that he was running for President, I have seen my ma grow into a passionate advocate for his presidency. Just like her daughter, she enjoys talking to people about his unlikely candidacy and his inspirational message.

Her patients must be surprised by this 5-foot Filipina woman who--while checking their vitals--can subtly draw them into a discussion of presidential preferences. She nimbly navigates questions about Barack’s ‘experience’ and eagerly directs undecided voters to her daughter’s blog to find out more about Barack’s campaign. When Barack won Iowa and South Carolina—I didn’t know who was more ecstatic, myself or my ma. And I’ve grown to look forward to our nighttime conversations about his latest appearance on Letterman or CNN or what Chris Matthews was saying about his campaign.

I asked her today why she so strongly supports Obama—to the point that she has converted so many of her friends, mostly Filipino immigrants of her generation, to support him in the upcoming primaries.

Her answer really touched me. She talked about how he inspires people and that he’s such a good writer and that he is so thoughtful. And then she said that perhaps it’s because his life reminds her so much of her daughter’s. That Barack answered his call to service by becoming a community organizer and a civil rights lawyer—a similar path to my own. And I would add, just as my ma answered her calling to medicine out of a strong desire to help others.

In the end, perhaps in the lives of Barack, Michelle, and his young daughters, my ma sees a reflection of her own family—a piece of her American dream realized.

My ma, after 20 years as a U.S. citizen, is finally embracing her role as an empowered voter who is eager to share her points of view on this election with people from all walks of life.

And as I talk to undecided voters here in the state of California, and I speak of his appeal across age, gender, race, and religion, it's with great pride that I tell people, “Hey, my mama's for Obama.”

UPDATE: My father's for Obama too, which was pretty big news to me given that he hadn't shown much interest in Democratic candidates prior to Barack. So are quite a few of my Titas (aunts) as well as my sister, brother, and brother-in-law. Even my 6-year-old nephew wants in on the act, asking my sister, "Why can't kids vote?" Followed by "I want to vote for Barack Obama."

API Obama Supporters Fired Up for Party Tuesday with Kelly Hu

Angelica — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:49:27 EST

Obama's Asian Pacific Islander Supporters in
Bay Area Fired Up for Party with Kelly Hu

Actor joins school board members Jane Kim, Eric Mar and Hydra Mendoza as co-hosts

Actor Kelly Hu will headline a party for presidential candidate Barack Obama's Asian American Pacific Islander supporters in the Bay Area on Tuesday, January 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Roe Restaurant, 651 Howard St., San Francisco. The event is free.

Hu joins San Francisco school board members Jane Kim, Eric Mar and Hydra Mendoza, filmmaker and Giant Robot's Catherine Park and organizers Keith Kamisugi, Brian Wang, Angelica Jongco, Stella Ngai, Jenn Pae, Colbert Tse and others as co-hosts of gathering.

Senator Obama has an AAPI website at http://aapi.barackobama.com. AAPIs interested in supporting Obama can visit http://asianamericansforobama.com to learn how to get involved.

Like Hu, Senator Obama was born in Hawai'i, a state where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up a significant portion of the population. As a child of a multi-racial, multi-ethnic family that included Asian Americans, Obama lived in Indonesia, sharing some of the same personal experiences that many Asian immigrants in the United States have also experienced before arriving on these shores.

A video featuring Hu speaking about her support for Obama can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/UnitedForObama, a YouTube channel with videos produced by filmmakers Eric Byler and Annabel Park.

Obama has the support of respected leaders such as former Calif. Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, attorney and civil rights activist Angela Oh, as well as endorsements by a new generation of AAPI officials, including Boston City Councilor Sam Yoon, and San Francisco school board members Kim, Mar and Mendoza. Other prominent supporters include actor Kal Penn, Center for Asian American Media executive director Eddie Wong, Joy Luck Club film producer Janet Yang and Los Angeles County Hospital and Healthcare Delivery Commission chairman Stanley Toy, who is also co-chair of Obama's AAPI National Leadership Council.

We are not charging admission for this event.
We also have a Facebook event listing:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8377158366

Please RSVP at the link below:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rcwj

Obama Is the Most Electable Democratic Candidate

Angelica — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:06:44 EST

I'm getting a lot of folks on the fence who say they like Obama better but they're worried he can't win in November. I can see where they're coming from--theybelieve that the Clintons will be the best prepared to go to head to head in a knock down drag out fight with the republicans. But I think they're wrong. I tend to agree with John Meacham, who said on Meet the Press last Sunday: "And the one person . . . who could in fact unite the Republican Party, is Hillary Clinton." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22754999/page/4/The Republican field is utter chaos, but I have no doubt that they would snap to if a Clinton is selected as the nominee.
Take it from the folks in the so-called red states--senators and governors who have endorsed Obama because they believe he is the best to take the Democrats through November. These folks have nothing to gain by going against the DLC. They are sticking their necks out against the Democratic political machine, but they are also the one who know their voters best. This very dynamic was also discussed by Tim Russert and Tom Brokaw on last sunday's MTP.

"MR. RUSSERT: It's been striking, over the past couple of weeks, about endorsements for Barack Obama from the so-called red states. Hillary Clinton has the governor, senator, from one of her homes states, Arkansas, she has Evan Bayh from Indiana and Governor Strickland of Ohio. But Obama has trotted out, even after New Hampshire, some interesting names. He has Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Tim Johnson in South Dakota, Tim Kaine in Virginia, Governor Napolitano in Arizona, Claire McCaskill in Missouri and Ben Nelson in Nebraska. And not all of them considered wild-eyed liberals, red state Democrats who are saying that Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton. Tom, what's that about?

MR. BROKAW: Well, I think that she still does have very high negatives, and the big concern for the Democrats is can we win in the fall. And the lingering question for Hillary, no matter how well she has run so far, no matter how impressive her campaign machine may be, I think there's that lingering question in the back of the minds of a lot of Democrats, "Can she carry us through the fall?" There's this great unrequited hunger on the part of the Democrats to get the White House back. They want to do it this time, and that's the issue that she really, I think, has to resolve in the next several weeks. In addition to winning these primaries along the way, she also has to persuade people that she can win in the fall, and we'll have to see how all that plays out.

You know, I think Jon is quite right, she unifies the party more than anyone else, but that's why I really welcome this idea of having a long debate and dialogue. Let the process go on. Let the country get involved."

In places like New York, people may overestimate Hillary's electability because she's a popular senator there. But when I'm talking to random voters--they either really support her or they're really against her. There are even some who, rather unfairly, like Bill but still don't like Hillary. Personally, I think Bill's legacy was a mixed bag--great for the economy, but bad news for immigrants, working poor, and folks caught up in the criminal justice system--not to mention the reputation of the presidency. Obama is able to pull in first time voters, youth, supporters who are not die hard democrats and even independents and registered Republicans. That's why some predict he would be the best to match up against John McCain or any of the other republicans. Check the realclearpolitics polls http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html -- Obama does better than HRC in a tete-a--tete with McCain. In prior rounds of polling, Obama has been shown capable of beating all 5 republicans ( http://usliberals.about.com/b/2007/12/23/only-obama-defeats-all-2008-republicans-per-new-zogby-poll.htm; http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2645320920071126). There are also polls that say up to half the country would not consider voting for Hillary (http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/03/poll_50_would_not_vote_for_hillary.php). We don't want to eke out a victory in the fall; we want to win by a landslide. According to Jonathan Alter of Newsweek, http://www.newsweek.com/id/82522/output/print, perhaps Obama's 'a roll of the dice' but he's also the only democrat who could win in November by a landslide. He also predicts Hillary would have to run a flawless campaign to win--but knowing that Bill and her surrogates can't be controlled, it's hard for me to believe that that would happen. Finally, once the nominee is chosen, all the resources of the Democratic party--which is newly invigorated and reporting record turnouts in their primaries and caucuses--will be brought to bear to get that candidate elected. I'm actually finding John Kerry, who was swiftboated out of the last election, very inspiring in his support for Senator Obama. Where was that John Kerry in 2004! The campaigns are more savvy today about how to guard against similar distortions. Those who doubt whether Obama can be elected because of racism--he won overwhelmingly in Iowa, where the population is 95% white, and among voters who got to scrutinize him the most closely. If it's possible at all to set aside your fears about the fall and just imagine for a second that Barack Obama could be the next president of the United States--and that you could be instrumental in making it happen--then I'm urging you to take a leap of faith and vote for a candidate who can restore our faith in government again. And then I hope you can do all that you can to make that vote matter by persuading others to join you.

Long Day . . . 11 hours til Caucus in Nevada

Angelica — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:12:36 EST

It's almost midnight and I can't believe all the things we've done today. From hours of dropping doorhangers with caucus info on supporters' doors, to calling up folks to remind them to caucus tomorrow for Obama, and attempting to sway those last minute undecided voters--there still are so many. Phonebanking can be difficult, but I did get one supporter to do a 'Fired Up! Ready to Go!" chant with me on the phone. At Jenn Pae and Linda's urging, a group of Asian American supporters did a lightning canvass in Vegas Chinatown (which looks much more like a strip mall than Kearny St, San Francisco) and I had a chance to talk Barack with people stopping through Ranch 99. We ended the day with another frantic round of phonebanking, a pep talk from campaign staff with a ton of information about the caucus process--confusing. Back to Chinatown for some vietnamese food with our crew of Obama supporters.

Good night. We're all exhausted. Have to be up for a 6 a.m. meeting at the campaign office. Showtime - 11am.

Oh, one last thing. I can't believe I almost didn't make it out here--it's so amazing to be able to contribute to history in the making. I feel lucky.

--------

This item is reposted on http://nv.apaforobama.com . Please check out the site!

In Nevada!

Angelica — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:10:11 EST

Hey. I'm in Vegas right now through the caucus on Saturday with a group of APA supporters for Obama. For the next couple days, will be mo'bloggin at the following site: http://nv.apaforobama.com/

Check it out!

New SF Office and Precinct Stomping

Angelica — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:15:09 EST

On Sunday, I met up with my co-precinct captain Liz, at the new San Francisco Obama office, a fabulous space on Market and Laguna, filled with enthusiastic grassroots leaders!

Here are Linda and Liz outside the office. The rest of the day was spent knocking on the doors of neighbors. We met one undecided voter who thanked us for coming by and was pretty impressed by our knowledge of the issues! (Had to toot my own horn there.)

But the biggest achievement of the day was getting more signs up--for example, in this apartment building, there was an HRC sign prominently displayed in a downstairs window, but we met an Obama supporter right upstairs, who was happy to show her support in the window!

Famous Wayne: Shoe Shine for Obama in SF

Angelica — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:21:22 EST

In San Francisco, I was walking to work this morning and spotted an Obama 08 sign down the sidewalk on the corner of Spear and Market.

It was Wayne, World Famous Shoe Shine King, and Jordan, an Obama Precinct Captain!

What a great show of support for the campaign:

Don't Fall for the Race v. Gender Trap

Angelica — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:42:53 EST

Instead of celebrating the fact that we have a person of color and a woman as the likely nominees for the Democratic party, we are left with commentators (and some of the campaigns themselves) driving a wedge between us with this false dichotomy of race versus gender.

As a woman of color, I am outraged by the direction of the conversation and have been feeling at a loss for words as to how to respond.

No more.

In this discussion, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! spoke with Gloria Steinem, famous second-wave feminist, and Melissa Harris Lacewell, politics and African American studies professor at Princeton, about race and gender in the democratic primaries.

Steinem is an HRC supporter who wrote a much forwarded op-ed in the NY Times about why women are never frontrunners. Her column really got me riled up--I didn't think that she provided a fair account that recognized at all the complexity of the issue she was attempting to tackle. In the end, I think she did more harm than good by stoking the flames of division along race and gender lines. How ill thought out her argument was became more apparent as I listened to her inability to explain her position on Democracy Now.

Harris Lacewell is an Obama supporter who speaks eloquently for me about everything that is wrong with this entire 'debate'.

Here's some of what she had to say:

"I just feel that we have got to get clear about the fact that race and gender are not these clear dichotomies in which, you know, you’re a woman or you’re black. I’m sitting here in my black womanhood body, knowing that it is more complicated than that. African American men have been complicit in the oppression of African American women. White women have been complicit in the oppression of black men and black women. Those things are true. And so, to pretend that we can somehow take them out of the conversation when a white woman runs against a black man, when she tears up at being sort of beat up by him, when her husband can come in and rally around her and suggest that we need to sort of support her because she’s having difficulties, while Barack Obama is getting death threats, basically lynching threats on him and his family, these are—for a second-wave feminist with an understanding of the complexity of American race and gender to take this kind of position in the New York Times struck me as, again, the very worst of what that feminism can offer—in other words, division."

Bravo Melissa Harris Lacewell.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/14/race_and_gender_in_presidential_politics

What inspires me a great deal about the Obama campaign is how I see men and women of all races and ages coming together to make history. I see a place for me in this campaign--and in a reinvigorated United States of America that President Obama is ready to lead. From day one.

Obama Family in Kenya Watch U.S. Vote

Angelica — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:48:44 EST

I enjoyed this article from the Sacramento Bee about Obama's family in Kenya keeping close watch on the elections.

Don't Disenfranchise Yourself: Register to Vote Right Now

Angelica — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:10:31 EST

Voter registration deadlines are looming for the 20+ states hosting primaries on February 5. I am inspired by all the young voters and first-time caucus goers in Iowa--what a testament to a reinvigorated democracy. Please don't let yourself, your friends, or your family go disenfranchised by missing the registration deadline! Below is info for the three states that I call home: NJ, NY, and CA. Given how important voter turnout will be in this race, I really hope that people don't miss the boat on this! Register today. I believe the deadlines below are when the forms must be received, so you may have to bring your form in person to the county registrar if you don't mail it today!  Forms are available to fill out online and print for mailing at http://www.registrationbyworkingassets.com/register/  In NY, this Friday, January 11 is the last day to register in order to vote for the Democratic primary. You must register as a Democrat to vote in that primary:http://www.elections.state.ny.us
In NJ, January 15 is the last day to register for the primary. Democrats and voters who do not state a party preference are eligible to vote in the primary. On the day of the election a person wishing to vote in the Democratic primary will have to sign a pledge stating affiliation with the Democrats. (You can change this affiliation after the primary).http://www.state.nj.us/oag/elections/electionshome.html
In CA, the last day to register to vote is January 21, 2008. Democrats and voters who decline to state a party are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary by requesting a Democratic primary ballot. *Do not register as American Independent if you wish to vote in the Democratic primary--AI is a party to the right of the Republican party.http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm  In San Francisco, you may vote in person or by mail. In-person voting begins as early as January 7 at City Hall. Take a look at this link for everything you need to know: http://www.sfgov.org/site/elections_index.asp

To view a calendar for all the state primaries, look here: http://www.rockthevote.com/2008-presidential-primary-caucus-calendar.php

What Inspires Me About Iowa

Angelica — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:00:18 EST

Last night was huge for the Obama campaign, but also for America. What inspires me most about Barack's decisive victory among caucus goers in Iowa, is the 'through the roof' voter turnout that mad it happen. More than 230,000 Iowans caucused for the Democrats--an enormous jump from the 125,000 who caucused in 2004. Fifty-seven percent were first-time caucus goers, and a large bulk were 19-24, a demographic that rarely votes, let alone participates in the arcane exercise of a caucus.

I hope this signals what's to come in the upcoming states--record voter turnout, reengagement of disaffected voters, a return to a belief that our political system can work for us.

Barack's speech was soaring, but even more inspiring was the crowd gathered around him. All ages and races standing up for a common purpose--this is America as it should be.

Please take a few minutes to view Obama's speech from last night at http://my.barackobama.com/iowaspeech

Filipino American Support for Barack

Angelica — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:29:46 EST

I came across this youtube video from Mario Bonifacio, a 27-year old Iraq veteran, who explains why he's supporting Barack Obama. Mario, who is Filipino American, has joined the Iowa campaign staff.

“What Inspires Mario Bonifacio”:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/CXhB

He was also profiled by the New York Daily News in an article about Iraq veterans, and maintains his own blog at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/mariobonifacio/C5TG

The Iowa caucuses are about to get started any minute now. Good luck, Mario, and the entire field operation in Iowa!

Thoughts in 2008

Angelica — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:35:55 EST

In the final week of 2007, Pakistan has witnessed the martyrdom of an opposition leader, Kenya is descending into turmoil following its latest elections, and the death toll for U.S. military in Iraq has topped 3900, with 2007 being the most costly year for the U.S. military since 2003 (that's not including the tens of thousands of Iraqis and non-US casualties).

In a world of great suffering, to be volunteering for a presidential campaign for the first time is a privileged luxury. But right now, I take it as a duty--my duty to push for the world that I want to live in. I showed up for my frist volunteer meeting for the Obama campaign on September 10, 2007--out of outrage of the shambles that the Bush administration has made in the years since our national tragedy of 9/11. From the rooftop of my midtown apartment, I saw the dusty plumes of smoke and dust rising from ground zero, the streams of people rushing uptown, and I wandered the streets looking for a place to donate blood--and seeing all the others who had turned out to help, to be useful. I never want to lose the urgency that we felt in September 2001, and the lesson that out of fear, the best within us can rise up to show great courage and hope.

I believe Obama can rekindle that hope within all of us.

Two weeks prior to the now notorious vote to authorize war in Iraq, Obama delivered this prescient speech. While most of the footage is not available, the words are still powerful as retold in the voices of his supporters.

Please check it out on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUV69LZbCNQ

Rekha Basu of Des Moines Register: This Moment Belongs to Obama

Angelica — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:46:23 EST

Although the Des Moines Register has endorsed HRC, columnist Rekha Basu (who is a South Asian American journalist) wrote in today's paper about why she's supporting Barack Obama. Her message really speaks to me as a woman of color, and I just want to encourage people to check it out:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/OPINION01/712190340/1036/Opinion

Below are some excerpts

BASU: OBAMA CAN HEAL DIVISIONS, WIN HEARTS AND MINDS

. . . This moment belongs to Obama. . . .

This newspaper has endorsed Clinton on the Democratic side. I respect its decision. But after sitting through most of the same candidate meetings, watching, reading, listening and searching my conscience, I've concluded Obama is the one who can best pull off what needs to happen.

. . .

On major policy issues, there's more uniting this year's Democratic field than separating them. So the choice comes down to who can win, not just in electoral college votes, but in hearts and minds. Who can unite a divided public and excite people's sense of possibilities? That's where Obama leaves the rest of the pack behind.

Momentum is a hard thing to quantify. It almost has to be understood viscerally. I witnessed it in Hy-Vee Hall a couple of weeks ago, sandwiched between an unprecedented 18,000 people, all sharing a palpable sense of enthusiasm and hope. They were black, white, Latino, Asian, old, young, middle-aged and disabled.

Many had probably come to see Oprah. But when it was Obama's turn, he had them mesmerized. Some cheered and waved signs in the air. Some hugged one another, and some even got teary. It was as if no one could quite believe this youthful but commanding man, who spoke their language and echoed their dreams, might actually run America.

. . .

Some will say he's not seasoned enough, but one person's experience is another's baggage. Others in the field, notably Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, bring long Senate records But the country isn't hungry for Beltway insiders.

Obama has been in politics long enough to know how it works but not so long as to be compromised or cynical. He can relate to ordinary Americans. After all, as he told us, he and his wife are just four years out of credit-card debt, and she still shops at Target.

. . .

I've chastized Obama for his mistakes. But he is self-reflective and able to own up to them. He not only agrees to hear opposing viewpoints in making decisions but demands to.

While I long to see a woman or a person of color be president, neither gender nor race is criteria enough. The candidate has to be viable and stand for the right things.

With its harsh ideological agenda and unapologetic cronyism, this administration has torn through our surplus, our civil liberties and our international goodwill. Democrats four years ago squandered the opportunity to take back the White House by nominating someone who represented the same old stuff. What's needed is a candidate who represents this new America, and inspires pride in it as it grows more multicultural by the day, and as our fate becomes more linked to the rest of the world's, whether through trade, terrorism, immigration or global warming.

We can either embrace it or wrap ourselves in the fear and xenophobia some in the GOP are preaching.

Now is also the time to signal the world that America is not a monolithic dinosaur but dynamic and evolving, harnessing its diversity to enhance its strength. Obama could do that.

Nevada Testimonial for Obama

Angelica — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:54:33 EST

Just wanted to make sure folks have seen this post from a retired Filipino member of U.S. coast guard on Senator Obama's support for Filipino Veterans

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/aapiHQblog/C52

Nevada Veteran for ObamaBy Eugene Kang - Nov 12th, 2007 at 10:34 am ESTComments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable ContentRate this Post:
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As we celebrate Veterans Day today, I wanted to share an inspring post from a Nevada Veteran who supports Barack.

"It is with intense interest and gratitude that I note the strong and untiring support Barack Obama has provided to the veteran population. American veterans have a lot to be thankful for because of the many bills he has introduced in the Senate to make sure veterans are treated with respect, new disability benefits are provided, and services are available for transitioning into civilian life.

One of the veteran-related bills that is currently stalled in both the Congress and the Senate is the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007 ( HR-760, and S.1315 ), which aims to recognize the sacrifices made by Filipino WWII veterans who fought alongside the U.S. troops against the Japanese during WWII. This equity bill will fulfill America’s long promise to support these brave comrades by providing them with full veteran benefits similar to those enjoyed by their American counterparts, such as health care in VA hospitals, outpatient clinics and nursing homes, and non-service disability pension averaging about $300.00 per month.

Why should these Filipino veterans be officially recognized for VA benefits? These Filipino U.S. servicemen were conscripted by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt under his Military Order dated July 26, 1941 during which the Commonwealth of the Philippines, being under the sovereignty of the U.S., was legally committed by the U.S. in the war against Japan. About 120,000 of these brave men responded to this call to duty and fought alongside the American troops against the Japanese. Fighting as guerilla forces, they were credited for inflicting continued losses to the enemy during the duration of the war, and they provided critical information to the returning forces of Gen. McArthur, resulting in reduced U.S. casualties. Many perished while fighting side-by-side with American troops.

Today, there are about 6,000 of these veterans in the U.S. who are still alive, as well as about 12,000 still living in the Philippines. Most of them are in their 70’s and 80’s, are poor and in need of medical care. I feel it is time for the U.S. to correct 62 years of neglect and injustice and recognize the contributions of these brave men who were sent to harm’s way then quickly forgotten.

Senator Barack Obama is a cosponsor and an advocate of this Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007. I feel confident that there is no one else in the long line of Democratic and Republican candidates who is more committed than Barack Obama, in correcting this dark spot in U.S. history and in recognizing the sacrifices that veterans made for America."

Fernando Taverna, MCPO

U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

Boston Globe Endorses Obama

Angelica — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:16:45 EST

This endorsement sums up many of my own feelings about an Obama presidency...

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/12/16/for_democrats_barack_obama/

For Democrats: Barack Obama

December 16, 2007

THE FIRST American president of the 21st century has not appreciated the intricate realities of our age. The next president must. The most sobering challenges that face this country - terrorism, climate change, disease pandemics - are global. America needs a president with an intuitive sense of the wider world, with all its perils and opportunities. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has this understanding at his core. The Globe endorses his candidacy in New Hampshire's Democratic presidential primary Jan. 8.

Many have remarked on Obama's extraordinary biography: that he is the biracial son of a father from Kenya and a mother who had him at 18; that he was raised in the dynamic, multi-ethnic cultures of Hawaii and Indonesia; that he went from being president of the Harvard Law Review to the gritty and often thankless work of community organizing in Chicago; that, at 46, he would be the first post-baby-boom president.

What is more extraordinary is how Obama seals each of these experiences to his politics. One of the lessons he took from organizing poor families in Chicago, he says, was "how much people felt locked out of their government," even at the local level. That experience anchors his commitment to transparency and accountability in Washington.

Similarly, his exposure to foreign lands as a child and his own complex racial identity have made him at ease with diversity - of point of view as well as race or religion. "I've had to negotiate through different cultures my whole life," he says. He speaks with clarity and directness, and he is also a listener, a lost art in our politics.

In what looks like prescience today, Obama was against the Iraq war from the start. But his is not the stereotypical 1960s antiwar reflex. "I don't oppose all wars," he said in the fall of 2002. "I'm opposed to rash wars."

When it comes to waging peace, Obama has the leadership skills to reset the country's reputation in the world. He notes, for example, that the United States would be in a stronger position with Iran if it took more seriously its own commitment to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. His bill, cosponsored with Senator Richard Lugar, to add conventional weapons to the nation's threat reduction initiative, became law this year.

On domestic issues, the major Democratic candidates are reduced to parsing slivers of difference. But Obama has been more forthright in declaring his slightly heterodox positions to traditional Democratic constituencies. His support for merit pay for teachers, or a cap on carbon emissions, suggests a healthy independence from the established order.

The first major bill to Obama's name in the Illinois Legislature was on campaign ethics reform. In Washington, he coauthored this year's sweeping congressional lobbying reform law. When he describes his approach to healthcare negotiations, he says, "The insurance and drug companies will get a seat at the table, but they won't get to buy every chair."

Obama's critics, and even many who want to support him, worry about his relative lack of experience. It is true that other Democratic contenders have more conventional resumes and have spent more time in Washington. But that exposure has tended to give them a sense of government's constraints. Obama is more animated by its possibilities.

In our view, the choice on the Democratic side is between Obama and Hillary Clinton. Clinton has run a diligent, serious campaign, and her command of the issues is deep and reassuring. But her approach is needlessly defensive, a backward glance at the bruising political battles of the 1990s. Obama's candidacy looks forward.

Obama's memoir, "Dreams From My Father," is divided into three main sections. The first is a reflection on his youthful search for identity. The second recounts his days in Chicago, which include the first stirrings of a religious life. The third is a roots pilgrimage to Kenya, to better understand his often absent father. It is hard to read this book without longing for a president with this level of introspection, honesty, and maturity - and Obama published it when he was only 33.

"I genuinely believe that our security and prosperity are going to depend on how we manage our continued integration into the rest of the world," he says. Obama's story is the American story, a deeply affecting tale of possibility. People who vote for him vote their hopes. Even after seven desolating years, this country has not forgotten how to hope.

Canvassing in East Oakland

Angelica — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:57:59 EST

I walked my first precinct last Saturday to knock on doors for Obama. I was on 66th Ave in East Oakland with my new buddy Nic. Except for a brief one-day organizing training in Brooklyn years ago, I'd never done this before and I was kind of nervous. Nic made me practice: "Good afternoon. Is X home? My name's Angelica and I'm volunteering with Barack Obama's campaign." About there I would freeze up. But we actually got a warm response from the people that we met--many of whom were already supporters--we ran out of signs to give out. I met a woman who's just recently retired--at first she talked to us through her door screen. She said she was undecided and didn't want to let the secret out about who she was choosing between. But as we shared why we were supporting Obama's campaign, little by little, the door inched open until eventually, she was standing right in front of us and explaining her concerns about education and the kids she sees running around the neighborhood. Nic and I met one eager supporter--a proud grandmother who was also proud of Barack who agreed on the spot to volunteer for the campaign and get her grandchildren to vote for Obama as well. Here she is, Ms. Melba Dukes along with my canvassing partner Nic. Meeting her made my day!

HRC's Pork Barrel Spending

Angelica — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:30:47 EST

As a Filipina, I love my pork. It's just part of my upbringing, but I was very turned off by all the pork discussed in this article.

I'm generally trying to steer clear of focusing on the negatives of the other candidates when I have so much that's positive to share about Obama.

But this LA Times article highlights a key difference that explains what turns me off to HRC and what attracts me to Obama:

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-earmarks10dec10,0,5314032.story?coll=la-tot-topstories

Clinton rolls a sizable pork barrel Email PictureDavid Lienemann / Getty ImagesMONEY MATTERS: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns Saturday in Williamsburg, Iowa. Clinton has relied on the funding device known as "earmarks," which enable her to win favor with constituents.The senator embraces 'earmarks' as a way to help N.Y. She's received campaign funds from project beneficiaries.

EXCERPT:

. . . Democrats made earmark reform a priority when they took over Congress in January. The Senate passed rules making it easier to identify the authors of the once-secretive practice.

Clinton supported those basic reforms, but she and other Democratic senators running for president balked at a proposal by Obama that would have required members to disclose their proposed earmark requests, not just those that were enacted into law.

Clinton aides said she ranked high on the Senate earmark list because she made a deliberate, early decision to use the practice to help economically stagnant upstate New York. She believes in earmarks, aides say, as a way of efficiently helping her constituents and challenging priorities set by executive branch bureaucrats.

"Hillary Clinton wanted to master earmarking and be master of the internal as well as the external game of politics," said one New Yorker who advised Clinton after her election, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss her political activities.

"She came to Washington admiring Chuck Schumer for his ability to deliver, particularly for upstate New York. Since then, both of them have been in a kind of competition, working the system furiously," the former advisor said.

Because of her perch on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Clinton has been able to earmark $1.4 billion for defense contractors in New York state since she arrived in the Senate, including $140 million this year, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. Her record of home-state defense earmarking on that panel is second only to that of Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who is chairman of the committee and has served in the Senate since 1979.

Clinton has raised more than $270,000 for her campaigns from defense companies with New York operations that have received federal money with her help.

Barbara Lee Speaks for Me

Angelica — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:02:51 EST

Today, Barbara Lee of Oakland endorsed Barack Obama for president. This is a major endorsement in my mind, as I've admired Lee since she courageously cast the lone vote after 9/11 in opposition to giving this president a blank check for war.

Here's the article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=22599

Why We Can’t Wait. Barack’s Ready. I’m Ready. Are you?

Angelica — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:23:22 EST

Over Thanksgiving, I had the blessing of quality time with my family in the house where I was raised in South Orange New Jersey. Over pumpkin pie, I had a funny conversation with my 4-year-old niece Maia about what I do for a living:

“I’m a lawyer,” I told her.

“What’s that?” she asked suspiciously.

At a loss to explain to a pre-schooler why the world might needs lawyers, I rambled a bit, “Well, there are these rules that people have to follow called laws. They’re rules that are made by the government. Do you know what the government is?”

A blank stare was her response.

“Well, the government makes the laws—and we choose the government. Like the President—” In her worst inside voice, Maia cut me off with gusto, “The President of the United States of America!”

“Yes, exactly.” It was good that she knew of the President, but I didn’t dwell on who the President is. I’m embarrassed by him and what a poor steward he’s been of our laws, the way he’s betrayed our trust, and dimmed the bright prospects of Maia’s future. I don’t yearn to clip newspaper articles about him or the sorry state of affairs that he’s set into motion for her show and tell.

Just for a moment though, I imagine how differently I would feel a year from now if I could finish that conversation. “Maia, do you know who the President is?” And she would respond, “Barack Obama!” And I would relish sharing his story and his family’s story with her.

In recent weeks, I’ve been phone banking and reaching out to my personal network, trying to pull folks off the fence and solidly into Obama territory. Obama isn’t “ready” for the presidency; he should wait. Wait for what? This election is happening now. The winner could be running the show for the next 8 years, with a VP as the presumptive candidate in 2016.

As we know all too well from experience, 8 years is a long time. We can’t wait. The stakes are too high—if we want change, we’ve got to make it happen. We have this amazing opportunity to put a leader into the White House who reflects a richness and depth of experience that we’ve never before encountered in a presidential candidate. If we miss our chance now, it might not come again.

A multiracial President, with a multicultural upbringing, with a Muslim name and Christian faith—the first African American President in a country haunted by deep racial wounds—there is no other candidate out there who can speak from such a broad range of experiences. While some belittle the relevance of his youth in Indonesia, I believe—as so many immigrants know from experience—formative years outside of America and the orbit of Western culture fosters a kind of tolerance and respect for the global community that America is starving for. This critical recognition of the humanity of people beyond our borders—innate to Senator Obama’s experience—would restore integrity to our dealings with the world.

With three years as a community organizer in the poorest neighborhoods of Chicago, Obama can relate to the least favored among us. He brings people on the margins into the mainstream—and encourages them to stand up and be counted—precisely what we need to invigorate our democracy and dismal voter turnout. As a civil rights lawyer and constitutional law professor, I trust him to respect human rights. On the single biggest foreign policy disaster of the 21st century (and perhaps my lifetime), Obama called it from the beginning, saying in October 2002: “I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.” The other leading candidates lacked the courage and foresight to say the same. He, more than anyone else, merits credibility abroad as well as at home when he speaks about bringing our troops home.

His policies on Ending the War, Healthcare, Education, Economic Justice, Urban Poverty, and Immigration are specific and substantive, and what’s more, his demeanor and leadership style make me believe that when he talks the talk of bridging the gap between the world “as it is” today and “as it should be,” he will walk that walk.

I’m hungry for a leader that I can be proud to call my president. I could not be more certain that Barack Obama is that leader, a responsible steward for the future of my niece and nephews—and my own children one day. And I look forward to telling Maia and whoever else will listen that I—a woman of color, a daughter of Filipino immigrants, a young and hopeful civil rights lawyer—helped turn the pages of history to make an Obama presidency happen now.

I can’t wait.

San Francisco: Panel on Voter Engagement in Immigrant Community, 12/13

Angelica — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:53:49 EST

Voter Engagement in the Immigrant Community
Successes, Challenges, and Advocacy Strategies

Featured Speakers:Mamie Chow, Project Director, Movement Strategy CenterRoger Kim, Associate Director, Asian Pacific Environmental NetworkLillian Galedo, Executive Director, Filipinos for Affirmative ActionNilou Nouri, Executive Director, Bay Area Iranian American Voter AssociationMari Ryono, Coordinating Director, Mobilize the Immigrant Vote

Moderated by:Dennis Quirin, Program Fellow, The San Francisco Foundation Come hear what our esteemed speakers have to say about:• Their successful strategies to increase voter participation in their communities• The particular challenges they have faced in voter engagement work• Ways to structure permissible voter engagement activities under the federal tax code

Date: Thursday, December 13, 2007
Time: 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Location: The San Francisco Foundation, 225 Bush St., Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94104
BART Station: Montgomery Street

Please RSVP (include dietary restrictions) by Dec. 11 to Nancy at 510.444.6070 or nancy@afj.org
Hosted by:Alliance for Justice The San Francisco Foundation

Asian American Action Fund of Greater Chicago Endorses Obama

Angelica — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:45:06 EST

Just saw this up on the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Obama site. Up until now, I've felt that API support for Obama has been lukewarm, and I can't figure out why--his policies will benefit many priorities common to API community (education, economic opportunity, immigrant values). I'm hoping more endorsements will follow suit.

Bob Reich looks like an Obama Fan!

Angelica — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:30:48 EST

At least that's how it looks to me, and I'm a fan of Bob's. Saw him give a funny and moving keynote speech on economic justice and education equity at the Public Advocates 2007 fundraising dinner.

I'm thankful to whoever posted his blog up so that it came to my attention. I think he's a credible and respected voice to bring out in explaining Obama's plans on social security and healthcare, especially given his experience as Secretary of Labor for Bill Clinton.

Please check out: Why is HRC Stooping So Low http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-is-hrc-stooping-so-low.html

"Yesterday, HRC suggested O lacks courage. "There's a big difference between our courage and our convictions, what we believe and what we're willing to fight for," she told reporters in Iowa, saying Iowa voters will have a choice "between someone who talks the talk, and somebody who's walked the walk." Then asked whether she intended to raise questions about O’s character, she said: "It's beginning to look a lot like that."

I just don’t get it. If there’s anyone in the race whose history shows unique courage and character, it's Barack Obama. HRC’s campaign, by contrast, is singularly lacking in conviction about anything. Her pollster, Mark Penn, has advised her to take no bold positions and continuously seek the political center, which is exactly what she’s been doing.

All is fair in love, war, and politics. But this series of slurs doesn't serve HRC well. It will turn off voters in Iowa, as in the rest of the country. If she's worried her polls are dropping, this is not the way to build them back up."

And while your'e on his blog, this one is a gem as well: Qualifications, Setting the Record Straight http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

"But more to the point, it strikes me as unfair to claim that Obama lacks relevant experience for the presidency. When he ran in 1992, Bill Clinton had been the governor of a small, rural southern state; as such, he had only limited experience with national issues and no foreign policy experience to speak of. Incidentally, at this point in the 2008 presidential election, Hillary Clinton has served as an elected official in the U.S. Senate for not quite eight years, and before that a First Lady in the White House. Obama has so far held elective office for almost twelve years, at both levels of government – first as an Illinois state senator and then as a U.S. Senator. Before that he was a community organizer among Chicago’s poor, and then a civil rights lawyer – two experiences that in my view are critically relevant to anyone seeking to become president of all Americans. Obama’s international experience comes first hand – his father was a goat-herder in Kenya, and Obama spent a portion of his childhood in Indonesia. And as an African-American, with all the personal experience that implies, Obama seems particularly well qualified to understand the issues that need to be addressed in order to unify America and renew the nation’s moral authority around the world."

Column in Wash Post on Candidates' Campaign Finance leadership

Angelica — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:55:53 EST

There need to be more articles that compare candidates' positions side by side on the issues. I really admire Barack's leadership on reform of campaign finance--he's taken bold action to get the money out of politics. When folks claim that Obama hasn't been in the Senate long enough to make a difference--they're clearly not aware of how he's been hustling to change business as usual in DC.

I must give credit to the following blog for highlighting this column: http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/

Excerpt from Ruth Marcus's column:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101420.html?nav=rss_opinions

"He has co-sponsored bills to overhaul the presidential public financing system and public financing of Senate campaigns. It's nice to hear Clinton talk about how "we've got to move toward public financing" -- Edwards backs it, too -- but I don't see her name on those measures.

Obama readily agreed to identify his bundlers. Unlike Clinton and Edwards, he has released his income tax returns. Perhaps most important, Obama has pledged to take public financing for the general election if he is the Democratic nominee and his Republican opponent will do the same.

Any Democratic candidate wanting to "get the money out of American politics" (Clinton) or demonstrate that "the Democratic Party is the party of the people" (Edwards) ought to leap at this chance. The candidates' silence on Obama's public financing proposal -- they'll "consider" it -- has been more telling than anything they have actually said."

Article on Obama's Education Plan

Angelica — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:48:30 EST

I'm excited that Obama has the support and advice of top folks in K-12 Education like Linda Darling Hammond of the School Redesign Network and Chris Edley, Dean of Boalt Law School and former advisor to Bill Clinton.

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/experts_praise_barack_obamas_e_1.php

Here's an article on his plan:

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071121/NEWS01/711210347/1217/NEWS98

Obama shares school plan$18 billion initiative looks beyond merit pay for nation's educators

VOTE NOW: Presidential Straw Poll by Asian American Action Fund

Angelica — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:36:20 EST

Vote Now: Presidential Straw Poll at Asian American Action Fund (www.aaa-fund.org)

Make your voice known through the AAA-Fund Online Presidential Straw Poll. Anyone can participate by going to http://tinyurl.com/2r3az9

There are only two days left to help Obama win as we head into Iowa and New Hampshire voting!