Donna Godin's Blog

LTE: Barack Obama has inspired me

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:11:48 EDT

Thanks to Barack Obama, I have been politically inspired. My family first met Barack Obama in May 2007 at the Berlin Ice Cream Social at Veteran's Park. Barack, his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia stepped off their RV and a line opened up before us. Barack and Michelle approached us with smiles, asking us our names, and thanking us for coming. Michelle gave a lovely introduction, and Barack took to the steps of the gazebo, speaking with great passion and knowledge of the nation's and world's state of affairs.

From that day forward, I wanted to know more about this man who had just inspired me; a man who had given an amazing speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

What I have learned is that Barack Obama exemplifies all that is possible and good in America. Since immigrants first came to America, we have become a country of people of all colors, religions, cultures, and beliefs. I believe Barack Obama will help America to advance its tolerance and acceptance of others who may not look the same or believe in the same things.

For me, Barack Obama speaks to our better angels. He is a great father and a role model for other Dads. He has led a positive, ethical campaign from the start. He has sought to unify us for a common purpose. As he reached out to poor families in need as a community organizer in the South Side of Chicago, he has said that each of us needs to be each other's keeper, being there for each other in times of need.

Barack Obama will be a strong voice for the struggling Middle Class, offering a tax cut for families making less than $250,000 a year (that's 95% of working families!); the elimination of income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 a year; savings for families of up to $2,500 every year on health insurance; $4,000 a year tuition assistance for students who choose community or national service. These are all important things to my family.

In the last two years, Barack Obama has shown that he has the temperament, judgment, morals, and leadership to be one of the greatest presidents of all time. He has proven that he can successfully organize, coordinate and manage one of the largest political campaigns in history, offering a glimpse in the way he will run our government.

Even after November 4 has come and gone, thanks to the inspiration of Barack Obama, my enthusiasm and interest in politics, at all levels, will not. Please vote on Election Day. Every voice, every vote is important and counts.

Barack Obama will not take your guns away

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:33:17 EDT

Like clockwork, every election the Republican Party and the National Rifle Assocation try to scare off votes by saying that Democrats are going to take guns away from hunters and law-abiding citizens. This is simply not true. After eight years in office, President Bill Clinton didn't take anyone's guns away. Predictably, the NRA is spreading falsehoods about Barack Obama's steadfast support of the Second Amendment.

Factcheck.org, an independent, non-partisan organization, recently reviewed mailers and TV ads that the NRA is spending millions of dollars on and found that “its advertising campaign distorts Obama's position on gun control beyond recognition.”

Much of what the NRA passes off as Obama's "10 Point Plan to 'Change' the Second Amendment" is actually contrary to what Barack Obama has said throughout his campaign: that he "respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms" and "will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns."

Factcheck.org finds that the NRA has “cherry-picked, twisted and misrepresented Obama's record to come up with a bogus 'plan.'”

Most recently, the American Hunters and Shooters Association endorsed Barack Obama. The President of the AHSA stated, “We believe recent attacks on Senator Obama's stand on the 2nd Amendment and his commitment to our hunting and shooting heritage are unfair and American Hunters and Shooters Association is stepping up to set the record straight...Senator Obama will be a strong and authentic voice for America's hunters and shooters and it is with great pleasure that we endorse his candidacy.”

Mike Dombeck, former Chief of the United States Forest Service and Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and an avid sportsman, said that “gun ownership is the top issue for most hunters I know. They want their Second Amendment right to possess and use firearms. Contrary to a highly inaccurate flyer sent out by the National Rifle Association, there is virtually no difference between Barack Obama and John McCain on guns. Senator Obama has said repeatedly that the Second Amendment created an individual right to own and use firearms and that as president he would protect the rights of hunters and law abiding Americans to own and use firearm for sport and to protect their families.”

At a recent economic Town Hall in Pennsylvania, Barack Obama stated, “The bottom line is this: You got a rifle, you got a shotgun, you got a gun in your house, I'm not taking it away.” In the end, Obama told the group, that if voters believe he can help them on economic issues such as health care, energy and education, "this can't be the reason not to vote for me. This can't be the reason not to vote. Your guns, we're not going to mess with them."

Election after election, the Republican Party and the National Rifle Assocation try to pull the wool over gun owners' eyes. Please don't fall for this old political scam. Barack Obama will not only protect Americans' right to bear arms, he will cut taxes for 95% of working families so that they can go out and buy a new handgun or rifle.

09/14/08 Letter to the Editor

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:59:38 EDT

Barack Obama will Save You Money

Smear e-mails about Barack Obama have been floating around on the internet for some time. Every single one of them is made to play on upon people's fears and is false. One e-mail in particular is about taxes, titled, “Important Read, Taxes.” This e-mail was sent to www.factcheck.org (a non-partisan organization) who debunked its content, stating, “This widely distributed message is so full of misinformation that we find it impossible to believe that it is the result of simple ignorance or carelessness on the part of the writer. Almost nothing it says about Obama's tax proposals is true. We conclude that this deception is deliberate.”

So, what is Barack Obama's tax plan? He will roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% and provide a tax cut to 150 million workers. Families earning less than $250,000 (individuals, $200,000) will see a substantial tax cut and only a marginal increase for those making between $250,000 and $600,000 (averaging $12). Those making over $600,000 will essentially return to the same rates they had during the Clinton administration. Seniors making less than $50,000 will not have to pay any federal taxes. His plan will also create a new universal mortgage interest credit that will benefit low and middle-income homeowners, and simplify tax filings so they can be done in less than 5 minutes.

In addition to lowering our taxes, Barack Obama will raise the minimum wage, beyond already planned increases; expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit; remove some of the government penalties on married families; and offer students $4,000 per year of a college education in return for 100 hours of community service in a hospital, nursing home, shelter, veteran's center.

Barack Obama knows the struggles of working families trying to make it in tough times. He was raised by a single mom and his grandparents, and put himself through college on student loans. After law school, he could have taken a high-paying job on Wall Street, but became a community organizer to help the poor in neighborhoods in the South side of Chicago.

Most Republicans describe themselves as “Fiscal” Conservatives who will not raise our taxes and save the country money. Democrats are generally described as “Tax and Spend” Liberals. Here is some data that I think you'll find interesting. The only President in 28 years who left his successor with a $200 budget surplus was Bill Clinton. Ronald Reagan left the country with a $300 billion deficit; George Bush, Sr., a $200 billion deficit; and it is estimated that George Bush, Jr., will end his term with an astounding $428 billion deficit.

John McCain claims to be a maverick, but he has voted with Bush and Cheney 90% of the time in 2007 and 100% of the time in 2008. We can't afford for more years of the same failed policies which have left us struggling to pay our bills.

Barack Obama is offering the change in Washington that we need to put change back into our pockets.

Letter to the Editor: Barack Obama's Healthcare Plan

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:50:41 EST

January 8th, NH’s day to speak out on the Presidential race, is right around the corner. I look forward to proudly voting for Senator Barack Obama in the primary. I have been following his campaign for months, attending three events, volunteering at his most recent event in Berlin, writing postcards and letters to the editor, and blogging on barackobama.com. Senator Obama has given me hope and inspiration for a brighter future for America, the world and, most importantly, for my two young children.

One of the issues which I think is very, if not most, important to a lot of us is health care. I think Senator Obama has a great plan to lower health care costs and ensure affordable, high-quality health care for all. Unlike Edward’s and Hillary’s plans, Senator Obama’s plan does not mandate everyone to buy insurance they might not be able to afford. Senator Obama believes the reason people don't have health care is because they can't afford it, not because they don't want it. That's why his plan goes further in cutting costs than any other plan that's been offered in this race by up to $2,500 a year for the typical family. By making health care affordable, Senator Obama's plan will cover every American.

Senator Obama’s plan will provide affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage for all Americans by: making available a new national health program that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees; making available a National Health Insurance Exchange to reform the private insurance market; ensuring all of the 9 million currently uninsured children have affordable, high-quality health coverage; expanding Medicaid and SCHIP and ensuring they continue to serve their critical safety net function; requiring employers to make a meaningful contribution to the health coverage of their employees; and requiring that insurance plans accept all applicants and do not charge different prices based on pre-existing conditions.

Senator Obama’s plan will reduce costs and save a typical American family up to $2,500 each year by: driving adoption of state-of-the-art health information technology systems; improving access to preventive care and chronic disease management programs; requiring hospitals to collect and report healthcare cost and quality data; reforming our market structure to increase competition in the insurance and drug markets; reducing the costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers and their employees; and lowering drug costs by allowing importation of safe medicines from other developed countries and increasing uses of generics in public programs.

Since many of the plans that are being offered in this race would be vast improvements over what we have now, the real question is who can stand up to the special interests (health insurance and drug companies), bring Republicans and Democrats together, and actually make their plan a reality? Senator Obama is in the best position to do that, because he's been standing up to the special interests and bringing people together throughout his career.

I am proud that Senator Obama has led a positive campaign of hope, respect, and honesty, and has focused on the issues that are most important to the American people. This election, it’s not just about changing parties, it’s about nominating the most electable Democrat in the primary. In head-to-head match-ups, recent polls have shown that Senator Obama is the only Democrat that polls ahead of all of the Republican candidates. Please vote on January 8th. Your vote does make a difference. Thank you.

Barack's Visit to Berlin on November 25

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:30:59 EST

I thought the turnout in Berlin last evening was fantastic! A great showing for a frigid evening. I spoke with a coworker who had seen Barack on Oprah earlier this year. She was very intrigued then and came to see him in person. She thought he was very honest and sincerely believes what he says. It was a great conversation. And, to learn Oprah was coming to NH, was also very exciting to her. She is a huge fan of Oprah, like my Mom, and I'm guessing millions of other women (and maybe men too) in America.

I thought Barack's speech was very inspiring, and he gave great responses to some very good questions about education, race, impeaching Bush, home mortages/foreclosures, global warming, care of veterans, nursing home care and Alzheimer's disease, and his three favorite movies (Godfather I and II, Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest).

I am so fortunate to live in NH and get to see the candidates, and grateful Barack made his second visit to Berlin, and he's come close to our community several other times.

Oh and this was my first time volunteering at an event. I was a bit nervous, but it was so exciting to be a part of a movement that you fully believe in. My 5 1/2 year old son helped pass out Barack buttons. He brought smiles to people's faces. I am so proud of him and happy to introduce him to the world of politics through Barack's eyes.

And, all of the campaign staff were very polite, friendly and were true representatives of Barack himself. If anyone hasn't volunteered, I left the event feeling so good that I am this movement with you and Barack.

Thank you Berlin for the great turnout and for listening to this inspiring man full of hope for America and the World.

Senator Obama is only candidate that will unite us

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:48:59 EST

To the editor: Of all of the candidates running for president of the United States, I truly believe Senator Barack Obama is the only candidate that will unite our country for a common purpose to improve our lives and renew American’s standing in the world. I’d like to share with you a quote from Barack Obama from the Jefferson-Jackson dinner held in Iowa on November 10. "...We are in a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. The planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations fought for feels as if it’s slowly slipping away. We are working harder for less. We’ve never paid more for health care or for college. It’s harder to save and it’s harder to retire. And most of all we’ve lost faith that our leaders can or will do anything about it."..."I am not in this race to fulfill some long-held ambitions or because I believe it’s somehow owed to me. I never expected to be here, I always knew this journey was improbable. I’ve never been on a journey that wasn’t. I am running in this race because of what Dr. King called ‘the fierce urgency of now.’ Because I believe that there’s such a thing as being too late. And that hour is almost upon us." Let’s not wait another four years to say "what happened" or "what didn’t happen." We need a president who will unify the country by bringing Republicans and Independents together with Democrats to solve the nation’s most pressing problems. We need a president who will take on the special interests and lobbyists and lift up the voices of the American people. We need a president who will tell the American people not just what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. People may not always agree with Senator Obama’s views, but they will be clear where he stands and why. We need a president who will renew our hope and inspire us to be involved in our political process. I truly believe that person is Barack Obama. Some of you may already know a lot about Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, but for those who may not know much about him, I would like to share with you a brief biography of this special man. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961, to Ann Dunham, originally of Kansas, and Barack Obama, Sr., originally of Kenya. After graduating from Columbia University, Barack moved to Chicago, where he worked with a church_based organization to improve living conditions in Chicago neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel plant closings. After a few years, Barack went to Harvard Law School, where he became the first African_American president of the Harvard Law Review. He then returned to Chicago, where he practiced as a civil rights lawyer, lectured on constitutional law, and started a voter registration drive that registered 100,000 new voters. During this time, he met and married his wife, Michelle. They have two beautiful daughters: Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6. Barack’s advocacy work culminated in his election to the Illinois State Senate, where he served for 8 years. During these years, Barack brought Democrats and Republicans together to make government work for Illinois families. He passed $100 million dollars in tax cuts for working families. He pushed through an expansion of early childhood education programs, and was able to expand health care coverage for 20,000 more children and 65,000 more parents. He reformed a death penalty system that had sent 13 innocent people to death row. And he worked with both parties to pass the first major ethics reform in twenty_five years. In 2003, Barack launched his improbable race for the U.S. Senate, where he stood alone among all the candidates in opposing the invasion of Iraq. While still an Illinois state legislator, Obama delivered a powerful and memorable keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama has focused on tackling our challenges with fresh thinking and a new kind of politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. He was his party’s point person on passing the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate, and he’s worked with Republican Senator Dick Lugar, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, to pass a law that will prevent some of the world’s most deadly weapons from falling into terrorist hands. Whether it's the poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, or the role of faith in our politics, Barack Obama continues to speak out on the issues that will define America in the 21st century, believing that in order to change our country and our politics, we must come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans. The Obama family lives on Chicago’s South Side and attends Trinity United Church of Christ. Barack Obama has authored two best-selling books: a memoir of his youth titled Dreams from My Father, and The Audacity of Hope, a personal commentary on U.S. politics. An October 2005 article in the British journal New Statesman listed Obama as one of "10 people who could change the world." In 2005 and again in 2007, Time magazine named him one of "the world's most influential people." If you have some time, consider reading one or both of Barack’s best-selling books or listening to his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, or, most recently, the inspiring speech he gave at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. These speeches can be found on YouTube online. Senator Obama may not have the name recognition as some of the other candidates running, but, when people get to know him, they are deeply moved by his vision and passion to change America and the world. As he says, "I run to give my children and their children the same chances that someone, somewhere gave me. I run so that a year from today, there is a chance that the world will look at America differently, and that America will look at itself differently. And I run to keep the promise of the United States of America alive for all those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for equality and long to believe again." To learn more about Senator Obama, please visit www.barackobama.com online or stop by or call the Berlin Obama for America Office at 752-2208. Thank you. Donna Godin Gorham

Senator Obama has what it takes to be next president

Donna NH - Thank you my fellow Granite Staters! Yes we did! — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:50:00 EST

To the editor:
I believe Senator Barack Obama has the clearest vision, boldest plans, strongest ability to unite people to solve problems, and the most ethical and moral character to be the next president of the United States. And, I also believe he has the right judgment and leadership on foreign policy needed to end the war in Iraq and keep us out of a potential war with Iran.
I am very concerned with the Lieberman-Kyl amendment recently passed in the Senate. That amendment says that we have to “transition and structure” our military presence in Iraq in a way that checks the threat from Iran, and that it is a “critical national interest of the United States” to stop Iran from exerting influence inside of Iraq.
Obama opposed the amendment, because it ties our troop presence in Iraq to the actions of Iran. He is concerned that the Administration could use language like that to justify taking military action against Iran. And for good reason: this is the same kind of posturing that led us to war in Iraq.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard should be designated as a terrorist organization, but that should be a separate issue from how we structure our forces in Iraq.
Obama has very real differences with Senator Hillary Clinton on Iran. Obama doesn’t think we should give the Administration an excuse to extend and escalate the war in Iraq; Clinton voted for an amendment that could provide cover for the Administration to do that. Obama doesn’t think we should continue President Bush’s policy of not talking directly to our adversaries; Clinton said that Obama was “naïve and irresponsible” to support direct diplomacy with Iran, then she later said that she would “negotiate with Iran with no conditions.” Clinton has tried to justify her vote as a vote for more diplomacy, just as she did with her Iraq war vote, but the amendment sponsors are supporters of President Bush’s failed policies in Iraq and vocal proponents of armed conflict with Iran.
Still in the throws of the Iraq War, we do not need any more warlike threats or carefully crafted political justifications; we need strong, principled leadership and real diplomacy.
In a world of real threats that will demand judgments about war and peace, the American people need to look at who has learned the right lessons from the worst foreign policy disaster in our recent history.
On the two most critical foreign policy decisions in recent history, Obama has gotten it right. I believe Senator Barack Obama has the right judgment and leadership that our country and world so desperately needs and deserves. For more information about Senator Obama’s plans on other important issues, including education, environment, health care, Social Security, energy, and government reform, please visit www.barackobama.com online or call the Berlin Obama for America office at 752-2208.

Donna L. Godin, Gorham

Published in The Berlin Reporter and Berlin Daily Sun on 11/7/07