Mary Ritter's Blog

Grassroots Ball has morphed

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:14:26 EST

After all these weeks, we have an event for everyone in MYBO to finally be able to meet and celebrate our victory together in Washington, DC during the inauguration -- the MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social from 6 pm to 10 pm (might run later) at Universalist National Memorial Church near DuPont Circle.

We invite you to click on the link below to learn the details of this alternative ball morphed into a neighborhood social.

http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com

Tickets are on sale now for only $26.00, but the quantity available is limited, so we encourage you to act quickly to be sure to be able to join us the evening of January 19 for our pre-ball/party celebration.

We are also delighted to announce that we have been invited to join up with DC for Obama and Mayor Fenty's office for their Day of Service. Please join us at the MLK Memorial Library from 9 am to 4 pm for as long as you can. We will be distributing food to those in need throughout the day in response to President-elect Barack Obama's call to all of us to community service.

Then, join us for a chance to warm up and meet so many with whom we have exchanged over the months on MYBO and will at long last be able to meet face to face and we organize for our next "grassroots" effort -- supporting President Obama's and our legislative agenda.

We hope to see many of you there!

All our best wishes for the New Year 2009,

The Organizing Committee

Mary Ritter and Jacqueline Ashton de Floris

http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com

Can you attend this event? Respond Here

MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social

When
Monday, January 19, 2009 from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (ET)

Location
Universalist National Memorial Church
1810 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20009

Click for Details and Registration Information

Can you attend this event? Respond Here

the final dance of the Grassroots Inaugural Ball DC 2009!

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:16:01 EST

Dear friends and supporters of the Grassroots Ball DC 2009.

We are sorry. We tried but it hasn't ended the way we had "hoped".

We sadly announce that the Grassroots Ball 2009 we had worked to hold first at the RR International Trade Center, then at the Ritz Carlton DC, will not happen on January 19, 2009. We are very disappointed to have to send this message to you, especially after all the wonderful support, contacts, ideas, money, etc that came from YOU the Grassroots MYBO folks. THIS was not how we envisioned the final moment, the final dance of this BALL. We are disappointed we won't have a place to meet so many of you,whom we have come to know via mybo over the past year.

We tried and were not successful in finding a venue that would allow us to have ticket prices at a level that would work out financially for you the mybo grassroot supporters and friends, be the type of ball we had wanted, and at the same time pay the venue what they needed. Plus, it does appear that interest is waning for a myriad of reasons including the economy, people deciding not to go to DC, cost, crowds, other events, etc.etc. etc. After 6 days of polling (you can check the results at www.grassrootsballdc2009.com), we have heard back from approximately only 25% of the original supporters of the event. And ultimately we cannot take on the financial responsibility of selling even a low minimum of for example, 500 tickets, without a greater assurance of ticket purchases from at least our original list of 1200 attendees.

A shout out to all those who sent money to sponsor this event, we did raise $25,000 give or take some change! Thank you for your belief that yes we could.

REGARDING those DONATIONS: Any of you who donated money to this effort, please send me, Mary Ritter (maryrttr@gmail.com), your home address so that I can process and mail you a check for your refund. It will be the entire amount, less the 3% Pay Pal fee that we were charged (before your money was released to our account).

We worked like mad & "hoped" that this effort would come to fruition. Thank you each and every one for your support and interest along this amazing journey!

Mary Ritter
Jacqueline DeFloris
Russell Miller

(MYBO) Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:06:51 EST

Hello MYBO people!

It's time for another update on the Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009! Some of you would say past-due...

A number of people have been working very hard, and there is some big news to announce to you.
....

Where's it going to be? When's it going to be?

The date and location of the ball have been decided!

Our very first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 will be on January 19, the night before the inauguration, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Pennsylvania Avenue. That's right on the Inaugural Parade route, between the Capital and the White House. The plan is that after the Ball ends, people will be able to go right out in large groups and stake out space on the parade route, or over on the National Mall where there will be giant TVs -- a night vigil, awaiting the Inauguration. This is not only symbolic, but also practical, since 4 million people are expected to descend on Washington Tuesday morning to see the Inauguration. We'll have a head start. The space can accommodate around 2000 people, and we expect to sell out quickly.

(By the way, Monday night is a traditional inaugural ball night--we'll be one of many such events, and we're hoping we can get the President-elect and Mrs. Obama to drop by and greet the folks who worked so hard throughout the last 18 months.)
....

Sponsors and Underwriters

The only thing holding us back is making the deposit on the Reagan Building. We are still hoping for those among you who feel that you can to step forward and help sponsor the event. Your sponsorship assures us and everyone attending the ball of two things:

First, that we can make the $52,000 deposit on the Reagan Building. We are getting close, thanks to those who have stepped up to sponsor and underwrite the event (and we will get the list of underwriters and sponsors onto the website), but we need more of you to get us all the way there. To date, we have some $45,000 in pledged monies. Not bad! It's starting to come in too, now that... wait, that's for later.
Second, lower ticket prices. Every penny (those still exist, right?) of sponsor and underwriting money will go to one ultimate goal: bring the ticket prices for the event as low as we can.

Just to be 100% clear: a couple people have asked if non-sponsors will be able to purchase tickets, and the answer is yes! The whole point of sponsorship and underwriting is to make sure that a certain number of tickets will be able to be offered at a lower price in general sale.

What does your sponsorship get you again?

At the $2,000 level: 4 free tickets to the event, publicity space in our program and on the website, and a very special sponsor gift.

At the $1,000 level: 2 free tickets (Surprise! The holidays have come early! Yes, the is retroactive to those of you who have already sponsored. That was fun!), publicity space in our program and on the website, and a very special sponsor gift.

At the $500 level: 1 free ticket to the event (Yes, you, too!), publicity space in our program and on the website, and a very special sponsor gift.

Below $500 level: Pre-sale ticket access, mention in our program and on the website, and a sponsor gift.

Disclaimer: Your donation is not tax-deductible. We apologize, but it takes the IRS up to a year to review new non-profit applications, and they can always refuse you. Since we don't have the luxury of that kind of time, we've had to just proceed with non-profit status.

We'd also to thank Corinne Carson for spear-heading the "high-roller Obama donor" research project. Corinne and a group of MYBO volunteers have taken on the job of using public information on the largest Obama campaign donors to help us identify additional individuals to contact to solicit sponsorship help for our event. The team includes (and I hope I have missed no one) Deborah Burke, Georgina Osorio, Giovanni Sce, Jessie Bochert, Kim Roberts, Mark Habeeb, Marlene Smith, Mary Hicks, Maxine Sears, Pam Jarvis, and Vickie Togans.

If you can give some of your time to help us out on this, please reply to this email, and we'll get you in touch with Corinne and set-up. We need to get as much done as quickly as possible to help us get the sponsorship and underwriting in. The faster we can do this, the faster we can make our projections for total budget off-set from contributions, establish our ticket prices and get them up for sale for y'all.
You betcha'!

If you or someone, or a business or organization you know would like to be an underwriter?

We would be glad to offer our underwriters the opportunity for publicity during the event, including signage, a space named for themselves or their company or organization, distribution of informational materials, and prominent recognition of your underwriting in all Grassroots Ball publicity materials, in addition to publicity on our website.

We will work with each underwriter to develop a publicity package tailored to the level of your underwriting support and publicity needs.
....

And, la pièce de résistance! (It's okay, French is okay again, we're friends!)

When can we get onto the website?

Now! Just click on this link, or cut and paste the following url into your web browser address line: http://www.grassrootsballdc2009.com/

That means that for those of you who have sponsored, but hated the thought of ordering a bank wire transfer of funds (we don't blame you), PayPal is up and working!

For those of you who might be tempted once you are on the website, please, please do! It will be so greatly appreciated. We will know who you are from the PayPal documents emailed to us, but feel free to let us know so we can tell you how much we appreciate your donation on behalf of everyone, and then thank you again later, once the paperwork is forwarded to us.

Please be sure to register so that you can participate in the Forum as soon as it is up and running, too.

There is also a link to Change.gov, right in the comfort of our own website!

Adrienne Williams, our volunteer web manager, has put in a lot of time and effort to make this happen, along with Karen, who contributed the graphics. A big thank you to Adrienne and Karen!

Mary, Russell and I promise to get our photos and bios up on the About Us page, just as soon as we find a few spare moments!
....

Calling all graphic designers!

Please reply to this email if you can volunteer your skills to help us with:

a logo design competition (we have some criteria for the logo, logo-type and colors that we will share with you. The logo will be put out to everyone for their vote, but the Organizing Committee retains a majority vote!),
help with signage design for the event, program layout and design, buttons and bumper stickers, and
the coordination of logo-merchandising for us to offer as sponsor gifts and to make available to everyone for sale to further off-set the cost of the event. We have some MYBO volunteers offering their assistance and some contacts to give you.

For this last, we have to hit the ground running Monda to allow for order, production and delivery time.

Please submit samples of your work with your reply. Thank you!
....

One last thing...

Calling all singers, bands, folk, blues, and jazz artists!

Our very own first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 wants to build the base of its ball entertainment on you. Our base was solid enough to get Obama elected, so... please reply to this email with samples of you performing (video, music file, etc.).

The Reagan Building space allows as a range of different venues, from the 600-seat amphitheater for larger performance and multi-media and image/video presentation -- like Meredith Wheeler's Bridge Project, and we are looking for additional submissions to run during the night -- to a dance floor with raised stage, the monumental amphitheater foyer, and several more intimate spaces for quieter cabaret-style performance and conversation.

We're getting started now reviewing submissions -- no promises made -- but we will listen/watch and get back to you as soon as we can.

We'll also be looking into some local artists and possibly some big names (don't get your hopes up too high now) for your enjoyment.
....

And now, we turn you over to the website: http://grassrootsballdc2009.com!

Thanks for all your interest, support, encouragement, help and your donations -- we are the ones we have been waiting for, and without you, this wouldn't be happening. We need you.

Yes We Can!

The Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 Organizing Committee
Mary Ritter, Russell Miller, Jacqueline Ashton de Floris

Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 update

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:40:13 EST

First, that we can make the $52,000 deposit on the Reagan Building. We are getting close, thanks to those who have stepped up to sponsor and underwrite the event (and we will get the list of underwriters and sponsors onto the website), but we need more of you to get us all the way there. To date, we have some $45,000 in pledged monies. Not bad! It's starting to come in too, now that... wait, that's for later.
Second, lower ticket prices. Every penny (those still exist, right?) of sponsor and underwriting money will go to one ultimate goal: bring the ticket prices for the event as low as we can.

a logo design competition (we have some criteria for the logo, logo-type and colors that we will share with you. The logo will be put out to everyone for their vote, but the Organizing Committee retains a majority vote!),
help with signage design for the event, program layout and design, buttons and bumper stickers, and
the coordination of logo-merchandising for us to offer as sponsor gifts and to make available to everyone for sale to further off-set the cost of the event. We have some MYBO volunteers offering their assistance and some contacts to give you.

Help make the Grassroots BAll a reality, an underwriting opportunity.

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:25:38 EST

Hello MYBO People,

The very first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 -- originating right here in MYBO -- has a challenge for 40 people in our network of campaign volunteers.

We are trying to secure a venue in Washington that is convenient, on the Metro with space for more than 1000 people, and we are trying to do this for what is regarded as the inauguration that will be the most widely attended in our nation's history. Everybody wants to be there to witness this historic event and celebrate, and maybe nobody more so than those of us here on the MYBO listservs. Obama's Internet Army soldiers.

It's really, really hard to get space in Washington right now, and MYBO has done it. Almost.

So, The Challenge.

We are on the verge of signing a contract for a venue, and to do it we need 40 people to kick in $1,000 so that we can be ready with our check for the down payment before someone else beats us to it.

Your underwriting of the down payment not only assures us the space to hold our very own Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, it will cover $40,000 of our total budget. Think of yourselves as part of Barack's tax plan. That top 5% that will help to reduce ticket prices and make our ball more affordable for everyone--most especially for the 95% of MYBO who need a break after all the donating to the campaign!

What else will you get? You will receive:

assurance of the purchase of two tickets -- yes, the guarantee that there will be two tickets reserved for you to purchase and use or give away -- to what is shaping up to be the most sought-after party in Washington for our candidate's installation in the office of The President of The United States of America [we can all shout for joy right here, right now before going on],
mention on our website and advertising or publicity space in an eventual program,
a very special sponsor gift, and
a once in a lifetime chance to show Washington what MYBO is and what it means to American politics.

The Electronic Republic is here, and it works. You betcha'!

What else, you ask?

The undying thanks and devotion of everyone who wants this ball to happen. You can also choose one of our sponsor gifts, once we figure out what they will be.

We need this as quickly as possible. Don't think it over. Reply right away to Russell Miller, our treasurer, at Russell@grassrootsballdc2009.com, and we go to contract to have a ball!

You don't have $1,000? That's okay.

If you have $500 to help us underwrite the ball, we can guarantee you:

1 ticket to purchase,
mention on our website and in an eventual program,
and a sponsor gift.

And If you don't have five hundred dollars to get the ball rolling, don't worry. We'll be rolling out other sponsor levels, and tickets will be available shortly at a range of prices that make sense for every working American. (We revere the Constitution, but we're breaking the law of supply and demand.)

This ball is going to be for EVERYONE—or at least as many as the fire codes allow.

Thank you!

Jacqueline Ashton de Floris, Mary Ritter, Russell Miller

Members, Organizing Committee

PS: Money Where Our Mouth Is Department—All three of us are already in as sponsors. It's lonely out here, but we know it won't be for long. Join us!

PPS for shy folks: You can be anonymous sponsors if you like!

PPS: Sorry, your sponsorship is not tax-deductible Mail to a Friend | Link | Comments (0) | Report Objectionable Content grassroots ball 2009, Help Make it Happen By Mary R. Il. - Nov 15th, 2008 at 7:59 am EST Also listed in: 10 groups

Hello MYBO People,

The very first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 -- originating right here in MYBO -- has a challenge for 40 people in our network of campaign volunteers.

It's really, really hard to get space in Washington right now, and MYBO has done it. Almost.

So, The Challenge.

What else will you get? You will receive:

assurance of the purchase of two tickets -- yes, the guarantee that there will be two tickets reserved for you to purchase and use or give away -- to what is shaping up to be the most sought-after party in Washington for our candidate's installation in the office of The President of The United States of America [we can all shout for joy right here, right now before going on],
mention on our website and advertising or publicity space in an eventual program,
a very special sponsor gift, and
a once in a lifetime chance to show Washington what MYBO is and what it means to American politics.

The Electronic Republic is here, and it works. You betcha'!

What else, you ask?

The undying thanks and devotion of everyone who wants this ball to happen. You can also choose one of our sponsor gifts, once we figure out what they will be.

We need this as quickly as possible. Don't think it over. Reply right away to Russell Miller, our treasurer, at Russell@grassrootsballdc2009.com, and we go to contract to have a ball!

You don't have $1,000? That's okay.

If you have $500 to help us underwrite the ball, we can guarantee you:

1 ticket to purchase,
mention on our website and in an eventual program,
and a sponsor gift.

This ball is going to be for EVERYONE—or at least as many as the fire codes allow.

Thank you!

Jacqueline Ashton de Floris, Mary Ritter, Russell Miller

Members, Organizing Committee

PS: Money Where Our Mouth Is Department—All three of us are already in as sponsors. It's lonely out here, but we know it won't be for long. Join us!

PPS for shy folks: You can be anonymous sponsors if you like!

PPS: Sorry, your sponsorship is not tax-deductible

grassroots ball 2009, Help Make it Happen, underwriting oportunity

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:04:36 EST

Hello MYBO People,

The very first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 -- originating right here in MYBO -- has a challenge for 40 people in our network of campaign volunteers.

It's really, really hard to get space in Washington right now, and MYBO has done it. Almost.

So, The Challenge.

What else will you get? You will receive:

assurance of the purchase of two tickets -- yes, the guarantee that there will be two tickets reserved for you to purchase and use or give away -- to what is shaping up to be the most sought-after party in Washington for our candidate's installation in the office of The President of The United States of America [we can all shout for joy right here, right now before going on],
mention on our website and advertising or publicity space in an eventual program,
a very special sponsor gift, and
a once in a lifetime chance to show Washington what MYBO is and what it means to American politics.

The Electronic Republic is here, and it works. You betcha'!

What else, you ask?

The undying thanks and devotion of everyone who wants this ball to happen. You can also choose one of our sponsor gifts, once we figure out what they will be.

We need this as quickly as possible. Don't think it over. Reply right away to Russell Miller, our treasurer, at Russell@grassrootsballdc2009.com, and we go to contract to have a ball!

You don't have $1,000? That's okay.

If you have $500 to help us underwrite the ball, we can guarantee you:

1 ticket to purchase,
mention on our website and in an eventual program,
and a sponsor gift.

This ball is going to be for EVERYONE—or at least as many as the fire codes allow.

Thank you!

Jacqueline Ashton de Floris, Mary Ritter, Russell Miller

Members, Organizing Committee

PS: Money Where Our Mouth Is Department—All three of us are already in as sponsors. It's lonely out here, but we know it won't be for long. Join us!

PPS for shy folks: You can be anonymous sponsors if you like!

PPS: Sorry, your sponsorship is not tax-deductible

grassroots ball 2009, Help Make it Happen

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:59:37 EST

Hello MYBO People,

The very first Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009 -- originating right here in MYBO -- has a challenge for 40 people in our network of campaign volunteers.

It's really, really hard to get space in Washington right now, and MYBO has done it. Almost.

So, The Challenge.

What else will you get? You will receive:

assurance of the purchase of two tickets -- yes, the guarantee that there will be two tickets reserved for you to purchase and use or give away -- to what is shaping up to be the most sought-after party in Washington for our candidate's installation in the office of The President of The United States of America [we can all shout for joy right here, right now before going on],
mention on our website and advertising or publicity space in an eventual program,
a very special sponsor gift, and
a once in a lifetime chance to show Washington what MYBO is and what it means to American politics.

The Electronic Republic is here, and it works. You betcha'!

What else, you ask?

The undying thanks and devotion of everyone who wants this ball to happen. You can also choose one of our sponsor gifts, once we figure out what they will be.

We need this as quickly as possible. Don't think it over. Reply right away to Russell Miller, our treasurer, at Russell@grassrootsballdc2009.com, and we go to contract to have a ball!

You don't have $1,000? That's okay.

If you have $500 to help us underwrite the ball, we can guarantee you:

1 ticket to purchase,
mention on our website and in an eventual program,
and a sponsor gift.

This ball is going to be for EVERYONE—or at least as many as the fire codes allow.

Thank you!

Jacqueline Ashton de Floris, Mary Ritter, Russell Miller

Members, Organizing Committee

PS: Money Where Our Mouth Is Department—All three of us are already in as sponsors. It's lonely out here, but we know it won't be for long. Join us!

PPS for shy folks: You can be anonymous sponsors if you like!

PPS: Sorry, your sponsorship is not tax-deductible

info re: the Grassroots Ball 2009.

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:51:06 EST

Dear MYBO volunteers,

This is to let you know that a core organizing committee has formed and has been working round the clock since Friday to get our Grassroots Ball 2009 off the ground .

We have chosen a URL for the event, the website is being developed and will be ready to go soon, we are negotiating with venues and are working to solicit sponsors and underwriters to help keep the ticket price as low as we can make it.

This last is an urgent need, and anyone interested in sponsoring, purchasing advertising in the program, underwriting, or investing to help us raise the down payment on the venue should get in touch with one of us right away.

We need to rasie $40,000 before the end of next week to secure our venue big enough for a couple of thousand Obama-supporter volunteers to celebrate the fruits of our hard work, and, for many, finally meet face to face. That may sond like a lot, but remember, it was all our little donations that put Barack over the top!

If you are a fundraiser or have experience as a volunteer doing fundraising for a charitable organization, have the time right now and want to take this on, please let us hear from you! We can help put together a team to assist you.

We have been approached by a promoter who wants to take the event on with total control and financial backing, but our concern was that the event be divested of it "grassroots" significance. Like we have said throughout the campaign, we can do it, Yes.We.Can!

Reponse for this event has been staggering. Our goal is to accommodate as many wishing to attend as possible, but we can see that demand will outstrip the capacity of any facility we can find. There are as many wishing to come as worked so hard throughout the year, and we have replies from all over the country.

A group is organizing satellite The People's Balls throughout the United States. They seem to be organizing from Maryland for Obama on MYBO, for anyone interested in checking that out and organizing something in your area. We will try to get an AV set-up to watch simutanous events in DC and elsewhere from our own, and broadcast ours on live streaming video.

Anyone who has specific skills to volunteer -- particularly people in the DC area -- who can be "on the ground" and has the time, grit and flexibilty to jump on this, please be in touch. We need to move very, very quickly to make this happen. Make it clear in your subject line that you are offering help and with what.

Once the website is up, we will put the word out so you can check it for information and the announce date for ticket sales. We can no longer accept any requests for reservations by email.

Please contact one of us if you are a volunteer field organizer for the campaign.

Thank you!

Jacqueline Ashton de Floris, Mary Ritter, Russell Miller

Members, Organizing Committee

Out of town but not out of sight of the campaign.

Mary R. Il. — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:17:39 EDT

We've been out of town on a vacation, and wow how things have changed. Spent the week during the GOP convention in SW Colorado, watching it with many pretty right wing folks. INteresting to listen to their point of view, but they had no desire to debagte, just to ridicule any one who thought differently. Same old same old.

I am personally very sick of all the PALIN fixation by OBAMA supporters. Its time to get back to work, maybe past time.

I yearn for an OBAMA speech that will truely inspire me, and make me get all emotional and fired up to work. The magic seems to be gone. But then again, there haven't been any of the speeches of old. since last spring. Still and all, there is no choice here and OBAMA has to win or we are all doomed.

Alert: Chicago Sun Times picks up smear article and puts on front page

Mary R. Il. — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:33:46 EDT

Well well, imagine my surprise as I saw the front page of the Sun Times today, being held up in the air by a women selling them in te middle of a busy street, me on my way to my Thursday nanny job.

For ever the Sun Times has been the voice of the Deocratic Party in Illinois, while the Tribune was the GOP voice. Gosh with headlines like these, who needs friends any longer.

Not a thoughtfu & sensitivel piece written about the extended Obama family in Kenya, but rather SENSATIONALISM at its worst.

But this is Chicago folks...

The paper is going under..anything to sell a few more. They cannot disappear quick enoough for my tastes.

http://www.suntimes.com/index.html

OBAMA will be in Springfield this Saturday August 23.

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:18:45 EDT

Obama is beginning his travels to the Democratic National Convention this Saturday in Srpingfield Illinois. He will hold a rally at 1pm, in front of the Old State Capitol Building, exactly where be started this historic run for the Presidency.

Go to Barackobama.com/Springfield for additional details.

We all need to support our Senator and attend this happy event! Maybe he'll even announce his Veep choice there as well. Or at the least, bring him along.

OBAMA tax plan

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:51:07 EDT

[The Obama Tax Plan]
'Obama's Responsible Tax Plan'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121867201724238901.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

new Group for Lake Forest, Il. citizens

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:47:30 EDT

I have started a new group:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/LakeForestersforOBAMA

The purpose is to find felow residents in Lake Forest and Laek Bluff who support OBAMA and Dan Seals, and to plan a few events for LF and LB for the fall.

Mary Ritter

Are others no longer getting Daily Digests? Or is this just me?

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:53:35 EDT

I'm wondering what's happened to the ddaily digests? I am no longer receeving them not in 4 days, and for the two weeks prior only off and on.

Has HQ changed this feature? Just wondering?

Mark Sawyers's What is the RACE CARD anyway?

Mary R. Il. — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:27:45 EDT

Obama Has No 'Race Card' To Play; McCain Does Earlier this week, presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Barack Obama was "playing the race card," when the Illinois senator warned an audience that his Republican rivals would try to scare Americans against voting for him. Mark Q. Sawyer heard that charge and offers this piece, titled "Barack Obama Has No 'Race Card' to Play, But John McCain Sure Does." Sawyer is director of the UCLA Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Politics and the author of Racial Politics in Post-Re volutionary Cuba.

What is "the race card" anyway? It appeared in the context of the O.J. Simpson trial when Robert Shapiro, O.J.'s lawyer, worried that by doing his job as O.J. Simpson's attorney had lost his whiteness card.
Shapiro said, "'Not only did we play the race card, we dealt it from the bottom of the deck.'" That phrase was echoed as a defense by McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis, in justifying the McCain's campaign likening Barack Obama -- a former state senator, editor of the Harvard Law Review, community organizer and sitting U.S. Senator -- to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The two, of course, are most known for partying, sex tapes, eschewing underwear, and flights of fancy with drunk driving, drug use, jail and child neglect. The New York Times has accurately pointed out the connection with the Simpson trial and the irony of McCain's use of it. Now we have pundits arguing whether the "race card" was played or not, without anyone have a clear idea of what a "race card" is -- if it exists at all. But I think I can help here.

Ostensibly "the race card" is some proverbial "get out of jail free card" in the context of O.J. -- or in the minds of some whites now -- extended to the point of any charge of racism, which places African Americans, or in this case an African-American candidate, beyond reproach, outside of legitimate criticism. It is like the Joker in a game of Joker's Wild or a trump card that solves all black problems and blunts legitimate criticism. It is supposedly a cross and garlic that Obama, and perhaps all African Americans, carry to ward of not evil white vampires but reasonable white people and criticism.
The fact is there is no such thing as a race card in the sense men tioned above in political campaigns. Whenever race is a topic of debate in the campaign it is almost always a net negative for Obama, no matter how gracefully he handles it. His statement was, in fact, carefully worded to try to inoculate himself from being pounded by coded racial language and not so coded racial language on Fox News and the Internet (we have all seen the Obama family tree e-mails, etc.). Obama said, "Nobody thinks that Bush and McCain have a real answer to the challenges we face. So what they're going to try to do is make you scared of me. ... You know, he's not patriotic enough, he's got a funny name, you know, he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." Obama, in this statement, is gingerly trying to point out that his different appearance and the fact he is "different" in terms of his name and his racial background may make some uneasy and they may trade on it. But political scien tists who follow black politicians have long talked about what some call a "de-racialized campaign." The idea is simply this: If black candidates need to get white voters, explicitly appealing to race is a losing strategy for a black candidate period, full stop. Even talking about race in the campaign is generally a net negative for the black candidate. We saw this with Clinton. But how can we understand McCain's strategy?
Well, there is some research by political scientist Tali Mendelberg in her book titled, The Race Card: Campaign Strategy, Implicit Messages and the Norm of Equality. Mendelberg reveals that when white candidates explicitly refer to race in campaigns and make explicit appeals they lose support because there is ostensibly a norm of following some notion of racial equality. However, Mendelberg also shows that implicit messages have a real effect. Using subtle language that c ues race in the minds voters can be quite effective. Pictures of black criminals, Clinton's 3AM commercial advertisement, the arrogance attack, questioning patriotism, and from Karl Rover 'trash talking,' followed by fears of miscegenation (Paris and Britney) are all implicit appeals. They conjure images of either African-American stereotypes or fears about African Americans. This week, McCain also came out against affirmative action, an issue which though it has substantial gender content is entirely understood as a race issue and generally in black/white terms. Thus, the "race card" reference is also a way to sneak an explicit appeal and to also suggest and implicit appeal. It reminds voters of O.J. Simpson, racism, and the fact that Barack Obama is black. It also suggests that McCain is somehow the unfair victim of an "explicit" racial appeal by Barack Obama. It is a completely dishonest but a master pivot. Bar ack Obama has difficulty defending himself from racial attacks because as long as they are either subtle or come from the nether reaches of the Internet or from Fox News but far from McCain himself, McCain pays no price for these attacks. McCain himself becomes the "victim" of the race card and simultaneously injects race into the campaign without ostensibly having to pay the cost of doing so. Thus, the fact is, if there is a race card, and it in the context of political campaigns works against black candidates and John McCain's campaign is playing it -- affirmative action, "Pop-tarts," arrogant, unpatriotic (code for un-American) and then the 'race card' accusation. Everyone knows that part of both Barack Obama's handicap and appeal is that he is the first African American candidate. He has to address that gingerly and defend from all manner of attacks, which allows for a skillful distraction by the McCain campaign. The trut h is, of course, race still matters for some voters and in different and complicated ways. The even sadder truth is, that following the Clinton campaign, McCain is turning Obama's need to craft a defense against racial attacks into an offense. McCain has to keep the discussion in the campaign on issues that are "wins" for him -- national security, terrorism, and of course, race. Following Obama's attempt to inoculate himself from the national security charge during his trip abroad and pivot toward his winning issue, the economy, McCain has used race to distract attention and make the debate one he may not be able to win morally but that he will win the deep recesses in the minds of many voters. Obama was spot on, and if he had not tried to defend himself in this fashion they would have used some other means of injecting it. The question is will the voters facing a flagging economy be distracted by these appeals to the deep an d dark mostly unconscious fears as Obama said? Or will McCain have to find answers for real problems Americans face? -- Mark Q. Sawyer

Pundits are NOT Journalists..a sad day for our country. The loss of the 4th Estate.

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:52:16 EDT

An article from the NYT today 8-8-08 describes McCain's giving back money collected via shady means. Opps I cannot paste in in here not sure why. Its in the NYT right now this am, hidden away.

Why is it all we hear about on the MSM's is misrepresentataions of BO rather than real hard news and real hard questions? What has happened to the Fourth Estate? Have they sold out? There would be no more Deep Throat I fear with journalists (and i say say that with a thumb in my cheeck) caring more about THEIR ratings and themselves rather than about the good of the country. Oh I forgot, pundits are NOT journalists. Just more of the ME generation but these guys and gals are old enough to know better. Follow their money too, pundits I mean.

McCain is returning $50,000-under scrunity- in campagin donations that were collected supposedly from families who have no money..from the Abdullah family... but collected by an associate of a Mr. Sargent who is finance chairman of the Florida GOP and also has ties to big oil. I haven't heard a word about this on TV. Only more about Paris and Brittany and Buffalo Chips and oh did BO eat pancakes or eggs, he is just too skinny and in shape to be President.

I fear for our future without the investigative reporting of old.

A great idea for a Fundraiser...Tire Guages: Obama Energy Plan

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:57:32 EDT

Lets look into this for a fundraiser for OBAMA...tire guages, printed with OBAMA's Energy Plan.
I'd donate $25 for an engraved air gage as part of the Obama Energy Plan. In fact, I'd donate $50 for 2, and give one away for PR.So C'mon Barack, make a million of them.
Rob [bob-pol]

On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 12:03 PM wrote:
WELL, I got the tuneup, inflated my tires to up to the recommended level, bought the expensive gas my car is rated for rather than the cheaper stuff (a counter intuitive move), stopped doing the cool vroom vroom thing when I start up the car and stopped all the constant accellerating when driving, let the car just roll down hills, and smoothed out my driving by keeping the rpm dial at 1.5 (1500 rpms?) as much as possible and guess what - my local and highway mileage really shot up. Now I get much higher than the car is even rated for. By doing all this, I went from 13.8 mpg to 19.6 mpg local, and from 21.2 mpg to 32.8 highway according to my dashboard's average mpg counter - well above the EPA rating for my car. It was significantly more even with just the tire presssure correction and tune-up. Obama is right. We can do quite a lot to reduce our energy consumption without feeling any pain.

I love the idea for the guages! Can we start a chain of letters to Obama HQ to suggest it?

book reviews by Samantha Powers

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:24:38 EDT

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21670

These are excellent! .she comments on our foreign policy and natinal security through her reviews of these books. They help delinate how OBAMA's policies have evolved. She is brilliant. While these a longish, they are worth the read. Nothing is simple.

Wondering what is happening with listervs?

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:44:56 EDT

For about the 8th time in 2 weeks, nothing is cming through the listservs, I keep wondering if these are tech problems, or some other problem?

Thanks for any response. Mary

The Mother of all Messes by Paul Craig Roberts

Mary R. Il. — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:08:40 EDT

COMMENTARY: The Mother of All Messes by Paul Craig Roberts
The t-shirt reads: "The mess in my pants is nothing compared to the mess Democrats will make of this country if they win Nov. 2nd" [...] Are Republicans unaware of the amazing mess the Bush regime has made?"

July 23, 2008—Republicans are sending around the Internet a photo of a cute little boy whose T-shirt reads: "The mess in my pants is nothing compared to the mess Democrats will make of this country if they win Nov. 2nd."

One can only wonder at the insouciance of this message. Are Republicans unaware of the amazing mess the Bush regime has made? It is impossible to imagine a bigger mess. Republicans have us at war in two countries as a result of Republican lies and deceptions, and we might be in two more wars – Iran and Pakistan – by November. We have alienated the entire Muslim world and most of the rest.

The dollar has lost 60% of its value against the euro, and the once mighty dollar is losing its reserve currency role.

The Republicans’ policies have driven up the price of both oil and gold by 400%.

Inflation is in double digits. Employment is falling.

The Republican economy in the 21st century has been unable to create net new jobs for Americans except for low-wage domestic services such as waitresses, bartenders, retail clerks and hospital orderlies. Republican deregulation brought about fraud in mortgage lending and dangerous financial instruments which have collapsed the housing market, leaving a million or more homeowners facing foreclosure. The financial system is in disarray and might collapse from insolvency. The trade and budget deficits have exploded. The US trade deficit is larger than the combined trade deficits of every deficit country in the world.

The US can no longer finance its wars or its own government and relies on foreign loans to function day to day. To pay for its consumption, the US sells its existing assets – companies, real estate, toll roads, whatever it can offer – to foreigners.

Republicans have run roughshod over the US Constitution, Congress, the courts and civil liberties. Republicans have made it perfectly clear that they believe that our civil liberties make us unsafe – precisely the opposite view of our Founding Fathers. Yet, Republicans regard themselves as the Patriotic Party.

The Republicans have violated the Nuremberg prohibitions against war crimes, and they have violated the Geneva Conventions against torture and abuse of prisoners. Republican disregard for human rights ranks with that of history’s great tyrants.

The Republicans have put in place the foundation for a police state. I am confident that the Democrats, too, will make a mess. But can they beat this record?

We must get the Republicans totally out of power, or we will have no country left for the Democrats to mess up.

I say this as a person who has done as much for the Republican Party as anyone. I helped to devise and to get implemented an economic policy that cured stagflation and that brought Republicans back into political competition after Watergate. If I could have looked into a crystal ball and seen that under a free trade banner, Republicans would enable corporate executives to pay themselves millions of dollars in "performance pay" for deserting their American work forces and hiring foreigners in their place, thus destroying the aspirations and careers of millions of Americans, I never would have helped the Republicans. If a crystal ball had revealed that a neoconned Republican Party would launch wars of naked aggression against countries that posed no threat to the United States, I would have shouted my warnings even earlier.

The neoconned Republican Party is the greatest threat America has ever faced. Let me tell you why.

How many Republicans can you name who respect and honor the Constitution? There are Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and who? The ranks of Republican constitutional supporters quickly grow thin.

The reason is that Republicans view the Constitution as a coddling device for criminals and terrorists. Republicans think the Constitution can be set aside for evil-doers and kept in place for everyone else. But without the Constitution we only have the government’s word as to who is an evil-doer.

This would be the word of the same infallible government that told us that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that were on the verge of being used against America, the same infallible government that told us that Guantanamo prison held "770 of the most dangerous persons alive" and then, after stealing 5 years of their lives, quietly released 500 of them as mistaken identities.

Republicans think the United States is the salt of the earth and that American hegemony over the rest of the world is not only justified by our great virtue but necessary to our safety. People this full of hubris are incapable of judgment. People incapable of judgment should never be given power.

Republicans have no sympathy for anyone but their own kind. How many Republicans do you know who care a hoot about the plight of the poor, the jobless, the medically uninsured? The government programs that Republicans are always adamant to cut are the ones that help people who need help.

I have yet to hear any of my Republican friends express any concern whatsoever for the 1.2 million Iraqis who have died, and the 4 million who have been displaced, as a result of Bush’s gratuitous invasion. Many tell me that the five- and six-year-long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are due to wimpy Americans "who don’t have the balls it takes" to win. Killing and displacing a quarter of the Iraqi population is just a wimpy result of a population that lacks testosterone. Real Americans would have killed them all by now. Macho patriotic Republicans are perfectly content for US foreign policy to be controlled by Israel. Republican evangelical "christian" churches teach their congregations that America’s purpose in the world is to serve Israel. And these are the flag-wavers.

Those of us who think America is the Constitution, and that loyalty means loyalty to the Constitution, not to office holders or to a political party or to a foreign country, are regarded by Republicans as "anti-American."

Neoconservatives, such as Billy Kristol, insist that loyalty to the country means loyalty to the government [only during Republican administrations, one assumes]. Thus, criticizing the government for launching wars of aggression is a disloyal act.

Neoconservatives, such as Billy Kristol, insist that loyalty to the country means loyalty to the government. Thus, criticizing the government for launching wars of aggression and for violating constitutionally protected civil liberties is, according to neoconservatives, a disloyal act.

In the neoconservative view, there is no place for the voices of citizens: the government makes the decisions, and loyal citizens support the government’s decisions.

In the neocon political system there is no liberty, no democracy, no debate. Dissenters are traitors.

The neoconservative magazine, Commentary, wants the New York Times indicted for telling Americans that the Bush regime was caught violating US law, specifically the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, by spying on Americans without obtaining warrants as required by law. Note that neoconservatives think it is a criminal act for a newspaper to tell its readers that their government is spying on them illegally.

Judging by their behavior, a number of Democrats go along with the neocon view.

Judging by their behavior, a number of Democrats go along with the neocon view. Thus, the Democrats don’t offer a greatly different profile. They went along with the views that corporate profits and the war on terror take precedence over everything else. They have not used the congressional power that the electorate gave them in the 2006 elections.

Democrats, or at least some of them, do care about the Constitution. If it were not for Democratic appointees to the federal courts and the ACLU (essentially a Democratic organization), the Bush regime would have completely destroyed our civil liberties.

However, Democrats, or at least some of them, do care about the Constitution. If it were not for Democratic appointees to the federal courts and the ACLU (essentially a Democratic organization), the Bush regime would have completely destroyed our civil liberties. Some Democrats are "bleeding hearts," who actually care about suffering people they don’t know, and who think that we have obligations to others. Have you ever heard of a bleeding heart Republican?

Traditionally, Democrats objected whenever policies resulted in a handful of rich people capturing all of the income gains from the economy. There might still be a few such Democrats left.

Traditionally, Democrats objected whenever policies resulted in a handful of rich people capturing all of the income gains from the economy. There might still be a few such Democrats left. Looking at the Republican mess, I doubt that Democrats, try as they may, can equal it.

Paul Craig Roberts is an economist who served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration earning fame as the "Father of Reaganomics". He is a former editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Scripps Howard News Service. He is the author of Supply-Side Revolution: An Insider's Account of Policymaking in Washington; Alienation and the Soviet Economy: The Collapse of the Socialist Era and Meltdown: Inside the Soviet Economy, and is the co-author with Lawrence M. Stratton of The Tyranny of Good Intentions: How Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice.

This article is published in the Baltimore Chronicle with permission of the author.

Audacity of Hope as interpreted by the N.D. GOP

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:15:35 EDT

My sister sent me a mailing from the ND GOP, a pocket card with seven quotes plus page numbers from The Audacity of Hope (well maybe they'll go out and buy the book to look them up at least! :) ) by Barack Hussein Obama, plus special comments in RED made by the North Dakota GOP , interpretations and smears....its ignorant, stupid, and exasperating.

NO critical thinking here nor even meaningful discussion regarding the differences in issues. Just lies and more lies.

Produced I'm sure you all know by GaryEmineth, chairman, North Dakota Republican Party.

Gallup Poll July 27, 2008

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:07:50 EDT

PRINCETON, NJ -- Barack Obama now leads John McCain among national registered voters by a 49% to 40% margin in Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted July 24-26.

This represents a continuation of Obama's front-runner position evident in the last three Gallup Poll Daily tracking updates. The margin, coincident with the extensive U.S. news coverage of Obama's foreign tour, is the largest for Obama over McCain measured since Gallup began tracking the general election horserace in March. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.)

A key question remains as to whether this "bounce" is short-term (as happens to bounces in some instances following intense publicity surrounding a convention) or if his lead will persist -- the answer to which will become evident in the next several days. -- Frank Newport

Survey Methods

For the Gallup Poll Daily tracking survey, Gallup is interviewing no fewer than 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide each day during 2008.

The general-election results are based on combined data from July 24-26, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,692 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

To provide feedback or suggestions about how to improve Gallup.com, please e-mail feedback@gallup.com.

November, America's Roll of the Dice by John Hay

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:53:02 EDT

The presidential election - in the USA- does impact the entire world.

Read John Hay's newest article from Telling Thoughts. He expresses how the rest of the global world looks at this upcoming election.

http://www.tellingthoughts.com/us-politics/november-americas-roll-of-the-dice

9/11 and 4/11, Thomas Friedman July 20

Mary R. Il. — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:39:44 EDT

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By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Published: July 20, 2008

I am reliably told by a Bush administration official that there is an old saying in Texas that goes like this: “If all you ever do is all you’ve ever done, then all you’ll ever get is all you ever got.”

Skip to next paragraph Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Thomas L. Friedman

Go to Columnist Page »

Could anyone possibly come up with a better description of President Bush’s energy policy? America is in the midst of its worst energy crisis in years and what is the big decision our Decider has decided? Drum roll, please: Our Decider decided to lift the executive orders banning drilling for oil and natural gas off the country’s shoreline — even though he knew this was a meaningless gesture because a Congressional moratorium on drilling passed in 1981 remains in force.

The economist Paul Romer once said to me that “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” President Bush is well on his way to being remembered as the leader who wasted not one but two crises: 9/11 and 4/11. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. last week, according to the Energy Information Administration, was $4.11.

After 9/11, Mr. Bush had the chance to summon the country to a great nation-building project focused on breaking our addiction to oil. Instead, he told us to go shopping. After gasoline prices hit $4.11 last week, he had the chance to summon the country to a great nation-building project focused on clean energy. Instead, he told us to go drilling.

Neither shopping nor drilling is the solution to our problems.

What doesn’t the Bush crowd get? It’s this: We don’t have a “gasoline price problem.” We have an addiction problem. We are addicted to dirty fossil fuels, and this addiction is driving a whole set of toxic trends that are harming our nation and world in many different ways. It is intensifying global warming, creating runaway global demand for oil and gas, weakening our currency by shifting huge amounts of dollars abroad to pay for oil imports, widening “energy poverty” across Africa, destroying plants and animals at record rates and fostering ever-stronger petro-dictatorships in Iran, Russia and Venezuela.

When a person is addicted to crack cocaine, his problem is not that the price of crack is going up. His problem is what that crack addiction is doing to his whole body. The cure is not cheaper crack, which would only perpetuate the addiction and all the problems it is creating. The cure is to break the addiction.

Ditto for us. Our cure is not cheaper gasoline, but a clean energy system. And the key to building that is to keep the price of gasoline and coal — our crack — higher, not lower, so consumers are moved to break their addiction to these dirty fuels and inventors are moved to create clean alternatives.

I understand why consumers think we have a gasoline price problem — because they are immediately hurt by higher gas prices and the pump is where most people touch our energy system. They tend not to see the bigger picture. But that is why you have a president: to explain that and lay out a response.

Alas, we have a president and a vice president who deny that climate change is hurting our environmental body, who refuse to see the connection between the dollars we are shifting abroad and the rise of petro-dictators, who do not care about biodiversity loss and who are apparently untroubled by the sharp decline in the dollar, partly because of all the money we are paying for oil imports. So, they have chosen to define this as a “gasoline price crisis” — not an-addiction-to-a-fuel-that-is-badly-hurting-us-as-a-nation crisis.

If you want to know what an alternative strategy might look like, read the speech that Al Gore delivered on Thursday to the bipartisan Alliance for Climate Protection. Gore, the alliance’s chairman, called for a 10-year plan — the same amount of time John F. Kennedy set for getting us to the moon — to shift the entire country to “renewable energy and truly clean, carbon-free sources” to power our homes, factories and even transportation.

Mr. Gore proposed dramatically improving our national electricity grid and energy efficiency, while investing massively in clean solar, wind, geothermal and carbon-sequestered coal technologies that we know can work but just need to scale. To make the shift, he called for taxing carbon and offsetting that by reducing payroll taxes: Let’s “tax what we burn, not what we earn,” he said.

Whether you agree or not with Gore’s plan, at least he has a plan for dealing with the real problem we face — a multifaceted, multigenerational energy/environment/geopolitical problem.

This moment — $4.11 — represents Bush’s last chance for a legacy. It amazes me how inadequate his response has been. By hectoring the nation to simply drill for more oil, he has profoundly underestimated the challenges we face, misread the scale of the solutions required, underappreciated the American people’s willingness to sacrifice if presented with a real plan, and ignored the greatness that would accrue to our country if we led the world in clean power.

Bob Herberts column today in NYT July 19

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:17:00 EDT

YES WE CAN: Gore's vision.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/opinion/19herbert.html?hp

vacation time.

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:07:40 EDT

Maybe everyone needs a vacation, a rest. So that we can gear up for the fall reenergized and ready to go. I know I do.

censorship?

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:29:08 EDT

Are posts being censored? People being kicked out? Events being c ancelled?

Wonder whats happening?

Lifted from McCains website. Re: Roe vrs Wade

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:37:41 EDT

This is just one more huge reason to fight the election of McCain. The following is from McCain website.

Human Dignity and the Sanctity of Life

Overturning Roe v. Wade

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.

However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents only one step in the long path toward ending abortion. Once the question is returned to the states, the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby. The pro-life movement has done tremendous work in building and reinforcing the infrastructure of civil society by strengthening faith-based, community, and neighborhood organizations that provide critical services to pregnant mothers in need. This work must continue and government must find new ways to empower and strengthen these armies of compassion. These important groups can help build the consensus necessary to end abortion at the state level. As John McCain has publicly noted, "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level."

FISA

Mary R. Il. — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:53:05 EDT

FISA site OBAMA's comments and a place to post.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/rospars/gGxsZF

Why aren't folks looking for solutions rather than just attacking? Where's the trust? Why are the telecoms accountable rather than the President and his administration? THEY are the ones who broke the law. They are the ones who probably even before 9-11 began spying on the US. They are the ones who threatened telecoms and would go after them with regulatory bodies if they didn't comply. Why aren't they accountable? Whats up with punishing the victims and letting the master mind go free? Take away his pension, the pres, he'll get enough from his oil money anyway.

The Future of our World

Mary R. Il. — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:29:22 EDT

A young lady speaking at the UN about the future of the planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0

It says it all. Time to get together...

Everyone has a story to te, but we need to listen to them.

Mary R. Il. — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:04:23 EDT

From: Notes of the Universe.

It’s easy to forget sometimes that everyone has a story to tell if we take the time to listen. We are so accustomed to hearing the stories of people in the news that we sometimes lose track of the fact that the random stranger on the bus also has a fascinating story about where they came from and how they got to be where they are. The sheer variety of paths taken in this world, from farmers to CEOs to homeless people to world travelers, is indicative of how much we can learn from each individual. Sometimes the shy, quiet person at work has the most amazing life story and the biggest dreams, it is up to us to take the time to find out.

Some people travel a path of wealth and privilege, while others struggle with only themselves to rely on, and both have great stories to tell. Each person learns lessons, makes choices, and develops a unique perspective, which only they can claim and share. Even two people who have had very similar lives will have slightly different experiences, leading them to a different point of view, so each person remains a treasure trove waiting to be explored. When we take the time to ask questions and listen, we find that every person has a fascinating story to tell and an utterly unique perspective from which to tell it.

Bearing this in mind, we have the opportunity to approach the world around us in a new way. There is never any reason to be bored at a party, or on the bus, or in a conversation with a stranger. When we retain the spark of curiosity and the warmth required to open someone up, we always have in front of us the makings of a great story. All we have to do is ask.

Frustration

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:29:23 EDT

Fascinating that HQ deletes events rather than ask the host to change parameters etc. Rules seem to be changing midstream. but rather than send out a mass email explaning the new parameters, and asking that future events have x,y,z parameters, and that current ones be changed or they will be removed. They are just gone. ZIP, delete, wham bang thank you for nothing.

Not the way I'd like to see a "changed" & new Government run.

This feels so UNOBAMA-like.

An email from someone with no last name, with no explanation just gone. Bye bye!

I have written HQ but no response. I guess they like our donations but don't feel the need to react to supporters.

Frustration

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:28:54 EDT

An email from someone with no last name, with no explanation just gone. Bye bye!

I have written HQ but no response. I guess they like our donations but don't feel the need to react to supporters.

Al Gore and his endorsement.

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:20:35 EDT

Al Gore gave an outstanding speech in Detroit! He is the elder statesman for and genuine hero of the Democratic Party.

He took his defeat in 2000 with grace and dignity, and then turned his voice toward a world wide challenge where he has lead the way to an awakening of the citizens of the world to DO SOMETHING ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

Really Al Gore is a world organizer, Barack Obama a USA organizer. Aren't they just 2 peas in a pod! It was an exciting moment to watch! Thank you Al Gore for your leadership.

Strong emotions are on both sides of the primary race.

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:37:09 EDT

I completely understand that Obama won and Cinton did not. I also understand that it will take time for some of her supporters to cool off and be able to transfer their support to OBama. And I undrstand there may be those who can never make that transition.

I think the reverse can be true as well.

I think its only fair to acknowlege that there are some supporters of OBAMA who also need a few days to cool off and actually realize the "historic primary season" is over. That strong feelings regarding Senator Clinton may need time to simmer down, to disapate and to hopefully disappear. There are also some OBAMA supporters who will never lose the strong emotions toward the opponent and toward this primary race and all that happened around it.

So if there are those who would still be thinking about or blogging about Mrs Clinton and the primary, they need to be given a break for a bit as well. After the euphoria of winning this first contest, comes the reality of all that transpired in the battles won and lost.

It works both ways. Many need time. Maybe we all need a vacation from politics for a few days. I know I do.

from the Washington Post June 6. It never was about sexism.

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:01:41 EDT

by: Andrea Matinez: There is plenty of sexism in America, but I disagree with your contention that Hillary Clinton's failed candidacy, and the way it was covered by the media, revealed a widespread disdain for powerful women across the country. It would be insulting to the American people, and grossly unfair, for Clinton and her supporters to push such a postmortem.

Clinton's candidacy was always more about advancing the cause of one political dynasty than it was about advancing the cause of women -- and much of the visceral reaction against her bid was a visceral rejection of her familial claim to the throne. Clinton had a chance to become the first woman to occupy the White House, yes. But another historic milestone would have been her status as the first presidential spouse to be elected president. That she and her husband would have moved back into a White House most recently occupied by the son of a former president would have only perpetuated the notion that our nation's presidency is in danger of becoming a nepotistic trophy.

When Clinton first embarked upon her quest for the Democratic nomination, there was no sense that hers was a long-shot candidacy seeking to break through the proverbial glass ceiling. No, her candidacy was first and foremost the establishment/dynastic steamroller. The other Democratic candidates were deemed hapless underdogs. And remember those rumblings about whether staffers who dared to join other campaigns would ever again find gainful employment in Washington?

Clinton's campaign enveloped itself in a degree of inevitability practically unheard of in a non-incumbent primary campaign. (That's what accounted for much of the early negative press coverage; if journalists hate anything, it's a foreordained result.) Her seeming inevitability didn't stem from the novelty of her gender, of course. But it wasn't undermined by her gender, either. What made her the formidable front-runner, in a field in which she was neither the most experienced candidate nor the most charismatic one, was the fact that she was a Clinton -- able to command her husband's political network and to rely on the strength of the family brand.

Clinton's core problem was that too many Democratic voters, regardless of their fondness for Bill Clinton, weren't in the mood to back a quasi-incumbent or a restoration. The strength of "Brand Clinton" wasn't enough to overcome the thirst for Barack Obama's call for change. And Clinton's campaign was unable to reconcile its own pitch to go back with the electorate's desire to move on.

Her desperation at seeing the nomination drift away from her grasp fed the impression that she and her husband would say anything, or do anything, to win. Harsh criticism of Clinton's opportunism had nothing to do with sexism. Indeed, it's myopic to equate "negative" coverage with unfair coverage or to demand that all candidates receive equal doses of negative coverage. Candidates don't all behave with equal measures of callousness.

Tuesday's odd non-concession speech echoed Clinton's speech on the night of her Iowa primary loss way back when (was that really this year?!). Both nights, she seemed incapable of acknowledging the possibility that she might not be elected president. At other times, her campaign seemed exasperated merely because she had to compete for the crown Clinton so richly deserved. Bill Clinton's ugly efforts to downplay Obama's strong performance in South Carolina was one sad manifestation of this exasperation. So were Team Clinton's over-the-top attacks on those, like New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who didn't remain loyal to the family dynasty.

Hillary Clinton is undoubtedly capable and qualified to be president. But her failure to secure the nomination cannot, and should not, be interpreted as a repudiation of women in politics or as a sexist verdict. Consider it a repudiation of dynastic arrogance.

McSame and Reproductive Rights

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:07:08 EDT

This needs to get out to not only OBAMA supporters but all Dems once the primary season is over.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/unmasking-mccain-his-
reac

Arianna Huffington

Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive Rights
stumbleupon :Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive
Rights digg: Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive
Rights reddit: Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive
Rights del.icio.us: Unmasking McCain: His Reactionary Record on
Reproductive Rights Review it on NewsTrust Yahoo Buzz: Unmasking
McCain: His Reactionary Record on Reproductive Rights

Posted May 26, 2008 | 04:11 PM (EST)

We've seen the exit polls. We've read the unequivocal quotes. Many
women who are avowed Hillary Clinton supporters are declaring they
won't vote for Barack Obama in the fall.

I get the anger and the disappointment. But to quote SNL's Amy Poehler
and Seth Meyers: Really? You'd rather vote for John McCain, a man who
has a 25-year history of voting against a woman's right to choose? A
man who over the last eight years that NARAL has released a pro-choice
scorecard has received a 0 percent rating (in his time in office, Obama
has received a 100 percent rating)? A man whose campaign website says
he believes Roe v. Wade "must be overturned"? A man who has vowed that,
as president, he will be "a loyal and unswerving friend of the right to
life movement"?

Really?

In Clinton vs. Obama, the policy differences were minor (hence the
overriding focus on minutiae like flag pins, Bosnian sniper fire, and
the real meaning of "bitter"). In McCain vs. Obama, the differences are
enormous. Staying the course in Iraq vs. ending an unnecessary and
immoral war. Universal health care vs. less regulation for insurance
companies. Rolling back the Bush tax cuts vs. making them permanent.

And nowhere is the difference more profound than with reproductive
rights.

For anyone -- male or female -- who cares about reproductive rights,
family planning, and women's health issues, the choice this fall is not
even close.

And yet many voters have no idea how extreme McCain's position on these
issues is.

I was in Seattle last week giving a speech at a fundrasing lunch for
Votes! Washington, the political arm of Planned Parenthood in
Washington State. At the event, the group's CEO Elaine Rose told me
about a poll that Planned Parenthood had commissioned of women in 16
battleground states [pdf]. The results are startling:

Over half of all women in these states have no idea what McCain's
positions are on reproductive health. Forty-nine percent of women in
battleground states who currently favor McCain are pro-choice.
Twenty-three percent of them believe McCain agrees with them on choice.

The good news is, 36 percent of pro-choice McCain supporters are less
likely to vote for him after learning that McCain opposes Roe v. Wade
and favors making most abortions illegal. That number hits 38 percent
when those voters learn that McCain has also consistently voted against
expanding access to programs that reduce pregnancy and the need for
abortion, consistently voted in favor of abstinence-only programs, and
against legislation requiring insurance companies to cover birth
control.

The poll's encouraging conclusion:

The simple arithmetic of these findings suggests that just filling
in McCain's actual voting record and his publicly stated positions on a
handful of key issues has the potential to diminish his total vote
share among battleground women voters by about 17 to 20 percentage
points.

Clearly, when it comes to this key issue, the more voters learn about
McCain, the less they like him. So let me add to the educational
process:

Since 1983, in votes in the House and the Senate (where he has served
since 1987), McCain has cast 130 votes on abortion and other
reproductive-rights issues. 125 of those votes were anti-choice [pdf].
Among his voting lowlights:

He has repeatedly voted to deny low-income women access to abortion
care except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's life
(although McCain is now wavering on trying to put these exceptions into
the party platform).

He voted to shut down the Title X family-planning program, which
provides millions of women with health care services ranging from birth
control to breast cancer screenings.

He voted against legislation that established criminal and civil
penalties for those who use threats and violence to keep women from
gaining access to reproductive health clinics.

He voted to uphold the policy that bans overseas health clinics from
receiving aid from America if they use their own funds to provide legal
abortion services or even adopt a pro-choice position.

Of his anti-choice voting record, McCain has said, "I have many, many
votes and it's been consistent," proudly adding: "And I've got a
consistent zero from NARAL" through the years. And last month he told
Chris Matthews: "The rights of the unborn is one of my most important
values."

What's more, McCain has made it very clear that if he becomes president
he will appoint judges in the Scalia, Roberts, Alito mold. His big
judicial speech earlier this month was filled with coded buzz words
that make it clear that, if given the chance, he'd replace 88-year-old
Justice John Paul Stevens with an anti-choice Justice who would tip the
scales against Roe v Wade. Throw in an additional anti-choice
replacement for the 75-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and you can kiss
the right to choose good-bye for a long, long time.

That's why the unmasking of John McCain is job Number One between now
and November.

The only way John McCain can win is if his reactionary views on choice
and women's health issues remain obscured by his faux maverick
reputation and the blinding disappointment of Clinton die-hards.

There is too much at stake to let that happen.

help needed in South Dakota

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:00:12 EDT

Due to phone outages, South Dakota is in need to people to go door to door to help get out the vote. As many as 80,000 lines are out tonight. The crazy weather of this spring is affecting folks everywhere.

Please if you can, contact the South Dakota Obama Action team and help them out.

the big question, Will she really drop out in June or take it to the convention?

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:48:59 EDT

The opponent does NOT say she will drop out in June, she's says "when there is a nominee." That could be Denver. And since I do not trust her one iota, my gut is saying it will be later rather than sooner.

Right now she seems to be in charge of the Democtatic Party timetable..its all about not offending HRC. How long will this love-fest go on? Why is she, not the leader of the pack BO, in charge of timing? What? Give the leader not the follower control? I thought there were some perks to being the winner..or is that a rule of the past too, one that can be changed every time Her Royal Cxxx decides she wants to change the end line? If shes so wonderful, why is everyone afraid of her? Lets look at that dynamic too.

OBAMA was very magnamious of her last evening during his talk from Des Moines. But she is about campaigning for 2012. And if she drags her fight on long enough, the party will fracture and she knows that as well as you and I know it. They are not stupid. She is not stupid. Cunning and caring about herself is a more apt description in my opinion.

I'm glad OBAMA is not using grassroots resources to campagin in states he will not win. What a waste of money that can be better used for the general election , if that ever gets started.

Time to move this campaign forward. Too much is at stake to continue to make nice with Hillary while she backstabs and stomps her feet.

A how to handle angry HRC supporters, let them mourn

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:49:39 EDT

Being a therapist I was also going to write about the process the HRC supporters will go through before they will come over to the OBAMA campaign. We have to let them grieve and NOT gloat no matter what. I received this following email ..

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jonathan Kamens <jik+barack@kamens.brookline.ma.us>
Date: Wed, May 14, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Subject: [ObamaRapidResponse] Please let Clinton supporters mourn
To: Obama Rapid Response <ObamaRapidResponse@groups.barackobama.com>

I was going to wait until Clinton had conceded the nomination to write about this, but judging from the NARAL thing that's going on today, it's time to do it now.

We need to give Clinton's supporters a little time to mourn her loss before we engage them. We cannot and should not expect them to jump on board the O-Train the moment the nomination is settled. They are going to go through the same stages of mourning that anyone goes through who has lost a loved one - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - and until they get to the last one, they are not going to be interested in being accosted by us trying to get them to unite around Obama.

If we give them their space, then most of them will eventually come around, regardless of what the silly polls say about how many of them claim they won't vote for Obama if Clinton loses. Believe me, when the reality sinks in, the numbers will change.

However, approaching them too soon won't make the numbers change sooner. Instead, it has the potential to solidify their opposition to Obama and their decision not to vote for him in November.

In short, if we don't give the Clinton supporters time and space to mourn, it will hurt Obama.

What's going on today with NARAL and Emily's List is an excellent example of what I'm talking about. Many of the women who are Clinton's core supporters are also NARAL's core supporters. They are still in denial about Clinton's loss, and they are angry at what they see as NARAL's betrayal (note: denial and anger, the first two stages of morning; the stages can overlap). It is not at all surprising that there are tons of angry comments about the endorsement on the NARAL Web site. We need to be very, very careful about what we post there. In particular, do not engage the people posting the angry comments. Posting polite messages expressing your support for Obama and thanking NARAL for their endorsement probably wouldn't do too much damage, although I don't even recommend that. Let them calm down, and they'll get over it. Inflame them, and they might not.

You can be sure that NARAL knew what they were getting into when they decided to endorse Obama. They've got their flame-proof underwear on, and they don't need you to protect them.

Please, folks, let's not screw this up. We need those votes in November.

Thanks,

Jonathan Kamens

No funds for DNC, BHO, HRC from here!

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:47:31 EDT

I cannot give any money to this new fundraising group, the DNC, OBAMA , and HRC. I personally cannot do anything that would give her a vote, money, nothing. My feelings run that deep. Since the money can be used toward the primaries, or the general election, it seems to be a fund for HRC and her debt that she brought on HERSELF.

NONONONONONONONONONONONONO.

Why is OBAMA using his good name to bail her out. She had her own decisions to make, and frankly if you don't have the money, you should not spend it. This is for me a huge disappointment. It smacks of politics of "old". This is not what I signed on for.

Voting Fraud Myth? NYT op ed. 5/13/08

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:19:51 EDT

There is work to be done as far as voting rights, voting machines are concerned...

Editorial The Myth of Voter Fraud * Published: May 13, 2008

Missouri and at least 19 other states are considering passing laws that would force people to prove their citizenship before they can vote. These bills are not a sincere effort to prevent noncitizens from voting; that is a made-up problem. The real aim is to reduce turnout by eligible voters. Republicans seem to think that laws of this kind will help them win elections, but burdensome rules like these — and others cropping up around the country — pose a serious threat to democracy and should be stopped. Skip to next paragraph The Board Blog The BoardAdditional commentary, background information and other items by Times editorial writers. Go to The Board » Related Voter ID Battle Shifts to Proof of Citizenship (May 12, 2008) Times Topics: Voter Registration and Requirements Readers' Comments Share your thoughts on this editorial. * Post a Comment » * Read All Comments (51) » The Missouri legislature is, as Ian Urbina reported in The Times on Monday, on the verge of passing an amendment to the State Constitution that would require proof of citizenship from anyone registering to vote. In addition to the Missouri amendment, which would require voter approval, Florida, Kansas, South Carolina and other states are considering similar rules. There is no evidence that voting by noncitizens is a significant problem. Illegal immigrants do their best to remain in the shadows, to avoid attracting government attention and risking deportation. It is hard to imagine that many would walk into a polling place, in the presence of challengers and police, and try to cast a ballot. There is, however, ample evidence that a requirement of proof of citizenship will keep many eligible voters from voting. Many people do not have birth certificates or other acceptable proof of citizenship, and for some people, that proof is not available. One Missouri voter, Lillie Lewis, said at a news conference last week that officials in Mississippi, where she was born, told her they had no record of her birth. Proof of citizenship is just one of an array of new barriers to voting that have been springing up across the country. Indiana adopted a tough new photo ID voting requirement, over objections from Democrats that it would prevent eligible voters from casting a ballot. The critics were right. In last week’s Indiana primary, a group of about 12 nuns in their 80s and 90s were prevented from voting because they lacked acceptable ID. As with Missouri’s proposed amendment, the driving force behind strict voter ID requirements in general is not a genuine effort to prevent fraud, since there is virtually no evidence that in-person voter fraud is occurring. It is, rather, the Republican Party’s electoral calculations. Barriers at the polls drive down voter turnout, especially among the poor, racial minorities and students — groups that are less likely than average to have driver’s licenses, and that are more likely than average to vote Democratic. The imposition of harsh new requirements to vote has become a partisan issue, but it should not be. These rules are an assault on democracy itself. The current conservative Supreme Court showed last month, in its ruling upholding the Indiana ID law, that it will not perform its historical role of protecting voters. That puts the burden on state legislators, governors, state courts and ordinary citizens to ensure that the right to vote is not taken away for partisan political gain.

Rank Rich op ed 5/11/08

Mary R. Il. — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:40:33 EDT

Frank Rcih 's Party like its 2008;

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/opinion/11rich.html?ref=opinion

a tribute to OBAMA

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:48:03 EDT

from myway.com

By CHARLES BABINGTON (AP) Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., smiles during a rally in the Memorial...
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'); Google sponsored linksThe Real Barack Obama - The truth behind the canditate - "Barack Obama Exposed" - Free!
www.HumanEvents.com

Hugh Downs Reports - Little known heart attack symptom many people tragically ignore.
www.bottomlinesecrets.com

WASHINGTON (AP) - The amazement was on their faces. Hundreds waited for Barack Obama on that evening in South Carolina, 15 weeks ago, to claim victory - a surprising victory, surprisingly large.

And amazing it was. It made it possible for him to stand today on the verge of being the first black person ever nominated for president by a major party.

One could guess the thoughts of the blacks and whites in that crowd: Can you believe that our state - South Carolina, first to secede and first to open fire in the Civil War - is now catapulting a black man to the front of the presidential contest in a year that bodes well for Democrats?

"Race doesn't matter," some began to chant. "Race doesn't matter!"

(AP) Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a rally at the University...
Full ImageThe cry soon gave way to more familiar chants of "Yes we can," and everyone in the auditorium surely knew that race does still matter in so many ways. But in a pinch-me moment, they seemed to realize that a barrier had been broken with a swiftness and certainty that even they had not foreseen.

Even more astounding, the man vaulting ahead of the universally known former first lady, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, had been a state legislator only four years earlier - a lawyer with no fame, wealth or family connections.

Now, the entire nation and countless foreigners are absorbing a moment that had seemed decades away, if possible at all. Smart strategists and rank-and-file voters ponder how Obama rose so far so fast, and theories abound. Historians will sort it out someday, but Obama's blend of oratory, biography, optimism and cool confidence come to mind most immediately.

It's not just about him, of course. If America can seriously think of putting a black man in the White House, surely it must also profoundly rethink the relevance of race, the power of prejudice, the logic of affirmative action and other societal forces that have evolved slowly through the eras of Jim Crow, desegregation and massive immigration.

Maybe the toughest question is this:

(AP) In this file photo of Oct. 12, 2004, Illinois Democratic candidate Barack Obama smiles during the...
Full ImageIs Obama, with his incandescent smile and silky oratory, a once-in-a-century phenomenon who will blast open doors only to see them quickly close on less extraordinary blacks?

Or is he the lucky and well-timed beneficiary of racial dynamics that have changed faster than most people realized, a trend that presumably will soon yield more black governors, senators, mayors and council members?

Presidential campaigns have destroyed many bright and capable politicians. But there's ample evidence that Obama is something special, a man who makes difficult tasks look easy, who seems to touch millions of diverse people with a message of hope that somehow doesn't sound Pollyannaish.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, a black Maryland Democrat who endorsed Obama early, says the Illinois senator convinces people of all races that Americans as a society, and as individuals, can achieve higher goals if they try.

"He says we can do better, and his life is the epitome of doing better," says Cummings, noting that Obama was raised by a single mother who sometimes relied on food stamps. "He convinces people that there's a lot of good within them."

(AP) In this April 28, 2008 file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.,...
Full ImageAnd why should they believe such feel-good platitudes? "Because he's real and he has confidence in his own competence," Cummings says.

Without question, Obama is an electrifying speaker. At virtually every key juncture in his trajectory, he has used inspirational oratory to generate excitement, buy time to deal with crises, and force party activists to rethink their assumptions that a black man with an African name cannot seriously vie for the presidency.

A prime-time speech at the Democratic convention in Boston catapulted him to national attention in 2004. When his presidential campaign badly trailed Clinton's high-flying operation, he gave it new life with a timely Iowa speech that outshone her remarks moments earlier on the same stage. And a heavily covered March 18 speech about race relations calmed criticisms about his ties to his former pastor, although Obama had to revisit the matter when the minister restated incendiary remarks about the government.

Obama has a compelling biography, too. The son of a black African father he barely knew, and a white Kansan mother who took him from Hawaii to Indonesia, he was largely raised by his white maternal grandparents. He finished near the top of his Harvard law class, then rejected big firms' salaries to work as a community organizer in Southside Chicago, where he found a church, his wife and a place that felt like home.

But all those attributes don't explain the Obama phenomenon.

(AP) In this Feb. 5, 2008 file photo, a photograph of Barack Obama Sr., father of Democratic...
Full ImageOther great orators have fallen short of the presidency, including Daniel Webster and William Jennings Bryan.

Plenty of brilliant people have tried and failed, too. Bill Bradley was a Princeton graduate, basketball star and Rhodes Scholar.

Intriguing biographies aren't enough, either. John Glenn was an astronaut and American hero, but he couldn't get off the presidential launchpad.

Jim Margolis, a veteran campaign strategist now working for Obama, thinks it is his blend of all these traits, wrapped in "authenticity," which makes Obama's message of hope and inclusion seem plausible, not pie in the sky.

Margolis interviewed many of Obama's Harvard classmates for TV ads and documentaries. They told him Obama "was wise beyond his years, and never talked down to people," Margolis said.

(AP) In this Feb. 20, 2008 file photo, a supporter cries as Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack...
Full Image"He has this amazing ability to connect with people and understand their problems," he said. "And through it all, there is this optimism."

For a politician with only four years of experience at the federal level, Obama also has spot-on instincts, associates say, and a steely confidence in his convictions, in good times and bad. His roughest patch came after Clinton revived her campaign with wins in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and a renewed uproar over Obama's former pastor threatened to consume his campaign.

Obama rejected advice to criticize Clinton more fiercely, and went back to his themes of political and racial reconciliation. His solid win in North Carolina and near miss in Indiana confirmed his judgment.

Obama and his small core of longtime advisers also outsmarted the vaunted Clinton team by focusing early on small caucus states, where he racked up important wins. His fundraising has been nothing short of astounding, with millions of dollars pouring in via the Internet from people who never gave a politician a dime.

Obama fans often search for words to express their attraction.

"He just really electrifies you when you are listening to him," said Lena Bradley, 78, a beauty salon owner in Washington. "He has something that's leading him."

As ephemeral as "something that's leading him" sounds, it's hard to explain in more clinical terms his impact on people. But it's there.

As recently as June 2006, a lone reporter could travel with Obama in cars and small planes as he campaigned for other Democrats in state after state. On one such visit to Massachusetts and New Jersey, his charm was on full display before crowds of various size, age and ethnic makeup. He made teenagers guffaw by saying people pronounced his name "Yo Mama." He quoted scripture in a black church, and set every head nodding.

On a plane ride he talked with the reporter for an hour, on the record, with barely a hint of the nervousness or hedging that most politicians understandably display to someone with a pen, pad and tape recorder.

Before an audience of 300 people in East Orange, N.J., Obama spotted local resident and famous singer Dionne Warwick. He smiled impishly and sang, "If you see me walking down the street," the opening line of her hit, "Walk on By." The crowd roared its approval of his on-key ad lib.

Some veteran politicians also see "something that's leading" Obama, whether they can explain it or not.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a longtime friend and supporter, said "nothing was ever the same" after Obama's Boston speech.

Durbin recalls pulling Obama into a vacant meeting room in Chicago's Union League Club, where both had spoken on a Friday afternoon in November 2006. He felt it was time for his young colleague to decide whether to run for the White House.

"There are moments in life when you can pick the time," Durbin said he told Obama. "But when it comes to running for president, the time can pick you. You've been picked. This is your moment."

A short time later, Obama launched his candidacy.

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Fired Up and Ready to Go..a great new nusic video

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:23:07 EDT

This video will get you:

Fired up and Ready to GO!!

Fired Up, Ready to Go

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4

The hard truth of the USA today.

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:42:31 EDT

Thomas Friedman's oped Sunday May 3, 2008,

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04friedman.html

It is past time to get back to values that can move a country forward, not leave it behind.

Earth Day National Sustainable Design Expo

Mary R. Il. — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:26:01 EDT

We were in Washington DC on Earth Day 2008 and the only thing on the National Mall was the 4th Annual Sustainability Design Expo. It was awesome, but sad that so few outsiders came to see what the EXPO and the student projects within were about.

57 teams from colleges and universities across this country won grants last year from the EPA, whereby they would create or design or develop or invent new technologies, new ideas, new programs to develop Sustainable innovations for the future.

They each presented their years worth of R & D at the Expo April 20 - 22 on the National Mall. It poured rain, 2 out of 3 days, but the students were still there in the tent except when they were evacuated due to lightening. They were the only event on the Mall on April 22, Earth Day.

At the Awards ceremony one of the speakers mentioned how important it was for these young brilliant minds to be able to work together, with each other and with people of differing points of view, "across the aisle as it were" as they will lead not only the US but the world to a place where we can all hope to protect and preserve this planet.

It felt to this observer that this group was: part of the Change We Wish to See and are: the Change themselves. It was an OBAMA Moment forsure.

Obama is needed in the White House for thousands of varying reasons, and included is to bring back to not only the nation's capitol, Earth Day, but make it Earth Day every day of the Year.

Go Green

O'Bama

The WJC Foundation secrets ..is HRC really "fully vetted?"

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:25:49 EDT

Here's todays Wall street Journal article on the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation secrets.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120908058761543293.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks

While the Obama campaign may choose to not bring up HRC's claims of " being fully vetted..here's one area where she is lying & shrouded in secrecy... again. And the potential for CONFLICT OF INTEREST/BUYING THE PRESIDENCY is certainly far more serious & damaging than the wearing of a lapel pin.

Maybe the superdelegates need to read this , again. No more drama, Vote Obama.

How to manage this paradox ?

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:46:30 EDT

O Supporters give money to Obama's cmpaign.

O Supporters write to MSM's to stop the ceaseless Obama bashing /support of Clinton candidacy (the MSM's want to keep the campaign going.)

O supporters boycott sponsors of the MSM programs that are anti OBAMA (Cnn, Fox, MSNBC, ABC, etc.) .

The O campaign spends Millions of SUPPORTERS DOLLARS to run ads on TV and on the very networks who bash him, in the states where he is competing.

Who wins this game...the MSM's of course.

Something really stinks here. How is this "new politics"?

Dick Cheney Interview in 1994

Mary R. Il. — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:13:24 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BEsZMvrq-I

This is a video clip of Cheney being interviewed in 1994 after Desert Storm and why they didn't go into Baghdad then. In his own worrds.

They (administration) are morally corrupt and should be tried for crimes against humanity. They always knew what would happen.

My DC /LIncoln moment.

Mary R. Il. — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:41:40 EDT

My trip to Washington DC this past weekend was extrodinary. We like many other tourists visited the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Wall, the National Mall, and the Lincoln Memorial. When we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday ( Earth Day 2008) I was shaking. Me a middle aged white woman from Illinois who supports Barack Obama for President of the United States of America, having a goosebump moment while walking up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial.

When going up those steps to see Abraham Lincoln, I was wearing my OBAMA pin (made in Illinois by supporters and sent to supporters around the country) I was overwhelmed with the idea that Barack Obama could one day in the not so distant future be a President just like Abraham Lincoln. Seeing Lincoln sitting there, reading his speeches that are so riveting for every generation, "Four Score and 7 years ago...all men are created equal...and that this country of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth..." was a stunning moment for me, to think and to whisper to Abe that its taken too many years, but that a man who he-AL-gave his life for, could one day be enshrined near that place as well. And that Barack OBAMA is also "of the people, by the people, and for the people", well I wept.

It was so amazing to be there, to see and remember the past, and to have such HOPE for the future.

On the other hand, as I was walking down those very same steps. it occurred to me that this is what the Clintons want...their own memorial to them, the first married couple as Presidents, the first woman as President. In fact the only way Bill Clinton will ever be memoralized as a President with any legacy at all, is for his wife to be elected. On his own, he gave away his opportuntiy for any sort of greatness with the blue dress. He and they want this for themselves. I could feel this so strongly too, standing on those steps. They want this not for the country but for themselves to become historically relevant.

Think of it, the drama, the lies, the hypocrisy, the vengefulness, the shameful behaviors, the beacons of the "ME" generation, enshrined in DC for as long as the earth would survive.

This cannot and will not be.

OBAMA 08. 12

4000 dead.

Mary R. Il. — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:03:26 EDT

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/15983/original.jpg

I'm posting this image in case I would forget why I hate the GOP so much and to remind myself day to day when I'm having a cup of coffee at home, whats really at stake here.

US Lives.

the BUSH/Cheney for oil affair.

i need to figure out..

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:51:48 EDT

why I'm feeling rather conceited.. I have written suggestions to OBama senatorial website, and also here on the campaign website. Sometimes the ideas have been used..I 'm sure I'm not the only one with these ideas..and that they have come from HQ (btw I 'm looking for a job and live in the Chicago metro area!) lol!

Anyway I was most proud when I wrote and talked about the number of deaths last year at various Chicago Public Schools how there were as many or more than the very tragic shootings at Va Tech but had no notice paid to them. The Chicago public school kids are just as important. OBama did talk about this..and I was thrilled..its a wierd thing even when it really wasn't you, but it makes one feel so connected!! I think its part of what makes OBAMA so great...they mayjust pick and use some of the thoughts coming from the "grassroots " which no matter how many have suggested , its still feels so personal.

Coincidence may be in play here.....glad to see the "bus tour" going forward, and people paying attention to sponsors of programs rather than just the networks themselves..

Its so eerie and powerful at the same time..to be thinking in a campaign mode..

shower thoughts

Mary R. Il. — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:41:49 EDT

After listening to THE SEECH today, how could I forget about the "discrimination" Kate felt ..at being learning disabled...how girls would not play with her, how parents didn't want her and "kids like her" in the classroom with their high achieving children. No tolerence or understanding there. It was so awful to watch a child be put down, to feel even more different than she already was.

The closest thing I guess for me a very fortunate white middle aged woman to have gone through personally, to how a person of another race must feel in this society of too many un-enlighted people, many of whom have never thought outside their own comfort zone. It's why I so often hate where I live, an affluent white community, that is supposedly highly educated and ought to know better. But its all about them. How to move them outside their comfort zone to really take a look at other people. Maybe there needs to be speeeches or sermons like Rev Wrights, to shake people out of their complacency.

But the speech..wow .. to have a political candidate put these issues up front and on the dinner table. One man's dreams should not be at the expense of anothers...POWERFUL POWERFUL! We are all in this together..and we need to listen and learn from each other. And have tolerance.

What is the saying ...'don't judge another, unless you have walked a mile in his moccasins."

Just thinking

Mary R. Il. — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:18:38 EDT

Hmm wondering about Rev Wright. Isn't this just like loving the alcoholic..you can love the person but hate the disease? 12 step program empowerment.

Also his "the chickens have come home to roost comment" regarding 9/11. The attack didn't come out of the blue. The US is sadly never innocent, way too big a player to be an innocent bystander. I think Rev Wrights comments are food for thought. IF we'd allow ourselves to actually view us the US as those outside our borders do.

Lets think outside the box instead of reacting to what we're fed.