A Change Is Gonna Come

Journey to History

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:50:48 EST

So you want to know how it all went, the juicy details, the tidbits and stories picked up while traveling to our nation's capital to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

Well, most of the story you already know. A movement was born 23 months ago, the hard work of millions led to the most important election of our lifetimes, and our side won! And before us lies the daunting task of rebuilding our economy, our esteem abroad and our confidence in ourselves.

We little know the big picture of what lies ahead. All we can surmise at this point is the first impression our new president gave to America and the world, and it was a mighty strong one.

Getting there, on my part, involved getting on one of Walt Dixie's two buses in the parking lot of a grocery store on Syracuse's East Side. We left just after 8 p.m., driving through the chilly night in good spirits and great fellowship, even in the wee hours.

Walt was quite right in saying that the easy part was getting to Washington. Though you had lines in the New Carrollton Metro station, we got on board quite easily, with special tickets featuring the picture of our new president, and arrived at L'Enfant Square before 6 a.m.

What followed, on my part, was a whole lot of walking in a feeble attempt to get to the security checkpoint on Constitution Avenue. Turns out, having a purple ticket wasn't all it was supposed to be, as the numerous stories have filtered out about waiting in lines and never even getting into the viewing venue near the Capitol.

The walking part consumed two hours as the sun rose over the gathering masses. Quickly, I had to decide - battle the security, or just surrender. As it turned out, the choice was quite easy.

Around 8:30 a.m., the ticket quest ended and I waded into the gathering vigil of hundreds of thousands of my fellow citizens in the National Mall, wedged in cardboard-covered grass between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. They were of all ages, all races, and every background imaginable. And every person I talked to seemed to come from a different state, welled up with pride about what they were about to witness.

Never mind that the ground we occupied stood a solid distance from the nearest Jumbotron, or that the audio from the speakers took some time to get cranked up, or that...well, it was quite cold (thank God for the sunshine). Everyone waited with anticipation, armed with the vast army of hand-held Stars and Stripes handed out by volunteers.

As the dignitaries came out to the podium, they got varied responses. Colin Powell got a nice cheer. The Carters and Clintons were warmly greeted. Dick Cheney, wheelchair-bound in his best Mr. Potter imitation, was not. And any sighting of the outgoing president triggered boos and a lot of "Na na na na Hey hey hey goodbye" singing. They were still doing it when Michelle Obama was being introduced! Not that classy, in my book.

But when it culminated with Barack Obama, splendidly attired in a dark suit and red tie, walking out to the stage, the roar was unleashed - and so were the flags. What a sight for the whole world to see - Americans, even in this down time, proud of their country and proud of their soon-to-be president. It was moving stuff, and no one had said a word yet.

Much of the ceremony itself passed like a blur. Dianne Feinstein said some great words. Rick Warren's prayer fit the moment. Aretha was..well, Aretha. Joe Biden got through his oath just fine, and yes the other musical number was mimed....but it was also 20 degrees outside.

Then, at 12:05, the moment....Barack Obama on one side, Chief Justice John Roberts on the other, Michelle, Malia and Sasha between them, Obama's left hand on the same Bible Lincoln used on March 4, 1861....and Roberts screws up the words! I knew so, and flinched a bit, but few around me likely noticed that the exact oath put in the Constitution 222 years ago was not said.

No matter, though - when Obama said, "So Help Me God", the roar was deafening, the flags waved again, and the wondrous act, perfected in our country, of a peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next had renewed itself once more. But it had never, ever meant as much as it did right now.

If you read Obama's inaugural address, it is quite beautiful. Mentions of scripture, an honest assessment of our many crises, a firm resolve to meet them, both here and abroad, a call for shared sacrifice and service from all of us, and a final evocation not of Lincoln, FDR or JFK, but the words of George Washington himself in the midst of the Revolutionary War. They faced long odds and prevailed. And YES WE CAN do the same.

The poem was nice, and Joseph Lowery's benediction was awesome. But the end part really got me. As the Navy Sea Chanters sang "The Star-Spangled Banner", I found myself singing it, too, loudly, like never before, and almost coming to tears. Never had that song, heard thousands of times before, meant so much. Never had I felt so proud to be an American than on this glorious day.

After a couple of hours drinking in the moment, it was time to head out. Getting back to Maryland, for my part, wasn't too hard (though quite cold), but it took a few hours for everyone on our buses to get back....so the drive home was mostly a lot of sleep, but we got back safely, just after 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. No parade, no inaugural ball...but we had experienced so much anyway.

When my parents called later, I recalled some of the hang-ups with the purple ticket, but Mom was right - at least I was there. I wished every American who wanted to could have been there. It felt like a pep rally for our entire nation, and when I read about how people around the world stopped what they were doing to watch this, it only made the moment more special.

Now back home, all of us, as citizens, have to live up to our part of the bargain. President Obama (it feels so good just to type those words) will do all he can, but we must do the same in our own communities - by being active in our communities, by volunteering, by doing anything we can to help our fellow man. Only by doing this can we pull through this trying time.

And there will be lots of time to hash out the issues. But if nothing else, we all got a chance to share in one of the landmark events in America's history, an event we all helped to make possible.

The Cusp of History

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:03:50 EST

It's no longer a matter of months, or weeks, or even days. Now it is just hours before Barack Obama raises his right hand and solemnly swears, upon the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used in 1861, to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution.

And in that moment, America will be reborn.

You can see the rebirth happening already. The immense crowds are already gathering in Washington, and anyone who watched that HBO concert today must have found their soul stirred and their eyes moved to tears. Just the picture of Obama, at the Lincoln Memorial, speaking to the masses under the watchful gaze of our greatest of presidents...the torch passed again.

By an immense stroke of good fortune, I will be among those masses Tuesday, just a proud citizen witnessing one of the most breathtaking events in American history. It's impossible to express the emotions I will feel going there, because there's nothing in life that can compare to being at an event of this prestige.

Through 23 months of being part of this movement, what has been so beautiful to see, especially in these days leading up to the inauguration, is the sense of support and good wishes that people of all persuasions are giving Barack Obama.

To me, that goes beyond common courtesy, and even goes beyond the fact that Obama is following the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush. It relates to a theme common throughout our history - our need for a hero in tough times.

Usually, it's the kind of impulse with its roots in military struggles. It's what drove Americans to support Washington and make him our first president, and helped push men like Jackson, Taylor, Grant and Eisenhower to the White House. Immense success on one field of battle translated into votes and the Oval Office.

Obviously, the military question doesn't apply here. Instead, it's the historic oddity of having seen, twice in our nation's annals, the specatcle of a failed presidency followed by the glory of another.

James Buchanan did nothing while seeing America ripped apart by slavery, yet it set the stage for Lincoln and his incomparable achievements. Herbert Hoover did little for three years while the Great Depression worsened, but out of those ashes came FDR, arguably the best president of the 20th century.

Sound familiar? Well I believe, and surely all of you do as well, that our trying times gives Barack Obama a chance to be one of our great presidents. Look at the way he has already inspired millions to improve their own lives, and made people around the world look at the United States in a more positive light.

The work to change America only began with Obama's election and his inauguration. We know the burden he faces, but he cannot do it alone. We must, in the months and years ahead, work and strive and volunteer in our communities in the same positive, YES WE CAN spirit that made our campaign so special and successful.

First, though, comes that pep talk on Tuesday, with the whole world watching. We are all ready for it, too.

A Story We Can Relate To

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:46:06 EST

They went through the formal procedure of the Electoral College in the 50 states and District of Columbia, the next step toward making Barack Obama the President of the United States. They will confirm it in Congress Jan. 6, and two weeks later, Mr. President-Elect raises his right hand, swears on the Bible, and becomes Mr. President with the whole world watching.

How wonderful, how refreshing it will be to see an American president respected and loved again. As we all saw in Iraq Sunday, they don't exactly feel that way about Obama's predecessor, and that's a big reason why Obama's presidency will be so transformative.

If we have learned anything in 2008, it's the fact that America can change, that our people can take charge of their nation's destiny if properly motivated by an inspiring leader. You have to give them hope - a phrase we've heard before.

Tonight, I went to see "Milk", the brilliant Gus Van Sant film about Harvey Milk, the man who became America's first openly gay elected official when selected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, only to be murdered a year later by a fellow supervisor who also shot and killed Mayor George Moscone.

Aside from the quality and the majesty of Sean Penn's performance in the title role, what kept striking me was the eerie timeliness of this film, coming in the year where California voters approved Prop 8, banning gay marriage - in other words, taking away the right for gay couples to be as happy and protected by the law as straight couples. A step back, to be sure.

Oh, and there was another reason it was all timely. Harvey Milk built his political power from a single neighborhood, San Francisco's Castro District. It was a genuine grass-roots movement of people fighting for their right to exist and be full human beings, challenging a status quo that frightened them, intimidated them and put them in the closet.

The overriding theme was that, to build a movement, as Milk said himself numerous times, "You gotta give them hope", that even if you take away all the material possessions of life, you can never snuff out the human desire to hope.

Sound familiar? Oh yes, for it was the very same foundation of our movement, the very words that Barack Obama lived by as he pursued what, at first, seemed like an impossible dream. He gave us hope, and we converted that hope into a powerful political force that overwhelmed all the attempts to take us down.

Just as Harvey Milk became a pioneer by giving millions a champion and a role model 30 years ago, Barack Obama has done the same for us. Now I pray that we carry the lessons we have learned in this movement into changing our communities, our country and the world for the better.

YES WE CAN!!

Where We Can Make A Difference

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:17:13 EST

Five weeks after the great tension and great joy that was Nov. 4, 2008, let it be recorded that Syracuse For Obama was born again, with a new purpose - to serve our community with the same passion, drive and determination that helped us elect Barack Obama to be our next president.

Crowding into a cozy room at DeWitt Community Library, the members of our group - many of them familiar, but a few ones as well - avidly discussed our next steps. Most of the talk centered around how we can best utilize our talent to serve those in need.

The wonderful centerpiece of our meeting was the presentation by Angela Douglas. On her own, she is already making a difference in Syracuse with her group called the CNY Circles Campaign, or "Bridges Out of Poverty". To date, without any funds, they have started to lift 44 familes out of poverty, with the goal of eventually reaching 100 families. And they are looking for new leaders. Email them at cnycircles@contactsyracuse.org, or call (315) 251-1400.

In the meantime, it's been suggested that our group participate in one community outreach event prior to the Jan. 20 inauguration. Many great ideas came up, from food drives to clothing drives, something that can be done after the holidays, when giving is not in the spotlight.

All that is good - but that is not enough. We must, long-term, devote ourselves to community action and lifting the status of our fellow citizens. It is what Barack Obama did in young adulthood, when he could have made a lot of money looking out for himself. It is our calling, too.

The best thing I heard tonight, other than Angela's presentation, was when Andrea Audi brought up the Literacy Volunteers of Amercia, founded here in Syracuse. While health care, economy and education are all fundamental issues we must deal with, none has as large an impact, both societal and psychological, as the inability to read.

Just think about what teaching a child, or adult, to read can do. It opens every door in society, from understanding job applications to educational opportunities. It is imperative that we promote literacy - a nonpartisan issue if ever there was one.

Of course, we will also advocate for the issues that mean so much to us. Combined, the millions of volunteers and contributors that made up the Obama movement can make for one powerful interest group, but only if we stay involved, stay active and hold our leaders, especially our new president, accountable for their behavior.

As we all saw with the disgraceful acts of the governor of Illinois, it's so crucial that citizens are aware of what is going on with the people they elected. Lack of awareness can lead to the sort of corruption and arrogance Rob Blagoevich has displayed.

We know Barack Obama is a special leader, but that only gets us a few steps toward change. For certain, we cannot go back to the apathy, cynicism and ignorance that marked recent years of our political history. We need to supply the President-Elect with the support he needs to lift our country out of our rough spot - and we need to affect change here, too.

And, well, YES WE CAN!! Felt good to say that again....

Strength In Transition

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:00:46 EST

Just to get the personal stuff out of the way....yes, it's been way too long since I've written in this blog. The election withdrawal was intense, I needed some respite from it all, and the transition news flew so quickly that it was, at times, difficult to keep everything straightened out.

That being said, 26 days of silence was long enough. Time to start the next chapter, for the election was, as so many others well put it, "the end of the beginning". The real change starts on Jan. 20, and Barack Obama is showing that he is quite ready to get to work with the best team he could possibly assemble.

This is merely a summary of the transition news. By far, the best place to go is www.change.gov, so you can find out about Obama's team and hear his great weekly messages about where we are going, and what we will need to do.

First of all, Mr. President-Elect (it will feel so good to get rid of the "elect" part in 50 days' time) has his priorities straight. Given the deep economic crisis, he made that aspect of the new administration his first assignment in the transition, and found a superb group ready to serve.

From Tim Geithner as the new Treasury Secretary, to Larry Summers running the National Economic Council, Christina Romer as chief economic advisor and Melody Barnes as director of the Domestic Policy Council, Obama has put together an experienced, energetic and thoughtful group of leaders that will tackle both long-term and short-term economic recovery.

Plus, the wisdom of former Fed chairman Paul Volcker, heading a new Economic Recovery Advisory Board, cannot be underestimated. It's not enough to set an agenda, then force everyone around you to follow marching orders. It's important to have wise counsel at all times as the agenda takes shape, good people giving valuable input that also bring accountability back to government, something that's been sorely lacking the last eight years.

Even more impressive is the National Security team Barack Obama has put together. Instead of blind loyalty to ideology, Obama has displayed here the importance of having the best people at each post with a wide range of backgrounds and divergent points of view, all working together toward the same common goal - an America that's safer at home, but also stronger and more respected abroad.

The drama kings and queens in the media harped upon the choice of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State from the get-go, as if the primaries were still going on. They wonder, every one of them, whether the new president and his one-time campaign rival can possibly co-exist, and whether Mrs. Clinton can truly be a good soldier in the Obama administration.

There is nothing to worry about here. Hillary carries her own prestige into the diplomatic realm and has the respect of the world community, which is half the battle. In the end, her views match those of the president-elect, and it's a great leap forward from the my-way-or-the-highway days of George W. Bush, which is refreshing enough. Obama made the best possible choice here.

He also got it exactly right with keeping Robert Gates at Defense. Above everything else, Gates is a loyal patriot, and he's done a terrific job with the mess in Iraq he inherited from Don Rumsfeld. There's simply no way a smooth transition could take place to a new Secretary of Defense with two wars going on. Gates will have a new directive as he helps Obama end the Iraq war in a responsible manner before a new man takes charge at the Pentagon.

Everyone else, from James Jones as National Security Advisor to Susan Rice as U.N. Ambassador to Arizona governor Janet Napolitano at Homeland Security, shows Obama's deep belief in the notion that strong leadership is what is needed, not just cheap rewards for campaign loyalty. And how nice to have an attorney general in Eric Holder that actually will put the "Justice" back in the Justice Department following the Ashcroft-Gonzalez abuse of the Constitution.

At this early stage, Barack Obama is setting the table for a great presidency, showing himself to be a leader unafraid of the vast challenges our nation and the world face in 2009 and beyond.

Now, to our local concerns. Ever since the election, I have really missed being part of the amazing group of volunteers that, in Syracuse and all over this land, helped make change possible. Also, I prayed that we could find a way to maintain this spirit of service beyond the election, so that all our communities can benefit from the fire we have started.

If you are in Central New York, and believe that our work needs to continue (and I'm sure you do), join us at DeWitt Community Library inside Shoppingtown Mall on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., and bring your great ideas. All will be needed.

Electing Barack Obama was, perhaps, the most important thing any of us have done for our nation. What follows - our renewed commitment to take the spirit of YES WE CAN and translate it into good deeds for our fellow human beings - is just as important.

WE DID IT!!

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:58:18 EST

The night of Nov. 4, 2008, at 11 p.m. It's safe to assume that every single person reading this blog, or involved in Barack Obama's positive movement for change, will remember that single moment for the rest of their lives.

Everywhere, when Barack went above the magic number of 270 electoral votes, millions of believers, in America and all over the world, screamed in joy, climbed over each other to hug and kiss each other, and share smiles and so many tears.

In this amazing moment, America has redeemed itself - not just for the leadership sins of the last eight years, but for an entire history of separating people for all the wrong and inhuman reasons. Those divisions are melting away, hopefully forever.

This Election Day was one inspiring moment after another. It started in the morning, when 1,000 students at Penn State gathered to stand in line when the polls opened at 7 a.m. So much for the notion that the youth vote woud not turn out - they did, big, and went 2-to-1 for Barack.

Then it continued through the day, with lines stretched out for hours in every single state in our great land. Sure, there were some machine problems in some spots, but for the most part people stayed in the lines, had unique fellowship, and shared in the amazing exercise of our democracy, one that never fails to inspire no matter who is running for president.

Here in Syracuse, we gave voters rides to the polls, went out in visibility displays all over Central New York, and did even more work on phone banks, all the way to the end. It helped to elect local Democrats - and most importantly, sent Dan Maffei to Congress. Congratulations to him.

Then the night, which started with immense nerves on all our parts - admit it, you felt them too. But once we saw that Indiana, of all places, could be close, then things began to brighten. And when Pennsylvania was called early - my, that was sweet.

By far, the night's crucial moment came when Ohio came to our way before 10 p.m. This was where John Kerry had been denied four years earlier - some thought with funny business. Winning that assured that it was just a matter of time.

So the next hour was spent building up the suspense, as we all knew that the West Coast primaries closed at 11 p.m. Getting Virginia just seconds before that decisive hour was particularly nice, a sign that the South was changing.

Then.....well, it's impossible to put into adequate words the happiness that cascaded down upon us. People of all backgrounds, all economic standings, all races and religions shared pure ecstasy.

When we look back on the moments of history that stick out, those where we know exactly where we were when they took place, it usually involved something sad and tragic, from Pearl Harbor to John F. Kennedy's murder to 9/11.

But this was the exact opposite. By the power of a movement as unlikely as any ever seen in the United States, Barack Obama has risen to the highest office in our land, with Joe Biden as a worthy and wonderful vice president.

What heartens us so much on this night is seeing the reaction in so many cities across this country, and in so many other nations, too. For in reality, it wasn't just Barack that won this election. It was all of us, as people and as citizens, for we reclaimed our country.

John McCain was superb and gracious in the concession speech he gave. Above all, he is a patriot who has bravely served our country, and the better angels of his nature were not served by the campaign his party chose to run, or the running mate he chose in Sarah Palin. But he could not have been a better man on this night.

Meanwhile, the scene in Chicago's Grant Park - literally hundreds of thousands gathered in celebration - will linger in our collective memories forever. And the speech Barack gave was simply magnificent, the voice of our next president telling us that the extraordinary work done here must continue in the months and years ahead.

Plenty of work will need to be done. But now, it's just time to rest a bit, relax a bit, and savor one of the defining moments of American history, one that we helped to bring about through our hard work and total dedication to Barack Obama - and the promise of a new America, and a better world.

WE DID IT!!!

Tomorrow, We Make History!

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:00:10 EST

At last, our moment has arrived. The time where the United States of America turns the page, writes a new chapter and wins back the world's love the respect. The time for all of us to bring about change. The time for parties and people to unite, to hope again, to believe again, and to elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.

So much has been written, and analyzed, and studied, and pondered about this contest, but it's for good reason - it's the most important election of our lives. Next to that obvious fact, a 21-month campaign, long and difficult and tiring though it may be, is a small consideration.

And then, as if this epic tale needed one more chapter, it got written late Sunday night in Hawaii, when Madelyn Payne Dunham passed away at the age of 86. She lived a life full of success and accomplishment, working on a bomber assembly line in World War II and building a solid career with her husband - all the while raising a grandson that, God willing, will soon be president.

We all obviously mourn Toot's loss, but we also celebrate her life, and thank her for the strong and steady example she set for Barack throughout her life. We know she is up in heaven, looking down on what we are doing, and is proud. We must win this for her, if nothing else.

At least in Syracuse, we have watched with a bit of envy as millions have lined up in lines hours long so that they could vote early in the states that allow it, including pivotal ones like Virginia, Florida and Ohio. And we have marveled at the crowds, including the 100,000 gathered right now in Manassas - which, I can assure you, is part of real Virginia. And how fitting that he brings up the FIRED UP and READY TO GO story one more time, to remind us what this is all about.

Tomorrow, at long last, we get our turn to go to the polls. And whether we vote early in the day or late in the day, we'll likely be spending most of Election Day hard at work, making sure that every single person that can vote and wants to vote will be able to do so. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that we do is as important as this service.

So much of our lives, so much of American history, has led up to this moment. In the face of a struggling economy, two wars, crises in health care, education and the environment, we can choose to go down the same negative, destructive and divisive path we have taken in recent decades, or we can choose to do something different.

What began, officially, on a chilly winter Saturday 21 months ago, in Springfield, in the shadow of the old State House where Lincoln said a house divided against itself could not stand, climaxes(hopefully) Tuesday night in front of tens of thousands at Grant Park in Chicago.

So get out there and vote for Barack Obama - then spend the rest of Election Day working hard to make sure people get out to the polls all over this wonderful country of ours to also vote for Barack. It is time for our country to unite, to be FIRED UP and READY TO GO, to bring about a new day. Tomorrow, we make history.

YES WE CAN!!

Closer to the Dream

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:08:07 EST

We have now reached the point where the countdown is in hours, not days. As in, maybe 48 hours from now, the world will find out that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.

Of course, should it happen, it would be, to so many, the ultimate example of the American Dream come true - the idea that any person, from any background or race, even with a funny name and a funny look, can rise as far as talent can take them.

And it would be a story designed to inspire any child, in this country or in any country, really. Some variation of "hey, if Barack Obama could become president, you could do anything, too!" It's been so wonderful and inspiring to see children far too young to vote get caught up in our movement because they love Barack, too.

The work our staff and volunteers have done in Syracuse and all over this country this weekend is overwhelming to ponder. Hundreds of thousands of calls, untold amounts of literature passed out from door to door, or at churches, or just about any public place where a few people could gather, all for a candidate that has inspired all of us to seek something better.

Really, that's what it all comes back to. As human beings, we always seek self-improvement of some kind, but usually that comes through diets or financial schemes or plastic surgery or all the artificial means by which society measures us.

However, the improvement of a community, of a society, of a nation, is something far more ambitious, and far less likely to happen. Since the probability is low, most Americans don't bother treading down that path. Better to be comfortable in one's own setting, never challenged or inspired - and in the end, caught in a rut of life that's impossible to escape.

At some point two years ago, though, a brave group of Americans, most of them young folks inspired by what they heard on a night in Boston in 2004, began to seek that better America by pleading with Barack Obama to run for president. Sensing Dr. King's "fierce urgency of now" that he frequently speaks about, Barack agreed - and changed all of our lives.

Everyone who joined this movement had their own reasons, some of them having to do with specific issues, others just drawn to this charismatic man and his wonderful, positive message of change. But all of us had common bonds that united us, then and now.

We have never been in this strictly for ourselves. We are here because we love this country, and want to see the best for it, and perhaps some of us remember a time when the United States served as a beacon of light, of hope, and of opportunity for all those who sought to carry out their individual dreams. And we were determined to see that happen again, with a leader like Barack Obama serving as our source of hope and inspiration.

An ordinary politician running for president would not have understood this basic, fundamental premise of our movement. Sure, they might have proclaimed their love for America in every speech and at every town-hall meeting, but in the end it would still be about what they were going to do for us- no heavy lifting on our parts, just a lot of promises guaranteed to be broken.

That wasn't the case here. Right from the moment he joined the presidential race, Barack made it very clear that, if the impossible dream was to become a reality, it had to be up to us, a citizen army of determined, dedicated volunteers, to raise the banner for ourselves, and for our country. We have gone and done that work, and because of that, stand on the brink of one of the most glorious and defining moments in American history.

Everyone on the outside, from the media to the Clintons to John McCain, Sarah Palin and the Republican attack dogs, have always read us wrong. They have done little but fixate on Barack - who he once knew, what sermons he listened to, where his amazing amount of money has come from (us, of course), not to mention the vicious digs about the issues, from taxes and the economy to the war in Iraq - where Barack's wisdom has been shown time and again.

What they have never fully grasped is the basic idea Barack laid out in his Democratic Convention acceptance speech in Denver, and so many other times in this 21-month odyssey. "This election has never been about me. It's been about you."

It is OUR strength, OUR hard work, OUR determination, and OUR commitment to change with Barack Obama as our next president, that has pushed us through this long and memorable journey to the doorstep of the White House.

Now, one more time, fellow members of the Obama army, roll up the sleeves and get to work, just for a few more hours, give it your all-out effort and leave absolutely nothing to chance. We stand on the threshold of our dream coming true. With one more push, we will get there.

YES WE CAN!!

Why We Are All Here..

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:25:09 EDT

There has been no shortage of moments in these last few weeks where the deep emotions stirred by Barack Obama in all of us rise to the surface. They rise even now, barely 72 hours before the nation decides its next president.

Mainly, what stirs in my soul is the immense meaning of all this. Why should any political campaign, even one for the highest office in our land, cause us to alter our daily lives to make victory possible? What drives us? What makes us believe, with all our hearts, that Barack is the right man to lead the United States of America?

Admit this much - it gets easy to lose that meaning in the daily campaign grind. Attacks, counter-attacks, the dozens of national and state polls, analysis and paralysis and controversy and extreme highs and extreme lows, all seem to take place every hour by this point.

And if that doesn't occupy our time, the work surely does. Now it is, for us, an all-out effort to get out the vote, both here in Syracuse and everywhere in this country, then make sure every single vote is fairly counted.

Sure, millions have voted early, and the numbers look good, but we can't get complacent for one second. The other side will use any means necessary to snatch victory from us, so they have some nerve to make bogus claims of voter fraud - especially when they don't have any problem with voter intimidation techniques, especially to minorities.

So in doing all that work, maybe we do need to take a very brief moment and contemplate why each of us, in our own small or not-so-mall way, chose to volunteer and work for Barack Obama and this positive movement for change.

Upon lots of thought, I've come to realize that the same factors that brought me to this unparalleled level of political activity in my life still hold nearly 21 months later. Our country is in trouble, and our good name is tatters around the world. Barack can restore both our economic and our global standing, his mere presence a sign to other nations that America is a place where any dream, no matter how impossible, can come true.

In many ways, these last days are the most difficult of all. On the one hand, we're all tired and fatigued and ready for this to end. On the other end, this has been such an incredible experience, a journey all of us will take forever, and leaving it behind when it's done will be very difficult. Nothing that I've done in my life, for sure, even comes close to the meaning of this movement.

I'm sure that many of you that may have come across this blog have your own stories to tell about why you are here, what it means to you. Barack Obama has made such a dramatic impact on this nation, regardless of what happens on Tuesday, and a win here would turn mere symbolism into a bit of history so beautiful and wonderful that it's impossible to describe. So let's work hard the next 72 hours to get that good feeling.

YES WE CAN!!

Compelling Television

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:00:24 EDT

Maybe a few million people groaned and complained when they realized their favorite program, or the end of the World Series (congratulations Phillies), were not going to be on at 8 p.m. when Barack Obama aired his 30-minute vignette.

But I'm pretty sure that millions more were eager to listen.

Here was a half-hour of Barack Obama unfiltered, without the pundits or the critics or the Republicans to shout him down or say the most vile and cynical things that they're quite eager to share with their partisans on your favorite talk radio piece of filth.

Barack didn't need to tell his whole story again - but he did bring up the highlights in a clear and artful way, while making sure any irrational person that somehow fears his possible presidency understand that he is, indeed, a good family man and father. That does count for something.

More importantly, he shared the stories of ordinary Americans struggling with all the main issues of our country in these difficult times. They are the best witnesses possible for what Barack wants to do, and are the very reason we are working so hard to help him win.

But note what wasn't there in those 30 minutes of programming. Not a single negative mention about John McCain. By contrast, the other side cannot utter a sentence without bashing Barack in some kind of way, or bringing up Joe the Plumber for the 25,000th time.

The time flew by. Don't you wish you wanted to hear more? Well, it's possible, if we all keep up our all-out effort in the next six days. Basically, what Americans saw tonight (as if they didn't know it already) is that the Barack Obama Republicans are telling you about is nowhere the real Barack Obama we have all grown to support and love. And we're getting closer to having him as our president.

YES WE CAN!!

51 Races, Really

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:56:05 EDT

To be sure, the conservative folks will trumpet all the national polls that suggest John McCain is closing the gap on Barack Obama. Big deal - no one on earth figures that this will end up as a 10-point national margin with the popular vote. The Republicans are sure to come home.

What does matter is the states, 50 plus the District of Columbia. Essentially, every presidential election is 51 individual elections, the byproduct of the Electoral College. Every four years we curse the EC's existence (especially in 2000 when Al Gore won the popular vote), but there's no escaping the fact that 270 will be the most important number on Nov. 4.

So, at this exact moment, where are we? The great web site www.fivethirtyeight.com does 10,000 computer simulations of the election every day. For us, that's required reading material, and based on what they're saying, the odds for us look good. Which only means we should work harder.

Still, it's fun to examine the 51 individual races. Where are we strong? Where is McCain strong? And where will it be decided?

It is fairly safe to put California, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington into our column. Add them up, and it's 190 electoral votes, more than two-thirds of the way home.

McCain is likely to get Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. That adds up to 127, not even half the magic number.

Now the polls have shown tight numbers in Arizona (10), but McCain doesn't lose his home state, right? That state, plus Georgia (15), Montana (3), North Dakota (3) and West Virginia (5) all should go the Republicans's way, meaning 36 more and 163 overall for Mr. Maverick.

That means 190-163 for Obama, with 185 still up for grabs. Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin were those remaining prizes, at least when the fall began.

The Upper Midwest - Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin - were once prime McCain targets. Now they seem safe for us, adding 37 more to our total and getting us to 227. Every indicator says that Iowa (7) and New Mexico (5), who narrowly went for Bush in 2004, will head Barack's way, and that gets us to 239. We've trended up in New Hampshire (4), and we've never trailed in Pennsylvania despite all of McCain's time spent there, so that means 20 more, if all goes well.

Then we're at 263, one big state away, and seven different places where it could happen, for even a Nevada win would only give us 5, not quite enough at 268. Let's go through them, one by one.

Colorado? Think of the 80,000 that came to Barack's acceptance speech, and the 100,000 that just showed up last Sunday. Nothing even close to that Rocky Mountain High has taken place on McCain's side, and how fitting if that were the place where it all would end. Our organization there (thank you Ray Rivera!) is awesome, and the voter demographics have changed. We're polling strongly among Hispanics, who could make the difference.

Florida? Florida? Florida? (God, we miss you Tim Russert.) This didn't look like a good fit until the economic crisis, as no state in America got hit harder by the mortgage meltdown. Combine that with strong Jewish support and concerns about Medicare and Social Security, plus lots of work from the Clintons, and we might get cosmic justice for what happened to Al Gore eight years ago. The early voting turnout is astonishing, by all accounts, with people waiting in line for hours - and hopefully getting proper ballots without any chads anywhere.

Indiana? The mere fact that Hoosier Land is in play is astonishing, given its recent deep shade of red. The land of Dan Quayle might be conservative, but it's also decent and fair, preferring politicians that are very much in the middle of the road, like Dick Lugar and Evan Bayh. Heavy turnout in places like Indianapolis and Gary should, at least, make this a close one.

Missouri? Mix in the astonishing crowds seen in St. Louis and Kansas City with the great advocacy of Claire McCaskill and a Show Me spirit that doesn't take kindly to fools and liars, and maybe the home of Harry Truman makes sure that his 1948 surprise over Thomas Dewey doesn't get repeated. For Barack, no Super Tuesday win was as important as this one back on Feb. 5.

North Carolina? Remember how pivotal that state was late in the primary season, when Barack outperformed expectations and rendered the decisive blow against Hillary Clinton. They say a million people will vote early, and this was a big Bush win four years ago. Just like Indiana, we shouldn't be close here. Pull out a win, and it will certainly be ours.

Ohio? It's been often repeated that a Democrat cannot win without Ohio, but maybe that's not the case in 2008. Old maps and old impressions die hard in Buckeye land. Let's face it - there's just not the same evangelical enthusiasm for McCain that there was for Bush in 2004. And a Democrat, Ted Strickland, runs the show now in Columbus, which should mean fair voting. John Kerry took his ultimate defeat here. Barack just might get ultimate victory.

Virginia? Maybe it wasn't wise for McCain's aides to denigrate entire parts of the state as not the "real Virginia", or worse. The commonwealth has gone GOP every time since 1964, but Barack's primary rout should have told you something had changed. The trio of Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and Jim Webb give us valuable allies, and since polls close early there, a win could mean the start of our victorious night. The home of Washington, Jefferson, Madison and the one-time capital of the confederacy could be the place where history begins to happen.

So there you have it, the state of the states with one week to go. Watch tomorrow night Barack's 30-minute TV commercial, his last and best chance to deliver the argument for hope and change to millions of Americans before the election. Then keep on going, don't rest another second until we have 270.

YES WE CAN!!

The Closing Argument

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:39:21 EDT

After all the rallies, all the millions of phone calls, and all the thousands of miles walked by canvassers while going door-to-door, this entire presidential race boils down to eight days of all-out effort to get Barack Obama to the finish line.

Just in time, Barack gave us our marching orders today. Ever since the last debate, the crowds that have come to see Barack have been astonishing - Sunday produced 100,000 people in Denver after 45,000 in Albuquerque, and about the same number of folks out today in Canton, Ohio and Pittsburgh as the end nears.

In many ways, it's a return, full circle, to the vast crowds that came out for the first events way back in February 2007, plus the big turnouts in so many parts of our land during primary season. All the issues are out there. Now it's a matter of rallying millions one last time to our cause and getting them to do the most important thing of all - vote.

So it was that today, in Canton, Barack delivered what his campaign called the "closing argument". It reiterated all of the points he has pushed in the general election phase of this campaign, but brought back a vital point that, in these tough economic times, may have been lost, but never really left our movement - and, in fact, is a vital cornerstone to all that we do.

Hope. A simple, four-letter word that permeates throughout Barack Obama's story. It was the theme of Jeremiah Wright's sermon that brought Barack to religion and to salvation through Christ. The word brought up in his famous convention speech of 2004 and splashed across the front cover of his second book, which brought so many of us to his cause.

When this contest began, we knew we had to bring new leadership to this country and the world after the disaster of the George W. Bush years. But we never could have calculated things turning as bad as they did in the housing market, with jobs, with the stock market, or with food prices, or with a million other indicators that demonstrate America's struggles.

Hope was needed when Barack Obama began running for president. And hope is needed even more now, and especially in these last eight days as the effort intensifies.

Whatever we do in the next week - and we will be doing a lot - let us be driven by our desire to dream, to make things better, to hope of a a better and more equal and more just country with an inspiring man as its leader.

While working in the campaign office one day, I came across a sheet of paper that told us to close our eyes and imagine the world of the next eight years. Well, maybe that's getting ambitious and too far ahead, so use this as a different motivation.

Close your eyes and magine election night, Nov. 4. Imagine gathering with your friends, your family or your fellow Obama supporters, sharing food and drink and good times and gathering in front of the TV as the results pour in across the country.

And imagine that moment, unknown at this point, when, God willing, the network anchors announce that the magic number of 270 has been reached, and that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.

Then go out and give your all-out effort to make that dream come true.

YES WE CAN!!

Of Lies and Truth, Fear and Hope

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:01:56 EDT

Inevitably in any presidential campaign, what's true gets left behind in a flurry of attacks from both sides. To the best of his ability, Barack Obama has tried had to stay grounded in truth in all his attacks on John McCain, and has stayed straight with us, a big reason why we love and respect him so much and are working so hard to help him win 11 days from now.

Contrast that with the other side, a Republican campaign that almost prides itself in the deceit it is willing to hand out, hoping the American people are gullible enough to buy it.

John McCain keeps harping on taxes, using all the left-bashing code words (socialist, spread the word) the talk-show crowd wants him to do. In other words, say anything to make sure the wealthy keep their share and we in the middle class get stuck with no possible way out, or up.

This cannot be said often enough - Barack Obama wants to CUT the taxes of 95 percent of the American people, and CUT the taxes on more than 90 percent of small businesses. It's no different than the successful formula Bill Clinton espoused in the 1990s, and that proved to be fiscally responsible, too, with balanced budgets and surpluses. Wouldn't it be nice to have that again?

Then there are the lies, the repeated lies, about Barack's character, his religion, his "association" with William Ayers and a thousand other scurrilous bits of gossip. The GOP hacks keep repeating them, over and over, completely ignoring the truth about Barack's deep Christian faith and all the other wonderful qualities to make him look different, risky, scary.....code words for something far more sinister.

In such an environment, terrible things are said or done. When Barack flew to Hawaii to be with his ailing grandmother, the woman who raised him through so much of his formative years, a GOP hack had the nerve to complain about it and say it was far worse than the $150,000 the RNC forked over to dress up Sarah Palin, said that Barack should "hump his own bags" and fly commercial.

To say that was mean, rude, callous and cruel would be a gigantic understatement. Never mind that the Secret Service would NEVER let a candidate this close to the presidency fly on ANYTHING commercial, or that if he did, the whole air system in America would be tied up for an entire day. Oh yeah, and no taxpayer's money here, either. That money came from us, and we're all too glad to help Barack put his family first.

Then we hear about what happened in Pittsburgh about Ashley Todd, a college student from Texas who claimed that she had been attacked near an ATM machine by a 6-foot-4 African-American male, sexually assaulted, and left with a "B" carved out backwards on her face. The Drudge Report and other conservative sites went berserk over this for 24 hours, doing all they could to demonize the entire Obama movement over this one heinous crime.

Only one problem - the heinous crime was a complete fabrication, something Ashley only admitted two days later, royally ticking off Pittsburgh police officers in the process and earning a misdemeanor charge of a false report. Just a sad story...but also downright disgusting in the way many folks were all too happy to exploit racial stereotypes just to take Barack down, truth be damned.

I could care less about the charges. I care more about the sort of mentality, from Ashley Todd or the people surrounding her in the McCain camp, that thinks something this awful and divisive and mean is just part of the game, part of politics, part of a contest where winning is all that counts, regardless of the methods used.

We have tried so much in this country to overcome the terrible shadows of our country's past when it comes to race. Barack tried not to emphasize it in this historic movement for change, until forced to do so when the Jeremiah Wright saga hit full steam. His race speech from March is required reading for anyone that cares about where we've been in this country..and where we could still go.

Yet I get the feeling that only Barack Obama winning this election will help this country, and its people, understand that the old and limited ways of thinking about people of all races and creeds and backgrounds must end, and that a new day must dawn.

This is a big, big reason why the entire world is fixated on this election, and why most of them are pulling for Barack. They know full well our history, and they understand the deep and hypocritical divide between the lofty rhetoric and standards for democracy we ask upon the world, and the actual democracy (with all its inequality) that is practiced at home.

Here is our chance to show the world how far we have come, how much we have changed, and how we can never, ever let fear or hatred guide our thinking, even when times get tough. Let us push even harder in the next 11 days for Barack Obama, and for America, so we can show that, sometimes, truth and justice can win out.

YES WE CAN!!

Two Weeks Away

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:07:11 EDT

And so the work of nearly two years by Barack Obama, and all of us within his positive movement for change in America, comes down to two more weeks of sweat and sacrifice so that our wonderful dream can come true.

You know it's near the end when everyone starts getting tired. The candidates are worn out, the staff people are beat from dawn-till-dark work, the volunteers are running out of gas from all the walking and calling and voter registration. And the voters are tired of the TV ads and waves of phone calls, especially those folks bombarded in the swing states.

Thus, when everyone jumps on gaffes, by people on both sides of this epic campaign, please have a bit of understanding. Enough time in this cauldron, and everyone hits a false note at some point.

First it's Joe Biden predicting a crisis no one really ought to predict (though history shows that something will happen anyway). Then it's John Murtha talking about rednecks (not good) and John Kerry bringing up underway (don't do that, please), not to mention Sarah Palin's fundamental misunderstanding of the VP duties and McCain agreeing with Murtha in front of Western PA voters - trust me, watch the YouTube clip and try not to fall over laughing.

All these things are entertaining, but they don't change the fundamental backdrop of this race - namely, a poor economy that needs to get kick-started again and a tattered American reputation around the world that needs to be restored. All these things can only happen if we put Barack Obama in the White House.

Alas, Barack has concerns that go far beyond any poltical contest, even one as epochal as the 2008 election. On Thursday, he will fly to Hawaii to spend two days of quality time with his beloved grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who at 85 is in poor health.

As we all know through Barack's books, it was Madelyn, whom he called "Toot", that helped raise him with his grandfather during his teenage years. And it was from her that Barack absorbed the values of hard work, self-disicpline and determination that would help him leap toward the doorstep of the presidency.

Every single one of us here pray that, if it is God's will, Madelyn Dunham will live to see her grandson win two weeks from now and, better yet, take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2009. And we applaud Barack for taking this time to be with her, knowing that there might not be many more chances to see her at all, regardless of what happens in the election.

We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to Barack, to his grandmother, to all his relatives, and to everybody who ever blazed a trail in American society to make Barack's opportunity possible, to give our whole hearts and souls to the work of the next 14 days.

Yes, the numbers look good, and the electoral map is healthy. But remember New Hampshire - we cannot sit around, we cannot start congratulating ourselves, we cannot be content for one single, solitary second until they say on the night of Nov. 4 that Barack Obama has reached 270 electoral votes.

All of us have come a long, long way from that cold Saturday afternoon in February 2007 in Springfield. But there remains an election to be won, a country that needs to heal and be whole again, a once-in-a-lifetime candidate that needs our whole effort. Let's strive to get out that vote and carve our own place in American history.

YES WE CAN!!

Colin Powell's Blessing

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:52:44 EDT

In a singular moment of class, grace, and eloquence, General Colin Powell gave Barack Obama the most important endorsement yet in this election cycle.

Just about every other famous person in America had weighed in on this contest already. And while newspaper endorsements run heavily on Barack's side (thank you Washington Post, L.A. Times, both Chicago newspapers, Denver Post, NY Daily News et al), they just don't carry much weight beyond the communities that read them.

Powell is a whole different matter. He had manifestly stayed on the sidelines, the ultimate undecided voter in this great land of ours, deeply admiring both Barack and John McCain for different reasons, and genuinely torn about whom to choose.

First and foremost, you have to understand that Colin Powell is a soldier. A chance to serve his country helped him rise from his humble origins in the Bronx to becoming a hero to all of us, especially in his term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he helped forge the brilliant military strategy that won the First Gulf War in 1991.

Really, Powell was Barack Obama not so long ago. When his autobiography came out in 1995, a popular clamor erupted that he run for president. I have no doubt in my mind that, had he done so, Powell would have trounced Bill Clinton. But his wife, Alma, talked him out of it, maybe fearing the exact sort of racial tension Barack is facing right now.

He declared himself a Republican, hoping that his stature and open-minded ideas could be accepted in the GOP. He would soon find out otherwise, like when he spoke at the GOP convention in 2000 and derided opponents of affirmative action from the stage and got some boos for it.

Powell was, and is, a pioneer for all that he has accomplished, and when he was chosen by George W. Bush to be Secretary of State, it was supposed to be the culmination of his career of exemplary service to this country.

Instead, Powell became the forgotten man in a hungry administration chock full of Neocons all too eager to rush to war in Iraq after the 9/11 attacks. Worse yet, he made the public presentation claiming Saddam Hussein had WMDs in front of the United Nations Security Council. Since we found out later that it was all a big lie, Powell was vilified, tarnished, some on the left willing to erase everything else he had done because of this terrible mistake.

What they forgot, of course, was that Powell himself agonized about the war. As we found out later in Bob Woodward's books, Powell, who knew something about war others in Bush's administration did not, tried all he could to stop the downhill train. But he was outnumbered by Cheney, Rumsfeld and the Neocons, and ultimately had to accept the role he had eagerly embraced his whole life - that of the good soldier.

Not a day goes by, I'm sure, that Powell doesn't agonize about Iraq and the consequences of what he and others produced. Maybe that's why today, on "Meet the Press", when he emerged to say that he was supporting Barack Obama, he told a story to illustrate his point.

He spoke of a picture taken at Arlington National Cemetery, our nation's most hallowed ground, where a young soldier, just 20, had just been buried after being killed in action in Iraq. He had all the important information on his gravestone - the day he was born, the day he died, the service he rendered and the medals he won.

Above it all was not a Christian cross, or a Star of David, but a crescent moon. This fallen soldier was a Muslim, born and raised in New Jersey, who had served for - and died for - his country, the United States of America, just the same as millions of Christians and Jews and men of all other faiths had done.

How could any person tell this soldier's family that, because they worship Allah, they somehow are not American or that they're a danger to our country? Yet that is exactly what they say about Barack Obama, a Christian, for no other reason than the fact that he has a funny-sounding name and, well, he's African-American.

Better than just about any man in this country, Colin Powell has lived the American Dream, and understands exactly what it entails - the idea that any person, from any background, can make it in the United States. He has seen how great we can be, and he wants that for us again.

Of all the many reasons he gave today for supporting Barack, what stood out was his correct observation that Barack has electrified the young voters in this country and has the potential to inspire the world, too - in stark contrast to the relentless negativity of John McCain and his Republican allies, who seem more interested in stopping Barack by any means necessary than in helping this country.

We live in extraordinary times, and this is the most extraordinary election of our lives. And it is such a great blessing, and confirmation of the postiive movement for change we have built, that Colin Powell is supporting Barack Obama, giving our argument even more moral weight. Now we have 16 days to reward the good general's faith with a victory at the polls.

YES WE CAN!!

We're ALL Americans

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:23:41 EDT

In this post-debate sprint to the end line, no one running for president or vice president can afford to slip up, offer the wrong word or wrong phrase that can sink a candidate's dreams.

So I found it absolutely amazing that no one paid larger attention to the slip Sarah Palin made in front of some supporters a couple of days ago, when she said she enjoyed visiting "the pro-America areas of this great nation".

True, it may have been in the midst of an anti-Washington rant, but.....Pro-America parts of this nation? Hmmm, what do you think that means?

I tend to think she meant small towns....but to somehow imply that there are Anti-American portions of America is the height of casting aspersions upon all those that don't agree with the worldview of Palin, John McCain and their Republican allies.

Stop if you've heard this before - yes, you have, for 20 years, if you've had the temerity to support a Democrat in a presidential election. Inevitably, the GOP will drag out that patriotism canard, trying to convince the American public that the Democrat at the top of the ticket is somehow scary, alien, radical, risky, yada yada yada...

To some degree, they've been doing this to Barack Obama for months, ever since the most incendidary Jeremiah Wright tapes surfaced, with a bit of Ayers thrown in for good measure and the twisting of Michelle's words, too.

Look, there are going to be political differences in the course of an election. Everyone expects that part, the attacks, charges and countercharges that make up an intense race. But it always becomes toxic when someone's patriotism gets questioned - or for that matter, the patriotism of his supporters.

Thank goodness that Joe Biden hit hard against Palin's words yesterday, saying in New Mexico he was sick and tired of seeing candidates assailed for their loyalty, especially when nothing in the record even hints at such thoughts. In other words, the GOP is trying to scare us again, but this time we're having none of it.

You can see that in the crowds. Long, long ago when this whole thing began, Barack drew astonishing crowds in Austin and Atlanta, L.A. and NYC. Then today, in St. Louis, we saw Barack draw 100,000, according to police estimates.

These immense masses come from small towns...but also cities and suburbs. They ALL are Americans, they ALL care about the course this nation is taking, and they ALL are thirsty for the kind of change Barack Obama can bring if we elect him president.

And everyone that works in this movement fits into that category, too. We joined up because we love America and want to see it rise again as a bastion of freedom and justice, and a place where any person from any background has a chance. We don't hate Republicans - we just hate what they have done to the United States in the last eight years, and want to fix it.

Sarah Palin and John McCain can say all they want about Barack's policy ideas. That's fair. What they, and far too many of their surrogates, are saying about our loyalty to this country is not acceptable in any circumstances. Nor is the GOP's transparent attempts to suppress the vote in many key states, and we're happy that our campaign is hitting back on this point.

John McCain once said he'd run an honorable campaign. Then the Rovians took over, intending to divide us all again. What they will find out in 17 days' time is that people in EVERY part of America are ready to believe in this country again....with Barack Obama leading us.

YES WE CAN!!

The Last Exchange

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:47:50 EDT

One last time, Barack Obama and John McCain appeared on the same stage, shook hands and spent 90 minutes in front of a good portion of the American people, debating the future of the United States of America.

As far as substance went, it had more than the first two collisions, that's for sure. Credit Bob Schieffer, the moderator, for bringing up thoughtful and provocative topics that led to great exchanges between the two principals in this presidential epic.

True, McCain was as tough and aggressive as he's ever been, taking on Barack at every turn on every possible issue, from taxes to trade to health care to education to the future makeup of the Supreme Court. He came out fighting - everyone can agree on that point.

They also must agree that at this debate, like all the ones before (both in the primary and the general election), Barack Obama showed American voters, and showed the world, just what kind of leader he would be - one that is ready for the immense challenge ahead.

Stop if you've heard this before - Barack has the ideal temperament we need right now. He never gets rattled, stays focused on the issues, and whenever he gets attacked with slings and arrows and lies, he comes back with the truth, and voters appreciate that kind of approach.

Face it - Barack cares about making the lives of every American better, whether it's through bring health care to the uninsured, a quality education to every child regardless of their background, a good job to anyone willing to work, and fairness in our tax system. That shines through every time he talks to us, that he will always be in our corner.

And John McCain? Well, we know he cares about Joe The Plumber. A lot.

Thanks to McCain's relentless evocation of the budding Ohio entrepeneur that questioned Barack about his tax policy yesterday, we will all get to know way too much about Joe The Plumber over the next few days.

This was serious overkill. Usually, when a story about an ordinary American citizen gets mentioned by a presidential candidate, it happens once in a setting, then they move on to other topics. But not Joe The Plumber. He got more attention than any person in the history of presidential debates.

It's too bad no one thought up of a drinking contest about every time Joe The Plumber got mentioned. Last time around, McCain said "My Friends" 21 times. Here, Joe (combined with Barack a few times) got mentioned 26 times. That's more than four six-packs, for anyone counting.

Here's the slight problem - Joe is NOT THE ONLY PERSON IN AMERICA! He's one of 300 million, and you know what? Most of them will get tax cuts in a Barack Obama presidency! And they'll get health care, too. That does matter. Note how one person in that CNN focus group liked the endless Joe references. The others got tired of it PDQ.

Barack took care of the one single trouble point, too, when he brought up Bill Ayers without McCain doing it first. He did so on his own clear, truthful terms, especially the educational committee in the late 1990s that had so many Republican ties. So I guess all those loyal GOP members pal around with terrorists, right?

Taken as a whole, these three presidential debates have caused a fundamental shift in this election. Once, the doubts were about Barack Obama and whether he was "presidential" enough. Those doubts must be gone now. In all the categories that count, and on all the issues, Barack addressed them with poise and confidence, acknowledging the tough times we live in, but displaying his belief that, working hard, we can make things better.

Now, in the 20 days that remain, we must double our efforts in every conceivable way to help push Barack to victory. It's up to all of us, who believed that this positive movement for change could reshape the course of history, to turn that belief into action, to never rest until Nov. 4.

This is an election about change, and the future, not the tired partisan arguments of the past. Barack Obama is forging a new kind of politics. With our help, he can complete that impossible task as the next President of the United States.

YES WE CAN!!

Three More Weeks of Work To Do!

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:26:43 EDT

Man, it's close at hand now. After 20-plus months of every conceivable event, good and bad, one could imagine, we have reached the real, true, genuine, honest-to-God homestretch of this epic presidential contest.

A mere three weeks from now, we ought to know whether Barack Obama, leading our positive movement for change in America, will have reached the summit. Every day, good poll numbers come out, which both thrill and scare me at the same time.

On the one hand, the combination of our incredible hard work, and having an incredible candidate like Barack Obama, has led us to this point, where most neutral observers think we will prevail. On the other hand, I pray that it doesn't lead to ANY kind of complacency on our part, that we work even harder than before to bring it home for Barack.

We sense it, we feel it. Just the possibility that we will be celebrating one of the most joyful moments in American history 21 days from now is almost too much to consider, so maybe it's best not to get too caught up in that moment and just focus on the tasks every minute and every hour.

Yet there is no shortage of motivation for our cause. It isn't difficult to find - just attend, if you dare, or watch footage of any of John McCain or Sarah Palin's rallies, and feel the sheer disdain, fear, anger and hatred that they and their supporters show toward Barack - and, to a smaller extent, to all of us in his movement.

Just today I came across a YouTube click of people standing outside a Palin event in Johnstown, Pa. The bile and filth that was heard is guaranteed to make any Obama/Biden supporter furious that stuff like this is still said in a land that supposedly preaches equality. Just about everything short of the N-word was tolerable to these folks. They have let mindless, irrational fear and hatred supercede any concern about which candidate is going to make their lives better.

This is what people around the world talk about when, in looking at our country, they point out that our history, and our deeds, directly contradict the rhetoric about freedom and democracy that we like to preach to other nations, allies and enemies alike.

And here is our chance to show them, in this most important election of our lifetimes, that we have indeed come a long way from our dark and checkered past, that we have the courage to do what Dr. King dreamed about 45 years ago in front of the Lincoln Memorial - namely, judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.

John McCain and the Republicans are telling us to be fearful, to reject our basic human decency and sense of fairness just so they can spend four more years plunging America into even worse economic conditions, all the while perpetuating war and debt that we cannot stomach.

Well in this case, they will fail, and we will succeed. All through this campaign, our message has never wavered - that America is hungry for change, tired of the divisive politics of the past, and ready to work hard to restore both our economic standing at home and our good name abroad.

All of you reading this blog, and everyone in this country that has put their whole heart and soul into this movement, have served as a source of inspiration during these last 20 months. We owe it to ourselves to make that final push in the next three weeks so that, on Nov. 4, our nation will stand up and cheer and note that, in the end, the good guys won. Guys named Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

YES WE CAN!!

Wrong Comparison, Right Point

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:18:41 EDT

John Lewis emerged into the American conscience nearly half a century ago, as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He stood in the front lines of the civil rights movement - harassed, beaten, sent to jail numerous times, all in the name of freedom's cause.

So when Lewis, now a noted Congressman from Georgia, came out Saturday and said the words of John McCain's supporters against Barack Obama fanned the flames of hate, he spoke with a vast amount of knowledge and authority.

Okay, so maybe the analogy to George Wallace in 1968 and 1972 was a bit strong, but what else can you possibly say? For an ENTIRE WEEK, pre and post-second debate, the crowds that came to see McCain and Sarah Palin wanted red meat, and got it, especially from Palin, who was almost giddy to claim that Barack had ties to evil, even if they were patently absurd and false.

Add to that the delight a couple of introductory speakers took in saying Barack's middle name, and loud voices of crowd members saying things like "Terrorist!" and "Kill Him!", it would be downright scary were it not for the presence of the Secret Service protecting Barack at all times. We can assume that Barack and his family are safe and in good hands.

It took maybe five days for McCain finally to recoil at all this, publicly, and some in the media were gullible enough to buy his sudden spate of sympathy and respect for Barack. That needed to be shown earlier in the week, when it could have stopped everything cold. But the cat's already out.

Fair warning - you'll hear a lot of noise about what John Lewis said. As we saw in the Jeremiah Wright saga, the cable news mob likes NOTHING more than to stir up racial tensions, or any kind of tensions, just for the sake of ratings and a close race.

What is required is the middle ground Barack took on Saturday night - dismissing the worst part of John Lewis' analogy, but endorsing his point that the most vile stuff has to be cast aside. This election is far too important, the issues far too critical, to be decided on issues of trivia - and I pray that we've reached a point in our society where race is not the primary consideration when two candidates of different races are running against each other.

We are here because Barack Obama is, in our minds, the best candidate for president - the wisest, most intelligent, and the person best suited to lead America in these difficult times. That is reason enough to support him.

But also it helps that Barack has, for the most part, avoided the low road of politics in these 20 months on the trail. He aspires to our best hopes, not our worst fears. And it's in that positive spirit that we must carry ourselves in the remaining days of this race.

YES WE CAN!

This Is About Us

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:24:06 EDT

In the aftermath of the second presidential debate, Barack Obama has continued to do what he has been doing for 20 months - lay out his case for change and the desperate need for our government, and our next administration, to do what is right for the millions in the middle class left behind and crippled by this sagging economy. Joe Biden is doing the same, quite effectively, wherever he goes.

Meanwhile, John McCain, Sarah Palin and their surrogates continue to harp upon William Ayers, hint at Jeremiah Wright and Tony Rezko, loudly proclaim Barack's middle name, and other kinds of vicious attacks - all in the name of scaring American voters and convincing them to base this critical decision on something other than the issues.

No wonder the polls are trending toward us. No wonder swing states are swinging in our direction, more each day. In these tough times, people want solutions and answers, not tasteless trivia.

Here, in 2008, the new kind of politics is at work, in every state and every city and every town and village in the United States, because of Barack Obama. People are engaged like never before, contributing in record numbers, registering in record numbers, waiting in long lines to do early voting in the states where they can and volunteering in our movement in the tens of thousands.

This is what John McCain and his Republican mates don't understand at all. Having won five of seven presidential elections since 1980, having used the tired smear-and-fear tactics so often, they figure that, simply by unleashing them again in this last month of this campaign, that voters will follow them like mindless sheep.

Well, that isn't going to happen. We are involved, engaged, intelligent, and are not going to fall for that "who would you like to have a beer with" schtick anymore. Besides, by all indications, Barack is so much nicer anyway - and he's smarter, too!

Most of all, Barack understands that this election is about the American people - who we are, where we are going, what we wish and hope and dream about, even when things are difficult, and about how the United States is seen in the eyes of the world.

As we sit now, with 26 days to go, America is at a crossroads even greater than we imagined when this whole thing started. Already, the choice was clear - between a continuation of the same failed George Bush policies, or a new beginning with a new and inspiring leader mobilizing millions into a new sense of duty to the country they love.

Now, America's very place in the world is at risk, and might entirely hinge on the decision we make. As all of us continue to do the amazing work we have done so far, use as your motivation a vision of what the night of Nov. 4 and its aftermath may look like.

One vision is stark and grim, that of the GOP again deceiving the American public into a bad choice that paralyzes our future. The other is a glorious vision, one that is impossible for any of us to describe because such joy has never been felt by so many millions about a single person's potential rise to the presidency of the United States.

It's safe to say that the psychological lift a victory by Barack Obama would give us, combined with its deep historical meaning, would, by itself, make this nation feel good about itself again, make us all believe that we have the power to change our own destiny.

So let the Republicans attack and drag out all the old associations that voters don't care about. Let them be mean and desperate and negative. We know this election is not about Barack Obama or John McCain, but about us. So let us work hard to shape that decision and make our nation great again.

YES WE CAN!!

The One Who Cares About Us

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:24:54 EDT

First of all, every single one of us extends our thoughts and prayers to Joe Biden and his family on the sudden passing of his mother-in-law. We admire, so much, the devotion Joe has for Jill and his children and everyone else he cares for, and please keep him in your heart during these difficult days.

Now, on to that thing that took place tonight. At one point during the second presidential debate, in explaining a Senate vote on energy, John McCain referred to Barack Obama as "That One". Way to show respect for your opponent.

Actually, what it did was show, to every single person in the massive TV audience that watched this town hall-style confrontation, that Barack Obama is the bigger man, and of course the one man we need to be the next President of the United States.

As usual, going into this debate, there was obsessive talk about the tactics. Falling further behind in the polls, seeing the projected electoral map turn a larger shade of blue, McCain was expected to go after Barack hard, maybe even evoke the trio of Wright, Rezco and Ayers, tired old tales already thoroughly wrung out earlier in this contest.

Sure enough, McCain did attack - on Barack's votes, his words, and his plans. From the economic mess to health care to climate change to international affairs like Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Darfur and Russia, no matter what got raised, McCain was ready to bash.

Barack, as we have all come to know and love about him, thoroughly kept his cool and, when necessary, hit hard. From bringing up the AIG junket (great) to McCain's past reckless words about going after Iran and Iraq, in song and verse, to thoroughly debunking all of the attacks, Barack showed his leadership, intelligence and ability to address issues like an adult would.

And how cool that when McCain brought up the Iraqi surge (again), Barack reminded him (again) that the whole idea of a war was a mistake in the first place. Given our tough economic times, the war issue has gone a bit underground, but it's still there. It's cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and our prestige around the world, and Barack scores every time he brings it up.

Of course attention must be paid to the visuals in debates like this. McCain stalked the stage in an aggressive way - maybe too aggressive, and much is being made about the fact that he snubbed Barack's handshake at the end and didn't talk to the audience. Small things, perhaps, but they do matter.

The (very) early reviews are quite good, from focus groups and analysts alike. It continues in the positive trend that this positive movement for change has made, in every corner of this country. Every day brings us closer to a victory that will resonate through the ages.

As he has done so many times before, Barack Obama made all of us that support him feel proud to be part of this history-making movement. And he only has made us more determined to push him across that finish line four weeks from now.

YES WE CAN!!

Their Negativity, Our Hope.

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:09:09 EDT

Here it is, less than a month from our momentous decision. Every piece of evidence out there suggests that Barack Obama's positive message of hope and change, so badly needed in these tough times, is resonating with American voters of all ages and persuasions.

For what they are worth, the polls, national and state, look good. Maybe one state (Colorado) is floundering, but Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin - they all are otherwise trending toward Obama. That would mean a strong electoral win, if things continue to go well.

Of course we have to guard against even the appearance of being too confident or secure. Not one second must be wasted in the four weeks to come.

Sure we are all tired and spent. Anyone would be after spending 20 months on this thing. It's so easy, at times like this, to let some things slide, to say that because things look so good, it's okay to lay back just a bit, not be as intense as we've been.

That would be a terrible mistake. There will be time enough to rest on Nov. 5 and beyond. Better to have that rest knowing that we have earned an historic victory, rather than rail and wonder about what could have been...heck, don't even want to consider the other possibility.

On the other side, John McCain, Sarah Palin and the rest of the Republican know they can't win on the issues, so they are committed to the tried-and-true GOP smears and fears they have used on two decades worth of Democratic presidential candidates.

So you had Palin on the stump bringing up Barack's very loose ties with William Ayers. They'll recite his name, plus those of Jeremiah Wright and Tony Rezko, in a continual loop, desperate to scare the American public about Barack Obama simply because he knows these people, not because Barack agrees, in any way, shape or form, with the bad things they did or said.

Now we hear that Barack and his campaign are going to bring up something they haven't before - namely, McCain's old ties with Charles Keating as one of the "Keating Five" that got in trouble early in the 1990s for trying to go easy on Keating, a convicted felon whose California Savings and Loans bank defrauded mililons.

From a personal standpoint, I wish we'd never have to bring up Keating. Barack's own message is strong enough, and he personally doesn't have to get into this mudfight. But if McCain's camp is obsessed with Barack's Chicago ties, it's only fair that we bring up the same old ties, right?

Still, it's the distasteful side of politics, and I implore all of you to, if you can, avoid these fights and remember why we support Barack so much. Just try, as much as possible, to smile and stay positive in all that we do for Barack and for this movement.

This is not a time to replay the mistakes of the past, because they can't be changed. What can change, and what we MUST change, is a culture of negative, who's-to-blame politics that does not do the American people any good at all.

I am confident that Barack will address this positive part during Tuesday night's Town-Hall debate with McCain, and he needs to stay on the high road. By the way, everyone in Syracuse For Obama is invited to join us at our 537 James Street headquarters for a planning meeting at 7:30, followed by a debate watch party and yes, we'll even supply the popcorn.

Let us not be content, folks. Just 30 more days of every bit of effort that you can muster. The prize is within reach. A chance to reshape our nation and make our mark in history is there. As tough as things might get now, as much mud as they'll throw at us, stand tall and strong. Barack Obama is depending on us, so....

YES WE CAN!!

Joe Biden, A Great Running Mate

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:55:46 EDT

I'll admit, those last few minutes before things started tonight in St. Louis, I was quite nervous. We knew Joe Biden had a grasp on all the issues and was the ideal sort of partner for Barack Obama. The only question was whether tonight that would be made clear to the American people.

And it was, in so many ways. Biden's success tonight went beyond just the way he framed the issues and made sure the focus was on Barack and John McCain. He put this race into human terms and reminded us all why this election is so important, and why WE MUST WIN!!

Of course the attention was on Sarah Palin. The unintentional comedy of her Charles Gibson-Katie Couric interviews reached a climax on CBS tonight when the two VP candidates were asked about Dick Cheney. Biden gave a detailed answer about how Barack's cousin had shredded the Constitution in a naked pursuit of power. Palin mentioned that duck-hunting (wait a minute, wasn't it quail?) accident. That speaks for itself.

As to the debate, well, we know Palin can read talking points. And she did, incessantly, giving us some of those wild and convoluted answers we've all come to know, love, hate and watch Tina Fey imitate. Lots of mentions of McCain, slamming of the records of Obama and Biden, and many different chances to butcher the word nuclear - my goodness, can't we have SOMEONE in the no. 1 or no. 2 spot that actually knows how to pronounce that word. One U, not two! Oh yes, also that "shout out" to her teachers - a SHOUT OUT? In a nationally televisted serious policy discussion? Yup. You betcha.

All right, enough of the comedy - back to our man Joe Biden. In the first hour, he played the wonk, dutifully reciting his record and marking the contrasts between Barack and John McCain whenever possible. He demonstrated his knowledge of the issues in a forthright and solid manner, even throwing in a "bridge to nowhere" zinger and some great Iraq critique.

But it was in the end that Joe Biden really showed why we all love him and are glad he is on our team. When he talked about the struggles of families in this country by relating his own tale about raising his two sons alone for a time after his first wife died, and then choked up talking about it, your heart just had to melt. A good politician, yes, but Joe Biden is a better human being.

And his closing remarks were fantastic, just the right grace note to remind everyone of the failures of the last eight years, and the fact that this is the most important election of our lives and that we needed to, as his father always told him, get back up after getting knocked down.

Well, don't worry, Mr. Biden. We have been knocked down, but thanks to you and Barack Obama, we are getting back up, slowly, day by day, person by person, looking forward to that moment 33 days from now when, through our hard work and our belief in America and in each other, we celebrate our victory - the moment our country started to heal.

YES WE CAN!!

Biden vs. Palin....Prepare to Cringe

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:36:38 EDT

So we are just about 24 hours from that moment Thursday night at Washington University in St. Louis where Joe Biden and Sarah Palin take the stage for the lone vice presidential debate. And it takes every bit of my considerable restraint to not make analogies to car wrecks.

Maybe in years past, Biden would have been in the crosshairs. At times, his mouth does get ahead of his considerable mind, but he's the first to admit such failings, not to mention all the trouble caused when accusations of plagiarism derailed his 1988 presidential bid.

Those small negatives do not cancel out the enormous positives Biden brings as the running mate of Barack Obama. He is what is needed - a man absolutely prepared and ready to take over the presidency at a moment's notice.

To say such things of Sarah Palin stretches credulity to the breaking point. John McCain's choice was designed to make a splash - which it did. What Republicans were not prepared for, though, was the tidal wave of unintentional comedy that, by the time it was done, made Dan Quayle seem like Einstein.

No wonder McCain's folks were afraid of actual interviews. So far, in talks with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric (good journalists, but neither of them exactly Mike Wallace), Palin has botched just about everything and, even when she does address a topic like the economy, it goes in five different directions and ends up being complete gibberish.

As a result, the ridicule has come fast and furious. Tina Fey's SNL stint included entire passages taken verbatim from the Couric interview - they didn't even have to make this stuff up. On the one hand, you feel sorry for Palin because she's being subjected to this. Then again, she chose to be on the ticket. Cliche time - if you can't stand the heat...

A day in advance of the debate, the GOP is already hammering the moderator, Gwen Ifill, because she wrote a book where Barack was a topic. Nice try - you AGREED to have her run this. Too late to get out now. They wouldn't be afraid, would they?

Of course, there's a train of thought that Palin could be declared the winner simply because the bar has been set so low. Nonsense. It's one thing to have Quayle-like low expectations. It's another thing to become a complete punch line, and that's almost impossible to recover from.

Joe Biden has been around enough strong women, especially in the Senate, and he doesn't need a lecture on how to treat them, so forget about the sexism talk. Take gender out of this. This should be about the future of our country, and which one is ready to take charge if they must.

Yes, Palin has done well in Alaska debates. But the stakes here are a tad bit higher, and while the expectations for her might be low, there's just no telling how bad and cringe-worthy it could get when Palin stands out on stage for 90 minutes. One whopper or piece of garbled syntax, and the self-inflicted damage could be incalculable.

Maybe Biden just hones in on John McCain, takes his intelligent shots, then gets the heck out. That would be fine. But I am confident that he'll do more than that, avoid the flubs and show millions that he is, by several thousand miles, the better no. 2 on the ticket. Joe Biden will make us proud.

YES WE CAN!!

Don't Be Content, Don't Let Up!

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:43:34 EDT

Every day in this extraordinary presidential election brings a new wrinkle to the tale. Today we saw the bailout passage die in the House of Representatives, and the stock market promptly plunged. And will keep plunging until Congress does SOMETHING.

So much for John McCain "suspending" his campaign to save the day. He couldn't even persuade the House members in his own party to support the deal, and took credit for its success before the vote turned out a different way. Then, when that vote failed, he promptly blamed Barack Obama.

If none of this makes sense - well, it doesn't. Clearly McCain is desperate in the wake of a first debate where the experts did everything they could to give McCain the victory - but the voice of the people said something far different. They overwhelmingly thought Barack did better, showing all the great qualities of a leader we have admired all along.

And the polls, for whatever they are worth, reflect this growing sentiment. Whatever you look that - Gallup, Rasmussen, any of the networks - they show voters flocking to Barack Obama. And those are just the known voters. Just imagine how the new voters and young voters will break for us in 36 days' time.

All of this is so exciting and wonderful to consider. And that is why we must bring even more effort, even more determination, even more dedication to the work that still lies ahead. We cannot take anything for granted.

That's why it's paramount to make sure that we register everyone possible in New York State before the Oct. 10 deadline. That's why it's heartening to see so many people coming out to canvass, and many more are heading to Pennsylvania this weekend. And don't forget our "Barack the Block" party at Thornden Park Friday afternoon, rain or shine.

Later this week, we should have our phone banks set up at our James Street Syracuse For Obama headquarters. It's real - calling voters works. Last Friday I phoned up 100 people in Colorado, and of the people I talked to, most of them are voting for Obama. Every time they say that, it's such a wonderful feeling, for it reflects the sort of movement Barack has grown across this nation.

Times are difficult, folks, and Americans are looking for a leader, a true leader that can heal our wounds and bring our nation back to a good place again. Barack Obama can make that happen, but only if we don't rest now and keep doing our part for a victory five weeks from now.

YES WE CAN!!

Well Done In Debate One

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:34:38 EDT

Admit it, fellow members of Barack Obama's positive movement for change. You were a bit nervous on Friday night at 9 p.m. when he and John McCain took the stage at the University of Mississippi for the first of their three presidential debates.

Even with all that had been accomplished by Barack in earning the Democratic nomination, even with his wise choice of Joe Biden as a running mate, even with a marvelous acceptance speech at the convention and dozens of other times where he has shown us what a remarkable president he will be, a lot rode on tonight.

Barack had to show that he was ready to be our nation's leader, ready to assume the awesome duties of a chief executive and commander-in-chief, and ready to tackle all the grave crises we face, at home and aborad.

He did just that, and much more.

It went beyond the answers to Jim Lehrer's questions. Look at how the way Barack treated John McCain with respect and courtesy, pointing out several times where he agreed with McCain on some points. Yet when he attacked, he did so with facts, sharp and concise, with far less hesitation than he showed in those early primary debates when so many people were on stage.

By contrast, McCain showed visible disdain and a condiscending attitude toward Barack, as if he figured that somehow Barack didn't belong on this stage, didn't belong anywhere near a seat of power. He name-dropped plenty of world leaders, as if to try and impress people, but it always came back to McCain - what HE would do, how tough HE was, etc.

Whether it was the economy, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or any of the myriad topics that popped up, Barack was ready with solutions, delivered, as always, in that calm, steady, poised manner that makes him the right kind of leader America and the world needs in these difficult times.

Reviews and spin, for what they're worth, seem initially good, but we'll know more in a few days how it really panned out - quite well, I'm sure. In the meantime, as much as Barack needs to do in the remaining two debates (plus Joe Biden in his debate with Sarah Palin - that could be 90 minutes of unintentional comedy), we have a lot of work to do to help Barack win.

Less than two weeks remain to register voters here in New York State. There are plenty of activities here in Syracuse and elsewhere in the state, plus groups going to Pennsylvania each of the next two weekends. And we will have the phones in our headquarters on 537 James St. by late next week, too, so keep an eye out - plus more T-shirts that people can wear, loud and proud.

Just 38 days remain, members of the Obama army. We need to do all within our power, in whatever time we have, to make our dream of a better America come true. Barack Obama did his part with his wonderful debate performance. Now let's do our part.

YES WE CAN!!

John Can't Run From This

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:33:42 EDT

So John McCain shows up this afternoon and, out of the blue, proposes that Friday's presidential debate at the University of Mississippi be postponed so that our entire attention can be paid to the financial crisis - at least until the bailout plan is figured out.

For one second - okay, maybe two - it sounded like the act of a "statesman". Upon actual thought, though, the whole thing just plain stinks.

It's desperation from a campaign that's sinking fast. It's cowardice from a man whose war heroism is the very foundation of his story. And it's fear of actually facing the voters of this country at a time when people want to hear what their president is going to do, whether the topic is foreign policy, the economy or some other vital issue.

I am so happy that Barack Obama saw through this charade, as did the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. The debate is on for Friday in Oxford, whether John McCain shows up or not.

It absolutely boggles my mind why McCain would NOT want to make his case to a TV audience that could range from 80 to 100 million viewers. He'll never be able to reach as many voters as he will here. Rest assured, Barack Obama is not afraid of the fight.

Maybe McCain wanted to change the topic. Word was that he was furious when the story went out that Rick Davis, his campaign manager, had gotten $15,000 a month from Freddie Mac right up until last month's government takeover. That directly contradicted what McCain had told CNBC. Then again, he had dared the reporter to find contrary information, and you know how that worked for Gary Hart.

Ever since McCain made his Herbert Hoover-style declaration that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" nine days ago, the whole thing has changed. It's no longer about Sarah Palin, moose, lipstick or pigs. It's about real issues in a real difficult time, and voters do not want trivia, period.

What they DO want is a debate - a healthy discussion about our country and the world at large, and what our next president must do. Barack Obama is ready to have that conversation, ready to show America that he is ready for this awesome responsibility. It's quite apparent now that John McCain is far from ready.

Cue the Debates

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:34:45 EDT

Every presidential campaign has its milestones. The early buildup, months of speculation about nothing, Iowa, New Hampshire, Super Tuesday, policy statements, flare-ups and controversies, apologies and attack ads, two conventions....and all that does is get us to the autumn, the homestretch, and to the debates.

Now Barack Obama and John McCain will have their turn, three times over the next four weeks, with Joe Biden to do a cameo next week alongside Sarah Palin..if you can call that a fair contest. I thought you actually had to know something about the job.

We got along in American history just fine without these earth-stopping confrontations for close to two centuries. Thirty-three men assumed the most powerful office in the land without having to worry about how they looked in front of a camera, whether they had enough make-up on, or a thousand other superficial issues the beast known as television brings to the table.

Ah, but then John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon got together in a studio Sept. 26, 1960, and our elections have never been the same. Radio listeners that first fateful night thought Nixon got the better of the argument, but millions of TV viewers saw a pale, insecure vice president compare unfavorably to a handsome, tan, vigorous young senator from Massachusetts.

Given what happened in the election that followed, it became clear that a debate could bring parity to a one-sided race. Thus, Lyndon Johnson avoided Barry Goldwater in 1964. And of course Nixon wanted no part of a debate, whether the race was 1968, or not so close in 1972 - why give George McGovern a chance? Besides, there was all that illegal stuff...but you know that story.

The big show finally returned in 1976, in time for Gerald Ford vs. Jimmy Carter. Once again, gaffes haunted the GOP side, with Ford's denial of the Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and running mate Bob Dole revising history in a big way, blaming Democrats for all the wars of the 20th century. Such small gaffes may have swung the election Carter's way.

Four years later, it really did prove decisive. Carter's only confrontation with Ronald Reagan came a week before the election, with the polls tight. Carter railed about Reagan's views, Reagan smiled and said "There you go again", and asked the country at the end if they were better off than they were four years earlier. Every undecided voter abandoned the incumbent and took their shot with Reagan.

Since then, these debates have only grown, in terms of the expectations thrown on them. Yet as is often the case in a TV setting, what is remembered are sound bites and one-liners, gaffes and gestures that come to define a race, and the people within them.

When Walter Mondale tried to use Reagan's age as an issue in the first debate in 1984, Reagan shot back at him with a joke one debate later, but the outcome was never in doubt anyway. What was remembered from 1988 was Dan Quayle comparing himself to JFK and Lloyd Bentsen giving hm a verbal beatdown. And Michael Dukakis was doomed against George H.W. Bush when he gave a technocratic answer to an emotional question about his wife's theoretical rape and murder.

Then Bush 41 looked at his watch in 1992 and Al Gore sighed in 2000, and you could argue that, otherwise, the debates haven't altered the outcomes all that much. If so, then the issues are irrelevant. The projected image means much more - and don't make any bad gestures.

Already we are hearing the "What must Barack do?" questions. Even funnier was the "Which Barack will show up?" pieces, as if there's two of him. People point to the endless string of debates during the primary season and note where he went wrong - and yes, there were plenty of mistakes to choose from.

But you know what? Amid those small slip-ups, Barack projected himself to be exactly what he really is - namely, a calm, poised, intelligent and mature leader that this country desperately needs after the disaster of the last eight years. There's nothing phony about him in these settings, and it's almost as if the pundit crowd WANTS him to be phony.

No can do, though. What tens of millions of TV viewers will see Friday night, and two more times in the weeks ahead, is the stark contrast between a candidate in John McCain that switches themes and messages every minute in a desperate search for votes, and a candidate in Barack Obama whose message of fundamental change for America has never been altered from the moment he stepped into this race nearly 20 months ago.

Who knows if this will be the breaking point of the most important election of our lifetime? With Barack ahead in the polls, many in the media are (predictably) dragging out the race card to say that, hey, don't believe anything - the white folks will turn on Barack in the end. They're using tired, stale storylines of the 1980s and '90s to explain a contest that has no precedent in history.

My prayer is that our country will ignore all this garbage and pick the best candidate, period. We know Barack Obama is the best candidate. And those that watch will certainly know that, too, by the time the debates are done.

YES WE CAN!!

Open For Business

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:59:35 EDT

Drive toward downtown Syracuse on James Street, and you'll pass some gorgeous houses and the home studios of both TV and radio stations in the area.

Go a little further, though, and look on the right, across the street from the United Way, and something else will be found - the new headquarters of Syracuse For Obama, the nerve center of our entire effort in Central New York to make Barack Obama the next President of the United States.

We formally opened our new home today with plenty of cheerful campaign spirit while, on the same day, more than 20 of our representatives drove to Northeast Pennsylvania for more canvassing with our friends from the Scranton area.

Our hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Of course, we'll be spending even more time out at every social event imaginable between now and Nov. 4, and that will remain the focal point of our work in the 45 days ahead.

Immense thanks again to Andrea Audi and all the folks that helped secure this prime location - though you'll have to park in the back, on a lot accessed from Willow Street, in order to make sure that you don't get towed. A church is right down the way. Hey, nothing wrong with prayers when you get to this point.

Every single person that can help us out is welcome. We're concentrating a lot of energy on Pennsylvania, for sure, but we can't ignore the homefront. The closeness of one poll (did they only talk to Upstate New Yorkers?) has McCain folks talking about putting up ads. WE CANNOT TAKE ANY VOTE FOR GRANTED!!

We've got three more weeks to register people in New York State before the Oct. 10 deadline, then three and a half more weeks after that to do all the phone calls and door-to-door canvassing and visbility before this fateful choice is made.

As Jon Selzer so eloquently put it when he spoke today, every single person that helps us is part of the team, no matter how big or small the role. It's the only way change happens - when the voices of millions join together and work together to demand that change, and make it happen. With a new headquarters, we'll do our part to make it happen.

YES WE CAN!!

Knocked Down...But We'll Get Back Up

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:22:00 EDT

From Monday onward, this entire week has been one never-ending stream of economic trouble. The Dow loses hundreds of points. Lehman Brothers gone, Merrill Lynch bought out, AIG bailed out, the bill of an out-of-control orgy of greed coming due.

Somehow John McCain thought he could ride out the Sarah Palin hype machine all the way to Nov. 4, unquestioned and unscarred. Then came Monday, and his mind-boggling "fundamentals of our economy are sound" statement. John McCain, meet Herbert Hoover.

As the days have gone by, the McCain blunders have become fruitful and multiplied, all as Barack Obama and Joe Biden talk about the issues and surge back ahead in the polls. The reason is quite simple - this election has, at long last, come back to the issues.

Just a week ago, we were awash in lipstick and rolling in pigs, just as the GOP wanted it. As long as they could avoid the real issues facing voters and the real problems facing America and turn this, the most important election of our lifetimes, into a trivial battle royal, the result would be just like 2000 and 2004, quite depressing.

Yes, we've been quite lucky this week that circumstances have brought substance back to the presidential contest. But it was going to happen anyway, with the debates looming and no way that McCain/Palin (or Palin/McCain, as Sarah put it at one point today, oops) that they could avoid actual questions on the issues that Obama and Biden have faced all along.

Politics aside, times are rough for all of us. I bet every single one of you reading this blog are having some kind of difficulty paying your bills, or holding on to your job, or affording gas and groceries. It's real, and it's hitting all of us and knocking us down, testing our will.

Which is why it's so great we have Joe Biden on our side. Every time he speaks, he reminds us of the things his father in Scranton told him, especially this: "When you get knocked down, get back up!" Americans have always done that, when given the chance to do so.

Collectively, we've all been knocked down by this sinking economy, and we've been discouraged by the way America is viewed around the world. Barack Obama gives us a unique, rare chance to rise again, in spirit and in soul, and we are responding!

It's easy to throw out numbers like 2.5 million people donating, or hundreds of thousands of volunteers in thousands of offices. They're mind-boggling enough. But what we're doing in Syracuse is pretty remarkable, too.

On Wednesday night, more than 70 people crowded into our new Syracuse For Obama headquarters on 537 James Street (Park on Willow, though, or you'll get towed) to hear about all that we'll be doing in the 47 days ahead. We'll have a formal opening event Saturday at 11 a.m., training our new volunteers as another big group heads down to Northeast Pennsylvania for canvassing.

From now until the Oct. 10 state deadline, we'll be pushing hard to make sure every single person in Syracuse is registered to vote. Then it's phone-banking, door-to-door canvassing and visibility, every day until Nov. 4, and every single person that can help is appreciated.

In both good times and bad, we have worked hard for Barack Obama building this movement. And we can't afford to rely on good polls, or get discouraged by bad polls. We need to work even harder, to make victory a reality. As much as we've been challenged, we'll meet the challenge, and make history.

YES WE CAN!!

We Must Bring the Passion, Too

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:55:16 EDT

My, these last two weeks have been rough if you believe that Barack Obama is the only chance this country has to redeem itself on so many fronts.

Ever since everyone's favorite Alaskan beauty queen entered this epochal race, the silly things like a tanking economy, two wars with no end in sight and other issues - you know, the stuff that matters in an election - have gone away, to our collective detriment.

No matter how much Barack Obama talks about issues at every single event and during every single interview (he actually believes in giving interviews), and no matter how much he hits John McCain during these events, it's not enough for some folks, especially on the left.

The immense amount of advice peddled out to Barack, in columns and especially in the blogs of our own web site, can get downright depressing. It's allowing the media creeps to talk of a "sinking ship" and other disaster analogies while the McCain-Palin lies go without punishment.

Mostly, they just recite poll numbers (especially the ones that make McCain good and Obama bad), sit back, wait for a clever line, then echo the McCain attack, though it started to turn around late last week when the slime from the GOP Rovians reached epic levels.

Still, fairness, truth, issues - they all go out the window, and people who went through 2000 and 2004 get down and cry that we're about to make the same mistake again.

Well, they are wrong, and will be proven wrong by us - if we are up to the awesome task ahead.

So much has been done already. More than 2 million have contributed funds, and millions more have registered to vote and become volunteers in the largest grass-roots effort American presidential politics has ever see. We just raised $66 million in August - yeah, real trouble.

And though some remain hysterical on our side, our top campaign brass has stayed cool, and Barack has stayed especially cool. That's the mark of a true leader, someone who won't get rattled at the first serious shock and will keep his wits together, something sorely lacking from Mr. Bush and Mr. McCain, his identical twin would-be successor.

We should not have to wait for Barack to get mad and fall into that certain "Angry Black Man" trap the McCain camp has set for him. WE are the ones that need to get mad, Howard Beale-mad, and TAKE ACTION!

Here in Syracuse, there is no shortage as to what we could do. Whether it's phone banks, or canvassing the streets registering people to vote before the Oct. 10 deadline, or public visibility at big events, we have, literally, dozens of chances to put ourselves before the public in the 51 days ahead.

Fear not, Obama army. We've got four debates coming, events where McCain and Palin HAVE to, for once, deal with the actual issues Barack and Joe Biden have been talking about all along. In front of 50 million or more TV viewers, our ticket will show the strength, poise, confidence and intelligence needed to lead our nation in these troubled times.

Barack Obama will do his part. We must do ours to make sure we are celebrating with the rest of the world 51 nights from now.

YES WE CAN!!

What the World Wants

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:46:36 EDT

As we stand here, it has been exactly seven years since a cowardly group of terrorists hijacked four planes, crashed two of them into the World Trade Center's twin towers, crashed another into the Pentagon, and were aiming the other for the nation's capital before brave people took over the plane and, giving their lives for us, crashed it into a Pennsylvania field.
The images of that day, and the feelings of horror, grief and sadness we all shared, linger even now. The heroism of so many, especially the firefighters and police officers that raced into those burning towers to save others before the buildings fell down, remain breathtaking and unparalleled.
We should all, of course, take a minute of our time today to remember those we lost, to pray for their families, and to resolve again that we use their example to do good for others.
Yet another, inescapable fact comes to mind on this sorrowful day. We had a chance to rally the world around us in the days after 9/11 - and squandered it, tossed it away, soiled America's good name in the lust for oil.
Remember, if you can, the days after the attacks. In this country, the outpouring of patriotism was the greatest since Pearl Harbor, and it went way beyond the display of flags.
The amount of clothing, food, charitable donations to the Red Cross and other relief funds, and volunteer help that went to Ground Zero, was inspiring beyond words.
Americans rallied around each other, and the sense of unity of purpose gave us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to ask our country to do more, to sacrifice just a bit toward a common purpose - and, of course, to go after Bin Laden and the people that did this.
What's more, the world was with us. Who could forget the sight of a band in London, in front of Buckingham Palace, playing the "Star Spangled Banner". Stranded air passengers in Canada were taken in by citizens and fed for up to a week, forming friendships that lasted a lifetime.
People of all nations, all backgrounds, came to our defense. They saw America as the leader of the free world, a defender of liberty and democracy, and they were pulling for us. They were willing to help us find Bin Laden and the evildoers.
We had all this goodwill. And we blew it.
Instead, our leaders dragged us into a needless war in Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, on false pretenses. They scared us, and we fell for it, despite all the warnings from abroad (and a few in this country) that it was going to turn into a Vietnam-like quagmire.
Seven long years later, the image of America around the world is as low as it has ever been. We are considered an arrogant, aggressive, war-mongering bully who spouts things like "You are with us, or you are against us", and we don't even take into consideration the opinions of informed people from other countries.
This is the sort of behavior that breeds resentment, anger - and the expression of that anger in terrorism that could one day find our shores again.
But it doesn't have to be that way. What happens, 54 days from now, will go a long, long way into determining how the world sees us in the near-future.
They will either cringe at the prospect of more tough talk and conflict from our Oval Office, or they will cheer and praise us for finally conceding our error and starting anew.
Seven years ago today, we had such a great opportunity to rally all the people on Earth for freedom and justice and peace, and against hatred. Now we have that chance again. We dare not blow it.

Do They Think We Are Stupid?

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:19:01 EDT

The conventions are over. Now, and in the 57 days ahead, Barack Obama and John McCain will campaign against each other, just as presidential candidates do every four years as a nation prepares itself for choice it will make on Election Day.

But as we all know, this election goes way, way beyond a simple choice between a Democrat and a Republican. It is as critical an election as all of us have ever experienced - there is absolutely no way to sugarcoat that point. It is why we are all involved, why we care so much, why we are working so hard to help Barack win.

Aside from all the other reasons why this is so important, this election is our chance to show a skeptical world that, yes, America still has some brains to it.

Folks, there's a reason why people everywhere ridicule our current occupant of the White House, beyond the immeasurable harm he has done to our good name. George W. Bush just isn't a bright guy, and you need bright people running this country - or at least that's the general assumption.

Well, now we've found out the true lingering effect of the Bush years - namely, an entire Republican Party that revels in its stupidity and ignorance, thinking that they can say or sell ANYTHING to a gullible public because, hey, it worked before!

Look at that GOP convention. As both Barack and Joe Biden have pointed out on a regular basis in the ensuing days, not a word was uttered about the economy, health care, climate change, education, except to deride anyone's attempts to rise above their means and especially to deride the "community leaders" that lead them to a better day.

In other words, issues. As Rick Davis said himself, issues are not that important to the GOP. Better for Americans to fawn over a celebrity woman VP pick who "subjects" herself to one elaborate Charlie Gibson ABC interview with more rules, likely, than anything Barack, or Joe Biden, or even John McCain would EVER insist on.

It's becoming clearer by the day - not only is this about change against more of the same (no matter how much McCain and Palin rip off our theme), it's about having a smart, intelligent, reasoned and honorable man in the White House who understands what the people of this country are going through and doesn't treat it as an annoyance.

I would love it if Barack just went out over the next 57 days and, aside from tying McCain to Bush, remind all of us that we are NOT stupid, and that we won't fall for the GOP lies anymore. And we'll do our part to get that message out, too.

YES WE CAN!!

What This Really Is About

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:39:24 EDT

On this Thursday night in St. Paul, John McCain will stride onto his custom-made stage and accept the presidential nomination of the Republican Party. He will offer his promises, talk yet again about his POW days, likely bash Barack Obama a few dozen times. And the lily-white crowd will eat it up, and the pundits will fall over each other in worshipful praise. It's all too predictable.

Besides, those press folks have some making up to do. Since they questioned Sarah Palin a bit too much, the Republicans went nuts, screaming bias and sexism and all the other things they scream when they know they are dead wrong on every single issue of this election and must drive the electorate to distraction so as not to remind them of the disaster that has been the eight years of George W. Bush.

Put simply, the GOP has done exactly what Barack predicted they would do a week ago at Mile High Stadium - go after him and scare the American people into more of the same. Well, we've got enough evidence at this point to suggest that it won't work in 2008.

Yeah, 37 million people watched the Palin "speech" (really, a product of the Karl Rove fear-mongering playbook), but I am quite certain that undecided, independent voters, such as those that were sampled by ABC in Michigan, were thoroughly disgusted by the endless attacks, and no real ideas. In these difficult times, people do NOT want more mud.

What's more, while Palin certainly energized her right-wing GOP base, she did the exact same thing for our movement, as we raised $10 million in less than 24 hours and likely gained hundreds of eager new volunteers. Sarah, thank you so much - you reminded us of the kind of disgusting, divisive politics we are running against, and why we must win.

Best (or maybe worst) of all, Palin trashed the idea of community organizing, as if that didn't compare to being the mayor of a small town in Alaska - a town that just so happened to get a whole lot of pork-barrel money and ran up a lot of debut when she was mayor. Oh wait, can't talk about that stuff, it's sexism! Funny, they said Hillary was doing the same thing during the primay season - can you spell hypocrisy?

The sound you heard last night was community activists all over this land furious at the way they were being portrayed. Funny, but just about every great movement of progress in American history, from the Revolution itself to the abolition of slavery, from women's suffrage to civil rights, from the organization of labor to the fair treatment of farm workers, from Dr. King to Cesar Chavez - well, that, Sarah Palin, was community organizing. Care to trash that too?

If there's any justice, Palin will soon fade into the background and we'll be reminded that this is Barack Obama against John McCain, change against more of the same, YES WE CAN against "Don't get your hopes up too high", either a glorious sign of how far we have come as a nation, or a sick reminder of how far we still have to go.

Yet Barack had the perfect words for it, said a week ago in that stadium in Denver, when a nation was hearing a message of hope instead of a diatribe of hate. "All across America, something is stirring. What the naysayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you."

Barack gets it, and the Republicans do not. The other side sees us and thinks that the old divide-and-conquer politics will work because that is always what has worked before, that we're all dumb sheep that have to be led to some illusion of safety and security that, in reality, is just a descent into further debt and despair.

But Barack sees us and shows something rare and wonderful - respect. He understands that he alone can't bring about change, that it's up to us to seize this moment of history and bring about the change we want, and that only by WORKING TOGETHER, as Democrats, Republicans and Independents, can change happen and we can move to a better and brighter day.

And you know what? We have seized that moment, ever since this started. We have raised a record amount of money, from a record amount of donors, more than 2 million and counting. We have tens of thousands of volunteers working on behalf of Barack's movement. We have registered millions to vote and brought people who have never been involved in an election before into the political process.

All this could not have happened with the old, failed politics of the past. It only happened because Barack Obama gave us ownership of this movement and makes it clear that we are in it together. It's a beautiful, empowering, uplifting feeling that no attack can stifle, that no pundit can put down.

These are things the other side (and the media) don't understand, and may never understand until it hits them with the force of an earthquake on Nov. 4, just 61 days from now. America, wants change, now, and will not be intimidated anymore by the slash-and-burn GOP methods. We will rise up, we will vote in record numbers, and we will put Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House.

YES WE CAN!!

A Need For Sensitivity

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:45:28 EDT

We watched today as Hurricane Gustav slammed into Louisiana, hoping and praying that places like New Orleans could be spared the worst. At least most of the city's citizens got out - in fact, 2 million along the Gulf Coast evacuated. And the early indications (very early, admittedly) is that it can be weathered.

Still, it's vital that all of us do our part to help out. If we can't get down to the Gulf coast to volunteer, at least we can donate through the American Red Cross, as Barack has asked. Even $10 or $20 can help, if you can spare it.

Understand that when it comes to a storm like this (and maybe Hanna this weekend), there is no political party, no partisanship, no ideology. We are all concerned Americans - our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper - and helping others doesn't come with a party label. And we applaud the Republicans for toning down the first day of their convention to make sure the focus is on helping others.

Yet as this was going on, the word got out that Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol, just 17, is five months pregnant, and will have the baby. Many on our side are already using this sensitive situation to score cheap political points. That's the absolute wrong thing to do.

Ideally, we would keep all family business out of this race, even if it might seem impossible to do so. We've seen how sensitive Barack has been on all this, making sure his beautiful daughters have as normal a life as possible amid this whirlwind.

Let us please follow Barack's example on this matter. There is absolutely no reason to pick on Bristol. She's not running for anything. Instead, pray that her child is born safely and that maybe they can have some kind of privacy. Then again, if Sarah Palin can't understand the sensitivity of this matter, she's being awfully callous.

The real question is why McCain would pick someone so completely untested in the American political crucible. Was it a cynical ploy to draw in disaffected Hillary voters? Or was it just a sellout to Rush, Hannity and the rest of the hysterical right? Likely, a bit of both.

What we need to do is keep our focus on the issues of this important election, which are substantial enough to get Barack and Joe Biden elected, and NOT get personal. Political differences are worth arguing. Personal issues should be avoided, if at all possible - especially when one hurricane has caused a swath of damage and another later this week might do the same.

Enter Sarah Palin

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:26:14 EDT

Let us congratulate Sarah Palin upon her selection as John McCain's running mate. Whatever we might think or say (and a lot will be said), her selection is historic - just the second woman on a major party's national ticket, after Geraldine Ferraro.

That being said, this is a bold move, maybe too bold. Clearly McCain had to appease his GOP base on the right, led as they always are by Limbaugh, Hannity and the talk-show demagogues who act like a personal litmus test for any Republican wannabe - just note how they detested McCain until he got the nomination and started using Karl Rove's henchmen and tactics.

Palin is labeled a "maverick", which is fine - if maverick means being right of most people on this country, especially on environmental issues and being rabidly pro-life with NO exceptions. Surely the bitter Hillary Clinton voters will like that idea.

What's more, Palin hardly knows John McCain - a couple of head-to-head meetings prior to this surprising announcement. It's not exactly the smooth team that we've got. There's such a wonderful spirit surrounding Barack Obama and Joe Biden when they're together.

Oh yeah, and another key point - these choices display, with total clarity, the difference between the two men at the top of the tickets. Many say that you can tell a lot about a president by the VP choice he makes, even though both versions of George Bush made awful choices for wildly varying reasons - one too shallow (Dan Quayle), the other too evil (Dick Cheney).

Take Barack Obama. He thought this decision out, long and hard, vetted just about the entire Democratic Party establishment, then carefully worked his way into picking Joe Biden. By contrast, John McCain apparently made the decision last night, seemingly on a whim. Guess which guy had the right idea.

Above all other political considerations, a vice-presidential nominee must, must, MUST be prepared to handle the awesome responsbilities of the Oval Office at a moment's notice - no, make that less than a moment. It could happen at any time, God forbid.

We know Joe Biden can handle this task. Whether Sarah Palin, who I've never really heard of prior to today, is similar to that task is, to say the least, highly debatable.

So much for the "experience" argument from the other side. The only way they can beat us is by being so negative that they make Barack unacceptable. Judging by the 84,000 who came to Denver last night (and the 20,000 more who wanted to get in), Barack Obama seems pretty acceptable.

YES WE CAN!!

Historic...and Just the Start

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:57:50 EDT

Just after 10 p.m. here, or 8 p.m. in Denver, Barack Obama walked to the podium at Mile High Stadium, accompanied by the deafening roar of more than 80,000 people in that stadium as tens of millions in America and the world looked in, anticipating what he would say as he accepted the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.

And here in Syracuse, the feeling was just as ecstatic. By our own count, more than 400 people packed into the Palace Theatre in Eastwood, and they all stood and cheered when Barack emerged on that big movie screen. That scene repeated itself in venues in Utica and Ithaca, too, and in thousands of other places, large and small, where people gathered to bear witness to (and this will sound like hyperbole) one of the proudest moments in American history.

It was not just about a speech here. We registered people to vote (at least 10), to make sure everyone that left the Palace was registered for Nov. 4. We also signed up a large cadre of new volunteers that are FIRED UP and READY TO GO, and we're proud to have them on our team for the work in the 67 days ahead.

Oh yeah, and lots of business cards, buttons, stickers, T-shirts and hand-held signs got in the hands of the audience, too, in a venue decorated with red, white and blue bow ties and American flags on the aisles by our hard-working crew.

Above all, immense thanks must go to Andrea Audi for putting this all together. Her work for Syracuse For Obama, and for the movement as a whole, has been sensational and cannot be applauded enough. Also we were gracious to have county legislator (and early Obama supporter) Tom Buckel as our MC for the evening, and very happy that our next Congressman, Dan Maffei, and his new wife (married five weeks ago, congratulations to them both), also was here on this night.

The standard Barack had to meet for this acceptance speech was impossible to hurdle on two levels. First, he was going to get compared to his own history-making keynote address at the 2004 convention in Boston, the epochal speech that drew most of us to Barack as we all hoped that someday he would run for president - never dreaming that it would happen four years later.

Then there was that small matter of the acceptance speech coming 45 years, to the day, after the March On Washington and Dr. King telling the world about his dream in front of the Lincoln Memorial. As, perhaps, the living embodiment of that dream, Barack had to connect that seminal moment of the late 20th century with his own 21st century dream for all of us.

Right from the moment he formally accepted the nomination, Barack, in a speech he wrote himself (just like 2004, just like the race speech in Philadelphia, just like his marvelous books), delivered on that promise, delivered on those expectations, and delivered a speech for the ages that even all of us familiar with his remarkable oratory skills could marvel in. In short, and using his own words from the night before, he rocked the house!

He started by praising Hillary Clinton's run, Bill Clinton's encouraging words and Ted Kennedy's courage, had great words for his teammate Joe Biden and loving words for Michelle and his daughters. Then he got down to the business at hand.

Again Barack reminded us of this defining moment in history, and all the immense challenges we face, and how the damage of the George W. Bush years needs to be undone. "America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this."

He came back to a familiar and powerful word - ENOUGH! "We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the next eight. On November 4, we must stand up and say, "Eight is enough". Somewhere Dick Van Patten had to be smiling.

Every single sideline critic that has argued, for months, that Barack hasn't been tough enough on John McCain wasn't listening close enough as he had gone around the country speaking and working those town-hall meetings. Still, if it's toughness they wanted, well....

"What does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change." Another loud roar.

And the digs continued - consistent, hard-hitting digs, even if it wasn't the "red meat" the stupid press wants. Barack was clear about McCain not understanding our economic woes and selling out to the corporate lobbysits, oil companies, even the Karl Rove-style politics he once was against. And that "Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own" dig? Priceless.

As he started talking about his economic vision, Barack reminded us how good it was in the Clinton administration of the 1990s, as compared to our disaster now, and wove in his own personal biography of how his grandfather, grandmother and mother all embodied, in some way or another, the "American Promise" that was the overall theme of his speech.

On making the tax code fair, cutting taxes for 95 percent of us and promoting small business, Barack was clear. On the desperate need to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil within the next 10 years, Barack was bold and decisive.

On making sure every child gets the best possible education from pre-school to college graduation, Barack was forthright. And on finally ending the national disgrace of 47 million Americans without health insurance, Barack could not have been more plain. Republicans want more of the same, but WE WANT CHANGE!

Then it came to foreign affairs and national security, with Barack laying down the gauntlet of challenging John McCain to any kind of debate on who can best protect our country.

Again the differences are so clear - an end to the war in Iraq, rather than an endless occupation. An increased commitment to finding Osama bin Laden and fighting terrorism on all its fronts with our most valuable resource - the brave men and women of our incomparable armed forces. Then, when they come home, treating those veterans with the respect and dignity they have earned and deserve from a grateful nation.

Oh yes, and tough diplomacy in the tradition of our greatest leaders againt Iran and against nuclear proliferation, while rebuilding the alliances frayed and destroyed by the misadventures of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al. "The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans - Democrats AND Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy."

Inevitably, we knew Barack would bring up the questions his foes have raised about just how loyal he is to America and just how patriotic he really is - the same annoying, obnoxious and incendiary questions lobbed by every Republican candidate at every Democratic nominee of the last 20 years, from Dukakis to Clinton to Gore to Kerry. And this was one of his best moments of the night, as he evoked the most famous lines of his 2004 speech.

"Let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together, and bled together, and some died together, under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America."

With that, Barack moved to hot-button issues, hitting just the right grace notes on a women's right to choose, guns and gay rights. Whatever you might think of all these things, at least some basics can be agreed on by people of all persuasions.

Toward the end, Barack addressed the state of our politics, the reason for his running against the ever-increasing tide of bitter Washington partisanship and public cynicism toward such a poisonous atmosphere, and he addressed the negativity head-on.

"I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you."

Amen. The tens of thousands that have worked and volunteered for this movement, the millions that have registered to vote and will be so proud to cast a ballot on Nov. 4, did not join this crusade simply because Barack gives a pretty speech. We're here because we LOVE this country, and want the best for it, and that we see how bad things have become in the last eight years and we want to do something about it - and make history along the way.

Then the perfect grace note - evoking that hot August day exactly 45 years ago when people of all creeds, races and backgrounds came to our nation's capital to demand justice and equality, hearing words of hope, inspiration and, yes, dreams for a better America.

As Dr. King dreamed then of a country where the words of Jefferson's Declaration of Indepdence finally rang true, and dreamed of a place where his children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, Barack Obama has also shared his dream with us - of an America where, once again, you can make it if you try, that work is honored, education and health care are fundamental rights for every person, and that once again stands as a beacon of hope to all people of the world.

Millions watched this acceptance speech, and I'm sure many of them are quite skeptical about Barack, if not hostile, and they might have come to this evening wondering why we love him so much and care so much about winning this election, the most important of our lifetime.

Well, I don't know if Barack could satisfy everyone - who can? But he has stirred this nation like few people ever have. No other political leader in America could have filled that stadium, or evoked the vast amount of cheers and tears that Barack Obama has done.

Now, it is up to us, in the 67 days ahead, in Syracuse and every other corner of this land, to go to work and fulfill the American promise Barack Obama spoke about - and to make him our president.

YES WE CAN!!

Now comes tomorrow

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:36:40 EDT

All right now, doubters, let there be no question - the Democatic Party is one, and they are behind Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

This third night of the Democratic Convention in Denver was a night of continuing emotional crescendo - first based on history and ceremony, then turning into affirmation of our positive movement for change, from a former president to the man who will be the next one!

It began with the roll call of the states. Of course you know the result in advance, and there was much behind-the-scenes negotiations about it all, but it is still genuine, and a chance to see the wonder and beauty of our entire land, all the states and its people.

They set it up so that Hillary Clinton, with the New York delegation (including our own Lisa Daly from Syracuse For Obama), would ask the convention to make Obama's nomination unanimous. When it happened, you not only saw cheers in the arena, and singing and dancing, but you saw a lot of tears in people's eyes.

And the reason is simple. We have sometimes forgotten, in the blinding political tornado that this election has become, just what kind of history Barack Obama has made. Ten years ago, maybe even four years ago, a scene like this was unimaginable. It sends a powerful message to the entire world that, in this flawed yet great country of ours, we have moved far - and could yet move farther if we vote the right way in 68 days.

The next keystone came when Bill Clinton took the stage. The 42nd president, and what he would say, was endlessly dissected beforehand, but what ultimately came out was the best possible endorsement from Barack from someone who knows, better than anyone else, what being in the Oval Office is like.

Clinton, in his own unique and loquacious style, reminded us of how prosperous and successful our country was in his presidential tenure, about how George W. Bush, John McCain and their GOP cronies threw it all away with debt, economic ruin, endless war and a tarnished name abroad. Barack Obama can bring us back, a message Clinton was crystal-clear about, and we thank him for the work he is going to do on our behalf.

In the lead-up to the VP speech, the best stuff came from John Kerry, whose brave run in 2004 came up just short due, in no small part, to the vicious lies brought on by Karl Rove and his Swift-boating allies. Kerry was sharp and passionate (in a way he never really was four years ago) in his attacks on McCain and defense of Obama, reminding us how great it was to have his support early in this long process.

Then it was Joe Biden's turn, introduced by his brave and wise son, Beau, the Delaware Attorney General soon off to Iraq with his state National Guard unit. The sweetest part was the way Biden showed pride in his children, his wife and his mother, who was in the arena - Mom is priceless, as is the entire Biden family.

Already they are dissecting every word of the speech, saying Biden didn't offer enough "red meat" (just stop it with that term, please). But he did offer the clear contrast between a McCain/Bush third term and an Obama presidency, which is what was absolutely required.

The best part came at the end, though, when Barack Obama came on stage, gave shout-outs to Michelle, Hillary and Bill, not to mention the Biden family. It only left us with a steep appetite, ready to feast tomorrow night.

Ah yes, tomorrow. The night we have all waited for. Every political convention, every four years, boils down to the acceptance speech the nominee gives. It propelled FDR, when he started that in-person tradition in 1932, helped George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to no end in back-to-back elections. Oh yeah, Al Gore and that long kiss of Tipper.

What to expect when nearly 80,000 gather at Invesco Field (Mile High Stadium to the locals) and Barack gets the nomination? A great speech, for sure, but also a bridge back in history, to that day 45 years ago when Dr. King told the world about his dream.

Here, Barack gets to define himself, once and for all, and present his case for the presidency, and for the success of our movement, to America and the world. And you are welcome to join us Thursday night, in Syracuse's Palace Theater, or in Ithaca or in Utica, for a screening of the speech on a big movie screen.

May God give Barack Obama great strength, and great courage, as he sets out tomorrow night toward the presidency.

YES WE CAN!!

Hillary On Board

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:38:26 EDT

On this blog, and in all the various chat rooms we have raced through in this long journey as part of Barack Obama's positive movement for change, much has been said about Hillary Clinton, and a lot of it (including here) wasn't that kind.

For all that, we must apologize. A majority of the bad stuff, if not all of it, was delivered in the heat of the campaign moment. For so long, Hillary and her formidable team were what stood in our way, and the rhetoric and the bad words and the vitriol sometimes bled through.

Yet in June, when it was all done, Hillary threw her unequivocal support to us, and we were grateful and thankful for it. The problem was that some of her more rabid backers (the PUMAs, among others), just wouldn't let it go, and since they were loud and boisterous, their every word got amplified by an all-too-willing press to create the illusion of a Democratic Party chasm.

And that "conflict" spilled over to Denver, and to the Democratic Convention. Never mind that Barack had won the nomination, fair and square, following the rules that were laid out in advance - the media mob wanted blood between the Clinton and Obama sides, which would delight John McCain and the Republicans to no end.

Everyone, including all of us in Barack's movement, were quite eager to watch tonight's speech, and even more eager to watch Hillary Clinton put all the doubts to rest and to rally the Democrats, especially her partisans, into a united front.

The warm-up acts included Dennis Kucinich at his fiery best, Mark Warner with a solid keynote address and Montana's finest, Brian Schweitzer, really getting the crowd going with his address. Then the film of Hillary's noble quest, narrated by Chelsea, and, in the presence of Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and Michelle Obama, the woman of honor took her turn.

It was simply masterful. Hillary mixed in everything - barbs at John McCain (No Way, No How, No McCain) and his cozy ties with the president (the whole Twin Cities quip in regards to the GOP convention), recollections of her historic run and the people she met, a passionate defense of all the causes she has fought for (especially health care), and, above all, her unequivocal support of Barack Obama.

That last part included a message to her die-hard supporters, basically asking them if they were in it simply for her, or for the future of this country. Hillary also laid clear the enormous stakes of this election, as enormous as any in our lifetime. By putting it in those stark terms, and totally winning over the crowd (and maybe 25 million TV viewers), Hillary did a superb job.

And let's make it very clear - yesterday is gone (hey, didn't Bill say that in 1992?). Whatever we might have said about Hillary Clinton in past posts and blogs, we knew she would be, in the end, a loyal Democrat, whether she or Barack had won. And we are proud of her run, and happier that she has been on board with us, and will be in the 10 weeks ahead.

Now we go to Wednesday night, where Bill Clinton (we hope) gives his own full blessing, and Joe Biden accepts the VP nomination with the fire and passion we know he will bring. Two days, and we have a united party, ready to present a historic change.

YES WE CAN!!

Ted and Michelle

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:43:06 EDT

Here on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the message of unity Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton wanted to send out threatened to be suffocated by the slavish media attention given to any voice of dissension, anything to build up drama and conflict even if truth gets drowned out.

Then an ailing, legendary figure returned to remind the party of what truly is at stake - and a future First Lady reminded us why we all love her so much, and why the caricature of her given by some is so far from the reality.

Right up to Sunday, it was known that a tribute to Ted Kennedy would be offered on the first night, with doubt that the liberal lion's battle with brain cancer would allow him to travel across the country from Massachusetts.

Yet on Monday night, after a loving tribute film presented by Caroline Kennedy, Ted did walk onto the stage, to loud cheers and a lot of tears from the die-hard Democrats that had seen him grow from a boy to a man, tempered by unthinkable tragedy in his family and the personal demons that, to some degree, kept him from his own shot at the presidency.

Though sick, Ted gave us, in a loud and clear voice, a blessing to Barack Obama and to our positive movement for change. He has no equal as a man who has tirelessly fought for justice and equality in every part of our society in his lifetime of public service. And having seen how his brothers inspired a generation to serve others, he clearly sees in Barack the same wonderful qualities.

The whole scene was goosebumps, but especially at the end, when he evoked his own valedictory 1980 convention speech which concluded, "the work still lives, the cause endures, the hope still lingers, and the dream shall never die." Now he reclaimed those phrases, passing the torch and saying that, with Obama as president, "the dream lives on."

May it ever be so - we cannot thank Ted Kennedy enough for all that he has done for our nation, and for Barack Obama even as he fights for his life with the same remarkable spirit. We pray that he can live to see Jan. 20, 2009 and Barack's inauguration.

After all that, it was Michelle Obama's turn to introduce herself to the public at large, in turn proving herself to be the same strong, passionate, loving and caring woman we have all fallen in love with in the course of this long and epochal race.

It was awfully hard not to tear up at the introductory film, centered around Michelle's amazing mother and brother Craig, how they told of a strong-willed father from the South Side of Chicago who worked his whole adult life, battling multiple sclerosis through most of it, never complaining even as the pain grew, so that his children could go to college and live the American dream. Yes, her father would be so proud right now.

Then Michelle went to the podium, beautiful, for sure, but also radiant and confident. Sure, we didn't need any convincing, having seen how, so many different times, her singular grace had helped us fully understand Barack not just as a leader, but as a human being - not to mention a loving and caring father.

But to a larger national audience, many of whom had only heard the most negative and base things (how could that not be racially tinged?) about Michelle, she got to tell the real story.

Michelle told us about her own modest upbringing, about how she abandoned what could have been a lucrative law career (just like Barack did) to devote herself to serving the community in Chicago, and all about the man she fell in love with - the man who will be the next President of the United States.

The greatest point Michelle made was that, over the course of their years together, Barack has never changed - he's still someone who has devoted his life to serving those less fortunate than he has been, just like Hillary Clinton, and just like Joe Biden. And how great it was when she said she loved America - no qualifiers.

By the end, when she told the story of bringing her first-born daughter home from the hospital, and how Barack was trying to be oh so careful driving....again, it was difficult not to cry. Here was no celebrity, no elitist, no presidential candidate - just a human being, a proud and happy and concerned father. Simply beautiful.

And maybe it was a bit staged at the end, but seeing Malia and Sasha say hi to Daddy back in Kansas City absolutely melted my heart. If you're human, and saw this, saw the total love and devotion this family has for each other, and didn't completely melt, then you've spent too much time residing in one of John McCain's many houses.

So thanks to Michelle, and thanks to Ted Kennedy, the convention has started well. Now it's up to Mark Warner to fire up everyone with his keynote address and for Hillary Clinton to bring the party together once and for all. We loved her defense earlier today against McCain's TV ads - "I'm Hillary Clinton and I DON'T approve this message" - hopefully she will bring it home tomorrow.

YES WE CAN!!

No Ordinary Running Mate

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:23:05 EDT

I'll have to admit that, at first, the announcement of Joe Biden as Barack Obama's running mate did not make the blood rush.

Perhaps all the insane 24/7 speculation and the media stalking out Biden's house as if he were some kind of criminal had something to do with it. Or, more likely, it was the fact that the general public would look at the choice, note that he's been in the Senate 36 years, and think "Career politician....I thought Obama was different. He's just like all the others."

But I would advise all these skeptics to look closer at Joe Biden's story. It's remarkable, a story of a young, talented man who rose from working-class roots and overcame all sorts of personal adversity to earn a place of esteem and respect - and a place on our winning ticket in November.

The story begins in Scranton, Pa., with a working-class Catholic kid who watched his father toil every day to help the family make a living. Inspired by his dad's example, Joe overcame his own stuttering problem to be a first-class student. As a young man, he takes root in Delaware with a loving wife and two kids, then gets elected to the Senate in 1972, just before turning 30.

Then Joe's life was shattered by an auto accident that takes the life of his wife and injures his sons. Grief-stricken, he takes his Senate Oath of Office from the hospital and vows, then and there, to be the right kind of father.

Thus, instead of just holing up in Washington, D.C. like any other new senator, Biden would commute on the Amtrak home to Wilmington, every night, to be with his recovering kids. And he has kept doing it, for 36 years, so he's not a creature of Capitol Hill like so many colleagues.

In that time, Joe has built a remarkable record as a champion of the ordinary American and as one of the foremost experts on foreign policy in all of Congress. True, his two runs for president fell short for vastly different reasons, and at times he has made bad mistakes in those runs and in other spots, but his work in the Senate has always remained exemplary.

Personally, Joe found love again and married Jill, a schoolteacher and great woman in her own right, just like Michelle Obama is. Their family grew, now includes five grandchildren, and his son, the Delaware Attorney General, is being deployed to Iraq for JAG duty with his National Guard Unit. The Bidens know the value of public service.

And Joe Biden fits perfectly into the model for a VP Barack talked about in the days leading up to his announcement - a person willing to disagree with Barack and spar with him from time to time, but still be a loyal no. 2, and most of all, he's capable and qualified to step into the main role should something terrible happen.

What was great to see today was the energy and emotion in Springfield, the same spot where, more than 18 months ago, this remarkable journey began. Also great was the unity this appears to have brought to the Democrats, with nothing but praise coming from the rank and file, including Hillary Clinton.

In his speech, Biden made it plain about the historic nature of this election, how vital it is that we get this choice right with Barack Obama. He said, "This is no ordinary time. This is no ordinary election." He evoked Lincoln and FDR, great presidents who were unafraid to bring about fundamental change that moved a nation forward.

Now we all look forward to Denver, and the Democratic Convention - to Michelle's words on Monday, to Hillary's blessing and Mark Warner's keynote on Tuesday, to Joe Biden's long-awaited moment of validation on Wednesday, and to Barack Obama seizing the mantle of history in front of 75,000 in a stadium and a TV audience of millions. The best part lies ahead.

Obama-Biden '08. YES WE CAN!!

Who's the Elitist Now?

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:05:20 EDT

As of yesterday, John McCain and the Republicans lost ANY right to make the claim that Barack Obama is somehow an "elitist" and "out of touch" with what the American people are thinking, the same argument we've heard against 20 years of Democratic presidential candidates - and the claim was bogus anyway.

When asked a simple question of how many houses he owned, McCain said he didn't know. Then his camp said he had four houses. Turns out he had seven, maybe up to 10 if you counted the condos.

Does it matter? Not on the surface. The White House has been graced by many a rich man, from Washington to Madison to Teddy Roosevelt to FDR to JFK to the Bush dynasty. That in itself is not bad - especially since, through his polio battle, FDR got to sympathize with those less fortunate, a key factor in his formulation of the New Deal to fight the Great Depression.

Where it starts to matter, though, is when a candidate claims for MONTHS that his opponent, for all kinds of ridiculous reasons, does not share the values of so-called "average" Americans. It started with Hillary Clinton jumping all over Barack's taken-way-out-of-context "bitter" comments, then continued with McCain and his minions, reviving the tired Karl Rove attack act- the same attacks, by the way, they sprung on McCain himself in the 2000 primary season.

This naked display of hypocrisy was not lost on Barack, who had been hearing it for weeks about not attacking McCain with more force. Yet as a Huffington Post writer pointed out, Barack had been content to let McCain flail away until he went too far - just like George Foreman against Muhammad Ali in Kinshasha in 1974. Rope-a-dope, and it was time to answer.

So Barack did, with a TV ad today that used McCain's own words against him in a devastating, yet truthful manner. With the mortgage crisis we are going through, with so many millions having difficulty hanging on to the ONE house they have, McCain has it pretty good, much better than Barack ever has.

Then at a town-hall with Tim Kaine today in Virginia, Barack kept hitting hard, reminding the audience that he owns just one house, one paid for with the money he and Michelle earned. How, Barack said, can anyone with as much wealth as the McCains possibly understand the struggles we are going through?

And again we found out that Republicans sure know how to hit people, but go nuts when somebody has the nerve to hit back. Defending McCain, his spokesman brought up (for the millionth time) his POW ordeal in Vietnam, as if that excuses everything else. Oh yeah, they also used very disparaging language about Barack's career as a professor and rehashed the tired Rezko story - where exhaustive investigation has already shown that Barack had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Rezko's criminal behavior.

Man, we must have hit a nerve. Let's keep hitting that nerve for the next 75 days and show that Barack Obama knows what Americans are going through, and will address them when he gets to the White House.

YES WE CAN!!

Words Sometimes Say It All

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:08:27 EDT

Spend enough time blogging, as I've done here ever since Barack Obama announced his entry into the race 18-plus months ago, and our points of view can obscure the words of hope and inspiration Barack has given us throughout this process.

Then there are times - like Jefferson-Jackson in Des Moines, like the "race" speech in Philadelphia - where Barack's words, or at least those crafted by him and his aides, far surpass what we can pull off. Such was the case again today with his speech at the VFW Convention in Orlando.

Now the day before, John McCain had addressed that same group. Instead of concentrating on all that he wanted to do for veterans past and present, McCain chose to (once again) take the Karl Rove low road and rip into Barack - one time even ridiculing his ambition to be president. Wait a minute, isn't McCain running for president too?

Barack responded in kind. To all those armchair quarterbacks who have spent weeks and months begging Barack to be tough and all that, well, how's this for a response:

"He (McCain) can run that kind of campaign and - frankly - that's how political campaigns have been run in recent years. But I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us.

"If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss its opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent's patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics. The calamity left behind by the last eight years is too great."

Returning again to the inevitable GOP attacks on patriotism flung toward every Democratic presidential candidate in the last two decades, Barack refuted it with chilling, beautiful words that reminded the veterans that their great sacrifice went far beyond political interests.

"Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a Red America or a Blue America - you served the United States of America."

And in telling the story of his grandfather, from his service in Patton's Army to his burial in Hawaii close to Pearl Harbor and the moving Arizona memorial that sits in the water, Barack wrapped his speech by showing what this election really is about, for all of us.

"..In every note of Taps and in every folded flag, we hear and see an unwavering belief in the idea of America. The idea that no matter where you come from, or what you look like, or who your parents are, this is a place where anything is possible, where anyone can make it, where we look out for each other, and take care of each other, where we rise and fall as one nation - as one people. It's an idea that's worth fighting for - an idea for which so many Americans have given that last full measure of devotion. Now it falls to us to advance that idea just as so many generations have before."

Those words say it all.

A Special Night Awaits..

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:27:14 EDT

As I write this, we sit just 79 days away from the presidential election. More importantly, we are just 12 nights away from a moment of history in a football stadium in Denver when Barack Obama formally accepts the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

From the moment the Democratic National Committee decided to move the speech away from the downtown arena to Invesco Field (Mile High Stadium to the locals), the electricity and anticipation fro this speech has only grown. Barack's history-making 2004 keynote already set a daunting precedent, so whatever he did now was going to be an event.

Add to it the historic nature of the date - Aug. 28, 2008, exactly 45 years to the day after Dr. King addressed the March on Washington about the Dream he had for America - and you have a big event that demands a grand setting. And not just in Denver, either.

Here in Central New York, you have three chances to view this speech in a grand setting. We are going to use grand theaters in Ithaca, Utica and Syracuse for the occasion, putting Barack on the big screen while telling everyone about the opportunities they have to help us in our positive movement for change.

In Syracuse, the setting will be the Palace Theater, on James Street in the Eastwood part of town. Everyone reading this post is invited - we want to fill the theater, 700 strong, and our friend Tom Buckel from the County Legislature has agreed to serve as MC for the night.

One of the 75,000 in Denver on that night will be our great Syracuse coordinator, Lisa Daly. We had terrific attendance and beautiful late-summer weather Saturday night at Thornden Park for our fund-raising cookout as we all chipped in to help Lisa pay for her expenses as a 25th congressional district delegate. Great thanks to John-John, again, for his fine cooking and congratulations to all that got to win original artwork and a John-John-catered party for 10.

Another true hero of our movement here in Syracuse, Andrea Audi, helped to organize a successful trip by some of our volunteers to Scranton, PA for canvassing on the weekend of Aug. 9-10. She is also instrumental putting together our Aug. 28 event, and more trips to PA are planned in the weeks ahead.

So as you can see, activity is picking up, and will only get more intense as we turn to September and October. But it's all worth it, for we have a once-in-a-lifetime candidate in Barack Obama and we must do all within our power to help him prevail.

Take the last couple of days. Following his last bit of respite in Hawaii, Barack appeared at the megachurch of Rick Warren in California during a forum where he shared the stage (briefly) with John McCain.

Naturally, the tone-deaf pundits toasted McCain for giving short, concise, stump-speech answers, and roasted Barack for actually answering the questions Rick Warren gave him in a thorough, thoughtful manner. Again, the smart guy punished for giving smart-guy answers - even though he was far more genuine in sharing his real belief in God, and Christ, and what that means to him.

Then came today's town-hall meeting in Reno, Nevada. If you get a chance, listen to the talk he gave before taking questions. During those 17 or so minutes, Barack hit on all the crucial themes of this election, especially on the domestic front when it comes to the economy, health care and energy policy.

Barack showed, again and again, how different he is from John McCain, and relentlessly tied McCain (as he must do) to the disastrous eight years of George W. Bush. Tough, but still positive because he knows that this election is really about us - our hopes, our dreams - not him.

Again, we hope you can join us, or gather with any kind of large group, on Aug. 28 to watch a speech and an event you will never forget, another milestone in this most historic and important of elections featuring a most historic candidate.

YES WE CAN!!

Our Way to Thank Lisa Daly

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:32:30 EDT

A long time ago, in the winter - of 2007 - this whole thing began. And not long after Barack Obama began his quest and started to build the movement we are all involved in, the effort in Central New York began to stir.

Just 10 people were there in that downtown Syracuse coffee shop, all of us indivduals that, to one degree or another, were inspired by Barack and wanted to do whatever we could to help him reach the White House.

Perhaps someone else would have started a group in Syracuse at some point in the process, sooner or later. But the fact remains that it began there - and that Lisa Daly brought it about, and has led us ever since.

In the ensuing 18 months, we've grown, in Syracuse For Obama, into one of the largest vplunteer groups in the state, and I can safely testify that none of that would be possible had Lisa not taken that crucial first step to get things moving. For that alone, we owe her a million thanks.

Among the many, many wonderful things Lisa did was get chosen as an Obama delegate for the Feb. 5 New York primary. As it worked out, she got one of the two slots from the 25th congressional district and, in 11 days' time, will be on her way to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, bearing personal witness to a historic moment.

Sadly, the party can't help pay Lisa's way out to Denver. So the least we can do, in our gratitude for her leadership and devotion to this movement, is pick up the tab.

We'll do so by gathering Saturday night at Thornden Park, not far from Syracuse University, for an old-fashioned summer cookout, and I hope that every single person in the CNY area that reads this blog takes the time to join us.

For a donation of $25 ($12 for children), you'll get a feast from John John's Cooker. Ever since the primary season, John John has done a fabulous job catering various events, from meetings to our Primary Night gathering to Evelyn Kinsey's house party late in June. Trust me, his stuff is great and will make your mouth water.

Not only that, but if you buy raffle tickets, you can win a catered dinner for 10 from John-John, or three original works of art that our friend Stefanie has created specifically for this occasion. Plus, we could have some live music to add to the good spirits.

If we can cover Lisa's travel expenses, she has pledged any extra money to the purchase of lawn signs for the fall - and we could ALWAYS use more funds for that, too, so we can blanket Central New York with our message of hope and change.

Quite a while ago, Lisa devoted herself to giving Barack Obama a presence here in our area. On Saturday, we get our chance to thank her for it and send her to Denver. I hope you can join us.

YES WE CAN!!

Special Youth Day...

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:59:28 EDT

Just before midday, they started pouring onto South Salina Street, thousands of parents and their children, plus community activists, musicians and cooks. When they weren't listening to the tunes, they stood in long lines for the free school supplies and terrific free food - with a bit of worthy politics on the side.

They all got together on a gorgeous summer Saturday for the little miracle that Mary Nelson (who was a delegate on our slate during the Feb. 5 New York primary) has created every August in our fine city of Syracuse, the Youth Day Bar-B-Q. It's something that every city could learn from.

In the brief amount of time this event has been held, it has grown, fast. A year ago, more than 6,000 backpacks of school supplies - notebooks, binders, scissors, pens, pencils, crayons and other necessities - got handed out. This time, that number was 9,000-plus on Saturday alone, with 10,000 the target by the time Mary is done.

No government agency is involved. All the supplies, and all the food, are supplied through money Mary spends, or through donations. This is community activism at its absolute best, a display of heart and caring where every single person appreciates what is done, and doesn't mind the long wait to receive the goodies.

Add to it some fabulous music from a stage just across the street from the food tent, and it was close to a perfect day. And just down the road from where the backpacks were being handed out, we set up shop to spread the good word about Barack Obama.

This was not our first time. The table we had in 2007 got modest attention and business, but back then Barack and his positive message of hope and change had not resonated around the country and the world. It has now.

Everywhere - from the parade that kicked off the event, to the speakers on the stage, to the folks in beautiful Obama T-shirts we ran into a few times - the spirit of YES WE CAN was prevalent. One speaker, in particular, kept coming back to emphasizing the historical aspects of this moment, how we had to seize this particular opportunity, for it might not come again.

We had work to do - namely, find new volunteers and, more importantly, register people to vote. And we got 80 people registered, plus filled at least three pages full of people willing to at least consider working for us in the fall. Not to mention the hundreds of business cards and stickers (some bumper stickers, too) that helped spread the word.

This is only the beginning of a big and eventful August for us. As we worked on the city's south side, other Syracuse For Obama volunteers ventured to the Scranton, PA area to do extensive canvassing in that crucial swing state. It cannot be stressed enough - anything anyone can do to help is immensely appreciated. And a lot of work lies ahead.

For example, this Saturday we'll gather at Thornden Park to raise money for group coordinator Lisa Daly's trip as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. On Aug. 28, when Barack gives his acceptance speech in front of nearly 80,000 at Invesco Field, we hope to pack the Palace Theater in Eastwood for a presentation on the big screen, and similar events will take place with our other Upstate New York groups.

But first, we must thank, a thousand times over, Mary Nelson for generously giving us a chance to work at Youth Day. Our work is small, perhaps, compared to her angelic donation of time, money and care to the schoolchildren of Syracuse, but with all our new registered voters, we took a valuable step toward Barack's winning effort in the fall.

YES WE CAN!!

A Birthday Letter to Barack...

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:33:10 EDT

Dear Senator Obama:

First of all, a very happy birthday! Today you turn 47, and the millions of people in America and around the world that love and support you and are part of this historic movement from change join Michelle and the girls in wishing you the very best.

At the very start, I must thank you. Thank you for living a life of integrity, honesty and genuine faith in God and family. Thank you for the work you did as a community organizer, law professor, attorney and legislator in both Illinois and the U.S. Senate.

Thank you for getting on that stage in Boston four long years ago to tell us about your beautiful idea of this nation, as a place where our shared values and dreams mean far more than all the natural and artificial divisions people put up.

And most of all, thank you for running for president, for giving this nation a chance to reclaim its rightful place as the leader of the free world, to repair a broken economy, bring health care to millions that are uninsured, make education available and affordable to all, end our needless war in Iraq, find the terrorists that want to do us harm, do right by our brave men and women in the armed forces, and bring about a full-scale approach to addressing climate change by revamping our energy policy and ending our crippling dependence on foreign oil.

When we began this journey 18 long months ago in Springfield, the crowds were large and the excitement was palpable, but few gave us a chance. A funny-looking guy with a funny name was never, ever supposed to upend the "inevitable" Clinton machine in the Democratic primaries, and now is not supposed to survive the onslaught of Republican attacks that have come, and are sure to come, in the three months ahead.

But from the very beginning, you taught us something basic and fundamental that remains elusive to the pundits that try to take us down - namely, that change begins with us, that nothing could stop the force of millions of Americans that love their country and want it to be better.

That's why those recent TV ads, repeated over and over by cable news monsters thirsty for ratings and conflict, hurt us so much. We know that you can take it, but when they attack the fact that you inspire large crowds of people and say things like "We are the ones we've been waiting for", they're really attacking us. They're challenging us, daring us to turn our energy and enthusiasm for this movement into votes on Nov. 4.

And that's why things like the New Yorker cover and the "race card" assertions hurt, too. They do the Karl Rove trick of playing to people's absolute worst fears, symbolizing the same old tired, divisive, hate-filled politics that have poisoned our land for far too long - the sort of poltiics we seek to change.

Well, you don't have to worry. We still have that energy - in fact, more energy than ever. And we don't care what pundits or experts say, and we care even less about what flavor-of-the-moment polls tell us, for they don't even pick up the millions of new voters that will flock to the ballot boxes in three month's time to help you win.

In every way, we look forward to the challenge ahead, to doing all the hard work necessary. We also wait with great anticipation to see whom you will chose as your running mate, and when you step onto that stage 24 days from now in front of 75,000 cheering people in Denver to accept your party's nomination, we'll be right with you in soul and spirit, cheering with them.

So again, Senator Obama, I wish you the happiest of birthdays, and again we commit ourselves to helping you win this election and changing the world.

YES WE CAN!!

The Positive, Hopeful Man

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:57:59 EDT

Back when it became clear that John McCain would be the Republican nominee, we all held out the slight, fleeting hope that he would be an honorable opponent for Barack Obama, that he would not resort to the all-out negativity that characterized Karl Rove and the last seven years.

It's the sort of negativity that, in 2000, turned the wise, intelligent Al Gore into someone whose good ideas were somehow "scary" and "not mainstream", and for God's sakes you don't ever want to have a beer with the guy. And you know what they did to John Kerry in 2004, somehow making a war hero less patriotic than a spoiled president whose only knowledge of war was his eagerness to thrust America into it, however wrong that might be.

Ah, but McCain was supposed to be different. He said so. His wife said so. The primaries, with its record participation, were supposed to be confirmation of a new, uplifting, intelligent kind of politics, something Barack Obama and John McCain both would bring to the table.

But something awful happened a few weeks ago. Even some in the GOP admit it - the maverick, straight-talking McCain was figuratively kidnapped, and in his place came a furious, angry and negative politician perfectly programmed in the Rove School of Character Destruction.

Thus, there was all the sniping at Barack from afar as he traveled through the war zones, the Middle East and Europe, even though McCain suggested that Barack needed such a trip to prove some sort of foreign policy "credentials" or pass some "commander-in-chief's test". As time went on, it just sounded petty, sad and, well, bitter. And that was just the warm-up act.

Now we've seen, this week, two straight TV ads that ratcheted up the negativity. First you had the blatant falsehood about Barack refusing to see the wounded soldiers in Germany because cameras wouldn't be there. EVERYONE on that trip said the accusation was false, but that didn't stop McCain's dutiful allies in the media from showing the ad hundreds of times as if it were true.

Today it got downright laughable with the comparisons of Obama's "celebrity" to a pair of overexposed starlets who have absolutely nothing to do with this presidential race. That was ridiculous enough, especially when you consider this: How exactly is the sight of more than 200,000 people in Berlin, cheering and chanting, waiving American flags, happy about seeing an inspirational and, yes, popular American leader they love and respect, somehow a bad thing? That's right, folks - in the eyes of McCain and his minions, popularity is a bad thing.

Though I'm glad Barack's ad people came up with a response tonight that quotes all the criticisms of McCain's tactics, and still ended on a positive note, the better response for all of us is not to wallow in their dirt.

I know it's been said before, but it still bears repeating - we didn't get to this point, pushing Barack Obama to this shot at the nation's highest office, by dwelling on people's fears. We got here by appealing to their hopes and dreams, by being positive, by not resorting to the same old politics, because we want America to be a great place again, and a respected nation around the world.

So in these 97 days ahead, let us work with the same spirit that carried us here, doing all those unglamorous things (voter registration, phone banks, canvassing, or anything else) that don't push up the TV ratings, but help win elections. And let's work with a smile.

Optimism and confidence has worked throughout American history. It helped sustain Lincoln through the Civil War, drove Theodore Roosevelt to be an agent of reform and progress, sustained FDR as he guided a broken nation through the Depression, helped JFK inspired a new generation of leaders and made Ronald Reagan beloved. It is that optimistic, confident approach that will work here, too, if we just tune out the bad vibes emanating from our opponents.

YES WE CAN!!

Just 100 Days Left...

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:05:52 EDT

Here on this routine summer Sunday, we pass an important milestone. Just 100 days from now, the voters of the United States decide who the 44th President of the United States will be, and the entire world will take a deep breath.

We know, more than ever, what people in other nations want to see. As the countdown descends into double digits, Barack Obama has just come home from his long trip overseas, a nine-day odyssey that symbolized, far more than anyone could understand, the way things could change if Barack wins.

On his side of things, Barack visited the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq and mingled with the brave men and women that have done so well in these difficult situations. And there was all those meetings with world leaders - Karzai, Malaki, Abdullah, Olmert, Merkel, Sarkozy, Brown - each of them sizing up Barack, and coming away quite impressed by his special gifts of poise, confidence and good judgment.

Not to mention that little talk in Berlin to more than 200,000 of his closest friends. Several astute observers pointed out that this was the first time in a long while that a big crowd gathered anywhere in a foreign land and waived American flags, rather than burned them. Isn't this what Americans want - a president respected and even loved in places beyond our borders?

Meanwhile, the discordant notes came from John McCain and what is fast becoming his media allies, willing or otherwise.

They eagerly played up the most negative of McCain sound bites that whined about the trip and the attention accorded to it - never mind that McCain all but dared Barack to take the trip. He said Barack would rather lose a war and win a campaign, something very dark to even consider, much less say.

But the lowest blow came as Barack was winding up the trip, in the form of a hideous TV ad. Barack was told by the Department of Defense (for reasons that seem murky, downright Rovish) not to visit wounded troops at a base in Germany, and Barack agreed, not wanting to make a fuss about it.

McCain's folks spun it into, "Barack doesn't care about the troops", saying he blew off the wounded soldiers to go to the gym, using that famous picture of Barack hitting that 3-pointer. A couple of problems with that - he never did go to a gym in Germany, and the image of Barack hitting the shot came from earlier in the trip, in Iraq, when he was appearing before....OUR TROOPS!! Can you say garbage?

And that doesn't even count the 4,567 times Barack was asked about the surge, each of them a leading question echoing McCain's talking points about the surge somehow working - surge this, surge that - trying to force a confession or retraction out of him so that McCain and his minions can wage even more attacks.

Finally, on Sunday back in Chicago, Barack gave a proper answer to this line of pure fantasy after being asked (again) if his vote against the surge plan was a mistake. He pointed out that, well, McCain never apologized for voting to go into Iraq in the first place.

Barack needed to do this. He is well-served by reminding everyone that the entire disastrous exercise in Iraq was a mistake in the first place, that he was right about how it cost us billions of dollars, thousands of troops' lives, our respect around the world and (of course) diverted us from the War on Terror we needed to fight.

God knows Barack needs some rest, but with 100 days to go, and after all the attention spent on foreign policy, he is going to focus on economic issues this week, and who knows when that VP pick will happen as the convention rapidly approaches.

So as he devotes his energy to the 100 days ahead, let us do the same, all-out. Whether it's registering people to vote, or handing out literature in a door-to-door canvass, everyone has a part to play, and only through that work can we succeed.

YES WE CAN!!

Our Platform Meeting..

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:21:26 EDT

So on a rainy Thursday night, more than 20 of us Barack Obama supporters - some of them familiar faces, but also some new and refreshing faces - gathered at the home of Barb Humphrey in the neighborhood close to Syracuse University to put together our idea for what the Democratic Party platform should say at the convention next month in Denver.

Many thank-yous must go out. First of all, to Barb, our host. She proved to be not just a wonderful host, she directed our conversation and kept us focused, always offering good points. Thanks also goes to every person that attended. Whether they just listened or, more often, offered proposals and points, they made the night a great one.

Yet the greatest thanks must go, as always, to Barack Obama and his advisers for this unique concept, one that opened up this vital political process to the people - keeping in tune with all the things we've done building this movement.

Ever since the advent of American poltical parties, the every-four-year conventions and their platforms were, for the most part, kept out of the reach of popular discussion. A long, detail-rich document full of issues both well-known and obscure was decided upon, then agreed to by convention delegates - to the relative yawn of the American public.

Put simply, party platforms didn't matter much. And they might have remained obscure, pointless exercises had Barack Obama not come along, propelled by a people-first movement built from the grass roots up toward a nomination.

So it was perfectly appropriate that, across this nation, thousands of groups like ours gathered to help formulate a party platform that matters. Each meeting, I'm sure, had its own unique flavor, and with ours, four topics stood out.

One topic we never got to in our two hours together - namely, the wars we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. There, I'm sure the consensus reflects Barack's intentions to get us out of Iraq quickly and put our energies into fighting the War on Terror while, at the same time, rebuilding the alliances so frayed by seven and a half years of George W. Bush's rule.

It helps, of course, that our meeting came on the same day as Barack's soul-stirring message to more than 200,000 people in Berlin. The fact that such a crowd would show up, waving American flags, to see any American demonstrates the thirst the world has for a true leader like Barack.

Back to our meeting, though. We discussed, in depth, three major issues - climate change and the environment, health care, and civil liberties.

On the issue of climate change, we came to agree that what was required was a government commitment similar to what was done during the World War II Manhattan Project and with the Apollo moon project, that we adopt Al Gore's hope to be carbon-neutral within 10 years and to pledge our country to adhere to the Kyoto agreement.

With health care, we agreed to insist on a single-payer system for health insurance in this country, to insist that health care was a basic right, not a commodity to be hoarded by insurance companies. The goal is to remove the burden of health care from employers, to emphasize wellness, to free up the vital stem-cell research the Bush administration has crushed, and to bring a new, fresh approach to treating mental health and drug abuse as if they are public health problems. How refreshing!

And on the question of civil liberties, we all seemed to agree that Barack's vote on the FISA bill was not the right course and to remind him of it, even though the issue is quite complicated. More importantly, we agreed that this country had to reclaim its high moral standards, banning torture and adhering to the Geneva Conventions. It was also vital to us that gay rights and choice is protected, and that we certainly don't need animal testing, and that we need a humane approach to immigration reform, too.

It was wonderful to see this play out - true democracy in action, people with strong points of view having their voice heard, and their voice valued. It was yet another special experience in a 17-month process that has seen so many good things amid the madness of a race for the presidency. And it will lead to another good thing - a platform that reflects the hopes and dreams of the American people, and the man in Barack Obama that we pray will lead them.

YES WE CAN!!

The World Wants Barack!

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:36:06 EDT

It has been painful, yet predictable, to see how Barack Obama's trip to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus his eventual trip through Europe, is being seen through the endless political prism of this election.

First of all, Barack couldn't win in the eyes of most of these so-called "experts" that have tried very hard into fit into John McCain's pocket. If he didn't go, he'd be branded as an inexperienced neophyte unready for the demands of the office and the responsibility of being a commander-in-chief. Now that he has gone, well, it's just a photo op, a political stunt, something no candidate should be engaging in before he actually wins the election and takes office.

Now, let's go through the trips to the war zones. For obvious reasons, the trips were tightly guarded affairs, which ticked off the media hordes to no end, so you hear them complaining that all they are getting, especially in Iraq, is stuff supplied to them by the Army and Department of Defense.

Let's make it clear. Barack took these trips to get fully briefed on the state of affairs in these war zones and meet with leaders in all these areas. Those meetings and briefings are far more important than any interviews.

We also know that the trip culminates Thursday, in Germany, with a public appearance in Berlin that could draw tens of thousands of people. Naturally the right HATES this, and are evoking all the tired and trite criticisms we've heard before, that Barack is some kind of false Messiah and that his head has gotten too big. Well, the ears, I'll give you, but the rest...

What this trip will show is something we have known from the very beginning of this race, something that has been a cornerstone of our movement and what it stands for - the fact that Barack Obama, as president, has a chance to elevate America's standing in the world to what it was before the immense damage George W. Bush and his minions caused over the last seven years.

It has been so heartening, as this race has evolved, to see the posts on blogs and stories from people in every continent, from nations large and small. Never before in history has an American presidential election been followed like this, and it seems like everyone outside the United States is rooting hard for Barack Obama to win.

People in other parts of the world, especially the allies we've alienated in the Bush years, want so much to believe in America again, desire for us to take our place as the leader of the free world.

They see, in Barack, perhaps something many Americans don't see - a transcendent, inspirational leader whose victory in November, and whose presence in the Oval Office, will prove that the values we have so often preached - the fact that, in this great nation, anyone willing to work hard and dream big can be anything they want to be - are real. If someone named Barack Obama can become President of the United States, just imagine what else could be possible.

So I hope people are paying attention this week when Barack meets with foreign leaders, mingles with our brave men and women in uniform, and shows other nations what a great American leader looks and sounds like. And it gives us even more reason to work hard so that we can celebrate in November - and that the world can celebrate with us.

YES WE CAN!! I'm sure it translates well into other languages, too.

Leadership and Judgment

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:53:28 EDT

Okay, as important as the 2008 election is to the future of the United States and the world at large, it continues to descend further into the twilight zone.

Now, in the eyes of John McCain and his mininons (and media allies), Barack Obama is a "flip-flopper" changing his tune on a timetable to get out of Iraq one moment, then too stubborn to change his timetable the next. Really, this happened.

We all know how, a couple of weeks ago, when Barack said he was going to listen to the generals in Iraq about what was the proper timetable for troop withdrawal, he got ripped a new one by just about everybody - McCain, his supporters, the left, the media, I mean everyone. Never mind that his actual position hadn't changed at all. Who needs facts, though?

Now, with the so-called "surge" working, and troop levels back to where it was before the surge (still 150,000, thank you very much W), Barack reiterated the timetable he said he would put forth if he becomes president. And naturally one of McCain's foreign-policy advisers said Barack was too stubborn, too much like the much-loathed president.

Admittedly, that's quite funny - much more funny than that cartoon we got all hung up about a couple of days ago (we're cool now on that, back to normal). To equate our disastrous, divisive current president with the hopeful, positive and inspirtational man that leads our movement defies any semblance of credibility.

If you can't make any sense of this, don't try. Yes, there might be less violence in Iraq, but the 150,000 troops are still there. Worse yet, the political solution is nowhere in sight. Their leaders say they want us out, but that only placates the Iraqis, for the facts on the ground remain quite in flux. As Barack said, we have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in.

Ever notice how, in the entire course of this race, Barack's foreign-policy pronouncements and points of view, one dismissed as "irresponsible and "naive", all seem to be taking hold?

Think about it. Barack said we needed those troops in Afghanistan to fight the War on Terror, and events in that country are getting worse and now all of a sudden McCain wants to send two or three brigades, too. He offered action in Pakistan, and then the action took place a few months later without a lot of publicity. He wants to talk face-to-face with Iran on trying to stop its nuclear program, and now the administration is starting to do so. Never mind that he was right about how dumb the Iraq war was.

Overshadowing all of this is our reputation around the planet, at a historically low point due to the behavior of the last seven and a half years. Thus, a lot of attention is being paid to Barack's trip abroad next week, with stops in Europe and both of our current war zones. He'll do a lot of talking, a lot of listening, and whatever he says is going to be covered to the hilt.

Maybe it would serve the folks covering this race to actually listen to what Barack actually says, and to see if it's really in such large contrast to what he's been saying all along. Oh wait a minute, conflict produces TV ratings, and when you get an excuse to talk about race - say, because of a poor Jesse Jackson comment or a well-intentioned (but poorly executed) piece of cartoons satire - the jackpot!

It bears repeating. People around the world are following this election like no American election before it. And every single piece of evidence tells us that they are really on Barack's side, knowing how his victory would instantly raise our profile in a positive way in other nations, and give us a chance to restore the good name of the United States of America.

They want to believe in America again. With Barack Obama as president, they could get that chance, so it's worth our time and effort to make sure that glorious day comes to pass.

YES WE CAN!!

Shame on you, New Yorker!

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:02:58 EDT

So it was a quiet Sunday evening and I was doing my Barack Obama rounds on the web site, seeing what he said and what was going on - typical, normal, lots of activity and comments on the blogs. And then....

Here it is, some time after seeing that New Yorker cover, and I'm still in a quiet rage. And every one of you that has ever believed in Barack, Michelle, and the power of this positive movement that is changing the course of American history should be furious, too.

To those who haven't seen it, the New Yorker, long a favorite of the liberal crowd, put out an illustration by Barry Blitt on the cover of its July 21 issue that intended to satirize and expose the growing pack of outright lies about Barack, Michelle, and their devotion to this country.

Blitt did this by putting Barack in a turban and robe, fist-bumping Michelle who had exaggerated lips, an Afro, combat boots and a machine gun slung over her shoulder, in a White House with a portrait of Bin Laden on the mantle and a fireplace where an American flag is burning.

Satire? YOU CALL THIS SATIRE?

Last I checked, satire was supposed to expose some kind of wrong or hypocrisy through the use of humor or irony, and there are thousands of ways to do it. In fact, editorial cartoonists have done this throughout the course of American history to all of our presidents, political leaders, entertainers, athletes and other public figures. Anyone in the public eye is fair game, and Barack has plenty of big-eared, grinning portrayals that we've seen in the course of this race.

What makes them all acceptable, though, is that through most of that satire there is some ring of truth that can make it within the realm of good taste. In other words, in satire, you don't counteract a lie by reinforcing the lie.

That's exactly what took place here. Barry Britt did not put one truthful thing on that cover of the New Yorker, and instead reinforced every single false myth and slander about Barack and Michelle Obama that we've been spending too much time trying to fight ever since this thing started.

Some readers, for sure, would see the joke and move on to the story inside - a chronicle of Barack's early political career in Chicago. But the majority of folks that will see this cover in the days ahead - and rest assured, it will be shown umpteen million times on cable TV news and everywhere else in the mass media atmosphere - will take this "joke" as literal truth and will find all their negative, misinformed ideas about Barack and Michelle reinforced.

Already, as this was being discussed tonight, the right-wing folks were dancing with joy and using the cover to do some more Barack-bashing. And I doubt the corporate media elite, which has done its level best to minimize ANY John McCain misstep and maximize every negative thing attacked to Barack Obama, will defend Barack. That just isn't the profitable thing to do.

So it's up to every single one of us to use the contempuous ignorance displayed by the New Yorker and provide our own call to action. We MUST tell every single person we know the truth about Barack and Michelle - that they love their children, love their country, love God, respect people of all races, backgrounds and political persuasions, and that Barack is running for President of the United States to elevate our discourse in this land, far away from the coarse and corrosive tactics of the right and the "satire" of once-respectable rags like the New Yorker.

Free speech is okay, but as any artist or teacher will tell you, when you do create something, you have to take into account how that piece will be interpreted by the outside world. Some will understand. Others will not - and those "others" might make things messy.

I have a deep worry that those "others" might go all over Barack and Michelle Obama because of this New Yorker cover. But at least we will stand up for ourselves - I hear that many folks have already said they are cancelling subscriptions to the New Yorker or writing them in protest. Good - they deserve to be chastised for the garbage they just put out.

Meanwhile, let's go out there and boldly tell the truth, for only by doing so will be move closer to that victory on Nov. 4 for Barack Obama that America and the world wants to see.

YES WE CAN!!

Not Just In Our Heads

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:31:43 EDT

You live in America at this moment in 2008, and you know things are tough. Soaring gas prices, soaring food prices, a bad housing market, airlines in trouble, the stock market sinking....none of this is shocking. Unless you work as John McCain's chief economic adviser.

Phil Gramm, who must have missed all this stuff, went into a twilight zone of sorts by stating that somehow all these trying conditions were in our head, that we were "a nation of whiners" for, well, pointing out the obvious.

And this came in a week full of gaffes by McCain and his mates that, if not in the middle of July, would have likely sank any candidate for president. From somehow saying social security was a "disgrace", to dodging tough questions on health care coverage and birth control (So much for straight talk), to a laundry list of flip-flops, especially when the Iraqi government started pushing for a timetable for our troops to get out.

All of it culminating today in western Pennsylvania with McCain recalling how, during his POW days in Vietnam, he responded to torture by reciting the names of the "Steel Curtain" defenders - when every time before the story had included reciting Green Bay Packers players. Not to say he was pandering or anything like that, but....

Given all this, it makes all of us, the supporters of Barack Obama, even more ticked off to see these incredible, mind-numbing gaffes swept under the rug, and everything Barack does or says or doesn't do or doesn't say (or what others related to him say and do) get ferociously scrutinized.

To some degree, that's the curse of being the current front-runner. But it seems increasingly clear that the corporate media elite would rather keep the drama of the race going at any cost, to the point of forgiving any McCain error and exploiting any Barack situation.

First, they pick on Barack for having his two children for having the audacity to talk to an "Access Hollywood" correspondent. Then the FISA vote - tough medicine, but he had to do it to keep the GOP attack machine from turning him into some kind of terrorist appeaser.

Then Jesse Jackson's cruel words, which didn't help matters and allowed the media to beat the race issue into everyone's heads for the umpteenth time. Why waste time on McCain's many missteps when race can be exploited. We have a lot of experience with that situation.

The horse race, the polls - all they do is take our focus away from the reasons why this election is the most important of our lives. Given all that has gone wrong in the last seven and a half years, choosing any candidate that only seems intent on continuing that dark, destructive path is reason alone to come to Barack Obama's side.

Barack gets it. He doesn't have any illusions about how difficult things are, and he's committed to ending those difficulties, but we have to help him get there. We need to tune out the media dissonance and bring about the sort of vital change we have talked about from day one.

Yes, we know our opponents just don't get it about what's going on in America. But that does not mean their ignorance can discourage us in 2008 or keep us from altering the course of history with Barack Obama in the White House.

Sorry, Phil Gramm, but YES WE CAN!!

Mass Acceptance

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:07:41 EDT

For months - maybe even since this whole thing began - all of us have, at one point or another, imagined the night of Aug. 28, 2008, when Barack Obama, 45 years to the day after Dr. King outlined his dream, accepted the Democratic nomination in Denver.

Of course, we imagined it in an arena, in a setting similar to Barack's national breakthrough in Boston four summers ago. Now we're all going to have to dream a bit bigger.

Once word got out last week that Barack was considering doing the acceptance speech at Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos (and known as Mile High to all true Denver denizens), I was hoping and praying that they would follow through on this idea.

Well, consider it done. Now just imagine, if it's possible, Barack Obama walking out to that podium for that acceptance speech. If it's just like those Bronco games, the roar that will greet him from 75,000, maybe 80,000, might shake the entire Rocky Mountain region.

It just fits perfectly with the mass appeal of, and the sense of ownership we all feel about, this amazing movement. To give that speech to 20,000 in the Pepsi Center - mostly delegates, media members and corporate bigwigs - just wouldn't have the same kind of feeling. And besides, didn't Dr. King tell about his dream to 200,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial?

With one simple decision, what was already one of the most anticipated speeches in American political history takes on even greater dimensions. It's something few of us in our lifetimes have ever really witnessed.

Only once, if you don't count the domes in New Orleans and Houston where Republicans nominated George H.W. Bush in 1988 and 1992, has someone accepted his party's nomination in such a large setting. John F. Kennedy chose to do this in 1960, speaking at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum instead of the cramped, adjacent Sports Arena where the convention was held.

It makes perfect sense. Barack's movement was built by us, more than 1.7 million people that donated and millions more that voted in the primaries. The energy of these mass events, from February 2007 in Springfield up to now, have been incredible to witness - and they all might pale to what we might see in Denver.

Really, it would not be shocking if 100,000, or even 200,000 people, would want to see this remarkable moment in history. If they're smart, folks in Denver will keep the Pepsi Center in use, maybe even open up Coors Field (the baseball Rockies are out of town, too, that day) to accompany all the people. It would only add to the power of Barack's message, the noise reverberating around the world for all to see.

I hope all of you get to donate by July 31 and enter the contest to appear backstage at Mile High with Barack. David Plouffe's words - "It will be an event you will never forget" - somehow qualify as an understatement. My sense is that, after hearing that speech (get your cameras and hankies ready), we will we so FIRED UP and READY TO GO for the 68 days that lead up to the Nov. 4 election that it will be impossible to contain.

YES WE CAN!!

Independence Day Thoughts

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:25:40 EDT

Here we are on July 4, exactly 232 years after an intrepid band of patriots declared their independence from a tyrannical king named George and, in the eloquent words of Jefferson, set the case for a new kind of nation to a skeptical world.

It never fails to be remarkable that the United States of America has lasted this long. We were blessed to have founding fathers that had the wisdom and foresight to frame a Constitution, Bill of Rights and system of government where, no matter where the political winds blew, the transfer of power from one president to the next would be peaceful. That was unprecedented in the late 18th century, but routine now.

Somehow, our nation has withstood the growing pains of the early 19th century, booms and panics, a Civil War, the rise of big business and trusts, two world wars and a depression, and all the other threats that have ruined lesser nations and lesser systems of government.

Of course it's been far from perfect. We spent nearly a century erasing the nation's original sin of slavery, then another century giving full civil rights to their descendants. At the same time, we continually stole from Native Americans, then interred the Japanese in World War II and kept as much equality from women as possible - all in the name of freedom, we claimed, but we now realize that true freedom only comes when as many people as possible get to share it.

Which brings us to 2008. It is a difficult time to be an American. Our economy is in big trouble. Unemployment is rising. Sky-high fuel prices and rising food prices stretch our very capacity to exist, and our country is held in low regard around the world due to the arrogance and mistakes of the last seven and a half years, especially a war in Iraq we never should have fought in the first place.

And all those difficult circumstances bring an increased urgency to the choice we face at the polls exactly four months from now. A nation that has been cynically divided in every conceivable manner, between Democrats and Republicans, red states and blue states, pro-war and anti-war, pro-life and pro-choice, and a thousand other divisions you can think of, ponders the choice between Barack Obama and John McCain in what is (I'll keep saying it) the most important election of our lifetime.

Let's get this quickly out of the way - patriotism is not the big concern here. We know Barack and John both deeply love America. Neither would have come as far as they have, or be in this position, if they didn't feel this way with every fiber of their conviction.

The concern is larger, and far more important. Namely, it's this question - what are we as Americans? Are we content with the flawed, divided soul that we are? Or are we hungry and willing to seek something better, to work toward that more perfect union?

Those that are dissatisfied with the political system, and with their leaders, do absolutely nothing to improve the system by sitting on the sidelines and complaining about it. Whatever you feel, or whichever side you support, any time you act and try to make things better for others, you are a patriot - don't ever forget that. In fact, you're much more a patriot than those that loudly proclaim their loyalty and rally around the flag - but do little else.

To those that oppose Barack and want to understand why we support him so much, on this day we offer this explanation.

Each of us that support Barack Obama, and have worked so hard to help him in the course of building this movement, deeply loves America. We want to see the best for this country. We want to make sure that the timeless ideal known as the American Dream is available to every single person willing to strive for it, regardless of what they look like, what God they worship or where they come from.

So to everyone that supports Barack, I hope you enjoy this Fourth of July, and take a moment to remember, and thank, all those brave patriots that brought us to this point. Then let's get back to work to make sure that, on the Fourth of November, we stage an even bigger celebration.

YES WE CAN!!

What Patriotism Really Is..

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:03:54 EDT

Anyone that reads this blog, or reads this particular entry, do yourselves a favor. Go elsewhere on this wonderful web site and find a copy of, or listen to, the speech Barack Obama gave today in Independence, Missouri, home of Harry Truman.

By defending his own patriotism, and giving it a new definition for 2008, Barack gave us all yet another priceless gift. His speech was as good as any done so far in this whole process, from the Jefferson-Jackson stem-winder in Iowa, to the "Yes We Can" rallying cry in New Hampshire to the incredible speech in Philadelphia.

Of course, the basis for this talk is something no presidential candidate should ever have to deal with. Up until he ran for president, no one questioned Barack Obama's patriotism. Maybe they thought his name was funny, or that he was too young or inexperienced for the awesome tasks that lay ahead in the Illinois legislature or U.S. Senate, but his love for America was assumed and accepted with unusual grace.

But once things heated up for '08, you knew that would change. Never mind the covert or overt hints about race, and the usual liberal-bashing always done within Republican circles. The GOP thought it could mine continual gold out of Barack's supposed weakness about patriotism.

After all, our foes would argue, Barack hasn't gone to war or been shot down or been a POW, as John McCain had been. And remember that thing Michelle said about being proud of her country for the first time in her life? No way we can let someone like her anywhere near the White House.

The fact that Republicans will lean on McCain's military service like a crutch is ironic in so many ways, given that the current president ducked all the tough stuff, and given that John Kerry's honorable service in Vietnam, including his medals, wasn't enough to keep him from the lies of the swift-boaters that played such a vital role in the 2004 election. It was okay to go after Kerry, but McCain is off-limits? Wesley Clark may have said it wrong, but he had a point...

Anyway, back to Barack and his speech. This was a masterpiece, and only makes our spines tingle a bit more for what will happen when he accepts the nomination in Denver 59 days from now, and 45 years to the day after Dr. King shared his dream with the world on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

He started with reminding us about the minutemen of Lexington and Concord in 1775, men who risked their lives for an idea called liberty that gave birth to a nation - an idea that men and women in uniform still continue to defend and give their lives for in Iraq and Afghanistan 233 years later.

Then Barack quickly reminded us of the poisonous tendency to let our political debates, especially during presidential elections, morph into divisive debates on any candidate's patriotism. To which he answered, clearly: "I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine."

Barack took us on a brief tour through American history, zeroing in on the cultural battles of the 1960s and how those on both sides of the argument - people who defended the status quo, and people who challenged - were both wrong when they said that either America was never wrong, or that America was to blame for all the ills of the world, culminating in the shameful treatment soldiers got when they came home from Vietnam.

He also made it quite clear that no party or person has a patent on patriotism, and that such feelings go well beyond flags or fireworks. Evoking his own childhood experiences, Barack reminded us that love for our country is engendered through the simple lessons taught to us by older generations, that our quest to perfect our union is continual - and that, for all of its many flaws, America is still a great and wondrous nation, capable of great things if its citizens have the will and desire to make it so.

Giving us timely reminders of the disgraceful display of "democracy" in Zimbabwe, the human tragedy of Burma and the conitnual struggle in Iraq, Barack uses that as a reminder to us of how great our nation is, and what it could still do. As he said, "those who attack America's flaws without acknowledging the singular greatness of our ideals, and their proven capacity to inspire a better world, do not truly understand America."

Yet by that same token, Barack gave us great reminders of how important it is to make things better when things are clearly wrong, as Dr. King and his fellow civil-rights pioneers did. The energy and desire of a younger generation to do that work that we've seen throughout the course of building this movement gives us reason to think that every single one of us has the capability to be patriotic, to work toward something better not for personal reward, but for the good of the country.

I could go on further, but I'll leave you with the last few paragraphs of Barack's speech, where he reminds us, in this week that we celebrate our nation's birthday, about what drew us to this movement, what each of us believe in as Americans, and why we are working as hard as we have been to help Barack Obama become the next President of the United States.

"..It was the most famous son of Independence, Harry S Truman, who sat in the White House during his final days in office and said in his Farewell Address: 'When Franklin Roosevelt died, I felt there must be a million men better qualified than I, to take up the Presidential task…But through all of it, through all the years I have worked here in this room, I have been well aware than I did not really work alone – that you were working with me. No President could ever hope to lead our country, or to sustain the burdens of this office, save the people helped with their support.'"

"In the end, it may be this quality that best describes patriotism in my mind – not just a love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, the American people. That is why our heart swells with pride at the sight of our flag; why we shed a tear as the lonely notes of Taps sound. For we know that the greatness of this country – its victories in war, its enormous wealth, its scientific and cultural achievements – all result from the energy and imagination of the American people; their toil, drive, struggle, restlessness, humor and quiet heroism.

"That is the liberty we defend – the liberty of each of us to pursue our own dreams. That is the equality we seek – not an equality of results, but the chance of every single one of us to make it if we try. That is the community we strive to build – one in which we trust in this sometimes messy democracy of ours, one in which we continue to insist that there is nothing we cannot do when we put our mind to it, one in which we see ourselves as part of a larger story, our own fates wrapped up in the fates of those who share allegiance to America's happy and singular creed."

YES WE CAN!!

We Bring People Together

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:06:11 EDT

Consider Evelyn Kinsey another local Syracuse hero in Barack Obama's national movement. She deserves all the praise and credit for hosting Saturday's "Unite For Change" event at her wonderful home on Manor Drive on the city's east side.

It wasn't just that more than 30 people showed up, and that the rain held off most of the time, and that John-John's catered food was delicious, as usual. It was that the people that showed up provided an amazing reflection of what Barack has done to elevate our political dialogue.

They were of all ages, all backgrounds, different religions, different races. Yet all of them were united in expressing the same fundamental belief that Barack Obama has the power and capability to take the United States, and the world, in a new and positive direction. How neat it was, too, that many of us got to speak to the whole group about our reasons for being there.

A few stories, in particular, stick out. A college student came and told us about his experience. He came from Saudi Arabia, and knew better than anyone at the place about the way America is perceived elsewhere, especially in the Middle East, where we support nations that have no pretense of democracy (like Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia), then wonder why disgruntled and angry young men turn to terrorism to make their point known. It was quite an educational presentation, and a powerful reminder of how our image will instantlyl improve if we can elect Barack to the presidency.

Another African-American man just moved here from California, and came with his son. He talked about how, since Robert Kennedy's assassination 40 years ago, he had not cared much about politics or believed in any leader until Barack came along.

This is a theme we have heard all the time, but it never grows tired. We all know how much young people have done to build Barack's movement. Just as much, people of older generations that have long grown cynical about their government are believing again because of what Barack has done. It continually inspires us, and makes us want to work harder.

Finally, we had a young man bring his wife and 1-year-old daughter to the event. He told us how he just finished service in the Army, a stint that included going to Iraq for the prelude to, and the "shock and awe" portion of, the war we are still stuck in. He saw, first-hand, how much this nation has messed up, not to mention the way we have treated some of our brave men and women when they come home.

It's interesting how so many soldiers have supported Barack, given that he opposed the war from the start. Perhaps that alone says something about the "fierce urgency of now" that Barack has evoked all the time in the course of this race.

Of course, Evelyn Kinsey's event was one of thousands done nationwide, yet another indicator of how different and special our movement is. These type of events do not make the headlines, provoke debate or cause controversy. But is the very backbone of why we have been so successful and why we will never tire until this election is won.

And it perfectly reflects what Barack has said all along - that this is OUR campaign, OUR movement. It belongs to us. By taking power and acting in ways like this, we show that we will not accept politics as usual, or not settle for the same old promises that get broken once elections are over. We have become accountable - and by that, we have become powerful.

I pray that we take the lessons learned today, and every day, and turn them into positive action, the kind that will bring Barack Obama closer to a victory America - and the world - will celebrate.

YES WE CAN!!

This Is OUR Movement!

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:15:45 EDT

By far, the biggest development in the 11 days since I last posted an entry was Barack Obama's decision to put his ultimate faith not in the broken political system in this country, but in the American people -and the movement that has the capability of reshaping the course of history.

Last summer, when asked in a written questionaire whether he would accept the $85 million in federal election funds due to each Democratic or Republican nominee, Barack said he would.

It was a perfectly legitimate stance to take - after all, no candidate, at least at that time, had ever shown the capability of raising that kind of money on their own without completely selling out to the voracious group of lobbyists and PACs that already have too much power and influence in our government.

Yet even Barack had no idea that the movement he was building would eventually rewrite the rules of American politics. By the time he got the nomination, more than 1.5 million of us had donated, an unprecedented number that amazed even the most hardened of political observers.

Barack learned well from all those community-organizing days in Chicago. And he applied those lessons to this epochal race. He said, from the very beginning, that this movement belonged to us, and as such had to be built from the ground up if it was ever going to succeed. Through hard work, total dedication and total belief in our cause, we did just that, and have the Democratic nomination.

Which brings us to those federal funds. In the strictest of terms, Barack went back on his earlier promise by refusing that $85 million. Many people have criticized him harshly on this, and John McCain is all too happy to join in the barrage with his Republican friends.

As the days have passed, though, I totally understand what Barack did, on two different levels. First of all, whether Barack took the $85 million or not, he was bound to face the same attacks and distortions from the "527" groups who, with unlimited funds and no rules to follow, are bound to rip on anything and everything related to Barack Obama. So if THEY have no rules to follow, and McCain won't denounce those attacks, why should Barack be bound to those kind of rules - especially if he's told left-leaning "527s to cool it?

The larger point, and by far the more important one, though, is that through this single action, Barack Obama has placed his trust with all of us - the people that believed in him, and in our own power to change this country. Put together, we have so much more power than any government entity, and can show it in the 19 weeks ahead.

Heck, we've already shown it. When he made this choice to refuse the $85 million, Barack asked us for contributions. The web site called for 100,000 donations before July 4, so that we could "declare our own independence" from a broken political system. We surpassed 100,000 today, 10 days early. Doesn't that say something about our desire for change?

So when you hear the pundits and experts say that Barack went back on his word by refusing the Federal funds every candidate has taken in the last generation, just remember that he decided to side with us, not them...and with our power, and our passion, we will change the way politics is done, and help Barack Obama become the next President of the United States.

YES WE CAN!!

A Loss We All Feel...

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:36:31 EDT

Coming home today, turning on the computer...then seeing the news that Tim Russert had died...I was dumbstruck, and I'm quite certain all of you that follow American politics to any extent felt exactly the same.

That it came in the midst of this historic election Tim loved being a part of, and two days before Father's Day, only made the news more poignant.

I grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo, perhaps just a 15-minute (or less) drive from the South Side neighborhood where Tim was raised in the house of "Big Russ". All the things he wrote about in "Big Russ and Me" - the places, the people, the food, the atmosphere - all of that hit home in a serious way.

He was humble, yet proud of being the son of Big Russ, proud of being a husband and father, proud of being a true journalist in an era where few are to be found - and proud to be from Buffalo. The world might never find a bigger Bills fan, something he made public on "Meet the Press" far too many times to count.

Yes, about "Meet the Press". Perhaps no one in history mastered the art of the Sunday talk show the way Tim did. He was tough on everyone - Republicans and Democrats alike - but fair and courteous and just to them all. All of us appreciated the way he treated Barack in both "MTP" appearances and debates, making sure he was tested - but treated with the respect that a legitimate presidential candidate deserves.

And on those tension-filled election and primary nights, Tim was the most reliable voice we could find, whether explaining political trends or wielding that famed white board in 2000. If only the courts had agreed...

What Big Russ taught Tim is something we should all learn from. Work hard, do your homework, be prepared for every situation, do the absolute best you can. Thus, without glamour, or looks, or advantageous circumstances, Tim Russert became a hero to all of us, and his loss feels like that of a family member.

Everyone tonight, take a moment to say a prayer for the Russert family....something we all feel a part of as we mourn with them.

Do Not Be Swayed!

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:48:30 EDT

Okay, it was a small incident, free of violence or rancor, but clear in its intentions - and it has only increased my determination to see Barack Obama win five months from now.

Early this evening, I walked back to my parked car outside a high school and found a Dunkin' Donuts napkin attached to the windshield, as if it were one of those fliers folks hand out at big events when everyone is away from their automobiles.

Anyway, when I turned over the napkin, the message, scrawled out in black marker, said "Thank you for supporting Communism."

Well, at least the car wasn't vandalized - not yet, anyway. But I always wondered what having an Obama '08 bumper sticker could mean, how people would react to it. Thus far, in the 10-plus months it's been on, those folks (and drivers, thank God) have just left it alone. One high school student gave me a thumbs-up, but that's about it.

Likely, that was because we didn't have the nomination. As long as Hillary Clinton was around to split the GOP negativity, we could skate a bit. But those days are over, and I just want to make sure none of you are surprised by that negativity, if it pops up.

Understand this - the opponents of Barack, Republicans and otherwise, often have no shame in regards to their hatred. And they see how our movement has brought millions of people into the political process, American citizens free of the poison well of partisan division that those in power thrive upon.

What's more, their idea of moving the country "forward" is using the same old George W. Bush fearmongering and scare tactics to assure that nothing gets done, other than an increased devotion to war - especially that needless war in Iraq.

That small, harmless show of negativity I received could be a harbinger of what lies ahead prior to Nov. 4. If you put those bumper stickers on your car, wear the T-shirts and talk to everyone you know about Barack, you will likely run into resistance, covert or overt. Mentally prepare yourself for it - then greet that resistance with the same smile and positive spirit that helped us get this far.

They want us to fear, to be cowards, to turn away from the promise we offer America and the world, because our movement doesn't serve their narrow, divisive purposes.

And we will answer them with the same message we have offered since we started 16 months ago - that NOTHING will keep us from working hard to spread Barack Obama's message of hope and change, and that friends and foes alike are welcome to join us as we work toward making Barack the next President of the United States.

YES WE CAN!!

Savor This Night

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:21:03 EDT

June 3, 2008 follows, by exactly five months, the night where Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses. Five long months of caucuses and primaries - some of them where we prevailed, others where we did not.

It has all led to this night, to the last contests of South Dakota and Montana. And at long last, Barack Obama has reached the delegate threshold to become the nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. Just writing these words gives all of us a joy that can hardly be explained in words, but I'll try anyway.

Yes, it is a moment that perhaps has been expected for months, given the delegate lead we possessed. It does not take away from the incredible feeling we all have right now.

Many times, people will toss around the phrase "You are witnessing history!" when the moment is, really, not that momentous. But that phrase, in this moment, is a profound understatement.

Less than half a century ago, parts of this country still operated with legal segregation. Now, an African-American is one of two people left with a chance at the presidency. It's simply breathtaking. So many have said they never thought they would live to see this - but this has happened. IT HAS REALLY HAPPENED!! Maybe it hasn't sunk in - maybe it won't for a couple of days - but it will, and it will feel amazing.

And we contributed to this - every single one of us that, at one point or another, took time away from our busy lives to commit ourselves to this historic movement for change. Whether we donated money, or canvassed door-to-door, or phone-banked, or registered people to vote, or simply talked to our friends and family about Barack and his message of hope and change, we all did our part to contribute to this special evening.

Just think about the length of this journey so far, and all that we have seen - the heart-lifting ups and heartbreaking downs.

It started that cold February day in Springfield, Illinois, in front of the Old State House where Lincoln, exactly 150 years ago, said a house divided against itself could not stand. It moved on to large crowds in those early days, in places as divergent as Austin, Cleveland, Atlanta and L.A., places that had never seen these kinds of crowds so far in advance.

Then came months of grinding, hard work building this movement in virtual anonymity, while the mass media was all but anointing Hillary Clinton. Keeping with that narrative, they pounced upon Barack in the early debates,, especially when he said he'd meet with hostile foreign leaders as a show of strength. He was called "naive" and "irresponsible", when his ideas were anything but.

Here in Syracuse, we did our part, too, spreading Barack's message everywhere we could, even going to New Hampshire on a cold, wet May Saturday to see Barack himself (and shaking his hand was one of the thrills of my life). We gathered petitions and got Barack on the New York primary ballot, then worked even harder to make sure people voted on Feb. 5.

As this was going on, Barack found his voice in Iowa. That amazing Jefferson-Jackson Day speech last November was the turning point and, two months later, the Iowa voters rewarded his hard work with a victory that shook the world, not just the political world.

And so the roller-coaster with the Clintons began - the great push in New Hampshire that still resulted in second place, the contentious battle in Nevada and even more ill will in South Carolina, the latter a major turning point as Barack won big, showing again that he, and that our movement, was for real.

Feb. 5 was supposed to be the end, the moment where Hillary's name and machine overwhelmed our dream. Instead, we won more than half the states and split the delegates, and because of all the work done in advance, were much better prepared for the contests that followed.

The next 11 contests were all victories, many of them by overwhelming margins. In retrospect, here was where we built the decisive margin, winning in every part of the country - New England and the Mid-Atlantic, the Deep South the Heartland, the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest, even Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. It was a giddy time.

Of course, far more turbulence remained. There was Ohio and Texas, the "3 a.m." ad, the increasingly shameless attempt of the Clintons to exploit the gender and racial divisions within the Democratic Party, the Jeremiah Wright saga that threatened to engulf all that we had built.

Every time, Barack came through, claiming the most delegates in Texas, making inroads in Pennsylvania and addressing the race issue in a momentous speech in Philadelphia that will be studied and praised for generations to come.

Toward the end, we likely got careless in some spots, like West Virginia and Kentucky - but how can you change the mind of voters who were never going to accept you anyway? Yet it was fitting that the last contest, in Montana, with an overwhelmingly white population, went in our favor, and we got fair deals out of the Florida and Michigan fiascos that, had they been real contests, would have given us a popular vote majority no one would have ever questioned.

Along this path, Hillary Clinton improved as a campaigner, even if, at times, she was a bit too crude about her intentions. Her strength and resilience forced us to be strong and resilient every step of the way - and I pray that she will advocate for Barack with every bit of energy in her heart in the next five months.

A lot has happened to bring us to this point. And rest assured, a lot more adversity awaits in the battle with John McCain and the Republicans, who are determined to give us four more years of the same disasters that we got under George W. Bush. We cannot afford that ending.

So on this truly historic occasion, let us resolve to devote ourselves to all the work that is necessary to make our once-impossible dream come true on Nov. 4, to give America and the world a leader it can truly believe in.

Yet we can afford, on this night, to give prayerful reflection on the journey we have taken, and to pray for Barack and Michelle as they embark on the general election fight. Most of all, we can savor what all of us has accomplished - against the odds, against the grain of an entrenched political system.

And we can look ahead to Aug. 28 when, 45 years to the day after Dr. King outlined his dream, Barack will formally accept the nomination in Denver and paint his vision for all of us.

It has been said before, but I'll say it again. NOTHING can stand in the way of millions of Americans thirsty for change. We are the ones we have been waiting for.

YES WE CAN!!

Darkest Thoughts

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:40:29 EDT

Here on Memorial Day weekend, we should each take the time to pause and remember all those in our history that answered the call of service, wore our nation's uniform with pride and purpose, and paid the ultimate price for freedom's cause.
As America's story is full of such noble sacrifice, it is also shadowed by the shattering sound of the assassin's bullet that, at innopportune times, has damaged our nation's collective psyche.
From Lincoln to Garfield, McKinley to JFK, presidents have been cut down. Bullets wounded Teddy Roosvelt and Ronald Reagan. Shots were fired at FDR and Gerald Ford.
The 1960s were turbulent enough without seeing voices for equality gunned down, from Medgar Evers to Malcolm X, and we all saw how much America itself was wounded when we lost Dr. King 40 years ago.
All of this made what Hillary Clinton said today in South Dakota downright shameful. To evoke, as a rationale for continuing her primary fight, the horrible memory of Robert Kennedy's murder in June 1968 is at best troubling, at worst sickening. And then, in the course of "apologizing", to NOT apologize to Barack Obama? Just unbelievable.
For a long time in the course of this story, I have held my tongue about some of the things Hillary Clinton and/or her surrogates have said about Barack Obama. The majority of them, you could rationalize as part of a heated campaign, loud and strong rhetoric that will tone down as soon as someone has secured the nomination.
But not this time. As we all know, Barack thought long and hard about entering this race, not just because of the issues involved, but because he knew that he would be a target, that his safety, along with that of Michelle and his two daughters, would always be a major concern.
The moment he started running for president, Barack started getting the anonymous threats. It got intense enough, early enough, for Barack to get Secret Service protection a year ago, and they've done a terrific job.
Still, Barack is an African-American running for president, and that just bothers a lot of people. Heck, it bothered African-Americans enough that they didn't support him early on, not because they didn't like him, but that they feared for his safety.
You'd have thought that, after all this time and all those hours spent flanked by serious men in suits that you don't mess with, Barack would, and should, feel safe and secure.
Then we get Mike Huckabee and his not-funny joke in front of the NRA a week ago, and now we hear Hillary's dark rationale for staying in the race - on the same week that RFK's brother, Ted, got his sad diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor. And that small fear in the back of all of our minds creeps up again.
No one need be reminded just how painful RFK's murder was for this country. Coming on the heels of Dr. King's murder, it sent a reeling nation into further depths of despair, and many Americans, to this day, never believed in a politician again.
Some of them have returned, inspired by Barack's story and the vision he has for America and the world. It's so beautiful to consider, and it's worth fighting for.
Hearing Hillary's words today should only make all of us thousands of times more determined to help Barack Obama beat John McCain. We can be paralyzed by fear, driven into despair by all the sadness and disappointments of the past.
Or we can stand up, believe in ourselves and in this country that we love, and work with all our hearts and souls to serve and improve the nation that our fallen soldiers fought and died to protect, to realize the hopes and dreams men like Lincoln, and Dr. King, and Bobby Kennedy wished for the United States of America.
YES WE CAN!!

A Night of Perspective

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:41:01 EDT

Barack Obama's big, decisive victory in Oregon pulls him, and our movement, even closer to the Democratic nomination. That magic number of 2,025 is within plain sight.

Tonight in Des Moines, in the state where this improbable journey launched itself, Barack laid out the case for change in words as eloquent and powerful as anything he has said during this process - and that's saying a lot. The choice is clear - either four more years of George W. Bush-style mistakes, or a new beginning for this country and the world.

Yet on this wonderful evening, one cannot escape the sadness in our midst. We lost, after a long battle with cancer, Hamilton Jordan, the man who managed Jimmy Carter's successful run in 1976. Back then, Carter came out of nowhere - much like Barack has done here. We share a lineage with what Carter - and Jordan pulled off. We pray for Jordan's family on this night.

And of course we offer all our prayers to the Kennedy family, as we learned today of Ted Kennedy's malignant brain tumor. As Barack said earlier today, he literally stands on the shoulders of men like Ted Kennedy who, through his tireless pursuit for equality and justice, laid the groundwork for the moment that is within our grasp.

It goes well beyond that, of course. Few political families have meant as much to modern American history as the Kennedys, and Ted's lifetime of service in the Senate has made him the "liberal lion", revered by Democrats and respected by Republicans for his willingness to work hard and get things done.

Ted Kennedy has survived things that would have destroyed most mortals - the murders of his two brothers, the tragedies of other family members (including JFK Jr.), his own plane crash in 1964 that left him bedridden for months, Chappaquidick and its fallout, the demons of alcoholism, his failed run against Carter in 1980.

Despite it all, Kennedy has served, and the stature he has achieved is what made today's news so difficult to take. To hear the emotion in the voices of both allies and even GOP colleagues like John McCain underscores the gigantic shadow Kennedy casts.

What's more, all of us in the movement feels the pain in a larger way. No one can argue that Kennedy's endoresment early in February, combined with that of Caroline, gave Barack a stamp of approval that no other political leader could offer. It told us that the spirit of JFK, and RFK, and of so many others that inspired an earlier generation to public service, is part of our movement, too, and is worth fighting for.

We know Ted Kennedy will fight this brain tumor with all the spirit and determination he has shown for 46 years as a champion of the underdog in the Senate. We join everyone in America offering our support to him and the Kennedy family in this difficult time. It gives our contest an even more poignant ring, and gives us even more reason to fight and work hard so we can prevail.

YES WE CAN!!

We Will Fear No More!

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:58:43 EDT

We’re not quite at the end of the primary process. And until Barack Obama gets to 2,025 delegates, we won’t feel too secure, at least as far as the nomination is concerned. Thankfully, with the rush of superdelegates, we might just be days from getting there.

Yet the Republicans are not waiting to unleash the inevitable waves of attacks that will surely accompany and shadow Barack between now and Nov. 4. And it all has a familiar and sad ring to it.

The gist of the GOP attack is a message to America that reads, simply, be very afraid of Barack Obama. As long as John McCain could make the attack, maybe it had a small shred of credibility because he was the one running for president.

Ah, but leave it to George W. Bush to turn a small spark of argument into a raging forest fire, in the same careless and shameless manner with which he led us into a needless war in Iraq.

Speaking on the occasion of Israel’s 60th birthday to the Knesset in Jerusalem, Bush never mentioned Barack by name. But when he compared leaders willing to negotiate and talk to rogue states to the appeasers of Hitler, he went way over the line. Everyone with half a brain (that doesn’t count those around the president) knew exactly which candidate Bush was talking about.

Naturally, McCain struck the harp and joined the chorus, even if he said just two years ago that he wouldn’t mind talking to Hamas. Here were the smears and fears all over again, the Karl Rove playbook executed with such ferocious glee in 2004 to John Kerry.

Funny how W said he wouldn’t get involved in this election, then chose to do just that in a foreign country, no less, defying every known type of protocol and courtesy. Then again, truth has never been Mr. Bush’s best trait.

And funny how he did this the night after a classic Keith Olbermann Special Comment on MSNBC, a 12-minute essay that saved the most contempt for Bush’s contemptuous comment, in an interview, that he figured giving up GOLF was a personal sacrifice for the families of soldiers in Iraq. If only W could take Keith’s advice at the end of that comment and SHUT THE HELL UP!

Alas, he did not, and Democrats had to feel like it was manna from heaven. Joe Biden, Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Webb – you name the Democrat, they came to Barack’s defense. Even Hillary Clinton came out strong against this disgusting analogy, a comment we were quite happy to hear.

Barack took his turn today, in South Dakota, pairing Bush and McCain together, as he needs to, while again making his point that America shows strength not by avoiding or ignoring rogue leaders, but by talking to them and standing up for our principles of freedom and justice.

This is what John F. Kennedy did when he talked to Khruschev. This is what Richard Nixon did when he met with Chairman Mao. This is what Ronald Reagan did when he met with Gorbachev. That approach worked in the 20th century and can work in the 21st century, too – with a true leader like Barack Obama at the helm.

Eight years of Bush cowboy diplomacy (really, no diplomacy at all) has left the United States in the role of unprincipled bully. That single fact, above all the other issues (economy, health care, gas prices, the environment), makes the 2008 race the most important election of our lifetimes.

We must have a president that can regain the respect of the world community and regain the trust of our allies in NATO and elsewhere. Gain that, and we’ll have the strength and courage to stand up and deal with anyone, even Iran.

Whether he intended to or not, George W. Bush reminded us yesterday why we MUST turn the page and as Barack said, write a new chapter in American history. The world is watching what we are doing - and rest assured, most of them want Barack to win.

They know how transforming a moment it will be when Barack travels abroad, and the American president will not be seen as an imperialistic dunce, but as an inspiring leader and hero. It’s a beautiful dream to have – and if we work hard enough for this movement, that dream can become reality.

So, my fellow members of the Obama nation, stand up in the face of fear and hatred. Stand up to those that want to divide and polarize us as they’ve always done before. Give America – and give the entire world – the gift of having Barack Obama lead us in the tough days ahead.

YES WE CAN!!

Join Vote For Change!

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:01:37 EDT

Just a couple of days ago, in every state in our union, on beaches and in parks and in markets and all other public venues you can imagine, the next – and most important - chapter of Barack Obama’s movement began to unfold. It is Vote For Change.

One constant throughout this Democratic primary process has been the extraordinary amount of participation – tens of millions going to the polls, knowing that this is the most important election of our lifetimes.

And the primary reason for this is the energy, enthusiasm and spirit Barack Obama has brought to our political process. Because of him, citizens young and old, male and female, Democrats and Republicans, of all races and religious persuasions, in red states and blue states, have joined our movement. Without a doubt, if Barack hadn’t run, I wouldn’t be involved in this election at all.

Now it’s important not to look too far ahead, to do all the hard work necessary in the remaining primary states to get to 2,025 delegates – as of now, we’re just 150 away. It could happen by the time Oregon and Kentucky votes eight days from now.

Yet it is never too early to think about the battle of the next six months against John McCain and the Republicans. Regardless of how strong our ideas and vision might be, an regardless of how wonderful and inspiring Barack is, it will not matter if enough Americans stay at home Nov. 4 and don’t vote.

Thus, it is so heartening that our movement has taken the proactive step to do the most vital work possible to make sure that everyone who wants to cast a ballot for Barack Obama can do so – both established voters, and the new ones.

Today some of you may have received a handsome brochure in the mail – and if not, you’re sure to get it soon. It explains Vote For Change, an effort by all the volunteers in the Obama army to bring in new voters.

And we’re off to a magnificent start. In our kickoff effort in Syracuse, we snagged 40 new registered, and efforts from New York City to California netted thousands more. It shows that we are not content with our immense success, but are willing to go beyond the extra mile, all the way to the end, because Barack Obama means so much to all of us.

To be sure, we hope most of them vote for Barack, but the mere fact that they are voting is an affirmation of our country’s democracy. As citizens, we do nothing more important than vote. And by voting in massive numbers, we become the agents of change. It is in our hands, not in the hands of Barack Obama or any leader, for that matter.

You see, in the end, Barack is absolutely right when he says this election is not about him, or John McCain, but about us, the American people. Thus, we must completely devote ourselves to making sure that every single one of us has a say in where this country goes in the crucial years ahead.

That’s why we need every single person in this movement committed to helping, in any way they can, to Vote For Change. This is the most direct way we know to expand our democratic process and to increasing the chances that Barack Obama will lead this nation ahead in the White House.

YES WE CAN!!

Close...But Not There Yet

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:36:17 EDT

Remember how you felt last night, joyful as the returns came in and Barack Obama had won big in North Carolina and had nearly won in Indiana despite Rush Limbaugh’s devious tricks and all the negativity in general. Remember how nice it felt to wake up this morning, knowing we were one step closer to the Democratic nomination. Remember the stirring in your soul and the tear in your eye when Barack spoke last night in Raleigh, a message of beautiful, patriotic truth that speaks to all our dreams and aspirations.

Then remember how we all felt a week ago, the despair and depression that threatened to set in. Hillary Clinton had just won Pennsylvania, and the media was all Jeremiah Wright and "bitter" all the time, a continual assault on the front-runner just to keep the drama going.

Look how much has changed in seven days, due to our hard work and Barack’s inspiring example. He distanced himself from Wright, sharpened his message on the trail and found a winning issue in the phony benefits of the gas tax holiday. And we made a million phone calls and reached 1.5 million donors within days of each other.

Now those same experts that couldn’t find enough flaws in Barack and were ready to toss him out of the race for not "closing the deal" are now heaping high praise on us and declaring the nomination race over, in our favor.

The way we must react to that noise is the same we did to the earlier noise – pay no heed.

We still have a lot of labor ahead in West Virginia, Oregon, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, South Dakota and Montana before the primary process is done. Hillary has no intention of getting out, even if the delegate math is against her, and since she’s favored in half the remaining contests, why would she go yet?

Yet sometime in the next month – maybe May 20, after Oregon – Hillary will get out and, hopefully, she and Bill will devote all their energies to helping Barack beat John McCain in November.

Let us remember that, even though the primary battle has been long, arduous and quite contentious, Hillary will be on our side in the end. And there’s absolutely no good thing that could come out of treating her, or the millions that voted for her during the primaries, with scorn or disdain.

Barack built this movement around the basic notion that our politics was broken and that all of us – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – must learn to be civil, talk to each other and work together to get things done. No more divisions, Red States and Blue States, just a UNITED States of America, right?

In that spirit, we must welcome all people – Hillary’s voters, plus folks from other parties – into our fold with the same love and respect as those that were with us from the start, 15 long months ago. Only together, and with a common purpose and common spirit, can we help Barack Obama fundamentally alter the course of American history.

Yes, we took a gigantic step forward toward 2,025. But we’re not there yet, so there isn’t a reason to gloat until that number is achieved – never mind all the work we’ll have to do between now and November.

So continue to call, continue to canvass, continue to talk to your family and friends. If you’re reading this in Syracuse, please feel free to join us Saturday at 10 a.m. at the DeWitt Community Library inside Shoppingtown Mall as we go out, in teams of two, to bring new voters into the fold as part of Barack’s National Voter Registration Drive Kick-Off.

More than anyone else in my lifetime, Barack Obama has reinvigorated the spirit of democracy in America. Millions more are participating in this process because of him, and if we can harness their energy and teach them the positive, hopeful message of our movement, then that will translate into millions of votes six months from now.

A lot of work remains, fellow Obama supporters – let us get to it so that we will have the nomination and, God willing, Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.

YES WE CAN!!

The Break He Had to Make

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:51:10 EDT

It had to break Barack Obama’s heart, to some degree, to conduct the press conference he did this afternoon in North Carolina. Yet it had to be done, if he wants to be our next President of the United States.

When last I wrote on this blog, Jeremiah Wright had just given his PBS interview with Bill Moyers. Based on that conversation alone, Wright was far from the extreme figure he had been painted to be, and a fuller picture of the man emerged.

If only Wright had left well enough alone – but he did not. First before the NAACP Sunday night, then in front of the National Press Club Monday, Wright engaged in antics that threatened to completely undermine Barack and our movement, causing hurt and paint that might never fully heal.

Yes, it may have been in Barack’s best interests to respond in a quicker manner. But things like town hall meetings and rallies are important, too, and it’s important to note that, at these Monday events, voters were much more concerned about issues like rising gas prices than by the silly season.

Facing outright sabotage of his White House dream, though, Barack had no choice but to separate himself from Wright and his extreme views. Thus, today’s press conference, a clear and direct statement on the matter.

Through his statement, and the tough questions that followed, Barack again displayed his courage, poise and grace under fire. If this is the most "angry" he gets, then it’s comforting to know that such a person could be trusted in the Oval Office with that urgent phone call at ANY hour of the day.

I understand that Jeremiah Wright felt hurt about the initial March firestorm, and of course he has every right to defend himself, even in a court of public opinion hostile to his more radical ideas. But he crossed a line by assuming that Barack’s famed speech in Philadelphia was "just politics", and made things worse by letting his ego and thirst for the spotlight take over.

As a result, the issues of this vital election again got shoved aside. With all that needs fixing in America, the only guarantee of a continued Jeremiah Wright uproar would be that those issues would remain ignored, and only get worse.

And if it led to Barack’s defeat, either now or in the November election, the despair this country would feel would be intense. Perhaps we were getting a taste of it now, and it didn’t taste good, that’s for sure.

Maybe now, a week before the crucial votes in Indiana and North Carolina, we can get back to discussing what the American people want to talk about, not what’s shoved in their faces by the media elite that loves nothing better than a race war.

Barack said it quite well the last couple of days – this election is not about him, or Hillary Clinton, or John McCain, or someone’s spouse or someone’s advisor or someone’s pastor. It’s about us, and what kind of country we want to be.

I leave you today with this quote from a blog post I read yesterday, which sums up perfectly what I feel about this election, and how all of you as Obama’s army should feel too.

"I believe this coming election is a referendum for America, on whether it is ready to question assumptions and to grow beyond them if they don’t work for America.

"It is not just racism, not just sexism, not just party affiliation. It is all of these and the entire identity of who and what America is.

The questions are these: are you interested in being more open-minded? Do you want to know more? Do you prefer the comfort of just believing what you have always accepted? Would you rather complain about your life and country, or try to do something about it?

"Clinton and McCain are counting on the laziness and the lack of inquisitiveness of the American public. They could very well be correct.

"Obama is begging Americans to wake up, to care about their lives, to be responsible for themselves and their nation. The degree to which he is successful in this effort, is the degree of likelihood that he will be our next President."

Friends, let us ignore the distractions, and let’s go help Barack Obama succeed.

YES WE CAN!!!

The Real Jeremiah Wright

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:56:00 EDT

Much of what gets put on television these days isn’t worth the time. Narrow the scope to the presidential race, and the ratio of trivial tripe to serious substance is quite lopsided, in favor of the trivia.

Politicians are in a position to shrug off the nonsense. Once part of the game, they have to expect slings and arrows and must confront them in an effective way, or not succeed.

It’s when others get dragged into this swamp that things can turn repulsive. And for all the arrows Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain have thrown at each other in this presidential epic, at least they are in a powerful position to turn it around.

For Jeremiah Wright, it was a far different story. The long-time pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ was, up until a month ago, a respected religious leader and thinker, renowned for building the tiny Trinity congregation on the south side of Chicago into a vibrant religious community of thousands.

The work this church has done in its neighborhood, from mentoring programs to caring for the homeless, shows that they are truly interested in doing God’s work beyond their church walls. It’s that spirit, that hope, which drew Barack into the Trinity congregation two decades ago, and which forms the foundation for his deep and genuine spirituality.

We all know what happened in March – the emergence of snippets of some Wright sermons, taken far out of context, then repeated thousands of times over by so-called objective reporters.

To call what was done to Wright an injustice would do an injustice to injustice. This went beyond that – it was the deliberate destruction of a good man’s entire life’s work on the basis of a few words that, when isolated and repeated over and over, can sound crazy and inflammatory.

Never mind that Wright had served time in the Marines or had helped do medical work on President Lyndon Johnson. Never mind his fine work in the church, or the wonderful mind and intellect he possessed – as far as the press was concerned, he was just a crazy, angry black man. And because of that alone, Barack Obama was, in the twisted mind of some, unfit to be president.

Barack, of course, had his own answer for it – a stunning and remarkable speech given in Philadelphia that asked Americans to come to terms with the issue of race. He distanced himself from the worst things Wright said, but NOT the man himself – an act of rare political courage.

Yet still that wasn’t enough, as far as the Clinton crowd was concerned. At every possible turn, Hillary told people that she would have left Wright’s church – a stunning case of hypocrisy, since Wright had been a guest at the White House Sept. 11, 1998 when Bill Clinton told a prayer breakfast that he had sinned in the Lewinsky affair. Apparently, Wright was okay back then, but now, he had to be silenced.

As a result of all this, Barack was hurt, no doubt, but what was done to Wright (death threats on him and his Trinity successor) and his congregation (bomb threats on the church building) only added to my disgust about the whole matter.

Which only made Friday night’s hour on PBS so refreshing. We finally got to see Jeremiah Wright in his own words, part of a conversation with Bill Moyers.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the interview, go to www.pbs.org and get enlightened. What I see, in Jeremiah Wright, is an intelligent, warm and caring human being with a great grasp of the Bible, plus religious and American history. We could learn a whole lot from this man, if only we get the chance to listen.

Unfortunately, that would be assuming that the American media is intelligent. Their reaction to the interview - take one clip, put it out of context and hammer Wright, and by association Barack, as if they had learned absolutely nothing from the character assassination from before.

That’s okay, though – the more people that hear Jeremiah Wright, and get past the lies, the more people will appreciate the true spiritual grounding of Barack Obama’s message, something that people of all races can understand.

YES WE CAN!!

The Game Remains the Same

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:34:02 EDT

So in the course of undergoing the most vicious, sustained attacks of the entire campaign cycle (six weeks of it), Barack Obama turned a potential Pennsylvania rout into a result that, though far from ideal, is quite easy to live with.

Someone quick tell the elite media corps that the margin was closer to nine than 10. Yet another case of these geniuses acting as nothing more than Clinton mouthpieces, all too willing to ignore her flaws and, instead, seize upon any of Barack’s mistakes and turn them into worldwide crises.

In the ongoing battle of Barack Obama vs. The Entire American Political System, we are prevailing. Hillary Clinton did win in Pennsylvania, but she needed a margin of 20 or more points to make the superdelegates think twice about Barack’s chances. And it didn’t even get to half that margin.

Everyone in PA did a Herculean job working all over the state, through canvassing and phone-banking and other events, to be competitive against someone that had all the machine politicians like Ed Rendell on her side.

Now, what is Barack to do? The nation’s two main papers offered varying theories on this matter.

At the Washington Post, one advisor said it might be time for Barack to unleash everything on the Clintons and remind Indiana voters of how polarizing and controversial the two were in the 1990s.

Yet at the New York Times, the editorial page lit into Hillary, saying she is defeating the very purpose of her campaign by going all-out negative. It would be more than wise if Barack heeded word of this, too, as his ultimate loss in Pennsylvania wasn’t helped by last-minute attacks that smacked of the same-old politics the Clintons eat up.

Just from a delegate standpoint, Barack has it wrapped up. More wins, in places like North Carolina, Oregon, Montana and South Dakota, would cancel out whatever Hillary gained from Pennsylvania or the states where she is favored. Then the superdelegates would swoop in and end it, right?

And don’t buy the Clintons’ attempt to inject the votes from Florida and Michigan. Repeat after me – these were not proper contests. Barack’s name wasn’t even on the Michigan ballot, and he never appeared much in Florida. Rest assured, if he did, his popular-vote margin might be even greater.

Can Barack win in Indiana? It will take high-quality, POSITIVE retail politics. I think that’s what Barack has in mind – already he’s done lots of appearances in Hoosier land, from rallies to town meetings. Folks in Indiana might not have the stomach for the Clintons’ endless negativity.

And it’s got to be authentic. Barack tried way too hard, from bowling to diners, to "act" the part in PA. He didn’t get this far with an act – he just had positive message for change that only gets stronger. And we’ve now passed 1.4 million donors, thousands of them in the last 24 hours alone, without a crass need to shill for it during a victory speech.

It’s pointless to expect anything now, other than more attacks and more mud. If Barack Obama can stay out of that grime and reclaim the voice that carried him to all those early wins, he’ll win Indiana, win big in North Carolina, and at long last, close the deal.

YES WE CAN!!

A Great Day In PA

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:18:57 EDT

Sure enough, Barack Obama DID channel the spirit of Harry Truman by taking the train across Pennsylvania on Saturday, talking to thousands along the way. This, on top of the 35,000 (at least) that came out last night in Philadelphia, chanting in the streets and bringing an electricity even old Ben Franklin could appreciate.

But great work is being done everywhere in the Keystone State. From canvassing to phone calls to visibility (people holding signs), we have brought passion, heat and energy to a contest that a month ago was supposed to be a foregone conclusion.

Now, who knows for sure? Some very knowledgeable people, at least in their own mind, feel it will be a double-digit victory for the Other Side, because by golly, that’s what Pennsylvania has always done – stick with the establishment.

Others figure it might be a lot closer. Look at the torrent of new registered voters, and the participation by young voters, and what’s sure to be a heavy African-American turnout. That should all boost our numbers. How much? Well, if we get it to 10 or less, then win big in North Carolina two weeks later, it’s a wash. We’re still in charge.

Some of us in Syracuse For Obama got to ride down to the Wilkes-Barre area today to take part in our own canvassing. It’s just a 2 ½ hour car trip, less than half the time it took to get to New Hampshire, and was worth it all.

We are really organized. There were two offices on Main Street in Wilkes-Barre – one for the local volunteers, another for the out-of-towners like us. They sent us to a lovely house in the suburb of Wyoming (didn’t Barack win Wyoming?), across the street from a basketball court (another good omen), where the route was handed out.

It turned out to be a nearby neighborhood, close to the Susquehanna. Many things were needed – a clipboard, addresses to visit, a map, comfortable shoes. Also, water, lots of it. It’s not every April 19 in Pennsylvania where the thermometer climbs above 85.

Of the houses we encountered, a few supported Hillary, a lot more told us they were voting for Barack, and many were still undecided. In summation, it’s every bit the battleground you can imagine, with some enthusiastically for us, and others just as hot against us.

We returned quite a bit sunburned, but also quite happy. Our work in the Wilkes-Barre area is hardly an isolated tour. It’s repeated by hundreds of Obama volunteers from Erie to Philadelphia throughout this vital weekend.

The Clinton camp can have their Ed Rendell-directed machine. We’d rather have our movement, the collective voices of Pennsylvania, and the American people, ready to deliver decisive change. As Barack said, it’s time to declare independence from politics as usual and be free again.

YES WE CAN!!

Debate? What Debate?

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:50:55 EDT

Well, I hope ABC is happy. They set aside two hours of prime time to give Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton a chance to state their cases before millions of voters, never mind those going to the primary polls in Pennsylvania next Tuesday.

It had all the makings of a great, substantive forum and debate. They were in the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, in front of an attentive and intelligent studio audience ready to listen, and the two candidates were obviously sick and tired of dealing with peripheral nonsense and ready to get to the meat-and-potatoes of this, the most vital election of our lifetimes.

And they did get to the issues – an hour into the debate. Prior to that, it was nothing short of a disgrace, an attempt by so-called "journalists" to rehash all the Obama controversies of the last six weeks as if they hadn’t been addressed dozens of times.

So said Ed Rendell, the governor of Pennsylvania, and he’s supporting Hillary! Ratchet up that outrage by a multiple of 50 or 100, and you might start to get a small taste of how everyone in the Obama army felt about this event.

You could tell that Barack was genuinely disgusted that he had to answer, for the umpteenth time, "questions" about the "bitter" comments and Jeremiah Wright. Plus, you had those all-important matters like flag pins and living in the same neighborhood with a guy accused of doing some bad stuff with the Weather Underground when Barack was 8 years old.

Oh, Barack tried, and even Hillary tried (though half-heartedly), to get back to issues, but never mind those things when you can do an orchestrated hit job that includes questions suggested by that noted bastion of journalistic objectivity, Sean Hannity.

Yeah, I know about George Stephanopolous and his Clinton past – but it’s nice to know that Charlie Gibson is also looking out for the welfare of our fellow man, especially if he’s rich and is whining about capital gains taxes.

And was it mere coincidence that Barack got grilled about affirmative action? That wouldn’t have anything to do with the color of his skin, would it? And to top it off, a lot of attention given to guns and the Second Amendment. Funny, I thought the First Amendment was the most important part of the Bill of Rights.

May I remind the media elite that the reason people are so tuned into this election is because they are quite unhappy with the state of this nation. Given the fiasco in Iraq, a bad economy, health care, education, global warming, and a host of other problems, they are quite interested in what Barack, and Hillary, and John McCain are thinking. They want substance – and you give them tabloid-style garbage.

But understand again that it wasn’t just the Obama supporters saying this. Scan the post-debate reaction, on the ABC blog and elsewhere, and you’ll find a whole lot of fury about what was asked. You could even say they were "bitter", but don’t say that too loudly.

Yes, I’ll say it wasn’t Barack’s best night. He did his best, given the adverse (some would say downright hostile) setting. It makes us want him to get the nomination even more, so that come September, he and John McCain can actually have substantive debates that went far beyond tonight’s travesty.

Meanwhile, we look to get to work in the last five days before they vote in Pennsylvania, and I look forward to going down to Wilkes-Barre on Saturday to help out. I figure we have a better chance talking to voters about the actual issues at hand than the jokers at ABC did.

There’s a real chance we can win Pennsylvania and end all this, or at the least make it close. Let’s focus all our energies to make that possible.

YES WE CAN!!

Time to Channel Truman

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:09:08 EDT

Okay, so the events of the last couple of days, with Barack Obama grilled for the silliest reasons so far, carried an eerie resemblance to the famous campaign of 1948, where Harry Truman came from behind to stun Thomas Dewey when the incumbent president was given little chance to win.

All those years ago, Truman rallied by going on a whistle-stop tour across the country, speaking to as many people in as many towns as could. He railed against Republicans and what he called the "Do-Nothing 80th Congress", which never failed to draw applause from the crowds that gathered along the tracks.

This led, of course, to the phrase, repeated often on the trail, "Give ‘em hell Harry!" To which Truman responded, "I never gave anybody hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell!"

Flash forward to April 6, 2008. At a private fund-raising dinner in San Francisco, Barack answers a question about what he had learned campaigning in Pennsylvania.

In the whole, Barack’s response was comprehensive and spot-on. He said that people in many Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania were fed up, angry, tired of losing jobs and not seeing anything replace them. They were also tired of politicians, from both parties, promising them a way out for more than 25 years and not delivering on those promises.

Somewhere in Barack’s analysis, the words "bitter" and "cling" and "guns" and "religion" leaked out. It became public Friday, and the inevitable triple-team attack on Barack, courtesy of the McCain-Clinton-media triumvirate that was convinced he was "elitist" and "out of touch" with American voters. Note the quotation marks.

Folks, we knew they’d come after us in some way before Pennsylvania and April 22. Part of that is the inevitable treatment of a front-runner, but a bigger part of it is quite sinister, almost to the point of calling Barack an uppity (can’t even finish that statement).

Another month, another attempt to smear and destroy Barack Obama by taking a few choice words (this time his own, not his pastor’s) and throwing them way out of context for the sake of prolonging the election drama.

The only problem was this – Barack was TELLING THE TRUTH.

Go anywhere in America now, and you’ll run into people fed up – fed up with a bad economy, fed up with an unnecessary war in Iraq that’s gone on for five years, fed up with gas prices, fed up with a broken health-care system. To deny that basic truth is beyond absurd, yet the Clinton and McCain camps want us to do just that.

Barack, having campaigned for 14 months now, knows this quite well. Plus, he knows a bit about living by modest means – that was the case in his childhood, when he turned down Wall Street money and big-ticket law firms to do community activism in Chicago. It took him writing a best-selling book to pay off all the Harvard Law debts he and Michelle still owed. And somehow HE’S the one that’s out of touch?

Barack has spent the weekend refuting those claims to wild cheers in both Indiana and Pennsylvania, while the clueless, out-of-touch pundits try like heck to echo the Clinton-McCain attack lines as if they’re both from the same party. It’s in the media’s best interests to keep the conflict going, even if voters want something different.

My sense is that the people of Pennsylvania, and other states, really know the deal. And on April 22, they are primed to offer the nation and the world quite a surprise.

So I pray that Barack Obama, in 2008, channels the spirit of Harry Truman and keeps on telling the truth, as he has always done. People appreciate that, more than any politician or pundit can understand.

YES WE CAN!!

Brace For the Storm

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:19:29 EDT

Imagine, we've actually had some days where other stories - the latest reports on the disaster in Iraq, grounded airplanes, wild weather, the religious trouble in Texas - have led the national newscasts, aside from the Democratic fight.

Then again, we're not in Pennsylvania, not subject to the huge ad buys Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have done, so they're likely saturating the airwaves, and the radio, with commercials and, like with Iowa and New Hampshire, I'm sure some kind of campaign fatigue sets in.

One thing you can easily get fatigued about is the dozens of polls in Pennsylvania. No matter which one you read, or what numbers you believe in, the general consensus is that Barack has closed the margin to single digits.

If it ended up that way, it's a defeat we can likely absorb, especially if the right votes are in the right places and the delegate margin in PA becomes negligible. That would mean we're still comfortably in front in the delegate race, with a real chance to put the hammer down in North Carolina and Indiana, where our numbers are doing nothing but go up.

Now that's the good news. The bad part is that, round about a week from now, we're certain to be drowning in some kind of Hillary attack, aided and abetted by a ravenous media pack that would like nothing more than to tkeep the race going as long as possible. New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tsunami Tuesday, Ohio and Texas, every time we've been close to a decisive blow, the counterpunch has been downright vicious.

So this is the time to get steeled, and get tough. Barack will do just fine, for everywhere he goes, and with every speech and town hall meeting, he is winning over voters. It's up to us to stay strong, focused, hard-working and positive.

Yes, I've said many times that it's those virtues that put us in this position, but it bears repeating. It's so tempting to go the other way, to go negative, to resort to the kind of name-calling and bashing the Clinton camp has always used. We are stronger than that.

Just 12 days away - either the race drags on and the Democrats continue to splinter, or our positive movement for change turns what should have been a Hillary rout in Pennsylvania into a Barack Obama surge that could prove decisive.

YES WE CAN!!

Remembering Dr. King, 40 Years Later

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:02:03 EDT

Even in the midst of all the political drama we find ourselves in these days, we must not ignore the lessons of history, or forget those that forged the path to broaden and enrich our democracy.

We are now poised on the eve of a somber anniversary - 40 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. It's painful to consider that more time has passed since his death than the time he spent on this Earth.

I could pretend to offer words of eloquence and perpsective, but perhaps it's better to just give you, to think about, the last paragraph of the last speech Dr. King ever gave, 40 years ago on this night. These are words that have resonated through the ages, not just for the eerie way that he seems to foretell his own tragic end, but for the meaning they give to us, right now.

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind.Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything! I'm not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!"

We sit here, 40 years later (quite a fitting time period, given that the children of Israel had to spend 40 years in the wilderness before entering Canaan), and we must wonder - have we truly gone as far a we could? Given the war, our economy, health care, education, climate change, all the other challenges of our time, have we fulfilled the dream Dr. King had that August day in 1963?

Let's not wonder about the answer, my fellow Barack Obama supporters. Let us commit ourselves, even more, to the movement we have built over the last 14 months. Let us be constructive instead of destructive, loving instead of hating, problem-solvers instead of problem-causers.

If we can do that, maybe, just maybe, we will fulfill the purpose of Dr. King's heroic life, and get to that promised land.

Stay Strong, Madame Speaker!

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:53:39 EDT

Yes, there are too many polls and yes, they can be way off, as we've seen throughout this epic primary battle. But if the numbers are to be believed, Barack Obama sure seems to have weathered the Jeremiah Wright storm that could have capsized a much lesser candidate.

Helped, no doubt, by his magnificent March 18 speech in Philadelphia, Barack appears to be closing the gap in Pennsylvania and is up big in North Carolina's early surveys. What's more, the negative tone of recent weeks is hurting Hillary Clinton more - and those numbers came before her embellishments of the Bosnia episode got full exposure.

I am proud of the fact that Barack has stayed strong, poised, positive and on message throughout this trying stretch. It is truly a "silly season", the smallest of events, even a botched quote, getting one or two days of overblown coverage, then fading into the background.

Voters, for the most part, are wiser than the media gives them credit for, and they're quite tuned in to this election and can't stand the amount of mud being thrown. They see, correctly, that Barack has tried his best to stay above the fray while under constant assault from the Clintons, never mind the media and the occasional John McCain barb. You have to admit that McCain's been kinder to us at this point, though the Republicans are sure to change that tune by the time Barack gets the nomination.

Amid all this, a large group of superdelegates remains on the sidelines. The hunch is that they're at least waiting until Pennsylvania before rushing to our side - though, given the battle that is going on, they might be wise to join us now so that we have lots of time to unite the Democrats before Denver.

And still, some of the fat cats backing Clinton still feel the need to act like bullies, or like it's still 1996 and Bill's in charge. They fired off a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after Pelosi said it was imperative that Democrats make sure that the person with the most votes and most delegates at the end of the primary process get the nomination and NOT have a repeat of Al Gore and 2000.

In response, the big money men asked Pelosi to consider every delegate a free agent that should follow their own conscience, instead of doing something as silly as stick to their original pledge. In other words, even if Barack leads every meaningful category, feel free to wait until Denver and, if necessary, go against the will of the voters.

Thankfully, Pelosi saw right through this transparent attempt at intimidation from the Clinton allies, saying she sticks by her original platform.

Now we'd all love it if Madame Speaker gave us a flat-out endorsement. She offered up a wonderful introduction for Barack at that crucial Jefferson-Jackson dinner speech in Des Moines back in November, and she likely understands, as any powerful politician would, that her position of power in Congress would get undermined if candidates did poorly in November because an unpopular candidate was atop the ticket - reverse coattails.

But Nancy Pelosi has already done Barack, and the Democratic Party as a whole, a great service by respecting the integrity of both voters and delegates, not the party's money men.

And speaking of dollars, Barack again impressed us today with the speech he gave in New York City on what ailed our economy. It doesn't hurt to have a wise, able leader like Mayor Bloomberg around for support, and of course you had the symbolism of speaking at the Cooper Union, where Lincoln gave his heralded "right makes might" speech in 1860.

Barack Obama has emerged from the storm of the last two weeks stronger than ever. And perhaps, if there's some justice in all this, the superdelegates trickling toward our positive movement for change will swell to a flood soon enough.

YES WE CAN!!

His Best Moment Yet

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:52:17 EDT

There can be no possible way to spin it otherwise. What took place today at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia was a complete reaffirmation of all the reasons we so strongly support Barack Obama - why we think he is a once-in-a-lifetime leader, and why we NEED him to be our next President of the United States.

Other times that he had given mid-day speeches, I didn't feel the need to set aside work and always figured that I could catch up later. Here, that wasn't the case - whatever I was doing could wait. This message needed to be heard, now, even if these remarkable worlds end up echoing through future generations.

That Barack did so in Philadelphia was perfectly appropriate. As his own introduction noted, in this same place 221 years ago, brave patriots designed our system of government, the most noble and durable in the history of the world, in order to form a perfect union.

His evocation of the Constitution's preamble, upon further thought, has quite an echo to it - sort of like "fourscore and seven years ago", the opening words of a famous speech given in another historic spot in Pennsylvania. Perhaps being a one-time Constitutional law professor gives Barack a greater appreciation of that great document's lasting imprint.

Yes, from a purely political standpoint, Barack had to address the incendiary comments of Jeremiah Wright, but the way he did it absolutely hit the mark. Not only did he reject those statements, he said it would have been easier to dismiss the man, too, if all he ever heard of Wright were those bad words, repeated over and over in a cable news/YouTube loop.

Better yet, he did not distance himself from the man he calls his friend, just his words, reminding us that his own grandmother, who raised him, sometimes said bad things but that it didn't change the way he felt about her.

The truly amazing, and truly courageous, part of this speech was the way Barack used that subject to address, in a full and candid manner, the entire issue of race in this country, doing so by taking a look at the perspective of both African-Americans and whites, as built through history.

Yes, he said, we've come a long way from slavery. We have made extraordinary progress, thanks to the brave work of millions of Americans from the time of the Civil War to the time of the civil rights movement. Yet much remains unequal, from our education system (more than 50 years after Brown vs. Board of Education) to an economic and social structure that puts blacks at a major disadvantage from the start and crushes hope.

That's the world Jeremiah Wright grew up in, one that also, by the way, included segregration and personal humiliation of a sort none of us can possibly imagine. Still, as Barack pointed out, he made it out and built a successful church, while others were not as fortunate. Yet he is called a hateful man based on a few choice, taken-way-out-of-context sound bites. Why do we still insist on destroying people like this?

Barack also took time to point out the frustrations white people in the middle class might feel, that they're unable to attain social mobility, and sees jobs disappear, while the masters of conservative talk radio exploit that frustration and turn it into unwarranted, irrational hatred of all minorities, from blacks to illegal immigrants. Yes, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs and the like, he was talking to you, and that also took a lot of guts.

This led to Barack's conclusion - that people of all races have common dreams and aspirations, that hiding behind the wall of hatred and mistrust will only make sure that the great problems of our time, from health care and education to climate change and the misguided war in Iraq, will never be addressed, but instead only go worse.

Or as he put it, we could parse all the bad words and stereotypes perpetuated by Wright, or by supporters of Hillary Clinton or John McCain. "But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. AND NOTHING WILL CHANGE."

Then he closed with the moving story of Ashley Baia, the young white woman from South Carolina who gave up most food for a year to help her ailing mother, saying that she volunteered for this movement so that others could help their parents, too. After she tells her story, others talking to her in the room offer up their reasons until, at last, an older African-American gentleman says, "I am here because of Ashley."

in that single story, the spirit of our positive movement for change is illustrated. And in this single, remarkable speech today, Barack Obama did more than just fulfill some political obligation or seek a few more votes. He challenged a nation and its people to come to terms with its divisions and its dark past, to seek that more perfect union, just like Washington, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton and the rest of the men of 1787 tried to do.

That is as inspiring a message as I've heard in my lifetime, a message that perhaps compares only to the best of Dr. King or maybe just one president - the humble man that came from Illinois and said exactly 150 years ago that a house divided against itself could not stand.

And like Lincoln in his first inaugural address, Barack Obama is teaching us to listen to the better angels of our nature - for by doing so, we can make America better. Today, more than at any time before, I am so proud of Barack for having the wisdom and intelligence to take a negative story and turn it into a poignant and powerful message that everyone who truly loves this country needs to hear.

YES WE CAN!!

Showing the Right Way

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:26:35 EDT

Anyone associated with Barack Obama's positive movement for change has to feel a bit drained, maybe even some emotional whiplash, after all the twists, turns, high drama and controversy of the last week. And that was just Eliot Spitzer. (Lame joke, but I tried).

From picking up the most delegates in Texas, to winning big in Wyoming and Mississippi, to gaining even more delegates in Iowa earlier today, we're closer to the nomination thatn before, and off to a fine start organizing Pennsylvania from all the indications.

Yet for the last two days, all the media outlets, mainstream and otherwise, have generally gone berserk because of a few tapes of sermons by Jeremiah Wright, who was Barack's long-time pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

Anyone that sees those tapes and has never heard of Pastor Wright before could only conclude that his message would be one of hate. Of course, that hides the 99.9 percent of his other words and deeds that have helped build a vibrant church community in Chicago. But why bother with the facts when you can stir up racial tensions for no good reason?

Some of the more hysterical types took the controversy even further beyond reason, trying to force Barack out of his church or even the contest. Forget the idea of "vetting" Barack, this was more like a persecution. At least the haters finally admitted that he was a Christian after all.

But while they fumed, and a lot of us fretted, Barack was, again, showing us how to handle a crisis with wisdom and good judgment - exactly what we need from our next president.

First, on Friday afternoon he spent nearly two hours in the editorial offices of the Chicago Tribune, answering every conceivable question about his ties with Tony Rezco. When it was all done, the questioners concluded that he was upfront and honest, and were not going to take back the endorsement they gave him before the Feb. 5 primaries.

Then on Friday night, Barack made the cable rounds - Olbermann on MSNBC (what a beautiful special comment Keith made the other night), Anderson Cooper on CNN, even Hannity on Fox News, who had called on him to resign his Senate seat - it's okay, you can pick yourself up off the floor, even if you are still laughing. He even wrote a Huffington Post piece.

Every time, and in every setting, he thoroughly distanced himself from Wright's worst statements, said how disturbed he was and that he didn't agree with them one bit - while still standing by his friend. By doing this, Barack effectively defused the firestorm, even though he acknowledged that the issue won't go away because the 527s don't care about things like rules or civility.

Today, Barack continued to move on. At a moving rally in Indiana, he evoked the famous speech Robert Kennedy made on April 4, 1968, in Indianapolis, the night Dr. King was murdered. If you recall, RFK announced the news to a stunned crowd of mostly African-Americans, then pleaded for his audience to not answer violence with violence, but to instead work toward unity and focus on solving problems. These words gained added poignancy when RFK himself was murdered two months later.

Barack made it clear - what was true 40 years ago is just as true now. We will never deal with the ills of our society if we continue to harp on the things that divide us. We MUST work together, and that drew a prolonged ovation and a loud "YES WE CAN" chorus. It was quite beautiful.

Others might dwell on controversy, thrive for ratings and seek to stop our movement through focusing on everything but the issues. But let's be clear, this is not about Barack Obama's pastor, or Hillary Clinton's pastor, or John McCain's pastor. They're not running.

Hopefully we - and that means all of us, including the Obama partisans - can calm down and get back to issues. That's what the voters of this country deserve, in Pennsylvania and beyond.

YES WE CAN!!

Winning Is the Answer!

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:52:11 EDT

Well it's clear now that the "kitchen sink" strategy that kicked up fears of Barack Obama in Ohio and Texas didn't have much legs.

Voters in both Wyoming and Mississippi heard and observed the same attacks - and two states as different as can be from each other delivered the same emphatic and hopeful verdict - big wins for Barack, and the rebuilding of the delegate lead he had before the Ohio and Texas contests.

This should be big news, of course. All of Hillary Clinton's so-called "momentum" is gone, Barack is back in charge, and we're a bit closer to the Democratic nomination.

Ah, but this has turned rough, as you might have heard. So the last week has seen both sides say utterly regrettable things. We had Samantha Power and the "Monster" comment, quickly handled by our side, even if it took a smart and talented woman out of the conversation.

Now it's Geraldine Ferraro, stumping for the Clintons, basically saying that Barack is only here because of the color of his skin. Yes, the shadow of race, with all of its ugly undertones, has entered this historic contest, despite our best efforts to keep it out.

Understand something - all of us that support Barack Obama and this movement did NOT sign up simply because we wanted to see the first African-American president. It goes much deeper. We want to transform the politics of this country, and Barack, more than any other candidate in my lifetime, offers up a chance to make that possible.

And an ordinary candidate would not have done what Barack has done - get more than a million people to donate, draw record crowds to his rallies, raise record amounts of money (90 percent of it from small donors of $100 or less), and encourage a record turnout for these primaries, never mind the excitement he generates among young voters.

What's more, an ordinary candidate would not have won 30 times, as Barack has done from coast to coast, in primaries and caucuses, in states with widely varying demographics. For us, unlike the Clinton camp, EVERY state matters.

With all that in mind, as we settle into six long weeks of hard work to try and win over the voters of Pennsylvania, it's vital that we follow Barack's shining example and not engage with every single bad comment thrown our way. That's just waht the Clintons want, and that's just what the media wants in order to paint Barack as just another politician.

Such concerns double when the subject of race arises. Regardless of how he is portrayed, Barack wants to be president of ALL Americans, not just those who may look like him or may agree with him. You cannot lead that way and engage directly with someone that clearly is race-baiting.

We are living through extraordinary times, poised to make extraordinary history with an extraordinary candidate in Barack Obama. Whatever the rest of the primary season may hold, let us meet that moment with truth and grace, for that will help us to the nomination - and to the White House.

YES WE CAN!!

Setting a Standard

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:35:08 EST

I'll admit, it was quite painful to see a smart, dedicated, talented woman like Samantha Power take the fall for a single ill-timed word said to an overseas reporter. Yet the aftermath of that affair speaks of the higher standard Barack Obama has set - a standard that our primary opponents seems unwilling to match.

Less than 24 hours after the story was made public, Dr. Power stepped down from her advisory role, a decision that had to be incredibly difficult given the vast amount of good work she had done helping Barack and our movement.

All along, we have set out to introduce a different kind of politics to this country, one that did not resort to the same old political tricks of negativity and sliming the opposition just because they had a different point of view. As such, every single person working for Barack ought to act in a positive and classy manner, even when the worst kind of attacks are being thrown at us.

And let's face it - ever since Hillary Clinton and her surrogates complained about how the media was picking on her and going light on Barack (a laughable notion to anyone that's been involved in this from the beginning), it's been open season on Barack for anything he, or his aides might have said or done wrong.

Yes, a lot of that is the slings and arrows a front-runner must inevitably face, and we didn't handle the NAFTA-memo thing all that well, even though it turned out that the Clinton crowd was just as guilty of double talk to Canada and no one called them out on it.

But the attacks have only increased in volume, even though we made Ohio competitive, won Vermont and ended up WINNING Texas on delegates (wonder why that isn't being reported). With the notable exception of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann - and check out his show every night at 8 p.m. if you can for a reminder of just what journalism should be - the media has been an all-too-willing mouthpiece for the Clinton crowd.

In turn, they've allowed all kinds of falsehoods about Barack to fester and linger on issues like NAFTA and Iraq, plus replayed, over and over, the Rovian 3 a.m. ads and continued slander about his faith and the racially-charged use of his middle name by conservatives. It all makes me wonder - is the political establishment, and the media establishment, afraid of seeing an African-American win this? It's a terrible thing to ponder, but I can't help but thing of something like that amid this tumult.

All of which led to Dr. Power's poor choice of words. You can understand the frustration after Barack has been among other things, slammed as "Bush-Cheney light", called "naive and irresponsible", and been compared to Rove and Ken Starr without anyone blinking an eye.

Still, Dr. Power was right to step down. She was doing what the Clinton crowd refuses to do - take full responsibility for a mistake and accept the consequences. That's what sets us apart, and if there's any justice, voters in Wyoming and Mississippi, over the next four days, will see the difference and help Barack Obama start winning again.

Still In Front, Still In Charge

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:12:44 EST

Most likely, you won't hear this today in the aftermath of Tuesday's contests - Barack Obama leads in votes, leads in delegates, and has won more than twice the number of states as Hillary Clinton. Those are the facts.

But why deal with facts when it's so much more profitable to trumpet the latest Clinton "comeback"? Never mind that the margin in Ohio was just 10 points or that, in the end, Barack will get more delegates in Texas thanks to our fine work in emphasizing the caucus portion of the two-step.

The corporate media elite has been given it marching orders, for sure. Ever since the Clinton camp whined and complained about getting picked on and that, somehow, Barack was getting a free ride, the pattern has been obvioius to anyone with a brain. That "3 a.m." ad got replayed thousands of times on free TV (so much for the money advantage), and the SNL and "Daily Show" appearances were clear attempts to bow down to her every wish and desire. In other words, to prove they weren't biased, they acted MORE biased than ever.

All the while, Barack got the kind of barrage a front-runner would expect, and then some. The NAFTA/Canada issue wasn't handled that well, admittedly, but the Rezco story is old news and the Clintons' hands aren't completely clean when it comes to him, either.

Given this concentrated hit job from the Clintons and their unwitting press allies, is it any wonder the late deciders in Ohio and Texas went in the other direction? Add to that Rush Limbaugh and the conservative talk loudmouths unleashing their "dittoheads" on the polls in a clear attempt to sabotage Barack, and you truly have something sinister going on.

Barack has said all along that change would not come easily. We are seeing now that he, along with all of us in this movement, was more right than he could have imagined. It's awfully difficult to change anything if the Clintons, John McCain, the right-wing radio demagogues and the media all stand in our way.

But if the recent past is any indication, every time we've been knocked down a peg or two, we stand right back up and fight even stronger. That worked after New Hampshire and Nevada, when we went out and won big in South Carolina. That worked after Super Tuesday, to the tune of 12 consecutive wins, all of them routs. And it will work now, too.

Wyoming is next, on Saturday, followed by Mississippi on Tuesday. With hard work and determination, plus the fundamental belief that EVERY state counts, we'll win in these places and quickly gain back whatever ground might have been lost in Ohio and Rhode Island.

Then we get to Pennsylvania, and six weeks of concentrated effort to prevail there on April 22. We need to take the approach that worked so well in Iowa - namely, get a presence in every part of the Keystone State, introduce Barack, show that he not only will bring meaningful change to America, but will battle hard for what he believes in, no matter hwo much he gets attacked - and he will get attacked. If we got the "kitchen sink" last week, imagine trying to duck a whole truckload of appliances.

The big question - how much should Barack attack? To this point, and to his eternal credit, he has avoided digging into the mountain full of scandal and controversy that marked the Clinton presidency of the '90s. You simply don't promise a new kind of politics and engage in the slimy, negative, partisan, win-at-all-costs tactics that characterize the politics of the past.

On the other hand, if the Clintons and the media intend on sliming Barack for the smallest possible sin, what choice does he have but to respond? That tax returns issue is particularly important - we don't hide anything, and get no credit for it. It sure seems like the Clintons hide a lot, and they keep getting a free pass.

In the end, it all comes back to the facts. Barack Obama has more votes, more delegates, and far more states won. And no matter what spin you hear from others, our work yesterday helped pull us closer to the nomination, and we will prevail.

YES WE CAN!!

We Choose to Hope!

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:01:09 EST

There, in 30 quick yet painful seconds today, on TV stations all through Texas and Ohio, came the unmistakable sign that Barack Obama and our positive movement for change in America must be getting across to people.

Having exhausted all the other slogans ("35 years of experience and "ready on day one" are just a small sampling), having stopped the transparent theft of our slogans and rallying cries, the Clinton camp is reduced to going all Karl Rove on us.

Take away the "I'm Hillary Clinton and I approve this message" tag, and you'd have sworn the ad came from John McCain, or George W. Bush circa 2004, or any other Republican ad post-9/11 that used the politics of fear and loathing to make ANY Democrat seem like a traitor to the nation. The point - don't vote for Barack Obama, the world's too scary for a guy like him in the White House.

Maybe it's the Clinton crowd themselves that are scared - scared of the people's verdict in Ohio and Texas, not to mention Vermont and Rhode Island, verdicts that, on Tuesday, could seal it for us and symbolize, at least on the Democratic side, a triumph based on the hard work of a hopeful movement, not the hateful gestures of a haughty and arrogant machine.

All we need are the lessons of history to remind voters that, at critical moments, Americans chose hope over fear when selecting a president - when FDR beat Hoover, when JFK beat Nixon, when Ronald Reagan ousted Jimmy Carter and when Bill Clinton ousted George H.W. Bush.

Here, we MUST choose hope again! All through this long and trying process, when things were down (as they were for months, if you believed the pundits) and things were up (as they are now), Barack's message of hope has remained constant, the guiding principle of our movement, the fundamental reason so many of us never involved in politics before joined up and why millions of young people are tuned into a presidential race like never before.

Of all the candidates left, Barack Obama is the only one offering a fundamental shift in our course as a nation. No wonder the Clintons, and McCain, and the right-wing loudmouths insisting on disparaging Barack's name, are battling so hard to stop him. The status quo, in Washington and beyond, has held firm for a long time and will not hand over their power without a brutal fight.

And now they use unguarded, naked fear to stop our revolution from taking further hold. Fine, let them try that. We will simply resolve, at this moment right now, to stay on our chosen course and find light out of the darkness, truth out of the pack full of lies, and tell America and the world that the old politics and the old ways just won't do - not anymore, not in 2008, and not with Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

Stop the fear, spread the hope!! YES WE CAN!!

Debate Lessons...

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:14:39 EST

After 10 months with 20 debates contained within them, have we learned anything more about Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, really?

From an issues standpoint, probably not. Their stances about the issues are what they were when this whole thing started, which only proves that debates alone should not determine who we elect. Candidates have agendas, and so do the questioners, so are the voters properly served?

What we do take heart in, though, is the way Barack has grown through all these encounters. At the beginning, when eight candidates were on the stage, he was tentative and still learning, and obviously not getting enough time to introduce himself to an audience that, at the time, was mostly made up of political junkies.

But now, in front of record audiences for CNN and MSNBC, we've seen a confident, poised, mature, intelligent and reasonable leader that is quite ready to be our next president. No matter what the question, he handles it well without ever being mean-spirited toward his opponent.

Even more importantly, Barack's message has remained consistent, both when he was behind and when he was ahead. At first, it meant he would be ignored while the "inevitable" front-runner was coronated. Now, it means he gets attacked on all fronts.

The worst charge, in my book, is that somehow all the people attending his rallies, and all the people going to the polls to vote for Barack, are somehow delusional dreamers, a dangerous mass of people acting like a "cult" because they "don't know better".

Well, it's quite the opposite. The vast wave of Americans drawn to this movement, a million of them contributors (and a good chunk of them donating to a campaign for the first time), are not stupid and naive lemmings being lured by false prophecy.

They are, for the most part, attentive and active citizens that had been turned off by decades of bitter political partisanship. And they have found, in Barack, someone to believe in who, in turn, tells them to believe in themselves, that they have the power to change the world.

We have utilized that power to build a historic movement that has amazed the world. produced 11 straight wins in primaries and caucuses and might, in a week's time, give us victories in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont that could all but seal the Democratic nomination.

They can have all the debates they want. In the end, the inspiration of Barack Obama, and the remarkable work done by the people in this movement, will be the factors in a momentous election that will produce a momentous and happy result that the whole world will celebrate.

YES WE CAN!!

Within Our Reach Now

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:09:32 EST

What the events of the last few days have shown, beyond any possible doubt, is that Barack Obama, and the historic movement for change that we have built, is close to attaining what few ever dreamed was possible even two months ago, before Iowa and the course of recent events.

It's difficult to stay humble amid this win streak. Nebraska, Louisiana, Washington State, the Virgin Islands, Maine, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Americans living abroad - they all have spoken, in record numbers, with a loud and emphatic voice - they want change, they want Barack Obama, and the spirit of YES WE CAN is spreading all over the world.

The attacks that have been thrown at Barack, on all fronts, have not worked. Comparing us to a "cult" was insulting enough, and underminded the intelligence of millions of Americans that have been drawn to this movement. Claiming (thousands of times) that Barack was all talk and no substance - when he was ripped by these same critics for having too much substance when giving policy speeches last year - was even more laughable.

Then came the desperate charge that Barack, through borrowing with permission a few riffs from his friend, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, was somehow committing plagiarism. Well, he laughed it off, the voters didn't buy it in Wisconsin, and the winning continued. And that "change you can Xerox" line from tonight - not good.

From all indications - and from the latest amazing crowds that have come to Houston and Dallas - the numbers are changing in our favor there, and the same thing is happening in Ohio. We are headed toward what could be the decisive moment!

Even Hillary, tonight, might have acknowledged that in the end, with a riff directly borrowed (if not ripped off) from a John Edwards remark at a December debate. Original or not, it sure sounded like she realized that, yes, Barack just might win this.

And that thought - we might win this - has echoed around my mind ever since I heard that closing line. It's quite overwhelming and wonderful to think that the dream we all held a year ago when Barack entered the race is a step closer to realization, that we will see him in Denver six months from now giving an acceptance speech.

So much of what we have done is beautiful to consider - and that's why it's so vital not to take a single vote for granted and to work 20 times as hard in the 12 days ahead to make sure we get those victories in Texas and Ohio.

Call, volunteer, donate so we can reach that magic number of one MILLION people donating to this movement. This moment in history is calling us - let us meet the moment with the spirit that has carried us here, the spirit that has made Barack Obama an inspiration to people everywhere, in America and beyond and will help us prevail, here and in November.

That spirit is not an original thought, but one we all know well - YES WE CAN!! YES WE CAN!!

Barrage on Barack

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:29:58 EST

You just knew this would happen. In the days leading up the crucial contests in Wisconsin and Hawaii, the attacks and assaults on Barack Obama have grown - from the right and the left, from the media and the Clinton machine, from just about everyone not affiliated with our positive movement for change.

Where to start? Well, there's the accusations that somehow we're some kind of "cult", as if we somehow we were brainwashed into following Barack or think he can never do any wrong. Well, to that, we say we love the guy but realize that he's quite human - and if we don't say it, Michelle certainly will remind us!

Then there's the "all talk, no action" routine, harped on by the Clintons when they figured the "no experience" routine wasn't working. Boy, that gets tiresome real fast. It's as if Barack didn't spend more than 20 years as a community organizer, lawyer, teacher and legislator getting a whole lot of things done when the cameras weren't rolling.

Sorry, you don't get this kind of support for a presidential bid just on a good speech and a beautiful smile. Barack has plenty of substance and knowledge of the issues. It's funny - when he was giving policy speeches in the early stages, pundits were bored and looking to be inspired. Now that he's inspiring, those same fools want him to turn into a policy wonk. Yet another shining example of media hypocrisy for all to see.

Just don't cross Barack when you offer that "it's just words" argument. He brought the house down in Milwaukee Saturday night when, evoking a similar speech Deval Patrick made in his successful governor's bid in Massachusetts in 2006, he pulled out some neat bits of history - Dr. King, FDR, the Declaration of Independence - to remind people that, yes, words matter a lot, for they lead to the kind of action that alters the course of history.

So what are we talking about, hours before the polls open in Wisconsin? That's right, the small mistake Barack made by not attributing his counterpoint to Deval Patrick. The Clinton crowd screamed plagiarism, ignoring the obvious fact that Deval and Barack are close friends, key allies in this race, and Deval was cool about it.

Besides, I don't think it's wise for the Clintons to suggest that Barack is stealing anything. After all, their entire campaign, for at least six months, has done everything possible to rip off every one of Barack's good ideas and, not stopping there, also rips off the catch phrases. We've heard Hillary say "fired up, ready to go" and "yes we can" on a few occasions, but hardly anyone in the corporate media elite calls her out on it.

This is inevitable, though. Front-runners gets all the arrows flung at them, and we'd better be prepared for it, because the attacks might go on for eight more months.

Knowing this, let's stay strong and not show any fear. If they want to be negative with us, fine, we'll respond when it's necessary, but mostly we'll just stay positive and hopeful.

People were drawn to Barack and our movement because they wanted to see an end to the bitter, divisive, partisan politics present in our land. And that system is so entrenched, so sure of its own monstrous ways, that it's convinced that no one, even a force as strong as the Barack Obama movement, can take it down.

Thus, we must prove them wrong. And it starts tomorrow with the voters of Wisconsin and Hawaii, who can build our win streak to 10 or give the forces of obstruction new life. We prevail here, and Ohio or Texas could clinch it.

Remember, when they attack Barack Obama in waves and say his quest cannot make it, we answer, in deeds and in words, very simply - YES WE CAN!! And that's a spirit no one will EVER steal from us.

Stay Humble, Stay Focused....Keep Working!

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:04:13 EST

With 24 hours to digest, and savor, the latest Barack Obama sweep (thank you so much Virginia, Maryland and D.C.), it's now getting quite difficult to stay in the moment - and resist the temptation to ponder all that is possible.

Certainly all of us in the movement have spent time, at one point or another, dreaming about Barack accepting the nomination in Denver and giving a speech that will move the world, just like 2004. Or we've imagined him on a cold election night in November, savoring an electoral victory that will alter the course of history. Or we've pondered Jan. 20, 2009, and Barack raising his right hand to take the oath of office.

All of these visions are incredible to consider and now seem to be within reach. Which is why we must, with every inch of our willpower, not get complacent for one second and work even harder than before to make sure that dream comes true.

Barack is not yet close to the 2,025 delegates he needs. And even with a string of wins from here on out, the proportional nature of each primary or caucus makes it unlikely that he'll reach that number unless the so-called "superdelegates" flood to him before Denver.

Ideally, what we need is to build that delegate lead and that lead in the raw vote so that the superdelegates would risk an outright split in the Democratic Party if they dare went the other way. And hopefully the DNC won't reverse course on the Florida-Michigan situation. Barack followed the party rules. He should not be punished for it.

At least we seem to have our priorities intact. We have not taken ANY state for granted, working hard in each of them to make sure American voters, wherever they live, know that they matter to us and that they are all important pieces to the election puzzle.

So as others might focus on Ohio and Texas in three week's time, we just need to make sure that the next steps toward the nomination are taken - in Wisconsin and Hawaii.

And that means, for some of us, getting on the phones and calling voters to remind them about Tuesday's primary. We have already seen how the tens of thousands of calls in states from Louisiana to Maryland led to Barack's win streak, and of course the other side is copying our tactics (so what else is new?) so our efforts need to be doubled - or multiplied several more times once the bigger states roll around.

Of course we believe Barack will win this nomination and soar to victory over John McCain in November. But to turn our belief into beautiful reality, we need to do whatever we can, every single day, not resting until the victory is won.

The pundits can say all they want - and they seem to be holding day-long strategy sessions with the Clinton crowd, as if their very existence and credibility rides on Hillary prevailing and the continuation of the endless, divisive partisan mud fight.

It just goes to show how out of touch the Washington crowd is with the rest of America -and with the extraordinary movement Barack Obama has built. They can plot all they want. We'd rather plow our way to the nomination, with all the hunger and determination necessary to go change the world based on a simple and powerful mantra- YES WE CAN!

One Remarkable Year Later..

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:02:27 EST

Where were you, 365 days ago? What were you doing, thinking about, dreaming about, the day Barack Obama announced that he would run for the office of President of the United States?

At that time a full year ago, when I formally joined this movement, I was hopeful. Here was a man I admired like no leader in my lifetime, taking the largest step possible in politics and betting that the American people would hear his message and believe again.

We needed that message, in the worst way possible, with endless war continuing to rage in Iraq, a climate crisis getting worse and 47 million (or so) Americans without health care. And all of it created by a broken, bitter and partisan political process where arguments meant more than solutions, where people were endlessly divided and never allowed to act together, to work together, to dream together again.

In other words, the American house was divided, just as it was a century and a half ago when, inside that same old State House in Springfield where Barack announced his candidacy, a man named Lincoln reminded us of what was said in the Bible, that "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

And for more than 10 months, as Barack criss-crossed the country, spoke to crowds of 20,000 and small dinner gatherings of four, and debated against his fellow candidates, all that was heard from the cynics and pundits was that his dream was a mirage, a "naive" and "irresponsible" prayer of hope that had to be silenced, that he had to "wait his turn" and get more "experience" - by which time, of course, he would be just another politician, and the magic would be gone.

All those voices of doubt started to be silenced by the record crowds he drew, the record number of donors that took the leap and signed on to this movement, and by the energy and passion of people like myself (and especially younger voters) who never had worked on something like this before but realized that a special man in Barack Obama and a special moment in history had met each other, and that we needed to be a part of it.

Well, as Barack said, perhaps our gamble is really starting to pay off.

Just as we reached this one-year anniversary, we had a triumphant weekend to add to the 13 states won on Feb. 5. How much fun it was on Saturday to watch as the returns came in and Nebraska, Washington State and Louisiana, even the Virgin Islands, all went in our column by lopsided margins. And today, Maine made us five-for-five - a clean sweep!

Look at what just took place. Whether the location was the Heartland or the Great Northwest, the Deep South or the farthest northeastern tiop of New England - whatever the demographics, people showed up in big numbers, voted for Barack - and moved us ever closer to a nomination few ever imagined we might get.

Barack now leads the Clinton machine in every category. He has the most delegates, the most votes, the most states won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, the larger war chest to work with, and crowds that no politician in our lifetime has been able to draw.

Yet still the skeptics doubt us, write off our big winning margins as things that were "supposed" to happen, and do everything possible to prop up the candidate THEY coronated months (or even years) before a single vote was cast. Let's face it - if we had won just 11 states to the other side's 20, the chorus to push us out of the race would be deafening.

So the only solution is to keep on winning, and Barack has a great chance to do so on Tuesday in the "Chesapeake" event featuring Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. We have remarkable teams working down there, just as we did in this weekend's states - and we can't thank those teams enough for all the work they did to give us our sweep.

One year ago, they doubted Barack Obama, said he never had a chance. Even now they wait for him to stumble so they can pounce on him and continue the divisive politics of the past, not even realizing that his presence in this race, and the success he has enjoyed, has electrified the entire world - and will cause such immense joy in those far-off places if he becomes our next president.

We started that journey in Springfield 12 short months ago - and we don't intend to end that journey until 11 months from now, when Barack Obama sits in the Oval Office because we stood up and had the courage to transform history - and change the world.

America, YES WE CAN!!

Thank you Syracuse

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:06:34 EST

First, we send our thoughts and prayers to all the people in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky victimized by the tornadoes tonight. Our race is a vital moment in history, but any political race pales in comparison to real-life issues like this, so send your love to them okay?

It's a bit past midnight as I write this, and while disappointed that California went the other way, I'm sure all of us in Barack Obama's movement have to feel satisfied with what took place. We won the majority of states, many of them by huge margins, and made serious inroads in places like Connecticut and Missouri. More on that in a late posting.

But the number that made me most pleased tonight was 40 - that is, the percentage of votes Obama got in New York. We did far better in Hillary's so-called "home turf" than she did in Illinois, which went for Barack by a 2-to-1 margin.

For us, 40 percent is magnificent, and assures us a good chunk of delegates on the road to the nomination. This state was never, ever supposed to be close, and through the amazing hard work all of you did across the area, we made it happen - YES WE DID!!

This was quite an eventful day on my part. Never in my life was I prouder to cast a ballot than on this day, and it was even better to stand out there in gloom at two different street corners waving the signs and getting a mostly positive response from the drivers.

And tonight, as the results came in and we watched at the DeWittshire Taverne, it felt more tense and exciting than any Super Bowl. The wins, as they got posted, all got a bit cheer, none bigger than Connecticut, and the sense of dread I might have felt entering the room became, by the end, a sense of joy over how much we pulled off and the real chance Barack has of winning this nomination.

In the end, the real heroes are all of you - every single person that, through Syracuse For Obama, gave of your time to help this movement. We pride ourselves on the fact that every single person doing this is a volunteer from Central New York - Hillary had to import sign-holders from Canada, what's up with that? By doing your part, from phone-banking to visibility at big events like SU basketball games to our work today, you made this possible.

Which is quite fitting, because as Barack always said, this movement is not about him - it's about us, about our ability to change this country. It's in our hands, and we have done our part to push Barack Obama closer to the White House.

Now we might get a bit of rest - but God willing, we will keep working until November. YES WE CAN!!

We Have A Home...Join Us!

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:20:52 EST

So I have just returned home from one of the happiest events of our movement here in Syracuse - the opening of our new campaign headquarters!

You'll find it at 3000 Erie Boulevard East, right next to Delmonico's and across the street from Red Lobster. You can tell where we are by our big sign next to the road, the "Under New Ownership" sign. And we intend to stay there until November.

Many thanks must go to Andrea Audi, along with Jon and Thelie Selzer (one of our delegates), who found the space and put the deal together. Sure, the place will need some heat at some point, but this is a big step - I never thought we'd have a place of our own.

Sure, we had food and lots of wonderful fellowship. But we also received our marching orders for the 72 hours ahead, our chance to get ourselves noticed by all possible voters in the Syracuse area before Tuesday's primary.

Some of us are standing outside grocery stores today as people pick up their Super Bowl party items. Others walked the streets and dropped off literature.

Then on Sunday, many of us will distribute flyers at churches across the areas, another effective way to get the work out. Then we get to the phones on Monday and Tuesday, reminding all our supporters about the primary, plus taking our signs anywhere and everywhere a big crowd will gather - or where thousands of cars might be seen.

On a personal note, I'm organizing a visibility event outside the big CBA-Bishop Ludden boys basketball game (also known as the "Holy War") tomorrow at Onondaga Community College. Fans will be coming in between 2 and 3 p.m., with game time at 3:15, and they'll be leaving between 4:30 and 5 p.m. You can find the event on our Syracuse For Obama events schedule. Let's catch them both on the way in and on the way out!

And on Tuesday, aside from the phone calls and visibility at all busy traffic spots, we'll be driving voters that need rides to the polls, an important task that will increase our turnout and (hopefully) our delegate count.

Every single person that reads this blog or is part of this group can help in some way, shape or form. And all of it is needed. Barack Obama cannot succeed here in New York unless all of us, in our small way, help make that possible.

It's great to have an office open. But it will be even better to keep that office open for a while. Syracuse, YES WE CAN!!

My Personal Journey

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:43:39 EST

As we stand a week from Feb. 5, the amount of tasks standing before us can seem overwhelming. We had at least 35 people in the room last night for the Syracuse For Obama meeting and there is so much to do in so little time.

Every hour and every minute counts - and every person that can help us work toward making Barack Obama the next President of the United States can do something important, from phone-banking to holding signs at intersections to attending various rallies to putting flyers on cars to driving voters to the polls in seven days' time.

Just today, I got an email from someone organizing my high school's 15-year class reunion. In responding, I told him about what I was doing here in Syracuse, working for Barack, and it got me to also reflect on the long and twisting path that led me to this movement.

So forgive me if I lay out the details of the story here. When things are chaotic and busy like they are now, it's good to remember where you came from, and why you are doing this.

All my life I've been fascinated by presidential campaigns. I saw Gary Hart and Walter Mondale in person at the age of 9, in 1984, not realizing at that young age how little of a chance they had against Ronald Reagan. I read about, and studied, the contentious 1988 race and recoiled at how trivial matters and ugly partisanship soiled George H.W. Bush's ascendancy to the White House.

In 1992, I was rather confused. At first I was for Ross Perot (even signed a friend's high school yearbook, closing it PEROT IN '92!), then switched to Bill Clinton, even saw him and Al Gore when the bus tour came through Buffalo. Their election carried such promise - a new generation was taking over, energy and excitement was in the air, public service would be cool again in the great tradition of FDR and the Kennedys.

And then it all went wrong. As I went from teenage years to adulthood in the 1990s, politics got even uglier in America, and soon enough I wanted no part of it at all. Everyone was to blame - the messups of the early Clinton years, Rush Limbaugh and Talk Radio, Newt Gingrich and the GOP takeover of Congress, the government shutdown, Monica Lewinsky and impeachment - all it did was further divide our country, and the 2000 election debacle in Florida only made things worse.

By then, my idealism was gone. I couldn't identify with either party and held my nose when casting ballots for Gore and then John Kerry. The deep partisan divisions in America, the ugly tone of national elections, the silly foodfights over every last issue - it all caused me, and millions of others, to just tune out and not care one bit about politics.

Until that July night in 2004 when a man from Illinois stood before the Democratic National Convention and electrified the world. When I heard Barack Obama talk about there not being a liberal or conservative America, not a black or white America, not blue states or red states but the UNITED States of America, it moved my heart and soul like no speech had before.

I said out loud that night that I hoped he would run for president someday because he understood, better than almost anyone, what America was truly about, that the basic values that tied us together were far more important than the small concerns that tore us apart.

Then late in 2006 I read "The Audacity of Hope" and, soon after, "Dreams From My Father". Seeing Barack's remarkable intellect at work, feeling moved by his own personal journey and what it said about our country at large, I vowed then and there that if he indeed ran for president, I would actively work for him - that this election meant too much for me to just sit on the sidelines and complain when someone as unique and special as Barack could lead this country and the world.

Now, nearly a year after it formally started in Lincoln's adopted home of Springfield, look where we are. We've won Iowa, come close in New Hampshire and Nevada and scored a resounding win in South Carolina. Barack's presence in this race, and the inspiring pull of his movement for change, has energized our democracy like nothing else in our lifetime with record turnouts, record numbers of people donating, record volunteer participation and young people excited about taking part in the political process. All of this warms my heart.

More than anything else, working in Barack Obama's movement has helped me regain my love for this country and its people - Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike - and restored the idealism I left behind in my distant youth. How sad it would be if this emotion in our land, once stirred up, was quieted by the political dogma of the past?

If we keep working hard and dedicate ourselves to the task at hand, our voices will be heard, from Feb. 5 to Nov. 4, until that marvelous day when Barack Obama raises his right hand on the steps of the Capitol and takes the Oath of Office. It's no longer a distant dream. It's within our reach, if all of us in this movement are willing to strive for it. YES WE CAN!!

What A Weekend!

Phil In the Cuse — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:35:42 EST

It would be safe to say that a lot of people were happy - no, downright gleeful - at how it turned out in South Carolina on Saturday.

We all hoped, prayed and believed that Barack Obama would win on Saturday, and by a solid margin. But a 28-point margin? Absolutely no one saw that coming. Not a single poll did, anyway, and you could argue they were just as wrong here as they were in New Hampshire.

And what is the most marvelous part of all this? The turnout, of course. Barack Obama has invigorated our democracy in a way no person has done in our lifetime.

They had record turnouts in Iowa and New Hampshire. But South Carolina blew them away, and not just because Barack more than doubled up Hillary Clinton's total. More people voted for Barack - around 300,000 - than the entire turnout of the 2004 primary. And more Democrats voted in their primary than did Republicans in a state that's heavily GOP. How cool is that?

Our great team in South Carolina worked harder than anyone else, never took a single vote for granted, and built a true coalition of unity that can work for us in every part of America. What's more, the voters utterly rejected the divisive tactics of the Clintons, a trend we hope to see continue in the weeks ahead.

So you can understand why everyone in the movement is a bit giddy with Feb. 5 just nine days away. But at least here in Syracuse, that excitement goes beyond what took place in South Carolina to what our own group is doing every day to make sure Barack makes big noise all over the Empire State.

Our entire Saturday in Syracuse was quite special. I did a phone bank in the morning ( a lot of undecideds out there, still) and then joined our group standing just outside Bethany Baptist Church on the city's east side, where more than 1,000 people had gathered hoping to hear Al Sharpton talk.

Sharpton couldn't make it, due to a last-minute development in NYC (his daughter showed up), but the crowd was still there, and judging by what we saw and heard, they are quite FIRED UP and READY TO GO!!

Despite 25-degree temperatures, we waved our signs with maximum enthusiasm, and hundreds of cars driving in and out of the church honked their horns and gave us plenty of thumbs-up. Others walking up to the church talked to us, too, and we made sure flyers got on all the car windshields to remind them to vote for Barack and our 25th congressional district celegates.

But the best part came toward the end. We started to give away the lawn signs Lisa Daly and her cohorts had put together, and ultimately 250 of them went out. We couldn't get them out of our hands fast enough, in fact, and could have easily given out 250 more if we had the material.

Every one of us left on a cloud of pure joy. Getting ourselves out there, promoting our movement, so close to the day of decision in New York, and seeing how enthusiastic people were about him, makes all that time in the freezing cold quite worthwhile.

And that was BEFORE the South Carolina returns came in. It exceeded our wildest dreams, and we celebrated with some nice fellowship at Tully's (thanks to them for the table) seeing, but not hearing, Barack give his victory speech. I heard it back home and, as usual, he was spellbinding, reminding us all why no other candidate for president can move the nation and stir its soul the way he can.

I wanted to write all this last night and got delayed - but for a good reason. The victory brought so much traffic to the Barack web site that our personal pages got taken down for a time. None of us minded one bit - it was still pure communal bliss.

And it spread over to this day, too. I hope everyone gets to read Caroline Kennedy's beautiful op-ed piece in the New York Times, where she says, correctly, that Barack has the same chance to inspire young people into public service that her father did. That, combined with Ted Kennedy's endorsement, only adds to our excitement about the upward trajectory of our movement.

Now comes the toughest part of all. Every single one of us, in Syracuse and the other places where "Tsunami Tuesday" primaries will be held, must work twice as hard, put all of our energies and efforts into this cause between now and Feb. 5.

South Carolina, with the overwhelming victory they gave Barack Obama on Saturday, has given us the chance to fundamentally turn the race for the Democratic nomination in our direction.

Here in Syracuse, and all over America, we must seize that moment, Our moment is now! YES WE CAN!!

The Unwanted Card

Phil In the Cuse — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:15:42 EST

Somehow, we avoided the twin topics of race and gender in this story for a long time. Now they're shoved in our faces 24/7, and it's turned a vigorous and exciting race into a potentially depressing commentary on how far we still need to go.

Of course we might be spinning when we say it's not of our doing - but it isn't. Barack Obama knew, ever since this started, that if he ever once emphasized race while growing this movement, he risked marginalizing his quest before it even took full flight.

As we all know, Barack's story transcends race, and it speaks to millions of Americans that long to hope and believe in their country again. By winning in Iowa and nearly winning in New Hampshire, he should have buried the race question for good.

Alas, it's not the case. No matter how many times, in how many places, and to how many people, Barack spreads his positive message for change, the media keeps coming back to race, just as the Clintons want them to do, and so he's now the "black" candidate. My goodness, 20 years after Jesse Jackson, has anything changed?

Here is yet another case of the political establishment, comfortable in its own (white) skin, trying to belittle or bring to ruin a genuine movement that it did not create. How to do that? Simple - point out Barack's race, as if that alone should disqualify him from seeking the highest office in the land. Better yet, if he wins South Carolina, just dismiss it as a black vote and create a backlash Feb. 5 and beyond - and keep us divided in the process.

Now you see why this movement MUST succeed. How can we ever progress as a nation, as a society, if we are continually dragged back to seeing each other only through the color of our skin? How can we overcome?

It's particularly sad, and fitting, that this topic crashed to the surface in the week that we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Anyone that hasn't had an opportunity to see Barack's remarkable sermon, delivered last Sunday on Dr. King's own pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, set aside a half-hour and find it on the campaign web page or on YouTube. You will be transformed, if you haven't come to our side already.

On a hot August day in 1963, standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial and 250,000 of his fellow Americans, Dr. King proclaimed his dream of a day where his children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

This election, full of politics though it may be, is the ultimate test of whether that dream will ever come to fulfillment. America has a chance to show the world that we've moved beyond the terrible shadows of the past, that we are not afraid to embrace a new vision that brings people together, not tears them apart for the trival reasons of the wrong skin color or the wrong gender or the wrong political philosophy.

By electing Barack Obama as the next President of the United States, we will put character, and intelligence, and honor and integrity first - and leave all the stereotypes behind.

YES WE CAN!!

Pictures Big and Small

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:03:07 EST

Here in Syracuse, our work continues without any kind of rest. Our Monday-night meeting drew 30 people, every one of them enthusiastic about Barack Obama and the movement, willing to do more in the two weeks before the New York primary.

There are plenty of ways you can get involved, from our Tuesday and Thursday phone banks (I'd love to see all of you at the Gear Factory, corner of South Gedees and Fayette, on Thursday at 6:30) to visibility events this weekend. Wherever you are driving in Central New York, or if you're at the SU game Sunday, you might see someone waving an Obama sign over their heads. Say hi to them, please - it can get awfully cold out there.

Every single thing we do is vital to our movement. It's clear now that, even with a win in South Carolina this Saturday, Barack will need to match Hillary Clinton delegate-for-delegate when more than 2,000 of them go on the line Feb. 5, the "Tsunami Tuesday" where New York is a critical part of the mix.

As I ran through the numbers today, I detected that we could win Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware (maybe), Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakoa, Oklahoma, Tennesse and Utah, and pick up enough delegates in New York, California and the other spots to get 1,000, which would match Hillary.

I am convinced that, if we can stay right even with her through Feb. 5 in the delegate count, the spell of her "inevitability" is broken for good. Democrats will see that Barack can win, and they'll flock to him because they'll like someone who stands up to the Clinton machine and can bring about the transormation this country needs so badly.

So South Carolina needs to come through.Our team down there is doing an incredible job, and as usual, Barack draws the crowds, raises the spirits and makes us all feel better.

Voters need to know which candidate can reach over to inedpendents and Republicans and won't resort to the kind of self-defense he had to wage in last night's debate. Barack Obama can do that, and we each must do our important part to help him win. YES WE CAN!!

A Long Way to Go

Phil In the Cuse — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:55:10 EST

So Nevada went the other way. In reality, it's just like New Hampshire - little or no difference in the delegate count to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a big turnout, all kinds of reports of trouble at the polls, extreme negativity and division trying to shout down a hopeful, positive vision for the future of America.

We now have, right before us, a crystal-clear split in the Democratic Party. Enough pillars of the so-called party establishment (Kerry, Leahy, a growing number of governors and senators) have moved to our side, showing that not everyone in Democratic circles is enamored at the thought of a Clinton rerun.

Yet in the blogs I read, the anger and disappointment at Nevada was profound. To be sure, we have a right to rail against the bloody, gruesome tactics of the Clinton machine, but what did you expect from these folks? They are ruthless political operatives who don't care how much they divide our nation, as long as they win and grab power.

Remember, there was a time were down by massive margins in both New Hampshire and Nevada, and any single-digit margin would have been seen as a quasi-triumph in our book. Now we are a close second, and we're supposed to fold our tents? That's not happening here. the team in Nevada did a fine job maintaining their honor and dignity against the machine and its oily tactics.

We just need to go to South Carolina and win. Yes, the numbers look good, but absolutely nothing can be taken for granted. We must appeal to all voters with our positive spirit, and not give the Clintons any more reason to push the race angle any more than they've already done.

This is turning into a marathon of a race, where small winning margins merely prolong the drama. And there's a real chance that, on Feb. 5, the split might continue. I wouldn't mind if our group here in Syracuse contributed to that effort.

Today, before the results of Nevada were made known, I called a full list of Syracuse voters. From the people I talked to, more folks are undecided than are backing HIllary, with a few on our side. Voters are paying attention, and most haven't made up their minds.

Our chance at history is still within reach, with South Carolina a crucial part of the story. Barack Obama can win this if we all do our part and say, with one loud voice, YES WE CAN!!

A Tone We Must Set

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:46:23 EST

All of the things we talked about in tonight's meeting were important - phone banks, lawn signs, identifying new supporters, all of the vital stuff familiar to veterans of this movement.

But we needed to first change the venue. Farewell and thanks to DeWitt Community Library for now, and hello to the Temple Society of Concord, hard by the Syracuse University campus on Madison Street. Thanks to everyone who helped secure this beautiful meeting room that had a touch of class - just like Barack Obama, right? We'll be meeting there for the next couple of weeks, too. Thanks also to John-John for that wonderful food, too.

Amid our talk tonight, one overriding theme emerged, at least toward the end. It's important for all of us to remember, as we do our work in the 22 days before the New York primary, that each of us, in our own important way, is representing Barack Obama and the entire movement he has created across this country and around the world.

To that end, when we phone-bank and present ourselves, we must do so with the same positive spirit, dignity and class that Barack has showed throughout this grand saga. To strangers, it might be the first time they've met or talked to anyone from Obama's campaign, and that first impression is so critical. Maybe they won't vote for him - but at the very least, they'll come away knowing that were civil, social and polite, just as we should be in every part of life.

And what good timing to make this point. The days since New Hampshire have been filled with good news for our movement, mainly due to endorsements from John Kerry, other Senate colleagues of Barack, the governor of Arizona and Nevada's biggest union - the latter a potentially winning factor for Saturday's crucial caucus.

Yet the airwaves have been filled with nothing but harsh words and negativity, every unfortunate word about Barack or Hillary Clinton played up and trumpeted to promote an irreversible conflict between the main Democratic contenders. It makes for great TV - but it demeans our political process because it (like polls) distracts us from the issues we need to address in this vital election.

It's good that Barack has taken the high road in all this, but it's more important that all of us do the same. Let's make this abundantly clear - we are not running AGAINST anyone. We are FOR Barack Obama, and carrying a positive attitude is absolutely necessary in the three weeks ahead. It's the character trait that got us this far. It's what will help us prevail, too.

So let's work hard. Go, of you can, to Tuesday's phone banks in Fayetteville or, better yet, come to the phone banks I will be running on Thursday night in Syracuse. Or come out for our weekend public outings (and bundle up, too). Our spirit is what counts, even when it's chilly. Details are in our Syracuse For Obama home page.

Syracuse, YES WE CAN!!

The Battle That Lies Ahead

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:07:41 EST

No point in disguising the truth - what took place today in New Hampshire hurts. So congratulations to Hillary Clinton - they might choose to take a low road toward us, but we won't do the same. Barack Obama, and his supporters, have a bit more class.

Now, for all of us, comes the difficult part - swallowing and accepting the outcome, for you know that, in the days ahead, the pundits and political pros that never believed in this movement in the first place will do their level best to bury us as soon as they lifted us up after Iowa.

Face it, we got too high after Iowa. A result like this would have been a lot easier to take had not the polls wildly swung in our direction - further proof that none of those blasted things should ever be believed.

We should all still be proud of the classy way Barack handled this, and even more proud of the vast New Hampshire team that turned a "firewall" for the "inevitable" front-runner into something close to a dead heat, where the Other Side used every manipulative trick you could find (a tag team with tears, you could say) to scare people into voting for them.

And make no mistake, these are just the first rounds of ammunition from their crowd. This is a ruthless opponent, willing to say, try or do just about anything to win - even lie about, and treat with complete contempt and disrespect, an honorable man like Barack whose only real crime, in the minds of the Clintons, is to seek a presidency they feel is owed to them.

So for me, the disappointment is immense. More important, though, my dermination, my fierce desire to help Barack Obama become the next president of the United States, is greater than ever. We MUST change our rotten, divisive political system before it turns off even more voters.

It would certainly help if John Edwards dropped out, though it's not likely. At some point, Edwards has to realize that the corporations and special interests he has railed against all campaign long will have their way again as long as Hillary is nominated. If Edwards really wants to stop Hillary, he could throw his support behind Barack. The extra 10 or 15 percent we would get would be quite nice.

What's also clear, from the Iowa and New Hampshire results, is that the Democrats are completely torn in two right now. One half (maybe less) wants Hillary. The other half wants something else, ANYTHING else. If every national survey is right, Barack can beat ANY Republican, something that's far from a guarantee with Hillary because, fair or not, you just know that half the voters will never consider her, and you kiss those possible independent and GOP crossovers good-bye, too.

Add it all up, and you've got an even contest at the moment, though how fair is it when two Clintons gang up on one Obama? The media eats up every Clinton word, and Barack is always put on the defensive by these reporters EVEN WHEN HE'S RIGHT. That can be rather frustrating.

But never mind the frustration. We must all commit ourselves even more to our movement. We are in nothing less than a battle for the soul of American politics, and the whole world is watching to see which side prevails.Will the divisive, angry, relentless and destructive politics of the past prevail? Or will a new politics of change, hope, optimism, and belief in ourselves shine through, bringing light to everyone in the planet?

That is the battle we are in. With even more hard work, we can win that battle - and put Barack Obama in the White House. The nominating duel has only begun.

FIRED UP!! READY TO GO!! Let's go change the world...

Syracuse, Let's Go!!

Phil In the Cuse — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:32:11 EST

So we sit on the eve of New Hampshire's day of decision. If all goes well, less than 24 hours from now we'll be joyful again, people in America and the world celebrating a victory for Barack Obama and our hopeful, positive movement for change.

And it's high time we here in Syracuse answer Barack's call, stop sitting around and start to act, for the New York primary is just 29 days away. We have a LOT of work to do, and not much time to get it done.

As we saw tonight, though, Syracuse is FIRED UP and READY TO GO!! What had been a modest gathering at DeWitt Community Library turned into an electric group of 30 folks, old friends and new faces, plus three TV stations eager to see what is going on.

Here is what will be going on in the four weeks ahead. To start with, we'll be doing phone banks, hundreds of phone calls to Democrats in Onondaga County (and perhaps beyond) to gauge our support and hopefully gather up some more volunteers for this movement. We should have some facilities to do these phone banks, but you can also call people from home - as long as we get the job done.

Then it shifts to the ground game, things like planting signs on lawns across Central New York, going door-to-door to pass out literature, and maybe even standing at an intersection waiving signs once we get to Feb. 5. Sure, your feet might get sore and you might get a bit cold, but think about this - you'll be part of a history-making event that will resonate throughout the ages, and you can tell your children and grandchildren that you were part of it.

We're working hard, too, to get even more things happening, from a party on Jan. 26 to celebrate what is sure to be another night of victory in South Carolina to (if all REALLY goes well) a chance to see Barack himself on an upstate swing. That might require a lot of work on short notice if this somehow happens.

And we'll need as many people as possible to work on the last weekend, Feb. 2 and 3, and on Primary Day to work the phones and get out the vote. The way it's all going, New York could provide us with a noticeable boost to the delegate count needed for the nomination, and wouldn't that be sweet to savor?

So everyone in Syracuse For Obama, your moment, your time for action to help us move Barack Obama closer to the White House, is NOW! Anything you can do, even for a few hours on a few days in the month ahead, will be immensely appreciated by all of us in the group - and for that matter, everyone in the larger Obama family in this country.

As you ponder what kind of role you are going to play, tonight please give your thoughts and prayers to everyone on our wonderful team in New Hampshire that have worked for nearly a year to make tomorrow's shot at glory possible. And grant the voters wisdom and good judgment as they make their decisions.

Iowa was merely the first step in a historic political revolution. Tomorrow, the voters of New Hampshire will help us take that next step toward real change - and now it's our turn to do our part, too.

Let the Revolution Begin!!

Phil In the Cuse — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:49:43 EST

Mark it down, put it in your memory banks. The night of Jan. 3, 2008 will serve to future generations as a singular moment in American history, a moment where a nation tired of political divisions, partisan bickering and debilitating cynicism shrugged it all aside and, with courage and conviction, voted to believe again.

It is so incredible, amazing, uplifting and wonderful to write this single sentence - Barack Obama wins the Iowa caucuses. And it is just the beginning.

And it wasn't just that Barack won. It was the way he won - the margin of eight percentage points over John Edwards and nine over Hillary Clinton, convincing and undeniable. Even more important was the turnout - a signal that our American democracy is healthy and strong.

The caucus is an arcane process. It requires a time commitment, not just ducking in and out of a booth to cast your ballot. So the fact that about 300,000 people came out tonight for the show - roughly twice the number of 2004 - speaks of the intense interest in this election, the sense that this is a historic election and they better not sit on the sidelines.

So they arrived in record numbers - Iowans of all ages and political persuasions, each carrying their hopes and dreams, and each of them valuing their vital role in this nomination process. And the main reason they came out was Barack Obama, especially the young voters who DID show up (thank you) and overwhelmingly went for Barack, the true agent of change.

To be sure, the pundits and analysts will pore over these numbers in the days ahead, but they've already been proven completely wrong. Few, if any of them, thought Barack would win here, or anywhere, that he was just aiming too high, dreaming too much, as it hope was a bad thing.

But Iowa voters know better. And so does the rest of America, who will affirm in the weeks ahead what Iowans have shown tonight. This is just the first victory - New Hampshire and South Carolina will be ours, too, and by Feb. 5, we just might get this nomination.

Just imagine, at this moment, people around the world turning on their computers or picking up newspapers and hearing that, in America, Barack Obama won in Iowa. This will shake people everywhere, give those that want to believe in this country again a reason to believe that we can be the leader of the free world again.

Iowa, thank you for putting your considerable faith in Barack Obama. And even more, thank you to all the volunteers, staff and precinct captains who worked for 10 months to make this victory a reality. Barack is right - ordinary people, working together, can do what the cynics say is impossible.

We are an army, we are a movement, we are growing and tonight, WE HAVE WON!!

Iowa's Day of Decision

Phil In the Cuse — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:14:44 EST

Now the talking is about to end. The canvassing, phone banks, fund-raising, rallies, discussions, speeches, debates, flyers, brochures, emails, blogs, posters, signs, media obligations - all that has been poured into this Iowa caucus, by Barack Obama and the other candidates, will mercifully stop, and the decision will be rendered.

All across Iowa on this cold and historic night of Jan. 3, 2008, voters will gather and stand for their preferred candidates, or go to their second choices, then report their results to the state, to the nation and to the world.

Thanks to all the incredible work done by our staff, volunteers and 1,000-plus precinct captains in Iowa, Barack Obama has a real chance to win. Every poll tells us that, and the Des Moines Register's last survey (usually an accurate forecast of what is to come) has us winning by a solid margin.

At a quiet moment this evening, while strolling through the blog entries and seeing all of Barack's clips from today, it all hit me. Not the nerves, because they've been there for weeks now, but the raw emotions of this whole process, about how we just might pull this off. It nearly moved me to tears, and I'm not a person who cries much.

Just consider what we are up against. One main rival, John Edwards, has spent most of the last five years in Iowa, has gone to all 99 counties, the kind of loving attention that's tough to beat. And Hillary Clinton has the most familiar last name in Democratic politics, plus a fund-raising machine built up over two decades - not 12 months, as we have done.

At different times before in this blog, I took serious shots at both John and Hillary when I've deemed it necessary. Not anymore - they are formidable candidates and fierce foes in this nomination process, but they are not the enemy. Our broken, bloated and ethically bankrupt political system is the enemy, and THAT is what must be defeated.

And this must be made clear - I am not against John Edwards or Hillary Clinton. I am for Barack Obama, because I believe with all my heart and soul that he is the man this nation needs to restore its good standing in the world and take care of our big problems at home, too.

Thus, we sit now as witnesses to what will transpire in Iowa. Should other candidates prevail, their victories will be put in the context of American politics, and won't resonate much beyond that narrow context.

However, if Barack Obama wins, it will be a deep and profound moment in American history, and make headlines all over the world, reaching a global audience that is very tuned in to this election and (for the most part) is rooting for Barack because they know what a victory by him will mean for the cause of peace, justice, democracy and freedom wherever it is being pursued on Earth.

It is in that hopeful spirit that I ask all of you reading this blog to put Barack, his family, our unmatched team in Iowa, and all the caucus-goers in that state - and all the candidates, for that matter - in your thoughts and prayers as we head into tomorrow.

At this time 24 hours from now, we will either be masked in sad gloom over a negative result, or so joyful from Barack Obama's victory that it will be difficult for many of us to stop from jumping for joy - or allowing the tears to flow.

May we have that joyful feeling. Iowa, your moment - our moment - is now. We are an army, we are a movement, we are growing and in Iowa, WE WILL WIN!!

2008 - Our Moment Is Now!

Phil In the Cuse — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:51:53 EST

So we are officially in 2008 - a year where profound and beautiful changes will be brought upon the world when the American people stand together and make Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States.

This time, as I always do at the stroke of midnight, I knelt down and said a prayer to ask our heavenly maker for strength, courage and protection for my family and all others for the year ahead. Yet even as I knelt there, I could not help feeling 10 feet off the ground in a state of undiluted happiness.

Two hours earlier, the moment we had all waited for - the release of the last Des Moines Register poll done before the Iowa caucuses. In years past, their last poll accurately forecats what would take place in the caucus so, yeah, while it was yet another poll, this had as close to an official stamp of approval as one could find before Jan. 3.

Face it - we were all on edge, nervous and even a bit trepidacious about getting the worst possible news. From the endorsement of Hillary, to the media's shameless promotion of John Edwards, to all those attacks and 527 ads, many in the blogs were convinced the numbers would be bad, that we'd have to steel ourselves for something troubling.

To that end, just before 10 p.m., I did another prayer, just asking that, whatever the numbers would snow, it would be okay and that we'd just work hard until Thursday night, where the real voting would take place.

Then I saw the numbers - Obama 32, Clinton 25, Edwards 24. First my jaw hit the floor and then, it was nothing but pure joy and delight shared with everyone in the ever-growing Obama army - and another $25 donated to the movement, after a phone call to my parents (even Mom, who still backs Hillary) to share the news.

Yes, friends, it looks like it just might happen - and just writing about it in this first hour of 2008 sends shivers all over my body. What few people thought we could do a year ago - take on, and beat, the "inevitable" front-runner with her 20-year fund-raising head start and high public profile - now seems within reach.

But all of us know why Barack is winning. Iowans of all ages, backgrounds and political persuasions have seen that he is the true candidate of change - a real chance for this nation to separate ourselves from the endless political mudfights of the last two decades, to end the war in Iraq, to bring health care to 47 million Americans that don't have it, to give every child a decent education, a good job and a chance at the American dream - and to make our nation, once again, the leader of the free world in both words and deeds.

They also see that Barack and Michelle (isn't she just marvelous too?) have stayed completely true to themselves and to the message of our movement and have stayed positive and hopeful, even when other campaigns attacked them and other candidates mocked Barack's ideas - knowing, of course, that he tended to be right on those issues.

Last, and not least, they see that, of all the Democrats, Barack Obama has the best chance to win big in November. Every recent national survey shows this, that Barack beats all the GOP contenders, something Hillary Clinton or John Edwards can't claim. That seems to trump all the other "electability" claims, doesn't it?

Now all that is left for our magnificent organization in Iowa to do is not take this for granted - which I'm sure they won't do. Rest assure, they will go all out in the hours ahead, making sure that every single supporter makes their way to the caucus sites on Thursday night. We know they are ready for this, and the weather should be good, so if the turnout is an all-time high, as they are projecting, we will be in good shape.

The new year is upon us. So, too, is a Thursday night that, if all goes well, will make headlines in every part of America and in every part of the world, too. Together, those headlines will say that America has turned the page, chosen to believe in itself and in the power of its dreams, simply by standing up and saying they are for Barack Obama.

People of Iowa, your chance to start an American political revolution and shape the course of history is upon you. Your moment is NOW!

And to everyone in the Obama movement - work hard and BELIEVE! If we do both these things, the celebration on Thursday night will trump anything you saw in Times Square.

FIRED UP!! READY TO WIN!!