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Where Obama Stands: On Foreign Policy

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:54:28 EDT

Barack Obama's Plan to Secure America and Restore Our Standing

“When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture — because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century: nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now.”

— Barack Obama, Des Moines, Iowa, November 10, 2007

Watch a Roundtable Discussion with Barack and his Foreign Policy Advisors:

Ending the War in Iraq

Judgment You Can Trust: As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama put his political career on the line to oppose going to war in Iraq, and warned of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” Obama has been a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq:

In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war on the campaign trail;
In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops;
In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq's neighbors;
In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008.
In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president.

Bring Our Troops Home: Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.
Press Iraq's leaders to reconcile: The best way to press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq's Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.
Regional Diplomacy: Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq's neighbors – including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq's borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq's sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq's reconstruction.
Humanitarian Initiative: Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq's humanitarian crisis – two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.

Iran

The Problem: Iran has sought nuclear weapons, supports militias inside Iraq and terror across the region, and its leaders threaten Israel and deny the Holocaust. But Obama believes that we have not exhausted our non-military options in confronting this threat; in many ways, we have yet to try them. That's why Obama stood up to the Bush administration's warnings of war, just like he stood up to the war in Iraq.
Opposed Bush-Cheney Saber Rattling: Obama opposed the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, which says we should use our military presence in Iraq to counter the threat from Iran. Obama believes that it was reckless for Congress to give George Bush any justification to extend the Iraq War or to attack Iran. Obama also introduced a resolution in the Senate declaring that no act of Congress – including Kyl-Lieberman – gives the Bush administration authorization to attack Iran.
Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior. Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation. Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress.

Renewing American Diplomacy

The Problem: The United States is trapped by the Bush-Cheney approach to diplomacy that refuses to talk to leaders we don't like. Not talking doesn't make us look tough – it makes us look arrogant, it denies us opportunities to make progress, and it makes it harder for America to rally international support for our leadership. On challenges ranging from terrorism to disease, nuclear weapons to climate change, we cannot make progress unless we can draw on strong international support.
Talk to our Foes and Friends: Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe. He will do the careful preparation necessary, but will signal that America is ready to come to the table, and that he is willing to lead. And if America is willing to come to the table, the world will be more willing to rally behind American leadership to deal with challenges like terrorism, and Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Obama will make progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a key diplomatic priority. He will make a sustained push – working with Israelis and Palestinians – to achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security.
Expand our Diplomatic Presence: To make diplomacy a priority, Obama will stop shuttering consulates and start opening them in the tough and hopeless corners of the world – particularly in Africa. He will expand our foreign service, and develop the capacity of our civilian aid workers to work alongside the military.
Fight Global Poverty: Obama will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal. He will help the world's weakest states to build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop markets, and generate wealth.
Strengthen NATO: Obama will rally NATO members to contribute troops to collective security operations, urging them to invest more in reconstruction and stabilization operations, streamlining the decision-making processes, and giving NATO commanders in the field more flexibility.
Seek New Partnerships in Asia: Obama will forge a more effective framework in Asia that goes beyond bilateral agreements, occasional summits, and ad hoc arrangements, such as the six-party talks on North Korea. He will maintain strong ties with allies like Japan, South Korea and Australia; work to build an infrastructure with countries in East Asia that can promote stability and prosperity; and work to ensure that China plays by international rules.

Click on the title of the post to read about Barack's foreign policy plan.

Grassroots Organizing: Nick in Mississippi

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:50:37 EDT

Yesterday, voters turned out in record numbers to make their voices heard in Wyoming -- and delivered an overwhelming victory for Barack Obama. Senator Obama has now won nearly thirty contests, half the states in the country, the most primaries, the most caucuses and the majority of the popular vote. Democrats of all ages, regions, and backgrounds are making their choice for President (in many states, by landslide margins) -- and that choice is clearly Barack Obama.

Next up? Mississippi!

Meet Nick (below, right), a public policy grad student in Mississippi who has been doing enormous amounts of grassroots organizing for Senator Obama in the state. He's working with a great team of volunteers on the ground -- and they're glad that now the whole movement (you guys!) can give them an extra boost by making phonecalls to voters in Mississippi all today and tomorrow. So check out Nick's statement of support for Barack Obama, and then make some calls to Mississippi!

I support Senator Obama not only because I see him as a truthful honest man, someone who will fight for a better America as a whole -- but specifically because of his stances on the issues.
On that front, the issue I care about most is education. His Teach Service Scholarships, the "Zero to Five" plan both show how the Senator will commit the necessary resources and policy makers to one of, if not the, biggest challenges of this next generation. To rebuild our public schools, hire and keep the best Americans as teachers, truly educate our children for success, and move our nation forward. If you told students, hey teaching is not only emotionally but fiscally rewarding, and we'll pay for your schooling in college, we would have an outpouring of support from the best and brightest.

His support for the Water Resources and Development Act will greatly help my new state's economy in Mississippi. And his work with Senator Harkin to get cities and states to not just re-envision their approaches to mass transit, but do something about it by creating a pedestrian friendly society once more, gets me right where my professional career wants to see accomplished. The Senator's commitment to new transportation ideas is something I firmly stand behind.
After moving to Starkville last fall, I was determined to help put Democratic politics back on the map in the deep Red Mississippi. After Senator Obama's speech in Iowa, I decided it was he whom I would support to lead our Party and country in the next 4 years.
I armed myself with a handful of flyers around Mississippi State, a Facebook event, and a BarackObama.com event page and hoped to find 5 people who wanted to help get him nominated. At my first meeting I had 30 people. At the second one 30 people showed up again, but they were all new. Shortly after, we organized an Alabama canvassing trip for 4 local supporters and 1 from Jackson State to help in Tuscaloosa before their primary. We've had 2 viewing parties, 1 fundraiser, multiple days on campus handing out flyers printed at home, and so much more. Before I knew it combined with Irene Miller's efforts in neighboring Columbus I would say we have at least 120 people on our personal volunteer call sheets. All that in 1 month. Now we have a Columbus office and a Starkville staging ground. It's legendary.

I've made so many new contacts, new friends, that I would never have without stepping out on my own one day and randomly setting up a Bulldawgs for Obama meeting. There are so many nice, wonderful, intelligent people right next door to you, that you'll never know existed if you weren't involved in your community.

You can connect to people in the community as well -- please help us make calls to Mississippi voters to spread the word about Barack Obama and get out the vote this Tuesday.

Pick up the phone!

And if you're from Mississippi, go to MS.BarackObama.com and get involved today. No time to lose!

Meet Barack Obama

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:39:11 EDT

We know some new readers are coming to the site for the first time this weekend -- and while regulars know we're always posting videos and updates from the campaign trail here, we wanted to take a minute and bring it back to the basics for all the first-timers on the blog today.

Here are just a few videos to introduce you to Senator Obama.

Learn a little about Barack Obama's unique background in "Meet Barack:"

See where it all began, on the steps of the Springfield courthouse, here in Senator Obama's Presidential Announcement Speech:

Check out the face of the movement, in the state where the movement really started to take shape in, "Road to Change: Iowa:"

And watch Barack Obama take his central message of hope from the Democratic National Convention in 2004 to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and beyond in this short video, "One Voice:"

You can check out these videos and many more on Barack TV.

Then here is some essential, further reading about some of the most important issues facing voters today:

Where Obama Stands: On Healthcare

Where Obama Stands: On Iraq

Where Obama Stands: On Energy and the Environment

If you check back into the blog often, you can watch the most recent videos of Barack and Michelle Obama on the campaign trail, read detailed posts on Obama's policy positions, and see the regular reports coming in from the thousands of grassroots supporters powering this movement state by state.

Please pass this post on and introduce Barack Obama to the people you know!

And if you're new to the site, be sure to create a My.BarackObama.com account today so you can meet other supporters, volunteer, and of course join the conversation in the comments below...

Meet Michelle

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:15:51 EST

It's International Women's Day -- around the world, and of course here on the blog! So we wanted to take the time to introduce a special member of this campaign, the woman near and dear to everyone in this movement: Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama, in a word, is extraordinary.

Everyone who meets her is struck by her warmth, her candor and her intellect. When it comes down to it, she's just...real.

Here are some great videos to introduce you to Michele Obama.

"Meet Michelle:"

Michelle speaking in Council Bluffs, Iowa (a favorite video in the Obama community):

And an interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien:

Take a second to forward this to your friends and family -- and introduce them to the next great American First Lady.

Pass it on.

Barack Obama's Statement on International Women's Day

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:50:50 EST

CHICAGO, IL - Senator Barack Obama released the following statement today on International Women's Day:

This International Women's Day is a chance to reflect on the status of women in our societies, honor the extraordinary women whose courage and determination have shaped our lives, and rededicate ourselves to the ongoing challenges facing girls and women everywhere.
This day is particularly meaningful to me because I've been shaped by the women in my life – by a single mother who raised me across two continents, and a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values; by my sister Maya who grew up in Asia and multi-ethnic Hawaii, and my sister Auma who has lived her life in Africa and Europe; by a paternal grandmother who still lives in rural Kenya without electricity and running water; and by my extraordinary wife Michelle, who continues to make me a better man.

We have to do more for the women in our lives – because there is no longer any doubt that equality and opportunity remain out of reach for too many women around the world.

There is no longer any doubt that most girls and women around the world are uneducated or illiterate. A good education is the best way to help ensure that children are healthy and successful, and to strengthen developing economies, which is why we need to invest at least $2 billion a year in a Global Education Fund.

There is no longer any doubt that women do most of the work that goes on in the world, and yet mostly live in poverty and own only a small fraction of the world's property. To help ensure that women are reaping the rewards of economic growth and prosperity, I will double our current spending on foreign aid by the end of my first term as President.

There is no longer any doubt that HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases disproportionately affect women in many parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. This pandemic is a global threat and when I'm President, we'll spend $50 billion over five years to combat it. And I will help launch Health Infrastructure 2020 – a global effort to improve global health care and to train health care professionals to serve in the developing world.

There is no longer any doubt that whether it's rape or assault or girls being treated like property and trafficked across borders – women are abused in most societies. It's cruel, and it has to stop. That is why I passed legislation in Illinois to protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and it's why I've fought in the Senate to reduce sexual violence and the use of rape as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The United States must lead the world to end these inequities and injustices, and when I'm President, we will. Every night I'm home, Michelle and I tuck two little girls into bed. And the reason I'm in this race is to help build a world where our Sasha and Malia and every girl is loved and safe from violence; where every woman is empowered; and where every person has the chance to reach for his or her dreams.

Please go to Women.BarackObama.com for more statements of support from women around the country, inclluding Caroline Kennedy, Toni Morrison, Kathleen Sebelius, Janet Napolitano, Alice Walker and many, many more.

Why So Many Women are Voting for Barack Obama

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:45:45 EST

Today is International Women's Day, and so it's a perfect day to honor the thousands and thousands of women who have been organizing, throwing house parties, canvassing and phone banking for Barack Obama over the last year.

First up, take a look at some of the nation's most prominent women on why they support Barack Obama:

Caroline Kennedy in the New York Times, January 27, 2008:

"A President Like My Father"
Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

Toni Morrison's letter of endorsement, January 28, 2008:

Dear Senator Obama,

This letter represents a first for me--a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.

Abigail Pogrebin on the Huffington Post, January 30, 2008:

"Family Politics"

My close liberal family is now officially divided. My parents, Bert and Letty Cottin Pogrebin, support Hillary Clinton. My brother, David, and I are ardent supporters of Barack Obama. My twin sister, Robin, has yet to declare herself. Everyone is obviously entitled to his or her opinion. But as the daughter of one of the creators of Ms. Magazine, someone who is considered one of the founders of the Women's Movement, I am frustrated by NOW’s (National Organization for Women) contention that not supporting Hillary is a sexist choice.

Ellen Bravo on the Huffington Post, February 1, 2008:

"Why So Many Feminists Are Deciding to Vote for Barack Obama"
Something's happening in these elections that feels like a tipping point. From a national women's media training to my local women's book club, from exchanges among long-time feminist activists to conversations with my feminist son, I hear a buzz about why so many feminists are deciding to vote for Barack Obama. Count me among them.

Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's widow backs Obama, February 2, 2008:

Another member of the Kennedy pantheon is now behind Barack Obama. Ethel Kennedy, widow of Bobby Kennedy, announced her support for Obama today, comparing the Illinois senator to her late husband. “Barack is so like Bobby, who struggled for the rights of the poor in the Mississippi Delta and Appalachia, traveled to California to stand in solidarity with Cesar Chavez and farm workers, and fought to end another war that cost so many lives," Kennedy said in a statement released by the Obama campaign. “Over these past few years, I’ve watched Senator Obama inspire Americans from all walks of life to believe in real change and a new sense of hope and possibility. He’s a magnetic force, drawing the nation together for the common good and galvanizing us all to help shape our country’s future," Kennedy added.

Susan Eisenhower in the Washington Post, Saturday, February 2, 2008:

"Why I'm Backing Obama"
…The biggest barrier to rolling up our sleeves and preparing for a better future is our own apathy, fear or immobility. We have been living in a zero-sum political environment where all heads have been lowered to avert being lopped off by angry, noisy extremists. I am convinced that Barack Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.

Kate Michelman, Former President, NARAL Pro-Choice America on the Huffington Post, February 3, 2008:

"Why I'm Endorsing Barack Obama"

The question I have been asking myself and others during my entire life in public policy and throughout this 2008 presidential Campaign -- the question which tens of millions of women and men have also been asking -- is how do we best bring America together in shared purpose, prosperity and, especially, equality…And so today, with every passion and enthusiasm I have, I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama to be president of the United States.

Joan Baez in the San Francisco Chronicle, February 3, 2008:

"Leader on a New Journey"

Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break. Through all those years, I chose not to engage in party politics. Though I was asked many times to endorse candidates at every level, I was never comfortable doing so. At this time, however, changing that posture feels like the responsible thing to do. If anyone can navigate the contaminated waters of Washington, lift up the poor, and appeal to the rich to share their wealth, it is Sen. Barack Obama. If anyone can bring light to the darkened corners of this nation and restore our positive influence in world affairs, it is Barack Obama. If anyone can begin the process of healing and bring unity to a country that has been divided for too long, it is Barack Obama. It is time to begin a new journey.

Ruth Rosen, journalist, historian and professor at University of California and UC at Berkeley, February 5, 2008:

"Why Would a Feminist Vote for Obama?"
Some people are stunned that I have already voted for Barack Obama and that I signed a "Feminists for Obama" statement which now includes over a thousand rather distinguished names. They know I've been involved in the women's movement since 1967 and have spent my life teaching and writing about the history of women and gender ever since. So why, they ask, didn't I cast a vote for Hillary Clinton? Am I filled with self-hatred as a woman? No. In fact, there is nothing I'd rather do than vote for the first female presidential candidate. I still remember hearing--on a remote Greek island--that the Democratic party had chosen Geraldine Ferraro as a vice-presidential candidate. To my great surprise, tears flooded my face. So why haven't I cast this historic vote? The reasons are not all that complicated. Before I was a feminist, I worked in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Supporting Obama fits those life-long commitments.

Patricia Wald, Retired Chief Judge, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, February 8, 2008:

"Why This Older Woman is For Obama"
I have spent more than 40 years of my near-80 in public service as a federal judge, international judge, public interest lawyer and government official. A veteran of the woman's movement since its infancy in the 1960's, an ardent Democrat and an equally ardent supporter of women's rights-to-choose, to work, to live as we see fit, and yes, one day to elect a woman President, I hail the advances in my lifetime that have resulted in Senator Clinton's dynamic bid for the Presidency. But women my age fought for the opportunity to be judged on our skills, talents and abilities, not on our gender, and that is the standard by which Senator Clinton's candidacy should be judged. Perhaps we were naïve, but legions of us believed that if we were allowed to enter the game alongside men, we would prove our worth. Which is a prelude to why I now support Barack Obama…

Helen P. Howell and Vickie Wallen in the San Francisco Chronicle, February 14, 2008:

"Obama Represents Women's Best Hope"
Like many women, we would be excited to help elect a woman president. At this pivotal moment in our history, however, the gender of our next president is not our foremost concern. Because of the troubled state of the union, our priority is for the Democrats to select as our nominee the candidate who is best positioned to win in November, and to navigate our nation out of the current morass, unite us and move the country forward. We are a diverse group of women who have spent years working for equal rights, social justice and a powerful political voice for all women…Sen. Barack Obama is the candidate with the energy and vision to lead our country in these difficult times -- to make our nation safer, restore our standing in the world and inspire Americans to be active participants in our democracy.

Lisa Gans on the Huffington Post, Feb. 27, 2008:

"Why I Think Obama is the Best Candidate on Foreign Policy"
Barack Obama is better equipped to handle the United States' foreign policy on the world stage than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain. As an international human rights lawyer who has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand better than most the security situation facing Americans and the world. Recently, I survived a large-scale attack by the Taliban on a hotel in Kabul, so my sense of urgency about national security and the safety of Americans abroad is based on a very real understanding of the dangers we face. I plan to return to Kabul shortly, and I know I will feel safer and more confident of success in Afghanistan if Barack Obama is in the White House.

Naomi Wolff on the Huffington Post, Feb. 28, 2008:

"Why Barack Obama Got My Vote"
…Gender has nothing to do with it. Race has nothing to do with it. Integrity has something to do with it.

That is why Barack Obama has my vote. Of all the leading candidates, he is the only one on these issues who has consistently acted like a true American.

And if I hear -- as I am likely to -- from legions of US feminists outraged at me for choosing this man over that woman, I will gladly sit down and explain why I am certain that these issues are so urgent that they overshadow absolutely everything else. Anyway, the man is a feminist; he has a woman-friendly policy vision. And while it would be a thrill to see the first woman elected President, in the last analysis, a real feminist need not define people or support on the basis of gender. Certainly not when our house -- with the precious Constitution held without representation within it -- is burning down.

Ellen Bravo on Women’s eNews, Feb. 28:

"Obama's Call For Change Speaks Loudly to Women"

"Women Hungry for Solutions"
I hadn't intended to declare support for a candidate during the primaries. Like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I'd love to see a female president.

Anyone who thinks gender doesn't matter hasn't seen Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin or Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton before a room full of women hungry for solutions to low pay, unfair treatment and lack of time to urinate, much less care for loved ones. Women are looking for political candidates who get these issues, who see women not as a "special interest" group but as essential to family and national security: candidates who will not just support but champion solutions…like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I also understand that male supremacy does not stand apart from white supremacy or any other form of injustice. People of color of both genders have been excluded from power. Any form of oppression that profits the powers-that-be (the ones I call the Big Boys) and allows them to maintain the status quo hurts women. Every challenge to that domination helps women. Like many other women's rights activists, I decided to support Obama as someone who offers a greater opening for tackling injustices faced by a wide range of women.

To read more from any of these great women's endorsements or articles, just click on their names to go to the whole piece.

And if you have not seen these videos of Lorna Brett Howard, former President of the Chicago chapter of NOW, on why she was compelled to switch from supporting Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, please watch these immediately. For anyone concerned with a woman's right to choose, this is very important:

Please pass this post on to everyone you know who cares about women's issues.

And finally, if you have an extra moment, here's a great video about all the Women for Obama in this incredible grassroots movement:

And regardless of gender, we can all pitch in right now to make some calls to Mississippi voters to get out the vote before the big caucus!

Please, make some calls right now.

Happy Women's History Month everyone!

One Voter at a Time in Wyoming

Sarah Ramey — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:15:24 EST

Just spoke to Lindsay, a youth pastor for her local church and founder of Wyoming for Obama.

Lindsay was mid-canvass when we called (going door-to-door to talk to Wyoming voters about Barack Obama before their big caucus tomorrow) -- but she was glad to take a second to tell us why she's working so hard for Obama.

"My number one thing that I respect about Obama is that he doesn't take any money from lobbyists. Not a dime. It shows who he is in his character -- it shows that honesty. His Presidency is not going to be about the corporations who funded him, who will want X, Y and Z from him -- it will be about us. We the people. We've had 8 years of the opposite. It says so much about Obama and the people working with him that he's been able to keep up with -- actually, to out-raise -- a lot of these other candidates, who all take money from lobbyists."

But she knows that Obama's trust in the grassroots movement means the grassroots need to get out there and do all the work it's going to take to change this country!

Thus, our conversation was short and sweet -- she was off to the next house to talk to more Wyoming voters about Barack Obama.

You can help Lindsay right now -- we need everyone to pick up the phone and call as many voters as you can in Wyoming whose critical caucus is tomorrow.

Let's get out the vote! Pick up the phone:

And please help fund Barack Obama's 100% grassroots-powered campaign. Your 10's, 25's and 50's are changing the face of politics:

Calling Wyoming

Sarah Ramey — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:36:19 EST

Meet Steve -- one of our top phonebankers on the National Call Team to make calls to voters in Wyoming, whose caucus is coming up this Saturday. Steve lives in New Hampshire, so he knows what it's like to have the nation's attention turned suddenly your way.

When Senator Obama first announced his candidacy, Steve got right to work and contacted the New Hampshire campaign office with his ideas and his willingness to help out. Once the office was up and running, they put him to work.

Soon, Steve was phonebanking -- initially he of course focussed on New Hampshire, but most recently he's been making calls to Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and now Wyoming. And Steve's not just any phonebanker. He was the #1 caller in Rhode Island. And the #1 caller in Vermont. Top ten, in Wisconsin. And as of now, he's one of the top ten for Wyoming too.

That's a lot of calls.

Like a certain Senator, Steve has found plenty of opportunities in his legal career to be an advocate for civil rights and civil liberties.

"In the last 8 years, I've seen the federal government failing to fulfill its responsibilities with respect to civil liberties, environmental protection, and many other areas of concern. My decision to help Senator Obama's campaign is based not only on his positions on many important issues, but also, even more importantly, on my perceptions regarding his character, his sense of ethical responsibility, his preference for advisers who are not 'yes men,' and his judgment."

And so, Steve is doing everything he can to communicate his support to hundreds of voters around the country, one phone call at a time.

Please help us make calls to Wyoming today. Your calls are crucial -- they inform voters, they help get out the vote, and are the epitome of what makes this campaign special: real people, connecting and coming together around a common purpose one call, one conversation, one vote at a time.

Pick up the phone!

Want to be on the National Call Team? Click here and join today!

Women for Obama: Working for Change

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:44:55 EST

The women working for change in this movement are extraordinary. Whether it's organizing house parties for local friends and neighbors to watch a Women for Obama video, or committing to making a monthly donation, women have been an enormous force powering this campaign.

And it's Women's History Month, so in honor, we'd like to introduce just a few of the overwhelming numbers of women who think that Barack Obama is the clear choice for women, and for the Democratic Party. For months, they have been contributing what they can in time and money to make sure Barack Obama is the nominee.

Meet Meg in New New Jersey, one of the thousands of Women for Obama making calls and working for change:

I’m a 43-year-old wife and mother with two children under the age of four. I’ve put my career in educational publishing on hold to care full-time for my daughters. I support Barack first and foremost because I believe he is the only candidate who has the moral authority and diplomatic skills to restore the tattered reputation of the United States around the globe, which, in turn, will serve to make us more secure at home. Second, he’s the only candidate who expects Americans to stop taking our country for granted and to give back—i.e., he talks about national service for students who receive federal tuition assistance for college. Third, he listens and he inspires. And lastly, in terms of family values he leads by example.

Four days before Super Tuesday I surprised myself by springing into action for Barack’s campaign. In four days I made 275 calls from home to local New Jersey Democrats while finger-painting with my three-year-
old, toting around a fussy 15-month old, doing laundry, making meals and keeping a dozen other balls in the air like every other stay-at- home Mom. Each time I looked at my children and thought of their futures, I found the energy to make one more phone call.

I’ve continued to find “stolen moments” nearly every day to make even a few calls to people from Washington State to Wisconsin in both English and Spanish. It’s been empowering to make a difference while
dressed in my sweatpants and slippers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute and I hope one day I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren how I was a part of a historic movement that curbed cynicism in politics by truly bringing about change. God bless America.

This is what a movement looks like.

Please let the women in your life know about Women For Obama, and maybe plan a houseparty of your own -- it's time for party and for the nation to unite, and the best candidate to bring people together is the candidate whose campaign has already done just that.

You can check out Women.BarackObama.com for more statements of support from women around the country, inclluding Caroline Kennedy, Toni Morrison, Kathleen Sebelius, Janet Napolitano, Alice Walker and many, many more.

Last but not least: send us your stories and your grassroots photos to Blog@BarackObama.com so we can show the community what a united movement of every race, gender, age and economic background looks like!

Yes we can:

Thousands of Women Donating for Change

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:43:37 EST

Every day, there are thousands of women making donations, making calls, knocking on doors, emailing their friends, putting up signs and talking to their neighbors for Barack Obama -- because thousands of women feel strongly that Barack Obama is the one candidate who can not only unite the party, but unite the country and restore our standing around the world.

It's Women's History Month, and in honor, we'd like to introduce just a few of the overwhelming numbers of women who think that Barack Obama is the clear choice for women, and for the Democratic Party. For months, they have been contributing what they can in time and money to make sure Barack Obama is the nominee.

Meet Vida. Vida is semi-retired in Mississippi, one of the crucial upcoming states to vote, and when she's not phonebanking for Obama in Jackson she works with children in the Algerbra Project :

I join the thousands and thousands of women who are supporting Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States because I, like they, am persuaded by the sense of honesty, integrity and seriousness that he has exuded in his campaign for the nomination to date.

I am reminded of SNCC's contribution to the civil rights movement 40 years ago, by his bottom-up approach that has really convinced me that he has begun another movement in this country, that is pushing Americans to understand that change will not happen without the participation of every one of us. And, hopefully this means that after he becomes President, he will have built a constituency that pushes him to lead the country in making the kind of change that we all are yearning for!

I am a senior citizen and I want to see progress toward a much more perfect America and world...

Women like Vida aren't just working for Barack -- they're working for a fundamental change in the politics of this country.

This is what a movement looks like.

Please send this to the women you know -- it's time for party and for the nation to unite, and the best candidate to bring people together is the candidate whose campaign has already done just that.

If you're from Mississippi, head to MS.BarackObama.com to see how you can get involved.

And check out Women.BarackObama.com for more statements of support from women around the country, inclluding Caroline Kennedy, Toni Morrison, Kathleen Sebelius, Alice Walker and many, many more.

Yes we can:

Calling Texas

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:28:12 EST

It's time to make sure everyone gets to their caucus in Texas -- so it's critical that everyone help out right now and make a few calls to get out the vote:

Here are a couple of the dedicated volunteers from Ohio who have been working around the clock all weekend to talk to voters in all the March 4th states, including Texas...and they could use your help!

Meet Greg and Mica:

I am a registered Republican who has wanted to vote for Obama since his 2004 speech. It inspired me to have hope for the future and I told my wife then that Barack Obama would be president some day, I just knew it. I am an accountant and love Obama's plan for a more fiscal responsible nation, this has been an issue that has driven me away from the Republican party. It is simple like Obama says, there has to be as much money going in as going out and if not, there is a problem.
...My parents are deep conservatives but I got them to vote for Obama this Tuesday in Cleveland, they voted for Bush twice. I got my siblings (4 brothers and 1 sister, all older than me) to vote for Obama...
Two main reason I really like Obama are: (1) is his alternative fuel plans...I always thought we could be building solar panels and wind mills in places like Ohio and bring jobs back. (2) The fact he wants the whole country to work together and not demonize anyone. I am tired of the presidents only being for half the country, I want a president that is for the whole country, not just their party. This country has to work together and both parties need to stop demonizing the other, we are all AMERICANS. I love the fact that we gives this country hope at a time where I think we could take a turn for the worst unless someone like Barack Obama helps this country. This country needs hope in difficult times.

I believe the parties don't matter, the person you are voting for does matter. The party does not matter as long as they are a good person and best for the job and Barack Obama is certainly that person.

And Girish:

My name is Girish, I have a family of four --my wife Mala, my daughter Vismaya, my Son Dhritik -- and I work as a software engineer.
...Not a single day has passed since then without me doing something for this movement inspired and lead by Senator Obama. I have phone-banked, asked everyone within my reach to raise more than $7000 for this campaign, maxed out my personal contribution, registered voters in Ohio, grown the volunteer network in Dayton area, volunteered in Iowa City, Iowa for 10 days, in Rock Hill, SC for 4 days, and am now doing everything I can, including a petition drive to put Senator Obama on the ballot, a voter registration drive, visibility events, fundraising, reached out to more than 10,000 absentee voters with help from some of my MyBO friends and Dayton friends.
...Barack Obama has a willingness to listen to everyone, an ability to think with an open-mind, to see strength in diversity, a readiness to stand-up against established opinions, a dedication to make meaningful difference in the lives of common people, a keenness to speak truth even where its not a common practice, a “walk before talk” approach, and an ability to think thorough the consequences of potential actions...
Many have asked why I am so passionate about Senator Obama. There are a zillion genuine reasons...and today I might be in a position to make a big monetary contribution to this campaign. I consider the harsh reality that it took my Dad several years of day/night labor in our farm to earn $1000, so that I could graduate and live a comfortable life. That should give you an idea how serious of a decision this was for me. I could have resigned into a comfortable/lazy life, but I would have let down my dad in principle. So here I am continuing to devote all my time to help Senator Obama become the next President of this great country.

Please, whatever you're doing, pick up the phone and make just a few calls to Texas to help get out the vote.

Today we have a chance to make history.

Make some calls!

Why So Many Women are Voting For Barack Obama

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:51:36 EST

Thousands of women have been organizing, throwing house parties, canvassing and phone banking for Barack Obama over the last year.

And today is the first day of Women's History Month, so to celebrate, take a look at some of the nation's most prominent women on why they support Barack Obama:

Caroline Kennedy in the New York Times, January 27, 2008:

"A President Like My Father"
Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

Toni Morrison's letter of endorsement, January 28, 2008:

Dear Senator Obama,

This letter represents a first for me--a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.

Abigail Pogrebin on the Huffington Post, January 30, 2008:

"Family Politics"

My close liberal family is now officially divided. My parents, Bert and Letty Cottin Pogrebin, support Hillary Clinton. My brother, David, and I are ardent supporters of Barack Obama. My twin sister, Robin, has yet to declare herself. Everyone is obviously entitled to his or her opinion. But as the daughter of one of the creators of Ms. Magazine, someone who is considered one of the founders of the Women's Movement, I am frustrated by NOW’s (National Organization for Women) contention that not supporting Hillary is a sexist choice.

Ellen Bravo on the Huffington Post, February 1, 2008:

"Why So Many Feminists Are Deciding to Vote for Barack Obama"
Something's happening in these elections that feels like a tipping point. From a national women's media training to my local women's book club, from exchanges among long-time feminist activists to conversations with my feminist son, I hear a buzz about why so many feminists are deciding to vote for Barack Obama. Count me among them.

Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's widow backs Obama, February 2, 2008:

Another member of the Kennedy pantheon is now behind Barack Obama. Ethel Kennedy, widow of Bobby Kennedy, announced her support for Obama today, comparing the Illinois senator to her late husband. “Barack is so like Bobby, who struggled for the rights of the poor in the Mississippi Delta and Appalachia, traveled to California to stand in solidarity with Cesar Chavez and farm workers, and fought to end another war that cost so many lives," Kennedy said in a statement released by the Obama campaign. “Over these past few years, I’ve watched Senator Obama inspire Americans from all walks of life to believe in real change and a new sense of hope and possibility. He’s a magnetic force, drawing the nation together for the common good and galvanizing us all to help shape our country’s future," Kennedy added.

Susan Eisenhower in the Washington Post, Saturday, February 2, 2008:

"Why I'm Backing Obama"
…The biggest barrier to rolling up our sleeves and preparing for a better future is our own apathy, fear or immobility. We have been living in a zero-sum political environment where all heads have been lowered to avert being lopped off by angry, noisy extremists. I am convinced that Barack Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.

Kate Michelman, Former President, NARAL Pro-Choice America on the Huffington Post, February 3, 2008:

"Why I'm Endorsing Barack Obama"

The question I have been asking myself and others during my entire life in public policy and throughout this 2008 presidential Campaign -- the question which tens of millions of women and men have also been asking -- is how do we best bring America together in shared purpose, prosperity and, especially, equality…And so today, with every passion and enthusiasm I have, I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama to be president of the United States.

Joan Baez in the San Francisco Chronicle, February 3, 2008:

"Leader on a New Journey"

Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break. Through all those years, I chose not to engage in party politics. Though I was asked many times to endorse candidates at every level, I was never comfortable doing so. At this time, however, changing that posture feels like the responsible thing to do. If anyone can navigate the contaminated waters of Washington, lift up the poor, and appeal to the rich to share their wealth, it is Sen. Barack Obama. If anyone can bring light to the darkened corners of this nation and restore our positive influence in world affairs, it is Barack Obama. If anyone can begin the process of healing and bring unity to a country that has been divided for too long, it is Barack Obama. It is time to begin a new journey.

Ruth Rosen, journalist, historian and professor at University of California and UC at Berkeley, February 5, 2008:

"Why Would a Feminist Vote for Obama?"
Some people are stunned that I have already voted for Barack Obama and that I signed a "Feminists for Obama" statement which now includes over a thousand rather distinguished names. They know I've been involved in the women's movement since 1967 and have spent my life teaching and writing about the history of women and gender ever since. So why, they ask, didn't I cast a vote for Hillary Clinton? Am I filled with self-hatred as a woman? No. In fact, there is nothing I'd rather do than vote for the first female presidential candidate. I still remember hearing--on a remote Greek island--that the Democratic party had chosen Geraldine Ferraro as a vice-presidential candidate. To my great surprise, tears flooded my face. So why haven't I cast this historic vote? The reasons are not all that complicated. Before I was a feminist, I worked in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Supporting Obama fits those life-long commitments.

Patricia Wald, Retired Chief Judge, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, February 8, 2008:

"Why This Older Woman is For Obama"
I have spent more than 40 years of my near-80 in public service as a federal judge, international judge, public interest lawyer and government official. A veteran of the woman's movement since its infancy in the 1960's, an ardent Democrat and an equally ardent supporter of women's rights-to-choose, to work, to live as we see fit, and yes, one day to elect a woman President, I hail the advances in my lifetime that have resulted in Senator Clinton's dynamic bid for the Presidency. But women my age fought for the opportunity to be judged on our skills, talents and abilities, not on our gender, and that is the standard by which Senator Clinton's candidacy should be judged. Perhaps we were naïve, but legions of us believed that if we were allowed to enter the game alongside men, we would prove our worth. Which is a prelude to why I now support Barack Obama…

Helen P. Howell and Vickie Wallen in the San Francisco Chronicle, February 14, 2008:

"Obama Represents Women's Best Hope"
Like many women, we would be excited to help elect a woman president. At this pivotal moment in our history, however, the gender of our next president is not our foremost concern. Because of the troubled state of the union, our priority is for the Democrats to select as our nominee the candidate who is best positioned to win in November, and to navigate our nation out of the current morass, unite us and move the country forward. We are a diverse group of women who have spent years working for equal rights, social justice and a powerful political voice for all women…Sen. Barack Obama is the candidate with the energy and vision to lead our country in these difficult times -- to make our nation safer, restore our standing in the world and inspire Americans to be active participants in our democracy.

Lisa Gans on the Huffington Post, Feb. 27, 2008:

"Why I Think Obama is the Best Candidate on Foreign Policy"
Barack Obama is better equipped to handle the United States' foreign policy on the world stage than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain. As an international human rights lawyer who has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand better than most the security situation facing Americans and the world. Recently, I survived a large-scale attack by the Taliban on a hotel in Kabul, so my sense of urgency about national security and the safety of Americans abroad is based on a very real understanding of the dangers we face. I plan to return to Kabul shortly, and I know I will feel safer and more confident of success in Afghanistan if Barack Obama is in the White House.

Naomi Wolff on the Huffington Post, Feb. 28, 2008:

"Why Barack Obama Got My Vote"
…Gender has nothing to do with it. Race has nothing to do with it. Integrity has something to do with it.

That is why Barack Obama has my vote. Of all the leading candidates, he is the only one on these issues who has consistently acted like a true American.

And if I hear -- as I am likely to -- from legions of US feminists outraged at me for choosing this man over that woman, I will gladly sit down and explain why I am certain that these issues are so urgent that they overshadow absolutely everything else. Anyway, the man is a feminist; he has a woman-friendly policy vision. And while it would be a thrill to see the first woman elected President, in the last analysis, a real feminist need not define people or support on the basis of gender. Certainly not when our house -- with the precious Constitution held without representation within it -- is burning down.

Ellen Bravo on Women’s eNews, Feb. 28:

"Obama's Call For Change Speaks Loudly to Women"

"Women Hungry for Solutions"
I hadn't intended to declare support for a candidate during the primaries. Like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I'd love to see a female president.

Anyone who thinks gender doesn't matter hasn't seen Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin or Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton before a room full of women hungry for solutions to low pay, unfair treatment and lack of time to urinate, much less care for loved ones. Women are looking for political candidates who get these issues, who see women not as a "special interest" group but as essential to family and national security: candidates who will not just support but champion solutions…like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I also understand that male supremacy does not stand apart from white supremacy or any other form of injustice. People of color of both genders have been excluded from power. Any form of oppression that profits the powers-that-be (the ones I call the Big Boys) and allows them to maintain the status quo hurts women. Every challenge to that domination helps women. Like many other women's rights activists, I decided to support Obama as someone who offers a greater opening for tackling injustices faced by a wide range of women.

Please pass this post on to everyone you know who cares about women's issues.

And finally, if you have an extra moment, here's a great video about all the Women for Obama in this incredible grassroots movement:

And right now, you can help make calls to women in Texas and Ohio by clicking here for Texas, and here for Ohio.

We're up to over 700,000 calls already -- our goal is 1,000,000 by March 4th.

We can do this.

Happy Women's History Month everyone -- let's call some women!

Meet Michelle

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:00:56 EST

Many readers are coming to the site for the first time, so we wanted to take the time to introduce a special member of this campaign, the woman near and dear to everyone in this movement: Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama, in a word, is extraordinary.

Everyone who meets her is struck by her warmth, her candor and her intellect. When it comes down to it, she's just...real.

Here are some great videos to introduce you to Michele Obama.

"Meet Michelle:"

Michelle speaking in Council Bluffs, Iowa (a favorite video in the Obama community):

And a recent interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien:

Take a second to forward this to your friends and family -- and introduce them to the next great American First Lady.

Pass it on.

Women for Obama Video Project

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:35:10 EST

Happy Women's History Month everyone!

Thousands upon thousands of women have been voting, caucusing, volunteering, canvassing and phonebanking for Barack Obama during the course of this campaign, and it's a pleasure to honor all of those outstanding women this month here on the blog.

First up is the Women for Obama Video Project:

It all started shortly after Super Tuesday, when a conversation among women across the country began...

The question was: how could they get the message out that thousands of inspired and inspiring women everywhere -- of every age group, race and economic background -- are passionate in their support for Barack Obama?

Out of these conversations, the Women for Obama Video Project was born.

In 3 short days, one of the coordinators, Ellee in California received over 600 photos from women around the United States. She and a group of volunteers got right to work, and now we are pleased to present the fruits of their labors. Please meet, from all corners of the country, some pretty incredible Women for Obama:

So take a look, and please send this to the women in your life that may be undecided in the upcoming contests with a personal note to tell why you support Barack Obama.

There's also a version in Spanish which you can find here, so be sure to pass that along as well.

We want to hear from all you women here on the blog too -- send us your statements of support for Barack Obama and a digital photo to Blog@BarackObama.com so we can share your stories with the community.

Finally, you can help make calls to women in Texas and Ohio, by clicking here for Texas, and here for Ohio.

Thanks to everyone who helped put together this wonderful project.

Alice Walker for Obama

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST

Please take a look at this video of author Alice Walker, an incredible woman for Obama, on why she's supporting Barack Obama:

Host a March 4th Watch Party

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:29:19 EST

There are currently 247 Watch Parties officially scheduled for tomorrow night -- which means thousands of grassroots supporters will be coming together around the country to eat, drink, be merry and watch the results come in from tomorrow's big elections in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

So, quick! Right now you can sign up to host your own party -- at a local bar, restaurant or even your own living room. Tell all your friends and family, and then just click here to set it up so that people in your area can sign up to come to your event.

These parties are a great way to meet other supporters, talk about your ideas and continue to grow this historic grassroots movement -- just ask grassroots volunteer Tobias in Indiana, who we just caught up with on the phone. He's throwing a big Watch Party in downtown Indianapolis -- at a sushi restaurant called Naked Tchopstix. They've already got about 65 RSVPs!

Tobias is an environmentalist -- and he's also a captain in the Army National Guard. He talked to us a bit about why he's gotten involved in the campaign:

"I'm about to deploy to Iraq, and so I'm organizing and volunteering because I want to do something for Barack's campaign before I leave. It's clear that Barack Obama would make an excellent President and Commander in Chief -- and regarding the Iraq War, he has the most reasonable approach of any candidate. He has a practical plan to withdraw that addresses the root causes of problems there, and he's being honest about the fact that we just can't financially afford to stay there.

But most importantly, he carries himself with dignity and respect -- and so much of this war is a war for the hearts and minds of regular civilians. A President that conducts himself the way Obama does will matter enormously."

There are so many different kinds of volunteers working for the campaign -- all with diverse backgrounds, persepctives and thoughts about the issues that face this country.

So make sure to attend, or host, a Watch Party tomorrow night so you can get out there and meet some of the incredible grassroots supporters like Tobias and all the rest of the Indiana crew heading down to Naked Tchopstix tomorrow night.

Women for Obama in Ohio

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:01:48 EST

In every state -- in towns and precincts and neighborhoods across the country there are literally thousands of women on the ground, working the phones, working the visibility events and going door to door to tell people about Barack Obama. You hear it over and over again: in Barack Obama, we have a candidate who is going to make history.

And these women are very clear: this isn't about race or gender.

The reason this campaign has motivated thousands of women to work for change is because of a simple, rare quality: in Barack Obama, we have finally found a candidate we can believe in. That's something for the history books. And that's why all these women are doing the hard work it takes to ensure that he will be the next President of the United States.

Please meet Amy (photo - right) one of our most active volunteers in Ohio who has been with the campaign since the very beginning, and just one of the thousands of women across the county volunteering her heart out for Barack Obama:

Like many others, Senator Obama first caught my attention with his '04 keynote speech.
I ordered his first book "Dreams From My Father," and was truly inspired. I was most impressed with his thoughtfulness and insight, and his ability to admit and learn from mistakes, even as a child.

...I was so happy when he announced he was running. I ordered buttons from another website because My.BarackObama.com wasn't up yet. When this website did get up and running it was great to be able to meet and work with other supporters. We have an amazing core group...wonderful people whom I would not have otherwise known.

I support Senator Obama primarily because of his intelligence, analyzing skills, communication skills, and strong desire to make life better for others. I have had the opportunity to meet him, shake his hand, and look him in the eye. I truly believe that with him, what you see is what you get. I love his sense of humor.

And I think he has the perfect experience to be president, and he has served more years in elected office than Senator Clinton. I don't want someone who is an expert at the ways of Washington. I want a president who will change the ways of Washington.

Senator Obama inspires me to be a better person, and to contribute to my community. I have never been involved in a campaign before. I am here only because of who he is - a truly great American.

Amy is going to be working around the clock today and tomorrow to help get out the vote in Ohio -- and you can help her.

Please help make calls to Ohio voters today.

This is it.

We are so close to that improbable goal set out so many months ago to win Barack Obama the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Let's push today and make it a reality.

Make some calls right now:

My.BarackObama.com/calls

And in honor of Women's History Month, please call some women voters and help spread the word: click here for Ohio, and for Texas click here.

Women for Obama Video Project

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:54:22 EST

Happy Women's History Month everyone!

First up is the Women for Obama Video Project:

It all started shortly after Super Tuesday, when a conversation among women across the country began...

Out of these conversations, the Women for Obama Video Project was born.

So take a look, and please send this to the women in your life that may be undecided in the upcoming contests with a personal note to tell why you support Barack Obama.

There's also a version in Spanish which you can find here, so be sure to pass that along as well.

Finally, you can help make calls to women in Texas and Ohio, by clicking here for Texas, and here for Ohio.

Thanks to everyone who helped put together this wonderful project.

Read the Environment Plan

Obama's Statement on Women's History Month

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:48:57 EST

Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on Women's History Month:

Women's History Month isn't just a chance to celebrate women's history; it's a chance to honor the extraordinary role women have played in shaping American history. From midnight journeys on the Underground Railroad to marches for women's suffrage and civil rights, from the bomber assembly lines of World War II to the boardrooms of today, women have always shown us what we can achieve when we refuse to settle for the world as it is and choose to remake the world as it should be.

But despite the achievements we honor this month, we know we still have challenges to overcome. We need to build an America where women earn the same pay as men for the same work, and have time off to care for a loved one who's sick; where women have control over the health care decisions that affect their lives, and don't have to choose between their kids and their careers. It's not enough to have a holiday that honors women if we don't also make sure our laws value women.

This holiday is particularly meaningful to me because I would not be the person I am without the women in my life. I was raised by a single mother across two continents, and by a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values. And my wife Michelle - a woman who's overcome a number of challenges as a lawyer and hospital executive - continues to make me a better man.

Every night I'm home, Michelle and I tuck two little girls into bed. And we want to make sure that they have the same opportunities as every little boy in this country. That's the dream that women have fought for throughout our nation's history, and that's the dream I'll fight to make real as President of the United States.

Please visit Women.BarackObama.com to meet some of the incredible women supporting Barack Obama.

Calling for Change

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:25:23 EST

Dear Barack Obama blog community:

It's time to pick up the phone!

We only have a few more days until the critical March 4th elections.

Before each election so far we have made hundreds of thousands of calls, bringing new people into the movement one phone call at a time. These calls have made a huge impact on voter turnout for Obama, and right now, we have the chance to phonebank our way to history.

Remember, anyone can phonebank -- and in fact, everyone should! Our goal is one million calls by March 4th -- and we've already made over 700,000. This is incredible. Let's keep up the pace.

Here are a few of our very dedicated callers to get you inspired...

Meet Tara, from New Jersey, who is attending a phonebank party at Rutgers University on Sunday to reach out to voters in Texas and Ohio for March 4th:

My name is Tara, I live in New Jersey and I have been a registered Democrat since I turned 18. I am now 27.

I cannot say, however, that I have ever donated money to a particular campaign or dedicated my time the way I have to Barack Obama's campaign. That is because, although I have supported my democratic party, I have always felt there was something lacking in each presidential candidate. I can say honestly that I wholeheartedly believe in Senator Obama's message of hope, and that I agree it is not just blind optimism.

...I believe that faith needs to be restored to the American people, where it belongs, and Barack Obama and his supporters are clearly marching forward, doing exactly that. I have never found myself so energized; making phone calls to register voters and to encourage independents to vote, campaigning with my best friend in our spare time to inform our close friends and strangers alike about Barack Obama's visions for our future and also the voting process...

I find myself hopeful for the first time in a very long time. I believe Senator Obama is a unifying figure- he has proven himself by reaching out not only to Democrats but also to Republicans and Independents; he has broken racial and ethnic barriers; and long after his speeches are complete, his words resonate within the American people like no other political figure I can think of in recent history. I have asked many people to come along with us on this beautiful journey and make history, so that we can take back our country and make it a country we can all be proud of once again.

Yes, we can.

And here are John and Tracy in California, who in the last few months have called a staggering 7,000 voters:

My husband John and I have always had an interest in the political process but never really believed that there was a place for someone like us since we do not have the connections or the money. This was true until Senator Obama came along.
He inspired us to volunteer, to organize, and to encourage others to do the same. Within the last 3 months, we have called at least 7000 strangers, knocked on hundreds of doors in our own precinct as precinct captains, served as volunteer leader and coordinator for our neighborhood, and our neighboring state when we traveled to Nevada.
We have never volunteered -- or donated a cent or a minute of our time in the past for any candidate. Senator Obama changed that because we know we are not doing it for him, we are doing it for ourselves, and our country.

We have gone from political neophytes to community organizers -- recruiting people, organizing events, making calls, coaching volunteers, and building databases. We have spent more hours than I ever knew I had, doing things I never thought I would do. Barack Obama is living the American Dream, and he is inviting all of us to challenge our own self doubts, and stand up and take control of our destiny as Americans.

My husband is Caucasian, and I am Asian. He grew up in the conservative South; and I am a true blue Bay Area woman according to him. There is something different this time, something neither of us sought out, or could have predicted. We have both found a candidate of such credibility and authenticity, that we were drawn, without persuasion (and without threats of divorce!), to the same conclusion: we need a leader – and his name is Barack Obama.

Please join Tara, Tracy and John by picking up the phone to help us reach our goal of 1,000,000 calls by March 4th!

And if you have been phonebanking, please send us your story and a digital photo to Blog@BarackObama.com and we'll share it with the community.

Let's get calling!

Make One Million Calls

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:48:50 EST

The wonderful thing about this campaign is: you can set the bar high.

One million donors? No problem.

A politics of hope after years of cynicism? Yes please.

One million calls to voters in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont?

Yes we can:

Please join thousands of other volunteers who are picking up the phone and reaching out to voters all over the country. That's how this movement has been built -- one person, one conversation at a time. This is your chance to be a part of history.

And speaking of historic, here are a few more of the million donors to this campaign...

Meet Michelle and Vic from California, with their three children Dakota, Kai and Emma:

We are proud to be part of the 1,000,000! My husband is a retired Navy Officer and veteran of the Iraq war. Just as important -- this is his first time supporting a Presidential candidate and his first year EVER as a registered voter! He never believed in the political election process, that his vote would count or that his voice would be heard. Barack Obama changed that. He proudly wears his Obama pin to work, engages his peers at the hospital in conversation about him, is buying shirts and donating to the campaign -- something I never dreamed he would do. Thank you, Barack, for bringing hope to our home, too!

And please meet Carolyn in Nevada:

I was one of the "Greeters" for Barack's visit to Henderson on Jan. 16th (I was a precinct captain for Barack Obama and a caucus chair at the Jan 19th caucus).
As a member of the Baby Boom generation I remember how it was when people cared about a cause.
I also remember how hopeful we were about a future of not only peace and prosperity, but a world where everyone in this country would be equal an live in one united country.
Well despite some gains, as far as I can see we still have many of the same problems as we did back then.
What Barack Obama has done has gotten people to care again. He has gotten people to believe again. He has gotten people to hope again. More importantly, he has gotten people of all ages, genders, races and cultures to unite.
He has shown by his past experience that he can get legislators to unite as well to pass legislation that might have otherwise languished and died.
...He has the wisdom to lead -- he opposed the Iraq war from the beginning -- and the vision and the intelligence to come up with real solutions to real problems. He is a man of character and real integrity and makes me proud to be an American.

Now we want to hear the stories of the thousands of volunteers making calls to voters right now -- send us a short statement of why you support Barack Obama, why you make calls, and a digital photo to Blog@BarackObama.com so we can show this community what the phonebanking movement looks like!

Let's make some calls.

One of the million: Julia in Connecticut

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:08:38 EST

As we speak, people are taking ownership of this campaign one contribution at a time -- with little more than 10,000 donors until we hit our goal one million.

Please meet Julia (and her son AJ), one of the almost one million grassroots supporters who has donated to the campaign:

As a public school teacher in the local high school throughout the Bush administration, I often felt discouraged by the apparent apathy of my young students toward their government and their feelings of powerlessness to affect change in their world. People would often tell me that it was a “teen thing” and that it was something maturity would set right.Then I met their parents, and it soon became clear that it wasn’t just my students who felt disillusioned and left out. It went way beyond that.

I left teaching day school to be a stay at home mom by day, but I continue to teach kids who have dropped out of the day program at night so they can earn their diplomas. These kids have seen their share of hard times. They are by no means your academic elites, though many of them are extremely bright and talented. Most work minimum wage jobs from sunrise to sunset with little hope of much advancement, some are teen parents, some have substance abuse problems, and none have healthcare. Yet, day after day, they come to class on empty stomachs after the long work day to complete their high school education.

This past year, I noticed a shift in interest in my students. They have been reading the newspaper. They have been talking about healthcare, the economy, and the war in Iraq. They have discussed the election prospects and process and examined the candidates’ platforms and positions. I was stunned and thrilled. They began to care, and soon, to believe that their voices could matter and they could be part of something bigger and more important than themselves. Many went on to get involved in their communities as well as to volunteer for the candidate of their choice. I can tell you this -- that choice was Senator Obama nearly 95 percent of the time.

Anyone who can inspire this group of young people to believe that, in the face of incredible odds, ordinary people can indeed accomplish extraordinary things, is an extraordinary leader, and one who deserves (and has) my full and unqualified support. As a teacher and a mom of two very small children, I feel that there is no time to waste in repairing the damage that years of neglect and bad decisions have created and that our kids could inherit. We owe it to them to get out of our armchairs, however comfortable they may be, and get involved in the process. Senator Obama enlists us in this effort. It’s a collective one, not a singular one. This is why all things become possible, and why my vote will go to Barack.

If you haven't given yet, even if $10 or $20 is what you can afford right now, now is the time to join in and help us get to one million grassroots donors:

And hop on board and help usreach another important goal -- one million calls to voters in upcoming states by March 4th. We've made record numbers of phone calls before each recent election -- and we've seen record turnout at the polls. These calls are so important:

Please send us your statements of support with a picture to Blog@BarackObama.com -- or upload a video stating your support to YouTube and email us the link.

Two more of the million: Patty and Kent in New York

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:39:26 EST

We're almost at one million donors...

Meet Patty and Kent from New York, two more of the million grassroots supporters speaking up for change:

My husband and I became active in politics 20 years ago when we were the “youth vote”! We have always campaigned hard for the candidate we agreed with the most. But over time it was hard not to become cynical. Clinton’s impeachment, Bush v. Gore, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina—everywhere you looked, the divides between rich and poor, black and white, red state and blue were so vast, the national discourse so highly charged, it left little hope for understanding or coming together between people who disagreed.

As a multicultural family we have always maintained hope that as more people of differing backgrounds fully embraced and joined to raise children together, we would begin to heal the divisions in this country. When we saw the people of Iowa standing up for Barack Obama, we realized the time is now.
...Our small group of neighbors put up lawn signs, made buttons, called our friends, wrote letters to the newspaper, held a "Honk for Hope" rally, and before you knew it, our small group was no longer small--we were on local television, the local newspaper endorsed Obama citing the groundswell of support in the community, our Democratic district leaders endorsed him, and on Super Tuesday, we got 3 delegates for Obama out of our congressional district. Students from the local high school not old enough to vote volunteered. Wearing my Obama buttons (hand-made "Obama-Mama '08" and "Imagine Peace: Obama '08") has opened up many interactions and conversations with people from all walks of life.

We have now seen first-hand the power that each of us holds if we let our apathy and our discouragement go, and dare to reach for what we truly want and deserve. The media questions whether the fervent devotion Obama is generating will fade. I maintain it will only grow stronger, because it is not idolatry that people are experiencing--it is empowerment.

As an Asian-American woman, I am familiar with the "glass ceiling" that we would like to break through for gender and for race. But more than any ceiling above, what I (and many of my generation) have felt much more oppressively in our lifetimes are the walls between us. Barack Obama takes what was seemingly impossible and makes it suddenly, breathtakingly, possible. Let’s stand with Barack Obama, and let's take down these walls. Yes, we can.

Even if it's $10, every bit counts, so please join Patty and Kent and help us get to one million grassroots donors:

And you can help out with another important goal -- one million calls to voters in upcoming states by March 4th. Pick up the phone today!

Please send us your statements of support with a picture to Blog@BarackObama.com -- or upload a video stating your support to YouTube and email us the link.

One of the million: Anitra in Louisiana

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:30:45 EST

Meet another one of the nearly-one-million supporters in this campaign, Anitra in Louisiana. Here's her statement on why she supports Barack Obama:

I’ve never participated in politics before Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. I’m inspired to donate to Senator Obama’s presidential campaign because I strongly believe that his policy positions on the issues are very sound. I believe that he is the candidate that can best deliver the real change that is needed in Washington at this point in our nation’s history. He clearly cares about and understands the problems that are facing ordinary Americans and has proposed real workable and substantive solutions. In addition, he has extraordinary leadership skills as demonstrated by his ability to run a national campaign that is fiscally responsible, from his ability to energize and inspire thousands of Americans to participate in this historic political process, and from his track record of accomplishments as a United State Senator, a community organizer, and a former IL state legislator. I believe that he has the right insight on the issues, vision, and good judgment to be an exceptional president of the United States of America. On a final note, I also really like the fact that he is a gentleman and takes the high-ground when being attacked by Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator John McCain.

The issues that are most important to me are the economy, energy, education, healthcare, civil rights, technology, and the war in Iraq. As an electrical engineer by training, a 47 year-old college educator, wife, and mother of a teenage son who aspires to go to college, I feel that he has been forthright with the American people on how the problems we face can actually be solved. He has taken the right stance on these issues as outlined in his “Blueprint for Change” policy document. In addition, he was against the war in Iraq from the start which is important given the immense consequences we now face as a nation. In addition, I believe that he will galvanize Americans to action to draw upon American ingenuity in developing innovative solutions to the challenges we face, for example, in energy as we work to solve these problems together, and to restore our political stature and technical leadership in the global community.

It is important for other grassroots donors to get involved and become one of the million because this is our opportunity to make a real difference in this presidential election season by contributing what we can to Senator Barack Obama’s historic presidential campaign so collectively we can help him to bring about the real change in this country that we not only believe is possible, but is really needed at this time.

Please join Anitra and help us get to one million grassroots donors:

And then be sure to help reach another important goal -- one million calls to voters in upcoming states by March 4th. We've made record numbers of phone calls before each recent election -- and we've seen record turnout at the polls. These calls are critical:

Please send us your statements of support with a picture to Blog@BarackObama.com -- or upload a video stating your support to YouTube and email us the link.

Two of the Million: Esther and Ben in California

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:58:06 EST

There are nearly one million donors to this campaign. This is a first in political history.

So last night we asked anyone who's donated to send us their statements of support and a photo so we could show you what one million grassroots donors looks like -- and the responses came pouring in.

Today we'd like to introduce you to just a few of the grassroots supporters who are powering this campaign.

Meet Esther and Ben from California:

My husband and I both donated to the Obama campaign - and we are first time donators to any campaign.

We are moved by the transparency of Barack and by his eagerness to lead all of us into a newer more dynamic government which elicits the help of all of us.

My husband is a Democrat (life-long) and I am a registered Republican but we are both on the same page when it comes to Barack. Barack is easy to identify with and certainly reflects our concerns about dependency on oil, health care and education of all and inspires us to get involved to help our country achieve a more loving relationship with others (including our "enemies")

...Of course we appreciated his position on the war and he has demonstrated his ability to reach across the aisle to reach common goals.

And let's not forget his dynamite "sidekick" Michelle. What a woman.

We are over 60, white, one college educated, one not and Christian - one of us formerly right wing and together we want a good world for our four children and 7 grandchildren.

Please join Esther and Ben and help us get to one million grassroots donors:

And we have another important goal -- one million calls to voters in upcoming states by March 4th. Just think -- if everyone who has donated made just one call today...

Please send us your statements of support with a picture to Blog@BarackObama.com -- or upload a video stating your support to YouTube and email us the link.

Video: Barack in Austin

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:22:45 EST

Here's a video of Barack Obama in Austin, Texas yesterday:

For full details of Barack Obama's policy plans, please visit the Issues page here.

Right now, we are so close to reaching what no one ever thought was possible: one million grassroots donors. People from every state, of every race, age, gender, and economic background have donated to this campaign -- in 5's, 10's, and 20's, all dedicated with a simple message. Yes we can.

And starting this Sunday, please add your voice to another, literal call for change.

We've set another goal -- one million calls to voters in upcoming states by March 4th. Just think, if everyone reading this post makes just a few calls tomorrow, we'll be well on our way...

And if any of you are one of the million donors out there: please send us your statement about why you support Barack Obama at Blog@BarackObama.com.

You can do it one of two ways: either make a video, upload it to YouTube and email us the link -- or email us a short writeup with a picture attached, so we can show everyone what one million grassroots donors looks like.

Thanks everyone. Yes we can.

One of the Million: Theo in Utah

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:47:01 EST

Meet Theo, one of the million grassroots donors powering this campaign. Here he is with his dad:

"Last February I showed up for a meeting held at the Salt Lake City library hosted by the early grass roots Obama supporters. I desperately wanted to get involved. The grassroots group was probably the most dynamic group of people you could ever find assembled in Utah -- but since we were all there with the same agenda and spirit we all became close friends."

Since joining the Obama community, Theo has been an active volunteer in Utah -- going to meetings, building the Obama supporter list, traveling to Elko and other parts of northern Nevada every two weeks before the Nevada caucus, and setting up booths for Obama at public events. He helped set up and run the Salt Lake office and if all that weren't enough, Theo personally organized a big fundraiser for the Generation Obama group.

"It gives me a great amount of joy to be engaged in something I believe in full heartedly. The people in this campaign are honest and good people who are working selflessly and joyfully for what we believe is the best thing that could have ever happened in our country."

When asked if he would pinpoint why Obama matters to him, Theo hit on something a lot of people in this campaign have expressed:

Reason! I want a leader who knows how to reason. And most importantly, I want an honest leader. I'm smart enough to see through the bull that politics produces and I'm sick of it. I want integrity and honesty. I was never involved in politics before Obama. His candidacy has shown me hope, and with that hope I plan on staying involved for the rest of my life.

Join Theo, along with nearly one million other grassroots contributors who are donating for hope.

One of the Million: Katherine in Texas

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:57:13 EST

Meet Katherine. She's one in a million.

That is, one of the nearly one million grassroots donors who have contributed to this campaign already.

Katherine grew up in New Jersey, and after college she moved to Chicago where she was "represented capably in the State Senate by Barack Obama."

I first became aware of Obama during his Senate campaign—I’d seen signs around the neighborhood and read about him in the papers. His progressive record as a legislator impressed me, as did his background as a community organizer and lecturer at the UChicago Law School. I was invited to a house party for him, the first time I’d ever attended a grassroots campaign event. The experience was a lot of fun, and I felt inspired to get involved. I organized a few voter registration drives with friends on Chicago’s West side. It was amazing—people were lining up to register, and they all wanted to vote for Obama.

Obama inspired me to get involved, and since then I’ve volunteered for several different candidates across the country. He turned my interest in politics into active participation.

And now Katherine lives in Texas -- so in the next two weeks she'll be participating more actively than ever. Katherine is a busy member of Texans for Obama, an all-grassroots group that started back in February 2007 when Obama held a rally in Austin that drew 22,000 people. She's also busy blogging for Obama on DailyKos, and did an excellent job liveblogging the huge Austin Obama Office Grand Opening last weekend.

Nearly one million grassroots supporters have donated to this campaign. This is unprecedented.

Please join Katherine and own a piece of this historic campaign:

And be sure to watch the Texas debate, tonight on CNN at 8 p.m. EST

Where Obama Stands: On Energy and the Environment

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:44:16 EST

Plan for a Clean Energy Future

"Well, I don't believe that climate change is just an issue that's convenient to bring up during a campaign. I believe it's one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation. That's why I've fought successfully in the Senate to increase our investment in renewable fuels. That's why I reached across the aisle to come up with a plan to raise our fuel standards… And I didn't just give a speech about it in front of some environmental audience in California. I went to Detroit, I stood in front of a group of automakers, and I told them that when I am president, there will be no more excuses -- we will help them retool their factories, but they will have to make cars that use less oil." -- Barack Obama, Speech in Des Moines, IA, October 14, 2007

Barack Obama's Plan

Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050

Cap and Trade: Obama supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Obama's cap-and-trade system will require all pollution credits to be auctioned. A 100 percent auction ensures that all polluters pay for every ton of emissions they release, rather than giving these emission rights away to coal and oil companies. Some of the revenue generated by auctioning allowances will be used to support the development of clean energy, to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and to address transition costs, including helping American workers affected by this economic transition.
Confront Deforestation and Promote Carbon Sequestration: Obama will develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Invest in a Clean Energy Future

Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years in Clean Energy: Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. A principal focus of this fund will be devoted to ensuring that technologies that are developed in the U.S. are rapidly commercialized in the U.S. and deployed around the globe.
Double Energy Research and Development Funding: Obama will double science and research funding for clean energy projects including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources.
Invest in a Skilled Clean Technologies Workforce: Obama will use proceeds from the cap-and-trade auction program to invest in job training and transition programs to help workers and industries adapt to clean technology development and production. Obama will also create an energy-focused Green Jobs Corps to connect disconnected and disadvantaged youth with job skills for a high-growth industry.
Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders: Obama will establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and Americans learn the new skills they need to produce green products.
Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund: Obama will create a Clean Technologies Venture Capital Fund to fill a critical gap in U.S. technology development. Obama will invest $10 billion per year into this fund for five years. The fund will partner with existing investment funds and our National Laboratories to ensure that promising technologies move beyond the lab and are commercialized in the U.S
Require 25 Percent of Renewable Electricity by 2025: Obama will establish a 25 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2025.
Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology: Obama will significantly increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies. Obama will consider whatever policy tools are necessary, including standards that ban new traditional coal facilities, to ensure that we move quickly to commercialize and deploy low carbon coal technology.

Support Next Generation Biofuels

Deploy Cellulosic Ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes and government contracts into developing the most promising technologies with the goal of getting the first two billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.
Expand Locally-Owned Biofuel Refineries: Less than 10 percent of new ethanol production today is from farmer-owned refineries. New ethanol refineries help jumpstart rural economies. Obama will create a number of incentives for local communities to invest in their biofuels refineries.
Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Barack Obama will establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard to speed the introduction of low-carbon non-petroleum fuels. The standard requires fuels suppliers to reduce the carbon their fuel emits by ten percent by 2020.
Increase Renewable Fuel Standard: Obama will require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the fuel supply by 2022 and will increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030.

Set America on Path to Oil Independence

Obama's plan will reduce oil consumption by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030. This will more than offset the equivalent of the oil we would import from OPEC nations in 2030.

Increase Fuel Economy Standards: Obama will double fuel economy standards within 18 years. His plan will provide retooling tax credits and loan guarantees for domestic auto plants and parts manufacturers, so that they can build new fuel-efficient cars rather than overseas companies. Obama will also invest in advanced vehicle technology such as advanced lightweight materials and new engines.

Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030

Set National Building Efficiency Goals: Barack Obama will establish a goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral, or produce zero emissions, by 2030. He'll also establish a national goal of improving new building efficiency by 50 percent and existing building efficiency by 25 percent over the next decade to help us meet the 2030 goal.
Establish a Grant Program for Early Adopters: Obama will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps to implement new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency.
Invest in a Digital Smart Grid: Obama will pursue a major investment in our utility grid to enable a tremendous increase in renewable generation and accommodate modern energy requirements, such as reliability, smart metering, and distributed storage

Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change

Create New Forum of Largest Greenhouse Gas Emitters: Obama will create a Global Energy Forum -- that includes all G-8 members plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa -the largest energy consuming nations from both the developed and developing world. The forum would focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.
Re-Engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change: The UNFCCC process is the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem and an Obama administration will work constructively within it.

Barack Obama's Record

Renewable Fuels: Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels. Obama passed legislation with Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend. Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years.
CAFE: Obama introduced a bold new plan that brought Republicans and Democrats, CAFE supporters and long-time opponents together in support of legislation that will gradually increase fuel economy standards and offer what the New York Times editorial page called "real as opposed to hypothetical results."

Whose supporting Barack's plan? See the list of over 150 environmental leaders supporting Barack's Plan for Energy and the Environment.

For More Information about Barack's Plan

Read the Energy Plan

Austin American Statesman

Where Obama Stands: On Education

Sarah Ramey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:39:48 EST

A World class education

“I don't want to send another generation of American children to failing schools. I don't want that future for my daughters. I don't want that future for your sons. I do not want that future for America.”
— Barack Obama, Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Des Moines, Iowa, November 10, 2007

Watch the video:

No Child Left Behind Left the Money Behind: The goal of the law was the right one, but unfulfilled funding promises, inadequate implementation by the Education Department and shortcomings in the design of the law itself have limited its effectiveness and undercut its support. As a result, the law has failed to provide high-quality teachers in every classroom and failed to adequately support and pay those teachers.

Students Left Behind: Six million middle and high school students read significantly below their grade level. A full third of high school graduates do not immediately go on to college. American 15 year olds rank 28th out of 40 countries in mathematics and 19th out of 40 countries in science. Almost 30 percent of students in their first year of college are forced to take remedial science and math classes because they are not prepared.

High Dropout Rate: America has one of the highest dropout rates in the industrialized world. Only 70 percent of U.S. high school students graduate with a diploma. African American and Latino students are significantly less likely to graduate than white students.

Teacher Retention is a Problem: Thirty percent of new teachers leave within their first five years in the profession.

Soaring College Costs: College costs have grown nearly 40 percent in the past five years. The average graduate leaves college with over $19,000 in debt. And between 2001 and 2010, 2 million academically qualified students will not go to college because they cannot afford it. Finally, our complicated maze of tax credits and applications leaves too many students unaware of financial aid available to them.

Click on the title of the post to read about Barack's education plan.

Grassroots Volunteers Head to Ohio

Sarah Ramey — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:50:52 EST

Working for the campaign, you naturally think the world is abuzz with talk of Barack Obama -- but sometimes, it really is!

Standing in a coffee shop just now in Washington DC, "Going to Ohio this weekend..." and, "knocking on doors for Obama..." and, "really, really excited..." filtered through the commotion and the overhead Otis Redding over to me and my cup of coffee. I, of course, had to go ask.

Meet Laura:

Laura lives in Washington DC and works for a summer reading enrichment program. And, as advertised, she is driving to Columbus, Ohio with a couple of friends this weekend to go knock on doors for Barack Obama.

What does she like about Barack Obama?

"I'm glad you asked: I like Barack Obama specifically because of his record. Everybody talks about the speeches, which are amazing, but I knew he was my candidate when I learned about his record in the Illinois State legislature -- particularly the law he passed that required the police to tape the entirety of their interrogations. It was a bold move to bring fairness to the process -- and everybody opposed him at first. Everybody said it couldn't be done. But he not only got it passed -- he got it passed unanimously. And he did it by bringing people together. That's what we need in a leader."

Yet another supporter who knows their specifics.

And yet another great grassroots supporter pitching in to do the volunteer work that has delivered 10 straight victories for Barack Obama in a row!

To get involved in any of the upcoming states voting on March 4th visit:

And wherever you are, you can get us one step closer to an astonishing one million grassroots donors across this country who are giving in 10's and 20's and 50's every day.

Keep the conversation going, everyone -- at home, in coffee shops, and in the comments below...

Specifics

Sarah Ramey — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:42:16 EST

For everyone who thinks Obama doesn't provide enough specifics, please take a look at this...

Click here to view Obama's comprehensive policy positions and download our Blueprint for Change policy book here:

Morning News

Sarah Ramey — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:47:50 EST

New York Times

"Wisconsin and Hawaii Add to Obama's String of Victories"
Senator Barack Obama decisively beat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Wisconsin primary and the Hawaii caucuses on Tuesday night, accelerating his momentum ahead of crucial primaries in Ohio and Texas and cutting into Mrs. Clinton’s support among women and union members.
With the two rivals now battling state by state over margins of victory and allotment of delegates, surveys of voters leaving the Wisconsin polls showed Mr. Obama, of Illinois, making new inroads with those two groups as well as middle-age voters and continuing to win support from white men and younger voters — a performance that yielded grim tidings for Mrs. Clinton, of New York.
...“Houston, I think we achieved liftoff here,” Mr. Obama told a crowd of 20,000 people in that city as he hailed the voters of Wisconsin.

Associated Press

"Obama Scores 10th Straight Victory"
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama added Wisconsin and Hawaii to a primary season winning streak that now totals 10 and has put Hillary Rodham Clinton into a virtual must-win scenario in Democratic contests coming early next month in Texas and Ohio.
"The change we seek is still months and miles away," Obama told a boisterous crowd in Houston in a speech Tuesday night in which he also pledged to end the war in Iraq in his first year in office.
"I opposed this war in 2002. I will bring this war to an end in 2009. It is time to bring our troops home," he declared.
...Obama cut deeply into Clinton's political bedrock in Wisconsin, splitting the support of white women almost evenly with her. According to polling place interviews, he also ran well among working class voters in the blue collar battleground that was prelude to primaries in the larger industrial states of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
...With the votes counted in all but one of Wisconsin's 3,570 precincts, Obama won 58 percent of the vote to 41 percent for Clinton.
With 100 percent of the vote counted in Hawaii, Obama had 76 percent to Clinton's 24 percent.

Washington Post

"Wisconsin Voters Give Obama Decisive Victory"
Sen. Barack Obama won the Wisconsin Democratic primary decisively last night, extending his winning streak to nine consecutive contests and dealing another significant blow to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose imperiled presidential candidacy now hangs on the outcome of showdowns in Ohio and Texas in two weeks.
After a week of sparring that included the first negative ads of the campaign, Obama emerged victorious in a critical general-election battleground state. For the second week in a row, the senator from Illinois made inroads into the coalition that Clinton has counted on to carry her to the nomination -- women and white working-class voters -- while rolling up big margins among white men.
...Obama celebrated his win at a boisterous Houston rally attended by an estimated 19,000 people and exhorted them to give him another important push toward the Democratic nomination in Texas's March 4 primary. "Houston, the change we seek is still months and miles away, and we need the good people of Texas to help us get there," he said. "We will need you to fight for every delegate it takes to win this nomination."
...Even before Wisconsin and Hawaii, Obama held a lead over the senator from New York in delegates awarded in the primaries and caucuses. When superdelegates -- the 795 members of Congress, governors and other party officials with automatic credentials for the Democratic National Convention -- are included, he is still ahead, but by a narrower margin.
About 30 percent of pledged delegates have yet to be awarded, and several hundred superdelegates remain uncommitted. But, given Democratic rules that award delegates proportionally, Obama's slowly expanding advantage will become more and more difficult for Clinton to overcome unless she can win upcoming contests by huge margins.
...Obama was attracting more support from women, less-educated and lower-income voters, and white working-class voters than he generally has in other states. By breaking into Clinton's coalition, he was able to overcome a Wisconsin electorate that was heavily female and that included no more independent voters than it did four years ago.
Women made up 58 percent of the electorate in Wisconsin, and they have been a key Clinton constituency throughout the campaign. But rather than winning them, as she has in key contests, the two candidates split the group last night. Obama, meanwhile, won men by more than 30 percentage points.
He did as well with white men as he has done in any state other than Utah. Among white women, Clinton had only a narrow edge last night. In 24 previous contests where there have been Democratic exit polls, she carried white women by double digits 19 times.

Politico

Barack Obama stretched his string of consecutive victories over Hillary Rodham Clinton to nine Tuesday with a win in the Wisconsin primary, adding to the already mounting pressure on Clinton to rescue her campaign with victories in the March 4 contests in Ohio and Texas.
...Exit polls showed promising signs for Obama for future contests, indicating that he had run strongly among two groups Clinton has dominated in other primaries: white women and working-class voters.
Obama won the votes of those earning less than $50,000 and got about half of white voters without a college degree, his best showing in any major contest.

HOUSTON — Surrounded by a giddy, raucous crowd Tuesday night, Sen. Barack Obama celebrated a comfortable primary victory in Wisconsin, a momentum-sustaining ninth consecutive win that cemented his standing as front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Houston, I think we've achieved liftoff," he said to deafening yells from the standing-room-only crowd of 22,000 in the Toyota Center, a venue that typically hosts the Houston Rockets' NBA games. Several thousand more milled along barricaded streets outside.
Obama's commanding victory snuffed New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's comeback bid in Wisconsin in an important prelude to what is shaping up as a last stand for Clinton in Texas and Ohio on March 4.

"The American people have spoken, and they say we need to move in a new direction," Obama said to roars of applause. "Change cannot happen unless it happens from you."

Wall Street Journal

Barack Obama held off Hillary Clinton's belated attempt to brake his momentum in Wisconsin's Democratic primary and Hawaii's caucuses, winning his 10th-straight presidential-nominating contest as the two get closer to the showdown Sen. Clinton has promised in Ohio and Texas two weeks away.
...Sen. Obama, already campaigning in Texas last night, used his Wisconsin valedictory speech not only to re-emphasize his message of political inclusiveness and an end to partisan gridlock, but to answer both his Democratic and potential Republican rivals.
...Sen. Obama told a cheering rally of thousands in Houston, "As your commander in chief my job will be to keep you safe...and I will not hesitate to strike against any who would do us harm."
He called Sen. McCain "a genuine American hero," then added, "but when he embraces George Bush's failed economic policies, when he says that he is willing to send our troops into another 100 years of war in Iraq, then he represents the politics of yesterday, and we want to be the party of tomorrow. And I'm looking forward to having that debate with John McCain."

Los Angeles Times

MILWAUKEE -- Barack Obama swept to a double-digit victory in the Wisconsin primary Tuesday, turning aside a fierce effort by Hillary Rodham Clinton and further propelling his campaign as the Democrats head toward epic contests in Ohio and Texas.
...Voters in Wisconsin bundled up against the single-digit chill -- many in green and gold, the colors of their beloved Green Bay Packers -- as a rush of voting opened the day.

The economy was their primary concern, exit polls and interviews showed.

Mirriam Tarrisa, 67, a retired secretary, moved to West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, eight years ago. She described herself as a longtime Republican who came to the polls to vote for Obama. She had been torn between McCain and Obama but said she sided with the Democrat because she thought he would cap taxes and seek universal health coverage.
"Wisconsin has been losing a lot of jobs and a lot of benefits," Tarrisa said. "The factories are pretty much gone. Our economy needs help, and I don't think raising taxes is the way to go. I've seen Obama speak and I really am impressed by him. I'm too old to not believe that the Democrats won't boost taxes. But I'm also too old to believe that the Republicans won't raise taxes too."

Chicago Tribune

"Obama wins Hawaii caucuses"
Maybe they should've called it " Hawaii 10-0," as Sen. Barack Obama now has ten straight wins after besting Sen. Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's Hawaii caucuses.
...Obama said winning there could foretell future successes: "If we win in Hawaii, it will be ten straight victories -- a streak no one thought possible, and the best position we can be in when Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont vote on March 4th."

USA Today

"Obama, McCain add to victory streaks"
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama handily defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton in Hawaii and Wisconsin Tuesday, extending an unbroken streak of victories since Super Tuesday and propelling him toward what could be a final showdown in two weeks.
Obama broke into Clinton's base in Wisconsin, splitting whites and women about evenly while he swamped her among men and African-Americans, according to surveys of voters as they left polling places. That could boost him in Texas and Ohio, the mega-states that vote March 4 and have been seen as friendly territory, even firewalls, for Clinton.
In Hawaii, Obama won the state's Democratic caucus in a landslide, capturing 76% of the vote compared to Clinton's 24%.

Associated Press

"Democrats Flock to Hawaii Caucuses"
HONOLULU -- Democratic voters flocked to Hawaii caucus sites by the thousands on Tuesday as party officials predicted a record turnout in the contest between Honolulu-born Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
About 1,000 people lined up outside Thomas Jefferson Elementary on the edge of Waikiki to cast their ballots.
Many said they were participating in a caucus for the first time and felt compelled to show up because Hawaii's delegates might help decide the Democratic nominee.
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who has been voting since 1948, said the turnout was the biggest he's ever seen.
"For the first time we have a woman against an African-American. What more do you want?" asked Inouye, 83, as he stood in line to vote.
Party leaders have printed out 17,000 ballots and were prepared to start using blank sheets of paper if they ran out. The last caucus drew just 4,000.
...More than 120 people lined up at Koko Head Elementary School in the Honolulu suburb of Hawaii Kai even before the doors opened.
John Messerly, a 52-year-old former software engineer, sported a blue Obama baseball cap as he stood in line.
"Obama talks like a Hawaii guy and people really get that. He brings all his aloha spirit across the nation," he said. "Especially after the divisiveness of the last decade."

Last Call for Wisconsin Calls!

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:58:25 EST

Spoke to Christine in Wisconsin last night who took the whole night off to make calls to fellow Wisconsinites to help get out the vote today.

"The thing I am most impressed by with Senator Obama is that he doesn't take any money from lobbyists or PACs, he raises money in small donations from regular people -- and that's how Washington is going to change. When he is President, it's going to be a 180 change in the White House. He won't have to answer to corporations and lobbyists -- he'll have to answer to us, and that's how it should be."

Christine works full time at an engineering company, and she's a full time student and she also volunteers at a domestic violence center. And she's still making time to knock on doors for Obama, to make hundreds of phone calls, to blog on the website and to donate to the campagn.

So even the busiest of us can take just half an hour to reach out to Wisconsin voters! Even if you've never done it before, now is the time. Just check out the call center, you'll get a script and numbers and you'll be on your way...

Your calls are making a big difference.

And there's still time to make calls into Wisconsin to make sure we get out the vote!

No time to lose, meet us in the call center:

Phonebankers in Wisconsin

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:52:54 EST

Last night we caught up with some volunteers in Wisconsin who are doing exactly what thousands of you are doing all over the country right now: making calls to Wisconsin voters to get out the vote.

Chris is one of the phonebankers we talked to who had taken last night to go to her local Obama office to help out, and she took a minute to tell us why she got involved.

It’s interesting, I’m nearly 60 years old, and I started out thinking how great it would be to have a woman as President. But then I started looking at both candidates closely, and Obama is clearly the better candidate. The more I have watched, the more I realize it it time for my generation pass the baton to the next generation.

Chris relates to Michelle Obama's life story -- especially when she talks about how her father supported four kids on a city salary, and it was enough. Chris thinks that we need to get back to a kind of government that supports working families. "Obama's overall plan, if you step back, is about making life affordable again for the middle class, and that's what this country needs. Life needs to be affordable so we can get back to the basics of living the American dream. If you look at any one of his domestic policies, that's his focus."

"There is something he says -- he quotes Dr. Martin Luther King who talked about the 'fierce urgency of now' -- and he's got it exactly right. We need someone like Obama now -- not in 4 years, not in 8 years. Now."

Chris has also been out in the neighborhoods knocking on doors and talking to voters in person to get the word out, and of course to get the vote out. On Friday she knocked on 71 doors -- and the majority of people she talked to were either excited about Obama, or excited to learn more.

That's why these calls are so important -- people are listening.

So, please pick up the phone and make a few calls!

My.BarackObama.com/calls

We've made an astonishing 185,000 calls so far. We're so close to our goal of 200,000.

Make a call.

Your calls to Wisconsin voters are making a huge difference.

Let's get out the vote!

Call now.

And to find out any information about where, when and how to vote in Wisconsin, visit WI.BarackObama.com or click here:

Statement from Barack Obama on Fidel Castro

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:29:09 EST

Barack Obama has issued the following statement in response to the news that Fidel Castro is stepping down as President of Cuba:

Today should mark the end of a dark era in Cuba's history. Fidel Castro's stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba.
Cuba's future should be determined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime. The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It's time for these heroes to be released.
If the Cuban leadership begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change, the United States must be prepared to begin taking steps to normalize relations and to ease the embargo of the last five decades. The freedom of the Cuban people is a cause that should bring the Americans together.

Morning News

Sarah Ramey — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:06:14 EST

Yongstown Vindicator

"The presidential candidate came to Youngstown with a message of hope."
YOUNGSTOWN — “I can lead this country in a new direction ... but I can’t do it by myself,” Illinois Sen. Barack Obama told a crowd of about 6,400 supporters gathered in Beeghly Center at Youngstown State University.
“People tell me they want change,” he said, but he cautioned that change won’t happen unless the American people are truly committed to the process.
Obama brought his Ohio presidential campaign to Youngstown on Monday with a “Keeping America’s Promise” rally at YSU after a morning tour of the RMI Titanium Co. plant in Weathersfield Township.
...Obama brought a message of hope to the city and stressed that hope isn’t blind optimism and being ignorant of the roadblocks those seeking change must face.
Hope means imagining and working for those things you want to change, he said, calling on those in the crowd to join him in changing things in Washington, D.C. The next president of the United States needs to be someone who will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, he said.
Obama was introduced to the crowd by Rosemary Miller of Youngstown, who appeared on stage with her infant son and two young daughters to tout Obama’s plan to provide universal health care.
Miller, a laid-off member of Pipefitters Local 396, said she is in danger of losing her health care and will support the man who says he will do something about it.
Obama said providing better health care is just one of the changes he wants to make in the American system.
He told the crowd he wants everyone to have the same or better quality of care that he receives as a United States senator. He also wants a ban on pre-existing condition denials by insurance companies and a subsidy to help those who need assistance in securing health care.
He also vowed to end the war in Iraq, telling the crowd, “I will bring the war to an end in 2009.”
Obama said he wants to take away the tax breaks given to companies that decide to move operations overseas and give the breaks to companies that invest in Youngstown and the United States.
He proposes pulling back the tax cuts now enjoyed by the wealthiest Americans and giving them to working people. Those making less than $75,000 a year would get a $1,000 rollback on their taxes, he said.
Other changes he proposes include:
--An annual increase in the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation.
--International trade agreements that contain labor, environmental and safety arrangements that protect the jobs of American workers.
--Changes in Social Security tax laws to have everyone paying a fair share. Working men and women pay taxes on 100 percent of their income but the wealthy don’t, Obama said.
--Investments in early childhood education to close the achievement gap, but with an added emphasis on poetry, music and art, not just academics. Obama admonished parents to do their part by turning off the television, putting away the video games, and instilling in their children a desire to get a good education.
--Raising teacher salaries.
--Making college more affordable by granting every student a $4,000 tuition credit in exchange for community or national service.
--Creating an energy plan that charges polluters for creating greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere and using that money to invest in green technology that will save energy and create jobs that can’t be exported.
--Creating a foreign policy that changes the attitude that led the United States to war in Iraq and restoring diplomacy, including having the president meet with those who like us and those who don’t.
Obama said he has been criticized as lacking experience on the national level.
“What matters is judgment,” he said, adding that some people never develop good judgment.

Toledo Blade

"Obama Wows Youngstown Crowd"
YOUNGSTOWN - Sen. Barack Obama yesterday chose the Mahoning Valley...to kick off his campaign for the state's Democratic convention delegates in the March 4 primary election.

Speaking at Youngstown State University to a packed field house crowd of about 7,000 people, Mr. Obama got one of his biggest cheers - and there were many big ones - with a dig at the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA has been blamed for the loss of many Ohio jobs and was enacted during the term of former President Bill Clinton.

"Sen. [Hillary] Clinton says speeches don't put food on the table, but NAFTA didn't put food on the table, so I'm happy to have that discussion," Mr. Obama said.
..."Great company. Took a tour of the plant. Folks are so proud of the work they are doing making critical materials for our airline industries, for our defense industries," Mr. Obama said. But, he said, "for every one of those plants we have four, or five, or six close."
Mr. Obama met with workers, according to his campaign, and unveiled what he called a plan for "Patriot Employers" that would end the tax breaks that he said provide incentives for U.S. multinational corporations to invest profits overseas and would reduce the corporate tax rate for companies that invest in the United States and its workers. According to Mr. Obama, Ohio lost 32,337 manufacturing jobs and 93 plants in 2006.
...Spectators waited in a long line to get into the field house, at which tight security prevailed. As they streamed out after the 45-minute speech, several said they were committed to voting for Mr. Obama.
Among those supporters were YSU students Jasmine Jackson, 18, of Warren, Ohio, and Camille Tevis, 19, of Cincinnati. "I really liked it," Ms. Tevis said.
"I have friends who don't have health care and my mom is also a single parent," a reference to Mr. Obama's observation that he was raised by his mother and his grandmother, after his father left when Barack was 2. She said she has not registered to vote but plans to do so. Her friend, Ms. Jackson, said she is registered and liked what Senator Obama had to say about helping to pay for college.
Rita Rogers, 54, a fifth-grade teacher in Akron, said she agreed with Mr. Obama's emphasis on putting less stress on standardized tests and more on art, music, poetry, and literature.
"I think he's going to exceed Hillary because he has the momentum," Ms. Rogers said.
In his speech at Youngstown State, Mr. Obama promised tuition credits of $4,000 for college students, but said they would be expected to commit to some kind of community or national service, such as the Peace Corps.
He said he would pay teachers more, but said children and parents would have to help: "Children are going to have to work hard. Parents, you're going to have to turn off the TV, put away the video games."
He criticized Bush foreign policy as based on the belief that "there is a contradiction between us being safe and respected in the world." He promised he would "not hesitate to strike" to keep Americans safe as commander in chief, but promised more emphasis on properly equipping the military and treating veterans with respect. "Part of keeping you safe is also using our military wisely and the war in Iraq was unwise," Mr. Obama said.

Tribune Chronicle

For Christena Weatherspoon of Struthers, it was like Barack Obama was inside her head.

After the Democratic presidential candidate’s 45-minute address to at Youngstown State University, Weatherspoon said she was speechless. She said, ‘‘It was like he knows what I want.’’

She was not alone in the crowd of about 6,800 supporters who packed Beeghly Center for Obama’s first campaign rally in Ohio and responded enthusiastically to his message of ‘‘hope and change.’’

Donald Butler, 44, of Warren, said he has not voted in the last couple of elections, but he worked his way to the stage after the talk and stretched his hand as high as he could to shake Obama’s hand.

‘‘I got there,’’ he said. And he said he’ll vote for Obama this year.

Khaled Tabbara of Youngstown was a political activist in the Young Democrats at Fitch High School and worked on the Al Gore campaign in 2000. He said he had become cynical.

‘‘I felt like there were nothing we could do. This is the first guy I’m excited about in my life,’’ Tabbara said.

Repeatedly, Obama asked if they were ready for change, and went through his economic and foreign policy proposals. The crowd roared its approval, especially when he said he would end the war in Iraq in 2009.

He said there is no contradiction between America being safe from terrorists and being respected around the world. He said he would close the prisoner camp at Guantanamo Bay and make America a leader in protecting the environment in ending HIV and respecting human rights.

Among other issues, Obama said he would:

--Roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to give those making less than $75,000 a tax break;

--Create a $10 billion fund so that people paying their mortgages won’t face foreclosure;

--Raise the minimum wage not every 10 years, but every year.

He also talked about the need to change America’s trade policy, a theme he stressed in brief remarks following an earlier tour of the RMI Titanium Co. plant in Weathersfield.

Following the 30-minute walk through the plant, he talked with Todd Weddell, president of United Steelworkers Local 2155, about the local economy, where more jobs are leaving than are being created.

Obama told a several dozen RMI workers that few areas of the country have been hurt worse by trade agreements than the Mahoning Valley. To help areas like the Valley, he said he would amend agreements like NAFTA and end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Instead, he would give tax breaks to companies that maintain corporate headquarters in the United State and create good jobs here — ‘‘Companies like RTI,’’ he said.

‘‘To help titanium plants like RTI, I want to make sure that our military gets the precious metal materials that it needs from American companies if they’re available here in America, because there’s no reason our own government shouldn’t be doing all the business it can right here in the United States.’’
...‘‘This guy has drawn in a whole new layer of support,’’ Binning said. ‘‘For the youth here, this is the most significant political event of their lives.’’

As if to prove Binning’s point, Jared Jacobs, 17, drove all the way from Ashtabula to see Obama. Jacobs, who said he will be 18 in time to vote in the November election, said, ‘‘I’ll never forget this. It’s one of the best moments of my life.’’

Youngstown Vindicator

WEATHERSFIELD — Ringed by factory workers with hard hats and safety glasses, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama kicked off his Ohio campaign by promising to fight companies that move jobs overseas.
“It’s bad for our country, it’s bad for the economy, and it will not happen when I’m president of the United States of America,” Obama said Monday at RMI Titanium Co.
...Tristan Liptak, an electrical apprentice at the mill, said he’s leaning toward voting for Obama in the Democratic primary March 4 after hearing him speak up for workers.
“The middle class is going away quickly,” said Liptak, 37, of Niles. “Something has to be done to stop it before we’re all making minimum wage.”
...[Sen. Obama] was one of three senators to introduce the Patriot Employer Act of 2007, which would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase their ratio of full-time workers compared with those in other countries and who maintain corporate headquarters here.
He also said he would fight against providing tax breaks to companies that move jobs to other countries.
Obama said the North American Free Trade Agreement needs to be amended to include provisions that ensure other countries are meeting labor, environmental and safety standards.
He added that trade agreements need more strict enforcement to stop other countries from enacting tariffs on goods while this country is not.
He said he supports requirements for the military to buy material from domestic companies.
“That’s how plants like this one will stay strong for future generations,” Obama said.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

..."I talk about hope a lot in my campaign speeches and under- standably so, because the odds of me standing here are very slim," Obama told a crowd of more than 6,000 at a Youngstown State University gymnasium on Monday afternoon.
"I was born to a teenage mother. My dad left when I was 2. So I was raised by a single mother and grandparents, and they didn't have money or fame. They gave me love, an education and hope. So I talk about hope."
...He called for a $4,000 tuition credit for students who perform some form of community service, an increase in the minimum wage each year to keep pace with inflation and a mandate that insurance companies cover everyone, regardless of existing health problems.
Obama will return to Ohio sometime after today's Wisconsin primary...
Just before the rally, Obama toured RTI International Metals in Niles, which makes titanium products for aerospace and other industries and employs about 350 members of United Steelworkers Local 2155.
He acknowledged that the global economy makes it difficult to limit trade but said, "It certainly doesn't mean we have to accept unfair trade deals like NAFTA."
...He pledged to offer companies tax breaks under his "Patriot Employers" plan for adding jobs in the United States.
...Kelli Hileman, who hauled three children under 5 to the Youngstown rally and landed a front-row seat because she was pushing a stroller [said,]
"I had my mind made up a long time ago," she said. "I believe in his message of change. When he's talking to you, it feels like a friend in your kitchen. I was a die-hard Clinton fan, but this is a different fight.

Where Obama Stands: On Foreign Policy

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:08:06 EST

Barack Obama's Plan to Secure America and Restore Our Standing

“When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture — because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century: nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now.”

— Barack Obama, Des Moines, Iowa, November 10, 2007

Watch a Roundtable Discussion with Barack and his Foreign Policy Advisors:

Ending the War in Iraq

Judgment You Can Trust: As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama put his political career on the line to oppose going to war in Iraq, and warned of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” Obama has been a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq:

In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war on the campaign trail;
In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops;
In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq's neighbors;
In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008.
In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president.

Bring Our Troops Home: Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.
Press Iraq's leaders to reconcile: The best way to press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq's Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.
Regional Diplomacy: Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq's neighbors – including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq's borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq's sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq's reconstruction.
Humanitarian Initiative: Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq's humanitarian crisis – two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.

Iran

The Problem: Iran has sought nuclear weapons, supports militias inside Iraq and terror across the region, and its leaders threaten Israel and deny the Holocaust. But Obama believes that we have not exhausted our non-military options in confronting this threat; in many ways, we have yet to try them. That's why Obama stood up to the Bush administration's warnings of war, just like he stood up to the war in Iraq.
Opposed Bush-Cheney Saber Rattling: Obama opposed the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, which says we should use our military presence in Iraq to counter the threat from Iran. Obama believes that it was reckless for Congress to give George Bush any justification to extend the Iraq War or to attack Iran. Obama also introduced a resolution in the Senate declaring that no act of Congress – including Kyl-Lieberman – gives the Bush administration authorization to attack Iran.
Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior. Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation. Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress.

Renewing American Diplomacy

The Problem: The United States is trapped by the Bush-Cheney approach to diplomacy that refuses to talk to leaders we don't like. Not talking doesn't make us look tough – it makes us look arrogant, it denies us opportunities to make progress, and it makes it harder for America to rally international support for our leadership. On challenges ranging from terrorism to disease, nuclear weapons to climate change, we cannot make progress unless we can draw on strong international support.
Talk to our Foes and Friends: Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe. He will do the careful preparation necessary, but will signal that America is ready to come to the table, and that he is willing to lead. And if America is willing to come to the table, the world will be more willing to rally behind American leadership to deal with challenges like terrorism, and Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Obama will make progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a key diplomatic priority. He will make a sustained push – working with Israelis and Palestinians – to achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security.
Expand our Diplomatic Presence: To make diplomacy a priority, Obama will stop shuttering consulates and start opening them in the tough and hopeless corners of the world – particularly in Africa. He will expand our foreign service, and develop the capacity of our civilian aid workers to work alongside the military.
Fight Global Poverty: Obama will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal. He will help the world's weakest states to build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop markets, and generate wealth.
Strengthen NATO: Obama will rally NATO members to contribute troops to collective security operations, urging them to invest more in reconstruction and stabilization operations, streamlining the decision-making processes, and giving NATO commanders in the field more flexibility.
Seek New Partnerships in Asia: Obama will forge a more effective framework in Asia that goes beyond bilateral agreements, occasional summits, and ad hoc arrangements, such as the six-party talks on North Korea. He will maintain strong ties with allies like Japan, South Korea and Australia; work to build an infrastructure with countries in East Asia that can promote stability and prosperity; and work to ensure that China plays by international rules.

Click on the title of the post to read about Barack's foreign policy plan.

Where Obama Stands: On Veterans Affairs

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:30:16 EST

"Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end."

-- Barack Obama, Speech in Kansas City, MO, August 21, 2007

The Problem

Wounded Troops Suffer: The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don't always provide returning service members with the care they deserve.

Veterans Budget Shortfalls: In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.

Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken: There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.

There is Shortage of Care for PTSD: Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.

Barack Obama's Plan

A Sacred Trust

Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: One of Obama's first acts will be reversing the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans.
Strengthen VA Care: Obama will make the VA a leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the best care possible. He will improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.
Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans: Obama will establish a national "zero tolerance" policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness.
Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination: Obama will crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.

Help for Returning Service Members

Obama will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.

Ensure a Seamless Transition: Obama will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.
Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Barack Obama will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Obama will establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.
Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy: Obama will hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. He also will transform the paper benefit claims process to an electronic one to reduce errors and improve timeliness.

Improved Mental Health Treatment

Obama will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.

Improve Mental Health Treatment: Obama will improve mental health care at every stage of military service. He will recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury: Obama will establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
Expand Vet Centers: Obama will expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.

Barack Obama's Record

Read the Speech

Austin American Statesman

Join Veterans for Obama

Bill in Youngstown: Precinct by Precinct

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:05:08 EST

Bill, who works as an advocate for the elderly, has lived in Youngstown, Ohio almost his whole life.

Youngstown is kind of symbolic of Ohio -- we've had a lot of steelmills shut down when I was in high school, and so the older people here are the ones who never really recovered from the loss of those jobs. They're looking for change in this election, and of course they're also looking for experience. Which is why I tell them, when it comes to the problems we've got here in Youngstown, there's no one more experienced than Barack Obama -- who turned down Wall Street jobs as a young guy to move to the South side of Chicago to do community organizing for folks who were in exactly the same situation as Youngstown. The South side of Chicago had the same problem with closing steel plants, and Barack Obama began his work in public service helping people whose problems were an awful lot like ours. Now that's experience.

Bill's been following the campaign on TV and the internet for a year, and in January he even traveled to New Hampshire to help out as a volunteer. When he got back to Ohio, he went on the computer to see if he could find a a local event, but there wasn't anything for 60 or 70 miles around. So, in the true grassroots spirit, he made an event happen himself.

He posted his event online, and by sending out emails, passing out fliers and just by word of mouth, Bill got about 15 people to show up for the first meeting at a local cafe. At the second meeting, they had grown to 24 people. When they announced a primary watching party for Super Tuesday, they got so many RSVPs, they had to find a bigger venue.

Then last week, just one month later, a whopping 150 people showed up for an organizational meeting.

And of course today, thousands of people are getting ready to for the biggest meeting yet: Barack Obama is coming to Youngstown. Check out photos of the crowd in Youngstown here.

The thing that's so important for people to understand about the movement behind Barack Obama -- in addition to the diversity and the enthusiasm -- is that people are actually getting involved. People who have not thought to talk to each other in decades about the problems they have in common have been inspired to come together -- and Barack's not even the nominee yet! He and his supporters have built a network of engaged citizens who are going to keep talking to each other about these issues long after he's the President of the United States. And that's how we're going to solve problems in this country: at the local level, with a President who inspires people to actually work for change.

Bill points out: Barack Obama has a real chance in Ohio, but only if people do the groundwork to spread the word.

"If everybody gets involved, that's how we're going to win this thing. Precinct by precinct and block by block. I really hope that message gets out there."

So, if you live in Ohio, please go to OH.BarackObama.com and see how you can get involved. There is so much going on these days, and Bill is right, this election is going to be won at the local level.

So get out there and talk to your neighbors!

And if you don't live in Ohio, please pick up the phone and talk to some folks who do:

My.BarackObama.com/calls

Check back later for an update on the big Youngstown rally...

Yes we can!

Where Obama Stands: On the Economy

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:25:28 EST

Plan to Strengthen the Economy

“I believe that America’s free market has been the engine of America’s great progress. It’s created a prosperity that is the envy of the world. It’s led to a standard of living unmatched in history. And it has provided great rewards to the innovators and risk-takers who have made America a beacon for science, and technology, and discovery…We are all in this together. From CEOs to shareholders, from financiers to factory workers, we all have a stake in each other’s success because the more Americans prosper, the more America prospers.”

— Barack Obama, New York, NY, September 17, 2007

Barack Obama's Plan

As president, Barack Obama will implement a 21st century economic agenda to help ensure that America can compete in a global economy, and ensure the middle class is thriving and growing. He will increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, and research and development; modernize and simplify our tax code so it provides greater opportunity and relief to more Americans; and implement trade policies that benefit American workers and increase the export of American goods.

Tax Fairness for the Middle Class

Provide a “Making Work Pay” Tax Cut for America's Working Families: The American people work longer and harder than those in any other wealthy nation in the world. But their hours are getting longer and their wages aren't getting any higher. In addition they are being squeezed by rising health care, education and energy costs. Rather than relieving the burden on working families, the current administration has provided tax cut after tax cut to the wealthiest Americans and enacted tax breaks for the most well-connected corporations. Barack Obama will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they deserve. Obama will create a new “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. This refundable income tax credit will provide direct relief to American families who face the regressive payroll tax system. It will offset the payroll tax on the first $8,100 of their earnings while still preserving the important principle of a dedicated revenue source for Social Security. The “Making Work Pay” tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans. The tax credit will also provide relief to self-employed small business owners who struggle to pay both the employee and employer portion of the payroll tax. The “Making Work Pay” tax credit offsets some of this self-employment tax as well.

Create a Universal Mortgage Credit: Owning a home is the culmination of the American dream for so many Americans. The tax code is supposed to encourage home ownership with a mortgage interest deduction, but it goes only to people who itemize their tax deductions. Like so much in our tax code, this tilts the scales toward the well-off. The current mortgage interest deduction excludes nearly two-thirds of Americans who do not itemize their taxes. Barack Obama will ensure that anyone with a mortgage, not just the well-off, can take advantage of this tax incentive for homeownership by creating a universal mortgage credit. This 10 percent credit will benefit an additional 10 million homeowners, the majority of whom earn less than $50,000 per year. Non-itemizers will be eligible for this refundable credit, which will provide the average recipient with approximately $500 per year in tax savings. This tax credit will also help homeowners deal with the uncertain state of the housing market today.

Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit: In the Illinois State Senate, Obama led the successful effort to create the $100 million Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). As president, Obama will reward work by increasing the number of working parents eligible for EITC benefits, increasing the benefit available to parents who support their children through child support payments, increasing the benefit for families with three or more children and reducing the EITC marriage penalty which hurts low-income families. Under the Obama plan, full-time workers making minimum wage would get an EITC benefit up to $555, more than three times greater than the $175 benefit they get today. If the workers are responsibly supporting their children on child support, the Obama plan would give those workers a benefit of $1,110. The Obama plan would also increase the EITC benefit for those families that are most likely to be in poverty &endash; families with three or more children.

Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less Than $50,000:
Since the New Deal we’ve had a basic understanding in America: If you work hard and pay into the system, you’ve earned the right to a secure retirement. But too many seniors aren’t getting that security, even though they’ve held up their end of the bargain. Lower and middle income seniors are struggling as their expenses on health and energy skyrocket while their incomes do not keep pace. This strain has been greater since 1993, when taxes on social security benefits were raised. Millions of seniors saw their net benefits go down.

Seniors also had to take on the added strain – and sometimes cost – of filing a complicated tax return. And after going through all of these complicated calculations, many seniors find that they owe little or no tax, meaning that all of the hassle was for naught.

Barack Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This will eliminate any income tax for nearly seven million seniors at a savings of roughly $1,400 each year. For many seniors, this will eliminate the need to hire a tax preparer, resulting in even larger savings.
Enable Millions of Americans to Complete Tax Returns in 5 Minutes: The tax code has become too complicated. Too many Americans have to pay for expert advice to fill out long forms and comply with complex requirements. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimated in 2004 that it took more than 28 hours for an individual to complete his/her tax filing, and that half of the taxpayers filing the “easy” forms ended up paying a tax preparer to do it for them. Barack Obama will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than 5 minutes. Currently, the IRS receives Americans’ financial information directly from employers and banks. Obama will ensure that the IRS uses this information to give taxpayers the option of a pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and return to the IRS or online. This will eliminate the need for Americans to hire expensive tax preparers and to gather information that the federal government already has on file. Experts estimate that the Obama proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.

Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Barack Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. And by making the tax credit fully refundable, Obama’s credit will help low-income families that need it the most. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year’s tax data to deliver the credit at the time that tuition is due, rather than a year or more later when tax returns are filed.

Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provides too little relief to families that struggle to afford child care expenses. Currently the credit only covers up to 35 percent of the first $3,000 of child care expenses a family incurs for one child and the first $6,000 for a family with two or more children. And the credit is not refundable, which means that upper-income families disproportionately benefit while families who make under $50,000 a year receive less than a third of the tax credit. Barack Obama will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses. Coupled with Obama’s “Making Work Pay” tax credit, this proposal will help put more money directly in the pockets of hardworking low and middle-income parents.

Click on the title of this post for the rest of Obama's plan to strengthen our economy.

Morning News

Sarah Ramey — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:48:38 EST

Salon.com

"Getting through these dark times"
"Foreign policy whiz Samantha Power sheds light on a legendary diplomat killed in Iraq, advising Barack Obama and how America can emerge from the Bush era."
Feb. 18, 2008 | In 2003, Samantha Power won a Pulitzer Prize for her book "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide," in which she chronicled the United States' responses to the major genocides of the 20th century. But that's just one of her accomplishments. Power, 37, is a Harvard professor and founder of that university's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. She is a prominent voice on stopping the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and addressing numerous trouble spots around the world...
...Beneath her sense of humor is a fierce idealism and dedication to improving world affairs. Now, Power is immersed in what she considers the toughest challenge yet in her action-packed career: serving as a senior foreign policy advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The demands of that job have only risen since she first began working for Obama when he joined the U.S. Senate in 2005. But Power also found time to produce another book, published last week: "Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World." The new volume is a biography of the revered United Nations envoy -- once described as a cross between Bobby Kennedy and James Bond -- who was killed in the catastrophic bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad by insurgents during the early stages of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The book is also a treatise on why the world needs the U.N., and the lessons Vieira de Mello learned throughout his career, now more than ever.
...During Vieira de Mello's career with the U.N., as Power details, he met with members of the Khmer Rouge and Serbian genocidaires, his attempts to broker peace with the latter earning him the nickname "Serbio." Power says she sees a strong synergy between Vieira de Mello's principles and Obama's concept of foreign policy -- with their emphasis on justice, human rights, security and, perhaps most controversially, direct diplomatic engagement with foreign adversaries.
...[Salon Q:] How did you end up working for Sen. Obama?
[Samantha Power A:] His office called me when he began serving in the U.S. Senate in early 2005. He had just read "A Problem From Hell" and wanted to meet to discuss fixing American foreign policy. I thought, "Well that's interesting -- clearly he's in some other league." I mean, who spends Christmas reading a dark book on genocide? No other politician had ever contacted me to discuss it.
We were supposed to meet for only an hour but ended up meeting for three or four hours at a steakhouse. Suddenly it was almost midnight and I heard myself saying to him, "Why don't I just quit my job at Harvard and work in your office for a year or whatever?" I didn't even know what I was proposing, but he said, "Great."
...In light of all the questioning of Obama's "experience," you've said he has dirt under his fingernails, and that he would bring a new America to the world. How would he do that?
The idea that he doesn't have experience is nuts to me. He's a constitutional law professor. I happen to miss the Constitution; I thought it was a good document. That's a huge component of being a president when you're combating terrorism and you're trying to restore American values.
The fact that he used to work in the inner city, that's the dirt under his fingernails. If people are an abstraction to you, it's going to show. If you're living with people, if you're working in the inner city, you see the human stakes of it all. He's also worked abroad, so he's comfortable crossing boundaries.
You've said that the Bush administration has diminished the U.S. government's credibility among its own citizens. Can the next president fix that?
I don't think the next president can just show up and have it restored. Whoever wins is probably going to win by a narrow margin. One of the reasons Obama is so appealing to me is that he doesn't take the American people for granted; you don't stop having this conversation when you enter the White House. None of the major foreign policy challenges on the horizon can be tackled if we don't have a thick domestic base. We can't do foreign aid, we can't get out of Iraq, succeed in Afghanistan, close Guantánamo and end torture policy without actually talking to people about the costs of that.
...You've talked about what a great teacher Vieira de Mello is. What has he taught you?
I think Sergio makes me see dignity. His great line, and actually my favorite line in the whole book, is, "Fear is a bad adviser." I love that. It's so simple. And then that humility and curiosity are very important -- but also a sense of fallibility without paralysis.
I think Obama has all those things in spades. I like to think that as I get older I'm getting better at spending time with people who have qualities that make them worth spending time with. My decision to leave Harvard and go work on foreign policy, in the minority party in the U.S. Senate at that time, it was a terrible year. Obama was great, but you couldn't get anything done. It was the worst year of my professional life, but it was the education of Samantha Power. You spend time with Obama and you learn things. And hopefully I could bring a little bit of what I learned from Sergio to him as well.

New York Daily News

"Out of one, many rise to the challenge of believing again"
One of Michelle Obama's favorite points is that for too long we have been manipulated by the fear that has been imposed on us about almost everything. "Be not afraid" is a watchword that rises through her speeches and seems to exit into the air from a hot spring of ideas and feeling bubbling beneath her hair.
That combination of ideas and feeling touches something more than a little important in the charred heart of the American populace because it is grounded in a far from naive optimism. It is the optimism that any scrapper has to have when entering a fight. That optimism is as old as the republic itself and is, again, providing a sensational skin graft that always must be performed when the heart of the country has been charred by the lies and corruption that fuel the latest version of an incapacitating cynicism we know quite well.
...When Obama links the 13 Colonies fighting the Revolutionary War to the abolition movement against slavery, and that to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, and that to women getting the vote and unions being able to represent workers, and that to defeating Hitler and European fascism during World War II, and that fight to the Civil Rights struggle in which black and white people, some young, some not, brought this country much closer to its democratic destiny, Americans feel both purified and closer to each other.
That is what no presidential candidate has been able to do in many, many years: make people FEEL that e pluribus unum is not only alive and well, but is the foundation of the strategy that will get us out of our messes.
Americans are beginning to believe in the country as a whole again. Americans have longed for this feeling throughout all of the sellouts to the Christian right, to the remaining reptilian rednecks of the bigoted South, to the big-money special interests and their lobbyists and to the general incompetence and lack of integrity that have left the greasy fingerprints of self-interest and the squalor of greed on our national policies.
That is why Obama has created a movement no one knew was possible and that our pundits still fail to understand because they reduce it to something neither he nor his followers are interested in: race.
...We are all joined at the American heart and the superficial cacophony of its beat disguises a central pulse of irrepressible vitality. Barack Obama and his supporters have built a movement because they can hear the brightness of that heartbeat and intend to get everyone else to hear it as well.

Los Angeles Times

...Obama has also launched a new organizing campaign in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. One piece of that effort could be glimpsed at a Saturday-night celebration of a new Obama office in downtown Brownsville, about half a mile from the Mexican border. It drew about 200 supporters, a noteworthy crowd, the campaign said, for an event not attended by the candidate.
...exit polls from some of the most recent voting states, such as Virginia and Maryland, show that Obama has begun to narrow the gap not only with Latinos but with lower-income whites, who have been among Clinton's most loyal backers.
...newly elected state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, is a top Obama organizer -- even though he grew up looking at family photos of his parents and grandparents with the Clintons.

"That was his generation . . . but this is my generation," said the younger Lucio. "This is the most exciting time for me ever other than my own campaign. Someday I can tell my grandkids that I worked on the Obama campaign, and they will be like, 'Wow.' "
..."I see more of myself in Barack than I do in Hillary," said Sergio Zarate, 46, who owns a chain of dry cleaning stores in the Rio Grande Valley and attended Saturday's party. "He's not just going to crack a glass ceiling. He can really kick the door off its hinges, and clear the way for all of us, even Hispanics."

"Texans for Obama grew from book club to much more"
"The group had humble beginnings but blossomed with the Senator's Presidential run"
Before any official presidential campaign, Texans For Obama started as a book club, an idea born over Shiner on a red couch in South Austin.
Ian Davis and Matt Earhart, a community organizer and a high school U.S. history teacher who are both in their late 20s, were making fun of Davis' wife, Amy Everhart, asking her why she doesn't invite them to her book club meetings.
"No dudes allowed," Davis remembers her saying.
"Fine," he told her, "we're forming our own book club on Barack Obama, and everyone's invited because Barack's a unifier."
Soon after, Davis reserved the domain names obamabookclub.com and texansforobama.com. He called community activist David Kobierowski for his energy and enthusiasm.
Word on the book club was put out on meetup.com. Earhart handed out fliers as people exited a Dixie Chicks concert. As Obama signed his book at the Texas Book Festival in October 2006, Kobierowski gave a flier to the Illinois senator.
"David, this is great!" Kobierowski recalls him saying with a fist pump. "Grass roots — this is exactly what I want to see all over the country."
...30 to 35 people showed up at El Sol y La Luna on South Congress Avenue in December 2006. More than 80 came to their second meeting at Scholz Garten the next month. And by the third meeting at Mitchie's Gallery in February 2007, when they watched Obama announcing his candidacy via live webcast, it was clear that their group was going to be more than a book club.
"We ran into something here," Earhart said. "We started early on this."
In the two weeks after the announcement, with the help of more than 400 volunteers and the University of Texas group University Democrats, members of the Obama book club led organization efforts for the rally at Auditorium Shores attended by 20,000 people.
It was a turning point for the group. By then, those who had stuck with the book had finished it. The book club faded away. And Texans For Obama emerged.
They already had shifted to texansfor obama.com, which got five to 10 hits a day in December 2006 but 20,000 page views one day last week.
Davis' and Kobierowski's cell phones continually ring. People want stickers, signs. They want to help.
Texans For Obama members have been helping Obama's campaign staff as volunteers. They were at the grand opening of Obama's Texas campaign headquarters in downtown Austin on Saturday. On Tuesday, Obama will attend campaign rallies in San Antonio and Houston, according to a campaign announcement Sunday.
In Austin, Texans for Obama will host two parties at Scholz Garten: a Tuesday event to watch the Wisconsin election results and a Thursday event to watch Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton debate at UT's Recreational Sports Center.
After the March 4 primary, they'll get back to the book club. This time, they'll encourage others to start their own clubs on either of Obama's books.
Although Davis and Kobierowski previously have volunteered for political campaigns, Earhart hadn't been active politically since he was 19. Their Obama movement grew organically. Still, they never expected this.
Said Earhart: "I'm just the teacher who started a book club."

PC World

U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama has technology on his side.
...Obama's campaign has embraced innovative technologies that help him connect with voters, volunteers and supporters.
Obama's campaign used an online collaboration tool from 3-year-old startupCentral Desktopto help organize volunteers before the California primary, and it's using an answer center fromRightNow Technologiesto create a dynamic FAQ on the campaign's Web site. In addition, liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org has poured its own technology resources into the Illinois senator's campaign.
...some observers say Obama has taken the use of interactive Web tools to new heights in a national campaign.
...Obama's California volunteers grasped the technology quickly, said Garcia, who worked personally with some of the volunteers. "I was actually blown away by their grasp, how quickly they were able to use the tool and the types of questions they were asking," he said. "They were a younger, more technology-savvy group than what you'd get in your average business, or your average campaign for that matter."
The Obama campaign's precinct captain Web site includes instructions for the volunteers, news items about the campaign, instructions for the captains and stories from volunteers about why they joined the campaign. "Barack's vision is one of shared values and common purpose," the precinct captain learning center says. "He has called on all of us to join him in this movement, because he cannot do it alone."
...The Obama campaign's answer center, powered by RightNow, is a more public-facing technology. About 1.3 million visitors have come to the answer center, with about 70 percent of them coming in December and January, Jones said.
The answer center includes a searchable database for many questions voters might have. The most popular questions are displayed first and can change dynamically depending on what questions visitors are looking for, Jones said.
...As of Monday, people had contributed more than US$500,000 to Obama's campaign through the MoveOn.org Web site, and MoveOn members sent more than 520,000 endorsement e-mail messages or Facebook messages to friends and family, using MoveOn's new Endorse-O-ThonWeb tool. MoveOn has also e-mailed nearly 2 million of its members get-out-to-vote messages, the group said.
...students of campaigning may look back on the Obama campaign as the new standard for using interactive technology. Obama has been able to connect with voters, and as a result, he's raised "pretty staggering" amounts of money, much of it from donors giving $10 or $25 a month, said Central Desktop's Garcia.
Obama's use of technology to connect with voters is "very unique," Garcia added. "We saw glimpses of it with [Democratic candidate] Howard Dean in 2004," he said. "But not to this level. What you get is a perfect matching of philosophy, messaging and technology."

And if you haven't seen these next two articles from last night, here's news from the Columbus Dispatch:

"Obama endorsed by state Treasurer Cordray"
Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray is endorsing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president.
“I believe in Senator Obama’s inspirational message and his effort to create a politics that will bring people together,” Cordray, a Democrat, said in a statement released today.
“That is the kind of leadership we are working to provide in Ohio, and it is badly needed to change the federal government in Washington.”
Cordray's nod doesn't carry the weight of Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democratic superdelegate whose endorsement of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton means an automatic vote in her column at the party's convention in Denver.
But Cordray is the first statewide official to endorse Obama in Ohio's March 4 primary. Obama also has the backing of Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman.

And Newsweek

"Barack's Rock"
... In her stump speech, she uses her own life as a rebuke to those who have said that she and her husband aren't ready for the White House. She tells the story of a 10-year-old girl she met in a beauty parlor in South Carolina who told her that if Barack wins the White House, "it means I can imagine anything for myself."
That story, Michelle says, was just like her own: "She could have been me. Because the truth is, I'm not supposed to be here, standing here. I'm a statistical oddity. Black girl, brought up on the South Side of Chicago. Was I supposed to go to Princeton? No … They said maybe Harvard Law was too much for me to reach for. But I went, I did fine. And I'm certainly not supposed to be standing here." Whatever lingering doubts Michelle Obama may still have, moving into the White House would go a long way toward putting them to rest.
For yesterday's post on this article, click here. For the full Newsweek article, click here.

Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray Endorses Barack Obama

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:37:12 EST

COLUMBUS, OH—Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray today endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president, citing his unique ability to bring people together to change our politics.

"I believe in Senator Obama's inspirational message and his effort to create a politics that will bring people together," Treasurer Cordray said. "That is the kind of leadership we are working to provide in Ohio, and it is badly needed to change the federal government in Washington."

"Treasurer Cordray's distinguished record of leadership in Ohio represents the very best in our tradition of public service," Senator Obama said. "An Ohioan by birth, he has a fundamental understanding of the challenges facing working families in these difficult times. He knows how critical it is that we make quality health care affordable to every American and that our tax code stops rewarding companies that ship our jobs overseas and starts putting tax breaks back in the pockets of hardworking Ohioans.

"But Treasurer Cordray also understands that none of this is going to be possible unless we can bring people together and finally put aside our divisive, petty politics and fundamentally change the way that Washington works. The Treasurer is going to be an extraordinary asset in this movement for change, and I look forward to working alongside him as we campaign in towns and cities across Ohio in the weeks to come."

Michelle Obama in Newsweek

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:30:47 EST

Newsweek magazine is featuring Michelle Obama this week, in a great cover story entitled, "Barack's Rock."

Here's the opening, which sounds about right: "She's the one who keeps him real, the one who makes sure running for leader of the free world doesn't go to his head. Michelle's story."

Michelle Obama has been an absolute inspiration to women and men alike -- drawing diverse crowds of over 1,000 people even when she campaigns on her own. This week's article in Newsweek is a must-read for everyone out there who loves Michelle (which is to say, everyone.) Here are some excerpts, and be sure to pick up a copy of your own:

Michelle Obama was never much interested in calling attention to herself. As an undergrad at Princeton in the 1980s, she was interested in social change, but didn't run for student government. Instead, she spent her free time running a literacy program for kids from the local neighborhoods. At Harvard Law, she took part in demonstrations demanding more minority students and professors. Yet unlike another more prominent Harvard Law student who would later take up the cause, she was not one to hold forth with high-flown oratory about the need for diversity. "When [Barack Obama] spoke, people got quiet and listened," recalls Prof. Randall Kennedy. "Michelle had a more modest, quieter, lower profile." Barack won election as president of the Law Review. Michelle put her energy into a less glamorous pursuit: recruiting black undergrads to Harvard Law from other schools. For her, politics wasn't so much about being inspirational as it was being practical—about getting something specific done, says Charles Ogletree, one of her professors. "She was not trying to get ahead."
She no longer has the luxury of keeping a low profile. Now a very public figure, Michelle has accepted the role of aspiring First Lady and the sometimes uncomfortable scrutiny that comes with it. On the campaign trail, she is sometimes slated as the opening act, introducing Barack to the audience. Direct and plain-spoken, with an edgy sense of humor uncommon in a political spouse, she complements her husband's more grandiose style...She wants to change the world, but she also wants to win this thing now that they're so deeply invested. If his loftiness can set him apart from the crowd, her bluntness draws them in...
From the beginning of the campaign, Michelle made it clear to her husband that she would give the effort her all ("We need to be in there now, while we're still fresh and open and fearless and bold," she told Vanity Fair last December), but not at the expense of family life.
...At the meetings, Axelrod and the other aides addressed each of Michelle's questions. "Suffusing these discussions was, if we did it, she and he both wanted to make sure it was consistent with who he is and what he thinks, and wouldn't distort that," says Axelrod. She has expressed fears that the nastiness of presidential politics could wind up sucking the idealism out of her husband, leaving him just another soulless, cynical Washington pol. "Michelle has always been in the camp of, 'Let's not forget what we're fighting for'," Axelrod says. After the meetings, Michelle gave Barack her blessing.
...Part of Michelle Obama's appeal—she routinely draws audiences of 1,000-plus supporters even when she's campaigning on her own—is that she comes across as so normal despite the withering glare of a national campaign. As a political spouse, she is somewhat unusual. She isn't the traditional Stepford booster, smiling vacantly at her husband and sticking to a script of carefully vetted blandishments. Nor is she a surrogate campaign manager, ordering the staff around and micromanaging the candidate's every move. She travels the country giving speeches and attending events (her mother watches the kids when she's on the road), but resists staying away for more than one night at a stretch. When the couple catch up several times a day on the phone, the talk is more likely to be about their daughters than the latest poll projections. Michelle has made it her job to ensure that Barack, who now lives full time inside the surreal campaign bubble of adoring crowds and constant attention, doesn't himself lose sight of what's normal.
Onstage, Obama has introduced Michelle as "my rock"—the person who keeps him focused and grounded. In her words, she is just making sure he is "keeping it real."...She insists that Barack fly home from wherever he is to attend ballet recitals and parent-teacher conferences. When the couple host political gatherings at their home in Chicago's Hyde Park, Michelle asks everyone to bring along their children. To help bridge the physical distance between father and daughters, Michelle recently bought two MacBook laptops, one for Barack and one for the kids, so they could have video chats over the Internet. Last Thursday, she cleared his schedule so he could return home to Chicago and spend Valentine's Day with her and the girls.
Those who know her invariably describe Michelle as poised, relaxed and confident. "There is no difference between the public Michelle and the private Michelle," says University of Chicago law professor David Strauss, who sits with her on the board of the University of Chicago's Lab School. (The Obamas' daughters attend the school.) "There's no pretense."...
...In 1989, she was assigned to mentor a young, unconventional summer associate by the name of Barack Obama. Michelle was unimpressed by the office gossip about the hotshot Harvard Law student, a biracial intern from Hawaii whom she dismissed as "a black guy who can talk straight." But she was disarmed by his confidence. He walked up to her one day and said, "I think we should go out on a date." She resisted, thinking it was inappropriate. She dropped her guard after he asked her to go to one of his community-organizing sessions in a church basement, where he delivered a stemwinding speech about closing the gap between what he called "the world as it is, and the world as it should be."
She was smitten. "I was, like, 'This guy is different'," she says. "'He is really different, in addition to being nice and funny and cute and all that. He's got a seriousness and a commitment that you don't see every day'." She recalls thinking, " 'Well, you know, I'd like to be married to somebody who felt that deeply about things'." At this, she paused for a second. "Maybe I didn't say 'marry.' Scratch that part. It took him a little while." Each of them offered the other something they had lacked growing up—for her, a free-thinking outlook, for him, a sense of stability.
...After she worked for the city for a couple of years, Barack led Michelle closer to community activism. He was on the board of a start-up group called Public Allies, a nonprofit that encouraged young people to go into public service—just the kind of encouragement she felt she had never gotten. The organization needed a Chicago director. The job paid even less than her city post. "It sounded risky and just out there," she says. "But for some reason it just spoke to me. This was the first time I said, 'This is what I say I care about. Right here. And I will have to run it'." (Michelle jokes that she took a pay cut with every new job. The couple finally got out of debt when Barack's book, "The Audacity of Hope," became a best seller.) More recently, she inspired a program to send doctors from the prestigious University of Chicago Medical Center into community hospitals and clinics in poor surrounding neighborhoods...
...In her stump speech, she uses her own life as a rebuke to those who have said that she and her husband aren't ready for the White House. She tells the story of a 10-year-old girl she met in a beauty parlor in South Carolina who told her that if Barack wins the White House, "it means I can imagine anything for myself."
That story, Michelle says, was just like her own: "She could have been me. Because the truth is, I'm not supposed to be here, standing here. I'm a statistical oddity. Black girl, brought up on the South Side of Chicago. Was I supposed to go to Princeton? No … They said maybe Harvard Law was too much for me to reach for. But I went, I did fine. And I'm certainly not supposed to be standing here." Whatever lingering doubts Michelle Obama may still have, moving into the White House would go a long way toward putting them to rest.

Please click here to read the whole article about Michelle's life story -- it's well worth it.

And for those reading the article and want to see Michelle in action, here's a quick introductory video called "Meet Michelle."

Just about every video of Michelle Obama is a personal favorite, but you can also check out these videos in particular to see more of Michelle and other great women for Obama:

Michelle speaks in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Michelle, with Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver and Oprah at a recent rally in California
Michelle speaks at a Women For Obama luncheon in Chicago
And the Women For Obama video, which also features Alice Walker and Rep. Jan Schakowski

Be sure to visit the Women for Obama page and spread the word about Michelle Obama to the people you know.

Where Obama Stands: On Healthcare

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:11:27 EST

Plan for a Healthy America

“We now face an opportunity — and an obligation — to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates… My plan begins by covering every American. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums. That will be less. If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law. No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness.” — Barack Obama, Speech in Iowa City, IA, May 29, 2007

The Problem

Millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured because of rising medical costs: 47 million Americans — including nearly 9 million children — lack health insurance with no signs of this trend slowing down.

Health care costs are skyrocketing: Health insurance premiums have risen 4 times faster than wages over the past 6 years.

Too little is spent on prevention and public health: The nation faces epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases as well as new threats of pandemic flu and bioterrorism. Yet despite all of this less than 4 cents of every health care dollar is spent on prevention and public health.

Barack Obama's Plan

Quality, Affordable and Portable Coverage for All

Obama's Plan to Cover Uninsured Americans: Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The Obama plan will have the following features:

Guaranteed eligibility. No American will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or pre-existing conditions.
Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care.
Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan.
Simplified paperwork and reined in health costs.
Easy enrollment. The new public plan will be simple to enroll in and provide ready access to coverage.
Portability and choice. Participants in the new public plan and the National Health Insurance Exchange (see below) will be able to move from job to job without changing or jeopardizing their health care coverage.
Quality and efficiency. Participating insurance companies in the new public program will be required to report data to ensure that standards for quality, health information technology and administration are being met.

National Health Insurance Exchange: The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and have the same standards for quality and efficiency. The Exchange would evaluate plans and make the differences among the plans, including cost of services, public.
Employer Contribution: Employers that do not offer or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small employers that meet certain revenue thresholds will be exempt. * Mandatory Coverage of Children: Obama will require that all children have health care coverage. Obama will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage, including allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans.
Expansion Of Medicaid and SCHIP: Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function. * Flexibility for State Plans: Due to federal inaction, some states have taken the lead in health care reform. The Obama plan builds on these efforts and does not replace what states are doing. States can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.

Lower Costs by Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System

Reducing Costs of Catastrophic Illnesses for Employers and Their Employees: Catastrophic health expenditures account for a high percentage of medical expenses for private insurers. The Obama plan would reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums.

Helping Patients:

Support disease management programs. Seventy five percent of total health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Obama will require that providers that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of care, give doctors better information and lower costs.
Coordinate and integrate care. Over 133 million Americans have at least one chronic disease and these chronic conditions cost a staggering $1.7 trillion yearly. Obama will support implementation of programs and encourage team care that will improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions.
Require full transparency about quality and costs. Obama will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that go to patient care as opposed to administrative costs.

Click on the title of the post to read about Barack's healthcare plan.

Where Obama Stands: On Iraq

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:56:05 EST

Plan for Ending the War in Iraq

“But conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war. The pundits judged the political winds to be blowing in the direction of the President. Despite - or perhaps because of how much experience they had in Washington, too many politicians feared looking weak and failed to ask hard questions. Too many took the President at his word instead of reading the intelligence for themselves. Congress gave the President the authority to go to war. Our only opportunity to stop the war was lost.

I made a different judgment. I thought our priority had to be finishing the fight in Afghanistan. I spoke out against what I called "a rash war' in Iraq. I worried about, ‘an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.’ The full accounting of those costs and consequences will only be known to history. But the picture is beginning to come into focus.”

—Barack Obama, Clinton, Iowa, September 12, 2007

The Problem

The Surge: The goal of the surge was to create space for Iraq's political leaders to reach an agreement to end Iraq's civil war. At great cost, our troops have helped reduce violence in some areas of Iraq, but even those reductions do not get us below the unsustainable levels of violence of mid-2006. Moreover, Iraq's political leaders have made no progress in resolving the political differences at the heart of their civil war.

Military Strain: The military is being severely strained by repeated and lengthy deployments. The Army and Marine Corps are facing a crisis as 40 percent of their equipment is either in Iraq or being repaired. This crisis has led many of our generals to conclude that current demands make our forces unable to rapidly respond to the contingencies we may face in the future.

Barack Obama's Plan

Judgment You Can Trust

As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama put his political career on the line to oppose going to war in Iraq, and warned of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” Obama has been a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq.

In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war on the campaign trail;
In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops;
In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq’s neighbors;
In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008.
In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president.

Bringing Our Troops Home

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

Press Iraq’s Leaders to Reconcile

The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.

Regional Diplomacy

Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction.

Humanitarian Initiative

Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis — two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.

Barack Obama's Record

Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against the war. He said the war would lead to "an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs and undetermined consequences." In January 2007, Obama introduced legislation to responsibly end the war in Iraq, with a phased withdrawal of troops engaged in combat operations.
Obama has a plan to immediately begin withdrawing our troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year. He would call for a new constitutional convention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq's leaders reach a new accord on reconciliation. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of the region on behalf of a new regional security compact. And he would take immediate steps to confront the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Iraq.

For More Information about Barack's Plan

Where Obama Stands: On Faith

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:19:35 EST

"(Obama's speech on faith) may be the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican...Obama offers the first faith testimony I have heard from any politician that speaks honestly about the uncertainties of belief."

-- E.J. Dionne, Op-Ed., Washington Post, June 30, 2006

Barack Obama is a committed Chrisitan who has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's Southside for the past twenty years.

In June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts, and the need for a deeper, more substantive discussion about the role of faith in American life.

See the speech:

Senator Obama also laid down principles for how to discuss faith in a pluralistic society, including the need for religious people to translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values during public debate. In December, 2006, Senator Obama discussed the importance of faith in the global battle against AIDS.

Watch Barack's more recent speech on faith and justice at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA:

Corpus Christi Caller-Times Endorses Obama

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:50:34 EST

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times has endorsed Barack Obama:

"Obama offers Democrats inspirational leadership"
Democrats are watching one of the most exciting presidential nominating contest in years unfold in a series of state primaries across the nation. The two Democrats left in the race, Sens. Hillary Ridgan Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, now bring their campaigns to Texas. This is a memorable moment for Texans whose voices have been irrelevant in past presidential primary elections. But in this March 4 primary, Texas Democrats have a chance to make history.
Both candidates offer the opportunity to transcend gender and race. Clinton, if nominated, would be the first woman to lead the presidential ballot of a major American party and, if elected, be the first woman to be president of the United States. Obama similarly has the opportunity to become the first African-American to sit in the Oval Office as president of the nation where black slaves were once considered property. The nation passes a historic milestone with either candidate. That given, the candidates must stand on their own qualities.
The differences on policy issues between Obama and Clinton are all but neglible. Both offer similar positions on universal health insurance, the Iraq war, the economy, immigration reform and the other major issues. The difference is how they would approach the presidency. Clinton is a two-term senator and former first lady. The 60-year-old Clinton touts her experience as the edge. Obama, the choice of the Editorial Board, brings something to American politics that has been missing for a long time: the ability to inspire. The campaign of the 46-year-old Illinois senator has demonstrated his ability to bring new voters to the polls in every primary held so far. This is evidence of Obama's ability to reawaken faith in representative democracy among Americans sick of leadership that depends on division and demonizing of opponents.
The nation's politics have been mired for too long in a game of one-upmanship and retribution. Americans are looking for leadership, but their politicians have been hungering for payback. Each election brings another bloody nose to be remembered, another wound to be nursed until the next go-round. Enough. The problems of the American people are too crucial to waste more time in bitter partisanship. The nation is stuck in a war that has already cost the lives of nearly 4,000 Americans. The image of the United States has been shamefully stained by betrayal of its democratic principles by the current administration. A recession looms and Americans are worried about their jobs, their homes, their pensions and their children's education. These are difficult issues to grapple with and they demand a broad and inclusive effort from the entire American political spectrum to arrive at solutions. This is the appeal of Obama. His candidacy is rooted in the notion that politics can be about solutions, not divisions, that elected leaders are elected to lead, not to drive wedges between groups of Americans. This is a chance to break from the past.
Obama is more than biography, but his family background -- the son of an African father and a Kansas mother, raised in Indonesia and the polyglot population of Hawaii -- gives him a wider perspective of the world. It is a profile much like that of a young generation of Americans who look beyond color and ethnicity and who are creating and being raised in biracial and even triracial homes. Obama's candidacy is a hope that the old ethnic and racial politics will fade. May that day come quickly.
We don't doubt Sen. Clinton's fitness for office. She is a remarkable political figure. She may be the most knowledgeable of any of the candidates on any of the issues. The Clintons, wife and former president, are never to be underestimated. They are nothing if not resilient. If nominated and elected, she would be a capable, committed and formidable political leader. But what her candidacy can't offer is a bridge from the past to the future. She offers a list of answers to a list of any possible policy questions, but what is missing is an over-arching sense of mission for Americans, other than restoring a bygone era. For Clinton, every issue must have an enemy -- oil companies, the rich, insurance companies, a corporate oligarchy, and on and every enemy must be vanquished. Beating up on a political enemy doesn't educate children, comfort the aged or ease the anxieties of economically stressed families.
Clinton, in a criticism that is likely to surface again in the fall if Obama is the Democratic nominee, belittles his candidacy as riding on mere beautiful speeches. This misses one of the most important jobs an American president has, the ability to move Americans toward a unifying theme, to instill courage and boldness. There is a whole Congress to legislate. A president, with his cabinet and administration, must plunge into the sausage-making of negotiating bills. But only the president can inspire, can call Americans to sacrifice and to unity. Of this, there has been precious little for a long time.
Voting for Obama takes courage. He is three years removed from the Illinois state senate. He has never served in the military, nor has Clinton. Obama has never led an organization with as many moving parts as the White House. But experience means little if it is only about remembering the old hates. And it takes courage to break from the old political civil wars. Many Democrats, like many Republicans, find it easier and more comforting to vilify political opponents and nurse grudges than to take the bold step of reaching across political lines to find solutions wherever they may be found. Nominating the Illinois senator offers Americans a chance to transcend the old politics. The Editorial Board endorses Sen. Barack Obama because it believes that he offers the kind of inspirational leadership the country is hungry for.

Sunday News

Sarah Ramey — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:00:27 EST

Dallas Morning News

"Obama to Visit Dallas on Wednesday"

Barack Obama will make a much-anticipated visit to Dallas on Wednesday as he barnstorms through Texas before next week's Democratic debate.
..."Everybody is excited," said former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, a member of Mr. Obama's Texas steering committee. "It's an opportunity to introduce Senator Obama to North Texas on his terms and in his voice."
Mr. Obama's Texas tour begins Tuesday with rallies in San Antonio and Houston.
...Late last week, about 150,000 statewide volunteers had signed up to assist the campaign.
"We've seen an amazing amount of grass-roots support even before Senator Obama's arrival," Mr. Shapiro said.
Training events and volunteer meetings were held this weekend across Texas.

Associated Press

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Barack Obama is wearing a wristband in memory of a soldier killed in Iraq, given to him by a mother who said she wants the Democratic presidential candidate to keep others from dying.
Tracy Jopek of Merrill, Wis., gave Obama the bracelet at a rally Friday night in Green Bay. He wore it Saturday as he campaigned across the state before Tuesday's primary.
The bracelet has her son's name, Sgt. Ryan David Jopek, and the date the 20-year-old was killed by a roadside bomb, Aug. 2, 2006. ''All gave some -- He gave all,'' it says.
Obama told the Green Bay audience, ''I meet mothers and family members all over the country who are still mourning their children but are also thinking about the young men and women who are still over there and wondering when it will end.''
Jopek said she and her daughter briefly met the Illinois senator at the rally. "I wanted him to know my son's name for one thing, for when he's commander in chief,'' she said in a telephone interview.
''I just don't want any more soldiers to die in vain for something that we can't solve,'' she said.

New York Times

...“Don’t be fooled by this talk about speeches versus solutions,” Mr. Obama told a crowd of Wisconsin voters. “It’s true, I give a good speech. What do I do? Nothing wrong with that.”
...the audience roared with approval.
...as he traveled across Wisconsin last week, Mr. Obama seemed to have let loose a little more of his inner-wonk, which his strategists had once urged him to keep on the shelf.
...“Today, I want to take it down a notch,” said Mr. Obama, of Illinois, standing on the floor of a General Motors plant. “This is going to be a speech that is a little more detailed. It’s going to be a little bit longer, with not too many applause lines.”
...Representative David R. Obey, Democrat of Wisconsin, is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and respected on Capitol Hill as being among the small share of lawmakers intricately familiar with the federal budget. Mr. Obey said he was more than comfortable with Mr. Obama’s grasp of substance.
“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t have endorsed him,” Mr. Obey said Saturday. “You can’t make much headway on substance until you have somebody who can break through the rancorous atmosphere, build new alliances and cut through old barriers.”

Los Angeles Times

"Hola, Obama"
'Yes, we can.'
The chant made famous by Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid captures the senator's infectious optimism and movement candidacy...
Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton differ on few issues and generally agree on the matters of principal concern to Latinos. Both support comprehensive immigration reform; indeed, Obama promises to press that cause even more aggressively than Clinton. Both support significant revamping of the nation's healthcare system. Both favor economic, tax and job programs that would help poorer Americans, many of Latin American descent.

One of their relatively few policy differences places Obama in allegiance with many Latino leaders -- and Clinton on the other side. She opposes the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, while Obama favors licensing those drivers. In part, his reasons are practical -- unlicensed drivers are more likely to flee the scene of an accident -- but the result puts him closer to what might be described as a predominantly "Latino" position on this issue than Clinton.
...La Opinion endorsed Obama and specifically praised his "inclusive message of hope." The Service Employees International Union, with its huge Latino membership, on Friday backed his candidacy, and a number of prominent Latino officials have joined his campaign in recent months. Those endorsements have been trickling in and appear to be registering with voters....he held his own among Latinos in Virginia, and his support is unmistakably broadening.

We in Los Angeles occupy the glorious center of Mexican American life. Our polyglot culture -- its language and institutions, politics, parades and street life -- is being shaped daily by the rub of black and white, Asian and Latino. Our mayor was elected by an inspiring cross-cultural coalition. It is, as we well know, a uniquely American joy to be immersed in the fast currents of cultural change.

Now the nation has the chance to experience a bit of the excitement that we enjoy in Los Angeles. It can set aside its prejudices and predispositions and join in support of a new kind of candidate. Texas, with its large Latino population, goes to the polls on March 4. Latino voters there and across the country should give Obama a chance. His victory could be theirs as well.

Si, se puede.

Packed House in Wisconsin

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:35:04 EST

Barack Obama absolutely packed the house at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire today:

Getting ready for their February 19th primary coming up this Tuesday, Wisconsinites have been coming from all over the state to see Senator Obama speak, even on a chilly Saturday afternoon like today. In fact, so many people showed up to the rally that the crowd spilled over by the hundreds outside...

Here's Barack coming to speak to the overflow crowd:

Earlier in the day, Barack had a chance to visit the Northcentral Technical College in Wausau where he held a community meeting and got to talk with with students from the college about his plan to strengthen America’s community colleges and prepare students for 21st century jobs.

He met with two students in particular: Andrew Staub, a 21-year-old Electronics student who earned a degree in Electromechanical Technology, and returned to NTC to continue his education because of the valuable training opportunities the school provides; and Kimberly Whitewater, a human services student who grew up in a family without the resources to pursue a higher education, and is attending NTC to gain new opportunities in the workforce.

Here's a quick video of Andrew and Kimberly giving Senator Obama a tour of NTC:

All in all, a great day for Barack Obama in Wisconsin!

To get involved in Wisconsin, please visit WI.BarackObama.com.

And tomorrow, we'll need your help making calls to Wisconsin voters to make sure we get out the vote!

See you then...

Calling Ohio

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:39:27 EST

Just got off the phone with James, a grocery store clerk and part-time substitute teacher, born and raised in Ohio, and he says he just got his Obama signs and put them out in the yard.

"I actually think he's going to be the next FDR. He's energizing the whole country -- states as different from one another as they could be -- and it's happening from the ground up. He's got detailed, creative programs that appeal to Independents like me -- and I think he'll really work to get things done because he knows on a personal level how badly this country needs it. He comes from modest means, worked his way up in life, and can relate to a whole lot of people in this country who are struggling."

Like many people, the economy is the most important issue to James in the upcoming election.

"Barack's got it right: it's all about getting money to the people who need it and who will spend it."

James also belongs to the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and he's proud that his union just endorsed Obama.

"I think when people take the time to look for themselves, they really like Obama. He just embodies leadership -- if I were going to be a politician, that's the kind of politician I'd like to be."

So you heard it from James -- it's time to get calling in Ohio, and encourage people to take a look at Barack Obama for themselves!

We've already made an impressive 68,000 calls in the last few days, and this weekend we have time to outdo ourselves.

The goal is 110,000 calls by Tuesday. We can do this.

My.BarackObama.com/Calls

New to phonebanking?

As our experienced phonebankers will tell you: once you make your first call, it's smooth sailing after that.

So pick up the phone and make your first call!

And then you can tell everyone about it, swap phonebanking tips, and encourage each other in the comments below...

Where Obama Stands: On Education

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:53:20 EST

A World class education

“I don't want to send another generation of American children to failing schools. I don't want that future for my daughters. I don't want that future for your sons. I do not want that future for America.”
— Barack Obama, Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Des Moines, Iowa, November 10, 2007

Watch the video:

Teacher Retention is a Problem: Thirty percent of new teachers leave within their first five years in the profession.

Click on the title of the post to read about Barack's education plan.

Where Obama Stands: On Poverty

Sarah Ramey — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:05:08 EST

Plan to Combat Poverty

“I'm in this race for the same reason that I fought for jobs for the jobless and hope for the hopeless on the streets of Chicago; for the same reason I fought for justice and equality as a civil rights lawyer; for the same reason that I fought for Illinois families for over a decade… That's why I'm running, Democrats — to keep the American Dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity, who still thirst for equality.”
— Barack Obama, Speech in Des Moines, IA, November 10, 2007

The Problem

Poverty Rising: There are nearly 37 million poor Americans. Most Americans living in poverty work, but still cannot afford to make ends meet.

Minimum Wage is Not Enough: Even when a parent works full-time earning minimum wage and EITC and food stamps are factored into their income, families are still $1,550 below the federal poverty line because of the flat-lined minimum wage.

Barack Obama's Plan

Expand Access to Jobs

Help Americans Grab a Hold of and Climb the Job Ladder: Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.
Create a Green Jobs Corps: Obama will create a program to directly engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities to strengthen their communities, while also providing them with practical skills in this important high-growth career field.
Improve Transportation Access to Jobs: As president, Obama will work to ensure that low-income Americans have transportation access to jobs. Obama will double the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program to ensure that additional federal public transportation dollars flow to the highest-need communities and that urban planning initiatives take this aspect of transportation policy into account.
Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Supports: Obama will work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program and reduce barriers to employment.

Make Work Pay for All Americans

Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit: Obama will increase the number of working parents eligible for EITC benefits, increase the benefits available to parents who support their children through child support payments, increase benefits for families with three or more children, and reduce the EITC marriage penalty, which hurts low-income families.
Create a Living Wage: Obama will raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to make sure that full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing.
Provide Tax Relief: Obama will provide all low and middle-income workers a $500 Making Work Pay tax credit to offset the payroll tax those workers pay in every paycheck. Obama will also eliminate taxes for seniors making under $50,000 per year.

Strengthen Families

Promote Responsible Fatherhood: Obama will sign into law his Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, and ensure that payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies.
Support Parents with Young Children: Obama will expand the highly-successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all 570,000 low-income, first-time mothers each year. The Nurse-Family Partnership provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families.
Expand Paid Sick Days: Today, three-out-of-four low-wage workers have no paid sick days. Obama supports guaranteeing workers seven paid sick days per year.

Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing

Create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund: Obama will create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods.
Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant: Obama will fully fund the Community Development Block Grant program and engage with urban leaders across the country to increase resources to the highest-need Americans.

Tackle Concentrated Poverty

Establish 20 Promise Neighborhoods: Obama will create 20 Promise Neighborhoods in areas that have high levels of poverty and crime and low levels of student academic achievement in cities across the nation. The Promise Neighborhoods will be modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone, which provides a full network of services, including early childhood education, youth violence prevention efforts and after-school activities, to an entire neighborhood from birth to college.
Ensure Community-Based Investment Resources in Every Urban Community: Obama will work with community and business leaders to identify and address the unique economic development barriers of every major metropolitan area. Obama will provide additional resources to the federal Community Development Financial Institution Fund, the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies, especially to their local branch offices, to address community needs.
Invest in Rural Areas: Obama will invest in rural small businesses and fight to expand high-speed Internet access. He will improve rural schools and attract more doctors to rural areas.

Barack Obama's Record

Tax Relief for Low-Income Working Families: Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years.
Housing: In the Illinois State Senate, Obama championed multiple pieces of legislation to help low-income families find adequate affordable housing.

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