TCP's Blog

Support a Public Option!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:47:45 EDT

I strongly support President Obama's three principles for real health care reform and urge you to do so too. Any plan Congress passes must reduce health care costs, guarantee choice – including a public insurance option – and ensure quality care for every American.

If President Obama's healthcare plan gets changed to exclude a public option like Medicare, then it is not real healthcare reform. Real healthcare reform depends on whether the American public is allowed to choose a universally available public option or not. If we are allowed to choose a Medicare-like option, the healthcare bill will bring true healthcare reform. It will ensure choice, competition and will reduce costs.

One reason given for opposing a public option is that private insurance companies won't be able to compete in the marketplace if we have a strong public option.

But why should we deny people the right to get healthcare through a public option like Medicare just to put corporate profits ahead of people’s health?

If we're denied a public option, we won't achieve real healthcare reform at all. It's time to stand up to the special interests and enact real reform that includes a public option.

Please support a public option in healthcare reform and urge Congress to do the same.

To see where members of Congress currently stand on the public option and to contact them, see this link: http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands

Thanks!

Support the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:55:04 EST

Here’s a great positive message video from three of our own supporting the passage of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act and thanking President Obama and the Congress for passing the bill. It was created in response to the CPAC commercial that used the "money spent since Jesus was born" timeline.

Please Digg it up!

http://digg.com/politics/The_American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act

Also on YouTube here: /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

LINK

Thanks!

Hold Congress Accountable

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:18:38 EST

Track your Senators' and Representative's votes by email:

Each week (that Congress is in session) you will receive:

Key votes by your two Senators and U.S. Representative.

Links to send email to your members of Congress using pre-addressed forms.

Upcoming votes for your review and a chance to offer email input before they vote.

Use this weekly vote monitor to track the decisions made by your elected officials on key issues.

SIGN UP HERE:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/megavote/

LET'S DO LUNCH!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:04:39 EST

2009 Inaugural Luncheon Details Announced Washington, DC

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies today announced the details for the 2009 Inaugural Luncheon, which will follow the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

The luncheon, hosted by the members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, has been a tradition for more than a century. Approximately 200 guests including the new President, Vice President, members of their families, the Supreme Court, Cabinet designees, and members of Congressional leadership will attend the event in Statuary Hall.

The details of the luncheon have been designed to reflect the theme of the 2009 Inaugural ceremonies, "A New Birth of Freedom," which celebrates the bicentennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln.

The menu, created by Design Cuisine, a catering company based in Arlington, Virginia, draws on historic ties to the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Growing up in the frontier regions of Kentucky and Indiana, the sixteenth President favored simple foods including root vegetables and wild game. As his tastes matured, he became fond of stewed and scalloped oysters. For dessert or a snack, nothing pleased him more than a fresh apple or an apple cake.

The wines to be served during the luncheon were produced by some of the finest winemakers in California, the home state of Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Each wine was selected to complement the flavors of the luncheon ingredients.

The 2009 Inaugural Luncheon Menu

First Course • Seafood Stew • Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Second Course • A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes • Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Third Course • Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé • Korbel Natural “Special Inaugural Cuvée,” California Champagne

The first course will be served on replicas of the china from the Lincoln Presidency, which was selected by Mary Todd Lincoln at the beginning of her husband's term in office. The china features the American bald eagle standing above the U.S. Coat of Arms, surrounded by a wide border of "solferino," a purple-red hue popular among the fashionable hosts of the day.

The floral arrangements, designed by JLB Floral of Alexandria, Virginia, will feature hydrangeas in shades of purple and blue, Hot Mojolica spray roses, bright Red Charlotte roses and light blue Delphinium in a footed brass compote. After the luncheon, the floral arrangements will be given to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The backdrop for the luncheon will be a painting, chosen for occasion, and borrowed from the New-York Historical Society. The painting, "View of the Yosemite Valley," by Thomas Hill, reflects the majestic landscape of the American West and the dawn of a new era. The subject of the painting, Yosemite Valley, represents an important but often overlooked event from Lincoln's presidency -- his signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant, which set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve.

During the Inaugural Luncheon it is traditional for the President and Vice President to be presented with gifts by the Congress on behalf of the American people. The President and Vice President will each be presented with a framed official photograph taken of their swearing-in ceremony by a Senate photographer, as well as flags flown over the U.S. Capitol during the inaugural ceremonies.

The President and Vice President will also receive one-of-a-kind engraved crystal bowls, created by the Lenox Company of Bristol, Pennsylvania. President Obama will receive a bowl depicting the White House on a crystal base inscribed with “Barack H. Obama, The Presidential Inauguration, January 20, 2009.” Vice President Biden will receive a bowl depicting the United States Capitol, on a crystal base inscribed with “Joseph R. Biden Jr. , The Vice Presidential Inauguration, January 20, 2009.” The bowls were designed by Timothy Carder and hand-cut by master glass-cutter Peter O’Rourke.

Each guest at the Inaugural Luncheon will receive a crystal vase etched with a depiction of the U.S. Capitol, designed by Paula Skene, an artist in Emeryville, California, and handcrafted by Evergreen Crystal of Montrose, Colorado.

The Smithsonian Chamber Players, who are artists in residence at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, will provide music for the Inaugural Luncheon. The ensemble, directed by cellist Kenneth Slowik, is renowned for its performances of period music on the musical instruments in the Smithsonian’s collection.

Members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies are Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman; Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee Bob Bennett; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; and House Minority Leader John Boehner.

Take a Look

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:46:45 EST

Hey,

President-Elect Obama is hard at work getting this country back on track, but he's counting on input from all of us.

I just wrote in to share my vision for where President-Elect Obama should lead the country, and I thought you might want to do the same:

http://www.change.gov/yourvision

Thanks.

62 days. That's how much time we have left to prepare for the Obama-Biden Administration that will bring the change Americans demanded so strongly in this past election.

President-elect Obama has set a high bar for the Transition team: to execute the most efficient, organized, and transparent transfer of power in American history. As a co-Chair for the Transition, I want to tell you about a few steps we've already taken to achieve this goal.

First, we adopted the strictest ethics guidelines ever applied to any transition team. President-elect Obama pledged to change the way Washington works, and that begins with shifting influence away from special interests and restoring it to the everyday Americans who are passionate about fixing the problems facing our country.

Opening up the Transition means listening to your ideas and stories and providing a window into how the process works.

To give you a look at how we're approaching some of the nation's most pressing issues, we filmed this meeting of our Energy and Environment Policy Transition Team and interviewed team member Heather Zichal.

Watch the video and submit your ideas on energy and the environment:

President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden have set an ambitious agenda, and we are going to make Change.gov a source of information, as well as a place to participate in the decisions being made about your government.

Since the decisions we're making affect all Americans, we're counting on citizens from every walk of life to get involved. You can help us right now by making sure your friends and neighbors know about Change.gov and give their input, too.

We're continuing to develop new ways to open up the process, and we'll keep you posted along the way.

Thanks,

John

John Podesta
Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team

Barack on 60 Minutes

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:47:46 EST

In case you missed it on Sunday, here’s a link to the video of Barack on 60 Minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/60minutes/

Inaugural Tickets

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:46:12 EST

Tickets to the 56th Inaugural Ceremonies will be provided free of charge and distributed through Members of the 111th Congress. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies does not provide tickets to the public. Members of the public interested in attending the Inaugural Ceremonies should contact their Member of Congress or U.S. Senators to request tickets.

The public should also be aware that no website or other ticket outlet actually has inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, regardless of what they may claim. Tickets will not be distributed to Congressional offices until the week before the inauguration and will require in-person pick-up.

“Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth,” said Howard Gantman, Staff Director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. “Tickets for the swearing-in of President-elect are all provided through members of Congress, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.”

Visit the official inaugural site here: http://inaugural.senate.gov/index.cfm

Great Op-Ed

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:11:48 EST

Bob Herbert offers sound advice on what is neded right now:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/opinion/11herbert.html?hp

"The most important thing the Democrats and President-elect Obama can do with regard to the economy is bring back a sense of fairness and equity.

The fat cats who placed the entire economy at risk with their greed and manic irresponsibility are trying to lay claim to every last dime in the national Treasury. Meanwhile, we’re nowhere close to an economic recovery program that will help the people who are hurting most.

Back in September, with the credit markets frozen and the stock markets panicking, the treasury secretary, Henry Paulson, was telling anyone who would listen that his $700 billion bailout package had to be passed with lightning speed — no time to look at it too closely, no time for dissent.

The package was modified, but hurriedly. Now we learn that while all eyes were focused on this enormous new burden for American taxpayers, Mr. Paulson’s department was also engineering — separate and apart from the bailout — what The Washington Post described as “a quiet windfall for U.S. banks.”

With virtually no public attention, and without the input of Congress, Treasury made a change in an obscure tax provision that benefited banks to the tune of well over $100 billion. Was this good policy? In the absence of proper scrutiny, how is it possible to know?

We’ve also learned that the government bailout of the giant insurer, the American International Group — already more than $100 billion — is apparently insufficient. Tens of billions more are needed.

When the Champagne and caviar crowd is in trouble, there is no conceivable limit to the amount of taxpayer money that can be found, and found quickly.

But when it comes to ordinary citizens in dire situations — those being thrown out of work or forced from their homes by foreclosure or driven into bankruptcy because of illness and a lack of adequate health insurance — well, then we have to start pinching pennies. That’s when it’s time to become fiscally conservative. President Bush even vetoed a bill that would have expanded health insurance coverage for children.

We can find trillions for a foolish war and for pompous, self-righteous high-rollers who wrecked their companies and the economy. But what about the working poor and the young people who are being clobbered in this downturn, battered so badly that they’re all but destitute? Can we find any way to help them?

In an article on Sunday, The Times mentioned a young woman in Philadelphia, Kyuana Everett, who is 21 years old, has a high school diploma and is desperate for work. “I’ve tried everything,” she said, “retail sales, office work, but the employers all say they have too many staff and they’re not hiring now.”

The article noted that Ms. Everett cannot even afford to rent a room for herself. She stays with her grandmother, secretly, in a home for the aged.

This is no ordinary recession. With brokerage houses, banks and a mammoth multinational insurance company depending on the Treasury for resuscitation, and with automakers like General Motors staring bankruptcy in the face, it has the feel of a monster downturn, a recession on steroids.

That kind of downturn buries people at the bottom of the economic ladder. We have an obligation to look out for them as well as for the banks and the A.I.G.’s of the world.

If I could place a message on the desk of the incoming president, it would have just one word: Jobs.

With credit cards maxed out, the stock market in the tank, family savings depleted and home equity evaporating, that weekly or monthly paycheck has never been so important.

Congress and the new administration need to think big — bigger than the stimulus package of $100 billion or so, which is being kicked around. Now is the time for a coast-to-coast “Rebuild America” infrastructure program. Put people to work repairing and rebuilding roads and bridges, decrepit schools and ancient sewer systems. Get the construction industry back on its feet.

And now is the time to get going on candidate Obama’s promise to move the country as close as possible to a system of universal health insurance. Pump the money from that vast project into the economy and get those jobs up and running.

And let’s get some help, quickly, to the families who are suffering most from the housing crisis — the ones trembling and heartbroken in the dark shadow of foreclosure.

The naysayers will claim that all of this is too expensive, that we can’t afford it. Where were they when we invaded Iraq? And how do they feel about the staggering amounts being funneled, with nothing like the proper oversight, to the banks and Wall Street?

Let’s try investing in America and its people for a change, rather than just hurling our billions into the abyss"

TOMORROW

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:31:00 EST

After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George Bush, and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are one day away from change in America.

Tomorrow, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street.

Tomorrow, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor.

Tomorrow, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.

Tomorrow, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.

We can prove that we are more than a collection of Red States and Blue States – we are the United States of America. That’s who we are, and that’s the country we need to be right now.

In this election, we cannot afford the same political games and tactics that are being used to pit us against one another and make us afraid of one another.

Despite what our opponents may claim, there are no real or fake parts of this country. There is no city or town that is more pro-America than anywhere else – we are one nation, all of us proud, all of us patriots. The men and women who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.

Bringing about the kind of change we need won’t be easy. It won’t be quick. But you and I know that it is time to come together and change this country. Some of you may be cynical and fed up with politics. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, Barack asks of us what has been asked of Americans throughout our history.

He asks us to believe – not just in his ability to bring about change, but in ours.

Don’t believe for a second this election is over. Don’t think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in the next twenty-four hours, because it does.

Please get out and vote. Call your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers and ask them to vote for Barack. Help others get to the polls.

Tomorrow, we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom-up.

Tomorrow, we can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future.

Tomorrow, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.

Tomorrow, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.

That’s what’s at stake. That’s what we’re fighting for.

Be part of history. Be the change we’ve been waiting for. It’s up to you.

OUR MOMENT IS NOW!

PLEASE DONATE: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Countdown for Change

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:58:22 EDT

Thanks so much to all who have donated to this incredible movement through my grassroots fundraising page! LINK http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

95 donations have been made so far. Please help me reach my goal of 100 donations.

We’ve been through a lot together.

From before the primaries, when we were down in the polls, didn't have may endorsements and no one gave us much of a chance; to Barack’s awesome Iowa victory; through the grueling primary contests; and on through this general election campaign, we’ve seen it all. Now we’re just hours away from the big prize and we can’t afford to let up.

We're seeing a surge of support in states we didn't expect to be close contests, including Virginia, North Carolina and even Georgia and North Dakota.

These latest battlegrounds present a major opportunity.

Volunteers and staff are on the move in these new battleground states, and if we can provide them with the right support, they could put us over the top.

We can't take anything for granted, and this election is too important to ignore any potential path to victory.

Please dig just a little deeper and make one final donation right now to help us change the electoral map, and bring a real change to our country. LINK http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

In these final days we have to take the fight to our opponents everywhere we can.

Thanks again!

OUR MOMENT IS NOW!

Our Future Depends On It!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:46:45 EDT

From Barack’s “Closing Argument” speech:

“Don’t believe for a second this election is over. Don’t think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does.

(On Tuesday), we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom-up.

… We can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future.

… We can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.

… We can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.

That’s what’s at stake. That’s what we’re fighting for. And (if in these last days), you will knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and talk to your neighbors, and convince your friends; if you will stand with me, and fight with me, and give me your vote, then I promise you this – we will not just win Ohio, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world.”

We’ve got four more days to make a difference. We are four days away from bringing the change we need to this great nation.

OUR MOMENT IS NOW!

Please donate: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Report Hate Calls

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:04:12 EDT

Voters in key battleground states are receiving automated phone calls from John McCain's campaign that are spreading some of the most vile smears of this election.

But these "robocalls" -- and the hate-filled mailers that usually accompany them -- say more about John McCain than they do about Barack.

After all, McCain himself denounced these underhanded and cowardly tactics as "hate calls" after a rash of them sunk his primary campaign in 2000. The perpetrator behind that slimy attack: George W. Bush. Now, not only has John McCain embraced these sleazy tactics, he's hired the same firm that Bush used against him to orchestrate them.

Your voice is the most powerful tool to help fight back against this tide of lies and spread the truth.

If you or your family and friends have received one of these sleazy calls or mailings, help us keep track of them by reporting it.

It's clear John McCain would rather lose his honor than lose this election.

While there's nothing new about these scare tactics, McCain has signaled he'll stoop to any level to win.

There's too much at stake to let the politics of the past derail this campaign. And with less than two weeks to go before Election Day, the need to take a stand couldn't be greater.

Reports from folks like you are the only way the full extent of these hateful calls and mailers will ever be known by voters across the country.

Expose John McCain's slimy tactics -- forward this email to everyone you know and make sure McCain's "hate call" tactics get reported:

http://www.fightthesmears.com/report

Together, we'll turn the page on McCain's low road tactics.

INCREASE THE COST OF NEGATIVITY

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:04:39 EDT

Please make a donation to the campaign here: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Reminiscent of the primaries, whenever Barack started pulling away in the polls, his opposition launched multiple frantic, baseless personal attacks against him. Remember the “kitchen-sink” strategy?

As McCain’s poll numbers slide, his campaign becomes more desperate and negative by the day.

Just as we did during the primaries, we need to respond by increasing the cost of these desperate tactics.

If enough people donate in response to the McCain/Palin attacks, it will show our opponents that when they attack Barack Obama, it literally makes our campaign stronger and we’ll have the resources to really go after these guys.

Make them think twice about continuing these attacks.

Please respond by making a donation right now:

LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thanks!

Go to the Debate Action Center

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:25:05 EDT

In last night's debate, Americans saw why Joe Biden will be a great vice president. While Sarah Palin did a fair job presenting her rehearsed talking points, Biden presented a clear case for why he and Barack represent the change America needs.

Can you help get out the word and build momentum for the Obama/Biden ticket?

Biden made a persuasive case for ending eight long years of Bush-McCain policies. And he came across as a real vice president. He had actual answers to the problems most Americans are facing right now.

But some pundits on TV are giving Palin a pass. They're saying that because her responses weren't a Katie Couric-style disaster, she won even though voters disagree.

Can you help fight back by going to the Debate Action Center?

There, you can vote in the online polls that reporters are watching to judge who won. You can also write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about why Biden looked ready for the job and laid out a clear case for why we need Obama as president.

Click here to take action: LINK
http://pol.moveon.org/lte?campaign_id=98&id=14156-8980557-pQFeIHx&t=2

And please donate here: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thank You John McCain

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:56:28 EDT

At this defining moment, when the stakes could not be higher, we need fundamental change.

The choice in this election could not be clearer. We know that change will not be easy; we’re up against powerful entrenched special interests in Washington that will say anything and do anything to stay in power.

John McCain has been a Washington insider for decades, working for big corporations. His campaign is run by lobbyists. The failed economic policies of the past eight years have hurt American workers and put our economy on shaky ground. We're up against an opponent who not only supports those policies, but is so out of touch that he actually believes "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

In times like these, can we really afford more insider politics?

Please watch and share this one-minute video:

Thank You John McCain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJThPjvscFs&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/20/85055/0190/606/604527

Our destiny is written by us, not for us. It’s in our hands.

DONATE:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

When Lobbyists Control the Campaign

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:19:58 EDT

The Issues - What does this mean for you?

The Obama campaign has launched a website called McLobbyist to set the record straight on McCain's ties to lobbyists running his campaign as how this impacts the issues in this election.

http://www.johnmccainrecord.com/mclobbyist/

What does a lobbyist controlled McCain-Palin ticket mean for you? It means lobbyists come first. On jobs, health care, energy, America’s standing in the world — lobbyists pay big bucks to make sure their special interests come first. And time and time again, McCain has given lobbyists what they paid for.

On Jobs

McCain’s top dog, campaign manager Rick Davis, helped pave the way for job losses in Ohio — putting the interests of his former lobbyist client, Airborne Express, above yours. Read More

On Energy

Senior Campaign Advisor Charlie Black lobbied for Big Oil for eight years. McCain’s tax plan would save Big Oil $4 billion. Lucky coincidence? Or planned convenience? Read More

On Health Care

Employed at the top of the McCain campaign are former lobbyists John Green and Wayne Blank who have put the interests of health insurance and pharmaceutical companies above yours. Read More

On America's Standing in the World

Senior Foreign Policy Advisor, Randy Scheunemann pocketed $2.6 million lobbying McCain on Soviet interests while on McCain’s staff. That’s not country first. Read More

Donate

Don’t settle for just more of the same. Be the change we need.

LINK

OBAMA GRASSROOTS RESOURCES

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:06:22 EDT

Thanks to Karen Young of the North Carolina Action Team:

Need flyers for phone banking, canvassing, voter registration, talking points, and Obama events? Need Obama info to distribute at malls, movie theaters, campuses, and other high traffic areas?

Here is a great page with ALL the Obama Issue Flyers.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/resourceflyers/

Just hit a link and the flyer is right there for you to print!

BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf

Also see a flyer comparing Obama's and McCain's tax plans which you can print off:

http://vt71443.com/materials/taxes.html

Other Obama information sources:

- Materials you can print: http://my.barackobama.com/acresources

- Policy Issues: http://my.barackobama.com/acissues

- People Pages: http://www.barackobama.com/people/

- Get the Truth about Rumors: http://www.fightthesmears.com/

- Check the Facts: http://factcheck.barackobama.com/

- Newsroom: http://my.barackobama.com/acnewsroom

- BarackTV: http://www.barackobama.com/tv/

- Speeches: http://my.barackobama.com/acspeeches

- Meet Barack: http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php

- Fundraising Guides: http://my.barackobama.com/acresources

- Widgets, Logos, Icons, and Other Downloads: http://www.barackobama.com/downloads/

Change begins with us. Please make a donation to the Obama campaign now:

LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thanks!

Change We Can Believe In or More of the Same?

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:21:14 EDT

Obama spokesman Bill Burton issued this statement regarding McCain’s acceptance speech:

“John McCain said that his party was elected to change Washington, but that they let Washington change them. He's right. He admonished the 'old, do-nothing crowd' in Washington, but ignored the fact that he's been part of that crowd for twenty-six years, opposing solutions on health care, energy, and education. He talked about bipartisanship, but didn't mention that he's been a Bush partisan 90% of the time, that he's run a Karl Rove campaign, and that he wants to continue this President's disastrous economic and foreign policies for another four years. With John McCain, it's more of the same.

That's not the change Americans need. Barack Obama has taken on the special interests and the lobbyists in Illinois and in Washington, and he's won. As President, he'll cut taxes for 95% of all working families, provide affordable health care to every American, end the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and eliminate the oil we import from the Middle East in ten years.”

Make no mistake about what we're up against. John McCain has embraced the same old politics of fear, division, and Karl Rove-style attacks -- which makes sense coming from someone who's voted with George Bush literally 90% of the time.

The American people deserve more than a 10% chance at change.

From the very beginning, this campaign has been in our hands. Now more than ever, Barack is counting on us to see it through.

No matter what McCain says, we can't bring about change by relying on the same ideas that have failed us for the last eight years.

Show the McCain campaign that people coming together, giving what they can afford, and working toward a common purpose will transform this country.

Change begins with us. Please make a donation to the Obama campaign now:

LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thanks.

Share This Video

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:55:41 EDT

Please watch this video and forward to friends and family. Joe Biden forcefully points out why the McCain campaign is just more of the same divisive political distractions that politicians resort to when they don’t want to address the real issues that are facing regular people.

After days of negative attacks -- and no mention of real proposals to fix our economy, get more people health care, or make America safer -- the party that brought you eight years of disastrous policies is asking for four more. If you watched the republican convention, you saw John McCain's attack squad of negative, cynical politicians. They lied about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and they attacked us for being a part of this campaign.

But worst of all -- and this deserves to be noted -- they insulted the very idea that ordinary people have a role to play in our political process.

After the last eight years, it's up to us to keep America's promise alive.

How can John McCain pull us out of the deep hole we're in when he voted with George Bush more than 90% of the time?

The American people deserve more than a 10% chance at change.

No matter what McCain says, we can't bring about change by relying on the same ideas that have failed us for the last eight years.

Show the McCain campaign that people coming together, giving what they can afford, and working toward a common purpose will transform this country.

Change begins with you. Please make a donation to the Obama campaign now:

LINK http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thanks!

From: Obama Action Wire [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2008 12:02 PM
To: Tim Prudhel
Subject: What Republicans talk about when they have nothing to say

Tim --

If you watched any of the Republican convention this week, you probably noticed that they spent a lot of time attacking Barack and sneering at people who try to improve their communities.

But they hardly spent any time at all telling us how they're going to help people across America who are hurting. That's because they knew they had adopted the most extreme, right-wing platform in their party's recent history.

And they knew the American people don't want any more of the same.

Yesterday in Pennsylvania, Joe Biden gave a blistering response at a rally in a high school gymnasium, and our team was there to capture it on video.

With all the uncritical coverage the Republican speeches are getting this week, we need to make sure everyone who couldn't be at that high school in Pennsylvania gets to see Joe calling out the Republican bully tactics.

Watch the video of Joe's response and make sure everyone you know sees it, too.

By the end of the week, Joe had had enough. And when he got going yesterday, it was really something to see.

The issue isn't so much what we heard from the Republicans. The attacks the Republicans launched were the same tired, old lines we heard in 2000 and 2004.

The issue is what we didn't hear.

We didn't hear about the middle class, or housing, or a concrete plan to keep American jobs here.

It can be tempting to listen to all the jeering and get sucked in, but it's no substitute for a plan. And Joe Biden saw right through it.

Check out Joe tearing apart the Republican distraction tactics and share the video today:

http://my.barackobama.com/joesresponse

Keep fighting the good fight,

Obama Action Wire

LINK

The Obama Action Wire is a grassroots rapid response group for supporters to fight smears, spread the truth, push back on misleading media, and take positive action.

Forward this email to everyone you know or sign up for the Obama Action Wire now.

The High Road

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:03:48 EDT

Please read, push, & promote Bob Herbert’s NY Times Op-Ed.

LINK

Here’s the deal: Palin is the latest G.O.P. distraction. She’s meant to shift attention away from the real issue of this campaign — the awful state of the nation after eight years of Republican rule. The Republicans are brilliant at distractions. Willie Horton was a distraction. The chatter about gays, guns and God has been a long-running distraction. And we all remember the Swift-boat campaign.

Respectful criticism of Sarah Palin is fine. But the great issues of this campaign loom like giant redwoods over the pathetic weeds of politics as usual and the myriad distractions that have turned one presidential election after another into a national embarrassment.

Digg it here:

LINK

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Op_Ed_Columnist_Head_for_the_High_Road

Who's Yo' Mama

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:52:12 EDT

Linda Hansen’s fine Huff Po fine piece, “McSame's McVeep: A Token of His Esteem” is right on point. LINK

We need to get off the "Who's Yo' Mama" obsession. McCain's choice for the VP spot says far more about him than it does about this unqualified woman.

Please read, push, promote--and help turn the tide of conversation away from Palin's baby and her pregnant teenaged daughter.

It's John McCain we need to be going after. For poor judgment.

Please Digg and Buzz up here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-hansen/mcsames-mcveep-a-token-of_b_122668.html

And please make a contribution to the campaign here:

LINK

Thanks!

ENOUGH!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:33:40 EDT

There have now been two full days of endless concentration on the Palin pick. We need to get back on track. We need to keep our focus on McCain, not Palin. It’s McCain who’s the risky choice in this election. He has consistently shown terrible judgment: on the mood of the nation, on what constitutes torture, on Iraq, on taxes and the economy...and now on who should be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Barack Obama selected one of the most qualified people available for the job of vice-president; John McCain picked one of the least qualified. Who really puts country ahead of politics?"

We need to take our cue from the campaign. "The Obama campaign has clearly decided to maintain the campaign against McCain for what it truly is: More of the same (no matter who McCain's V.P. choice is). We should minimize negativity on Palin like McCain minimized the Vice Presidency."

What is relevant is that Palin is the vice presidential pick of a man who has been in lock step with George Bush 90% of the time and will continue along that path.

We need to continue to remind people of the failed policies and the mindset that have brought this country down over the past eight years and stress the Obama/Biden policies that will lift us up, put us on the right track and restore our standing in the world again.

Please make a contibution to the campaign here: LINK

Thanks!

A Remarkable Man at a Vital Moment

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:26:42 EDT

Here’s what Republican journalist Andrew Sullivan had to say about Barack’s awesome acceptance speech: LINK

“It was a deeply substantive speech, full of policy detail, full of people other than the candidate, centered overwhelmingly on domestic economic anxiety. It was a liberal speech, more unabashedly, unashamedly liberal than any Democratic acceptance speech since the great era of American liberalism. But it made the case for that liberalism - in the context of the decline of the American dream, and the rise of cynicism and the collapse of cultural unity. His ability to portray that liberalism as a patriotic, unifying, ennobling tradition makes him the most lethal and remarkable Democratic figure since John F. Kennedy.

What he didn't do was give an airy, abstract, dreamy confection of rhetoric. The McCain campaign set Obama up as a celebrity airhead, a Paris Hilton of wealth and elitism. And he let them portray him that way, and let them over-reach, and let them punch him again and again ... and then he turned around and destroyed them. If the Rove Republicans thought they were playing with a patsy, they just got a reality check.

He took every assault on him and turned them around. He showed not just that he understood the experience of many middle class Americans, but that he understood how the Republicans have succeeded in smearing him. And he didn't shrink from the personal charges; he rebutted them. Whoever else this was, it was not Adlai Stevenson. It was not Jimmy Carter. And it was less afraid and less calculating than Bill Clinton.

Above all, he took on national security - face on, full-throttle, enraged, as we should all be, at how disastrously American power has been handled these past eight years. He owned this issue in a way that no Democrat has owned it since Kennedy. That's a transformative event. To my mind, it is vital that both parties get to own the war on Jihadist terror and that we escape this awful Rove-Morris trap that poisons the discourse into narrow and petty partisan abuse of patriotism. Obama did this tonight. We are in his debt.

Look: I'm biased at this point. I'm one of those people, deeply distressed at what has happened to America, deeply ashamed of my own misjudgments, who has shifted out of my ideological comfort zone because this man seems different to me, and this moment in history seems different to me. I'm not sure we have many more chances to get off the addiction to foreign oil, to prevent a calamitous terrorist attack, to restore constitutional balance in the hurricane of a terror war.

I've said it before - months and months ago. I should say it again tonight. This is a remarkable man at a vital moment. America would be crazy to throw this opportunity away. America must not throw this opportunity away.

Know hope.”

Please Make a Contribution to the Campaign Here: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

VP MONEY BOMB

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:10:03 EDT

Barack has chosen JOE BIDEN to be his running mate.

Barack and Joe Biden are the leaders who will bring the change our country needs. Now we’ve got a winning ticket.

But they can’t do it alone.

Show your support by making a donation to the VP money bomb today!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thanks!

OUT OF TOUCH

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:29:02 EDT

Yesterday a reporter asked John McCain how many houses he owns. His response?

"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you." (link to article: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html)

Think about that: he actually owns so many houses that he can't keep track of them all. This revelation came the same day that McCain said in an interview that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." Really?

Check out this video from Barack's youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmFd25tRqo

This just goes to show how out-of-touch John McCain really is. At a time when tens of thousands of American families are facing foreclosure on their one and only home, McCain can't answer a simple question that anyone should be able to answer – without help from his staff.

Seven houses? Maybe. Who knows? McCain sure doesn't.

Write a letter to the editor to get the word out that we can't afford to let someone so out of touch with everyday Americans take the helm of our economy – eight years of Bush economics is quite enough!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/speakout/NCHowManyHouses

Pass this story on to your friends and family too. Let's keep this guy out of the White House.

Take a Stand with Barack

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:24:55 EDT

John McCain's low-road express is headed full-speed into the gutter.

On Monday, he launched another round of baseless, absurd attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism.

Yesterday morning, Barack took an aggressive stand against these attacks, responding "I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us. ... I will let no one question my love for this country."

Watch this video of Barack's speech and invite everyone you know to join the Action Wire:

As long as John McCain's campaign is stuck in the gutter, we know these character attacks and smears will intensify over the coming months.

Responding quickly, directly, and forcefully whenever McCain and the Karl Rove protégés who run his campaign attack is the most effective way to neutralize them.

Please take a stand against McCain's petty and divisive tactics. Right now, you can take the next step by joining the Obama Action Wire and by inviting your friends to join the Obama Action Wire.

We can't let Republicans like John McCain and George Bush keep questioning the character and patriotism of anyone who disagrees with them -- but it's going to take all of us working together to change the way Washington works.

Watch the video of Barack standing up to the McCain-Bush attack strategy and invite your friends and family to join you on the Action Wire:

http://my.barackobama.com/standingup

These times are too serious to let this kind of politics continue. Please forward thispost to everyone you know.

Thanks for your help!

The Obama Action Wire is a grassroots rapid response group for supporters to fight smears, spread the truth, push back on misleading media, and take positive action.

Please forward this post to everyone you know or sign up for the Obama Action Wire now.

A BOLD CHOICE FOR VP

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:15:32 EDT

With Barack facing relentless attacks from Republicans, it's time for the Obama campaign to make a bold move.

Barack should choose General Wes Clark as his running mate.

Please help me with this effort. Sign the petition at:

www.obamaclark.com

If you need more convincing, watch this clip of General Clark on Morning Joe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5bYzL2y7xQ

Then join our efforts at:

www.obamaclark.com

The political argument for Clark is simple. He is a great surrogate for Democrats, with experience in 2004 and 2006 on the campaign trail, and a genuine national base of supporters. In terms of governance, which is what Barack says is the most important criteria for his VP pick, Clark can help Obama deal with the mess that the Bush administration is leaving behind. As commander of NATO in the late 1990s, Clark won a war, so he is more likely than any progressive out there to be able to wrangle solutions from a military establishment that has been decimated by Bush's cronyism and incompetence.

Clark brings a lot to the table, including the ability to help unite the Clinton and Obama wings of the party. He’s got a military background, executive experience and foreign policy experience and, like Barack, he was against the war from the start. He’s a white southern Catholic who could help not only in his home state of Arkansas, but in other southern states as well. He graduated first in his class at West Point and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he earned a Masters Degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. His grandchildren and daughter-in-law are Hispanic, and Clark speaks fluent Spanish. He is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and has been an advocate on behalf of the Hispanic community.

Choosing Clark would be a clear demonstration that Obama intends to significantly shift the political debate in the country and that he refuses to allow old school conventional wisdom from DC insiders to dominate our national political discourse.

Join me in supporting this effort. Please visit and sign the petition at:

www.obamaclark.com

Thanks!

IT'S TIME FOR A BOLD MOVE

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:08:35 EDT

With Barack facing relentless attacks from Republicans, it's time for the Obama campaign to make a bold move.

Barack should choose General Wes Clark as his running mate.

Please help me with this effort. Sign the petition at:

www.obamaclark.com

If you need more convincing, watch this clip of General Clark on Morning Joe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5bYzL2y7xQ

Then join our efforts at:

www.obamaclark.com

Join me in supporting this effort. Please visit and sign the petition at:

www.obamaclark.com

Thanks!

TIME FOR A BOLD MOVE

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:03:13 EDT

With Barack facing relentless attacks from Republicans, it's time for the Obama campaign to make a bold move.

Barack should choose General Wes Clark as his running mate.

Please help me with this effort. Sign the petition at:

www.obamaclark.com

If you need more convincing, watch this clip of General Clark on Morning Joe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5bYzL2y7xQ

Then join our efforts at:

www.obamaclark.com

Choosing Clark would be a clear demonstration that Obama intends to significantly shift the political debate in this country and that he refuses to allow old school conventional wisdom from DC insiders to dominate our national political discourse.

Join me in supporting this effort. Please visit and sign the petition at:

www.obamaclark.com

Thanks!

Barack's VP - Be the First to Know

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:29:01 EDT

Barack is rewarding his supporters by announcing his choice for vice president directly to us via email or text messaging. It’s just another example of how this campaign values the work of its grassroots supporters. No other campaign has done this before.

Want to be the first to know Barack Obama's choice for VP?

Sign up to be the first to know or text VP to 62262 to get the news on your mobile phone.

http://my.barackobama.com/vicepresident

Here’s the email sent out by Campaign Manager David Plouffe:

From: David Plouffe [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 3:09 PM
To: Tim Prudhel
Subject: Barack's VP: Be the First to Know

Dear Tim --

Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign -- choosing a running mate.

You have helped build this movement from the bottom up, and Barack wants you to be the first to know his choice.

Sign up today to be the first to know:

http://my.barackobama.com/vp

You will receive an email the moment Barack makes his decision, or you can text VP to 62262 to receive a text message on your mobile phone.

Once you've signed up, please forward this email to your friends, family, and coworkers to let them know about this special opportunity.

No other campaign has done this before. You can be part of this important moment.

Be the first to know who Barack selects as his running mate.

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

DONATE - http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Paid for by Obama for America

Help Spread the Truth

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:55:43 EDT

The media have had a good laugh lately with John McCain’s petty, deceptive political stunts -- and ignored his efforts to distort the truth to win a few cheap political points.

We need to let everyone know that we’re tired of these same old political games and that that we want the media to tell the truth about McCain's distortions on fuel consumption, bringing change to Washington, and tax policy.

Make sure your friends and family know that John McCain is willing to play politics at the expense of the truth.

Please forward this to everyone you know.

Thanks!

Tim

Forwarded Message:

From: Obama Action Wire [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 8:11 AM
To: Tim Prudhel
Subject: Need your help

Tim --

This week John McCain's campaign hit new lows with their attacks and distortions.

And all too often, the so-called "referees" in the news media are spending a lot of time repeating his false attacks and very little time holding him accountable.

Watch the video of Barack taking these attacks head on at an event in Indiana and help spread the truth about John McCain.

Here's the latest from McCain and the media:

· Just last week, McCain and his party attacked Barack Obama and ridiculed the idea that keeping your car tires inflated is an effective way to improve fuel efficiency and keep down the cost of gasoline. The thing is, everyone from AAA to NASCAR agreed with Barack. McCain finally had to face reality this week and reverse his position. But the media had a good laugh about McCain's petty, misguided stunt and ignored his effort to distort the truth to win a few cheap political points.

· Earlier this week, the McCain campaign put out an ad saying that Washington is broken. It's gotten a lot of press so far, but it didn't mention that John McCain spent the last 26 years in Washington -- failing to fix this broken system. He portrays himself as a so-called "maverick" but doesn't want people to know that he has voted 95% of the time in support of George Bush's policies.

· Another ad uses scare tactics to claim Barack's tax policy will hurt middle class Americans. Press coverage of the ad repeated McCain's smears, but omitted the fact that Barack's economic plan will cut taxes for 95% of American families. Not to mention that McCain's upper class tax cut plan leaves out more than 100 million middle class families.

The media may not be informing the public very well, but you don't have to sit back and wait for them to start telling the truth about John McCain.

Watch the video of Barack responding and join thousands of fellow supporters on the Obama Action Wire to spread the word about John McCain's deceptive politics.

Please forward this email to everyone you know.

Thanks for your help,

Obama Action Wire

Paid for by Obama for America

DONATE

Support One of Our Own

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:52:11 EDT

Positive Dialogue Group member Chuck Lasker has been accepted as a new Huffington Post blogger. It's exciting!

Chuck has one post up now, and is working on another. If you could become a fan of his on HuffPost, and Digg his article, that would help make his other articles more prominent and popular.

Here's the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-lasker/republicans-gather-to-sup_b_116294.html

Digg It Here: http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Republicans_Gather_to_Support_Obama_in_Indiana

To join the Obama Supporters for Positive Dialogue Group sign up here: LINK

Thanks!

Email from Barack - The Low Road

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:17:47 EDT

A few hours ago John McCain, the same man who just months ago promised to run a "respectful campaign," said he is "proud" of his latest attack ad.

That's the one attacking your enthusiasm, comparing me to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, and making false claims about my energy plan.

Now, we're facing some serious challenges in this country -- our economy is struggling, energy costs are skyrocketing, and families don't have health care.

Given the seriousness of these issues, you'd think we'd be having a serious debate. But instead, John McCain is running an expensive, negative campaign against us. Each day brings a desperate new set of attacks.

And they're not just attacking me. They're attacking you.

They're mocking the desire of millions of Americans to step up and take ownership of the political process.

They're trying to convince you that your enthusiasm won't amount to anything -- that the people you persuade, the phone calls you make, the donations you give, the doors you knock on are all an illusion. They believe that in this election the same old smears and negative attacks will prevail again.

They're wrong.

And right now, we have a few hours left to prove them wrong in a very concrete way.

Can you make a donation right now before the July fundraising deadline at midnight tonight?

Show the strength of our movement for change.

Thank you,

Barack

Don’t Miss Barack Online

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:49:17 EDT

Now you'll know each time Barack's events are streamed online.

These streaming videos give you front row seats to Barack's biggest events.

Many of these events won't be publicized on TV or anywhere else. With streaming video updates, you'll be kept in the loop on the latest campaign activity.

It's easy and totally free.

Check it out: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/videoalerts

Thanks!

A Monumental Double Standard

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:07:25 EDT

The conventional wisdom is that the voters need to get to know Barack better. Maybe so. But what about the other guy? How much do voters really know about John McCain? Is the real McCain just that affable, straight-talking, moderately conservative war hero?

McCain crossed the line this week when he said that Obama “would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign.” It was a lousy comment, tantamount to calling Barack a traitor, and McCain should apologize for it.

And now his Rovian-style campaign has put up a terribly disingenuous ad criticizing Barack for not visiting our wounded troops in Germany, showing just how desperate McCain really is.

McCain is one of those guys who never has to pay much of a price for his missteps and foul-ups and bad behavior. Just imagine the firestorm of outrage and criticism that would have descended on Obama if he had made the kind of factual mistakes that McCain has repeatedly made in this campaign.(Or if Barack had had the temerity to even remotely suggest that John McCain would consider being disloyal to his country for political reasons?)

We have a monumental double standard here.

What About the Other Guy?

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:58:06 EDT

And now his Rovian-style campaign has put up a terribly disingenuous ad criticizing Barack for not visiting our wounded troops in Germany, showing just how desperate McCain really is.

(Or if Barack had had the temerity to even remotely suggest that John McCain would consider being disloyal to his country for political reasons?) We have a monumental double standard here.

Let's Get Fired Up Again!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:53:35 EDT

With all the excitement over this week’s great trip abroad and the incessant media coverage of McCain’s whining, cheap shot slams and Rovian tactics, it’s time to take a deep breath, step back and remember how we felt in the beginning of this long race. It’s time to recapture that early feeling, to recall the historical significance of what we’ve accomplished already together and to rekindle that sense of urgency in getting Fired Up and Ready to Go again right now.

One way is to watch Barack again in that awesome moment in Iowa. Here's the link to the video of the speech everyone was talking about then and that shows why we need to be fired up today -- Barack's address at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tydfsfSQiYc

As VBond posted on another site at the time,

"He soared in substance, rhetoric and style without separating from the “average” man and woman... He was inspiring, in a “down-home” way, AND seriously Presidential… He tightened his rationale for running AND reached out - to Republicans, Independents and, frankly, other Democratic candidates’ supporters...

Andrew Sullivan (Atlantic cover story) is right: this is the right man and the right time… tactically (for the nomination)… strategically (for the general election) and historically (for the U.S. and the world).” Link

OUR MOMENT IS NOW!

GET FIRED UP & READY TO GO!

Please help me in getting donations for Barack’s campaign by contributing through my Grassroots Finance Committee fundraising page. LINK

Even a small donation will help keep the ball rolling!

Please encourage your family, friends and associates to match or exceed your contribution by forwarding them this link: LINK - http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

Thanks very much!

Yes We Can!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:26:52 EDT

Check out Zennie Abraham’s new "Yes We Can" musical / video tribute to Barack Obama for President by Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt (not to be confused with "Yes We Can" by Will-I-Am).

LINK

If you're inspired -- if you're ready to build this movement and change America, please make a donation to my grassroots fundraising page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

We can change the world. I'm standing up for the politics of hope. I hope you will too.

Thanks!

YES WE CAN!

LINK

New "Yes We Can" Video

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:50:51 EDT

Check out Zennie Abraham’s new "Yes We Can" musical / video tribute to Barack Obama for President by Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt (not to be confused with "Yes We Can" by Will-I-Am).

LINK

Let Your Voice Be Heard

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:29:01 EDT

The best, most comprehensive plan for change in our country will include our ideas and our feedback. America needs a president with a mandate from the people, and everyone deserves a voice in shaping our next president's agenda.

Here's a link to a great tool on the MyBO site for getting your ideas directly to headquarters:

Link

This is a web form you can fill out with your information and ideas.

Let your voice be heard!

DON'T BE FOOLED ON ENERGY ISSUES

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:43:14 EDT

THE CHOICE BETWEEN OBAMA AND MCCAIN ON ENERGY

While John McCain offers more of the same failed Bush polices on energy, Barack Obama is presenting a comprehensive plan that invests in new sources of energy, creates millions of new jobs, and breaks our dependence on foreign oil.

The Obama campaign launched a new website today to help Americans compare the candidates' plans:

NewEnergyForAmerica.com

TAKE ACTION NOW:

* Tell your friends and family members who are concerned about energy and the environment about NewEnergyForAmerica.com

* Write a letter to your local newspaper about the clear differences between Obama and McCain on energy policy:

http://my.BarackObama.com/WAEnergyLetter

===================================================

BACKGROUND

===================================================

OBAMA'S COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PLAN

* A second stimulus tax rebate package, and a $1,000 tax credit for working families to provide meaningful relief from soaring energy costs

* Immediate relief to hard hit American families by cracking down on the oil speculators that have helped drive oil prices to the highest levels of all times

* A $150 billion investment over the next ten years to create millions of new jobs, protect our existing manufacturing base, and develop and deploy climate friendly energy supplies that will move us toward energy independence

* An economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, a level recommended by top scientists to avoid calamitous impacts of global climate change.

* A dramatic improvement in energy efficiency to reduce energy intensity of our economy by 50 percent by 2030.

* A reduction in our dependence on foreign oil and reduce oil consumption overall by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels of oil, by 2030.

* Doubling fuel economy standards over the next eighteen years, while also expanding tax credits so more American families can purchase advanced vehicles

* Making the U.S. a leader in the global effort to combat climate change by leading a new international global warming partnership.

MCCAIN'S PLAN: GIMMICKS THAT DO NOTHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

* A gas tax holiday that would save consumers only $30 this summer -- and which more than 200 economists opposed, "including four Nobel Prize winners, advisers to past presidents, and Republicans, as well as Democrats... They say it would simply generate more profits for the oil companies, instead of significantly lowering prices for consumers." [CNN, 5/6/08]

* Reversing his position on offshore drilling to side with George Bush and the oil industry-- which McCain's top economic advisor admitted it would have no immediate impact on gas prices... According to the Los Angeles Times, McCain's senior policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters on a conference call that, "allowing new offshore drilling would have no immediate impact on supplies or gas prices. But, he said, 'there is an important element in signaling to world oil markets that we are serious.'" [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/08]

* Giving the oil companies $4 billion in tax cuts at a time when they're making record profits... A study by the Center for American Progress Action Fund noted that the corporate tax rate cut included in the McCain tax plan "would deliver a

$3.8 billion tax cut to the five largest American oil companies" - ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Valero Energy, and Marathon.

According to their analysis of Exxon's financial statements, the company would receive a tax savings of $1.2 billion under the McCain plan.

["The McCain Plan to Cut Oil CompanyTaxes by Nearly $4 Billion," Center for American Progress Action Fund, 3/27/08]

THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:00:50 EDT

Are you ready for the next big challenge of this campaign?

On Saturday, June 28th, more than a thousand supporters like you are hosting Unite for Change house meetings all across the country.

Ordinary people will be opening their homes and inviting friends and neighbors to come together and talk about our common cause of change.

See what Barack has to say about these Unite for Change events and sign up to host one in your community:

http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange

The goal of Unite for Change is to bring together people who supported all of the Democratic candidates, as well as Independents and even some Republicans. We want to reach out to anyone who is tired of the politics of the past and looking for new solutions to the challenges we're facing.

We'll talk about the common values we share and our strategy for bringing more people into the political process than ever before.

Hosting a Unite For Change house meeting will be easy and fun. Whether you are a seasoned campaign veteran or a first time volunteer, our staff will be there to help you every step of the way.

http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange

Since last February, we have worked to build a grassroots movement that will enable us to compete in all 50 states in the general election.

It's going to take all of us working together to bring about the change our country needs.

Help us grow this movement and Unite For Change:

http://my.barackobama.com/uniteforchange

If you're ready to build this movement and change America, please make a donation to my grassroots fundraising page:

LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

We can change the world.

I'm standing up for the politics of hope. I hope you will too.

Thanks!

WHY McCAIN TAKES THE GITMO RULING PERSONALLY

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:52:51 EDT

Digg it here: LINK

From CBS NEWS: LINK

“John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, told a crowd of supporters in New Jersey Friday that the Supreme Court’s latest Guantanamo Bay ruling is ‘one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.’

Why would the normally stoic senator become so hyperbolic about a ruling that, at its essence, strengthens the vitality of the “Great Writ” of habeas corpus - a bedrock constitutional right?

...Whether or not McCain really believes what he says, it is good politics (read: inaccurate and unfair) to declare that the Court just sided with the terrorists over the President when five Justices ruled that the terror suspects detained in Cuba may challenge their detentions in our civilian courts.

The main reason for McCain’s strong language, however, is as personal as political.

Following the last Supreme Court ruling on this subject, which also struck down stubborn Administration detainee policies, the Senator (a Vietnam torture victim himself) invested no small amount of his own treasured (and well-earned) historical capital to try to broker a deal on the detainees.

And, in late 2006, he did.

It’s called the Military Commissions Act. It was a terrible idea from the very beginning, and it was one of two federal statutes undercut by the Justices last Thursday. It’s no wonder the nominee is taking the defeat personally.

After first insisting that federal law clearly and unambiguously outlaw “torture,” McCain suddenly caved to White House pressure on the MCA, allowing the Administration to insert into the law a clause that effectively allows (and, indeed, legally buttresses the efforts of) the executive branch to implement torture as a means of interrogation.

Without McCain’s pander, there would have been no bad law for the Court to strike down last week. Without McCain’s grandiloquent appeal to Democrats and moderates during that lame-duck session, there quite possibly might have been a better law that just might have passed its constitutional test this term.

McCain’s sell-out on the torture language is not the reason the Justices declared the MCA unconstitutional. It is not the reason why the detainees now have more access to federal courts than they did before. But it is emblematic of the larger and much more destructive, seven-year-long sell-out of the legislative branch in the legal fight against terrorism.

And that emblem, thanks to the Supreme Court, now has John McCain’s face on it just in time for the run-up to the general election.

McCain and other so-called “moderates” have had the power for years to avoid these Supreme Court showdowns and show-ups. They just haven’t had the political courage to exercise that power.

All of which means the Supreme Court isn’t the only reason why the terror detainees remain in legal limbo. The White House is to blame for pushing beyond the legal limits of executive power. And the Congress is to blame for allowing it to happen despite entreaties by the judiciary for help.

If I were a good man like McCain, I’d be embarrassed by this. And perhaps he is. And perhaps that embarrassment is expressing itself in anger instead of consideration. In any case, it’s misguided.

In fact, the recent ruling on detainee rights will be revered, not reviled, by future generations, who will study the first decade following the terror attacks on America with a curious mix of regret and sadness about lost opportunities, legal and otherwise, that hampered our collective response.”

Barack will fight terrorism aggressively and keep every American safe -- while preserving our sacred civil liberties.

Stand up for civil liberties and show your support for Barack's position on this issue – sign the online petition in support of the Court’s landmark decision: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/liberties

Thanks for working for real change!

If you're ready to help build this movement and change America, please make a donation to my grassroots fundraising page: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

I'm standing up for the politics of hope. I hope you will too.

Thanks!

YES WE CAN!

McCain Takes Gitmo Ruling Personally

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:33:52 EDT

Digg it here: LINK

From CBS NEWS: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/liberties

Thanks for working for real change!

If you're ready to help build this movement and change America, please make a donation to my grassroots fundraising page: LINK

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TCP

I'm standing up for the politics of hope. I hope you will too.

Thanks!

YES WE CAN!

A Solution for Ending the War in Iraq?

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:35:28 EDT

From the Baldwin Park Democrat:
Link

"While not likely to happen, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri Kamel al-Maliki, may have provided a relatively simple way for the U.S. to dis-engage in Iraq that might satisfy all U.S. political entities.

The Solution?

'Iraq has another option that it may use," Maliki said during a visit to Amman, Jordan. "The Iraqi government, if it wants, has the right to demand that the U.N. terminate the presence of international forces on Iraqi sovereign soil.'

Think about it. Iraq asking that the U.S. leave Iraq.

The Bush Administration and the Republicans get to save face; they can claim that they completed their task and left Iraq with honor. They would also be able to put to rest a significant election year issue.

And the Democrats get what they so desperately want - the U.S. out of Iraq, and an end to the war and everything that goes with it.

Of course it is not likely to happen. Such a solution is fairly simplistic and probably doesn't take into account the geopolitical realities of the region, the true imperialistic intentions of Bush/McCain and the neocons, and the desires of the Cheney favored oil companies.

But it is one way out."

Digg the story here: Link

Obama Holding Clinton Voters - McCain Losing GOP Base

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:00:43 EDT

“So far, despite all the chatter to the contrary, Mr. Obama is not only holding on to Mrs. Clinton’s Democratic constituencies but expanding others. The same cannot be said of Mr. McCain and the G.O.P. base.”

John McCain And The Counter-Narrative On Women

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/15/83321/2771/761/536225

Digg it here: http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/John_McCain_And_The_Counter_Narrative_On_Women

Also, please digg Frank Rich's NY Times Op-Ed piece here: http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Angry_Clinton_Wo ...

"You’d never guess that Mr. McCain is a fierce foe of abortion rights or that he voted to terminate the federal family-planning program that provides breast-cancer screenings.

You’d never know that his new campaign blogger, recruited from The Weekly Standard, had shown his genuine affection for Mrs. Clinton earlier this year by portraying her as a liar and whiner and by piling on with a locker-room jeer after she’d been called a monster. “Tell us something we don’t know,” he wrote.

But while the McCain campaign apparently believes that women are easy marks for its latent feminist cross-dressing, a reality check suggests that most women can instantly identify any man who’s hitting on them for selfish ends.

New polls show Mr. Obama opening up a huge lead among female voters — beating Mr. McCain by 13 percentage points in the Gallup and Rasmussen polls and by 19 points in the latest Wall Street Journal-NBC News survey.

How huge is a 13- to 19-percentage-point lead? John Kerry won women by only 3 points, Al Gore by 11."

YES WE CAN!

STAND WITH BARACK

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:17:48 EDT

In a five-to-four decision, the Supreme Court determined that suspects being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base have the right to appeal their detention in federal court. This is a major victory for everyone who cares about civil liberties, human rights, and America's standing in the world. Barack Obama praised this ruling -- demonstrating his respect for our civil liberties and showing his commitment to keeping us safe while restoring the rights that have been stripped away by George W. Bush.

Stand up for civil liberties and show your support for Barack's position on this issue – sign the online petition in support of the Court’s landmark decision:

http://my.barackobama.com/liberties

John McCain and George W. Bush had a very different take on yesterday's decision.

"I strongly agree with [the justices] who dissented," said Bush. McCain struck a similar note, saying, "The decision obviously concerns me."

This episode is another reminder that John McCain is fighting to continue George Bush's policies for a third term.

John McCain has shown his willingness to compromise basic rights that are at the core of American justice and the rule of law. He seems willing to turn a blind eye to the suspension of habeas corpus and the mistreatment of prisoners that have destroyed our country's reputation in the world.

Barack will fight terrorism aggressively and keep every American safe -- while preserving our sacred civil liberties.

Take a stand on this important issue by signing our online petition right now:

http://my.barackobama.com/liberties

Thanks for working for real change!

NEW DIRECTION

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:53:58 EDT

With permission from Julie in Iowa, here’s a email she sent that’s right on point and something that we can all use as we try to promote Barack’s positive message of unity and inclusion:“We all receive the negative emails about Senator Obama, come across anti-Obama blogs and websites. I strongly urge you to reply to those emails and contact those blogs and websites with the following positive message. We need to unite the Democratic party, not fight those who are in disagreement.

Your future, our future depends on the upcoming Presidential election. I understand your concerns over Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama and your need to feel you must support a candidate other than Senator Obama.

The road to the White House is long and arduous but can be made easier by a unified Democratic party. If we are divided amongst ourselves our future is in peril. We are one in the same - democrats, republicans and independents. We all want a stronger America, a renewed face in the eyes of the world of leadership, compassion and fairness. A new direction. We are all united in the fact that we did not receive this under President Bush's administration.

There are rumors about Senator Obama's past. I urge you to check each rumor out - there are several sites which are excellent sources:

SNOPES: http://www.snopes.com

MEDIA MATTERS: http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/

COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW: http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/

FACT CHECKER: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/

POLITIFACT: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

FACTCHECK: http://www.factcheck.org/

TRUTH OR FICTION: http://www.truthorfiction.com/

I truly believe Senator Obama offers a path to unity, truth, a strong democratic party and a new direction for the United States. Please come join us and help stop the division. United We Stand, Divided we Fail. I invite you a visit our web site at http://www.barackobama.com and help reshape the future.”

AND YES, EVEN SOME REPUBLICANS!

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:13:09 EDT

This article from Frank Schaeffer (a republican) pretty much sums it up!

Why This Fifty-Five Year Old White Lifelong Republican Wants Obama To Win

By Frank Schaeffer

This is a great day for those of us who have been fighting for Senator Obama! I'm a good example of why he'll win in November. I'm the least typical Obama supporter. And there are many more like me.

I cut my political teeth in the seventies through the early eighties as an organizer in the antiabortion religious right. I'm a fifty-five year old white man who has been a conservative most of my life. I've been a Republican activist who campaigned for McCain in 2000. I'm a big fan of the military. My son served in the Marines. If Obama can reach me he can reach anyone.

My support for Obama has cost me friends. For instance the Bush family gave one of my recent military-related books (Keeping Faith-A Father-Son Story About Love and the United States Marine Corps) a ringing endorsement. After Laura Bush read an excerpt out on Meet The Press sales skyrocketed. I probably won't get too many more of those sorts of endorsements. But the chips are down and the presidential choice this year is too important not to not fight for.

We can't afford McCain. He'd be a president with a desire to be vindicated and "win" at all costs in Iraq. Iraq never attacked us. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. The terrorists were not in Iraq while Hussein was in charge. We opened the door for them. We aren't bringing democracy to Iraq. This was a war of dumb choice launched in a part of the world that can't ever be fixed by our military.

The next president will inherit the mess George W. Bush created with a big assist from Senator McCain. Above all we need a completely fresh start. And of only Senator Obama can provide that.

McCain has taken his lack of judgment about Iraq to the next level. McCain won't do what is good for America, or even good for our military men and women. For instance, he is against the new GI Bill that would give fair educational benefits to our men and women. McCain doesn't want to give them anything that might entice them to do anything but go to war, again and again and again. McCain serves the warrior god of his warrior ancestors, not America's best interests.

As I see it our choice is between a heroic old man whose time has long past and who will perpetuate failed policy, and a brilliant, openhearted new founding father of the new post-racial, post-divided America the likes of which we have not seen.

How do my old pro-life views square with Obama's pro-choice beliefs? Very well. Today when I listen to Obama speak (and to his remarkable wife, Michelle) what I hear is a world view that nurtures life. Obama is trying to lead this country to a place where the intrinsic worth of each individual is celebrated. He is a leader who believes in hope, the future, trying to save our planet and providing a just and good life for everyone. This makes him someone who is actually pro-life as opposed to Bush who paid lip service to right wing religion but did the opposite of nurturing life at every turn, including senselessly killing our soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

The society that Obama is calling us to join him in striving for is a place wherein life would be valued not just talked about. As he said in his speech delivered on February 6 in New Orleans, "Too often, we lose our sense of common destiny; that understanding that we are all tied together; that when a woman has less than nothing in this country, that makes us all poorer." Obama was talking about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but his words also apply to our overall view of ourselves.

How do my pro-military views square with Obama? Very well.

Republicans may talk about patriotism but through their stubborn support for Bush's Iraq war they have become our military's worst enemies. And many of us in the military family have had it with the Republican's bellicose nonsense -- Bush's "Bring it on!" and now McCain's version; "I'll chase bin Laden to the gates of hell!" and "We'll win!" Enough is enough.

Obama comes to us from outside the system that has produced our present multiple crises of wars of choice and a failing economy. He does what all truly great leaders do: he speaks to the soul in plain self-revealing words of hope.

I think we all vote on an emotional level, whatever we say about our "reasons." And I know that I'm not the only tired culture warrior from the right who feels relieved and uplifted and -- most importantly -- believes Obama when I hear him talk about bringing us together to shape a better future. I also believe that he is an authentic man of faith. His sincere inclusion of Christian faith in his conversation with us rings true to this preacher's kid.

Obama touches me. He has a prophetic authenticity that reminds me of W.E.B. Du Bois' prayers that Du Bois sometimes wrote for his students. Obama also brings a touch of Billy Graham with him to the podium. His is a deeply spiritual call. And his critics that have dismissed Obama's ability to inspire as "mere words" are dead wrong.

We have never needed inspiration more. And we have never needed a president to inspire the rest of the world more. Every international opinion poll shows that Obama is not only the most popular American leader, perhaps ever, but more popular than any other world leader today.

Obama offers civility. Obama speaks in complete sentences, well-turned paragraphs, offers thoughts with intellectual depth, nuance, humility and compassion. Obama does not play on our fears. Electing Obama will also tell the world--and most importantly ourselves--that we can grow, learn and move on when it comes to race. We can heal our wounds. We can set an example again.

Obama is worth fighting for. He is worth losing old friends for. History has given us an unlikely lifeline. Do we have the decency and sense to open our hearts? What a great moment this is!

LINK

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/why-this-fifty-five-year_b_105061.html?view=screen

BARACK THANKS HILLARY ON MyBO

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:57:09 EDT

“Senator Clinton made history over the past 16 months -- not just because she has broken barriers, but because she has inspired millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to causes like universal health care that make a difference in the lives of hardworking Americans.

Take a minute to thank her for her hard work and for supporting this campaign.”

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/thankyouHRC?source=feature_thankyou

THIS IS OUR MOMENT

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:27:33 EDT

From Barack’s remarks last night in St. Paul:

“America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love. The journey will be difficult. The road will be long.

I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.”

OUR MOMENT IS NOW!

SIGN UP - WATCH THE GE CAMPAIGN KICKOFF RALLY

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:33:04 EDT

Updated at 4:45pm 06-02-08:

Sorry, HQ staff has deleted this event stating, "MyBarackObama Events must have a time and specific place, and they also are geared to be used for specific organizing purposes."

We can still all participate by watching and asking our friends to watch, but we can't sign up for the event itself. Thanks to all who did sign up!

Help Kick Off the Campaign's Next Phase

WATCH TUESDAY’S MINNESOTA RALLY

It's the place where John McCain will accept the nomination. It's a good place for us to kick off the next phase of the campaign," said Barack's communications director, Robert Gibbs.

OUR MOMENT IS NOW.

LINK

JOIN US - SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:20:18 EDT

Updated at 4:50pm 06-02-08:Sorry, HQ staff has deleted this event stating, "MyBarackObama Events must have a time and specific place, and they also are geared to be used for specific organizing purposes." We can still all participate by watching and asking our friends to watch, but we can't sign up for the event itself. Thanks to all who did sign up!Help Kick Off the Campaign's Next Phase

WATCH TUESDAY’S MINNESOTA RALLY

Sign up for this event here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4s85

"It's the place where John McCain will accept the nomination. It's a good place for us to kick off the next phase of the campaign," said Barack's communications director, Robert Gibbs.

OUR MOMENT IS NOW.

FOCUS ON PARTY UNITY

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:53:54 EDT

Sen. Hillary Clinton's aides "said she seemed to have come to terms over the last week with the near certainty that she will not win the nomination, even as she continues to assert, with what one associate described as subdued resignation, that the Democrats are making a mistake in sending Mr. Obama up against Sen. John McCain," the New York Times reports.

"Clinton has kept her counsel about what she might do to draw her campaign to a close and when she might do it. Her associates said the most likely outcome was that she would end her bid with a speech, probably back home in New York, in which she would endorse Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton herself suggested on Friday that the contest would end sometime next week." http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/05/31/clinton_resigned_to_loss_of_nomination.html

We have to believe that the "supporters" we saw at the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting yesterday do not represent the vast majority of those who by now must be coming to grips with the fact that Barack will be the nominee.

Our focus now must be on party unity. Help encourage positive dialogue on our blogs.

Please join over 200 fellow supporters who have taken a pledge to be positive and put an end to tearing others down so that we can show new supporters what it means to BE BARACK.

SIGN UP FOR THIS "EVENT": WELCOME NEW SUPPORTERS WITH POSITIVE DIALOGUE

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4w82

"We have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism...Or at this moment, in this election we can come together and say, 'Not this time'."--Barack Obama

And please join over 250 fellow Obama supporters in our group, OBAMA SUPPORTERS FOR POSITIVE DIALOGUE.

Join the group here:

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

Thanks!

YES WE CAN Make a Difference!

WE’RE ALMOST THERE

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:39:39 EDT

Please join over 200 fellow supporters who have taken a pledge to be positive and put an end to tearing others down so that we can show new supporters what it means to BE BARACK.

SIGN UP FOR THIS "EVENT":

WELCOME NEW SUPPORTERS WITH POSITIVE DIALOGUE

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4w82

And please join over 250 fellow Obama supporters in our group, OBAMA SUPPORTERS FOR POSITIVE DIALOGUE.

Join the group here:

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

Thanks!

YES WE CAN Make a Difference!

Clinton "Resigned" to Loss of Nomination

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:28:43 EDT

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/05/31/clinton_resigned_to_loss_of_nomination.html

Help encourage positive dialogue on our blogs.

Please join over 200 fellow supporters who have taken a pledge to be positive and put an end to tearing others down so that we can show new supporters what it means to BE BARACK.

SIGN UP FOR THIS "EVENT":

WELCOME NEW SUPPORTERS WITH POSITIVE DIALOGUE

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4w82

And please join over 250 fellow Obama supporters in our group, OBAMA SUPPORTERS FOR POSITIVE DIALOGUE.

Join the group here:

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

Thanks!

YES WE CAN Make a Difference!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:47:59 EDT

With permission from my friend, Paul “Sluggo” Shelly, Jr. (a city councilman in Mckeesport, Pennsylvania), here’s a post he wrote that’s right on point and something that we all need to keep in mind as we try to promote Barack’s positive message:

SOMETHING THAT CONCERNS ME:

Never in my voting history have I seen such vitriol in the Democratic nomination process. Typically such passions for or against candidates are reserved for the General Election.

People need to calm down and quit fanning the flames with crazy statements. I’m not just speaking of one particular candidate. I’m also talking about supporters on both sides who spew hatred for their opponents.

I know it is hard to control yourself when you are emotionally involved in an election. I’ve faltered in this respect more than once. It is ALWAYS harder to keep your comments positive than it is to resort to personal attacks. Just because it is harder, doesn’t mean it isn’t the right path to take.

I understand the frustration that Hillary and her supporters feel. I too have been on the losing side of elections. It is difficult when one throws their heart into a campaign and falls short. It happens.

I likewise understand that feeling of the Obama supporters, who wonder what Senator Clinton will do or say next out of desperation.

Rather than play the blame game, losing candidates and campaigns need to look inside and consider what THEY did wrong. What could THEY have done better.

Winning campaigns and losing campaigns should both show dignity and class. I learned that from sports and I try to teach the kids I coach the same.

Things aren’t always going to go your way in a competition. Who you are is more important than wins and losses.

Unfortunately, some folks show their true colors when they have lost or are losing.

I have never called on Senator Clinton to quit running. I believe she is certainly entitled to run out the remaining primaries and decision of the Super Delegates and see where she is.

Her chances are slim to win the nomination, but it isn’t over until one Senator has the required number of delegates.

Playing the blame game (sexism) is beneath her. It diminishes her. Not the media. Not the voters.

Trying to change the rules after the fact sends a terrible message to all of our children that we try to teach better.

Making “assassination” comments, intended or not, flames the fire of the folks who distrust her and her motives.

Senator Obama has shown class by not deriding her over this comment. He even defended her to a point, telling us that candidates do misspeak under the toll of a campaign and the intense media scrutiny.

This today from the Drudge Report:

Obama, when asked about the incident yesterday, said it was an “unfortunate remark.'’ He also said he empathizes with misstatements made while under the stress of campaigning.

“When you are on the campaign trail for 15 months you are going to make some mistakes,'’ he said. “I don’t think that Senator Clinton intended anything by it and I think we should put it behind us.'’

I respect that he sees no need to fan the flames of this comment.

It shows class.

It is time for his opponent, and her supporters, to reciprocate.

It is also time for Clinton and Obama supporters to calm down, breathe and move forward together.

We have suffered under 8 years of George W. Bush’s style of rule together. If we don’t start the process of healing our party soon, we will suffer another four.

-Paul

http://www.paulshelly.com/

Barack told us this wouldn’t be easy. And, after the last few days, we know he was right.

Keep the faith and sign up for this “event:” WELCOME NEW SUPPORTERS WITH POSITIVE DIALOGUE

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4w82

And please join 260 fellow Obama supporters in our group, OBAMA SUPPORTERS FOR POSITIVE DIALOGUE.

Join the group here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ObamaSupportersforReconciliation

Thanks!

SOMETHING THAT CONCERNS ME

TCP (Tim Prudhel) — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:32:42 EDT