rootscampPittsburgh
What is RootsCampPittsburgh?RootsCamps are participant driven events or forums, using the "unconference" or "open space" format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians in the progressive sphere to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment.
Think of it as a cross between an election debrief and grassroots organizing skills share. The progressive community — everyone from the "netroots" to precinct captains to field organizers to national message consultants — come together to share successes, failures, impart old wisdom and new discoveries.
Find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh at http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com
When is RootsCampPittsburgh?RootsCamp will be held at the United Steelworkers Building, 5 Gateway Center in Pittsburgh on January 24, 2009.
Who should come to RootsCamp?RootsCamp will be for anyone who played a role in the 2008 elections and/or working in progressive politics. As fellow organizers, we'll be meeting each other, reuniting with team members, discussing the innovations and challenges from this cycle, and most importantly, celebrating!
RootsCamp 2009 will bring together the best and brightest organizers that were engaged in 2008 campaigns, including staff and volunteers from:
Presidential CampaignsDown ballot racesLaborNon-partisan GOTV and voter registration operationsOnline organizationsAdvocacy organizationsTech supportBlogs and other mediaMedia, message, polling and targeting consultants
· Share stories and knowledge with each other from all over Pennsylvania, especially the western part of the state.
· Teach others from the progressive movement what you did and how you did it. Brainstorm ways that the methods you practiced can be exported to unions, advocacy organizations and community organizations.
· Strategize about how to help progressive institutions to sustain what you've started.
To find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh or to register, go to: http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com
Check Out This clip from the 1960s Batman Tv series. It has such Uncanny similarities to the recent events of this years election campaign its actually SCARY!!
For perhaps the final time, I will beg and plead that Kathleen Sebelius is not the Vice Presidential choice. That would sew it up: 48 months of John McCain as President. Barack needs an attack dog with foreign policy experience, not a boring, inexperienced Governor from Kansas. The safest pick is probably Bayh or Biden (unless someone like Gore would accept it, which I seriously doubt). The pick with the biggest poll bounce would be Hillary (but that would rally the GOP somewhat). A surprise pick would be someone like Wes Clark, Claudia Kennedy, or Bill Richardson.
I think Obama wins with any of those combinations EXCEPT Sebelius!!! SAY NO TO SEBELIUS!!!!
I don't know if anyone out there witnessed Gov. Sebelius' response to the State of the Union this past year.....but if you are among those supporting her for Vice President, you should research that. Bottom line, I hope and PRAY he doesn't pick her for his running mate. As a former Clinton supporter, it would antagonize many of her supporters and push away even more male voters (and perhaps even some black male voters as well). It would hurt him badly in Pennsylvania and Ohio, if he puts her on the ticket. Bayh, Richardson, Biden, Kaine, even Hillary, would all be a batter path to victory.
*Bayh would guarantee Indiana and probably Ohio and help greatly in PA where moderate Dems are all the rage (Bobby Casey trounced Rick Santorum by 19 points in 2006 and his views are similar to those of Bayh)
*Biden adds nothing geographically but his foreign policy experience is second to none.
*Richardson brings in New Mexico and maybe even Florida and Nevada. Also foreign policy whiz.
*Kaine strengthens the chance in Virginia and North Carolina, and reinforces the change theme.
*Hillary wipes out any chance of McCain even being competetive in OH, PA and brings in FLA and maybe even Arkansas.
*SEBELIUS WILL NOT BRING IN KANSAS OR HELP IN ANY OF THE RED STATES. SHE IS IN NO WAY AN ATTACK DOG THAT BARACK NEEDS HIS VP TO BE. WITH HER ON THE TICKET, THOUGHTS OF CARTER/MONDALE/FERRARO ARE DANCING IN MY HEAD.
For those of you who have been wondering why Barack's lead in the polls is not much larger than what it is, stay tuned. John McCain's campaign is continuing to follow the playbook for "How to get Blown out in a General Election 101."
McCain's "very close personal friend" and advisor Phil Gramm (another multi-millionaire) was quoted as saying that we are all "whiners" and that the economic downturn "does not really exist." I guess the liberal media is making up the fact that people are losing their homes and having to break the bank to fill their gas tanks.
I guess Texas needs more millionaires. You've gotta love Republicans!!
www.imvotingrepublican.com
I am compiling a list of all the small businesses in our local communities that have gone out of business during the Bush-Cheney years. I want to use this as ammunition against the Republicans this fall. For those of you who do not know me, I have an extensive economic background - and I am preparing a major speech for a rally later this summer.
The theme of my speech is two-fold. First, I want to demonstrate just how badly Republican policies have failed us, and I am going to draw comparisons to the Great Depression which followed twelve years of Republican rule, and will almost certainly happen again if McCain is elected. Secondly, I want to show small-town folks just how directly these policies have hurt their daily lives, and explain how Barack Obama's policies would help us stave off sure-fire economic disaster.
So help a fellow Obama blogger out, and give me some material to work with here. Respond to this post and this request with a list of small businesses that have gone under in the past 7.5 years. Thank you so much for your help!!
-Cory
Tell me what you think, Pennsylvania. Will this work? Can they be an unstoppable team together? One thing is for sure, Rendell will put PA in the Obama column for sure; McCain should just let PA go this fall and not waste his time and money in my state, if Rendell is on the ticket.
The same could be said for Strickland in Ohio. Obama-Strickland looks good, too.
But Barack Obama and Eddie Rendell. A match made in heaven or a bad idea? Discuss.
ANYONE....and I mean ANYONE who is from Armstrong County or the surrounding area and is interested in helping me form a dream team to help elect Barack Obama President, please contact me, Cory Shaeffer (724) 249-1164 or at shaefferc@comcast.net.
There is so much that can be done, like:
1) Registering new Democrats to vote in the fall election.
2) Holding town meetings and fundraisers for Barack.
3) A massive, sweeping GOTV effort.
4) Fun social events and memories that will last a lifetime. LET'S MAKE HISTORY TOGETHER!!
Thank You,
Cory
On Tuesday, Barack will certainly have enough delegates to hit the target number. Even with Michigan and Florida added in, Hillary cannot catch him. I just hope that she does not take this all the way to the convention and destroy our chances at a victory.
This will be, in all likelihood, a huge Democratic year. I, for one, am looking forward to beginning the general election campaign and putting Hillary behind us (even if she is on the ticket as VP). It will be open season on McCain and the GOP, a must-win fight.
Here's to hoping that this thing will be decided next week!!!
Recent polling in Texas has shown it to be a SWING STATE in this year's election. 34 EV's up for grabs, and a must-win for McCain and the GOP. So here is the rub: McCain will have to spend campaign funds there in order to hold the state, and probably make appearances there as well. This will prevent him from spending his precious resources in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, which are now solidly blue states.
Obama will be elected, and a major reason will be his broad appeal across states that the Dems have not won in years, which now the GOP is losing congressional seats in. And all of this DESPITE the infighting among Democrats, and amidst the worst month of Obama's campaign. When the party becomes unified, look out. The margins of loss for McCain will be staggering, and my prediction is a landslide not quite to the tune of the 1932 or 1980 "change" elections (only because McCain is not an incumbent), but one that will be decided by over 100 electoral votes.
THERE'S A COOL BLUE WAVE A'COMIN!!!!
John McCain will not be the next President. And all the evidence you need is the recent comments he has made regarding the justices he will choose for the Supreme Court. If this were the election of 1908, rather than 2008, Old Man River would be in much better shape.
But when he confirmed he will have a litmus test for Justices (who will vote to overturn Roe V. Wade), he basically guaranteed that all the female voters (who will make up a whopping 53% of the electorate this year, a massive sum) who value their right to choose, will choose Barack Obama in the fall, despite what the polls say that they will defect to McCain if Hillary is not the nominee.
We will have a woman President some day, and I think it will come soon. But Hillary will not be that person, at least not in 2008. And McCain, who should have took advantage of the split amongst Democrats and failed to do so, is looking like a weaker version of Bob Dole. He will lose to Obama in the fall, and lose ugly, by well over 100 electoral votes.
Had it not been for Republicans who voted in last night's primary in Indiana, it would have been a sweep for Barack Obama. I just hope the superdelegates realize (which I'm sure they do) that the DEMOCRATS chose Barack in both states last night. During her speech, Hillary all but conceded, and while I am cautiously optimistic that this thing is all but over (never underestimate the power of the pantsuit), one wonders why the supers don't put an end to this thing TODAY.
I expect a major superdelegate showing for Barack in the next two days, as all the "leaners" now have the perfect opportunity to jump in his direction. Let the march begin.....
McCain's temper boiled over during a 1992 campaign tirade, called wife a 'c**t'
John McCain's temper is well documented. He's called opponents and colleagues "sh**heads," "a**holes" and in at least one case "a f**king jerk."
But a new book on the presumptive Republican nominee will air perhaps the most shocking angry exchange to date.
The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter, which will arrive in bookstores next month, reports an angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop.
Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c**t." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.
The man who was known as "McNasty" in high school has erupted in foul-languaged tirades at political foes and congressional colleagues throughout his career, and his quickness to anger has been an issue on the presidential campaign trail as evidence his fury has surfaced.
As Schecter notes, McCain's rage is not limited to the political spectrum, and even his family cannot be spared the brute force of his anger.
Schecter, who also blogs at The Agonist, said in an interview the anecdote is "an early example of his uncontrollable temper." In the book he outlines several other examples of McCain losing his cool and raises the question of how that would affect a McCain presidency.
The exchange between McCain and his wife was not reported anywhere when it happened, Schecter said (a LexisNexis database search confirms this). In 1992, McCain's mention in the national media revolved mostly around his involvement in the Keating Five scandal, and only local reporters closely followed his re-election bid.
McCain is well known for his rapport with the national media covering his presidential bid (he's jokingly referred to the press as "my base"), but Schecter said this incident was buried not out of fealty to the Arizona senator. Rather, it was uneasiness about how to get such a coarse exchange into a family newspaper, and he didn't fault the local press for not covering the incident.
"Members of the media are squeamish covering stuff like this so they let it go," Schecter told RAW STORY in an interview Monday. "Back in '92, when people use naughty words, [reporters] don't know as much what to do with it."
Much has changed since then. President Bush's reference to a New York Times reporter as a "major league asshole" was reported in at least 47 newspapers during the 2000 campaign, when the off-color remark was overheard, according to a database search. And more than a dozen newspapers have reported Dick Cheney's recommendation that Sen. Patrick Leahy "f**k yourself."
McCain and his aides have brushed off suggestions that his temper could impede his ability to perform the sometimes-delicate tasks asked of a president. The candidate was asked about his legendary temper last week on "Fox News Sunday," where he cited his ability to work "across the aisle" while in the Senate.
"You can't scare people or intimidate them if you're going to reach agreement with your colleagues and your contemporaries And I've worked hard at that, and that's what the American people want," McCain said. " The second thing is if I lose my capacity for anger, then I shouldn't be president of the United States. ... When I see the waste and corruption in Washington, I get angry."
Schecter says McCain's anger is much more than a passion for the issues. One can only imagine what would happen if McCain were to try to squeeze that temper into the tight confines of diplomacy."The public certainly has to know what this guy might do as president," Schecter says. Examples like the ones in his book "should worry people, quite frankly."
www.mccainsings.com
It will be Republicans who are bitter on November 5, 2008. They are evidently already bitter now, as they continue to attack and denounce hope. Who the heck does that?? Cynical, pompous loudmouths is who. ANd when Barack beats John McCain in the fall by eight to ten points or more, I will enjoy every moment of it.
I have decided that I am fed up with all the negativity towards Barack in the recent weeks. And now I am taking action. In addition to my usual monthly donation, I am going to put coins or dollar bills in a jar every time I see Reverend Wright on a TV news channel or read slandering articles about Barack. I will do this all the way until the primary ends, and perhaps all the way to the general election, even if it costs me several hundred dollars.
Condidates like Barack don't come along very often. We should embrace the opportunity.
In the midst of the fog surrounding yet another belabored media frenzy over Rev. Wright, one candidate inched closer to the Democratic nomination for President. And despite her "fuzzy math," that candidate was not Hillary Clinton. With Obama gaining eight superdelegates this past week to Hillary's three, he has now effectively erased all of the damage that the loss in PA caused him in the delegate count. BARACK NOW NEEDS JUST 40% OF THE REMAINING DELEGATES to clinch the magic number of 2024 and be on his way to a decisive win against McCain in the fall.
If anyone doubts the strength of Barack Obama, they should perhaps note that he is on his way to defeating the Clinton machine, a feat that had previously been tried seven times by Republicans. All seven times, the Clintons won. So a little message to the GOP: if you think for one second that Barack will be an easy target for McCain, you are mistaken. If Obama can leave Hillary in the dust, just think of what he will do to McCain in the fall....
As formidable as McCain is, he is not even close to the candidate, or politician, that Bill or Hillary Clinton is. Obama will be elected and McCain will go the way of Bob Dole and Herbert Hoover.
Thought we all could use a little humor today. Check this link out:
Democratic Chairman Howard Dean said earlier today that one candidate or the other must drop out in June, following the remaining eight primaries and the 300 or so unpledged superdelegates making their choice between now and then. With the delegate math in his favor and North Carolina increasingly looking like it will be a blowout for Barack, this is good news, because it means that Hillary CANNOT take this all the way to the convention like she says she will do. This is huge.
Dean also hinted at the fact that the Democratic party elders (Gore, Carter, Pelosi, etc) will not allow this to go all the way to August, which is very good news. I am just wondering if there will be a joint ticket if this thing is a statistical tie come June 3....
As much as I am opposed to a joint ticket, it does solve the unity problem and it also solves the Michigan/Florida voter disenfranchisement issue....As well as it also unites the elderly, traditional Clinton Democrats with the new Obama coalition.....
Anyway, this thing will be over in six weeks or less. Then we can focus on landsliding John McCain.
