Dear Team Obama,
Below, please see: 1. Strong Press Coverage of our Earth Day event.
2. Announcement of our May 17th House Party with Mark Walsh.
3. Invitation to join us when we receive the Democrat of the Year Award for the amazing work of our large team of Obama volunteers.
1. Our Grow The Hope Earth Day House Party was both fun and productive. I’m pleased to report that we got some media coverage for this event including a piece on NPR. We asked the reporters to interview not just our impressive speakers but also the Awesome Obama Interns who helped organize this special meeting. Luckily they did so. Don’t miss it. After following this link, you have to scroll down to find our story. Look for the one titled, “Obama Volunteers Carry Presidents Earth Agenda- Volunteers who worked on President Obama's campaign want to keep that energy moving.” http://wamu.org/news/09/04/22.php Additional coverage with video and more audio at: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=126801 After our previous event, we got blogged on what I’m told is Maryland’s most widely read political blog. http://maryland-politics.blogspot.com/2009/04/work-goes-on.html
2. We already have a large number of sign-ups for our May event. Mark Walsh joined us in March to hear Susie Trunbull speak and to share brief remarks with the crowd. He wowed everyone and I know there will be a large turnout to hear him on May 17th. Sign up early because this event will max out. On Sunday, May 17 at 2:00, we will hear from Mark Walsh, CEO of Genius Rocket. Mark is an exciting leader who will inspire us to remain active and build on our great success. Mark got very involved in politics earlier this decade, serving as the first Chief Technology Advisor to the Democratic National Committee, head of internet operations for the John Kerry for President Campaign, and the founding CEO of AirAmerica Radio, the liberal talk-radio network. He hosts a popular political talk show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio and appears regularly on MSNBC and Fox News radio as a political commentator. Please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gptwcp
3. As you may have heard, the work of the thousands of volunteers in our Obama office is being recognized. Your impressive efforts, which contributed significantly to the historic win in Virginia, inspired the Montgomery County Democratic Party to honor us with their Democrat of the Year Award. They couldn’t give this top award to each volunteer who worked at the office so they are presenting it to the Bethesda Obama Office (BOO) Leadership Team (LT). The BOO LT has discussed this and will accept this award on behalf of all of you – our amazing team of committed, hard-working, and fun-loving volunteers. Thank you so much for the hours of work you put into the effort to elect President Obama. Let’s celebrate together at the Spring Ball on Sunday, May 3rd when the award will be presented. To show the local party leaders that they made a good decision in selecting to honor our work, let’s make this the most successful Spring Ball ever. Please plan on being with us at the Spring Ball. For more information, please visit: http://www.mcdcc.org or contact Montgomery County Democratic Party 3720 Farragut Avenue, 3rd Floor · Kensington, MD 20895 301-946-1000 (main) · 301-946-1002 (fax) · montgomerydems@msn.com
Nurturing the spark of creativity and hope that came alive during the Obama campaign.
http://www.growthehope.org
View our videos and subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/growthehope
For updates, please join our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grow-The-Hope/49959058596?ref=ts
Dear All,
The following is an important post from "We Are The Change" on where things stand with the stimulus package, what has been taken OUT of the package, what's up next, and what can still be put back INTO the package. This is a good synopsis and let's us know what WE can do to effect change here. - Holly
Marta Evry sent a message to the members of We Are The Change. -------------------- Subject: UPDATE - Senate reaches an "agreement" on Stimulus Bill. Now what? Hi all, As you probably already know, the Senate has reached an agreement to pass ARRP (American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan) with some pretty major amendments proposed by the so-called "gang of 16" moderate Senators. The amendments gut funding for states and "income support" provisions for COBRA and medicare for the unemployed (and a bunch of other stuff too) in order to make it easier to swallow for the few Senate Republicans willing to come along for the ride. However, the Senate has yet to cast an actual vote. That's expected to happen on Sunday. The bill, as proposed, will pass with 61 votes. Hopefully. Or not. We'll see. Specter, Snowe and Collins are going to be under some very intense pressure from the Limbaugh Screaming Clown Brigade for the next 48 hours........... Once the bill passes, it has to go back to conference committee to be reconciled with the House version. This is where things could get really interesting, because once the bill is in committee, whatever changes are agreed to there can't be filibustered. Let me repeat that. Whatever changes happen in committee CAN NOT BE FILIBUSTERED. We only need an up and down majority vote in the House and Senate to make this happen. We will not need a single Republican vote to pass the ARRP. Not a one. So what do we need to do now? Keep calling. Focus on Specter, Snowe and Collins. Tell them you support their brave stance. DO NOT CRITICIZE THEM for gutting the bill. We need to keep them strong and focused for the next few days. Then call your own Senator and tell them once the bill is in committee, to restore the gutted provisions to the House version pronto. It's that simple. Below, is a "Cliff Notes" version of an impact report on the House version of ARRP prepared by Mark Zandi, the Chief Economist for Moody's. If you want to read the entire thing, go to this link: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.economy.com%2Fmark-zandi%2Fdocuments%2FEconomic_Stimulus_House_Plan_012109.pdf This will be your secret weapon, your silver bullet. Keep it close to your heart but spread it far and wide. It explains in simple layman's terms what AARP is, and how and why it works. Have at it. - Marta Evry ________________________ AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT PLAN FACT SHEET Source: Mark Zandi - Chief Economist , Moody's http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://Economy.com Overview The fiscal stimulus plan proposed by the House Democrats includes a reasonably designed mix of government spending increases and tax cuts. The spending increases total about $550 billion in 2009-2010, and there are $275 billion in tax cuts. (total $875 billion) Increased government spending provides a large economic bang for the buck and thus significantly boosts the economy. The benefits begin as soon as the money is disbursed and are less likely than tax cuts to be diluted by an increase in imports. The most effective proposals included in the House stimulus plan are extending unemployment insurance benefits, expanding the food stamp program, and increasing aid to state and local governments. Increasing infrastructure spending will also greatly boost the economy, particularly as the current downturn is expected to last for an extended period. Most of the infrastructure money will be spent on hiring workers and on materials and equipment produced domestically. Tax cuts generally provide less of an economic boost, particularly if they are temporary; on the other hand they can be implemented quickly. A particular plus for individual tax cuts included in the House stimulus plan such as the payroll tax and earned income tax credits is that they are targeted to benefit lower- and middle-income households that are more likely to spend the extra cash quickly. Investment and job tax benefits for businesses are less economically effective, but are not very costly and more widely distribute the benefits of the stimulus plan. Income support The House stimulus plan includes some $100 billion over two years in income support for those households under significant financial pressure. This includes extra benefits for workers who exhaust their regular 26 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits; expanded food stamp payments; and help meeting COBRA payments for unemployed workers trying to hold onto their health insurance. People who receive these benefits are hard pressed and will spend any financial aid they receive very quickly. Another advantage is that these programs are already operating and can quickly deliver a benefit increase to recipients. The virtue of extending UI benefits goes beyond simply providing aid for the jobless to more broadly shoring up household confidence. Nothing is more psychologically debilitating, even to those still employed, than watching unemployed friends and relatives lose their sources of support. Increasing food stamp benefits has the added virtue of helping people ineligible for UI such as part-time workers. Aid to state and local governments Another potent tool included in the House stimulus plan consists of some $200 billion in aid to state and local governments over two years. This takes the form of a temporary increase in the Medicaid matching rate to ease the costs of healthcare coverage; help to local school districts; and broader fiscal relief to states to prevent cuts in key programs. More than 40 states and a rapidly increasing number of localities are grappling with significant fiscal problems. Tax revenue growth has slowed as home sales, property values, retail sales and corporate profits have all fallen. Personal income tax receipts have begun to suffer as the job market slumps. Big states including California and Florida are under severe financial pressure, and smaller states including Arizona, Minnesota and Maryland are struggling significantly. The gap between state and local government revenues and expenditures ballooned to over $100 billion. Arguments that state governments should be forced to cut spending because they have grown bloated and irresponsible are strained, at best. State government spending and employment are no larger today as a share of total economic activity and employment than they were three decades ago. Infrastructure Spending Increased infrastructure spending is also a particularly effective way to stimulate the economy included in the House stimulus plan. The plan includes $160 billion in such spending over two years, with $90 billion in more traditional infrastructure such as highway construction, public transit and waterways; a $70 billion for a variety of energy, science and healthcare projects. The boost to GDP from every dollar spent on public infrastructure is large—an estimated $1.59—and there is little doubt that the nation has underinvested in infrastructure for some time, to the increasing detriment of the nation's long-term growth prospects. The argument against including infrastructure spending as a part of any fiscal stimulus plan is that it takes substantial time for the funds to flow into the broader economy. Infrastructure projects can take years from planning to completion. Moreover, even if the funds are used to finance only projects that are well along in their planning—so-called shovel-ready projects—it is difficult to know just when projects will get under way and when the money will be spent. These are reasonable concerns in most recessions, but the economy's current problems appear likely to continue for some time. It is also reasonable to be worried that this spending will be used on pork-barrel projects chosen not for political rather than economic reasons. To address this worry, policymakers plan to put in place tight controls to monitor the spending. Tax Cuts The House stimulus plan includes an estimated $165 billion in tax cuts for individuals and $110 billion in business tax cuts over two years. The largest part of the individual tax cut is a permanent payroll tax credit for workers, amounting to as much as $1,000 for married couples. The payroll tax credit will be particularly effective, as the benefit will go to lower income households that do not necessarily earn enough to pay income tax. These households are much more likely to spend any tax benefit they receive. The temporary tax incentives to support business investment and hiring in the House stimulus plan do not provide a particularly large economic benefit. Accelerated depreciation by large businesses and expensing of investment by small businesses lowers the cost of capital only modestly and is not a critical factor in businesses' investment decisions, particularly when sales and pricing are so weak. The carry-back of business losses helps cash-strapped businesses, perhaps forestalling some cuts in investment and jobs, but it is unlikely to prompt much additional business expansion as it does not improve businesses' prospects. However, including business tax cuts in the stimulus plan is not very expensive, and they distribute the benefits of the stimulus more widely. This is useful if it expands political support for the stimulus plan and thus accelerates its adoption. Moreover, the depreciation benefits included in last year’s fiscal stimulus have expired, and extending them through 2010 would forestall a badly timed additional factor (however small) depressing business investment. The National Economic impact Implementation of the House Democratic fiscal stimulus plan in early 2009 would provide a sub tantial benefit to the economy. The stimulus will not keep the downturn from becoming the worst since the Great Depression, but it will ensure that the current episode remains a recession and not a depression. -------------------- To reply to this message, follow the link below: http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php&t=50985392763&aref=381382
In D.K. Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals" Abraham Lincoln assembles his Cabinet from the most qualified individuals he knows. They rarely agree but they understand the need to come to agreement.
Barack likes this book. He may choose to follow this example.
What if he were to name 2 or 3 or more persons for his Cabinet now, before the election, whom he would like to advise him on key issues during his Presidency - i.e.-name some Cabinet members NOW.
This may have the effect of having more "running mates" than the Vice President. Hilary Clinton could be one.
Do you see the possibilities, and the advantages?
Here is what we do, 1) get inspired, this is the consolation prize if we fail. Knock on doors, register voters, and phone bank. If you are active, keep with it, and if you are not, get Active. I no longer think McCain Palin will be four more years, I think it will be worse. 2) When canvassing, phonebanking or speaking with friends and co-workers, ask the questions the media does not. "What do you think about the McCain Palin plan on jobs, Healthcare, (insert issue here)?" Remind them gently that they have no plan. We are facing recession, high unemployment, 47 million Americans have no healthcare and alot more than that have substandard healthcare. Remind them that America is 9 trillion in debt, and that happened during 8 years with a republican president and 10 years of a republican congress. McCain Palin talk change, but talk is cheap. Remind people actions speak louder than words. 3) When asked about Sarah Palin, I always first say that she is a distraction. She is a distraction from failed leadership by the republicans, failed leadership by the Bush administration that McCain plans to duplicate.
Karl Rove is by all means an evil being, but in his evil there is some genius. He wants to discredit Barack, so he attacks his humanity(he knows he can't attack him any other way). He tries to make him less of a person and more of a thing. Look at the way Fox approaches Barack and you will see what I mean. Try this approach to Palin. She is a distraction, a smoke and mirrors act, a picture....pretend she does not exist, that she is irrelevant. She is still the VP pick, not the Policymaker(or in McCain's case, the policy adopter). If she is brought up I often say "I think it is so nice that now Republicans consider woman for leadership positions, but what about the Employee Free Choice act, finding sources of alternative energy, etc." Sarah Palin is wallpaper on a hole on a wall, and it is up to us to remind everyone we can that there is still a hole in the wall. That is our task and the clock is counting down. YES WE CAN!
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I have my first born in college to get the knowledge. I have to admit I have been focused on this agenda more than anyother, (including some commitments to helping in our campaign) and I apologize for any slights. Please share any thought or annecdotes with us.
Love Ya!
A nice write-up is over here:
http://www.calnan-web.com/weblog/2008/06/10/obama-rides/
1) Public interest will be SERVED;
2) 'Bama got NOTHING to lose;
3) Straight Talk Express can't keep facts STRAIGHT.
Many Obama supporters (inclusive) were outraged at Senator Clinton’s speech last night. Why didn’t she concede? If there was an ideal moment at which she could have endorsed/blessed Obama, last night was it.
After some sleep, though, and listening to some of the TV pundits, feelings of empathy (fueled personal euphoria and martinis), I am toying with another idea. What if Senator Clinton is taking extra time exactly because she is honoring her promise to enthusiastically support the Democratic nominee?
Think about it. Look at the reactions she was getting from the supporters while she was delivering her speech last night. What if she had unequivocally thrown her support to Obama? Perhaps, her devoted following would have turned on her. They may have thought, “How could she so easily change her allegiance to Obama? Didn’t she believe in her own cause? If she flips so easily, then maybe the Democratic Party isn’t for me.” It may be that what Senator Clinton is going through personally is what her followers are feeling as well – the Stages of Grief (for those of you who are unfamiliar with them, here they are (courtesy of Wikipedia):
1) Denial: "I feel fine. This can't be happening." <BR>2) Anger: "Why me? It's not fair! NO! NO! How can you accept this!" <BR>3) Bargaining: "I'll do anything, can't you stretch it out? A few more years." <BR>4) Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything? What's the point?" <BR>5) Acceptance: "It's going to be OK. I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."
If last night she had gone to Step Five (out of expediency, or from listening to traditional pundits), she may have denied herself and her supporters the opportunity to sort things out. If the responses of pro-Hillary commenters at the NYT Caucus are a guide to the hearts and minds of her supporters, they are largely at Step Two. Senator Clinton may intellectually be at Step Five, but may emotionally be at Three or Four.
In taking the time to lead herself through the stages of grief, Clinton may also comprehend that, in order to place a Democrat in the White House, she needs to guide her constituency through the stages as well. She may have realized that doing the politically expedient/knee jerk reaction response (i.e., immediately throwing her response to Obama) would have been Democratic suicide for the fall.
Is she a political genius? Certainly, the fact that she lost the nomination is prime facie evidence that her acumen is not Einsteinian. On the other hand, if, by taking a few extra days (by Friday, if press reports are true), she is able to deliver her 18 million supporters to Obama, then she is one smart politico and psychologist.
Well, the RBC has spoken. To their credit, made a decision regarding both states and didn’t wimp out and defer decisions until the Democratic convention. Ickes and Flournoy released their pro-Clinton statement proclaiming victory in FL and reserving the right to challenge the MI decision. Did their statement serve as the official reaction of the Clinton campaign?
The true test will come in the next two days. What will Wolfson’s/the Clintons’ response be? Will Clinton concede after Tuesday’s results? Will she continue the fight to Minnesota?
Here are my thoughts. If she continues her fight for the nomination past June 6, she is essentially giving up any future political aspirations she may have. If she gives up her fight by this coming Friday and “plays nice” between now and the convention, Obama will offer her the VP slot.
Tomorrow is the DNC Rules Committee meeting. How Obama and Clinton handle the aftermath will be a true test of each one’s commitment to Party unity. (It is interesting to note that the Obama camp is discouraging demonstrations but Clinton’s is not.)
Neither campaign will totally get its way. FL and MI delegations will not get seated in their entirety, but they will be counted somehow.
If both camps accept the decision of the Committee, then the road to a party united behind a single nominee will be easier to forge. Hopefully, yesterday’s report from MSNBC (that a mutually acceptable compromise is in the works) is true.
If, however, one campaign disputes the ruling and rallies its constituency using inflammatory rhetoric, then rifts between the supporters of both candidates can only grow. What came out of the Clinton camp today is not encouraging (and contradicts the aforementioned MSNBC report). The ad put out by Count the Votes Cast (a pro-Clinton 527) also roils the Democratic waters.
Unity or not? The candidates better choose wisely.
I have been reading this book by Lee Iaccoca called "Where have all the Leaders Gone". I am about halfway through it and I honestly find it pretty tremendous. Anyway, it poses the question of sacrifice. During the second world war, people didn't get meat on Tuesdays, they recycled tinfoil, and recycled rubber; they were sacrifices for the war effort. People who lived on the coast did not have any lights exposed for fear that it could help a u-boat locate a ship. People would wander at night, making sure no light left a house for this reason. There was a sense of sacrifice then that we don't have now. We are in the middle of war as well, and our enemey is funded in no small part by our oil addiction. We have energy and economic issues that should be addressed. We drive giant vehicles that get the same mileage as vehicles twenty years ago. We drive sometimes recreationally, or on a whim. We have been given this sense that consuming is who we are, and consuming is what we must do, to help the economy or what ever. Sacrifice has been not only dismissed as a necessity; but it has been replaced as a value. We have been trained to replace and not reuse or repair. We have been bred to consume, and that would make sacrifice a sin.
I bring this up because we, as Americans, consume a tremendous amount of the world's rescoures, and simultaneously create a tremendous amount of the world's carbon dioxide emmissions and waste. We also do this at a time when India and China are positioning themselves to consume even more than we do. The next ice age is inevitable (when global warming melts enough of the polar ice caps to stem the warming effects of the gulfstream), however our actions do nothing but speed it up. And ethanol is not a solution, it is like methadone for heroin. It is not a cure, but a poor treatment. It enables our wasteful nature while it drives up the cost of wheat, corn, and soy.
I agree with Senator Obama, we need to actually find new energy resources and fund their development. We need to force manufacturers to make more efficient vehicles. But WE are going to have to do something else, we are going to have to sacrifice.... drive less, bicycle and walk more, take public transit, carpool..... We are all probably sacrificing something to this campaign, money, time, or energy. I guess my question is how reasonable is it to assume that we could sacrifice for our nation, and our planet's best interest? Is that kind of character still among us?
What a difference vacation makes. Since Sunday, I've been at the Outer Banks of NC, doing a lot of sleeping, reading, and (way too much) eating. Renting a house at the shore is a tradition some friends, my wife, and I have maintained for over a decade.
Speaking of tradition, I have watched Senator Obama's campaign over the last two weeks and have been struck by the traditional approach it has taken since he has pivoted towards the general election.
I eagerly anticipated the response Obama would give in South Dakota to the comments made in Israel by Bush (and the subsequent coordinated add-on commentary by McCain). I envisioned another Philadelphia-like speech on his foreign policy. His actual reply was quite ordinary - a typical political response with requisite counter attacks against McCain. (The rest of his SD speech, followed by a discussion with two citizens of the state was awkward and uninspiring).
The Edwards endorsement was stirring and wonderful. However, why didn’t Obama follow the momentum of the moment with an Obama/Edwards tour of Kentucky? More generally, why did Obama spend so little time in KY and WV? Shouldn’t he have taken the time to connect with blue collar folks in both states, regardless of whether or not he stood a chance of winning their primaries? Instead, the Obama campaign resorted to traditional political strategies of neglecting states in which he was losing and focusing on those in which he was winning.
Finally, his speech in Iowa was good, but not up to the tear-inducing, inspirational levels of those he delivered previously. The rhetoric didn’t soar high enough to mitigate the lines caricaturing McCain as four more years of Bush. (This makes me cringe almost as much as when McCain typecasts Obama as inexperienced, naïve, or too liberal.)
It is difficult to break from tradition. Senator Obama’s run for the Presidency is in and of itself a departure from the past. Much of what he has done during the primary season is refreshingly different and groundbreaking. I hope that as his campaign retools for his (very likely) run for the Presidency that it maintains its (mostly) high road and doesn’t devolve into politics as usual.
And yes, I still strongly support Senator Obama.
