Hi all. After working with many of you who are my age (late 20's) and have the same passion for politics, I felt inspired to start a blog from our point of view and a group where we can all relate. The blog is at http://www.generationxydemocrat.blogspot.com/ and I have also stated a Facebook group where we can all sound off at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=57528568002&ref=nf. I will comment and post all OFA activites on here as well. Please join the group, and also visit the blog to read and comment often. Thank you!
- Ed
It has been some time now since I have written in my blog. Since I last wrote, canidate Obama has become President Obama. I eagerly watched as he took the oath of office, surrounded by his beautiful wife Michelle and their two adorable girls. I am also very glad that he chose Joe Biden to be his Vice President.
Our country is so lucky to have these to men of such integrity and intelligence running our country. We have suffered greatly the last eight years and it is so refreshing to see people who will not only honor the Constitution but listen, ask questions and try to work with the people across the aisle.
I do not envy President Obama for the huge task that he has just taken on. Our country has so many problems to fix or change. Yet, if there is any one man who is up to the task, I would put my money on President Obama.
He has the perfect temperment and personality to enter into this arena, which some days looks like the the olden days of the Gladiators! They need someone with a cool head to oversee and meet with the different groups.
I know our financial system and economy are in shambles but I do believe that a change in our Nation's health care system might help everyone and save billions of dollars in the long run. Our Congressmen and women along with our Senators enjoy having health care coverage that is paid for and ran but our Government. For any of them to question or say it does not work is sheer hypocrisy.
If the Government insurance is good enough and works well enough for them then there is absolutely no reason that it would not work for everyone. Yes, it may cost us at first but considering how many people are without insurance or fear loosing their job and their insurance I feel we have no choice but to fix health care now.
Like President Obama said the other day on his newscast, "If not now, then when?" He pointed out that each of the past administraitons had always faced some crisis or some reason as to why to wait. The other side will always find some excuse to stop us from moving towards a coverage that will work for everyone.
No longer can we wait and I believe that if there was ever a President to lead us to a health care solution, the time is now and President Obama is the man.
As someone who has Federal Helath Care, I consider myself one of the "lucky ones" Of course I pay a high premium as an X spouse, but never the less, I have it. Each year they have open season and during that time I get the opportunity to view numerous plans and pick the one that I can afford and that I feel will meet my health needs.
I can't see why the government could not offer such a plan to everyone, which would bring everyon's premium down. I also think that there is something to be said about having some kind of an insurance for everyone that is similar to Medicare. It only makes sense to me that the more people who particiapte in a plan the cheaper the rpremiums will be for everyone.
I am asking for each of you to please sontact your own State representatives and ask them to work with President Obama and get something done. We can no longer afford to set idley by and watch more and more people slip into the uninsured abyss which in the long run is costing all of the taxpayers.
Please tell your Congressmen that if Government insurance is good enough and works for them that it is our right as citizens of this country to be given the same opportunity. I believe as part of their retirement they can keep their insurance, payed for by "We the People". I am tired of hearing one after another Republican get on television or radio and talk about socialized medicine when they themselves have it.
Michael and Laurie McRobbie of Indiana attend the inauguration ceremony of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in Washington, January 20, 2009.
How did they get tickets?
It's great to see so many people showing up to see our next President even as the temperatures are holding around 10 degrees. The trip today by President-Elect Obama and Joe Biden has been a great gesture on behalf of them to try and enclude as many people as possible. I could only wish they could have made a cross-country trip so those of us in the mid-west could see them. Many of us here in Indiana wish we could go to Washington and watch history live in person.
Right this minute Obama and Biden are getting ready to speak in Baltimore, one more stop on this day long trip. With a large crowd gathered in Baltimore the celebration has begun even before the President-Elect and Vice President-elect have arrived. The mayor and others are giving short speeches of their own while everyone awaits history. We can't see the entire crowd on TV but there is at least 10,000 people screaming as the governor speaks about just how historic this moment is. The camera has finally gave a great shot of the crowd that is well over 35,000. The passion on this day is something we as a country have needed for a while. The country has been held captive to a lame duck President and have had no reason to cheer, until NOW!
The President-Elect and Michelle as well as the Vice President-Elect have come on stage to a roaring crowd. Could we imagine this day just a few month's ago? I know I hoped to see this day, but until now I didn't realize just how much HOPE I and many others waited to see. Today is the beginning of something bigger than the President, it's bigger than us all.
Obama shows his love of history by talking about Ft. McHenry and the flag that gave us the star spangled banner. President-Elect Obama talks about the wars and global warming as he returns the love to someone in the crowd. He speaks of equality and a better life for us all. We have hope because we all had something, hope for change. We not only had hope, we did something about it. We elected a President that nobody saw coming, except us of course.
The President-Elect is giving credit to the many people who worked so hard to get us to this point. He is talking of the fact that no man is perfect and he will make mistakes but he will do what he knows that we want a govermnent that is for all of us. Together we have hope for a better country and a better world. Again a home run speech from a great speaker. We all have to give something back if we want to make a difference.
Obama said we made this trip possible and we made this day possible. Most politicians look back at those who elected them and give nothing more then a wave. Obama is different in the fact he knows this election was something special and we created this, we made a new future for ourselves. He wants all of us to go down this road together and work hard as a group, not unlike the campaign. As he shakes hands with members in the crowd the nation watches and looks forward to the 20th when all of us will again have a voice.
I can't help but want to see Bush charged and convicted of the crimes he commited. I know we all wish to move forward and we do need to do that. We must however stand up and let all future government officals relize that they are not above the law. This can't be allowed to happen again or this nation will fail. We can't look away at Bush and his cronies without showing the world that we as a people must somehow condon what has been done.
The world looks to this country as a beacon of hope. How do we move on and ignore war crimes? I'm not saying Bush is a Hitler or anything close but he did commit crimes both in the middle east and here at home. The country will only heal when the people know all of the crimes commited by the Bush administration. The Attorney Generals office, torture, getting people who don't agree with the Bush policy removed from their positions, and walking on all of our rights.
Bush commited war crimes yet he walks around like nothing happened. His people insured that the people at CBS who showed that Bush failed his country when he went AWOL lost their jobs due to serious pressure from the right wing nuts. He trampled our civil rights yet he again chuckles to himself seeing nothing wrong with that serious crime. Torture has been proven to be almost useless because a person will tell you what he thinks you want to hear, not to mention what was done was both illegal in this country but also to the laws of war. We would be asking for the heads of people involved with torturing any of our kids.
This country needs to heal and look to the future but now that the word torture has been used by members of the Bush administration to descibe water-boarding the prosecutors have a legal duty to investigate and charge all those involved. This country is a country of laws that not even the president has the right to break. If we fail to do what is legally mandated by the law this type of thing WILL happen again.
Congress tried to impeach President Clinton for lying, how did we not impeach a war criminal? This is just to important to just let fade away. In order for this country to fully heal this an issue that has to be addressed. We have a right to know everything the Bush administration has done and the law has a duty to prosecute these crimes, including many constitutional issues. We have to be sure that nothing even close to this ever happens again. I am interested in other peoples viewpoint on this issue and look forward to reading those for or against.
A great speech by Joe Biden as he is ready to board the train to Washington. The people are showing up in great numbers even as the cold weather hangs around 0 degrees with little sun. It is amazing to watch this event here in Indiana and see the thousands of people who are seeing history as it's made. Washington is almost ready for the 20th and so are all of us. The day's of hope are upon everyone who has worked so hard for this.
Joe Biden reminded all that the work has just begun but the middle class will be salvaged and will again be a force in all of the economy. He didn't speak long before introducing President-Elect Obama and Michelle. A roar could be heard in the background as the people sang Happy Birthday to Michelle Obama. The President-Elect and his family almost feel like friends we have had for years. They still remember all of us who helped him become the 44th President of the United States.
Obama reminds all of us where Joe Biden came from and how he know swhat we all are feeling and how he will fight for us. Joe Biden was elected to congress at the age of 30 years old and the terrible events that happened shortly after that. Biden has been where many of us are and he will fight for us all. The fact that Joe Biden rides home every night on the train so he can be with his family and enjoy watching his kids grow up. Like President-Elect Obama he will work to change Washington and the government that is no longer for the people.
President-Elect Obama knows of many individuals whose personal stories represent what we are all feeling in this time of economic crisis. Obama continues to build the excitment as he moves across Delaware and Maryland on his way to the house we built. The responsibility of all of us is to continue to back the President and help turn this country around. Obama is looking for everyone to do their part. We must stand side by side, Republican or Democrat, and work hard to heal this country.
Can anyone give a speech that means so much to the masses? President-Elect Obama is the Kennedy of our time, the Lincoln of history. We sit and watch as the trip to Washington has begun and think about everything we did together to see this historic moment come to be. The speech will go down in history as one of the greats. This is only the beginning of the hard work but it was great to hear President-Elect Obama talk about the work that millions of us did to get to this day.
We all put in many hours to push through a canidate that everyone else overlooked. He was not supposed to win this election, he was not supposed to get past the first couple of states. Today President-Elect Obama is moving on a slow train to Washington as the end of the old school is on it's way out. President-Elect Obama is facing a tough challenge as he moves into the White House but he has been there before. "Battle Tested", many say he wasn't battle tested, what do they call the campaign that started 2 years ago?
President-Elect Obama has something no other President has had in many lifetimes, US. Everyone I've talked to knows this is just the starting point for the next battle. They know Obama will need all of us to continue working hard if we are going to save this nation. This country is worth saving, to much blood has been spilled for us not to work hard. Many have given their lives to protect our country, we don't have to give our lives but we do have to give all we can to help the new President fight Capital Hill and the enemies of change.
The economy is something Obama is going to have to hit the ground running on January 20th. What I have been saying for awhile about this being the next great depression is not far from becoming reality. Vice-President Chaney says nobody saw this coming, I am not an economist, I don't work on Wall Street, yet I saw this coming last summer. I can promise you I was not the only person to see this coming. Chaney, like the rest of this administration have nothing but excuses and denials. President-Elect Obama is not going to fall back on excuses or any other bull we normally see in Washington. He is going to ask us to tighten our belts and get our hands dirty.
The speech covered many generations as he pulled pieces of great speeches from the past. We must stand behind Obama and give anything we can to keep this country moving. We did the impossible back in November so there is nothing we can't do. I have said before that together we will not falter. Washington is looking for cracks in this army and we must not show any weakness if we are going to see the change that is going to save this country. We are the Obama Army, we are not afraid.
While we all look forward to January 20th we are still at war. The fighting continues in Iraq and Afganistan and we all look forward to bringing all the troops home soon. While the fighting over there is coming to an end the fighting here has just begun. It's not going to be easy but if we continue to work together this is a fight that can and will be won.
The speech today gives us all hope for the future, a future that includes all of us. President-Elect Obama is giving back today as he rides a train through Delaware and Maryland. He wants Americans to fell close to him and he is still one of us. He knows after all the parades are over and he has been sworn in that he continues to need our help. Are you up to it, are we up to it? Nothing is going to be instantly fixed on the 20th and we all need to understand that. Obama said it took years to get in this mess and it's going to take years to fix it.
I hope as everyone sits back and watches the inauguration and parades they feel proud for the hard work we all put in to see this day. Enjoy the day and take a big breath as the next year is going to be hard. Don't stop the fight because we have only won a battle, not a war. We can't take time off thinking now that Obama is in the White House that we can relax. Congress will be watching us to see if we will still be working hard to help Obama or are we going to put everything on his shoulders and think we are done. Don't give Congress or anyone else in Washington a chance to breath.
When this country declared it's independence it took many thousands of people to stand behind that declaration. It took a revolution to stand as a new country. This is our revolution and though we don't have to fight and lose our lives to win it, we must stand up and continue to be heard.
We asked for change with the Obama campaign at what seemed like a lifetime ago. With the New Year comes the change we all voted for. 2009 is going to be a tough year with the economy in the tank, crisis in the Middle East, and people losing their jobs and their retirement. President Obama is going to have his hands full but I believe in the change he has promised. With President Obama coming into office in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the great depression; it's going to take years to dig out of everything this great country faces.
I can only hope people on boh sides of the aisle will give President Obama the time he needs to work out these issues. We as American's have a duty to get behind the man we voted for and help in any way we can. Change is going to include all of us, President Obama is one man with the backing of millions and he will need our continued support. Some people jump on the bandwagon when times are going great and fall by the wayside when the real work begins. We can't afford to lose a single person if the change is going to happen.
Many of us started working with the campaign before President elect Obama even had a viable campaign. We believed all the way through New Hampshire and Iowa and we continue to believe. Please people, the job isn't over, we must continue the fight. Don't sit back and say "we got the job done, Obama is President." I myself will do whatever I can do to help fight for the Obama policies and will campaign to remove anyone in Congress that tries to obstruct the change vital to a new beginning.
The other side of the aisle as well as a few on the left just don't want to see change in Washington. The government doesn't like change, it scares them and they will fight to stop it. One way we can help President Obama to make the changes he promised is to continue to work hard. Millions of you stood as one during the campaign, we will need to continue to stand as one to show Congress we are serious. If Congress sees any cracks in our work for President Obama they will try and divide us and that will give them a chance to destroy all the hard work we did to get President Obama elected. As ONE WE CAN NOT LOSE, DIVIDED WE WILL FALL.
Enjoy the next few days with your families and celebrate the new year. Soon we will need to focus on all the things that change will bring with it. Stay involved locally and if asked stand up and work nationally if necessary. The hard work is on all our shoulders and combined we are un-stoppable. I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a wonderful new year. Thanks to everyone who was involved with the campaign and I look forward to working with anyone who wants to continue the job. January 20th is the day we have all looked forward to. January 20th is the new begining.
Thanks for everything,
Robert Strunk
Bloomington Indiana
Electing Barack Obama showed the world that the best of what America represents is back! Celebrate your new president and new found sense of patriotism on January 20th by proudly displaying the American flag on a t-shirt or a button.
To order, go to: http://www.cafepress.com/ForFortyFourAll profits will be donated to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Note: I am not a professional t-shirt designer and will not receive any profit from the sales. The markup on these items is only 20%, all of which will be donated to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
How much is your time worth? A minimum of $10/hour, perhaps double or triple that; $30 per hour means $60,000 per annum -- not a bad living in Bloomington. Perhaps you believe the income you generate in your work is more than the value you could generate as a volunteer for a good cause. Based on today’s experience of some local citizens, most of you would be wrong.
Seven people contributing twelve hours of volunteer time on a Sunday afternoon in a single Bloomington neighborhood generated 350 pounds of food donations and $250. That’s about $950 of value, based on a reasonable estimate of the cost of food, so equivalent to almost $80 per hour!
Volunteers for Change is a national group to assist the Obama Presidency with issues that need our grassroots support.
Our first campaign is for the collection of food, time line November 20, 2008 until December 31, 2008. With unemployment rising, and more and more of our food bank pantries empty we want to answer Obama's call to be our brother's keeper and fill our food banks for the winter ahead.
Summary of Plans from meeting of November 19, 2008: Volunteers for Change Action:
1. Tomorrow, Thursday, November 20, 2008, Rosemary Hart, Pam Warren and Rob Price will go to Hoosier Hills Food Bank at 9:30am to talk with Julio and determine the best way for our volunteers to work with them.
a. Report will be sent to all our volunteers with a plan of action
b. Pam and Rosemary will go to the city and get information on the letter that they sent which needs follow up calls made. We will request a sign up table for Volunteers for Change at the event this Saturday at Showers.
2. Attend Saturday, November 22, 2008 event on hunger at Showers Plaza
3. Weekly Meeting at 1329 South High Street, Rob and Mary’s house.
Organization:
1. Jeff Thomas will activate the Team Leaders
a. Jeanette Heidewald will work on scripts for phone banking
2. David Pace will do Publicity
3. Mary Runnell took our minuets this week, but we need a formal secretary
4. Set Up Group on mybo, post actions and blogs
Materials:
1. Product for the Volunteers
a. Rob will make a sheet of button prints and work on the design tonight, intended to say "Volunteers For Change"
b. Button Teams Kelley Latshaw and Terri Bleuel will begin making Buttons
c. Bumper Stickers for change “Volunteers for Change”
2. Sign up Sheets for Volunteers with our logo, Rob Price
Monroe County Indiana carried the day this election for Obama and was responsible in large measure for Indiana turning Blue! While we patiently wait for January 20th 2009 we are planning what we can do for our community at this time! In Monroe County IN we are planning to work together gathering food for our local food bank. I think this is a good suggestion for a current project for Obama Volunteers Nationally. With unemployment raising and many of our food banks empty or running low we need to help our communities stock our food banks for the winter,
In Bloomington, IN Hoosier Hills Food Bank collects food that is then distributed to 99 agency programs in six counties. Forty two percent of Monroe Counties total population wages are below the poverty guidelines. If you exclude every person who COULD be an Indiana University Student; 15%, going to school and working part time, it still leaves 26 percent of Monroe County Residents living in poverty. Even at 26 percent Monroe County’s poverty level is well above the national poverty rate of 12.5 percent and the Indiana rate of 12.3 percent.
Source: US Census 2006, 2007 American Community Survey
We are submitting this as a suggested volunteer effort for November – December 2008 for our Obama Volunteers. Meeting announcement to follow.
Chrysler CEO says it would be difficult for automaker to survive without federal aid
Chrysler spokeswoman Katie Hepler said Nardelli made the remark on Thursday at the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Desert, Calif.
She says Nardelli reiterated his support for federal aid to help the Detroit Three make it through the worst U.S. auto sales slump in 25 years.
Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC are asking Congress for up to $50 billion in federal loans because they are running low on cash.
According to Hepler, Nardelli was asked if Chrysler could go it alone without government aid.
"It would be very difficult to make it through this unprecedented downturn," he said in response, according to Hepler.
U.S. auto industry sales are down nearly 15 percent through the first 10 months of the year because of tight credit and eroding consumer confidence due to economic worries.
October's seasonally adjusted annual sales rate dropped to 10.6 million vehicles, the lowest in more than 25 years. Chrysler's sales dropped 26 percent for the first 10 months and 35 percent in October.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081113/bailout_nardelli.html
Thanks to everyone!
Let's win this Senate race in Georgia. Vote on Dec. 2nd for Jim Martin.
Thanks,
Last two weeks of the campaign were difficult for me; my mother died on October 23 at the age of 89. I suspended making calls until the day before the election. Made over 170 calls on Monday and Tuesday.
Now we need to stay fired up and keep Obama to a progressive agenda. He's got a strong mandate.He can repudiate the strong executive, the unfettered surveilance... We can return to a constitutional republic and rule of law. Yes we can!
Work we've done is a good start. Now for a lot more work!
This is so remarkable, we did it!!
MSNBC called it just after 2 AM ET.
