President Obama keepsake book available now!President Obama Election 2008: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages Selected by the Poynter InstituteThe election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States was a worldwide historic event resulting in perhaps some of the most important front pages in US history. President Obama Election 2008 is a collection of over seventy November 5th, 2008 newspaper front pages from around the world. There is no better statement of the emotion, excitement, and significance of this moment in history.During his campaign for the White House, Barack Obama garnered an almost frenzied following. President Obama Election 2008 will be a cherished keepsake or gift for any of the millions of Americans who cast their vote for the 44th President of the United States. Here is the must-have commemorative book on this historic event. * Features over 70 historic newspaper front-pages from the day after the election, including international, campus, and ethnic publications. * Includes an introduction by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau. * Compiled by The Poynter Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan school of journalism.About The Poynter InstituteFounded in 1975, The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of craft and in the practical leadership of successful businesses. It stands for a journalism that informs citizens and enlightens public discourse. It carries forward Nelson Poynter's belief in the value of independent journalism in the public interest. As a financially independent, nonprofit organization, The Poynter Institute is beholden to no interest except its own mission: to help journalists seek and achieve excellence.
Buy now! http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=0740784803
I'm primarily a horror/supernatural thriller novelist with a progressive bent (my new novel, River Runs Red, [written as Jeffrey J. Mariotte] goes on sale Sept. 30 and involves a leftist independent newspaper reporter, the war in Iraq, CIA shenanigans, etc., but that's just for background). I'm also a co-owner of independent bookstore Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego.
The important thing for this community is that I also write comic books, and I wrote a biographical comic about Barack Obama called Presidential Material: Barack Obama. The same publisher, IDW Publishing, is going to be releasing a comic about John McCain, by a different creative team. Both go on sale Oct. 8. They're sold as separate comics, and a third that has both combined into one as a "flip book" (with a "front cover" on each side). Since McCain is involved, I call it a "flip-flop book."
In pre-orders on the publisher's website, the Obama book is outselling the McCain book. That has to continue. These books are getting a lot of mainstream press--I've been on CNN and Fox News Channel, in the NY Times and the LA Times and the Wall Street Journal and the AP, and the books aren't even out yet. But they're about to come out, and the McCain writer and I are doing more TV appearances, national and local, and no doubt more newspaper stuff, too. As long as the Obama comic is ahead that'll look good for our guy. If McCain closes in, that'll be bad. We're also doing joint appearances at comic book stores in New York and Los Angeles, and the local press in those cities will no doubt be there to see who shows up. I'd love to have Obama supporters come out in force. The comics aren't partisan (well, I haven't read the other one yet, but mine isn't), but strictly biographical. They're great for reluctant readers who won't read a full-fledged biography, for kids, for anyone who wants a brief, colorful retelling of Obama's inspiring life story.
There are details on my book/comic book tour (because I have two things coming out at once, it's a combined tour) beneath the jump. Come on out and say hi if you can, and let's turn these events into de facto Obama support rallies! And spread the word.
Michael Moore has just posted a weblog entry endorsing Caroline Kennedy for Vice President:http://tinyurl.com/67us96
Here's the deal: BIDEN AND BAYH VOTED FOR THE WAR. If Barack picks either of them, he loses the moral high ground with McCain, he can no longer question McCain's judgement in voting for the war if Obama's own running mate voted for it too! As for Tim Kaine, he's every bit as unknown as Obama was.
Caroline Kennedy spoke out against the war, she and Barack are good friends, she has been in public service her entire adult life, she is humble and soft spoken and brilliant -- in every respect, she is the embodiment of Barack's core mission -- to bring change to Washington! And she is widely beloved.
I endorsed Caroline twice on my weblog on my.barackobma. com, once in February:http://tinyurl.com/6cutzn-- and again in June:http://tinyurl.com/5mt8sqI was right in February, I was still right in June, and Michael Moore is right in August!
CAROLINE KENNEDY FOR VICE PRESIDENTPLEASE spread the word! Write Barack and call him -- BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Ron Drummond
Pace سلام שלום Hasîtî शान्ति Barış 和平 Мир
PEACE!
A friend sent me a link today to something that needs to be read, shared, and addressed. On the blog of a published author, she makes serious accusations about Obama's plan to combat false information being posted on the internet. She, Holly Lisle, went so far as to call the team Obama put together as "thought police" whose agenda is to intimidate and bully others. She has a track record for speaking her mind without facts to back her opinions. I intend to post a comment on her blog. But I wanted to let others know. She has a loyal following of readers that need to be educated as to the difference between fact and opinion. The blog post can be seen here:
http://hollylisle.com/writingdiary2/index.php/2008/06/10/obamas-thought-police/
Please pass this on. In the end, the truth will out.
Dawn
Ft Worth, TX
OK, so this qualifies as a feel-good campaign anecdote, but hell, it's been so long since I've felt this good about a presidential campaign myself, so here 'tis, from today's Washington Post --
MISSOULA, Mont. -- It is easy for jaded political professionals (reporters, hangers-on, and the rest) to lose perspective after months on the trail, to become inured to the dazzle and drama of one of the most competitive and attention-grabbing campaigns of the modern era.
Flying into a place like this -- approaching unnervingly low over the stunning humps of the Montana Rockies -- serves as somewhat of a corrective. Prior to Barack Obama's arrival here last night, Montana was one of only three states that Obama has not yet been to -- Alaska and South Dakota are the other two -- and so for this college town nestled against the mountains in an old glacial lakebed, it was all new. More than 8,000 people lined up outside the University of Montana basketball arena this morning to see Obama speak; the 500 or so who couldn't get in waited to see him pay a brief visit after the speech in the adjacent football stadium, which commands a riveting view of Mt. Sentinel looming just overhead and the big "M" adorning the broad slope. Among those who had to wait in the football stadium was Dan Taylor, a 46-year-old cook at a local sports bar who had been inspired to make a sign for the rally. He broke down a cardboard box and drew on it, in bold colors, "TROUT FOR OBAMA," accompanied by a colorful illustration of a rainbow trout, which he drew with the help of a book, because he "wanted to get it authentic-looking."
Why trout? "I wanted it to look happy, nothing offensive," said Taylor, a native of Great Falls with a lean, wind-reddened face and gray stubble, clad in work boots, jeans and a Missoula Osprey baseball cap. Arriving at the arena, he learned that no signs were allowed inside, but no matter, since he wasn't able to get inside anyway. So he just walked back and forth with the sign outside, and then took a place in the football stadium to wait for Obama to make his appearance there. And then, luck struck. An Obama staffer saw the sign in the stands, told Taylor, "Hey, that's pretty," and offered to try to get it signed by the candidate, even though his staff generally tries not to bog him down with pen duty. After Obama walked the length of the stands shaking hands, the staffer got the cardboard signed and passed it back up to Taylor. Five minutes later, the cook was still in shock, looking down at his fish with a dark, clearly legible "Barack Obama" cursive next to it. "I'm going to frame this sucker. You will never see this on eBay," he said. "I'm overwhelmed. My friends aren't going to believe this."
Predictably enough, the usual clowntrolls have infested the comments section. Blah to that. Word to reporter Alec MacGillis for landing a big one. A, dare I say between sips of latte, hopeful one.
And hereby pronounced A Good Thing.
It may be little noted nor long remembered outside the Northeast, but for today, it's nice to see one of CT's most admired and respected public figures come on board. Whatever his party affiliation, Weicker was, and is, the model of an independent thinker.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Former Republican senator and Connecticut independent Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. endorsed Barack Obama's presidential bid Friday, saying the Illinois Democrat "has the smarts, quite frankly, to do a damn good job."
Weicker, 76, said Obama's positive outlook, vision for the country's future and common sense made him the obvious candidate to endorse.
"Even though I'm almost 77 years old, I want a fresh start and a young start for this country," Weicker said. "I think we've had enough of the old-timers in both parties."
Weicker, a former U.S. congressman and senator, was elected Connecticut's governor in 1990 as an independent under his "A Connecticut Party" label. He served one term.
Reached by telephone Friday while traveling in Virginia, Weicker called Democratic contender Hillary Rodham Clinton "a very capable individual," but said he did not endorse her because "it's time to get on with some new thinking in this country."
An Iraq war opponent, Weicker said supporting Republican John McCain was never a consideration.
"Clearly on the issue of the war, there's no way I could back him," he said.
Too bad the announcement came on a Friday afternoon -- it would be nice to see this get a little extended play in the local papers. Nevertheless, Weicker's name still has some pull in these parts, especially among older voters who may not be as wired into the non-mainstream media. I hereby pronounce this A Good Thing.
I've just created a new group: Pennsylvania Poets & Writers for Obama. Since writing can be a lonely profession or way of life, paradoxically many of us writers become motivated to form and are drawn to local communities of writers--we tend to herd together. Anyway, for many years now I've been a part of my local community of writers--both published and unpublished, professional and amatuer. And, of course I have now joined a community of Obama supporters, both locally and online--creating the PA Poets & Writers group is a way for me to bring these two communities together or at least allow them to intersect, but most importantly, I think it is very important for writers to use their skills, knowledge and talent to help this campaign and to help persuade more voters to do what we all firmly believe is right for our country and support Barack Obama.
So, this is all by way of saying: those of you who are writers out there--you are the true "great communicators". Think of ways you can make your talent serve this cause we have become involved in. Write eloquent letters to the editors of your local papers. Those of you who already write for local publications--write columns about why you support Barack. Write reviews of his books. Write op/ed pieces. Use your contacts (we all have some) with magazines, journals, newspapers and ask editors if they will let you write about your involvement in this campaign and why it means so much to you. Let's show all naysayers that they cannot take the power away from words! We who make words a way of life know that words are not "cheap"!--to the contrary, they are serious, solemn business, a sacred act of communication that will not be devalued by those who do them a disservice by twisting them or hiding behind truly empty rhetoric, and what is worse, devaluing the words of another. Do not let them take away your power; let's show America that words do matter!
While I was a bit disappointed that last night's debate began with the issue of race, Senator Obama clearly took the high road away from this highly politicized, overblown, spun and re-spun narrative of the supposed feud between the Clinton and Obama camps about Sen. Clinton and her supporters ill-advised statements. It was nice to get it in the open and out of the way, so the candidates could concentrate on the issues, as they said all along.
While it was clear Barack took the high road, accepting responsibility and accountability for a state-level staffer having a list of the "ill-advised" comments spoken by Hillary and Bill Clinton and Sen. Clinton's campaign surrogates, I was put off by Senator Clinton's wavering and political maneuvering regarding one direct example of the kind of politics that Senator Obama is actively seeking rid the American political system of. Not thirty seconds after Senator Obama's pledge to take responsibility for maintaining an honest, open, constructive campaign about the issues and to take accountability for the actions of *anyone* who speaks on behalf of his campaign, Sen. Clinton refused to disassociate herself from the "ill-advised" and divisive comments of Bob Johnson, comments made in an introduction of the candidate at an official campaign event. This was a clear difference between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton.
Alas, I truly hope that Sen. Clinton is as genuine in her following of Sen. Obama's leadership on this issue, as the divisive, Rove-ian tactics of bringing race into the Democratic primary can only hurt the Democratic Party. These tactics, however, are exactly what Senator Obama is against and, in fact, I believe they defeat the new unity he has thus far successfully established between open-minded Democrats, Republicans, and independents (like myself) who believe that the system is broken and no longer serves the interests of the American people - and has not for a very long time. The injection of race into the campaign (as well as Senator Clinton's injection of gender in the New Hampshire debate) only serves to divides the Obama coalition - and serves to change the mainstream news media cycle narrative from: Obama wins Iowa; makes up huge ground in New Hampshire and nationally; a pending recount and potential Clinton-favoring irregularities in New Hampshire; a negative, divisive, misleading turn for the Clinton campaign [2] [3] [4]; garners important endorsements of local, grassroots organizers, if not exactly flashy, activists and politicians to a far less productive discourse for the American public.
