We need your help on Election Day to keep PA Blue!
Download the PA Democratic Statewide Judicial Candidates Voter Guide at this link:
http://www.padems.com/Officials/Candidates/PA_Dems.pdf
A simple resolution to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was halted by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican representing Butler. Why? Because, he said, “It has a homosexual agenda.”
On the same day, also on the House floor, he made matters worse. The House was about to vote on increasing marriage license fees from $3 to $28, with the increased amount going to a fund for victims of domestic abuse. Metcalfe opposed the measure, calling the funding a domestic violence programs “a slap in the face to family values.”2 The bill passed despite his outrageous claim.
More information at this link:
http://keystoneprogress.blogspot.com/2009/09/rep-metcalfe-domestic-violence-family.html
Metcalfe information:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=13
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Friday night, Keith Olbermann led his show talking about the PCCC's latest campaign:
"More than 200 former Obama staffers, 13,000 Obama volunteers, 23,000 Obama donors on a petition: A bill without a public option would not be 'change we can believe in.'"
And those numbers are increasing! All weekend, former Obama organizers are putting their skills to use -- calling and emailing other Obama organizers to get them involved in this campaign.
Will you add your voice to theirs -- and join the thousands of Obama voters, donors, and organizers who still believe we can defeat the insurance interests and bring real change to the health care system?
Please sign the petition at this link:
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4951/content.jsp?content_KEY=2802&tag=pod_e2-non
Then, please forward this to friends. Time is of the essence. This Wednesday, President Obama will speak to Congress about his health care priorities.
We're making a national ad that will highlight the voices of former Obama staffers who want the public option -- and it will include the number of petition signers. So let's get the number as high as possible.
We need to make sure President Obama (and any White House staff urging him to capitulate) knows that the overwhelming majority of Americans want a public option -- and that includes those who worked hardest to get him elected. Can you add your name to the petition?
Thanks for being a bold progressive. -- Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Michael Snook, Evan Miller, Andrew Perez, and the PCCC team
http://boldprogressives.org/
Pennsylvania Democratic Party State Committee Meeting June 5 - 6
June 5-6, 2009The Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh
We still have tickets for the Inaugural Catherine Baker Knoll Dinner, scheduled for Friday, June 5th, available at PA Dems Party Headquarters and padems.com. Call Rachel Moore at 717-920-8470 to order by phone or click here to order your tickets online.Join Governor Ed Rendell, Sen. Bob Casey, Sen. Arlen Specter and PA Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney for what promises to be an unforgettable night honoring an unforgettable public servant.
And don't miss the FREE workshops on Friday afternoon. All workshops will be held in the Westmoreland Room and are open to all registered Democrats in Pennsylvania
Organizing for America Health Care Kickoff – Beginning June 6
Organizing for America is looking for volunteers to host Health Care Kickoff events in Centre County. These programs are very similar to the program that was held by Health Care for American Now on May 15, 2009 at the Schlow Library in State College. Everything you need to host the event is available online at the link provide by David Plouffe. In addition Gregg Potter potterfb@msn.com from Health Care for America Now and Neal Gorfinkle nealgorfinkle@hotmail.com from Change That Works are willing to provide assistance.
Message from David Plouffe – Organizing for America
“On June 6th, in thousands of homes across the country, we'll gather to launch our grassroots campaign for health care. We'll watch a special message from the President. We'll build the teams and draw up the plans for winning health care reform the same way we won the election: Building support one block, one neighbor, one conversation at a time. And we'll put those plans into action.”These kickoffs are so crucial that President Obama will join confirmed hosts and attendees on a live conference call. Sign up today to host or attend a Health Care Organizing Kickoff.
State College Area School Board – Vote for Four
Obama supporter Jim Leous is running for State College Area School Board. Jim provided hours of technical assistance for our wonderful Obama Headquarters in State College.
Jim is committed to providing excellence in public education and we urge you to vote for him. Jim is a registered Democratic appearing on both ballots in this cross–filed race.
Jim Leous for State College Area School Board: http://leous.org/
Jim is joined on the ballot by three other Democratic candidates committed to excellence in public education.
Gowen Roper for State College Area School Board: http://gowenroper.com/
David Hutchinson for State College Area School Board: http://www.geocities.com/dxh10/
Penni Fishbaine for State College Area School Board: http://www.penniforschoolboard.com/
Primary Election Tuesday May 19, 2009
Polls Open: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Please forward this information to your friends and family
Dear Centre County Democrats,
The race for Centre County District Attorney is one of the most important races in the May 19, 2009 Democratic Primary. One of the most difficult yet crucial decisions in any Democratic Primary is deciding which candidate to support. I believe we must nominate a highly qualified candidate who will restore our confidence in the office of District Attorney and select our best candidate.
I believe Stacy Parks Miller is that candidate!
Stacy will bring much needed change to the Centre County District Attorney’s office. Stacy served as First Assistant District Attorney where she gained experience as a prosecutor and as an administrator. We will benefit from her 15 years of experience in criminal law. But most importantly I believe she possesses the temperament to lead a District Attorney’s office that we all can be proud of and will restore fair and impartial justice to Centre County.
I strongly support Stacy Parks Miller for Centre County District Attorney and urge you to join me in volunteering for her campaign and voting for her on May 19, 2009
Sincerely,
Greg Stewart
Chair, Centre County Obama
Co-Chair, Obama Pennsylvania Field Team
PA At-Large Obama Delegate Democratic National Convention
Stacy Parks Miller for Centre County District Attorney
Ways to Help: ·
Put a Sign in Your Yard·
Distribute Literature ·
Work Election Day·
Donate Your Time·
Make a Contribution
Volunteer at this link: http://www.parksmillerforda.org/4873.html
Campaign information at this link: http://www.parksmillerforda.org/4801.html
Obama Supporters the PA Democratic Judicial Candidates Need Your Help
Judge Jack Panella for Supreme Court http://votejackpanella.com/
Judge Anne E. Lazarus for Superior Court http://www.lazarusforsuperiorcourt.org/
Judge John Milton Younge for Superior Court http://www.judgejohnyounge.org/
Judge Robert J. Colville for Superior Court http://www.judgecolville.com/
Dan Bricmont for Commonwealth Court http://danbricmont.com/
Judge Jimmy Murray Lynn for Commonwealth Court http://www.padems.com/node/1765
Reminder it is petition time in Pennsylvania.
First day to circulate and file nomination petition February 17
Last day to circulate and file nomination petitions March 10
PA Democratic Municipal Primary May 19, 2009
Obama supporters stay active and engaged at the local level.
Your local Democratic Party needs your help and ideas.Use the PA Democratic Party map to locate your local party website.
PA Democratic Party County Map: http://www.padems.com/about/map
If the local county party does not have a website listed on the PA Democratic Party Map contact the PA Democratic Party for local contact information.
PA Democratic Party: http://www.padems.com//
http://www.padems.com/about/staff
Does anyone really believe that by opening up every corner of America for drilling that our dependence on foreign oil will disappear?
I smell more election-year pandering. There are resources here in this country that we need to tap into, but do not let these things distract us from broad solutions. Drilling gets headlines and gets attention. There are so many alternative energy sources that we need to invest in and develop besides the quick and easy phantom solution of drilling.
Senator Obama has proposed over $100 billion in investment into alternative energy--a meaningful and diverse energy policy. It is money that will return huge dividends to us and to future generations of Americans. It is a policy that goes beyond tax breaks and giveaways to oil companies. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to invoke the specter of the big bad oil companies. They provide a service and a product we all use (for a slightly tidy profit).
That said, there are so many other ways to create energy and it is time we elected someone who understands that energy policy goes beyond more drilling. It is time for a new vision on our energy future, it is time for Senator Obama's leadership.
Obama Fellowship Activities: House Parties & Voter Registration
The Obama Campaign recently launched a new program called the Obama Organizing Fellowship. We are here to organize for the general election and reestablish the base of Obama network volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering for the campaign, please contact Mark Donovan at (860) 301-0641.
Here are a few of our upcoming events: · On June 28th, the Obama Campaign is holding the National Unite for Change Day. House parties are a powerful way to bring the community together and build momentum. It's a chance to reactivate previous volunteers and empower new ones. We're asking for hosts that are willing to invite friends, neighbors and Hillary supporters into their homes. ·
On Saturday, June 21st we will be conducting voter registration, canvassing, and volunteer recruitment in high traffic areas as well as surrounding neighborhoods. We are meeting at 110 Hub for shifts from11 am - 2:00pm, 2:00 - 5:00 pm, and 5:00 - 8:00 pm. Through our efforts here we can create the change we want to see not only in Centre County, but across the country. We can hope for a better future; and together, we can unite and accomplish all our goals. Yes we can!
The Centre County Obama Organizing Fellows
Krishna Esteva
(814)-321-2133
kesteva@gmail.com
It's Friday, there's a lot to talk about so let's get right to it:
The unemployment numbers came out today--up to 5.5% from 5.0% with 49,000 lost jobs. Of the over 8.5 million unemployed Americans, 1.5 million have been jobless for 27 weeks or more.
Unfortunately the plan for economic growth proposed by John McCain is the continuation of the Bush tax cuts--tax cuts he voted against BUT now supports. The economies under both Reagan and George W Bush have been held up as examples of economic growth.
I am not an economist, but I can see and smell B.S. when I run across it. Both economies were achieved running up a huge national debt, and accompanied by financial mismanagement on a national scale.
Reagan's tenure was marked by a gigantic Savings and Loan scandal that helped fuel growth in the housing and real estate sector. Eventually the taxpayers payed the tab to take care of the financial industry. Sounds familiar doesn't it?
We need both vision and someone to chart a course for sustainable growth and job creation. We need a plan rooted in common sense and built on solid rock. Just last week in my weekly mass we heard a reading about the man who built his house on sand and the man who built his house on rock.
Barack Obama has sweeping plans to help create jobs in industries old and new. His plan is one that will use our technological advantages and our innovative spirit to create jobs that can not be sent overseas. He also has plans to help working families with tax breaks and by cutting costs for education.
One of the biggest problems we have when we compete internationally are health care costs. Two years ago in a published report, General Motors reported $1,500 in health care costs for EVERY car they built here in the U.S.
Barack Obama has a plan to help cover all Americans and help rein in costs in a way that is fair to our workers and restores international competitiveness. That is what it will take--not just cutting taxes.
The economy is much bigger than just tax policy--the leadership in Washington has yet to figure that out even after several years in power.
Barack Obama will build our house on Rock while McCain will continue to keep building our house on sand.
On to topic number two--the NBA Finals began last night. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Celtics fan. More importantly, I am a fan of sports played well and competition at a high level.
Whether you like the Lakers, the Celtics or hate them both you had to be inspired if you watched last night. Celtics star Paul Pierce was knocked down hard in the third quarter, spraining his knee. He had to be carried off the court--it looked to be a series-ending injury.
A few minutes later he bounced back out onto the court--athough a bit gingerly at first. He drained two three-point shots in a 20-second span and played lights out defense the rest of the game. The Celtics won game one.
Our guy Senator Obama has been knocked down all primary season and keeps coming back and hitting big shots, playing great defense and winning promaries. He's won the conference finals and now moves onto the finals--and we are all on his team.
The results of this contest are much more important than any sporting contest--so much is at stake. Let's get up and hit some shots, play some defense and help this team win in November.
Finally I want to comment on a quote I saw from Barack Obama. Asked what he will be doing on Saturday he mentioned going home "taking my wife on a date, and riding bikes with my kids".
I hope we all just take a moment to think about the sacrifices that Senator Obama and his family have made for all of us. There are days, and moments that he has missed as a father and there are days and moments his daughters have missed with their father. We all should appreciate and respect what they have done.
From one husband/father to another have a great weekend Mr Democratic Presidential Nominee. Your Saturday plans sound simple yet wonderful, so enjoy a piece of heaven--you and your family have certainly earned it.
A message from Ruth Luse and Greg Stewart
While we worked diligently for our respective candidates this past spring in Centre County, we strongly agreed that each of us would support the Democratic nominee. The primaries are over and we now have the presumptive nominee of our party. Senator Obama surpassed the required number of delegates to win the nomination.
Now, we need your help. As we move forward as a unified Democratic Party, let us agree that as Democrats we have a responsibility to our nation to work tirelessly for our nominee. We cannot afford four more years of the Bush economic policies and a flawed foreign police that lead to the disastrous war in Iraq that cost so many lives and has made our nation less safe.
Let us not forget that the future of the Supreme Court as the protector of our individual right to privacy is in our hands. We need to move forward together to win in November.
Ruth Luse, Chair - Centre County Hillary
Greg Stewart, Chair - Centre County Obama
Is it any coincidence that the backdrop for John McCain's speech last night was all green--as in money--as in it's all about money?
Folks, it is all about the money--but not the way they want it to be. It is not about funneling $10 billion a month into a war in Iraq. It is about the mortgage payments, the gas bills, the college tuition bills, the food bills and the health care bills. I haven't even mentioned the fact that people who use heating oil will be in for an even bigger shock this winter.
It all starts at home. John McCain tried to sell his idea of "change". His idea of "change" is keeping the Bush tax cuts. His idea of "change" is staying the course in Iraq, He says that the surge is working in Iraq.
I have a confession to make. Initially I did support the war in Iraq--with reservations about the lives of young people we were putting in harm's way. I wanted to believe that on the world stage we were more honest. I wanted to believe that if our government was saying something that contradicted with what Saddam Hussein's government was saying about weapons of mass destruction....
I was wrong on supporting the war, but a man like John McCain with access to all the intelligence was even more wrong than I was--and now he wants us to trust him. He wants to sell us the idea that he has better judgement on foreign affairs that Barack Obama. McCain with all his experience, was wrong on a huge foreign policy blunder.
Now all these years later there is money flying out of Washington, DC with almost no accountability. It saddens me to think of what has been lost. This administration came into office with a tax code that enabled us to have budget surplusses and look forward to a day when we could pay down a portion of our national debt.
This administration had the opportunity and the financial ability to accomplish extraordinary things that would make us better in so many ways. Instead we took that money and sent out rebate checks to get votes. We cut taxes--when we didn't need to--the economy was humming along nicely.
Now we have plodded along without any policy on energy, or global warming, or education or health care. We've let billions of dollars slip through our hands, and all the lost opportunities that come with those dollars.
It is now time to move on to the battle in November. John McCain will try and sell the idea that he is an agent of change, and that he has so much experience. He may make changes and he may have experience but they are the wrong changes, and he has the wrong experience in public service for these times.
Just remember that we need to control our destiny. It is all about how you want your government to spend our tax dollars, and how we want our government to respond to the very real challenges we face here at home. We can speak in a voice that is unified--and loud and clear. We can take back OUR White House, OUR Government and force them to respond to our calls for change.
This is our time and this is our moment. It has to be our time now and it has to be our time come election night. I am happy today, but we have higher mountains to climb--it is on to November.
Go to Andrew Sullivan's post on The Atlantic site and read about how Geraldine Ferraro is once again playing the fool for the Clintons. She and many others have portrayed everyone who has not been a Clinton supporter as somehow being sexist. They have even called out the media for the "negative","harsh" or even "sexist" treatment of Hillary Clinton.
Geraldine Ferraro went so far as to call for a study by the Shorenstein Center at Harvard...whoops already done. Guess what they found? They essentially found that both candidates have had a fairly equal ride from the media.
Well that takes away one of the myths Barack Obama's victory.
Could it just be that his organization and campaign designed "from the ground up" was just better prepared, smarter and had a better candidate to rally behind?
They don't want anyone to believe that. They want to make comments about his resume. Well who has more years in elective office? Barack Obama does. They want to say that he is only where he is because he is African-American. Really? What country do they live in--I can tell you that this country has never been one to give a free pass to people because they are black.
For that matter--we KNOW that Senator Clinton was elected ONLY because she was married to Bill Clinton. Don't believe me? How many other lawyers who practiced in Arkansas, lived in Washington, DC for 8 years could then move into New York to run for and win a Senate seat? The answer ZERO.
It is time to stop the whining, and fighting. It is time to focus on November and days like today, where the DNC is meeting, just create another distraction from the inevitable victory in November. Barack Obama is the BEST candidate in EITHER party to take the USA where we need to be.
We are closing in and heading forward. Get ready, because it's going to be a tough fight. Nothing in life ever worth having is easy and this is one of those things. Barack Obama has won the first stage of this race--the next one is an uphill run and one that he will win.
Earlier I mentioned that his "from the ground up" campaign was a big factor in winning the nomination. It will be even more important in the next stage--so get on board, get involved and help make a huge difference.
Here is the link to the Atlantic post by Andrew Sullivan:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/05/sexism-sexism-s.html#more
Here is a link to the entire 44-page study by the Shorenstein Center if you want to read it:
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/presspol/research_publications/reports/Character%20and%20the%20Primaries%20of%202008.pdf
Despite the unfortunate comments by Hillary Clinton about the assasination of Robert F. Kennedy, we must stay focused on what truly matters. What she said was, at best, a reminder of a terrible time in our history, and, at worst, a suggestion that there may be a threat lurking out there.
Robert F Kennedy was not alone in his assasination during that time. From the John F Kennedy Assasination in Dallas to the assasinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and RFK--it became apparent that the America of the 1960s had decided to resolve our political differences violently.
Despite the uproar that has accompanied Senator Clinton's remarks, do not lose focus on what this campaign is about. This campaign has been about uniting people, bringing people together and working together through our political differences to find solutions for our common future.
We must not fail to act out of fear for ourselves or for Senator Obama. We must feel compelled to act to bridge the gaps that divide us. We must feel compelled to believe and have hope that our country is ready to make the changes need to restore our excellence as a "One Nation, under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all."
Believe in our hearts, and pray to the almighty you hold sacred, for a peaceful future for all of us. No one can stop the power of millions of voices calling for change--NO ONE.
Stay focused, keep fighting for Senator Obama and with our eyes on the prize we will see Victory in November. Do not let the careless words of anyone cause us to lose that drive, determination and focus on the goal of our common cause.
There is a bigger fight looming just keep your mind on that. That battle will be hard enough. Take the energy and the passion you have and direct it towards that end--not at the words of one we have already defeated.
Senator Barack Obama -- Portland, Oregon May 18, 2008
These are the words that America needs to hear from Barack Obama. These are the words that remind us all that, although we may differ from one another, we are bound together in a common destiny as a Nation.
We have a choice to make about what path we choose, and what destiny that path will lead to. In my mind there is only one choice--vote for Senator Barack Obama.
His vision, and his plans for our common destiny are a future time of peace and prosperity for those on the bottom rungs of society as well as those on the top rungs. A future greatness for America is not a zero-sum game where if someone succeeds, someone else must fail.
America's future under Barack Obama will be one where we can ALL rise together and see that everyone in this country can wake up each day with hope. Everyone can get access to food, shelter, clothing, education and health care.
This is the wealthiest nation on earth and it is about time that we see that we don't have to leave part of our population behind. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Those who don't or won't understand and accept that fail to realize that ultimately we will all fall together.
I am of the same generation as Senator Obama. It is our time, it is time for us "to shed the fears and doubts and cynicism". I have done so, in large part, due to the influence of Barack Obama.
It is time to continue the Fight together for more glorious days ahead in this country--a country that inspired so many people from all over the world to come to her shores. They came because they left their fears behind and believed in America and believed in a better future. We are at a similar point in time where we can build a better nation, a better future and a better world.
This weekend is graduation weekend at Penn State. The months of May and June mark the graduation of yet another class of graduates from Colleges and Universities from across the country.
These same months also mark the time when governing boards of these same institutions start to deliberate or decide what the price tag on the next year's tuition will be. These governing boards are faced with increased costs, much like every person and every business in this country. From the increasing cost of health care to gas these institutions face higher operating costs.
Every year these institutions pass their increased costs on to the students in the form of higher tuition and fees. It is a never-ending cycle that has seen tuition increases consistently outpace the rate of inflation.
While the outrage over the cost of gasoline has been very real there has been much less discussion of the cost of higher education. The average college graduate will complete school with $19,000 in student loans and debt. That is before graduate school.
That debt load is a big burden to a young man or woman starting out in a new career. It is something that can be remedied.
Senator Obama has supported one proposal and proposed another program that will be significant options for young men and women in this country.
The first proposal is a new G.I. Bill--a bill that will help educate people who have served this country in the armed forces. Some have criticized the proposal for being too generous and for being something that will increase turnover in the military. How can anything benefiting our veterans ever be too generous?
The second plan is a program proposed by Senator Obama that would give $4,000 a year to students who perform 100 hours of community service (that's a rate of $40 an hour--not bad!). Under the Obama proposal that student debt level would drop from $19,000 to just $3,000--a huge difference.
The common thread among the two plans is a service component to this country. Whether it is military service or community service, the lesson is that to receive you must give back. It is a powerful lesson for young people to learn as they head out of college and on to their lives as husbands or wives or mothers and fathers.
It harkens back to a day when a young President stood on the steps of the capital and said during his inaugural address "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country..."
Much has been made about comments from President Bush about talking to enemies, and his reference to those who wanted to appease the Nazis.
Talking to one's enemy is not the same as what Chamberlain did at Munich when he gave away the Sudetenland--a large chunk of Czechoslovakia inhabited by many German-speaking people.
From a purely philospohical perspective, if our government doesn't talk to our enemies there are a few bad results that occur. Number one we do not gain any understanding of what they want and we gain no perspective in learning how they see the world.
The second result is this: If we only talk to countries on our side then we will only hear what we already know or want to know. We come out of the diplomatic process with only the knowledge we entered the process with.
Talking to an unfriendly nation is not giving up or giving in--it is merely an attempt to reach across a divide and find common ground so that both sides can come together peacefully. We have an administration that has taken a course that is unilateral and the result has been two wars.
There are times when a unilateral approach is in fact necessary, but there are also times when diplomacy with our allies and non-allies is vital to solving the world's problems. I applaud Barack Obama's willingness to talk to friends and foes alike.
We have nothing to lose and everything to gain when we engage the world community in diplomacy. Anyone who suggests otherwise is trying to scare voters in this country into believing that diplomcay is a sign of weakness.
Believing that the State Department has as big a role in Foreign Policy as the Defense Department is not weakness--it is wisdom.
Barack Obama's administration will lead America with both strength and wisdom. That is what makes a great nation, strength alone will not do it. When he takes office in January of 2009 it will mark a new era for American Foreign Policy one that will restore the United States to our rightful place as the world's leader.
Sunday, while I was seated in my weekly Catholic mass one of our priests, Father Mathew was giving his sermon. In it he quoted St. Paul who wrote “Hope is not Hope if it is for something that can be seen”. His discussion of Hope and Faith got my attention, because they are both very powerful words in my life.
I am not perfect, nor do I claim any level of righteousness because I attend mass regularly. As I have learned, we are all imperfect sinners but every day I try and do the right things.
Despite my college education, I do consider myself a “hard-working” white American. Some politicians would have you believe that my college education precludes me from relating to hard-working Americans.
No one is really quite sure when college-educated people suddenly became “elitists” in this country or when we stopped working hard. Granted I do not work in a manual labor job, but I work long hours.
I work several 90+ hour weeks annually in my job—including a lot of weekends and holidays. Those are hours I spend working so that my children can have food, health care, clothing, a roof over their heads and get an education.
The point is not who works hard, or who is college-educated or not college educated. The point is that when you are a parent and have a family, it doesn’t matter what your education level is, and it doesn’t matter what you do for a living.
Every parent has big dreams for the lives of our children.
My work takes me to schools and communities around the country. My work puts me in contact with young men and their families. These young men and their families come from different races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. As a coach I have the chance to see young men and their families reach for opportunities that can change their lives.
When I first meet these young men and their families many of the young men are just 16 or 17 years old. I see parents that have the same goals—the same Hopes for and the same Faith in their children as my parents had in me, and I have in my children.
We get to see them grow up and mature from children to men ready to make their own way in the world. I have coached and recruited young men who were the first member of their families to graduate from college. Some have even gone on the NFL and become millionaires.
It all comes down to Hope and Faith and that is what Barack Obama’s campaign is all about. It should be a uniting force for people who Hope for a better country and a better world. We can not see the future so it is truly Hope for, and Faith in something yet unseen.
If we keep the Faith and we hold fast to the Hopes we have for the future, we can collectively will this campaign and Senator Obama to the Presidency. We have not seen the finish line in November yet, but our faith and perseverance will see us through. Faith will guide us until Hope gives way to a bright reality, illuminating a new golden American future.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04friedman.html?em&ex=1210305600&en=bbf6e9bdf2870076&ei=5087%0A
In case you didn't see this column by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times this past Sunday, go to the link above and read it.
He makes some great points about this country--about where we are, where we've been and where we can go in the future. He says he is looking for a President that will be tough enough to tell the truth.
Hasn't that been the thrust of the Obama Campaign from Day One? It still is the bedrock foundation of this campaign, a campaign steadily marching towards victory. If you doubt this just look at how he handled the "Gas Tax Holiday". Rather than rushing in and agreeing so he can grab a few easy votes, Barack stood on principle and told us the truth.
Read his speech on Race--if you haven't already. Barack's speech on race, a sometimes difficult and sensitive topic, did not shy away from any issues. He spoke the truth and challenged us to form "A More Perfect Union".
Beyond wanting a President that speaks the truth, Thomas Friedman discusses the influx of youth and hope into this election. This influx was inspired by and is directly attributable to Senator Obama's campaign.
Friedman warns against those who would discount the importance of these young people and the importance of Hope. When the chips are down and you're standing at a place in history where there are many paths to take you need Hope. It is a force that can drive people to perform under pressure beyond what they ever imagined was possible.
It will be Obama's plans, as well as his inspiration that will lead our Nation back to greatness. It will lead us back to the place that inspired my great-grandfather, a young sailor from Italy, to jump ship in New York City. With that act he began a family line that flows through me to my children.
As I look at my children I am filled with Hopes, and Dreams and I envision a radiant future, a future made possible by this campaign and the imminent Presidency of Barack Obama.
Barack will lead and inspire us but above all he will tell us the truth, and for that we can all look to a great American future.
