http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/20/weekly-address-traveling-abroad-our-economy-home
In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America's principles for an open society in China while making progress on joint efforts to combat climate change. And talks in-depth about the primary objective of his trip: engaging in new markets that hold tremendous potential to spur job creation here at home.
Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (128MB) | mp3 (4MB)
In many places across the country, today is election day. There are governor races in Virgina and New Jersey, Congressional races in New York's 23rd District and California's 10th District, as well as countless other important local races.
Voters in New Jersey can find their polling location here.
Voters in New York's 23rd District can find their polling location here.
Voters in Virginia can find their polling location here.
No matter where you are, you can help get out the vote in these key states by making phone calls from home using our online tools. Turnout is key in off-year races, and just a few minutes on the phone can make a huge difference in a tight race.
Click here to call voters in New Jersey.
Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.
Click here to call voters in Virginia.
One year ago, we saw firsthand the impact that these phone calls and conversations can have. It's election day, and you know what to do.
As voters in a number of states head to the polls today, many long-time supporters are back on the phones, making calls to help get out the vote. In New Jersey, Jersey Girl reports:
Turn out is slow like any other non Presidential election no surprises there. This afternoon I volunteered to take people to the polls for now to the phones. Let's go NJ, NY and VA GOTV.
From Cookemon, in Illinois:
I'm making calls to Virginia, reminding folks to vote and let them know how important their vote is... I'll be calling off and on today.
And from Sharon, in Maryland:
Just finished 50 calls to New Jersey. Felt like old times. Time to stretch my legs and go back for more.
No matter where you are, you can help out in the final stretch by making GOTV calls from home using our online tools:
This is the final week of the GreenGov Challenge, and I urge everyone to view some of the remarkable sustainability ideas submitted thus far by government and military employees.
And for those readers who are government or military employees, I urge you to share your suggestions. Though nearly 6,000 have been submitted thus far, that good idea in your mind right now could rewrite the way the Federal government reduces energy use, conserves water, reduces waste, and supports clean technology.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/26/good-ideas-good-people-greengov-challenge-rounds-final-turn-with-nearly-6000-sustain
To view the webcast of President Obama's speech from Kresge Auditorium on October 23, 2009, click on the appropriate link below. Closed Captioning is available only through the Windows Media Video links.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Progress-with-the-G20-in-Pittsburgh/
Recorded literally on his way back from the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, the President uses his Weekly Address to recap the progress made during the intensive discussions with world leaders. From an historic agreement to reform the global financial system, to groundbreaking commitments on reducing subsidies to fossil fuels worldwide, to unity in standing against threats to world peace -- engagement produced tangible results in several areas.
download .mp3 |download .mp4 (79 MB) | read the transcript
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Real_Change_is_Possible/
The prepared remarks of President Barack Obama at the United Nations General Assembly.
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman: it is my honor to address you for the first time as the forty-fourth President of the United States. I come before you humbled by the responsibility that the American people have placed upon me; mindful of the enormous challenges of our moment in history; and determined to act boldly and collectively on behalf of justice and prosperity at home and abroad.
I have been in office for just nine months, though some days it seems a lot longer. I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world. These expectations are not about me. Rather, they are rooted – I believe – in a discontent with a status quo that has allowed us to be increasingly defined by our differences, and outpaced by our problems. But they are also rooted in hope – the hope that real change is possible, and the hope that America will be a leader in bringing about such change.
I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. This has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for our collective inaction.
Like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 – more than at any point in human history – the interests of nations and peoples are shared.
The religious convictions that we hold in our hearts can forge new bonds among people, or tear us apart. The technology we harness can light the path to peace, or forever darken it. The energy we use can sustain our planet, or destroy it. What happens to the hope of a single child – anywhere – can enrich our world, or impoverish it.
In this hall, we come from many places, but we share a common future. No longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences to the exclusion of the work that we must do together. I have carried this message from London to Ankara; from Port of Spain to Moscow; from Accra to Cairo; and it’s what I will speak about today. Because the time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interests and mutual respect, and our work must begin now.
We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems – it will take persistent action. So for those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions that we have taken in just nine months.
On my first day in office, I prohibited – without exception or equivocation – the use of torture by the United States of America. I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of law. Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example.
We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies – a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we – and many nations here – are helping those governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their people.
In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all of our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American troops by the end of 2011.
I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic warheads and launchers. At the Conference on Disarmament, we agreed on a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. And this week, my Secretary of State will become the first senior American representative to the annual Members Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Upon taking office, I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states – Israel and Palestine – in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians are respected.
To confront climate change, we have invested 80 billion dollars in clean energy. We have substantially increased our fuel-efficiency standards. We have provided new incentives for conservation, launched an energy partnership across the Americas, and moved from a bystander to a leader in international climate negotiations.
To overcome an economic crisis that touches every corner of the world, we worked with the G-20 nations to forge a coordinated international response of over two trillion dollars in stimulus to bring the global economy back from the brink. We mobilized resources that helped prevent the crisis from spreading further to developing countries. And we joined with others to launch a $20 billion global food security initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it most, and help them build their own capacity.
We have also re-engaged the United Nations. We have paid our bills. We have joined the Human Rights Council. We have signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have fully embraced the Millennium Development Goals. And we address our priorities here, in this institution – for instance, through the Security Council meeting that I will chair tomorrow on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and through the issues that I will discuss today.
This is what we have done. But this is just a beginning. Some of our actions have yielded progress. Some have laid the groundwork for progress in the future. But make no mistake: this cannot be solely America’s endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world’s problems alone. We have sought – in word and deed – a new era of engagement with the world. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.
If we are honest with ourselves, we need to admit that we are not living up to that responsibility. Consider the course that we are on if we fail to confront the status quo. Extremists sowing terror in pockets of the world. Protracted conflicts that grind on and on. Genocide and mass atrocities. More and more nations with nuclear weapons. Melting ice caps and ravaged populations. Persistent poverty and pandemic disease. I say this not to sow fear, but to state a fact: the magnitude of our challenges has yet to be met by the measure of our action.
This body was founded on the belief that the nations of the world could solve their problems together. Franklin Roosevelt, who died before he could see his vision for this institution become a reality, put it this way – and I quote: “The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one Nation…. It cannot be a peace of large nations – or of small nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.”
The cooperative effort of the whole world. Those words ring even more true today, when it is not simply peace – but our very health and prosperity that we hold in common. Yet I also know that this body is made up of sovereign states. And sadly, but not surprisingly, this body has often become a forum for sowing discord instead of forging common ground; a venue for playing politics and exploiting grievances rather than solving problems. After all, it is easy to walk up to this podium and to point fingers and stoke division. Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles, and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions. Anyone can do that.
Responsibility and leadership in the 21st century demand more. In an era when our destiny is shared, power is no longer a zero sum game. No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among nations will hold. The traditional division between nations of the south and north makes no sense in an interconnected world. Nor do alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long gone Cold War.
The time has come to realize that the old habits and arguments are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people. They lead nations to act in opposition to the very goals that they claim to pursue, and to vote – often in this body – against the interests of their own people. They build up walls between us and the future that our people seek, and the time has come for those walls to come down. Together, we must build new coalitions that bridge old divides – coalitions of different faiths and creeds; of north and south, east and west; black, white, and brown.
The choice is ours. We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the 20th century into the 21st; that put off hard choices, refused to look ahead, and failed to keep pace because we defined ourselves by what we were against instead of what we were for. Or, we can be a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interests of human beings, and finally gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations.
That is the future America wants – a future of peace and prosperity that we can only reach if we recognize that all nations have rights, but all nations have responsibilities as well. That is the bargain that makes this work. That must be the guiding principle of international cooperation.
Today, I put forward four pillars that are fundamental to the future that we want for our children: non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.
First, we must stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and seek the goal of a world without them.
This institution was founded at the dawn of the atomic age, in part because man’s capacity to kill had to be contained. For decades, we averted disaster, even under the shadow of a super-power stand-off. But today, the threat of proliferation is growing in scope and complexity. If we fail to act, we will invite nuclear arms races in every region, and the prospect of wars and acts of terror on a scale that we can hardly imagine.
A fragile consensus stands in the way of this frightening outcome – the basic bargain that shapes the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. It says that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have the responsibility to move toward disarmament; and those without them have the responsibility to forsake them. The next twelve months could be pivotal in determining whether this compact will be strengthened or will slowly dissolve.
America will keep our end of the bargain. We will pursue a new agreement with Russia to substantially reduce our strategic warheads and launchers. We will move forward with ratification of the Test Ban Treaty, and work with others to bring the Treaty into force so that nuclear testing is permanently prohibited. We will complete a Nuclear Posture Review that opens the door to deeper cuts, and reduces the role of nuclear weapons. And we will call upon countries to begin negotiations in January on a treaty to end the production of fissile material for weapons.
I will also host a Summit next April that reaffirms each nation’s responsibility to secure nuclear material on its territory, and to help those who can’t – because we must never allow a single nuclear device to fall into the hands of a violent extremist. And we will work to strengthen the institutions and initiatives that combat nuclear smuggling and theft.
All of this must support efforts to strengthen the NPT. Those nations that refuse to live up to their obligations must face consequences. This is not about singling out individual nations – it is about standing up for the rights of all nations that do live up to their responsibilities. Because a world in which IAEA inspections are avoided and the United Nation’s demands are ignored will leave all people less safe, and all nations less secure.
In their actions to date, the governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to take us down this dangerous slope. We respect their rights as members of the community of nations. I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more secure peace for both nations if they live up to their obligations.
But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international standards; if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional stability and the security and opportunity of their own people; if they are oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and the Middle East – then they must be held accountable. The world must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that Treaties will be enforced. We must insist that the future not belong to fear.
That brings me to the second pillar for our future: the pursuit of peace.
The United Nations was born of the belief that the people of the world can live their lives, raise their families, and resolve their differences peacefully. And yet we know that in too many parts of the world, this ideal remains an abstraction. We can either accept that outcome as inevitable, and tolerate constant and crippling conflict. Or we can recognize that the yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts around the world.
That effort must begin with an unshakeable determination that the murder of innocent men, women and children will never be tolerated. On this, there can be no dispute. The violent extremists who promote conflict by distorting faith have discredited and isolated themselves. They offer nothing but hatred and destruction. In confronting them, America will forge lasting partnerships to target terrorists, share intelligence, coordinate law enforcement, and protect our people. We will permit no safe-haven for al Qaeda to launch attacks from Afghanistan or any other nation. We will stand by our friends on the front lines, as we and many nations will do in pledging support for the Pakistani people tomorrow. And we will pursue positive engagement that builds bridges among faiths, and new partnerships for opportunity.
But our efforts to promote peace cannot be limited to defeating violent extremists. For the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the hope of human beings – the belief that the future belongs to those who build, not destroy; the confidence that conflicts can end, and a new day begin.
That is why we will strengthen our support for effective peacekeeping, while energizing our efforts to prevent conflicts before they take hold. We will pursue a lasting peace in Sudan through support for the people of Darfur, and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, so that we secure the peace that the Sudanese people deserve. And in countries ravaged by violence – from Haiti to Congo to East Timor – we will work with the UN and other partners to support an enduring peace.
I will also continue to seek a just and lasting peace between Israel, Palestine, and the Arab world. Yesterday, I had a constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. We have made some progress. Palestinians have strengthened their efforts on security. Israelis have facilitated greater freedom of movement for the Palestinians. As a result of these efforts by both sides, the economy in the West Bank has begun to grow. But more progress is needed. We continue to call on Palestinians to end incitement against Israel, and we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.
The time has come to re-launch negotiations – without preconditions – that address the permanent-status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians; borders, refugees and Jerusalem. The goal is clear: two states living side by side in peace and security – a Jewish State of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people. As we pursue this goal, we will also pursue peace between Israel and Lebanon, Israel and Syria, and a broader peace between Israel and its many neighbors. In pursuit of that goal, we will develop regional initiatives with multilateral participation, alongside bilateral negotiations.
I am not naïve. I know this will be difficult. But all of us must decide whether we are serious about peace, or whether we only lend it lip-service. To break the old patterns – to break the cycle of insecurity and despair – all of us must say publicly what we would acknowledge in private. The United States does Israel no favors when we fail to couple an unwavering commitment to its security with an insistence that Israel respect the legitimate claims and rights of the Palestinians. And nations within this body do the Palestinians no favors when they choose vitriolic attacks over a constructive willingness to recognize Israel’s legitimacy, and its right to exist in peace and security.
We must remember that the greatest price of this conflict is not paid by us. It is paid by the Israeli girl in Sderot who closes her eyes in fear that a rocket will take her life in the night. It is paid by the Palestinian boy in Gaza who has no clean water and no country to call his own. These are God’s children. And after all of the politics and all of the posturing, this is about the right of every human being to live with dignity and security. That is a lesson embedded in the three great faiths that call one small slice of Earth the Holy Land. And that is why – even though there will be setbacks, and false starts, and tough days – I will not waiver in my pursuit of peace.
Third, we must recognize that in the 21st century, there will be no peace unless we make take responsibility for the preservation of our planet.
The danger posed by climate change cannot be denied, and our responsibility to meet it must not be deferred. If we continue down our current course, every member of this Assembly will see irreversible changes within their borders. Our efforts to end conflicts will be eclipsed by wars over refugees and resources. Development will be devastated by drought and famine. Land that human beings have lived on for millennia will disappear. Future generations will look back and wonder why we refused to act – why we failed to pass on intact the environment that was our inheritance.
That is why the days when America dragged its feet on this issue are over. We will move forward with investments to transform our energy economy, while providing incentives to make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. We will press ahead with deep cuts in emissions to reach the goals that we set for 2020, and eventually 2050. We will continue to promote renewable energy and efficiency – and share new technologies – with countries around the world. And we will seize every opportunity for progress to address this threat in a cooperative effort with the whole world.
Those wealthy nations that did so much to damage the environment in the 20th century must accept our obligation to lead. But responsibility does not end there. While we must acknowledge the need for differentiated responses, any effort to curb carbon emissions must include the fast-growing carbon emitters who can do more to reduce their air pollution without inhibiting growth. And any effort that fails to help the poorest nations both adapt to the problems that climate change has already wrought – and travel a path of clean development – will not work.
It is hard to change something as fundamental as how we use energy. It’s even harder to do so in the midst of a global recession. Certainly, it will be tempting to sit back and wait for others to move first. But we cannot make this journey unless we all move forward together. As we head into Copenhagen, let us resolve to focus on what each of us can do for the sake of our common future.
This leads me to the final pillar that must fortify our future: a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.
The world is still recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In America, we see the engine of growth beginning to churn, yet many still struggle to find a job or pay their bills. Across the globe, we find promising signs, yet little certainty about what lies ahead. And far too many people in far too many places live through the daily crises that challenge our common humanity – the despair of an empty stomach; the thirst brought on by dwindling water; the injustice of a child dying from a treatable disease, or a mother losing her life as she gives birth.
In Pittsburgh, we will work with the world’s largest economies to chart a course for growth that is balanced and sustained. That means vigilance to ensure that we do not let up until our people are back to work. That means taking steps to rekindle demand, so that a global recovery can be sustained. And that means setting new rules of the road and strengthening regulation for all financial centers, so that we put an end to the greed, excess and abuse that led us into disaster, and prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.
At a time of such interdependence, we have a moral and pragmatic interest in broader questions of development. And so we will continue our historic effort to help people feed themselves. We have set aside $63 billion to carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS; to end deaths from tuberculosis and malaria; to eradicate polio; and to strengthen public health systems. We are joining with other countries to contribute H1N1 vaccines to the World Health Organization. We will integrate more economies into a system of global trade. We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year’s Summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.
Now is the time for all of us to do our part. Growth will not be sustained or shared unless all nations embrace their responsibility. Wealthy nations must open their markets to more goods and extend a hand to those with less, while reforming international institutions to give more nations a greater voice. Developing nations must root out the corruption that is an obstacle to progress – for opportunity cannot thrive where individuals are oppressed and business have to pay bribes. That’s why we will support honest police and independent judges; civil society and a vibrant private sector. Our goal is simple: a global economy in which growth is sustained, and opportunity is available to all.
The changes that I have spoken about today will not be easy to make. And they will not be realized simply by leaders like us coming together in forums like this. For as in any assembly of members, real change can only come through the people we represent. That is why we must do the hard work to lay the groundwork for progress in our own capitals. That is where we will build the consensus to end conflicts and to harness technology for peaceful purposes; to change the way we use energy, and to promote growth that can be sustained and shared.
I believe that the people of the world want this future for their children. And that is why we must champion those principles which ensure that governments reflect the will of the people. These principles cannot be afterthoughts – democracy and human rights are essential to achieving each of the goals that I have discussed today. Because governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than the narrow interest of those in power.
The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people. True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home. The people of the world want change. They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history.
This Assembly’s Charter commits each of us, and I quote – “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women.” Among those rights is the freedom to speak your mind and worship as you please; the promise of equality of the races, and the opportunity for women and girls to pursue their own potential; the ability of citizens to have a say in how you are governed, and to have confidence in the administration of justice. For just as no nation should be forced to accept the tyranny of another nation, no individual should be forced to accept the tyranny of their own government.
As an African-American, I will never forget that I would not be here today without the steady pursuit of a more perfect union in my country. That guides my belief that no matter how dark the day may seem, transformative change can be forged by those who choose the side of justice. And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights – for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard; the innocent who longs to be free; and the oppressed who yearns to be equal.
Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect. Each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its people, and – in the past – America has too often been selective in its promotion of democracy. But that does not weaken our commitment, it only reinforces it. There are basic principles that are universal; there are certain truths which are self evident – and the United States of America will never waiver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny.
Sixty-five years ago, a weary Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the American people in his fourth and final inaugural address. After years of war, he sought to sum up the lessons that could be drawn from the terrible suffering and enormous sacrifice that had taken place. “We have learned,” he said, “to be citizens of the world, members of the human community.”
The United Nations was built by men and women like Roosevelt from every corner of the world – from Africa and Asia; form Europe to the Americas. These architects of international cooperation had an idealism that was anything but naïve – it was rooted in the hard-earned lessons of war, and the wisdom that nations could advance their interests by acting together instead of splitting apart.
Now it falls to us – for this institution will be what we make of it. The United Nations does extraordinary good around the world in feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and mending places that have been broken. But it also struggles to enforce its will, and to live up to the ideals of its founding.
I believe that those imperfections are not a reason to walk away from this institution – they are a calling to redouble our efforts. The United Nations can either be a place where we bicker about outdated grievances, or forge common ground; a place where we focus on what drives us apart, or what brings us together; a place where we indulge tyranny, or a source of moral authority. In short, the United Nations can be an institution that is disconnected from what matters in the lives of our citizens, or it can be indispensable in advancing the interests of the people we serve.
We have reached a pivotal moment. The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation – one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations. With confidence in our cause, and with a commitment to our values, we call on all nations to join us in building the future that our people deserve. Thank you.
In the course of a political argument with a neurofeedback therapist as to the virtues of Hugo Chavez, I was told that "the Jews should leave Venezuela". Are the Jews not true Venezuelans after centuries of residence? Guess not. Are we true British, Americans, or anything other than Jews? Probably not. So we belong to Israel, our ancient homeland. But I read in another psychotherapist's blog that Jews are distinguished as being the only people without a homeland, and that our identity is a collective atonement for the death of a great Egyptian in another land where we were guests. Of course, this presupposes we have an identity to start with. A little circular, I think.Of course, when we attach ourselves to Israel, we are told that it is not ours, because we are supplanting a group of people whose ancestors settled there after we, as a group, were kicked out.All this leads me to question who, or what I am. What I come up with, is that I am the nation-less soul (which I use figuratively, because I am an atheist) who belongs nowhere except in a land that I have no right to inhabit. The convenient Nowhere Man, whose butt is a convenient target for anyone afraid to kick his own. I am thus led to the following little bit of dogmatism:I am a Jew.The nation of Israel lives.To make any sense of this at all, I am a committed Zionist.Those who object, may take a flying f**k. Of course, if you choose to eliminate us (as you have repeatedly), you will have only yourselves to kick in the Butt. OUCH! If we choose to eliminate you, we will also have to kick our own selves in the Butt. DOUBLE OUCH!So, we might as well leave each other alone, and admit that ultimately, we are all one, under the greater umbrella of man. And try to conquer something else. Like Mars. We could all use the room, and reviving the spirit of mutual growth and exploration could benefit us all. After all, Medieval is just sooo last year, and hard as hell to spell.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Progress-in-the-Global-Economy/
With the next G20 Summit approaching in Pittsburgh, the President goes over the progress in stemming a global economic crisis. He discusses the impact of the Recovery Act, and pledges that "lobbyists for big Wall Street banks" will not prevent real reform for the future, including a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.
download .mp3 |download .mp4 (100 MB) | read the transcript
We Can Afford Reform, We Can’t Afford the Status Quo
Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist for the Vice President and Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force, debunks the myth that we can’t afford health insurance reform. To the contrary, not only has the President demanded that reform not add to the deficit in the short term, but reform is the only way to get skyrocketing health care costs under control that will be devastating not for families , businesses, and for government deficits in the long term under the status quo.
Watch the Video
Earlier today, it was announced that President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on the issue of health insurance reform next Wednesday, September 9th. CNN reported:
It will be Obama's second speech to the full legislature since he took office in January, and the setting and rarity of such an event highlighted the importance the president places on his top domestic priority: overhauling the nation's ailing health care system.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid formally invited Obama to make the address, as required, in a letter issued Wednesday after news broke of the planned speech.
We'll have more information on this important speech in the days to come.
www.whitehouse.gov
Approximately 1 million people will attend the Caribbean Day Parade on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Monday, September 7. Help us spread information about our broken health care system and the Obama plan for health care reform. We will set up tables along the parade route with flyers listing online sources for issues such as comparative costs and results of health care spending (US vs. other countries), the economics of health care, how we will actually save a lot of money by investing in health care reform now, etc. We will also provide info on how to connect with other people who want to bring real change to our health care system and help people to get involved in pressuring Congress to pass a health care reform bill with a strong public option. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Details here.
Health reform is finally within grasp. Opponents are spending millions every day to destroy it. We cannot let this happen. We voted for change in '08 and we must see it through.On Saturday, August 29, 2009, New Yorkers will walk from all parts of the city for the first ever United We Walk for Reform Rally in support of the historic health reform legislation before Congress.It's our health care. It's our time. Save the date to make your voice heard.MID-MORNING, ACROSS THE CITY: Grassroots groups will meet in front of hospitals and health clinics across the city to walk to rally at Times Square. Check out mybarackobama.com for meeting locations in the next week (or set up one of your own).
2 - 3:30 PM - UNITY RALLY: Rally for health care at Times Square, 42nd St. and 7th Avenue
Hello:My name is Allie Feldman, and I'm helping Ben Baruch with Organizing for America here in New York. We just wanted to make sure everyone sees the email and video below discussing OFA's next nationwide initiative -- the Pledge Project. Please feel free to contact me or Ben if you have any questions or concerns.Stay tuned for more updates coming by the end of the week!Thanks,Allie--Allie FeldmanVolunteer Organizing for America | New Yorkallie.feldman@gmail.com 908-370-2689
Ben BaruchVolunteer LiaisonOrganizing for America | New York
bennett.baruch@obamaalumni.com
Just over a week ago, President Obama submitted his first budget and made it clear he was ready for the fight to come.The President isn't alone. We're ready for that fight too -- it's what you built this movement for.Watch a video I recorded announcing our new initiative, the Organizing for America Pledge Project:Americans are ready for the bold new direction this plan offers. It's what they voted for in November, and it's needed now more than ever as we continue to face an unprecedented economic crisis.But the special interests and old ways of Washington won't go away easily. In fact, they'll only fight back harder.It's up to you to organize support for President Obama's plan throughout the country. It's the only way we'll get the change this country needs.Take the next step now in our fight to bring change:http://my.barackobama.com/pledgeprojectThanks,MitchMitch StewartDirectorOrganizing for America
On Valentine’s Day, concerned citizens of Harlem took to the streets against Columbia University's. As a Columbia Graduate and a Harlem Native, I am against the current Columbia Expansion Plan. At Columbia I obtained my master's in Real Estate Development and we studied the expansion plan as a part of our curriculum. A majority of the students were against the expansion. After Columbia I worked in the construction industry for 5 years. As part of the expansion plan Columbia has pledged to hire local labor forces to construct the project. Unless Columbia has struck a deal with the local unions to expand their training programs to residents of Harlem, Columbia will not be able to commit to this pledge. Columbia has the right to obtain properties through the normal channels but it is insulting they are using Eminent Domain to obtain a majority Manhattanville. Columbia's expansion would bring obvious benefits but it will also bring heartache & displacement to many New Yorkers. Harlem needs more schools. Columbia is only building one school for the community, on a 33 acre parcel. As a beacon of education Columbia should have at least built 3 schools for the community. Columbia should also offer 50 full scholarships a year to original residents of Harlem. 30 undergraduate Scholarships
I am not sure how we can stop the Columbia Expansion or 125th Rezoning Expansion since City Councilman Jackson & Dickens have basically given Harlem away in a gift basket. They can at least attempt to care about the community and force Columbia to take Eminent Domain off the table.
I think it is time that a new leadership stand up in Harlem. We need someone who will fight for the people.
This Upcoming Wednesday there is a Civic Awareness Seminar located at PS.92 222 W.134th St
Some of these pols will be on the panel. I will also be speaking at the event. If you come please look for the Uptown Dems Table.
We are looking for people with Campaign Experience... We are trying to cause change in Harlem, and we need people who know how to organize and mobilize... Please let me know if you are interested in joing our cause...
Thank you.
Seeking an individual who is passionate about progressive politics....
Field organizer needed ASAP for special election in NYC on February 24th. This organizer will be working to elect a progressive Hispanic Democrat running for a vacant seat in a diverse community. The organizer will have general field duties, including running canvasses and phonebanks, working to recruit and manage key volunteers, etc. Requirements: Must have worked at least one previous election cycle. Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus. Must have experience organizing in African-American communities. How to Apply / ContactTo apply, please send a resume to wjhowell1220@gmail.com
At last, after many weeks in the planning and development stage, our very own Mybarackobama.com (MYBO) inaugural celebration event has finally found its form, nature and place, and we are thrilled and proud to announce the...
MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social!
http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
We've come full circle, right back where we were supposed to be!
Initially intended to be held in a Capitol Hill church social hall -- and always imagined as an "alternative" ball --, the event grew rapidly in the early flush of euphoria and excitement of our victory in the days following the election, but through the worries and the vagaries of fundraising and just exactly how crowded Washington, DC would be for this historic occasion that we all want to witness and celebrate in a financial environment that encouraged anything but confidence, the MYBO alternative ball's future in the balance, we find ourselves welcomed by the Universalist National Memorial Church, "a liberal Christian church in the heart of the city."
The MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social is intended, as one of our fundraising volunteers put it, to be a ball:
“that will celebrate Obama's election, and celebrate the hard work we did to get to this point – and provide a space to network with fellow Obama supporters to get "fired up" for real change, going forward.
There are tons of official and unofficial inaugural balls, but the difference is this one will be affordable (hence the need for sponsorship) and Obama volunteers will have the first crack at tickets (rather than the tickets just going to the highest bidder.)”
Universalist National Memorial Church provides us an ideal space in the community at a price that allows us to accomplish our mission -- tickets priced so that everyone who would like to attend to meet so many people with whom they have exchanged on MYBO and want to meet after all these months can afford to attend.
For tickets -- $26 per person!! -- http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
BYOC, or bring your own champagne! The event will include food and a bar featuring wine and beer, an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages, but if you would like to raise a toast to Obama with bubbly, please feel free to bring your own bottle, or one to contribute to the bar. You may also help us off-set bar costs by contributing a bottle of white -- the church asks for no red in their furnished parlor, sorry! --, and the caterer will accept for refund any unopened bottles they provide and we do not need to consume.
There will also be music with performances by local and home-grown MYBO talent.
Attire is cocktail or semi-formal, but please wear what makes you feel comforable. If you need to come directly from another event that doesn't permit you to dress for the evening, such as the Day of Service at the MLK Memorial Library, please feel welcome to come as you are.
Sponsors needed! Help make the MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social a success -- become a sponsor at any level you can. Your non tax deductible donation will help with food, bar and entertainment for the evening. It's simple. The more those of you who can afford to give something more, the better the evening for all. It's The Obama Tax Plan at work, so let's put our money where our mouths are! Click here to make your donation. It's easy and fast with Google Check-out.
DC for Obama and Mayor Fenty Office's MLK Day of Service Activity (9 am to 4 pm).
The MYBO Grassroots Inaugural Ball 2009, the Social is joining together with DC for Obama, which will be collaborating with Mayor Fenty's Day of Service events and will be sponsoring supporting those in need through serving food at the MLK Memorial Library throughout the day. Please join us and take a step towards supporting others who may have less.
We will be providing further information on how you can become a part of this important day of community service and hope that you will be able to join us in taking this step to fulfill President-elect Barack Obama's call to community service.
Then, join us for a memorable evening getting to know in person so many of the people with whom you have worked, and with whom you have become friends, on MYBO.
Thank you!
Mary Ritter Jacqueline Ashton de Floris The Organizing Committee
Please note, all ticket sales are final and non-refundable. In the event that you cannot attend, please let the organizers know so we can release additional tickets for sale. http://grassrootsball2009social.eventbrite.com/
Perhaps you have been checking here for news from time to time, wondering what's happening, if anything at all. I have sworn myself to a sort of discretion, a virtual white-out of news on the Ball because it is a complex and delicate business to organize, but we are in the final hours of decision-making, and we are not all of the same mind.Wait. That's what happens in government, too.We all felt so monolithically committed in our support for Obama, even while we fought monumentally over whether he was right or wrong to vote for the FISA bill this year, or right or wrong not to hate Hillary Clinton forever, or to pay her campaign debt, that it was always rather surprising to find ourselves in désarroi.But that is what is starting to interest me the most, oddly; it's the process itself, how we can start with a shared dream, build momentum from one another's excitement and passion, discover our points of désaccord, experience let-down, frustration, and even anger as we encounter difficulties, set-backs and conflicts, and then -- out of respect for one another and the importance of our relationships and work -- sit down and think about how to proceed, even manage to at all because the people involved are as important to all of us as the success of the project itself.How many times in the MYBO listservs did the atmosphere become tense, did a voice or two speak out and remind us all of why we were there, and that we hold one another in esteem, did cooler heads prevail and we go on? It's the same. It's a process that can teach us all a lot that we can use in our lives, at home, at work, in political action. Speak your heart, as well as your mind, and do it from that place in yourself.The ball has been hard. Harder than we imagined when we started out. I suppose no one starts out imagining the obstacles, or no one would ever begin anything. Those of us working to put it all together have made many discoveries about people -- most heartening, some laughable. There are some flakes out there, and they are not all falling to the ground to blanket Chicago in snow for its white Christmas.We succeeded, and we failed. Or, perhaps better said, we have met with success and with failure. We have raised money that can be considered significant from among the individuals supporting our ball, and we nearly did from an individual, who chose in the end not to, without ever really making that choice final, or clear. Inference is sometimes good enough, or has to be.
There have been successes that were very important to me. Yesterday, a $50 contribution arrived in the PayPal account from someone who has nothing to gain from their contribution to help make the ball happen, other than perhaps to help make sure there would be a ball for which to purchase a ticket, and at a price we can call "grassroots". That person might have thought that their $50 was "nothing" compared to others' $2,000, $1,000 or $500 (non tax deductible) donations, but that isn't how it felt to me when I heard. I felt indebted to that person and grateful for their gesture of support, that is really a gesture of belief in the dream that I had, that the other organizers had, that the more than 600 people who contacted us to get themselves and their friends and family on our list for news of the ball, when the tickets would be available had, too.And the people who have joined us to offer their time and energy, their encouragement, their contacts, anything they had, and offered their thanks for our efforts. No matter what happens to this ball, I will carry forward their group of people like a community that will live inside me. I don't know how to visit that place, or see all those people, but knowing they are there is about enough. I know that one day there will be another project, another mission, and I will reach out to them, or they will reach out to me.Today, we are asking everyone on our lists to go to the website and take a survey. The answers to the three questions are "Yes, I still planning to purchase tickets to the Grassroots Ball for the people of Mybarackobama.com to meet and celebrate our victory in Washington, DC on January 19, and hurry up!", "No, thank you, I have already made other plans for the inauguration," and "No. I just can't get to Washington, after all." Please have each person in your party register and take the survey so we can get an accurate number.We need to know if 700 people sure will purchase tickets so that we can make the deposit on the space in downtown Washington with confidence. It can hold up to 1,500, and we have the option to grow the event to that capacity if ticket sales are strong.We have become timid about committing our sponsor's money in an event that might have lost its momentum without our knowing it, especially in such uncertain times. Asking you is our best way to know if your silence has been your polite and remarkable patience, or proof of your loss of interest.Like Barack said to us throughout the campaign, more and more frequently as the numbers coming to see him grew beyond anyone's wildest imagings, this ball was never about we, the organizers, it's about you, and it's for you if you want it. If you don't, that's fine. Personally, I can accept hearing that, but I can't as easily accept ending it all because we are worried the time and the opportunity are already behind us without having asked you if they are.We shall see what happens today, and in the next hours, and then we will know.For those wondering why nothing has been happening on the website, we decided spontaneously to communicate via our email lists rather than continue to promote a ball there that was at risk of not happening owing to fund-raising disappointments and their impact on the ticket prices that we could offer.As it stands, they would be a minimum of $175, possibly closer to $200, and we would try to offer a percentage of the total tickets available at the $100 level for those whose means are limited. As we had always intended with our "Joe-the-Plumber" Ticket Plan, we would ask everyone to stop and think before purchasing and ask themselves if they really needed that $100 ticket, or if they could leave it for someone who does, each according to his conscience, and the fiscal philosophy Barack Obama laid out to Sam Wurtzenbacher in Ohio.Thank you, everyone.http://www.grassrootsballdc2009.com....
Taking Obama's advice and sharing my story----- I went to my mailbox today and in there was a letter from Joe Biden asking me to donate $100 dollars to help Hillary Clinton retire her debt. First of all I did not make any pledge to Hillary Clinton. Earlier this year I donated during Obama’s "one in a million" promotion and I never got my "one in a million" t-shirt. I have been campaigning January for this movement, I have phone banked and gone to two states. I purchased three copies of Obamas books. I did canvassing knocking on hundred of doors, and entered countless data into votebuilder, and made signs. I have been to two rallies and fundraisers, convinced friends and co-workers to vote for the ticket ObamaBiden. I have personally donated almost $1500 that does not include the money I spent traveling and renting hotel rooms and cars. At the end of the campaign I donated $30 to get my "one voice" t-shirt and here it is over one month later and no t-shirt, and personally I don't think I am going to get one. Friends brag about how they receive t-shirts and autographed pictures from Obama and Michelle, did I receive anything of the sort--no.
So imagine how pissed off I am to open my email and see a letter from the Obama campaign telling me about the pledge they made and asking me for my money. Listen you made the pledge you give her the money. Hillary Clinton and her husband are worth over $100 million I might be worth $65 thousand dollars, who should be helping whom. Obama is making enormous amounts of money from his books he can afford to help Hillary.Hillary decided to run for president, she knew what was involved and did not plan for it. Even though she was losing and her campaign was running out of money she continued the effort. She claims she loaned her campaign money, personally I don’t know how someone lends themselves money. She was investing in herself and unfortunately it didn't pay off, that's how it is sometimes. When my investments fail, no one bails me out, the losses I took when trying to start a small business. She poorly managed her campaign and now I am being asked to reward her, how will she learn the lessons there. She should have suspended her campaign when it became mathematically impossible for her to win. This debt is her responsibility alone. I think it is appalling that a millionaire is asking "common" folk to help them with a debt. How insulting to the hardworking people who donated to this movement, some of us having to endure the insults and injuries Clinton caused with her tactics.
Yes, I know the campaign is over, but I never thought Hillary would be a good president, that's why I did not support her candidacy and I am not going to fund her debt. I think the fact that she is nominated for Secretary of State is enough sacrifice for me, did you promise her that during the campaign too Obama? I don't know how she will do considering her record on healthcare and this recent campaign. If I look at those two incidents as her resume I would say she doesn't manage money well, and she doesn't have an ability to lead. I think she is good at carrying out a task and I am hoping that's the reason Obama is nominating her. I think it is nice that Hillary now has to work for him considering all the mess she talked about Obama not being ready to lead. He did tell her during the campaign that he was looking forward to her working for him, so we did see some type of appointment coming.
I am not sure I trust Hillary yet and she has to show me more than just being a good campaigner, all of this makes me think she was just campaigning because she had the promise of being Secretary of State. Yes, I understand there are valid reasons for choosing her and they have been cited by the campaign and I agree those reasons are all pros for Hillary, and since she has been trusted with such a delicate and high profile position (not a bad conciliation prize) now she can really prove herself by carrying out Obamas agenda. I think it's a good idea to have her in a situation where Obama has control, in the senate she would be his nemesis. Now is the time for her to prove she is a person of integrity and morals by paying off her own debt. This should be a growing process for her; I have a problem with people who crave the spotlight because they are often part of the problem. I am looking forward to the Obama administration and wait to see how it will rise to the many challenges that are dominating the headlines, and those that are not: like education and poverty, racial tension and profiling, the lack of community centers and outreach programs in impoverished neighborhoods. This is what I care about, not some millionaires debt that she brought on herself.
I am sorry Obama, forgiving is good, working together is good, but I also believing in standing for what I believe in. I understand diplomacy and the need for everyone to get along but I have to draw the line here. Maybe you could show me your word is bond by sending my autographed pictures and t-shirt first.
In just a month and a half, the transition will be official. After all our hard work, let's take the 19th, Martin Luther King's birthday and the 20th to not only celebrate but recommit ourselves to the same level of energy and effort to support our new President so that we can move in the direction of the country we want and that the U.S. can become.
Oren
An open invitation to join : President Barack Obama Inauguration Day 2009 - Washington, DC Group!!!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/InaugurationDay2009
Make plans to be in DC on this historical day!
Make plans to be tuned in with TV and/or the Internet.
Be out in public with friends and fellow citizens.
A Grand and Wonderful Celebration!
