Independent expenditures are ads or other "communications" asking voters to vote or not to vote for a specific candidate or party. These expenditures can include everything from flyers to TV ads but differ from campaign contributions in that they are made without authorization or coordination of an official campaign. So if a person independently prints window signs urging a vote for Barack Obama without authorization from the campaign, it is an independent expenditure. If a person makes $250 or more in independent expenditures a year, they must file a statement with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).
Any group that raises or spends more than $1,000 in a calendar year must register as an independent committee and file campaign statements with the FEC. Soft money Big money donors get around campaign contribution limits by either spending their own money independently or by contributing to independent committees. There is a limit to the amount they can contribute to such committees, but not on the amount of personal money they spend. All they have to do is place a disclaimer on the communication or ad stating that it was not authorized by the official candidate's campaign, and listing some contact information (street address, telephone number or website address). Of course, grassroots supporters and organizations can also make independent expenditures if they have reached their donation limits.
Even if they don't max, but are unable to make further monetary donations to the campaign, they can independently use their own printers, paper and other materials to print flyers, signs, buttons, etc. Independent committees like the well-known "Swift Boat" group that targeted John Kerry's campaign can often have a significant impact on the election outcome. MoveOn.org and Democracy for America are examples of more progressive independent multi-candidate committees. Smaller grassroots organizations can also tap into this money source by soliticing local donors who have reached their limits with the official campaign but are still looking for other ways to contribute.
Here are some resources to publicize your Mar. 31 kickoff event or other events beyond this website: Eventful.com (regist. required)
Upcoming.org (regist. required) Yahoo's event calendar
Craigslist -- find your city and go to "Community" then "Events"
Google Calendar -- add event to your google calendar (helpful if you have a public calendar)
Dear Fellow Obama Supporters, As many of you know, Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa Governor, will announce on Monday that he is endorsing Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. This is a big deal for her campaign and I really would like to see us rally behind Barack even stronger than we are now! In an effort to help influence prominent politicians and create an awareness of the enormity of Barack's grassroots support, RockwithBarack.com has drafted a petition to Congressman (and Majority Whip) Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. SC is an extremely important primary state and we need to help push that in Barack's direction. Letting Clyburn know of the massive movement behind Barack may influence his decision to endorse him. "We the people" can help move this! Would you mind taking a few seconds and signing this petition to Jim Clyburn?You can find it here: Link
I'd really like to see Barack Obama win some more support in key states. It's time for our online activism to start making that happen! Thanks for all you do to support Barack and I'm looking forward to our "politics of hope". Nathan LeanExecutive DirectorRockwithBarack.com
Read my blog to see how political "handicappers" see the race.
These markets are based on "traders" who analyze everything: polls, trends, money, grassroots, etc.:
Obama Blog
Link
If the election were held today, who would you choose?Click me to Vote!
"An endorsement from Democracy for America will not come easily. Candidates will only earn our support with passionate positions, effective organizing, and a strong backbone. There is no question that DFA's endorsement is worth millions in volunteer hours and financial support, because you are leading the progressive grassroots movement."
Results updated in right column of this page.
The atmosphere in Northern California is full of excitement as Rally time draws closer.
If you're headed to Oakland to join up and show some California spirit to Senator Obama, here are some details you may wish to know:
Just letting everyone know a Special Edition of our UPDATE newsletter was just sent out. It contains last minute details, maps and driving directions for the caravan to and rally in Oakland on the 17th. We also added a rondevu spot in Oakland so we can all invade City Hall Plaza as a group. Look for it in your in-boxes.
If you're not subscribed, and need a copy for the maps and directions, leave a reply with an email address and I'll forward a copy to you.
A few more details will follow in another post for the entire region.
Lynn
Just a short 15 days ago we had our very first meeting of 55 people to meet each other and organize into committees.
Tonight, we broke all records with more than 200 people from around Northern California meeting to network and celebrate the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama for president. We also had cameras from three local news stations there interviewing members of the gathering crowd.
If you'd like details of tonight's event, subscribe to our UPDATE newsletter. A short video of the event is here on youtube. A special edition for the Rally with Senator Obama will be published on March 14.
Flash update! Nevada State Dem Party to announce Dem debate co-sponsored by Fox "News" is hereby cancelled.
This is a BIG day for us here in NV. Now we can move on to some candidate issues.
Very good day, indeed.
How do you spell R-E-L-I-E-F?
-Billy
http://RENObama.com
It's official now. We're on the barackobama.com event calendar and ticket sign-ups are now available at Oakland Rally RSVP and Ticket Sign Up.
When: Saturday March 17 -- Gates open at 3:00 PM
Where: Oakland City Hall Plaza, One Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, California
How: The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP below to obtain your ticket.
Oakland Rally RSVP and Ticket Sign Up.
Once you sign up, an e-ticket will be sent to you for printing. You'll need to bring that e-ticket with you to the Rally.
As a reminder to you in the Sacramento Valley Region, we're carpooling in a huge caravan for the 2 hour drive to Oakland. If you wish to join up with us, coordinate rides in our forums at our website sacramentoforobama.com and meet up with us in Natomas at the designated starting point for our caravan.
Meet up in Natomas between 10am and 11 am on the 17th for the caravan.
•Nearest BART station to the Rally: 12th Street Station•Parking: The closest parking structures are the following garages - 14th Street & Clay Street; City Center Parking garage (across from City Hall); 14th Street & Broadway (behind City Hall)
Special Edition of our UPDATE newsletter coming out on the 14th with maps and driving directions from Natomas to Oakland and from Oakland to San Francisco Mark Hopkins Hotel for anyone going to the evening's fundraiser.
A bunch of us are carpooling, forming a long caravan of vehicles for the 2 hour drive from the Sacramento Valley to Oakland for the Rally on March 17.
We'll have a lot of time for talking and singing and I thought I'd invite people to come up with some lyrics for a rally song we can sing along the way.
For more details on the event, check out our website at SacramentoForObama.com and register to receive our newsletter so you can stay in touch with our activities. If you'd like to receive a copy of our current newsletter, add your email address in the comments and I'll send you one.
Here's what we know so far:
You may or may not have heard that Senator Obama will be in the Bay Area on March 17th. He will be at a fundraiser in San Francisco and a rally in Oakland.
Information on the March 17th rally is coming out bit by bit. Senator Obama's rallys have been very well attended - to get into some you have to have a ticket. The Bay Area Dems are the group sponsoring this event and are asking that people RSVP. Please go to this link, if you haven't already, and sign up. When you get there click on RSVP on the left hand side, as you are prompted pick the "grass roots" event, when it asked for the name of the person who invited you please write in "via Sacramento for Obama". RSVP for Oakland Rally here.
If you need a ride or can offer one please go to the forums at www.sacramentoforobama.com there is a thread started to help you coordinate a ride there. We are going to meet up at the Natomas Target Shopping Center in the parking lot by the street in the area in front of Linens N Things/Sports Authority - there is always parking there so we won't be disturbing anybody. Soon available on the website will be Sacramento for Obama logos that you can print out and put in your windows for the drive down. Also, on a first come first serve basis, Sacramento for Obama tshirts will be available at the Target parking lot. If there is a need we will make a stop at the Park and Ride in Davis to pick up extra people to join our caravan to Oakland. Note: We will be inviting the media to stop by as we assemble in Natomas, give them a local angle to the rally that they will most likely be covering in Oakland.
Sign up for our Update Newsletter here.
Here's my rally song. Add yours in the comments!
Hillary Clinton knew years before she voted for the Iraq war that Saddam Hussein didn't have WMDs -- Bill Clinton lied about Iraq's weapons programs to justify attacking the country in 1998.
Scott Ritter was the outspoken former UN weapons inspector who loudly disavowed the rush to war on Iraq in 2oo2/o3. He knew the claims being made by Colin Powell at the UN were hogwash. He knew the Cheney-Rice-Bush "mushroom cloud" of Rove's imagination was complete nonsense.But years before, Ritter proves the Clintons were engaged in lying for regime change as well. Looking back to early Bill Clinton will help clarify the Hillary of today. We need to know who Hillary is, what she's up to and how she would be as President. Knowing our history will help us convince those "on the fence" that Obama and Michelle need to be--and will be--the family in the White House on my birthday in 2oo9.Here are a couple of good paragraphs. The entire article is a must read.- Bill Howard, Green4Obama | RENObama!+=+=+
I personally witnessed the Director of the CIA under Bill Clinton, James Woolsey, fabricate a case for the continued existence of Iraqi ballistic missiles in November 1993 after I had provided a detailed briefing which articulated the UN inspector's findings that Iraq's missile program had been fundamentally disarmed. I led the UN inspector's investigation into the defection of Saddam Hussein's son-in-law, Hussein Kamal, in August 1995, and saw how the Clinton administration twisted his words to make a case for the continued existence of a nuclear program the weapons inspectors knew to be nothing more than scrap and old paper. I was in Baghdad at the head of an inspection team in the summer of 1996 as the Clinton administration used the inspection process as a vehicle for a covert action program run by the CIA intending to assassinate Saddam Hussein.
I twice traveled to the White House to brief the National Security Council in the confines of the White House Situation Room on the plans of the inspectors to pursue the possibility of concealed Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, only to have the Clinton national security team betray the inspectors by failing to deliver the promised support, and when the inspections failed to deliver any evidence of Iraqi wrong-doing, attempt to blame the inspectors while denying any wrong doing on their part.
