REMINISCENCE: REFLECTIONS OF AN OBAMA-MOVEMENT-FOR-CHANGE FOOT SOLDIER:
By
Prof. Benny Ambrose Akonteh, Ph.D.*
As a volunteer foot soldier in the “Obama Movement for Change”, it is exhilarating to imagine mine and the collective contributions of my comrades in the creation of a new generation of American leadership likely to reshape the destiny of mankind. I reminisce how it all started in Springfield Illinois, from whence Abraham Lincoln rose, more than a century ago as the emancipator of slavery. It is an irony of history that on a cold morning, at the steps of the old capitol building in the same Springfield, Illinois, a young African American Senator called Barack Obama declared his intent to embark on a daunting mission to ascend to the Presidency of the United States promising to bring “Change to America”. His eloquence was seductive, his intellectual exposition of national values and ills was breath taking, and though his passion shone through his eyes, he remained as cool as a cucumber. His message remains the urgency of now with broad implications: A more perfect union without the clichés of “Red States, Blue States, black, brown, white America” but just the United States of America. The implications are clear and include: A renewal of American values reinforced by the retooling of American economic, industrial and political institutions, degraded over the years by conflicting ideologies, greed, and deviations from basic American core values. From my vantage point I see Senator Obama now President–Elect Obama, as a vessel in which many Americans, and large segments of the world have deposited their “hopes and aspirations” powered by faith onto future generations. As an OMC Foot Soldiers, it is indeed our fervent belief that he will be true to our creed and sacrifices.
The US primary campaign process is characterized by joys and tribulations as demonstrated by the early Obama successes in Iowa, followed by the losses of New Hampshire. Despite the twists and turns of Florida, and Michigan, the interventions of the “Democratic Rules Committees (DRC), the Obama Movement for Change continued its march to victory with Senator Barack Obama ultimately nominated by acclamation as the Democratic Candidate for President of the United States of America. He accepted his nomination on the historic date August 28, 2008, when MLK’s dream speech was given about forty years ago. In hind sights, the hotly contested Democratic Primary between Senators Obama, and Clinton was a healthy exercise for the Presidential campaign which turned out a very bitter contest between Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Senator John McCain (R-Arizona). Senator John McCain pulled every trick from the book and used every epithet to undermined Senator Obama. In the end, a consistent and well organized campaign powered by more than 3.1 supporters propelled Senator Obama and the “Movement for Change” to victory. I remember vividly how we traded daily campaign messages through the internet from California to Seattle to Florida, to Jakarta, to Rio De Janeiro to Bonn (Germany) and everywhere the “Obama Social Network” could reach. The strategic deployment of Obama foot soldiers everywhere, the thoroughness of campaign execution, at all levels of the “Obama Movement for Change”, and the blunders of the opposition, projected expectations of an Obama victory on November 4, 2008.
When at about 11.04 PST, CNN declared Senator Barack Obama winner of the US Presidency, we, the foot soldiers assembled here in Los Angeles, California, stirred at each other in affirmation, yet shaded a tear or two with a sigh of relief and reinforced belief in the America people. The tears shaded represented a confluence of factors: Foremost Abe Lincoln’s Emancipation Declaration, Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream Speech”, those whose sweat and blood have made America great, and most importantly the hopes and dreams deposited in the young President-Elect Barack Obama. And so, we too have all finally lived and responded to the sacred creed: “Yes, We Can”, a realization possible only in this great nation called the United States of America.
I, like many of my comrades from within the US and around the world, volunteered to support Barack Obama based on the belief that he is the most qualified leader to undertake the “rebranding of America” and one most likely to rehabilitate the American image abroad, and restore appropriate functionality to the American economy, industrial, and banking institutions. We envision that he will be able to reorder some national priorities in ways that provide both clarity, and remedies to the pressing problems of housing, manufacturing, and curb the mounting national debt due to ill-conceived trade policies. The US marginal cost of production is one of the highest in the world, allowing for the influx of cheap goods produced out of mostly slave labor in China, India and other Southeast Asian countries. The political context in which the economic degradation is occurring offers an opportunity to retool the economic, the banking, and the domestic and international regulatory agencies to stabilize the world economy. In short, it is important to reshape the national economic and industrial models with a clear vision to develop new human capital tailored towards problem sets of the 21st century. Given the legacy of a near bankrupt US economy and national psyche damaged by two endless wars, the loyal engagement of all Americans cannot be sufficiently emphasized.
In all there are at least four (4) distinct areas in which I contributed a total of more that 25 separate pieces of written documents to the Obama campaign. My primary interfaces remained Ms. Heather Higginbottom (Chicago HQ) and Mr. Mitchell Schwartz of the Los Angeles Office. The regrets with contributions through third parties include delays to deliver urgent policy recommendations to the principals and those due to implementation.
In sum, it all seems as if it happened yesterday, but it has indeed been over twenty (20) months in the trenches for some of us foot soldiers. The irony is that the battle for change and rebranding of America has hardly begun. The first salvos have already been fired by the opponents of change, and if anything, the bitter Senate races in Minnesota between Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D), and Georgia between Saxby Chambliss (R) and Jim Martin (D) may be good indications as to how smooth a sail onto new corrective legislations will be. Whatever the composition of congress, there remain continuous reminders for vigilance with an eye on the ultimate goal: to change America for the better for all Americans, and the world at large. The breath of my contributions to the “Obama Movement for Change” can be summarized in four (4) broad categories as follows:
I. Policies:
1. Industrial and Economic Infrastructure (National, Ohio);
2. Immigration;
3. 21st Century National Security Paradigm;
4. 21st Century New Economic Deal.
II. Strategic Analysis & Planning:
These are, in general, open documents which can be selectively reviewed following the link below:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/AIREPORT
III. Advocacy & Prosecutorial:
The primary purpose of these documents is to analyze and expose the weaknesses of
the opponent(s), defend the Obama positions and attack the opponent where relevant.
These too are open documents that are available to the general public through my page
on the Obama Networks. Please, visit and read the more than ten (10) articles located at:
IV. Operational Support:
Beyond the above forenamed areas, it was a delight to participate in the following supportive activities:
1. Phone Banking;
2. Chat Rooms Debates and advocacy;
3. Neighborhood Canvassing;
4. Attending rallies, meetings, etc.
Hopefully, the next generation will recognize the invaluable contributions of computers and information technologies to the success of the “Obama Movement for Change”. The speed, the memory capacities, and the networking capabilities, through the internet, make it possible to democratize the campaign funding process, and more importantly to transforms our youth into a participatory citizenry. In our youth, lies the counter punch against India, China, Japan, Russia and those would be competitors to the America ingenuity of mastery and application of emergent technologies to political re-organization.
*Prof. Benny Ambrose Akonteh, Ph.D., is a product of UNH, MIT, and Stanford University where he received his Doctorate in engineering. He is a former Systems Analyst Consultant to the World Bank and UN Institute for Technical Research. He served as Consultant on National Policies/Strategies for Informatics at the Presidency of Brazil and has been a Professor of computer Science/Engineering in Brazilian and US Universities for over 20 years. He also served as Professor of Digital Systems at the Military Institute of Engineering (IME), Rio de Janeiro, and as a Consultant to Telebras, Ministry of Telecommunications – Brazil.
Copyright 2008 By Benny Ambrose Akonteh. All Rights Reserved.
Please, sign this petition to Obama:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/million_messages_to_obama/
This is no doubt a historic moment for USA and for the world. This is the thanks for the efforts of millions of Americans who supported Obama, with donations, calls, traveling to support Obama. This is really a victory for the american people, as said our future president. The real supporters of Obama always believed that was possible to achieve change. This is your victory. McCain praised Obama and called the union of Americans, an good attitude. I hope all Americans follow the example and accept the new democratically elected president, despite all the differences. The change is coming to the White House, and we must be proud.
In that moment I think USA has gain more respect of all world, even many of his enemies.
THE LAST BATTLES:
Prof. Benny Ambrose Akonteh, Ph.D.
It has been a long almost twenty odd months of strategizing and exchanging views with friends across America, and the rest of the word. Specifically, I remember Rully Dasaad (Barack’s classmate, Indonesia), Ute Wertheimer (Germany), Molly LaCombe (Nevada), Glo Grehl (Florida, Melissa De Souza (Brazil) and many others. It has been a long fight from the trenches, but the hardest battle is from today until when all polls close across the nation tomorrow.
From my perspective, the key issues at this stage of the game are as follows:
1. Participating in the phone banking;
2. Taking friends, neighbors and others to the polls;
3. Exploring the weaknesses of the opponent for opportunities.
Florida, PA, OH, and Virginia offer great opportunity for reinforcement by those who have already voted elsewhere. Volunteers from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina where we are not competitive can effectively wrestle Georgia out of the hands of the opponents. It would be even more interesting if volunteers from California invade and wrestle both Arizona, and Nevada from the opponents.
Good luck and thanks to everybody; see you all as victors, will cherish your presence at the inauguration!!. It has been a long and worthwhile battle.
By Greg Mitchell
Published: October 18, 2008 9:00 AM ET
NEW YORK The New York Times published today a lengthy profile of Cindy McCain, including material on some of her misstatements and former drug addiction. The McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb has now labeled it "gutter journalism" and a "trash report" and released copies of what it says is an email and a Facebook message from a Times reporter allegedly "trolling" for information.
LINK:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003875515
by Jon Kelly - 20 Sep 08,
On 4 November, Rahim Al-Haj will be a first-time voter. His eyes were wide with boyish enthusiasm as he told me how excited he was at the prospect of exercising his democratic right. But Rahim was no callow 18-year-old straight out of high school.
Imprisoned and tortured in his native Iraq for his opposition to Saddam Hussein's regime, Rahim, 40, became an American citizen at a ceremony on 16 August, having arriving here as a refugee eight years ago.
"I cried that day," he told me. "And the very first thing I did afterwards was fill in a voter registration form.
"My polling card arrived this morning. I picked it up and did this," he said as he mimed kissing it.
"After 40 years, I can't wait to vote freely at last."
But Rahim didn't want to be thought of as a dissident or a political activist. He's an exceptionally skilled musician, one of the world's most accomplished players of the oud - a lute-like stringed instrument whose origins date back over 5,000 years.
I asked him to play for me. He obliged with a quick-paced, melancholy composition. His affinity with the instrument and the gentle, mournful sound it produced was striking.
"It's much more intimate than a guitar," he explained as he strummed. "You have to hug it like you'd hug your wife or girlfriend."
As a small boy, his bond with his oud was so strong that he used to sleep with it in its carry case. His love of music won him a string of awards and a place at the Institute of Music in his native Baghdad.
But it was Rahim's passion for composing and performing that forced him into exile. He used his talent and popularity to speak out against the regime by writing songs which protested against the Iran-Iraq war.
The authorities didn't hesitate. His recordings were banned and he was thrown into prison at the mercy of Saddam's torturers.
"But worst degradation was that they took my oud away," he recalled. "I'd practice playing on my wrist. It was as though I could hear the music."
After he was released from prison during the first Gulf War, Rahim fled the country using false papers. But because musicians had to declare their instruments before leaving Iraq, he had to leave the oud behind.
He went to Jordan before settling in Syria, where he met his wife and stayed for eight years. But when Iraq and Syria restored diplomatic relations in 1998, he had to leave again - this time for the USA.
The United Nations refugee agency sent him to Albuquerque, New Mexico, because they thought the desert landscape would remind him of home.
At first it seemed strange to him. It wasn't the bustling New York-style metropolis he had expected. But as he learned English and made friends, it became his favourite place in the world.
Rahim's career flourished. He played with symphony orchestras in New York and teaches music at the University of New Mexico. In 2008 he was nominated for a Grammy. And like any American, he exercised his constitutional right to complain about the state of the nation.
"America is a wonderful place - the country is gorgeous and the people are so open and welcoming," he said.
"But Americans are very isolated. The only people around them are the Mexicans, who they treat badly, and the Canadians, who are just like them.
"If I can do anything while I'm here, I'd like to help them understand other parts of the world."
I asked him how he was planning to use his first-ever free vote. The answer came back on the beat: Obama. The occupation of his homeland had been a disaster, he said.
"I had mixed feeling when Saddam was overthrown because he was such a terrible man," Rahim said. "But I also saw the devastation and the suffering that my people experienced as a result of the invasion.
"When there's a snake in your house, you don't destroy the house to get rid of it. But there have been four million people displaced in Iraq, one million dead, Shia turned against Sunni.
"It isn't just about Iraq. We need change at home too. Ask anyone about how the economy's affecting them. The Americans have suffered under Bush, too."
Before I left, we embraced. He made me promise never to take my right to vote for granted again.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/talkingamerica/2008/09/oud_awakening.html
I´ve found on web a game about Sarah Palin.
It´s good. Play here and save polar bears from extintion :)
http://www.t-enterprise.co.uk/flashgame/playgame.aspx?id=polarpalin
Sarah Palin Governor is the Alaska´s governor of the Republican Party. She is a letter out of the deck, very bad chosen by McCain and demonstrates that there is the danger that in the case of McCain being elected. Sarah is only 2 years of experience as governor of Alaska was also 6 years of major Wasilla, a city in the state with only 10,000 inhabitants.
When lost the elections to a high office of state she was supervisor of the Commission for Conservation of Gas and Oil from Alaska, a position that for some reason reminds me of the current president of the United States.
Sarah is a religious fundamentalist who belongs to a sect that believes in a second coming of Jesus to Earth. It is against abortion, the use of stem cells, the marriage between homosexuals, argues that creationism should be taught in schools as the theory of evolution, is in favour of the current law on weapons and believes that the invasion of Iraq was a act in the name of God. This apart, also did not believe that global warming has something to do with pollution. But, as a way of trying to take something good that we concentrate on only in its governance of AK.
In two years this is your balance sheet:
When he was elected, Sarah promised that education, public security and transport would be the main concerns of his administration, however ultimately spend less in these areas than its predecessor of the Democratic Party.
In June 2007 confirmed to $ 6.6 billion deficit for this year, the largest deficit in history of Alaska. After trying to fix the deficit finally make the second largest cutting costs in building the history of the state, cutting about $ 237 million in about 300 projects and reducing the budget for construction to about $ 1.6 million.
Sarah invested in two bridges, one of which which linked the city of Ketchikan to Gravina Island, a town with around 50 people (perhaps this explains something about the $ 6.6 billion deficit). But despite the criticism and the famous nickname "bridges to nowere" the governor continued to find that he had taken the correct measure.
She has fostered the development of exploitation of natural gas resources say today, more or less abundant in Alaska. And now, known as the Republican candidate for vice president of the United States as a way of trying to convince the female electorate, Sarah made a tough speech attacking the opponent of his candidacy, Barack Obama at the Republican Convention.
The Republicans seemed earned, but as soon as McCain and Obama announced their candidates for vice, Obama rose in the polls from 40 to 48% on intentions to vote.
Obama win some points again, this time in experience.
RISKS OF A McCAIN PRESIDENCY: PART II: OPPORTUNISTIC AGENT OF WAR:
The world political chess game is slipping away from the grasp of any one nation, so new alliances are being formed to pursue new frontiers given global trends. The Indo-China cluster of India, China, Japan, and South Korea has demonstrated an economic competitiveness and a diplomatic nimbleness that challenges both the US and most EU countries. If anything, the Beijing Olympics demonstrated a “culture-based Chinese technological evolution” that is invasive and may be dominant at the consumer level. The destructive wars raging through the Republic of Georgia, Iraq, and Afghanistan demonstrate unequivocally, new paradigms in modern warfare and military technologies and unfortunate gains by the enemies. In Iraq, and Afghanistan, old concepts have now been quietly transformed. Land mines have become IEDs, and fighter planes have become drones, thus extending the duration and original scope of these conflicts. For more than six (6) years the cost of the war has increased to current estimates of $10 billion per month. The enormous opportunity costs include: failure to repair the US industrial infrastructure, institutional reorganization, improvement of US housing and failure to provide needed assistance to entrepreneurs. Wake up America, wakeup everybody; the McCain impulsive last minute decision making process, with the tendency to find justifications after the facts, is what has helped draw this nation into unnecessary foreign conflicts. If any thing, the current dubious vetting and ultimate choice of Gov. Sarah Palin, a graduate of the obscure University of Idaho, may be a first signal of the scrambled decision making process that is characteristic of John McCain’s legacy.
Modern war theaters are characterized by undetectable enemies, physical boundaries, and are often prolonged with excessive costs. The visible shift in paradigm in modern warfare, often characterized by decentralized and invisible fronts is still unrecognized by the Senator who thinks the antiquated strategy of “talking tough” is an adequate deterrence. More pitiful is the fact that war advocates are insensitive to the human costs, and emotional drainage on families. Careful analysis of the cost-effectiveness of war and peace options is necessary to balance the comprehensive national security demand on the socio-economic, military and industrial fronts. The courage to make the objective assessment as to what is best for this country and the rest of the world pivots on the accuracy of this assessment. Senator McCain who does not seem to have the foundation, given his limited vision and lack of an intellectual foundation, cannot be trusted to lead the next generation of Americans. It is a step backwards when Americans consider the fact that we landed on the moon 39 years ago.
Given a degraded US economy, and rapidly emerging Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, and European economies, America cannot repeat the blunders of 2000 and 2004 when the evangelicals became prime architects of the Bush victories. The problems faced today by the American society are traceable to the significant influence of the evangelicals and their massive support of the weak and incompetent George W. Bush in the elections of 2000 and 2004. To entrust this country again to a 72-year old hero of yesteryear who graduated 894th out of 899 of his class, who has had several cases of melanoma, and who worst of all is extremely temperamental, is not only rolling a dice, it reminds us of Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Arizona) of the 60’s. Wake up America; examine your gas bills, the cost of education, your job security, the national deficit of almost $9 trillion, the housing foreclosures, and most importantly US current standing in the world. Each and every American needs to ask and answer the relevant question: Is America better off today than it was in 2000, and whether the economic plight of each household is better off? It is my belief that Senator Barack Obama, though not perfect, offers a relevant alternative to this generation, is in tune with current world trends, and is most likely to correct the dangerous course this country has taken for the past 8 years. The nearly ten billion dollars spent monthly in Iraq can go a long way to alleviate the degraded housing stock and lack of credit that besets Americans in Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, and many other urban and suburban areas. The singular need to restore a national economic security is one important consideration in this election.
We are getting out the vote in this part of the world! Please pass this on .
http://www.americansinnorthasiaforobama.com
Marc Wathen
Hong Kong
Rosa Colquitt is opening her home to join with others in celebrating Senator Barack Obama's Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech on Thursday evening, August 28th, 6:30 p.m.
Delight us with your favorite side dish and/or dessert. Rosa will provide the main dish and beverages.
Live on a big screen TV, be "in the moment" at the Democratic National Convention and hear the message that will CHANGE A NATION. Join us to share the historic moment when Presidential Candidate Barack Obama moves one step closer to uniting America.
Please RSVP to confirm our count. You'll be sure to get a front row "luxury viewing box seat" to Invesco Field, without standing in line and avoiding the congestion and traffic. :)
Thanks in advance for sharing this historic evening with Friends of Obama. We Are the Winds of Change and the Movement that Drives this Campaign!
Congressional Senate Candidate, Jeff Merkley is a special guest and will talk one-on-one with picnickers as a key stop in the Tualatin/Tigard community part of his 100 Towns Tour for Change across Oregon. Tigard Representative, Larry Galizio is the key note speaker. Local candidates Jessica Adamson (Sherwood/ Wilsonville) and Jeff Barker (Aloha) will also join in the afternoon festivities.
The event following on the heels of the the Annual Tualatin Crawfish Festival a week prior serves up a fun relaxing afternoon with Obama and Democrat supporters from all over Washington County. Children will enjoy the new playground area with decorative gym climbs, and a scenic viewing area overlooking the beautiful Tualatin River. There will be face painting for kids, Obama Bubbles, and a friendly Pull 4 Obama TugO-War game for children and adults. Bring your Frisbees, play catch and throw the softball around the horn, serve it up on the tennis court, shoot three pointers on the basketball court, or bump it up with volleyball.
The main thrust of this event is to acquire new voter registrations in Washington County with a breakthrough concept modeled after drive through coffee stands... a Drive-Thu Voter Registration that can complete the entire sign up process in minutes with the assistance of capable volunteer registrars. The TigardObamanators, is a collective group of experienced and passionate volunteers with a "progressive" spin to traditional campaigning engaging their community to "connect" with neighbors and increase voter support and new registrations - particularly Latino voters in Washington County. This event paves the way to bolster Barack Obama's swelling support across Oregon and the rest of America in addition to key at stake Democratic positions nationwide.
Drive-Thru Voter Registration will be held from 12pm - 4pm. Picnic-goers can relax in the comfort and beauty of the park, enjoy a tasty smattering of potluck delights while having a close-up and personal conversation with local candidates. Here is what is on tap for the afternoon festivities:
2PM "One-on-One" with Jeff Merkley, US Senate Candidate
4:30PM Larry Galizio, House Rep-Tigard Key note speaker, also Jessica Adamson-Sherwood/Wilsonville and Jeff Barker-Aloha.
"A Progressive Approach to Grassroots Change", Gary Lee Jelinek. TigardObamanators guest speakers: Tommy Thorne, Rosa Colquitt, Joe Santana, Julie Toth and Karl Thatcher.
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT 08 LAWN SIGNS will be available at the TigardObamanators Booth. Supporters are encouraged to pick up their lawn signs, part of "Blanket Oregon with Obama" campaign. Obama T-shirts and bumper stickers will also be available for sale.The community is invited to join in this special up close and personal event to meet the candidates and have fun with friends and family. Bring the whole family down for a nice relaxing summer picnic and remember to bring your camera to take pictures shaking hands with a cardboard real life replica of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. This will be the closest you'll ever get to fist-bump with the the Democratic Presidential candidate!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44vrp
To volunteer and help with this event, email BikerBamaMike at: classicisland@yahoo.com, or call 503-522-1259.
The TigardObamanators combine a talented pool of progressive ideas in this unique first time ever,
PICNIC IN THE PARK Drive-Thru Voter Registration & Meet The Candidates EVENT
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17th 2pm-7pm at Tualatin Community Park.
Jeff Merkley is a special guest and will talk one-on-one with picknickers as a key stop in the Tualatin/Tigard community as part of his 100 Towns Tour for Change across Oregon. Merkley leads Gordon Smith in the latest poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports for the hotly contested US Senate seat while another internal poll shows Merkley surging ahead by 11 points among voters who could rate both candidates.
Rep. Larry Galizio (Tigard) is the key note speaker along with Lupita Maurer from WashCoDems tentatively committed. Local candidates Jeff Barker (Aloha), Jessica Adamson (Sherwood/ Wilsonville) and Ron Morgan, Field Organzier from WashCoDems will also be attending.
The event following on the heels of the the Annual Tualatin Crawfish Festival a week prior serves up a fun relaxing afternoon with Obama and Democrat supporters from all over Washington County. Children will enjoy the new sandpit playground with decorative gym climbs, and a scenic viewing area overlooking the beautiful Tualatin River. Bring your frisbees, play catch and throw the softball around the horn, serve it up on the tennis court, shoot three pointers on the basketball court, or bump it up with volleyball. It's an old fashion POTLUCK and it's BYOB - bring your own BBQ meats, beverages and beach chairs.
The main thrust of this event is to acquire new voter registrations in Washington County with a breakthrough concept modeled after drive through coffee stands... a Drive-Thu Voter Registration that can complete the entire sign up process in minutes with the assistance of capable volunteer registrars. The TigardObamanators in cooperation with WashCoDems have joined forces to increase Latino voter registrations in local communities and this event paves the way to bolster Barack Obama's swelling support across Oregon and the rest of America in addition to key at stake Democratic positions nationwide.
The Voter Registration drive is from 1-5pm. Picnic-goers can relax in the comfort and beauty of the park, enjoy a tasty smathering of potluck delights while having a close-up and personal conversation with local candidates. Here is what is on tap for the afternoon festivities:
4:30PM Larry Galizio, House Rep-Tigard Key note speaker. Also Lupita Maurer, WashCoDems Chair (tentative), Jeff Barker-Aloha, and Jessica Adamson-Sherwood/Wilsonville.
"A Progressive Approach to Grassroots Change", Gary Lee Jelinek. TigardObamanators leaders: Tommy Thorne, Rosa Colquitt, Joe Santana, Julie Toth and Karl Thatcher.
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT 08 LAWN SIGNS will be available at the TigardObamanators Booth. We're asking everyone to make a donation, pick up one, two or more signs and put it proudly in your lawn in full view. This will accomplish our goal to BLANKET OREGON WITH OBAMA CAMPAIGN. Imagine the impact when your neighbors drive down the street loaded with Obama for President Lawn signs all over the neighborhood. Let's all make it happen, pick up your OBAMA YARD SIGNS! Obama T-shirts and bumper stickers will also be available for sale.Bring the whole family down for a nice relaxing summer picnic and don't forget your camera. You might get an opportunity to shake hands and have your picture taken with Barack Obama, not in the flesh, but a 6'1" cardboard real life likenss of the Leader of Change. This will be as close as you'll ever get to fist-bump with the real Mr. President!
To volunteer and help with this event, email BikerBamaMike at: classicisland@yahoo.com, or call 503-522-1259 . Now do us a big favor and email this link to all your Obama friends, Independents and yes even your Republican neighbors (you'll be surprised at the number of Republicans who have already crossed over!). http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44vrp
We invite all of you to join the ObamaTrain speeding full steam ahead to Washington D.C. Destination... The White House with Barack Obama as our next elected President and Leader of Change, Yes We CAN!
Tualatin Community Park Location: SW Tualatin Rd & Boones Ferry Rd - downtown Tualatin 2 blocks north of Haagens Store and Tualatin Commons off of SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd.http://yellowpages.mapquest.com/search?query=tualatin+community+park&area=tualatin%2C+or+97062&invocationType=localTopBox.search
What do you get when you assemble people who are passionate for a CHANGE in their lives, are SINGLE, and just happen to have something in common with a handsome, charismatic, undeniably intelligent, charming and beholden with that special midas touch....Barack Obama?
A SAVVY SINGLES SOIREE, it's a unique social get together of people with so much in common looking for an opportunity to mingle with other Smart, Sexy and Savvy Singles over 40, to talk, socialize and have fun in a cozy and comfortable environment. Sharpen your social skills and be prepared to put your best YOU forward with a genuine personality and warm SMILE! Let the Law of Attraction do the rest...
RSVP today by clicking on this link. Don't wait, take the plunge and do it now. You'll be happy you did.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/443gw
In Rock Island, Illinois we were hit with a horrible storm at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning. The after math of what they are calling straight line winds, is devestation. There are power lines down all over town with entire poles being broken in two like they were toothpicks, street lights broken in half at the pole, houses with holes in their roofs, cars crushed by fallen trees, cable lines and phone lines torn out, huge oak and maple trees completely uprooted. We are now on day 3 of nothing. Personally we have two huge branches on our roof and without being able to lift them to look underneath, it appears as though our roof has been saved. One huge branch is on our garage, branches are everywhere in the yard and there is barely enough room to get out of the back door. We are lucky compared to many others.
They have called in repair personnel from other states to help get electricity back to the 53,000 who are still without power. The thing that tore me up was hearing that a 9 month old baby was killed during the storm. The family was camping and had no warning of the impeding storm. No sirens were sounded until well after the damage had been done.
They are completely out of ice in this area and have been for 2 days. Those who did have ice threw the price up to $5.00 per bag. I had just returned home form a short trip to Florida on Friday evening so went to the grocery store on Saturday morning spending well over $200.00 to replenish the freezer and the refrigerator. All of that is gone, in the garbage. I just cannot imagine how this is going to impact the grocery stores when power is restored and everyone wants to go restock the frig. I uess I can cross the bridge to Iowa and shop there to avoid huge crowds of people. Right now they are speculating that the power may not be restored until Friday. So, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are being eaten out at whatever places we can find that are open.
The Gettysburg Address was written.. The time was during the Civil war.. It says all men are created Equal.. Maybe so, but we are not treated equal. If I was equal to the CEO of Exxon Mobile, I would have the same wealth he has. I would have the same liberties he has. I do not, I am not equal to him.
Our Forefathers are rolling in their graves, over what the current President has done to the simplest liberties and constitutional rights of the American people.
As the Gettysburg Address reads, they were then entering into a Civil War.. Today is very similar, we are entering a time when our civil liberties and rights will be upheld by the new Government. It will not take a day, week and may not happen for several years.. the current President and his staff, are going to hand over the, this Country to the new President.. and its going to be a " like WOW " event.. there is so much that needs to change... and the only person on the ticket capable for making the kind of change, is Senator Obama. Senator McCain is so out of touch with reality.. he really needs to have a long vacation.. and look seriously into a retirement facility. He has made so many geographical errors in days past.. I think he needs to fire his campaign advisors.. and hire a mapping program.. Mapquest. or Google Earth.
We all in this new Civil War will have to make compromises, and sacrifices.. much like War. We will bring to justice those who have wronged the people of the United States, and bring forth a change the country has needed for a very long time. We will become the Nation known as the United States..
United We stand for Change.
James
