So let's be clear, I'm a progressive libertarian, I want single-payer healthcare (i.e. medicare for all), and I support a women's right to have an abortion. I do not, however, see anything wrong with Stupak's amendment, and it's certainly not worth weakening health care reform over.
First of all, if we're going to use government funds to provide for people's healthcare, which I believe we should (and I would personally prefer the government paid for all healthcare through a single-payer system), we have to be careful about how we allocate those funds so that it does not just turn into a rampant populism of who can snatch more government cash. For that reason, health care funds should only go to MEDICALLY NECESSARY procedures. Asking someone to give their tax dollars for elective abortions, from a fiscal perspective, doesn't make anymore sense than using tax dollars to pay for face lifts, or breast enlargement.
Secondly, many people in this country have a very understandable moral issue with abortion. If we believe in the right to make our own choice on this difficult moral question of when life begins, we need to respect the opinions of those who make a different decision than us. Pro-lifers have a right to their opinion too, and their opinion is that abortion is murder. Now they shouldn't have the right to force that conclusion on every other woman. But neither should they be required, in the name of health care reform, to fund an act they believe to be murder if it is not medically necessary to protect the life of the mother,
And really, in the grand scheme of medical costs, abortions are relatively cheap. Nobody is going bankrupt or losing their home over the cost of an abortion. And this is coming from someone who earns sub-poverty wages and has no health insurance.
Let's focus on things that matter here.
Deeds: Did not support most of the president’s agenda(public option, CAP&Trade) so why should progressive vote for him? He caused his own defeat.
Jon Corzine: Some of the president’s strong supporters remembered his anti Obama messages from the bitter primaries last year, this was never erased or settled by the DNC “to forgive and forget”; so why should they vote for him? besides, he was very unpopular and not likeable by many. He and the DNC caused his defeat.
Personally; I’m an Independent voter; I canvassed and voted for President Obama for change, I do realize that he wants change but the house and senate do not. So; what do you do? The president needs to communicate with those that voted for him and make it know that he wants to change Washington but Washington does not want to change therefore; we, his supporters should replace them in 2010 with new candidates that do want change. Let’s face it, Democrats in the house and senate are their own enemy. They cannot even pass a very important health care bill where they are the majority??? shame on them, they do not deserve to be in in there.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/31/olson-publi-option/
don't cha wish every repub town halls went this way?
Here is a link to today's Wash Post article on Jeremy Bird. We have got to keep fightin' the good fight!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/22/AR2009082202343.html?hpid=topnews
For the second week now, we've got two 8-line phone banks operating Tues., Wed., and Thurs. evenings. Last week, we had a total of 37 volunteers making calls. Since our members of Congress are almost sure to support health care reform legislation, we're making calls to registered Dems in states whose members of Congress are not yet solidly supportive.
Many of the volunteers are anxious about the ultimate outcome of this important reform. However, we have decided that taking action in concert with Obama supporters around the country is more productive and therapeutic than sitting on the sidelines listening to political pundits.
With recent speculation that a public option is dead -- or should be in order to ensue a win -- I anticipate that callers this evening will be particularly apprehensive and looking for something more than punditry. As we prep callers this evening, we're going to have to share with them the statement Sunday by Jim Messina, White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
He said, "Nothing has changed. POTUS [President of the United States] has always said that what is essential is that health insurance reform must lower costs, ensure that there are affordable options for all Americans and increase choice and competition. He believes the public option is the best way to achieve those goals."
We're in a long and difficult battle, not unlike the one we waged during the election campaign last year. We must stay focused on what needs to be done here on the ground and give it all we can. We must trust that in the end, we will get the best reform possible. The magnitude of effort by Obama supporters will determine how close to ideal the end result will be.
In addition to a speaker from Traveler's Aid at Dulles airport to help us develop our thinking on changing the experience of foreigners entering the United States, an officer from USIP (United States Institute of Peace) will attend our meeting on Sunday to talk to us about future collaboration. We will also announce later today a specific joint meeting with USIP in June on the Somali pirate crisis; but Mary Hope Schwoebel, will be with us on Sunday to discuss projects beyond the June effort, Please bring something to drink to the event on Sunday. Feel free to bring food as well. We will have the grill going, so if you want something in particular to be grilled, we will be happy to grill it.
Larry Roeder, Facilitator
www.foreignpolicyforchange.org
Dear Team Obama,
Below, please see: 1. Strong Press Coverage of our Earth Day event.
2. Announcement of our May 17th House Party with Mark Walsh.
3. Invitation to join us when we receive the Democrat of the Year Award for the amazing work of our large team of Obama volunteers.
1. Our Grow The Hope Earth Day House Party was both fun and productive. I’m pleased to report that we got some media coverage for this event including a piece on NPR. We asked the reporters to interview not just our impressive speakers but also the Awesome Obama Interns who helped organize this special meeting. Luckily they did so. Don’t miss it. After following this link, you have to scroll down to find our story. Look for the one titled, “Obama Volunteers Carry Presidents Earth Agenda- Volunteers who worked on President Obama's campaign want to keep that energy moving.” http://wamu.org/news/09/04/22.php Additional coverage with video and more audio at: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=126801 After our previous event, we got blogged on what I’m told is Maryland’s most widely read political blog. http://maryland-politics.blogspot.com/2009/04/work-goes-on.html
2. We already have a large number of sign-ups for our May event. Mark Walsh joined us in March to hear Susie Trunbull speak and to share brief remarks with the crowd. He wowed everyone and I know there will be a large turnout to hear him on May 17th. Sign up early because this event will max out. On Sunday, May 17 at 2:00, we will hear from Mark Walsh, CEO of Genius Rocket. Mark is an exciting leader who will inspire us to remain active and build on our great success. Mark got very involved in politics earlier this decade, serving as the first Chief Technology Advisor to the Democratic National Committee, head of internet operations for the John Kerry for President Campaign, and the founding CEO of AirAmerica Radio, the liberal talk-radio network. He hosts a popular political talk show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio and appears regularly on MSNBC and Fox News radio as a political commentator. Please RSVP at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gptwcp
3. As you may have heard, the work of the thousands of volunteers in our Obama office is being recognized. Your impressive efforts, which contributed significantly to the historic win in Virginia, inspired the Montgomery County Democratic Party to honor us with their Democrat of the Year Award. They couldn’t give this top award to each volunteer who worked at the office so they are presenting it to the Bethesda Obama Office (BOO) Leadership Team (LT). The BOO LT has discussed this and will accept this award on behalf of all of you – our amazing team of committed, hard-working, and fun-loving volunteers. Thank you so much for the hours of work you put into the effort to elect President Obama. Let’s celebrate together at the Spring Ball on Sunday, May 3rd when the award will be presented. To show the local party leaders that they made a good decision in selecting to honor our work, let’s make this the most successful Spring Ball ever. Please plan on being with us at the Spring Ball. For more information, please visit: http://www.mcdcc.org or contact Montgomery County Democratic Party 3720 Farragut Avenue, 3rd Floor · Kensington, MD 20895 301-946-1000 (main) · 301-946-1002 (fax) · montgomerydems@msn.com
Nurturing the spark of creativity and hope that came alive during the Obama campaign.
http://www.growthehope.org
View our videos and subscribe at http://www.youtube.com/growthehope
For updates, please join our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grow-The-Hope/49959058596?ref=ts
Nurturing the spark of creativity and hope that came alive during the Obama campaign. http://www.growthehope.org
During the Obama campaign, we learned: 1) We are not alone! There are many other people who care – people who care deeply - and who are willing to work hard to make the world a better place. 2) We are powerful! Together we can accomplish great things. You heard it throughout the campaign - Yes We Can. Fired Up! Ready to Go! Yes We Did! We built a powerful movement – now people all over are asking what next. 3) Working together is fun! The campaign gave us a glimpse of what a renewed sense of community can accomplish. We see that the task of revitalizing our democracy can be full of creativity, inspiration, and hope. We can do our work in manner that reflects our deep understanding of what creates real and lasting social change. And, we can – we must - have fun while saving the world. Thus, Grow The Hope was born. For several months, we have been actively exploring the creation of a new organization dedicated to nurturing the spark of creativity and hope that came alive during the campaign. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We already have over 500 sign-ups around the country, a growing team of volunteer leaders, and a strong online presence. So, after testing the waters, we are ready to dive in. Our approach attempts to take into account the reality that people want to feel part of something bigger than themselves. We know we can’t solve the problems facing our nation from our community alone, but connected with others around the County, State, and Country, we can bring about real change. In addition to being connected to others, people want models that nurture their own creativity and value individual initiative. Some people are working to build GTH. Others have joined us on particular projects. Still others have decided to wear a GTH button and talk it up while participating in local service projects, social change work, or activities with OFA 2.0. All these models will be enthusiastically welcomed. We are finding that simply using the name Grow The Hope sparks important conversations about what happened during the campaign, what needs to happen now, and how we can make the world a better place. Grow The Hope’s current campaign urges citizens to actively engage in revitalizing our democracy. We declare “the task is not his alone – it is ours together.” Our country has a tradition of grading the first 100 days of a presidency. We usually ask - what has our new president done for us. This year, we recognize that the challenges before us are far too massive for any one person to solve alone. So, during the first 100 days of President Obama’s first term we each commit to doing what we can to revitalize our democracy. We will report to each other on our accomplishments, our set backs, and our dreams. This year the 100 day report card will not be his alone, but ours together. Grow The Hope video taped interviews of some of the wonderful established leaders who spoke at Rebirthing King, Rebirthing America. These interviews were conducted by our Awesome Obama Interns. This project helped make sure we are not just celebrating our proud activist past, but also building a bridge to the emerging leaders of the future. You can see some of these videos on our site and our entire collection at: http://www.youtube.com/growthehope To learn more or to sign-up for occasional updates, please visit: http://www.growthehope.org. If you are ready to help build Grow The Hope, please contact David Hart at david@growthehope.org
============== To be clear, the organizations and events listed below are not connected to each other. They are just groups and events that I personally support. Some are nonprofit organizations that never endorse candidates or parties. Others are political groups in our community. They are not in any way affiliated with each other.
There is going to be a crucial County special election in District 4 that has the potential to change the balance on the County Council. The primaries are on April 21, with seven Democratic candidates and two Republicans (including Robin Ficker). The general is on May 19. Help the Democratic candidate in the County Council District 4 Special Election. For more info go to http://sites.google.com/site/boovols or contact Jon Randall (jrandall39@comcast.net or 301-588-5304) Kismet for Kids is a fun event for the DC professional community that allows you to network and connect with business, sports, political, and cultural luminaries AND help orphans and foster kids find their forever families. http://www.kidsave.org. June 11, Thursday, 6:30-11pm, Navy Heritage Museum. Tickets are: $75 for 1, $130 for 2, $180 for 3, $250 for 5. For more information about the event as well as volunteer and sponsorship opportunities please contact Margarita Rozenfeld at: margarita@inciteinternational.com.
Dear Friends of Barack Obama,
Please join the AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS MOVEMENT FOR OBAMA at the prestigious NATIONAL PRESS CLUB in Washington DC to celebrate our victory. We all work so hard for the last 22 months to earn the election of Barack H. Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America.
This is an historic moment of our country that we all should be proud of celebrating. January 20, 2009 should a date to remember. Each one of us who strongly beleive on Barack Obama and work hard to make this happen should find a way to keep the Presidential inauguration date alive. The African Immigrants Movement for Obama is therefore inviting you to the "All Africa Inauguration Ball" to celebrate with the African immigrants communities in the united States of America. Our Presidential Inaugural Ball theme is "Renewing the spirit of the Community" which is so fundamental to the African immigrants in the United states, and so dear to President Barack Obama.
The event's location address is: The NATIONAL PRESS CLUB - 52914TH sTREET, NW, 13th floor, Washington DC, 20045. Time: 7:00PM to 1:00 AM
For additional information, please visit our website at: www.aim4obama.org
Contact: Mr. Etienne Takougang - Event Chair - etakougang@hotmail.com, and MS. Fatima Wahab - Coordinating Committee - fatimawahab@yahoo.com
Thanks
Etienne Takougang
Coordinator of African Immigrants Movement for Obama
Obama for America
When one thinks about the past year, it is difficult to imagine how much has been accomplished by Barack Obama and his supporters. A year ago we were anticipating the results of the Iowa caucuses. On the night of the Iowa caucuses, I left the TV room for awhile anticipating a long night and I knew I had things to do. Not long after I left I heard my husband and son saying something with raised voices. I went in and of course they said he won! I was surprised and very happy. We'll all remember the Iowa night and the many successes that came after that. From January 3 to November 4, 2008, many worked very hard.
As we all think back to those months we must realize that many working together can indeed accomplish a great deal. Experienced Democratic politicians said that Obama could not win the general election. But the volunteers knew that something was happening. Calling many voters resulted in very positive feedback. With all that support Obama certainly could win, we believed. Let us remember how this all came about. We had an exceptional candidate, one who showed honesty, integrity, strength of character, intelligence, and humility. We had millions of people contributing and many volunteers working. This election will be studied by historians, but we must all use it as a lesson of what can be accomplished when we work together.
Originally I told myself that I was volunteering for my four little granddaughters and for their future. I am very happy that I chose to work for Barack Obama's election and that millions of others did as well. Thank you to all of you who worked for the election of President Barack Obama!
Yes We Can!
I have previously talked about the statement Michelle Obama made fairly early in this campaign, the one about being proud of this country. In my adult years this country has been plagued by politician's wars and our history of civil rights abuses. These issues have bothered me a great deal. With the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States, I can now agree with Michelle. I am today more proud of our country than I have been in a very long time. The American people saw that Barack Obama was the very best candidate and they spoke out in large numbers. I would have been happy with a 5 vote margin. I am blown away by the size of this win!
It's very possible that many of you attended Obama's historic rally at Manassas, VA on November, 3 2008. This was historic for many reasons, but mostly because Virginians helped put Obama over the top and volunteers, like us from MD, succeeded in our volunteer efforts towards turning our closest neighbor into a BLUE State!! :)
I hope that you enjoy some photos in this slideshow that I'd like to share with you on this historic event. :)
On election day I was scheduled to work at the Democratic table in our local precinct. Before leaving to do that, I called 25 numbers from Florida to give them their polling information and encourage them to vote for Barack Obama. Only 2 numbers had a live person at the other end! I hoped they were all out voting! Calling has become such a big part of my trying to help the Obama campaign that I felt I had to call in Florida even though it was too early in the afternoon to be very productive. When I got to our precinct, I was shocked at the number of people waiting in line. The line went out the door and down to the street. This was the first time I had seen a line going out the door since we moved to our house 36 years ago! I started to think it was going to be a very good day!
Working at the Democratic table allowed me to get a sense of what was happening at our precinct. As many of the voters passed by us after voting, they signaled that they had voted for Obama. One man ordered a pizzia to be delivered to us free and specified when calling that it was to go to the Obama table only. Many people asked for buttons or stickers, but unfortunately we had none. I believe they wanted a memento from this special and historic day. I told them about the store at the Obama web site.
Two new citizens asked us a few questions about the process of voting. One I walked in with so I could find someone to help her with the dreaded touch screen voting. I worked at the with a man who has a marvelous story. He was the volunteer who distributed the tables, chairs and materials to the precinct. Then he worked the first few hours of voting and the last ones. He said he was not a citizen yet but a permanent resident. He will become a citizen next year. He talked about his experience as an illegal immigrant over 20 years ago. He was now the father of two daughters in college and has a fine career. He said he volunteers as the “pay back” for the opportunity this country has given him. He is the American dream! He understands.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about volunteering at the Obama White House. If anyone knows what to do would you let me know? I do live in the Washington area!
I have never experienced anything quite like this election. To be a part of the Obama community has been a real privilege. I hope this web site continues in some way.
Joyce Murrell
