August 28, 2009
Senator Dianne FeinsteinUnited States Senate331 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Feinstein:We are at a turning point in American history and you have the rarest of opportunities to take your place in this rich history.
Will you vigorously and openly support President Obama’s efforts for a public option in health care reform, or will you take the path of weaker, lesser human beings and cave into the lies and distortions being trumpeted hysterically from every media outlet the Republicans and Big Health and Big Pharm. can access?
Millions of Americans who are ready and financially ready to retire would do so if they had access to affordable health care. This would open up millions of employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed Americans. When Americans no longer fear being bankrupted by exorbitant medical costs, they will do what Americans secure in their jobs and secure in their ability to pay their bills have always done: spend on necessities and other consumer goods, thereby stimulating our economic recovery in the healthiest and most effective way.
With recently strengthened consumer credit and banking regulations, no longer will working Americans fear having all they have worked for and saved for wiped out as a result of immoral, and what used to be illegal, financial manipulations. But more needs to be done.
Affordable government sponsored universal health care for all Americans, paid for by the contributions of all working Americans, can be a reality. You have an opportunity to assume an active leadership role in implementing legislation to this effect.
As a constituent, I urge you to speak out strongly, clearly, and quickly on what I believe is the most important issue of our lifetime.
I am one of the fortunate ones whose employer, upon my retirement, covered my health care premiums, at obscene rates, until I become officially a medicare recipient on September 1, 2009. As you know, my Medicare is not free. But the cost is fair and reasonable and the care is excellent. What a shame and a pity that all Americans do not have such an opportunity.
Your vote on the Iraq war can be understood considering the magnitude of the campaign of lies and deception promulgated by the previous administration. But this time the lies and deception are easily exposed. I assure you that when this issue is resolved with universal single-payer health care made available to all Americans, and the huge benefits to our country and our society as a whole begin to be realized, those who failed to champion the cause because of fear, lack of integrity, or personal financial or political gain will be forever be remembered for the spineless charlatans they proved to be.
Who will be the heroes?
There is a program on The History Channel, Medal of Honor, that chronicles the actions that many soldiers took while under intense pressure and enemy fire to earn our country’s highest military honor. Acting unselfishly and without regard for their personal safety, they took the least desirable or personally beneficial course of action, and instead did “the right thing.”
You, too, are under hostile fire. Lead the charge for a public health care option for all Americans now! Regardless of the result, you will be forever proud and honored for having done “the right thing.”
Sincerely,
MJM
August 17, 2009
Dear Honorable Sirs and Madams,
About this time two years ago, Democrats across the country started gearing up for the fight of our lives. Primary elections were just around the corner, and it would be only a year until we would have our candidates for President and Vice President confirmed at our National Convention. Although some said that Democrats could put up an asparagus and beat the Republicans, most of us in the Democratic party knew all too well, after the disastrous results of the 2004 election, that this was going to be a hard-fought battle right to the finish line.
But this was not just about President and Vice President. This was about restoring the Democratic Party to a position of power to enact the legislation we must have to help move this country in the right direction. Millions of us in every state, took to the phones and the streets and the web. We rallied, we phone banked, we pounded the pavement knocking on doors. We talked to our neighbors, friends and business associates. We raised hundreds of millions of dollars, much of it five dollars at a time. And we did this for candidates on the Democratic ticket all across this nation.
We broke our backs, lost our voices, and some of us lost friends or other relationships, so that we could have a majority in both Houses, as well as regaining the Presidency. We gave you a huge majority in Congress and a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate. We handed you the reins on a silver platter!
We did this because our party ran on what is perhaps the most important Domestic issue in many of our lifetimes; Health Insurance Reform. With people filing bankruptcy, losing their homes, and dying every single day from our broken and corrupt system, we don’t have the luxury of time to wait any longer.
You have a grave and serious responsibility before you. NOW is not the time to cave in to the Republican party! You don’t have to! You have an obligation to do the job we sent you to Washington to do – pass Health Insurance Reform, and to do it as you promised you would, with a strong PUBLIC OPTION.
To say that I am perplexed, to say that I am stunned, to say that I am angry would all be understatements. You have allowed Republicans to take over control of the message and hijack this legislation. Their constituents get to go to sleep at night knowing their representatives are fighting tooth and nail on their behalf, while we Democrats go to bed wondering why on earth we worked so hard to put you in the majority, when you’re letting us down when we need you to stand up for us the most!
Make no mistake, this legislation is going to be “make or break” for our party. If you can’t get it done when you have control of the Administration, the House of Representatives and the Senate, what’s the use of working to keep you there in the next election cycle(s)? You seem to have forgotten that you work for us – the people who put you in office, not the Republicans.
While I respect the concept of bi-partisanship, there comes a time when it simply must be abandoned. And in fact, I contend that if you show the Republicans that you will pass legislation with or without them, and they get a bill they don’t like, then next time they’ll be more likely to work with you so their voices are heard, won’t they?
It’s time.
Progressives, and even moderates in our party, you have to start putting the screws to the "Blue Dogs" who are looking more and more like the "Blue Cross Dogs" every day. And to those of you who are the "Blue Dogs", don't forget that you are Democrats. You ran as Democrats, you won as Democrats, and you have an obligation to legislate as Democrats, not moderate Republicans.
President Obama, you need to wrest back control of this message, and if necessary, write your own legislation and make sure it gets passed instead of passing the buck.
You have the power. Use it.
Or lose it.
Jill K
Redondo Beach, CA
originally posted: http://www.obamabidenusa.org/
Andy Card should apologize for his own stupidity. He said that President Obama is disrespecting the Constitution (insert irony) and Democracy (again, twisted irony) by not wearing a jacket in the Oval Office. He should apologize with his underpants around his ankles, because that is how I will always imagine him (and real tiny too). Quite simply,
‘If Jackets & Ties Made the Bush Administration Do What They Did, Then I Vote For Full Nudity In the Oval Office & on Air Force One, Immediately!’
What evil scheme are they cooking up without their jackets on?
How long do we have to put up with this graceless lack of patriotism from GOP has-beens, their cynical predictions of failure for we the people, President Obama & his administration, dis-respecting the will of the majority, a hopeful majority, hurling inane insults & the same lame fear-mongering we rejected in November? Two words of advice to Andy Card and Dick Cheney, SHUT UP! The country is in crisis, you jokers caused it and now you distract the A.D.D. media who should not, for one moment, publicize this petty crap. Andy and Dick do not live in my country, the one I helped change on the ground. They are capital, we are labor. As Lincoln said,
“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
Snap! Obama got that right. We stood up first, took off the ties, rolled up our sleeves, put on the boots and the fruit came pouring in. So Andy, the best you can do is look a fool and attribute national values to Obama’s clothing, to the items he is not wearing? And Dickster, you proclaim President Obama’s lack of national values are clear because he has pledged to respect the US Constitution? What a wimp you are, to have had to wipe your bald pate off with the founding documents, as if they’d gone missing, in order to have your way. No, you could never play by the rules and get any job done. You do not have a single drop of greatness in your blood, and that is as it will remain. I am still confused about WTF you people were trying to do, and how you f**ked it up so stupendously with all that bad-ass experience you had. It must be hard for you to live in a country whose citizens turned on a dime and saw, 180 degrees away from where ever you were standing, their country. Over there, where the young organizer, jacketless, was describing that what he saw in his country, was what he hoped he would see. This country had shaped his family and that family valued education, they cultivated a wisdom beyond years, and a comprehensive world view untroubled by complexity but with a comfort and recognition that this facet of life allows for unimaginable possibilities. The call for self-reliance and community effort, national pride and global citizenry, made sense. It’s American! We’re the home of the free, the land of the brave. The genius of Barack Obama is in offering as anodyne for years of threats and warnings, an appeal to our American Spirit to labor for, not against, the impossible, a brave new future across a long rickety bridge. When we are no longer in crisis, no one will look back in longing at the dark and dreary country you created, gents. We are an accomplished people, generous and optimistic. You’re not. I admit that I did enjoy watching Keith Olberman on fire last nightin his special comment about Dick’s lowing, mutated remarks to Politico in a February 4th interview regarding President Obama’s proclamation against torture and other Un-Constitutional acts, as the founding fathers intended. You can’t look at these documents like one of your freaky oil contracts, with hidden clauses and contingencies you play to your advantage so you win and, therefore, the other party loses. Kid stuff Dick, frat boy crap at best. The difficult thing is to succeed by the principles of fairness set forth; liberty and justice for all. If you are scared Dick, to live in our country with President Obama as Commander In Chief, you are free to leave. That silly rag we call the Constitution didn’t get in your way as you pissed on the world like it was your fire-hydrant, just take your gun if you pass by the Hague in your travels. The ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ you used on the US Congress (on your buddy Dick Armey, for example) and on the good citizens of these United States to dupe* many into supporting your murderous invasion of a sovereign nation seems like some demented chess-game that you and Rummy never had a chance to finish back in the day. You anticipated, with little regret, the slaughter of not only the innocent people of Iraq, but also of our military men and women without a second thought. Everyone is worth sacrificing for your own small and vicious desires. What are they again? You said ‘to be respected’ is important, so thuggishness and slaughter renders respect for you? Is that cauldron of hatred so fetid inside you that you can no longer even recognize good ?
And Andy Card is so small I can’t even go there (I said tiny already, right?). But you heard it straight from Andy’s A*s, Neckties & Jackets = Democracy. May I suggest that Intelligence & Compassion = Humanity, and that Humility & Fairness= Equality , six things you can’t buy at Brooks Brothers, Andy. And the will of free people, to exercise their right to select and form a better government, the arc that bends toward justice. . . never mind. Go f**k-up the Union Pacific Railroad, Andy. I am sure with your priorities, you can make that failing institution die quickly, and in a coat and tie.
BTW, Huffington Post has slide show that shows Jesus Reagan in the Oval Office, in a RED cowboy shirt. That’s RED. I don’t have to tell you what red means.
*On the duping: President Obama (State Senator of Illinois at the time) wasn’t duped by your fear mongering Cheney, millions of us weren’t duped, including me. I have a letter that Congressman Berman (D-CA) wrote to me in response to my letter asking he not vote to authorize President Cheney’s request to use force in Iraq. I’m still waiting for an apology that is as considered as his defense of the invasion was. I received a non-sensical, platitude-ridden email from Senator Dianne Feinstein, who voted in favor of using force, and it reads as if she had no choice, as if there had been no Levin Ammendment, which would have changed the authorization process completely and could have halted the invasion. The text of Senator Levin’s brief amendment is easy to find online, as is the list of Senators who admitted to not reading the NIE Report entirely. I mean, reading is tedious, and it’s not as if this vote meant the END OF THE WORLD.
With that, I am pleading for the maximum funding for new schools, new teaching tools, regular refresher courses for teachers, and a balanced and more comprehensive education for all citizens. It’s all of a sudden “San Francisco” to want the highest standards of education achievable? Oh please let them filibuster in coats and ties while we go to San Francisco in our Birkenstocks to read books.
Tiny Andy
The grassroots movement that helped elect Barack Obama President needs to start writing letters to the editor of their papers, their local elected officials and members of the Senate to stop the gridlock in passing a stimulus package. When Republicans simply vote no on a bill because they want to stop some part of it, means that nothing gets accomplished. When Rush Limbaugh says he just wants "Obama's policies to fail", he's still advocating the country to fail because the administration is Obama's. I don't care if policies are conservative or liberal, if they help get Americans working, improve our economy, and stimulate the beginning of a global financial rally, then that's fine!!!
We need to work together. If Judd Gregg (R) comes over as Commerce Secretary, I hope a Republican is put in his Senate seat so pundits don't say the move was simply to get the Dems a full majority. We need serious people now to solve serious problems.
Please comment and send your thoughts to your contacts. Thanks, Raul
YES WE DID! Thanks To Everyone Who Supported Barack & Me! It's been a long journey, this road to The White House! Some of you have been with me since 2007. Others joined me in January of 2008. Some of you came along when I knocked on your door or called you on the phone or sent an e-mail in February, pleading with you to support Obama instead of Clinton. (Boy, do I have some stories about that!) And some of you joined me much later. When the campaign suggested that I run for office (something I had not done before), I agreed. Many of you voted for me and I won. I am committed to working to make you happy that you did. And as Barack said, if you didn't vote for me, I'll still represent you to the best of my ability. If one wins, we all win.As The Word says, it doesn't matter what time you go into the field, it only matters that you heeded the call and went. Our reward belongs to all of us, no matter how long or how deeply we campaigned. Every effort counted.We did it because we believed we could. Now we must move forward to make the win a real win for America. We cannot go back to business as usual. We no longer have an excuse. Truly, anything is possible with God. God Bless each and everyone...God Bless Barack and his family and Joe Biden and his family and...God Bless AmericaYES WE DID!!!
Dr. Barbara Palmer
I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first. We just made history. And I don't want you to forget how we did it. You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change. I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign. We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next. But I want to be very clear about one thing... All of this happened because of you. Thank you, Barack
Find a polling place near you at Last Call for Change.
To learn more about what Ryan's volunteer effort and how you can get involved too, watch below and then go to Last Call For Change to find a phone bank near your house.
Last weekend, I traveled with 150 friends to the battleground state of Nevada, joining thousands of Californians in campaigning for Senator Barack Obama. Over the weekend, our group knocked on over 5,000 doors. We spread out across Las Vegas, meeting people in their homes and talking to them about their hopes and concerns. What we heard is that Nevadans, like many of their fellow Americans, are worried. They are yearning for change and strong leadership to put our country back on track. Most were responsive to Senator Obama's economic plan of tax cuts for the middle class and smarter regulation of our financial sector. I know that an Obama administration would bring renewed focus toward reviving our urban centers, and I will be working to bring that message to other voters between now and Election Day. Join us on another Drive for Change for the final Get Out the Vote Weekend.
This weekend, the Obama campaign held four ginormous super phonebanks in the Los Angeles area. Harnessing the amazing enthusiasm here in the final weeks of the Presidential campaign, these phonebanks are full of great energy, dedication, and cell phone waves (oh, and yummy snacks). In my neck of the woods, our Hollywood-Los Feliz-Silver Lake phonebanks joined forces at the fabled Sunset-Gower Studios, located at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Gower St. (This intersection was once known as "Gower Gulch" - silver-screen cowboys used to gather there looking for work as extras on western films.) Last weekend, this particular phonebank drew 200 volunteers who made 13,000 calls to battleground states and, in phonebanks throughout California, over 500,000 voters were called! This weekend our goal was higher - the campaign has challenged California volunteers to reach at least 625,000 voters - the Last Call For Change! Former home of Columbia Pictures ("It Happened One Night", "Funny Girl" and "The Caine Mutiny") and current home to such TV shows as Dexter and Heroes, Sunset-Gower houses many independent film and television production companies. It was also the former home of one of my all-time personal favorites: Six Feet Under. (You can read more about the studio's history here.) Last weekend, entering data from calls to Colorado, I was really heartened by the number of voters solidly in the Obama camp, versus the ones for McCain. The polls there are bearing this out. This weekend, we're over halfway toward beating last week's totals - 111 volunteers on Saturday, making nearly 9,000 calls! Sunday will surely rock. Thanks to the incredible volunteer coordinators who are making this phonebank happen every weekend. Your dedication is inspiring. And of course, the roomful of volunteers who didn't want to leave. Folks, if you haven't tried it yet, it's not too late - get thee to CA.BarackObama.com and find the nearest phonebank. You can make calls, enter data, sell swag, bring snacks - the possibilities are endless. You won't regret it!
Join the USA Love Train - The Obama-Biden Ride.
We are family.
Check it out! I was having some fun yesterday. Guess you could call it a visual prayer for our leadership...love leading the way. Relax, enjoy, and pass it on.Click below - the train is leaving the station:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w13SYphB1g0
I have not regretted a moment of the time I've spent doing this. I have met new friends, including many new heroes, and have learned more about the political process than I ever thought I would know. I have learned so much about veterans and military issues, and the various advocacy groups working these issues, that I know this is going to continue to be a part of my life long after Nov. 4. And I have learned so much about how much Barack Obama cares about veterans. I was a supporter before I took on this role, but what I have learned about this man, who has never served a day in uniform, but who, with his wife, goes out of his way to reach out not only to the person serving, but to the family members of that person, has not just reinforced my faith in his abilities as a leader, but as a human being who cares for his fellow man.
Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve. Obama will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life, and improve mental health treatment at every stage of military service. He will require that they work to recruit more health professionals, improve screening processes, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer. We shouldn't have to hear stories about veterans losing their families and careers after they come home because they cannot deal with the emotional scars created by repeated deployments. There shouldn't be more stories of veterans committing suicide because they can't re-integrate into civilian life.
Bravo, California! This weekend, we exceeded our 500,000 call goal! You made 543,000 calls to Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico, crucial battleground states that will make the difference in this election. Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication. Catch your breath and then get ready - we are three weeks from Election Day. Our goals will grow. And we will continue to exceed them. Now is the time to recruit all your friends who have been saying 'What can I do?'. Join us this weekend at another Last Call For Change phonebank. I am proud to be in the company of so many amazing volunteers. Yes We Can, Mary Jane Stevenson California Field Director
