Yesterday, John Podesta, co-head of Obama's Transition Team, announced a "transparency policy" in which "any documents from official meetings with outside organizations will be posted on our website [http://www.change.gov/] for people to review and comment on."Michael Strautmanis is Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs, reporting to Obama advisor and co-Transition chief Valerie Jarrett. Strautmanis talks about this new "seat at the table" program in a short video clip you can watch by clicking here.Stratmanis says, "The Office of Public Liaison is really the entry point for all kinds of people and organizations and leaders outside of the transition to come in to the transition.... People can post materials, they can give commentary on the things that have been posted, they can offer their own ideas. We're actually looking through everything that's posted on our website."What an awesome and unprecedented undertaking! What an incredible opportunity being offered to the American people!As an example, one of the most recent posts as of the time of this writing is the Testimony of Timothy Sparapani “Opposing the Creation of a ‘No-Work’ List through Mandated Employment Eligibility Verification Prescreening.” Sparapani is the Senior Legislative Counsel at the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union, and this is his June 10th testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law at a hearing regarding the Electronic Employment Verification System.Already, 114 people have taken the time to read and post comments about this testimony; you can read the comments by clicking here. If immigration reform, and specifically mandated employment eligibility verification, is important to you, you can share your views, too.If you are an environmentalist, you might be interested in a report titled "Transition to Green: Leading the Way to a Healthy Environment, a Green Economy, and a Sustainable Future" that highlights priority environmental recommendations for the Obama administration transition team endorsed by a coalition of national environmental and conservation organizations. So far, 119 people have shared their comments. I got involved in the election campaign so I would know that I did everything I could to influence the choice of our next president. Now President-elect Obama is making it possible for us to influence the policy decisions that will shape the future. I hope that each of us will take advantage of this opportunity. Start small. Choose a policy area that's important to you. Search for it on the Your Seat-At-The-Table website at http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable. Read one of the documents posted, think about it, and then add your comments. And let us know what you've done and how it went.
Over the whole course of the presidential campaign, there was not solutions being offered for the housing crisis, and there is no magic wand that is going to turn this around. I believe that we can start locally and that we can go nationally , I am giving my hand out to start this organization, let's stop this housing crisis, I'll need all your help out there to organize this effort, and we the people can start this and then the government can help us along with our efforts. All the help we can get from architects, builders,local community organizers, and bankers to somehow come up with an organization starting in sw florida then continuing to the rest of the country. I believe this can be done because Mr. Obama has inspired us to start efforts to help ourselves and each other, one person and one step at a time, God bless America and thank you for your support and help in this mission of fixing the housing crisis. Looking forward to hearing from all of you and your suggestions.
Sincerely, AJ Black
I love it. I want to cry. This is the moment I've be waiting for for the last eight years. I have been wondering how it would be, how it would feel. It's so great. It feels like someone has taken a heavy load of my chest, a big rock. I finally can breathe again. It feels so good. I have seen a lot. I was in Berlin in `89 when the wall came down, but this is better. The American Dark Ages are going to be over, the American people have voted with their feet! They have voted against prejudice, intolerance, and hate. It's all going to be OK now. This country is great. Barack has done it, he has done it, and I was there, I was right in the middle of it all. After all those years, I finally can say again "I am proud to be an American".
Welcome back to the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Florida, I have just two words for you: five days.
After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George Bush, and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are five days away from change in America.
In five days, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street.
In five days, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor.
In five days, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.
In five days, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.
We began this journey in the depths of winter nearly two years ago, on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Back then, we didn't have much money or many endorsements. We weren't given much of a chance by the polls or the pundits, and we knew how steep our climb would be.
But I also knew this. I knew that the size of our challenges had outgrown the smallness of our politics. I believed that Democrats and Republicans and Americans of every political stripe were hungry for new ideas, new leadership, and a new kind of politics - one that favors common sense over ideology; one that focuses on those values and ideals we hold in common as Americans.
Most of all, I knew the American people were a decent, generous people willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations. I was convinced that when we come together, our voices are more powerful than the most entrenched lobbyists, or the most vicious political attacks, or the full force of a status quo in Washington that wants to keep things just the way they are.
Twenty-one months later, my faith in the American people has been vindicated. That's how we've come so far and so close - because of you. That's how we'll change this country - with your help. And that's why we can't afford to slow down, sit back, or let up for one day, one minute, or one second in this last week. Not now. Not when so much is at stake.
We are in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. 760,000 workers have lost their jobs this year. Businesses and families can't get credit. Home values are falling. Pensions are disappearing. It's gotten harder and harder to make the mortgage, or fill up your gas tank, or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month.
And just today, we learned that the GDP, or Gross Domestic Product - a key indicator economists use to measure the health of our economy - has actually fallen for the first time this year. That means we're producing less and selling less - so our economy is actually shrinking. And we saw the largest decline in consumer spending in 28 years as wages failed to keep up with the rising cost of living, and folks have been watching every penny and tightening their belts.
Now, this didn't happen by accident. Our falling GDP is a direct result of eight years of the trickle down, Wall Street first/Main Street last policies that have driven our economy into a ditch.
And the central question in this election is this: what will our next President do to take us in a different direction?
Well, Florida, if you want to know where Senator McCain will drive this economy, just look in the rearview mirror. Because when it comes to our economic policies, John McCain has stood with President Bush every step of the way. Voting for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that he once opposed. Voting for the Bush budgets that sent us into debt. Calling for less regulation twenty-one times just this year. In fact, after twenty-one months and three debates, Senator McCain still has not been able to tell the American people a single major thing he'd do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy.
And you've got to ask yourself, after nine straight months of job losses and the largest drop in home values on record, with wages lower than they've been in a decade, why would we keep on driving down this dead end street?
Folks who can't pay their medical bills, or send their kids to college, or save for retirement can't afford to take a back seat to CEOs and Wall Street banks for four more years.
At a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the tired, old theory that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. The last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations. Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven't worked, and it's time for change. That's why I'm running for President of the United States.
Look, the biggest gamble we can take is embracing the same old Bush-McCain policies that have failed us for the last eight years.
It's not change when John McCain wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO. It's not change when he wants to give $200 billion to the biggest corporations or $4 billion to the oil companies or $300 billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess. It's not change when he comes up with a tax plan that doesn't give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle-class Americans. That's not change.
The average working family is $2,000 dollars poorer now than when George Bush took office. When Bill Clinton was president, the average wages and incomes went up $7,500 dollars. So I've got an economic plan that is similar to Bill Clinton's and Senator McCain's got an economic plan similar to George Bush's. Look and see what works and what doesn't.
We've tried it John McCain's way. We've tried it George Bush's way. Deep down, Senator McCain knows that, which is why his campaign said that "if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." That's why he's spending these last weeks calling me every name in the book. Because that's how you play the game in Washington. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run away from. You make a big election about small things.
Florida, we are here to say "Not this time. Not this year. Not when so much is at stake." Senator McCain might be worried about losing an election, but I'm worried about Americans who are losing their homes, and their jobs, and their life savings. I can take one more week of John McCain's attacks, but this country can't take four more years of the same old politics and the same failed policies. It's time for something new.
The question in this election is not "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" We know the answer to that. The real question is, "Will this country be better off four years from now?"
I know these are difficult times for America. But I also know that we have faced difficult times before. The American story has never been about things coming easy - it's been about rising to the moment when the moment was hard. It's about rejecting fear and division for unity of purpose. That's how we've overcome war and depression. That's how we've won great struggles for civil rights and women's rights and workers' rights. And that's how we'll emerge from this crisis stronger and more prosperous than we were before - as one nation; as one people. We just need a new direction. We need a new politics.
Understand, if we want get through this crisis, we need to get beyond the old ideological debates and divides between left and right. We don't need bigger government or smaller government. We need a better government - a more competent government - a government that upholds the values we hold in common as Americans.
We don't have to choose between letting our financial system run wild, and stifling growth and innovation. As President, I will ensure that the financial rescue plan Congress passed helps stop foreclosures and protects your money instead of enriching CEOs. And I will put in place the common-sense regulations I've been calling for throughout this campaign so that Wall Street can never cause a crisis like this again. That's the change we need.
The choice in this election isn't between tax cuts and no tax cuts. It's about whether you believe we should only reward wealth, or whether we should also reward the work and workers who create it. I will give a tax break to 95% of Americans who work every day and get taxes taken out of their paychecks every week. I'll eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000 and give homeowners and working parents more of a break. And I'll help pay for this by asking the folks who are making more than $250,000 a year to go back to the tax rate they were paying in the 1990s. No matter what Senator McCain may claim, here are the facts - if you make under $250,000, you will not see your taxes increase by a single dime - not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes. Nothing. Because the last thing we should do in this economy is raise taxes on the middle-class.
When it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is not between putting up a wall around America or allowing every job to disappear overseas.
The truth is, we won't be able to bring back every job that we've lost, but that doesn't mean we should follow John McCain's plan to keep giving tax breaks to corporations that send American jobs overseas and promoting unfair trade agreements. I will end those breaks as President, and I will give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create right here in the United States of America. I'll eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-up companies that are the engine of job creation in this country.
We'll create two million new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling roads, and bridges, and schools, and by laying broadband lines to reach every corner of the country. And I will invest $15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy to create five million new energy jobs over the next decade - jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and a new electricity grid; jobs that will help us eliminate the oil we import from the Middle East in ten years and help save the planet in the bargain. That's how America can lead again.
When it comes to health care, we don't have to choose between a government-run health care system and the unaffordable one we have now. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums. If you don't have health insurance you'll be able to get the same kind of health insurance that Members of Congress get for themselves.
And as someone who watched his own mother spend the final months of her life arguing with insurance companies because they claimed her cancer was a pre-existing condition and didn't want to pay for treatment, I will stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care most.
When it comes to giving every child a world-class education so they can compete in this global economy for the jobs of the 21st century, the choice is not between more money and more reform - because our schools need both. As President, I will invest in early childhood education, recruit an army of new teachers, pay them more, and give them more support. But I will also demand higher standards and more accountability from our teachers and our schools. And I will make a deal with every American who has the drive and the will but not the money to go to college: if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford your tuition. You invest in America, America will invest in you, and together, we will move this country forward.
And when it comes to keeping this country safe, we don't have to choose between retreating from the world and fighting a war without end in Iraq. It's time to stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq while the Iraqi government sits on a huge surplus. As President, I will end this war by asking the Iraqi government to step up, and I will finally finish the fight against bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. I will never hesitate to defend this nation. From day one of this campaign, I have made clear that we will increase our ground troops and our investments in the finest fighting force the world has ever known. Watching our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines fight in Iraq and Afghanistan has only deepened my commitment to invest in 21st century technologies so that our men and women have the best training and equipment when they deploy into combat and the care and benefits they have earned when they come home.
I won't stand here and pretend that any of this will be easy - especially now. The cost of this economic crisis, and the cost of the war in Iraq, means that Washington will have to tighten its belt and put off spending on things we don't need. As President, I will go through the federal budget, line-by-line, ending programs that we don't need and making the ones we do need work better and cost less.
But as I've said from the day we began this journey all those months ago, the change we need isn't just about new programs and policies. It's about a new politics - a politics that calls on our better angels instead of encouraging our worst instincts; one that reminds us of the obligations we have to ourselves and one another.
What we have lost in these last eight years cannot be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits alone. What has also been lost is the idea that in this American story, each of us has a role to play. Each of us has a responsibility to work hard and look after ourselves and our families, and each of us has a responsibility to our fellow citizens. And that's what we need to restore right now - our sense of common purpose; of higher purpose.
Yes, government must lead the way on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and our businesses more efficient.
Yes, we must put more money into our schools, but government can't be that parent who turns off the TV and makes a child do their homework.
Yes, we can argue and debate our positions passionately, but all of us must summon the strength and grace to bridge our differences and unite in common effort - black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American; Democrat and Republican, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, disabled or not.
In this election, we cannot afford the same political games and tactics that are being used to pit us against one another and make us afraid of one another.
Despite what our opponents may claim, there are no real or fake parts of this country. There is no city or town that is more pro-America than anywhere else - we are one nation, all of us proud, all of us patriots.
There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.
It won't be easy, Florida. It won't be quick. But you and I know that it is time to come together and change this country. Some of you may be cynical and fed up with politics. A lot of you may be disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what has been asked of Americans throughout our history.
I ask you to believe - not just in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.
I know this change is possible. Because I have seen it over the last twenty-one months. Because in this campaign, I have had the privilege to witness what is best in America.
I've seen it in lines of voters that stretched around schools and churches; in the young people who cast their ballot for the first time, and those not so young folks who got involved again after a very long time.
I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see their friends lose their jobs; in the neighbors who take a stranger in when the floodwaters rise; in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb.
I've seen it in the faces of the men and women I've met at countless rallies and town halls across the country, men and women who speak of their struggles but also of their hopes and dreams.
I still remember the email that a woman named Robyn sent me after I met her in Ft. Lauderdale. Sometime after our event, her son nearly went into cardiac arrest, and was diagnosed with a heart condition that could only be treated with a procedure that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Her insurance company refused to pay, and their family just didn't have that kind of money.
In her email, Robyn wrote, "I ask only this of you - on the days where you feel so tired you can't think of uttering another word to the people, think of us. When those who oppose you have you down, reach deep and fight back harder."
Florida, that's what hope is - that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that there are better days ahead. If we're willing to work for it. If we're willing to shed our fears. If we're willing to reach deep down inside ourselves when we're tired and come back fighting harder.
Hope! That's what kept some of our parents and grandparents going when times were tough. What led them to say, "Maybe I can't go to college, but if I save a little bit each week my child can; maybe I can't have my own business but if I work really hard my child can open one of her own."
It's what led immigrants from distant lands to come to these shores against great odds and carve a new life for their families in America; what led those who couldn't vote to march and organize and stand for freedom; that led them to cry out, "It may look dark tonight, but if I hold on to hope, tomorrow will be brighter."
That's what this election is about. That is the choice we face right now.
Don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does.
America, the time for change has come.
In five days, we can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future.
In five days, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.
In five days, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.
That's what's at stake. That's what we're fighting for - for the small business owner in Denver to keep his doors open; for the hardworking couple in Cincinnati to retire in comfort; for the young student in Sarasota to afford her tuition; for men and women in every city and town across this nation to achieve the American Dream.
And if in this last week, you will knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and go to barackobama.com and find out where to vote - and remember, you can vote early here in Florida.
If you will stand with me, and fight by my side, and cast your ballot for me, then I promise you this - we will not just win Florida, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.
An e-mail is going around with a picture of a room service receipt from the Waldorf-Astoria signed by Michelle Obama on 10/15/08 for 2 lobster appetizers, 2 caviars, 2 lobsters & 1 bottle of champagne for a total of $447.00
This is a hoax e-mail, which purports to show a copy of Michelle Obama's exorbitant room service receipt, reproducing a most likely photoshopped flyer that was posted on the blog Puma PAC.
We don't need Fact check to see that this receipt is utter bogus. A bottle of Bollinger at the Waldorf for $ 44.-? What a bargain! A bottle Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut costs around $ 50 AT PUBLIX!!
Rupert Murdoch's New York Post, which originally reported the fabricated story as true on October 17, has retracted the article. Darragh Murphy, the director of Puma PAC, has also retracted the flyer and apologized for perpetuating the hoax.
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Get your daily fix of scary McCain/Palin stories at: http://www.northportdemocrats.com and let the truth be known to all your friends & family.
Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
Beginning at the Republican National Convention in August, the McCain-Palin ticket has touted a 715-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 as an example of how it would help America achieve energy independence. As it looks now the bidding process was flawed, narrowing the field to a company with ties to her administration.
Link: AP INVESTIGATION: Palin pipeline terms curbed bids
Palin was introduced to the American People as an honest, down-to-earth reformer who curbed corruption in Alaska and brought common sense into politics. What a lie.
During the few weeks after the RNC convention a picture of her has emerged, showing a mini-dictator, who relentlessly filled positions with devoted followers, fired qualified staff, mixed family issues with politics, billed the State for hotel stays she never took, brought her kids to conventions and billed the State for their traveling expense, spent $ 150k for luxury outfits, stonewalled freedom of information act-issues, violated Sunshine Law principles, used secret email accounts to carry out State business, and has little more to show than vile attacks on her opponents, coming out of the bottom drawer. More than once she gave a desperate picture in interviews, showing a small-town politician who is hopelessly out of her league.
By picking such an unqualified candidate without proper screening, John McCain has proven that he is not the maverick he claims to be. He has shown bad judgmement, which disqualifies him for any voter other than the bottom dwellers of republicanism, who would probably vote for Geoffery Dahmer, as long as he was a Republican.
Eventually, after election day, someone will try to blame Mrs. Palin for the loss. Let's remember: McCain picked her, she didn't pick him.
Woo-hoo! Managed to get a resident of Suncoast Estates to be my buddy. She knew the place to be to catch the most residents - a convenience store/gas station in the middle of this community. With permission from management, we set up shop right outside the door.
Once again, managed to register 11 new voters, assist with changes of address for several of those who moved here from out of county.
I also passed out quite a few applications for restoration of civil rights to convicted felons, but sadly had to explain that it was probably too late for this election. Why don't they tell these individuals that they can apply when they leave jail? None had a clue that they had that opportunity - they all thought that was it, no more civil rights of this type ever again. I was sure to point out the phone number for the ACLU on the back of the form - told them to jot it down & put it to use if they didn't hear from the state in a reasonable length of time.
This day was doubly important since the next day was the LAST day anyone could register in time to vote in the upcoming general election on 11/4/08.
At day's end, I took all the forms to my precinct captain (pct 67). She rushed them to the Lee County Hqtrs that evening so they'd be in the Supervisor of Election's office the next morning.
Afterwards, I followed up by making 200 1/4 page flyers regarding anyone's need for a ride to the polls to be distributed that Tuesday during the weekly food distribution at the Suncoast Estates Outreach Center. Some folks were dubious, but warmed up to the idea when reminded that voting is a secret ballot.
I spoke to our area's new Rides Director and his assistant to fill them in about these huge community that encompasses almost all of Pct 68. The next Tuesday I delivered the sign-up sheets for rides. I haven't heard from the director of the center as to how that went - hopefully very well. She was going to fax them directly to our local Obama hqtrs as the pages filled up.
Hmmm, I need to do some more follow-up and see how that worked out. Oh, the Outreach Center offered up their parking lot as a staging area for rides, too!
Again, I felt so good inside after this event that actually took so little time and effort on my part. It was food for my soul...
SEPTEMBER 21, 2OO8: SEMINOLE CAMPGROUND, 8991 Triplett Rd., North Fort Myers, FL 33917.
Registered new voters, assisted registered voters to apply to vote by mail, assisted with changes of address for those Florida residents who were new to Lee County, and helped several people with the application for restoration of civil rights for convicted felons who've completed their sentences. I also arranged rides to the polls for those without transportation.
Seminole Campground is a small area of Pct 67. Sadly, over the years, it has received a bad reputation, but to my pleasant surprise, is now under new ownership and getting cleaned up! The residents consist of temporary Lee County residents (workers), some displaced families, and some folks that are just plain down on their luck given the economy and mortgage disaster.
It was quite successful considering how few live in this small, but often forgotten community. I walked the park and talked to anyone and everyone that was outside of their little travel trailer homes. I was so pleased to have convinced a few people that their vote DOES count & they registered for the first time in their lives! Others, already registered, but cynical, were persuaded to exercise their right to vote.
I checked in at the campground yesterday, 10/24/08, to see if those in need of a ride were still in that position and just to touch base to make sure they all VOTE.
GOOD NEWS!!! All of them that had registered and also completed the vote by mail form had already received and mailed in their ballots! A few others had a turn in their luck & now have rides of their own! Everyone is very excited and staying informed on the progress of the campaigns!
The one contact that made me feel like I was on Cloud Nine, was the man who was taking his oath of citizenship in just 2 more weeks in Tampa. I gave him a voter registration form in Spanish, called my husband who is fluent in Spanish & had him explain the need to register. It seems they leave that OUT of the citizenship classes - grrrrrrrrrr!
Ahhh, I felt so good when I got home that day...
The Republican National Committee appears to have spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.
Story: RNC Has Spent More Than $150,000 On Palin's Clothes
View Slideshow: http://www.politico.com/slideshow/slideshow.html?xml=xml/222#id=222&num=10
-----------------------Get your daily fill of scary McCain/Palin stories at: http://www.northportdemocrats.com and let the truth be known to all your friends & family.
Are You Smarter Than a Third Grader?
Yesterday, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) sat for an interview with KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Colorado. In response to a question sent to the network by a third grader at a local elementary school about what the Vice President does, Palin erroneously argued that the Vice President is “in charge of the United States Senate“:
Q: Brandon Garcia wants to know, “What does the Vice President do?”
PALIN: That’s something that Piper would ask me! … [T]hey’re in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom.
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l40nrw3V3GA
Get your daily fill of scary McCain/Palin stories at: http://www.northportdemocrats.com and let the truth be known to all your friends & family.
At first I thought this was a news hoax, but after closer investigation I believe it is true. I found the story yesterday on BBC:
The Russian mission to the UN in New York says it has turned down a request from John McCain to help fund his presidential campaign. The letter was addressed to Churkin and sported a McCain signature near the bottom.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7681168.stm
This morning Reuters had it too:
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE49K69V20081021
The McCain campaign now says it was a mistake. The McCain campaign had accused Obama earlier this month of not doing enough to screen for illegal contributors and asked U.S. election officials to investigate.
Former Secretary of State and life-long Republican General (ret.) Colin Powell announced today on NBC Meet the Press that he will break with his party and vote for Sen. Barack Obama. "He has both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure."
"I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities -- and you have to take that into account -- as well as his substance -- he has both style and substance," Powell said. "He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president."
Powell noted that McCain has been a good friend for 25 years, but expressed disappointment in the negative tone of the GOP campaign, as well as in McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the vice presidential nominee.
View footage here:
http://www.northportdemocrats.com/moviepages/powellendorsed.html
Joe Biden came to southwest Florida last week, with a fundraiser in Naples and a rally at Florida Gulf Coast University. I passed up the fundraiser to attend the rally with almost a dozen members of my Neighborhood Team, and did I make the right decision!!Nine of us carpooled together from Panera's, the staging place for our weekly weekend canvasses. (It's becoming our home away from home!) We waited on a long line in the stifling Florida sun and got to know one another. We ranged in age from 19 to 71, but we were all there for the same reason: we are committed volunteers working to elect Barack Obama. We've each given up our time, our money, and a lot of our energy, for this campaign. And today was just a little pay-back.
One of our volunteers brought her husband, her 11-year-old son and four-month-old daughter (wearing a pink "My Mama's for Obama" t-shirt). She wanted to share the experience with her entire family - a once-in-a-lifetime event that they would remember for ever. For the rest of us, who had only met one another in the last four weeks, it was great to share it together.
Turns out one of our group had grown up on the same block as Joe Biden in Scranton. After the speech, when Biden was working the crowd, Jim caught his eye, and arranged to meet up with him "backstage." He grabbed my hand and we followed an advance-team member to a room where several local Democratic officeholders and candidates were waiting to meet the Senator. After a little while, Biden and his son Hunter came in. While Biden made the rounds and posed for pictures with the politicos, Jim and I talked to Hunter. (Well, Jim talked; I listened.) Eventually the Senator came to us, and threw his arms around Jim, who introduced him to me. Jim gave me a big build-up, explaining that I was leader of our North Naples Neighborhood Team. With that, Biden grabbed me in a big hug, saying something like, "If you can take on North Naples, more power to you!" And as I stood there in Biden's embrace, the photographer snapped away. (Fortunately, we posed for a more formal photo as well!).
It was another amazing event in the growing list of them I've experienced since I began working to elect Barack Obama last December. This campaign is bringing people out and together like never before. It's wonderful to behold, and to be a part of.
If you'd like to see the pictures I took at the event, click here. For the photos of me with Joe Biden, click here. To read the local press coverage, click here.
