After Romney's victory last night in Michigan it is clear......the Republican Party is in trouble. With no clear leader and the demographics changing from state to state. There is no one candidate that they can rally around. McCain is leading in National polls,Huckabey sewing up the Evangelical vote,Romney painting himself ath "Favorite Son" and Gulliani hoping to pick up the pieces in Florida after the train wreck that will be Feb. 5th. Where does that leave us?
In a unique position of opportunity! With a leaderless and frustrated pool of voters Barack Obama's message of Hope and Uniting as one people the Republican vote is ripe for the picking!
We should begin reaching out to the Republicans and courting them for thier support. With influx of Obama Republicans , Independant Voters and First time voters that will give us the edge to carry Super Tuesday and carry the momentum into the Texas Primary. Let us make this the definitive moment. Let's unite Republicans,Independants and Democrats alike.
YES WE CAN !
As we all work to get support in Texas for Barack Obama do not forget that there are some republicans out there that are in Barack Obama's corner. Who could blame them? There party has no clear cut candidate for change. Those who support Senator Obama's campaign quietly as republicans need to be embraced by our groups and liberated by receiving support in their decision. As Senator Obama has said in the past this is not just about Republicans v. Democrats, this is about a change in our politics. Invite these people to join the website, and have them begin the conversations of change that this campaign has championed.
Chris Hightower
Midland Supporters of Barack Obama
West Texas Supporters of Barack Obama
After our Meeting tonight (which was great by the way) we went to Chili's to discuss our strategies and up coming events. During our discussion we drew the attention of many of the Wait staff and customers. We even got the attention of the Manager who was a die hard republican. After a few minutes talking we convinced him to let us leave some voter registration cards for his emloyees to fill out.
I mention the above story because I think it illustrates a point. If we had been discussing Hillary Clinton in a restaraunt in Amarillo,Texas, I'm pretty sure that Manager would not have been nearly as friendly and much less cooperative. Why? Simple. The Obama campaign does not have to engage in "who hates whom" , "He said that" or "She did that" type of blamemongering.
This campaign is all about " What can WE do for America!" That is what makes this campaign great. That's what makes America great. That's what makes even die hard Republicans engage us with a smile.
Now that's a different kind of campaign!
So I got the email today. You know the one. The one where Barack is trying to take over the United States with a secret Muslim agenda? From someone I know no less. (That part was heart breaking.)
I wrote this response and hit reply ALL. Any suggestions for what to change the next time it comes around?
Subject: <b>Obama Email False<b>
What a shocker this is!
President Bush touched down in Saudi Arabia today, the last stop on his Middle East trip. The AP notes that despite Bush’s “close ties to the kingdom’s ruling family,” he is viewed with “deep unpopularity among ordinary Saudis.” A recent poll found that only 12 percent of Saudis view Bush positively — “lower than Iran’s president or even al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.”
How concerned is the Bush Administration about global terrorist threats? Not too concerned, apparently. They've got us spread so thin in Iraq that we couldn't adequately respond to any other situation without using nukes . . .
The Marine Corps Times reports:
If the U.S. were to face a new conventional threat, its military could not respond effectively without turning to air power, officials and analysts say. That is the ultimate upshot of the war in Iraq: a response elsewhere would consist largely of U.S. fighters and bombers — even, perhaps, some degree of nuclear strike — because so many ground troops are tied up in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
If the U.S. were to face a new conventional threat, its military could not respond effectively without turning to air power, officials and analysts say.
That is the ultimate upshot of the war in Iraq: a response elsewhere would consist largely of U.S. fighters and bombers — even, perhaps, some degree of nuclear strike — because so many ground troops are tied up in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Good thing he's going out and spreading his good will!
The 2008 U.S. elections are attracting an “eager” audience worldwide. This past week, for example, major British newspapers “devoted more than 87 pages to news of the U.S. primaries, including 22 front-page stories.” Much of the enthusiasm, according to the Washington Post, is for the end of the Bush presidency:
But much of the enthusiasm comes from anticipation of President Bush’s departure, according to several analysts. U.S. prestige and popularity in much of the world have sunk to historic lows since Bush took office, over such issues as the Iraq war and climate change. Many analysts said the election has created high expectations that the new president will be more in tune with the rest of the world. “In many capitals people have been waiting for this change for some time,” said Rosa Balfour, a senior analyst at the European Policy Center, a Brussels-based research group.
But much of the enthusiasm comes from anticipation of President Bush’s departure, according to several analysts. U.S. prestige and popularity in much of the world have sunk to historic lows since Bush took office, over such issues as the Iraq war and climate change. Many analysts said the election has created high expectations that the new president will be more in tune with the rest of the world.
“In many capitals people have been waiting for this change for some time,” said Rosa Balfour, a senior analyst at the European Policy Center, a Brussels-based research group.
I was President of the North Texas Young Democrats in the 80's, back when Texas was a fiercely democratic state. What happened? Ronald Reagan. His strong personal appeal and ablility to transcend party lines won over many Democrats and Texas within just a few years became a Republican state.
Guess what? Now its our turn.!
Now it's the Democrats that have a candidate that has great personal appeal. We have the candidate that is a compelling and dynamic orator. Barack Obama is the candidate that transcends party lines. It's our candidate tha inspires 1000's of first time voters to get involved. Now the table has turned! Lets show the politicians what change really is. Lets enter a new term to the political lexicon.........OBAMA REPUBLICANS !
Our first meeting on Monday Night Dec 14th is really shaping up nicely. I'm excited!
So lets get the word out to everyone we can and really impress the media that will be there.
We will have sign-in sheets,name tags and a voter registration station.
So get there early and lets have fun!
Disproving the xenophobic and racist lies about Obama Category: News and Politics
From: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.aspHome --> Politics --> Barack Obama --> Who Is Barack Obama?Who Is Barack Obama?Cl.. Illinois senator Barack Obama is a "radical Muslim" who "will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance."Status: False.Example: [Collected via e-mail, January 2008]Origins: Barack Obama, 46, served as an Illinois state senator for several years, and in 2004 he won a seat representing that state in the U.S. Senate. His keynote address before the Democratic National Convention in June 2004 brought him national prominence, and he is currently one of the leading contenders for the nomination to represent the Democratic Party in the 2008 presidential election.Barack Obama has an unusual and interesting background, which the above-quoted piece draws on to paint him as a dangerous, camouflaged radical Muslim. Much of the information presented therein about his background is distorted and exaggerated, however, and no evidence supports a claim that Obama is currently, or ever has been, a Muslim (radical or otherwise).Cl.. Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunh am, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii.Barack Hussein Obama (Senator Obama's father) was born on the shores of Lake Victoria in Alego, Kenya. He met and married an American woman, Ann Dunham of Wichita, Kansas, while they were both attending the University of Hawaii. Their son, also named Barack Hussein Obama was born on 4 August 1961 at the Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.Although the elder Obama was raised as a Muslim, no evidence supports the claim that he was ever a "radical Muslim," and Senator Obama's family histories note that his father was an atheist or agnostic (i.e., no longer a practicing Muslim) by the time he married the younger Obama's mother. Of his mother's religious views, Senator Obama wrote:For my mother, organized religion too often dressed up closed-mindedness in the garb of piety, cruelty and oppression in the cloak of righteousness.This isn't to say that she provided me with no religious instruction. In her mind, a working knowledge of the world's great religions was a necessary part of any well-rounded education. In our household the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita sat on the shelf alongside books of Greek and Norse and African mythology. On Easter or Christmas Day my mother might drag me to church, just as she dragged me to the Buddhist temple, the chinese New Year celebration, the Shinto shrine, and ancient Hawaiian burial sites. But I was made to understand that such religious samplings required no sustained commitment on my part. Religion was an expression of human culture, she would explain, not its wellspring, just one of the many ways — and not necessarily the best way — that man attempted to control the unknowable and understand the deeper truths about our lives.In sum, my mother viewed religion through the eyes of the anthropologist she would become; it was a phenomenon to be treated with a suitable respect, but with a suitable detachment as well.Cl.. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also spent two years in a Catholic school.Barack Obama's parents divorced when he was two years old, his father moving to Connecticut to continue his education before returning to Kenya. When the younger Obama was six years old, his mother married again, this time to Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian oil manager. Barack and his mother moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, where Obama spent 4-5 years attending both Muslim and Catholic schools before his mother sent him back to the United States to live with his maternal grandmother. The school Barack Obama attended in Indonesia was "Muslim" primarily in the sense that the preponderance of its student body was Muslim (because Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country), but both the Muslim and Catholic schools he attended in Indonesia offered a few hours of religious instruction each week.In his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, Obama elaborated on his early schooling, explaining that he attended both Catholic and Muslim schools in Indonesia — not out of any particular religious affiliation, but because his mother wanted him to obtain the best education possible under the circumstances:During the five years that we would live with my stepfather in Indonesia, I was sent first to a neighborhood Catholic school and then to a predominantly Muslim school; in both cases, my mother was less concerned with me learning the catechism or puzzling out the meaning of the muezzin's call to evening prayer than she was with whether I was properly learning my multiplication tables.Cl.. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that he is not a radical.Barack Obama never stated that he "was once a Muslim" (radical or otherwise), so his "handlers" have nothing to "conceal." Obama communications director Robert Gibbs noted that "Senator Obama has never been a Muslim. As a six-year-old in Catholic school, he studied the catechism." Barack Obama has been associated with the United Church of Christ since the mid-1980s, describes himself as a Christian, and says that he is "rooted in the Christian tradition."Cl.. Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.As noted above, Barack Obama's parents divorced when he was only two years old, and his father then moved thousands of miles away, from Hawaii to Connecticut, so he couldn't have received much of an "introduction to Islam" from his (biological) father:My father was almost entirely absent from my childhood, having been divorced from my mother when I was two years old.At the time of his death, my father remained a myth to me, both more and less than a man. He had left Hawaii back in 1963, when I was only two years old, so that as a child I knew him only through the stories that my mother and grandparents told.(Barack's only other childhood contact with his father occurred when he was eleven years old, and his father came to visit Hawaii for a month at Christmastime. The elder Obama died when Barack Jr. was twenty-one years old.)Cl.. Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world.The claim that Obama attended a radical Wahabbist school in Indonesia in the mid-1960s is exceedingly far-fetched, given that:The large Indonesian community resident in Mecca was a medium through which knowledge about Wahhabism reached Indonesia, but the community itself appears to have remained virtually immune to Wahhabi influences. In reality there was little direct influence of Wahhabism on Indonesian reformist thought until the 1970s.Insight magazine claimed in a January 2007 article that Barack Obama spent at least four years attending what is variously described as a "madrassa," a "radical Muslim religious school," or a "Muslim seminary" in Indonesia, but CNN has more recently reported that its own investigation found those claims to be false:[R]eporting by CNN in Jakarta, Indonesia and Washington, D.C., shows the allegations that Obama attended a madrassa to be false. CNN dispatched Senior International Correspondent John Vause to Jakarta to investigate.He visited the Basuki school, which Obama attended from 1969 to 1971."This is a public school. We don't focus on religion," Hardi Priyono, deputy headmaster of the Basuki school, told Vause. "In our daily lives, we try to respect religion, but we don't give preferential treatment."Vause reported he saw boys and girls dressed in neat school uniforms playing outside the school, while teachers were dressed in Western-style clothes."I came here to Barack Obama's elementary school in Jakarta looking for what some are calling an Islamic madrassa ... like the ones that teach hate and violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan," Vause said on the 'Situation Room.' "I've been to those madrassas in Pakistan ... this school is nothing like that."Vause also interviewed one of Obama's Basuki classmates, Bandug Winadijanto, who claims that not a lot has changed at the school since the two men were pupils. Insight reported that Obama's political opponents believed the school promoted Wahhabism, a fundamentalist form of Islam, "and are seeking to prove it.""It's not (an) Islamic school. It's general," Winadijanto said. "There is a lot of Christians, Buddhists, also Confucian. ... So that's a mixed school."The Associated Press reported similarly:A spokesman for Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs said claims that Obama studied at an Islamic school are groundless."SDN Menteng 1 is a public primary school that is open to people of all faiths," said the spokesman, Sutopo, who goes by only one name. "Moreover, he studied earlier at Fransiskus Assisi, which is clearly a Catholic school."Obama later transferred to SDN Menteng 1 the elite, secular elementary school at the center of the controversy. The school is public but is very competitive and has exceptionally high standards. It is located in one of the most affluent parts of Jakarta and attracts mostly middle- to upper-class students, among them several of former dictator Suharto's grandchildren.Indonesia is home to several of the most radical Islamic schools in Southeast Asia, some with alleged terrorist links. But Akmad Solichin [the vice principal at SDN Menteng 1], who proudly pointed to a photo of a young Barry Obama, as he was known, said his school is not one of them.Moreover, a statement released by the Obama campaign affirmed that:In the past week, many of you have read a now thoroughly-debunked story by Insight Magazine, owned by the Washington Times, which cites unnamed sources close to a political campaign that claim Senator Obama was enrolled for "at least four years" in an Indonesian "Madrassa". The article says the "sources" believe the Madrassa was "espousing Wahhabism," a form of radical Islam.All of the claims about Senator Obama's faith and education raised in the Insight Magazine story and repeated on Fox News are false. Senator Obama was raised in a secular household in Indonesia by his stepfather and mother. Obama's stepfather worked for a U.S. oil company, and sent his stepson to two years of Catholic school, as well as two years of public school.To be clear, Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ in Chicago. Furthermore, the Indonesian school Obama attended in Jakarta is a public school that is not and never has been a Madrassa.Cl.. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background.As noted above, Barack Obama describes himself as "a Christian," says that he is "rooted in the Christian tradition," and his association with the United Church of Christ began over twenty years ago, long before he contemplated a political career. (Obama was first elected to the Illinois state senate in 1996, but he has been involved with the United Church of Christ since the mid-1980s.) The beginnings of Obama's relationship with the church were described in an April 2004 Chicago Sun-Times article:Obama is unapologetic in saying he has a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ." As a sign of that relationship, he says, he walked down the aisle of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ in response to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's altar call one Sunday morning about 16 years ago.The politician could have ended his spiritual tale right there, at the point some people might assume his life changed, when he got "saved," transformed, washed in the blood. But Obama wants to clarify what truly happened."It wasn't an epiphany," he says of that public profession of faith. "It was much more of a gradual process for me. I know there are some people who fall out. Which is wonderful. God bless them ... I think it was just a moment to certify or publicly affirm a growing faith in me."These days, he says, he attends the 11 a.m. Sunday service at Trinity in the Brainerd neighborhood every week — or at least as many weeks as he is able. His pastor, Wright, has become a close confidant.So how did he become a churchgoer?It began in 1985, when he came to Chicago as a $13,000-a-year community organizer, working with a number of African-American churches in the Roseland, West Pullman and Altgeld Gardens neighborhoods that were trying to deal with the devastation caused by shuttered steel plants."I started working with both the ministers and the lay people in these churches on issues like creating job-training programs, or after-school programs for youth, or making sure that city services were fairly allocated to underserved communities," he says. "And it was in those places where I think what had been more of an intellectual view of religion deepened."I became much more familiar with the ongoing tradition of the historic black church and its importance in the community. And the power of that culture to give people strength in very difficult circumstances, and the power of that church to give people courage against great odds. And it moved me deeply."Cl.. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.This statement is completely false. It is a mistaken reference to a different politician, Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison, not Barack Obama.Cl.. Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.Senator Obama drew some criticism over a photograph that showed him standing without his hand over his heart during the playing of the U.S. national anthem, but the claim that he "will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance" is false.Additional information:Debunked Insight Magazine and Fox News Smear Campaign Debunked Insight Magazine and Fox News Smear Campaign(U.S. Senator Barack Obama)Last updated: 7 January 2008The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.aspUrban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2008by Barbara and David P. MikkelsonThis material may not be reproduced without permission.Sources Sources:Falsani, Cathleen. "'I Have a Deep Faith.'"Chicago Sun-Times. 5 April 2004.Goldenberg, Suzanne. "Candidate Obama Attacks Madrasa Smear."The Guardian. 26 January 2007Kurtz, Howard. "Campaign Allegation a Source of Vexation."The Washington Post. 22 January 2007 (p. C1).Obama, Barack. Dreams from My Father.New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995. ISBN 1-4000-8277-3.Obama, Barack. The Audacity of Hope.New York: Crown Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0-307-23769-9.Pickler, Nedra. "Obama Debunks Claim About Islamic School."Associated Press. 24 January 2007.Reid, Tim and Tom Baldwin. "Obama 'Was Educated in Madrassa'."The London Times. 20 January 2007.Turow, Scott. "The New Face of the Democratic Party — and America."Salon. 30 March 2004.van Bruinessen, Martin. "Wahhabi Influences in Indonesia, Real and Imagined."Summary of paper presented at the Journée d'Etudes du CEIFR (EHESS-CNRS) et MSH sur le Wahhabisme.Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales / Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Paris, 10 June 2002. Watson, Paul. "As a Child, Obama Crossed a Cultural Divide in Indonesia."Los Angeles Times. 15 March 2007.CNN.com. "CNN Debunks False Report About Obama."22 January 2007.Insight. "Hillary's Team Has Questions About Obama's Muslim Background."16 January 2007.
From Barack:
Something unexpected happened the day after the New Hampshire primary.
More than 20,000 people donated to our campaign online. That's the most ever in a single day.
In the first nine days of 2008, more than 75,000 donors gave online, and at least half of them had never given before. Just like we saw in Iowa and New Hampshire, in record numbers, our time for change has come.
Those new donors decided to step up and own a piece of this campaign right now, at this pivotal moment in history. Now, we're within striking distance of an almost unimaginable goal:
100,000 donors before the Nevada caucuses on January 19th.
Your support in 2007 helped get us this far, and I thank you. But this movement needs you now more than ever.
This is the most decisive period of our campaign -- we need to act immediately if we are going to compete as strongly as possible in the 24 states that are holding primaries and caucuses in the next four weeks.
I'm asking you to make another contribution now. This is so important that one of the people who gave in the last nine days is ready to give again to match your first online donation of 2008.
Make a donation of $50 today and take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact:
https://donate.barackobama.com/match
Everyone knows about the importance of Super Tuesday Feb 5th, many candidates will be hard put to continue after that competition. Only the main candidates will be left standing and many pundits say that the Texas Primary could the decisive battle. This will be our chance to shine and make a difference!
This will be our Time...with our Candidate......when it will be most important.
So lets focus and get busy getting out the word. In a part of Texas where Democrat is usually a dirty word we have the opportunity to make history locally as well as nationally by helping Barak Obama win the Democratic Nomination for President.
YES WE CAN!!!
Obama supporters,
last night I tuned in to the New Hampshire primary coverage and was perhaps overly confident that Barack would put another win under his belt. I had listened to the polls and pundits who said Barack had a two digit lead, so overall I was surprised when the final results came in. I was upset because I wanted this to be a landslide for Senator Obama so that it would be clear that he would be our candidate for president in 2008. Well, the landslide didn't happen, but it was clear in Barack's speech last night (at least to me) that he would be our candidate. His speech was not boastful, or bitter. It was inspiring! Since I am fairly young I have only listened to the speeches of John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, but I submit that I finally understand something. I believe in the positivity of this campaign!
As I tried to go to sleep last night I thought all sorts of things, but the old phrase of "you win some you lose some" kept creeping into my mind. This campaign is about more than just a candidate, it is a movement of the American people. There are many people out there that will view this as a defeat or as a negative mark against Barack, but we should all view this in a positive light. Our candidate is the most honest and real candidate that is out there. So as you go through the days that lie ahead of you, please remember Senator Obama's speech last night. Remember the call to all of us in this process and never forget that we can do this. It won't be easy. There will be ups and downs, heartaches and heart-swirls, and others will question your position. Things that come to us easily are not as appreciated by us after they happen. So when some one says "hey, your man lost last night, what do you think...can he still win this." All you will have to say is "YES WE CAN!"
BROKAW: You know what I think we’re going to have to do? MATTHEWS: Yes sir? BROKAW: Wait for the voters to make their judgment. MATTHEWS: Well what do we do then in the days before the ballot? We must stay home, I guess. BROKAW: No, no we don’t stay home. There are reasons to analyze what they’re saying. We know from how the people voted today, what moved them to vote. You can take a look at that. There are a lot of issues that have not been fully explored during all this. But we don’t have to get in the business of making judgments before the polls have closed. And trying to stampede in effect the process. Look, I’m not just picking on us, it’s part of the culture in which we live these days. I think that the people out there are going to begin to make judgments about us if we don’t begin to temper that temptation to constantly try to get ahead of what the voters are deciding, in many cases, as we learned in New Hampshire when they went into the polling booth today or in the last three days. They were making decisions very late.
BROKAW: You know what I think we’re going to have to do?
MATTHEWS: Yes sir?
BROKAW: Wait for the voters to make their judgment.
MATTHEWS: Well what do we do then in the days before the ballot? We must stay home, I guess.
BROKAW: No, no we don’t stay home. There are reasons to analyze what they’re saying. We know from how the people voted today, what moved them to vote. You can take a look at that. There are a lot of issues that have not been fully explored during all this.
But we don’t have to get in the business of making judgments before the polls have closed. And trying to stampede in effect the process.
Look, I’m not just picking on us, it’s part of the culture in which we live these days. I think that the people out there are going to begin to make judgments about us if we don’t begin to temper that temptation to constantly try to get ahead of what the voters are deciding, in many cases, as we learned in New Hampshire when they went into the polling booth today or in the last three days. They were making decisions very late.
I am so excited to be starting this blog!
I have never felt moved to be a part of a political campaign in the past, with the exception of Lloyd Doggett (for whom I used to babysit!). I have always felt that I was voting for the "lesser of two evils" rather than voting for someone about whom I felt optimistic, let alone passionate.
Barack Obama has changed things for me... I feel that not only does he have a dynamic, strong leadership personality, but he has the intelligence to be reasonable - for instance, not having reactionary-type opinions or stances, but looking for fair, just ways to find solutions or work toward prevention.
I don't think that he's perfect; for example, I might prefer a stronger pro-immigration stance. I disagree with building stronger defenses along our borders. However, his idea to fine illegal immigrants and put them in line for U.S. citizenship (yet allow them to stay in the U.S.) seems reasonable and fair.
I am excited to see someone who is unafraid to be progressive, who gives thoughtful consideration to issues rather than be swayed by financial powers (lobbyists, corporations), and who would be respected by other leaders around the world.
Barack ROCKS, and I am going to party like a Ba-rack star when he wins!!!
Hello alamObama!!! I hope you are all enjoying our Iowa success!! Now onto NH! A quick look at what you'll find in this email:
We have had many new volunteers join us so I'd like to remind all of you that our MLK March is just around the corner. If you would like to participate, please make sure to reply to this email with your name, phone number, & address. You will receive information about the placards that we will all be wearing, as well as information about where and when to meet on the day of the march.
Event Reminders: Tuesday January 8, 2008 6:45 PM New Hampshire Primary Results Watch Party alamObama Office 301 Broadway suite 106 210-569-1206 Thursday January 10, 2008 6:30 Monthly alamObama Meeting This month we'll be discussing the upcoming MLK March, phone banking goals, and voter registration team progress. These are all ways in which you can easily help Barack secure the Democratic Nomination so please try to join us.
alamObama Office 301 Broadway suite 106 210-569-1206
OFFICE HOURS-
Monday Jan 7 (11am-6pm) Phone Banking to California early voters
Tuesday Jan 8 (11am-9pm) Phone Banking to California early voters/NH Party
Wednesday Jan 9 (2pm-8pm) Phone Banking to California early voters
Thursday Jan 10 (2pm-8pm) Phone Banking for MLK March/Meeting
Saturday Jan 12 (2pm-5pm) Phone Banking for MLK March
Sunday Jan 13 (2pm-5pm) Phone Banking for MLK March
alamObama to Iowa Blog Wrap Up-
Jan. 3, 2008 Many of you know that Judy, June, Steve & I spent the last week knocking on doors in Rockwell City, Iowa on behalf of Barack Obama. And as I'm sure all of you know, the hard work in the below freezing temps paid off. At the Rockwell City Democratic Caucus, Barack Obama had 36 people stand (or "vote") for him while John Edwards had 34 and Hillary Clinton had 26 supporters; Richardson rounded out the mix with 16 supporters. People who had never been politically involved before stepped up in Rockwell City to become delegates. I was so proud to see the community walk in and make their voices heard and their votes count. Once the caucus was finished we hopped in the car and headed to Des Moines to hear Barack's Speech. Phone calls were coming in from all of our friends and family to tell us what was happening on TV. Thanks to everyone who emailed me and called with caucus night updates!! We had a safe but hectic 2 hour drive that included the Iowa State Police and a little bit of misdirection, but we walked into the Hyvee Center just as Barack was wrapping up his address. The energy in the building was amazing. We managed to find a few old friends from previous Obama events, mainly staffers from Barack's Advance team, and a fellow TOVL (Texas Obama Volunteer Leaders) member from Houston, Maria Isabelle. We topped the night off with a few great conversations with volunteers, and political tourists from all over the U.S. I am so excited and proud to have helped in this historic step forward for our country!!! Please remember to stop by www.flickr.com/photos/jenromo for a few pictures of our time in Iowa!! Thanks to everyone who sent encouraging messages to us along the way, they really helped on the cold foggy days!! There is still plenty of work to do, but at least we now know that as we had suspected all along... THE COUNTRY IS READY FOR BARACK! Obama '08!!!!!!!
Overseeing the effort as head of MSHA was Richard Stickler, a former Murray Beth Energy executive. The Senate had twice rejected his nomination because the mines he managed “incurred injury rates double the national average.” Stickler had also stated that he believed no new laws or regulations were needed for mine safety.
Stickler’s term as assistant secretary expired on Dec. 31. His bio was quickly removed from the MSHA website earlier this week, and on Thursday, MSHA officials revealed that they had a new chief:
[O]n Thursday, MSHA officials revealed that agency staffer John Pallasch had been named to Stickler’s job — assistant labor secretary for mine safety and health — on an acting basis. Pallasch took over on Jan. 1. […] But it’s not clear how long Pallasch will be running the $340 million agency or if President Bush plans to submit a different nominee to Congress.
[O]n Thursday, MSHA officials revealed that agency staffer John Pallasch had been named to Stickler’s job — assistant labor secretary for mine safety and health — on an acting basis. Pallasch took over on Jan. 1. […]
But it’s not clear how long Pallasch will be running the $340 million agency or if President Bush plans to submit a different nominee to Congress.
Pallasch’s 15 minutes of fame lasted just three days. The Bush administration was evidently so happy with Stickler’s job performance that President Bush yesterday renamed him as acting assistant secretary. From the White House personnel announcement:
The President intends to designate Richard Stickler, of West Virginia, to be Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.
Stickler’s bio has also reappeared on the MSHA site. With his acting title, he will be able to serve 210 days. The White House has also renominated him for the permanent position.
As The New York Times recently noted, Bush “has left whole agencies of the executive branch to be run largely by acting or interim appointees,” who have not been approved by the Senate. The Senate has repeatedly had to convene pro forma sessions in order to prevent Bush from giving these controversial nominees recess appointments.
Iowa was invigorating - there's no doubt about that. But, Obamanation, it was just the beginning. There's a lot more work to be done! For those of us in Texas it means working even HARDER, but for those of you in the swing states and the blue states, it's all about letting your friends and neighbors hear Obama's awesome message!
I think of everything he said this was the thing that will really stick with me:
"We don't live in red states or blue states - we live in the UNITED States."
That's what we need - someone who can bring us all together. Everyone on THIS forum knows who that is.
From Congressman Wexler:
In my last email to you, I wrote how your support for our efforts to hold impeachment hearings for Vice President Cheney has helped us get some attention from the mainstream media. My editorial was recently published in the Philadelphia Inquirer and newspapers from coast to coast have covered our success. 175,000 supporters have now signed up at WexerWantsHearings.com and the number continues to build.
Over the past weeks, I have put significant financial resources behind this effort, including advertising, multimedia, blog ads, and technical support for WexlerWantsHearings.com. Thank you to the hundreds of people who have already generously supported the cause.
Now, with your help – I want to expand this effort.
With your support I want to make a major Internet advertising buy on Google that will guarantee that for the next two weeks, every person that looks up "Dick Cheney" on Google sees an advertisement for our petition. With your help we can own "Cheney" on the web.
In addition, I want to publish blog ads, such as you see to the right, throughout the web to galvanize Americans in support of our cause. (You may have to right mouse click and select "Download Pictures" to see the ad).
It is time to reach beyond those that are regular readers of the political blogs, and expand the number of people mobilized to help push for impeachment hearings. The truth is that the number of Americans who support our efforts is immense and we need to do everything possible to reach out to them and maximize our strength.
I cannot do this without your support, so click here if you'd like to contribute to our work.
When Congress reconvenes on January 15th I will deliver the hundreds of thousands of names we have collected to my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee and I will do everything I can do to convince them to support immediate impeachment hearings. I will also be entering all of the collected names into the Congressional Record and present them to the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
The mainstream media has not done enough to cover this effort but with your help we will force the issue into the national dialogue.
Click here if you'd like to help sponsor this effort.
We must now redouble our efforts to ensure that Vice President Cheney and the Bush Administration are held accountable.
In order to continue funding this effort we need your help. Please consider making a financial contribution to help us expand our advertising advocating impeachment hearings for Vice President Dick Cheney. Your help will go a long way toward stopping the out of control Bush Administration.
Thanks for your help and keep up the fight!
Remember this number: $22 billion.
This is the difference between what Congress proposed and what Bush wanted for the new budget.
Now keep in mind that we're spending $12 billion a month in Iraq, occupying a country we never should have gone into in the first place.
Yes, Bush is making a big stink about how the "spend-happy" Congress can't give him anm affordbale budget, all the while writing rubber check after rubber check to his corporate buddies in Iraq.
We definitely need some SANITY returned to the White House.
