Like many of you, as if on clockwork, I opened up my email today. It is part of my daily routine. Oh I also have kids to feed, toys and clothes on the floor, homework needs to be done. My life does not vary day to day.
Here it is in my inbox. Yes another email about healthcare reform. Is this American health care thing still going on and when will it be over? On personal matter I wonder if my Dad's recent cancer diagnosis is going to lead to a financial burden in the midst of his beloved retirement. Would he have a better experience here in Canada? I suspect at least the financial worry would be lessened and quality just as good. Why can't our fellow Americans see that change like this is worth fighting for? Living in Canada we have a little insight to what a positive change health care reform can be. Change can be good, if you do it right.
If you have not done a thing or many things NOW IS THE TIME to ACT. Yes today and tomorrow is crucial and if you have a thought or want to lend your voice THIS IS THE TIME TO ACT. Life does get in the way (yes kitty you will be fed!) but everyday life will be there tomorrow and the day after. But this opportunity of American health care reform with teeth and substance will NOT.
I urge you to contact your Senators (LINK)- email is GREAT and while at it encourage family and friends to do so before it is too late. If that is not your style or if you want to do more- Here are 5 simple ways you can help pass health care reform.
Yes NOW IS THE TIME to ACT. Even though we are not "home" yes we can make a change for America tonight.
Mid America Mom
TO BE FREE?
Hello from my temporary home in the North, our 51st State ;) One thing I will tell you is that NOT ONE Canadian I have met ...has said they would rather have our system. Interesting isn't it?
I want medical freedom. I want to know that there is an affordable and logical plan that ANYONE can have. Including those countless children that have no voice or choice. I want medical freedom I want to take a job I love or like instead of choosing it just for coverage. I want to see people taking a second job not because of medical care but for just simply getting ahead or paying off a debt. I want to know that if I am laid off that my family has care. I want medical freedom. This house of cards healthcare system we have takes our time, energy, conversation, and yes our loved ones. Why must we cling to the familiar? Why can't we get past this fear? Where is the American ingenuity to make our healthcare system truly the BEST? I want to be free. Don't you?
I want to know that there is an affordable and logical plan that ANYONE can have. Including those countless children that have no voice or choice. I want medical freedom I want to take a job I love or like instead of choosing it just for coverage. I want to see people taking a second job not because of medical care but for just simply getting ahead or paying off a debt. I want to know that if I am laid off that my family has care. I want medical freedom. This house of cards healthcare system we have takes our time, energy, conversation, and yes our loved ones. Why must we cling to the familiar? Why can't we get past this fear? Where is the American ingenuity to make our healthcare system truly the BEST? I want to be free. Don't you?
Taking up the fight has never been easy. But if we let this opportunity pass then it means well maybe we never really wanted it at all. And who says we, your plain jane and joe's cannot do it? WE elected OUR President. If it was not for us we would be talking about John or Hillary. Join the chorus of millions calling for change. TODAY!!!! Get ON THE PHONE to the reps, send your EMAILS, CANVASS the neighborhood, HOST an EVENT for change.
No matter who you are
or
where you are
you can be the change
YES GET OUT THERE and never forget that YOU ARE THE CHANGE.
Mid America Mom Moms for Obama
If not - I bet 100% you know someone that is.
This is About YOU, us.
Cead Mile Failte! Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
*FACT. did you know Obama is 3% Irish ? Story here
*The world wide humorous Irish video sensation “There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’bama” on Youtube
*President O’Bama is a icon around the world! “O’Bama” made an “appearance” at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Toronto Canada this year. Actually TWO did. One was complete with secret service and “the Beast”. Here are some of our pictures of the parade.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/tshop144/Toronto/HPIM1474.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/tshop144/Toronto/HPIM1514.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/tshop144/Toronto/HPIM1485.jpg
(Yes I had my Irish O’Bama button and my husband Mike had his O’Bama green teeshirt on though it does not show up well in the pics.)
*Today everything IS Irish in the Washington DC. Article here
Blessings: May there always be work for your hands to do.May your purse always hold a coin or two.May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane.May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.May the hand of a friend always be near you.And may God fill your heartwith gladness to cheer you.
Blessings:
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart
with gladness to cheer you.
Moms for O'Bama
(Don't forget to host or join thousands of others in a pledge for change canvass THIS WEEKEND)
Tomorrow our next President will be out in the roots.
Did you know? Fresh out of school Barack Obama could have chased the dollar but the roots is where he found a place to connect as an organizer. It was not glamorous, didn't really pay, but there was something in doing something good with others for others. It was in this job he found a community and sense of pride and ownership. Many of us wish to connect more or do more for our community but find the BUT. Well tomorrow take the time! President Elect Obama is. Yes during this economic mess and transition he is spending a little time in the community doing some good.
BUT NO! No excuse today as it has never been easier. Take 15 minutes or hours. From home or not. Join something organized (if you want to find an event near you try this site or usa service ) or not. The secret? What you choose to do is up to you.
Tomorrow Be the Change.
So for those of you looking for ideas I have posted an earlier thread but put this together tonight.
*Shovel the drive of a neighbor or maybe give them some seeds for their garden.
*Give some time to a local shelter (be it animal or person!) or $44.
*Visit some old folks and watch TV or play a game with them at the local home or senior center.
*Donate goods, food, or services to homeless or community food bank or outreach center (Yes you can buy a big mac or sandwich and give it to a homeless person).
*Are you going to the grocery, buying gas, or going out for fast food tomorrow? Pay some toward the purchase of the person behind you in the line.
*Write a letter to someone in the military or send them a care package.
And even if none of the above appeals to you there is something out there that does. Ask us on the headquarters blog, maybe a coworker -family- or neighbor (or read the story below). You will find something.
Thing is Do something, one thing, to help your town and your one, and mine, and others will add up to CHANGE.
Thing is Do something, one thing, to help your town
and your one, and mine, and others
will add up to CHANGE.
*Inspiration from Michele in 'burbs of Chicago below
Tonight I watched that new ball at Times Square drop on the TV. What a sight- the different panels and all the lights! With most changes it takes some getting used to and a leap of faith.
And then tradition takes over. It is that time once again for The New Year Resolution. Will it be- eat better and exercise? Take that trip you have dreamed of but never could get the plans together? Spend more time with the family or in church. Eat out less? Buy a family pet ;) ?
Earlier this month President-Elect Obama had his first press conference. And yes discussion did come up on that nagging problem- the dog situation - and Obama called himself a "Mutt" ;)
Sidebar: now how many of us have had to discuss having a dog with our family? Besides the fun and joy ---there is all that the kids fail to acknowledge- the potty training and cleaning up the yard--who is going to feed it. I feel for the Obama's!
But that comment brought back to mind the historic nature of his election and how race still does play a part in our country. A point that has been lost in the economy noise. I could write a whole blog on this, but true to this series, we share two blogs... our stories from the roots.
Election Night my husband and I gathered our lifesize Obama cutout, dressed the family in our
Obama gear, and with signs and stickers headed to an election night party with Democrats in
Toronto Canada.
As a newly arrived American (my husband is attending school) I had mixed feelings last night.
My kitchen table issues are more tied to another country than my own and sentiment and foreign
relations is on the menu. It seems Canadians watch our elections more than their own...we even
had their politicians at our watch parties!
It is hard to express the feelings. We elected Senator Barack Obama our president! Joy, Pride,
Relief, HOPE. For a moment I thought NO- this is not real.
-This campaign has taken up much of my life for almost 2 years. I never would have imagined
being so passionate and involved in a campaign but how could I not with the state of affairs we
have ourselves in and such an exceptional candidate? The campaign was a family affair;
parades, canvassing, events, even the Iowa caucus.
One of my baby's first words was OBAMA and my oldest child is a veteran parade marcher. And
now I can point to the president and say there is a hero.
His message of hope and promise inspired me to ACT back then, for my family and myself and
others by starting the Moms for Obama, and still does! This is THE leader that we, America and
the WORLD, needs NOW. Election night was also a reminder of what we can do when we put our
energy and commitment to making things better. It takes a once in a lifetime leader to summon
the best from us, for all. We are ready to work on getting our country back on track with a new
engine!
Though I was with my new friends from Democrats Abroad, a few Moms, and our Canadian
supporters I missed being with all those friends I made in the Obama online world. Yes the Moms
for Obama group is still open for membership and blogs (as long as the campaign lets it),
features a daily music feature, and who knows what else will come along ;) They, we were real...
existed not just online but in person, over the phone, or personal emails. Helped to organize,
inspire, and share with for 21 months. They also were a constant for us as we moved 2 times. As
we became immediately involved in local activites (thank you NW Suburbs of Chicago for Obama
and Toronto for Obama). It truly is a community with a shared vision and determination. As a
member I look forward to taking on whatever mission President Obama sends our way.
************
And I completed a political journey on November 4. It is official. I am a Obama Republican, yep
now a moderate Democrat, and proud of it!
***********
*Back to the party- my two little girls with our Obama cutout were a big hit at the party. Those
images were picked up in the Canadian print and TV! Here they are:
CBC News story - http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/05/obama-election-halifax.html
PHOTO (mis quote on names- they are supposed to be Kayla 4 and Jenna 2)then VIDEO http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/530871
******************************************************
Day after headlines on papers here:
Like many other people last night, at precisely 11PM when the polls closed in California, Oregon and Washington, and Keith Olbermann called the election, I started to cry. Steady, solid, weeping that kept coming in waves.
Then I glanced at the screen where the MSNBC director was flipping from one celebration to another and saw many others crying: Blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, young, old, men, women, all over the country. A series of individual shots that, together, redefined the United States of America last night.
There was a student at Spellman College in Atlanta who collapsed in tears and was being comforted by her friends.
Then Oprah was leaning on the shoulder of the man in front of her as she cried uncontrollably, Jesse Jackson standing directly behind her with two rivers flowing freely down his face.
A quick shot of a nursing home day room where elderly white men and woman, some in wheelchairs, one man wearing an American Legion cap, some cheering and some wiping their eyes with tissues.
Cut to a sports bar in Georgia where white and black faces kissed each other, and hugged.
And always back to Grant Park in Chicago. The roar of the poor, the tired, the huddled masses yearning to be free lifting their voices and their smiles and their hands in relief and jubilation and ecstacy and exhaustion.
I thought of my mother, who died in 1996. She had my sister and me sit in front of the television when Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial before an endless sea of people who only had hope for a different tomorrow. Their - our - tomorrow finally came at 11PM Eastern time last night. I remembered how she wanted to go to that rally but Dad talked her out of it because it might become "dangerous." It turned out, the only dangerous thing was Dr. King's ideas.
John McCain came on screen in Pheonix to concede, giving the best speech of his campaign and silencing the yahoo's in the crowd who booed when he mentioned Barack Obama. Then back to the studio where someone was reading a White House transcript of Bush's congratulatory call to Obama where he told the President-elect to "go out and enjoy yourself." Only George W. Bush would hand the presidency of a country he came close to ruining to someone by saying Obama should "enjoy himself." It was akin to urging people to shop after 9/11.
Finally, there was Obama himself. He gave a better, more encompassing vicory speech than most inaugural addresses over the past 30 years.
Someone, it might have been Chris Mathews, said he looked "exhausted." He may have been that after 20 months of campaigning but, to me, he looked somber. Written all over Obama's face was the reality of the burden he suddenly bore, not just for himself and the country but the entire world. Even after his speech, when Joe Biden and his family and the throng of relatives and well-wishers crowded around him, he couldn't shake the look of a man who suddenly realises how alone he is.
I remember what Jack Kennedy said the first morning he was president and walked into the Oval Office. Surrounded by long-time aides and advisors, he sat in the chair behind the Lincoln desk that he requested be brought out from the Smithsonian Institute, looked up and asked, "Now what the hell do we do?" Last night, Obama's face showed that he knew full well "what the hell do we do."
But he's not alone. He has tens of millions of people around the country, and around the world, there to help. For those of us who helped make this morning possible, our work has just begun.
The American author and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams once wrote, "The eyes of the future are watching us and they are praying that we learn to see beyond our own time. They are kneeling with clasped hands that we might act with restraint, leaving room for the life that is destined to come."
Described as a "visionary" by the Utne Reader, Williams’ prayerful hope sums up how I feel this morning, the day before what will be the most-critical election of our time. Maybe any time since Lincoln was elected in 1860. Yet I also tremble for my country as it stands on the eve of electing its 44th president.
I tremble because we stare numbly at a world in crisis due largely to America’s catastrophic wars of and “in your face” foreign policy.
I tremble because we live terrified in an economy melting faster than a snow cone in August thanks to the unbridled greed and “grab all you can before someone else gets any” philosophy nurtured by a president who has no moral compass.
I tremble because we shiver in the cold, early days of winter as a cold, shivering chill runs down our spines when we hear John McCain and Sarah Palin throw smears and platitudes like red meat to starving animals instead of discussing real issues like 11% of the country not working when unemployment claims are added to the number of people who’ve become discouraged and stopped looking for a job, or poverty in America, or one-sixth of the country hoping they and their kids don’t get sick or injured because they have no insurance.
I tremble because we’ve endured eight years of seeing America’s honor in the world torn to shreds, the Constitutional rights that protected us for 225 years from government abuse of power and authority systematically stripped and shredded, the novel American ideal of equal justice and equal rights and equal opportunity and equal protection raped repeatedly by an ideologically-driven Supreme Court where one Republican-appointed justice is angry he was born black, a second is a mental midget and a third accepts the far right notion that those who have it are worth more under the law than anyone who doesn’t.
I tremble because if We the People of the United States of America have another election stolen out from under us there will be hell to pay at home and around the world. One of the most laconic women I know told me last night that if somehow McCain confounds the reams of polls and somehow wins, there will be rioting in the streets and “I’ll be out there throwing bricks myself.” Ironically, a deposition is being taken today in Ohio of the man who may have been responsible for illegal, computerized vote switching and disappearing votes in the Buckeye State in the infamous Great Ken Blackwell 2004 Presidential Election Vote Switcheroo.
I tremble for my country because there is not enough Loraizapam™ in the world to calm me down if Obama loses. I should be celebrating my birthday today but instead I sit worried, fearful, frightened and trembling.
Obama "visited" us tonight for Halloween.
He spent a few moments posing for a photograph with my two.
Before he helped to pass out candy, he changed into a costume made of dress up accessories they own - beads, a boa, and rabbit ears!
The future president made quite a stir in our apartment building. Folks exclaiming "OBAMA!" when they got off the elevator. We would hear kids walking up to the door and then not knock for a minute or two. After that happening a few times, we investigated. To our amazement kids were posing with him while parents took pictures. Comments? None were negative.
What brought a smile to my face? Two kids in witch costumes, no more than 10, said "I voting for Barack Obama!"
Now if everyone could say that our work would be done ;)
Where is he tonight? Making an "appearance" at our window for the night owls.
The McCain campaign’s latest attempt to portray the press as liberal puppets of Barack Obama — by painting the Los Angeles Times’s refusal to release a videotape of the senator at a farewell dinner in 2003 for Rashid Khalidi, the Palestinian scholar and advocate, as part of a vast left-wing conspiracy — is much ado about nothing.McCain’s previously-discredited spokesman, Michael Goldfarb, accused the Times of “intentionally suppressing information that could provide a clearer link between Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi.” Goldfarb went on to mention a potentially vote-altering moment wherein the tape could have possibly captured Obama’s reaction to a “hate speech”-filled poem recited at the dinner.This “intentional suppression” has caused plenty of consternation in the blogosphere. Many writers saw the Times’ refusal as evidence of liberal bias; others were just confused by the paper’s intransigence.Yesterday, the Times published an article explaining its decision to withhold the video. Editor Russ Stanton said, “The Los Angeles Times did not publish the videotape because it was provided by a confidential source who did so on the condition that we not release it. The Times keeps its promises to its sources.”Stanton’s explanation is more than plausible; in fact, such deals with sources are quite common in journalism. At one time or another, nearly every reporter has access to a document, allowed to take notes on the document and write a story based on the notes but not allowed to publish or otherwise distribute the document. So unless we’re prepared to call Stanton a liar, there shouldn’t be any problem taking him at his word.
Even Fox News Agrees!As Bill Sammon, deputy managing editor of FOX News’s Washington bureau – of all people – put it, had LA Times reporter Peter Wallsten who wrote story based on the tape, buckled under the demands of the McCain campaign, sources would have good reason to question his trustworthiness in the future. Sammon went on to add, “A deal is a deal, even if it’s a dumb deal. Besides, there may be a perfectly legitimate reason for withholding the tape, such as the possibility that it contains footage that would compromise an unnamed source’s identity.”Furthermore, it’s not clear that the Times even still has the tape but if it does, and it chose to break its promise, what exactly do the McCain folks expect to find? They talk of wanting to see Obama’s reaction to the poem, but do they really think the camera was just zeroed in on the senator all night long, waiting for him to do something suspicious? A terrorist fist-bump, perhaps? Watching with bated breath for a glimpse of the senator as he reacts to a controversial banquet speech is the essence of deliberate oversimplification.What we do wish the Times had done is be as transparent as possible about how the story came about. Tell us what they can about the source’s motivations and why the editors agreed to grant anonymity and to the restrictions on the use of the tape. This would go a long way toward reassuring the rational public that there is no conspiracy here. For everyone else, it doesn’t matter what the Times does or says.
Anyone know of any phone banks set up in Toronto on Nov. 4 (or earlier)? Skype and/or Vonage offers cheap ways to call the US.
The website fivethirtyeight.com reports John McCain is making no progress in his pursuit of the White House. Its model now projects Barack Obama winning 351 electoral votes to John McCain's 187. Both numbers are unchanged from yesterday.
Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight gives three reasons why polls keep providing good news for Obama.
1. There is no evidence of polls tightening in state numbers. If state polls aren't showing movement toward McCain, then it is probably the case that any perceived movement in the national polls is sampling noise. If anything, state polls are showing movement toward Obama on balance, not just in battleground states like Virginia but also in non-battlegrounds as diverse as New York, Oklahoma, Oregon and Arizona.
2. Obama has begun to run up the score in some non-battlegrounds. Polls in states like Washington, New York and California are now showing very large leads for Barack Obama. As some of these states have large populations, they are providing a bit of cushion to Obama in his popular vote margin. Barack Obama has also gained ground in some red states like Arizona and Georgia.
3. We are approaching a pollster consensus in some battlegrounds. The range of state polls has narrowed. Missouri and North Carolina now look like true toss-ups. Florida looks like a toss-up, leaning Obama. Ohio and Nevada lean clearly toward Obama, but McCain remains within striking distance. Colorado and Virginia lean more strongly toward Obama and McCain may not be within striking distance. Pennsylvania has failed to tighten. Likewise, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa appear safe for Obama.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen’s daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday again shows Obama attracting 51% of the vote nationwide while John McCain earns 46%; McCain has not topped Obama since two weeks after the Republican convention. Battleground state polls released yesterday show Obama leading in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Virginia.
Perhaps more gloomy for Republicans, after John McCain pulled even in Florida a week ago, Obama is back on top this week. The latest Fox News/Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds Obama with 51% of the vote and McCain 47%. This is the fourth time in five weeks that Obama has a single digit lead over McCain. Last week was the exception with McCain up by a single point. McCain is viewed favorably by 57% of the state's voters and Obama by 55%, a statistical tie.
