Saturday's pledge project launch went here in Santa Cruz. We found folks EAGER not only to take the pledge but to get involved again, to organize for America. Now Obama has asked us to KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING, continuing with pledge organizing through April 5.
What's next? 1) Per President Obama's request, we're continuing to gather pledges through April 5. Pledge forms can be picked up and dropped off at 416 Clinton St, corner of Owen... or you can download & print your own at http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/Nikki/downloadable_pledge.pdf 2) We're organizing another pledge canvas on Saturday April 4. Sign up at www.barackobama.com, meet at 416 Clinton at 10 AM, plan to spend a few hours gathering pledges. 3) We're meeting to get ourselves better organized this Thursday March 26 at 7 pm at 416 Clinton St. We need all kinds of help: help with data entry, refreshments, copying, volunteer recruitment & reminder calls, volunteer training, people to host parties at their own house or to reach out to their own networks... Sign up at www.barackobama.com, and/or contact us at seabrightneighbor@gmail.com to join the team. 4) or DO YOUR OWN THING! Host a pledge party (we'll help), or organize a pledge canvas event in your own neighborhood... Get involved at my.barackobama.com. Step up & lead. Organizing for America- Nancy and Paul
If you're still interested in the Obama campaign-- now, the new "organizing America" campaign to support his battle in DC-- Please help out with the pledge campaign starting tomorrow. This is the REAL battle to help Obama succeed, and we need to get into gear! Whether or not you can help on Sat March 21, let's link up via this "friends" thing, OK?
I worked on the Obama campaign out in Denver before the election, so was not plugged in to the obamasantacruz network. Now my wife Nancy & I are organizing a pledge event (tomorrow!) ("Seabright Neighbors") in response to Obama's request. Imagine our surprise to find that ours is the only such event in the city of Santa Cruz! Kinda depressing. But we've got to start that ball rolling again. So, the point is, we could use your help tomorrow (check out the event) and, if you can't come, we'd still like to be in touch.
I'm a Santa Cruz resident, CA Central Coast-based organizer & sociologist. Next weekend (3/28) I'm doing a training at the regional Camp Obama event (in Salinas all day Saturday). Check it out at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/gpt8m2
Yes we can!
-Paul
Embossed Metallic Engraved Seal
Earlier this week, I got a very official looking invitation to the Presidential Inauguration coming up in 11 days (YaY!). It includes a fancy embossed metallic seal on cardstock. You can tell it's the real deal because the back is pressed in.
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Back of Embossed Metallic Engraved Seal
I wish I could be there, but no way could I hang in a crowd of an estimated 1 million to 5 million people with only a few port-a-potties sprinkled around. In the snowy cold no less. True, watching the first African American being sworn in person is a once in a lifetime, never to be repeated again event, is worth the hassles to plenty of people, but I'm not one of them. Although some of the goings on look really good and I hope they show the events on TV.
Envelope for Presidential Inauguration Invitation
Monday and Tuesday Events related to the Inauguration.
Lance Wyman designed art piece inspired by Barack Obama’s campaign.
A few pictures of the Dawn of a New Day, Change is Coming event in Menlo Park, CA, yesterday on 12-14-8. Friends and neighbors will meet to discuss how we can help Barack Obama bring about the change for which we elected him. Hosted by Amar Singh and his wife at the Peninsula School.
About 35 people showed up to contribute to the lively, thoughtful discussion. The great thing was the amount of enthusiasm and energy people want to contribute to help Barack Obama achieve success of his visions. Looking forward to having more and deeper discussions on issues facing the United States.
Temo Figueroa, a former top Obama field organizer, said the volunteer base is "hungry" to be engaged on the most important issues.Role for Barack Obama's volunteer network still in flux, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-networkdec05,0,7403685.story"I don't think e-mails or YouTube videos from the president-elect are going to be enough," Figueroa said. "These people want to continue to be a part of whatever agenda comes out of the White House, and they want to be active participants in this government that they feel they have ownership of."
Around this time of year, there are lots of requests for our dollars. All good causes, like Kiva, of course. With the financial uncertainty of these times, I don't have a lot of spare cash to donate to Kiva at the moment. Participating in community Barack Obama events is another way for me to stay engaged. I signed up to participate in Voting Reform discussion and how Californians can help Barack Obama bring about the change for which we elected him. I look forward to both events. A lot of stuff is going on this month to choose from.
I encourage you to click on the Find Events link in your http://my.barackobama.com/ account to find a way to participate. If your schedule is too booked for this year, I'm sure there'll be other chances in 2009. "Be the change you want to see in the world"is more than just a slogan. Here's the opportunity to show and prove.
"If John McCain wins this woman will be one 72 year olds heartbeat from being President of the United States and if that doesn't scare the hell out of you it should" - Jack Cafferty, on CNN, September 26, 2008
I wholeheartedly agree with Jack Cafferty. After being asked for the third time now this woman still doesn't know the role of the Vice President. Maybe she needs to read the U.S. Constitution. Sarah Palin can't even answer a third graders question, how in the hell do you think she can run America? She obviously is a complete and utter moron. We can't afford to have her anywhere near the White House. John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin illustrates that he is unfit to be President and that he lacks the judgement and decision making ability to be Commander-in-Chief.
Sarah Palin, Master of the Senate
By David Nather | October 21, 2008 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Sarah Palin has taken a lot of grief for the CNBC interview she gave, before she became John McCain’s running mate, in which she dismissed all of the vice presidential talk by asking, “What is it exactly that the VP does every day?”
It’s not a bad question, and one she might want to ask again.
Yesterday, Palin gave an interview to a local news station in Denver in which the anchor, reading a question submitted by a third grader, asked her what the vice president does. Her answer, in this video clip, suggests that she thinks the vice president runs the Senate:
“That’s a great question, Brandon. And a vice president has a really great job because not only are they there to support the president’s agenda, they’re like the team member, the teammate to that president, but also they’re in charge of the United State 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. And it’s a great job, and I look forward to having that job.”
Talk about expanding the power of the vice presidency. Even Vice President Dick Cheney never claimed to be in charge of the Senate.
It’s hard to tell whether Palin just used a poor choice of words to describe what the vice president actually does in the Senate — presiding and breaking tie votes — or whether she really believes the vice president runs the place. Palin spokesman Taylor Griffin said she was referring to the vice president’s constitutional role as president of the Senate.
But it’s not as if the vice president is actively involved in the Senate, or even seen very often, except for the occasional tie vote or caucus meeting. And needless to say, Palin’s comments were a bit puzzling to Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, the man who actually sets the agenda for the Senate.
“Governor Palin needs to re-read — or perhaps read for the first time — the Constitution,” said Reid spokesman Jim Manley. “While the Vice President presides over the Senate, he or she is not “in charge of” it. Article I says, ‘The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.’ The Senate is part of a co-equal branch of the federal government.”
Worse yet for Palin, the clip was circulating on the same day that she was reminding a Reno audience of Joe Biden’s prediction that Barack Obama would be “tested” by an international crisis if he wins the presidency. Not only did Palin launch into an extended critique of Obama’s qualifications to be commander in chief — an issue on which she hasn’t exactly won the confidence of the public either — but she also took the opportunity to tease Biden: “I guess the looming crisis that most worries the Obama campaign right now is Joe Biden’s next speaking engagement.”
Judging from Palin’s performance in one interview after another, the Obama team can’t be any more worried than the McCain team.
From the home office in Miami Beach, FL, the top ten reasons Sarah Palin is unqualified to be the Vice President of the United States:
1. Interview with Larry Kudlow of CNBC's "Kudlow & Co."
When asked about the possibility of becoming McCain's running mate.
Palin replied: "As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?”
2. Interview with Katie Couric of CBS
On the Economic Bailout
COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? Allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy? Instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?
PALIN: That’s why I say, I like ever American I’m speaking with were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bailout.
But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– Helping the — Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. Shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americas.
And trade we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive scary thing. But 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation.
This bailout is a part of that.
On Foreign Policy Experience
Couric: You’ve cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundary that we have with Canada. It’s funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don’t know, you know … reporters.
Couric: Mocked?
Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that’s the word, yeah.
Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.
Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…
Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.
On John McCain as a reformer
Couric: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight? Palin: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie - that, that's paramount. That's more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us. Couric: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more. Palin: He's also known as the maverick though, taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about - the need to reform government. Couric: But can you give me any other concrete examples? Because I know you've said Barack Obama is a lot of talk and no action. Can you give me any other examples in his 26 years of John McCain truly taking a stand on this? Palin: I can give you examples of things that John McCain has done, that has shown his foresight, his pragmatism, and his leadership abilities. And that is what America needs today. Couric: I'm just going to ask you one more time - not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation. Palin: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you.
3. Troopergate - found to have abused her power and office and violated the Alaska ethics law; this was authorized by a bipartisan panel of the state legislature dominated by the Republicans. Yet Sarah claimed it was a partisan witch hunt. I wonder if she knows what the word bipartisan means? She said she would cooperate with the investigation in July, and then after she was selected as the GOP VP candidate she refused to do so.
4. Supported the bridge to nowhere before she opposed it; then kept the money using it for other pork projects.
5. Never sold the jet on eBay, it was sold by a broker at a loss to taxpayers of nearly $600,000.
6. As governor, she sought travel reimbursement for 312 nights she spent in her own home.
7. Signature accomplishment as mayor; building a $15 million dollar hockey arena that plunged the city into debt. Broke ground on the project without finalizing the city's purchase of the land; the resulting fiasco cost Wasilla $1.3 million.
8. Hired a lobbyist who worked for Jack Abramoff to secure $27 million in pork for Wasilla.
9. Would not support abortion for women who are raped.
10. Could not name any court case except Roe v. Wade.
Alaska panel finds Palin abused power
Campaign officials tried to pre-empt lawmakers with report clearing Palin
"A legislative committee investigating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has found she unlawfully abused her authority in firing the state's public safety commissioner.
The investigative report concludes that a family grudge wasn't the sole reason for firing Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan but says it likely was a contributing factor." MS-NBC, October 10, 2008
Sarah Palin isn't a maverick. Abusing your power in office for personal gain is not the change and real reform we need in Washington. For the last eight years we have seen Republican corruption. Enron, the leaking of a CIA agent’s identity by the White House as a personal vendetta, Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham, Ted Stevens, etc. A brief lesson in American History is relevant here. Republican President’s have a history of scandal and corruption.
President Warren G. Harding’s (1921-1923) cabinet included a group called the Ohio Gang, the president’s poker-playing cronies, who would soon cause a great deal of embarrassment. His corrupt friends used their offices to become wealthy through graft; Charles R. Forbes the head of the Veterans Bureau, was caught illegally selling government and hospital supplies to private companies. The most egregious scandal was Teapot Dome. The Government had set away rich oil lands at Teapot Dome, Wyoming and Elk Hills, California for use by the U.S. Navy Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall got the land transferred from the Navy to the Department of Interior, then secretly leased the land to two oil companies, in return he received more than $400,000 in “loans, bonds, and cash.”
President Richard M. Nixon's (1969-1974) involvement in Watergate resulted in the indictment of several of Nixon's closest advisors and ultimately his resignation on August 9, 1974. The scandal began with the arrest of five men for breaking and entering into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. Investigations conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and later by the Senate Watergate Committee, House Judiciary Committee, and the press revealed that this burglary was one of many illegal activities authorized and carried out by Nixon's staff and loyalists. They also revealed the immense scope of crimes and abuses, which included campaign fraud, political espionage and sabotage, illegal break-ins, improper tax audits, illegal wiretapping on a massive scale, and a secret slush fund laundered in Mexico to pay those who conducted these operations. This secret fund was also used as hush money to buy silence of the seven men who were indicted for the June 17 break-in. Nixon and his staff conspired to cover up the break in as early as six days after it occurred. After two years of mounting evidence against the President and his staff, which included former staff members testifying against them in a Senate investigation, it was revealed that Nixon had a tape recording system in his offices and that he had recorded many conversations. Recordings from these tapes revealed that he had obstructed justice and attempted to cover up the break-in. With certainty of an impeachment in the House of Representatives and of a conviction in the Senate, Nixon resigned ten days later, becoming the only US President to have resigned from office.
The Reagan Administration’s (1981-1989) Iran-Contra Affair which was revealed in November 1986 involved the illegal sale of U.S. weapons to Iran and then diverting a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales to fund anti-Sandinista and anti-communist rebels, or Contras, in Nicaragua. The plan eventually deteriorated into an arms-for-hostages scheme, in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of the American hostages, without the direct authorization of President Ronald Reagan. Many investigations ensued, including those by the United States Congress and the three-man, Reagan-appointed Tower Commission. Neither could find any evidence that Reagan himself knew of the extent of the multiple programs. In the end, fourteen administration officials were charged with crimes, and eleven convicted, including then-Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger.
George Santayana wrote, “Those who don’t remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.” Surely, we don’t want to repeat the corrupt and scandal ridden years of Republican Administrations. McCain/Palin offer more of the same as evidenced from their respective records (McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five Scandal and Palin’s Troopergate). Sarah Palin thinks you won’t get it; that you don’t understand the importance of history. Sorry, we are not Joe Sick Pack, Sarah. Vote Obama/Biden for the real change America needs. Be a real maverick.
The Republicans are at it again. Since they have no idea on how to solve the current financial crisis and are losing on the issues, they have decided to assassinate Barack Obama’s character. Years ago when I was working on my Ph.D. in Political Science, I learned an old rule of politics, when you are losing change the venue. This usually applied to interest groups, who if they were unable to effectively lobby Congress, would turn to another institution (i.e., the courts) to seek their desired outcome or goal. Unfortunately, the McCain Campaign is doing the same thing. They can’t win on the issues, so they have invented a white horse that Obama pals around with domestic terrorists (Ayers). Although we know it isn’t true, by doing so they are trying to get the media, who sets the agenda, to shift focus from the economy to Obama’s character. Trust me, charges like that will not help anyone get a job, pay their mortgage, help to send their children to college, make health care more affordable, end the war in Iraq, allow us to achieve energy independence, or solve the current economic crisis. Republican dirty tricks won’t work if you use this as a clarion call to act. We need to stay on target and continue to stump for the Obama/Biden ticket. Talk to your friends, colleagues, and anyone who will listen. Make phone calls, canvass, and fundraise. Put a bumper sticker on your car, a sign in your yard, and wear an Obama button and t-shirt. Write letters to the editors of your local and national papers, post videos on You Tube, etc. And most importantly, vote on Election Day, by absentee ballot, or in early voting for Obama/Biden.
I will ask you two simple questions, are you better off economically then you were four years ago? Unless you are a CEO with a golden parachute the obvious answer is no. More Americans have lost their jobs (700,000 since January), their homes, and IRA's, 401Ks, and salaries have taken a nose dive during this period. The second question, are we safer today then before we invaded Iraq? The answer is no. First, Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11 and was never the center of terrorism. The center of terrorism was and still is Afghanistan were Al Qaeda is plotting another attack on this country. We were originally told that we went into Iraq because they had weapons of mass destruction. Lie #1. Then Bush said that the mission was accomplished shortly after we invaded. If that is the case why are we still in Iraq, while Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind 9-11 is still free? Because that is lie #2. Iraq costs us 10 billion a month, but Vets cannot get the healthcare they need and are homeless. Iraq has not made us safer but less secure. We need real change in America, someone who will fight for the middle class and go after the real terrorists like Osama Bin Laden. The Bush presidency has been the worst in American history. Not since the days of Herbert Hoover has the American economy been as bad. Now John McCain wants to give us more of the same. We simply can't afford four more years of failed economic and foreign policies. On November 4th or if you vote before then please vote for Obama/Biden the real change we need for America.
OK...he just doesn't get it. McCain, on the day TWO of America's major investment banks disappear of the face of the earth, still states that the economic fundamentals of the US are still sound. WTF!!!! In a matter of months, we have gone from 5 major investment banks to two. (Goldman-Sachs and Morgan Stanley) Does he not realize that unemployment is going through the roof, we are spending our children's financial future through massive deficit spending, gas is now at $4.25 a gallon because of a lack of energy diversification, and home foreclosures are at a all-time high? What is wrong with this man? Why aren't we crowing from the highest hills that this is not the man we need to elect to fix this nation's fiscal problems, which are substantial.
How can anyone who is not suffering economically support McCain? If you know any McCain supporters, ask them what is his plan to fix the economy, because I don't see one. And that is the main thing we need right now.
No Plan, No Palin, No McSame, No McCain!
If you have any friends or relatives that are still on the fence and undecided about Obama, especially based on their pocketbooks, I think you should use the following points to draw them in -
1. Are they doing better now then they were under the Clinton Administration?
2. Did they know that the Sec of Treasury and Sec of Labor under Clinton are on the Obama Economic advisory committee? They both were instumental in creating policies that help create the longest peacetime economic expansion in US history. They also created a budget surplus that would have begun to bing down the debt had it not been for the Bush tax cuts, and Iraq war costs.
3. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates both support Obama. Why would two of the richest men on Earth support somone who was a complete tax and spend liberal that could hurt their pocketbooks?
4. He is offering a tax cut to anybody who makes under $150K a year. Seniors who make less than 50K a year would pay NO taxes. Anybody who thinks he will allow tax increases on everyone is completely wrong. A tax increase will apply only to incomes over $250K a year, and an increase from 15% to 20% on capital gains. (Which is lower than it was under Clinton)
5. If Bush had not started this war, and cut taxes at the same time, we would have had a projected total federal debt in 2009 of $1 trillion dollars. Instead, we have a debt approaching $10 TRILLION dollars. The tax cuts of 2001 were voted by Republicans to be temporary because they know they have to be temporary because eventually, either we, or more likely our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, will have to pay this back one way or the other.
One of the things we as Obama supporters need to do is know not only what Obama's stances are on different issues, but also know what McCain's stances are. When you compare the two candidates - McCain ideas are just empty shell ideas, with very little concrete ideas as to how he is going to fix health care, the economy, etc.
I want to encourage all of you to go to McCain's website and compare his stances on issues vs Obama's. www.JohnMcCain.com There really is no comparison. If you can show others who are on the fence what Obama's plans are versus what McCain's are, Obama will win in a landslide.
I am going to start working on a "comparison" guide that will help people with talking points about both candidates, so you can show how more in depth and broad Obama's plans are when compared to McCain's. If anyone is interested in working on this with me, please let me know. Send and email to tjtforobama@charter.net
Go Obama 08!
In Washington, a U.S. official told a Congressional panel that Iran had made only "modest" progress in its nuclear programme because of U.N. sanctions, while warning Tehran that it would pay dearly if it pursued its current course.
Since when does the US make such an open threat? Why isn't this headline news? Is this just saber rattling on terms Iraq can understand or is this the preliminary to a war or airstrike? Why isn't this being discussed. Where is Obama on this?
