President Barack Obama plans to accept an invitation to speak at the University of Notre Dame. However, some religious organizations are mounting a campaign to discourage his attendance.
You can fight this unfortunate effort by signing the following petition:
Visit www.ObamaCatholics.com, or email ObamaCatholics@gmail.com for an e-mail embedded form!
Mi familia ha sido Demócratas desde los 1900 tempranos. En o acerca del 22 de octubre de 2008, mis padres (que son más grandes de 70 años de edad) fueron a votar temprano en la Municipalidad de Weslaco en Weslaco, Tejas. Una mujer que trabaja allí demostrando a mi madre cómo utilizar las máquinas electorales modernas, sólo le demonstro cómo votar por el partido Republicano.
Mi madre dice que la mujer le dijo, "Es así como usted vota por el partido Republicano". ¿Entonces ella preguntó, "Por quién vota usted? -- ¿Los Republicanos"?
Mi madre dice que ella se sentía presionada para votar por el Partido Republicano, pero ella en lugar pidió que la mujer se fuera. Ella votó por los Demócratas sólo después de que la mujer salió del puesto electoral. Ella me dijo acerca de su incidente, y yo decidí advertir a otros.
En Weslaco, yo he experimentado también muchas veces cuando ellos que corren los puestos de elección tratan de influir o conseguirme votar sin saberlo por los Republicanos.
Los demócratas necesitan ponerle más atención a lo que pasa aquí en Weslaco, Tejas.
¡Tenga un día feliz! ¡Long live los Demócratas!
My family have been Democrats since the early 1900s. On or about October 22, 2008, my elderly parents (who are over 70) went to vote early at the Weslaco City Hall in Weslaco, Texas. A woman working there demonstrated to my mother how to use the modern voting machines, but she kept showing her only how to vote for the Republican party.
My mother says that the woman kept saying, "This is how you vote for the Republican party." Then she asked, "Who are you voting for? -- The Republicans?"
My mother says that she felt pressured to vote for the Republican Party, but she instead asked the woman to walk out. She voted for the Democrats only after the women walked out of the voting booth. She told me about her incident, and I decided to warn others.
In Weslaco, I too have experienced many times when those running the election booths try to influence or get me to unknowingly vote Republican.
The Democrats need to pay more attention to what goes on here in Weslaco, Texas.
Have a terrific day! Viva los Democrats!
FANTASTIC early vote going on out there! So exciting for me to see. I've made my rounds in the neighborhoods too...and just wanted to mention to tell everyone you know to do the Texas Blue Step...VOTE BLUE.
ASIDE: Make it real simple and vote a straight democratic ticket. Spread the word. Here's my little photo collection from yesterday.
http://www.downballotblue.com
This is a reflection on the recent Wall Street bailout plan, and a few signs of human suffering that have been overlooked by elected officials.
* Note * If you want to cut straight to the chase: read the boxes below for a taste of what Americans are enduring in this current economic recession.
It is an appeal for politicians, the supposed keepers of the public voice, to do their job, and seek out the stories of real Americans suffering under the weight of such tragic life events as bankruptcy and home foreclosure.
Perhaps politicians have, for far too long, given their title an unfortunate negative slant. The meaning of the word politician, as given by the Online Etymology Dictionary, comes from the latin word politicus, which means "of citizens or the state, civil, civic," and from the Greek word politikos, "of citizens or the state." To sustain this meaning today requires that politicians must stay in contact with the actual citizens they represent on paper. This is surely the real motivation behind those who charge candidates with the capital crime of 'elitism' - simply that they fear elites will not serve faithfully as a voice for the common citizen.
When they speak, politicians are often inclined to balance their rhetoric between two extremes, selective statistical analysis and compelling but unsupported anecdotes. The rule goes something like this:
If you find a single fact that is on your side, give 'em "just the facts!"If not, introduce them to your new friend ... (insert name of hardworking average joe / jane)
If you find a single fact that is on your side, give 'em "just the facts!"
If not, introduce them to your new friend ... (insert name of hardworking average joe / jane)
And while the recent and continually unfolding economic crisis has been repeatedly discussed in bland financial terms, real Americans are upset that stories of human suffering are being tucked into the inside pages of small town newspapers, or buried in the middle of long and tedious technical tomes on the bailout plan.
Here are some telling anecdotes gleaned from other sources, that should be front page news:
This first has now become a national story, but I fear the sensationalist instinct in journalists will end up dishonoring this woman.
From NewsChannel5 in Ohio. AKRON, Ohio -- A 90-year-old homeowner who was about to be foreclosed on shot herself when Summit County sheriff's deputies attempted to serve her with a foreclosure eviction, according to Summit County Sheriff's Department officials.Officials said when the deputies knocked on the front door of the home located in the 1100 block of Lacroix Avenue they did not get an answer. They heard a banging noise coming from the second floor of the home.A neighbor arrived and said he was concerned about the homeowner, so he got a ladder and entered the home through a second-floor bathroom window. She was found in her bedroom.The homeowner likely shot herself.
From NewsChannel5 in Ohio.
AKRON, Ohio -- A 90-year-old homeowner who was about to be foreclosed on shot herself when Summit County sheriff's deputies attempted to serve her with a foreclosure eviction, according to Summit County Sheriff's Department officials.
Apparently, the woman is in critical condition at a local hospital. But what's more shocking is that Fannie Mae, her mortgage company (the one We - the U.S. taxpayer - bailed out earlier in September) then decided they would drop her loan, and give her the house. While this seems merciful, and is clearly designed to offset negative publicity, is that now the way to secure our homes? Is that a rule Fannie Mae will commit to? If you shoot yourself, we'll give you your house, no questions asked?
Here's the update on that story from CNN.com:
Fannie Mae said it will set aside the loan of a woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home. Fannie Mae foreclosed on the Akron, Ohio, home of Addie Polk, 90, after acquiring the mortgage in 2007. Addie Polk, 90, of Akron, Ohio, became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis when she was hospitalized after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon. On Friday, Fannie Mae spokesman Brian Faith said the mortgage association had decided to halt action against Polk and sign the property "outright" to her. "We're going to forgive whatever outstanding balance she had on the loan and give her the house," Faith said. "Given the circumstances, we think it's appropriate."
Fannie Mae said it will set aside the loan of a woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home.
Fannie Mae foreclosed on the Akron, Ohio, home of Addie Polk, 90, after acquiring the mortgage in 2007.
Addie Polk, 90, of Akron, Ohio, became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis when she was hospitalized after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon.
On Friday, Fannie Mae spokesman Brian Faith said the mortgage association had decided to halt action against Polk and sign the property "outright" to her.
"We're going to forgive whatever outstanding balance she had on the loan and give her the house," Faith said. "Given the circumstances, we think it's appropriate."
But, while it was among the more dramatic stories that captures the anguish of this financial crisis, today's story isn't an anomaly. In July, a much less talked about story that was eerily similar ran in the Boston Globe.
The Boston Globe By Michael Levenson Globe Staff / July 24, 2008 TAUNTON - The housing crunch has caused anguish and anxiety for millions of Americans. For Carlene Balderrama, a 53-year-old wife and mother, the pressure was apparently too much. Police say that Balderrama fatally shot herself Tuesday afternoon, 90 minutes before her foreclosed home was scheduled to be sold at auction. Chief Raymond O'Berg said that Balderrama faxed a letter to her mortgage company at 2:30 p.m., saying that "by the time they foreclosed on the house today she'd be dead."The mortgage company notified police, who found her body at 3:30 p.m. The auction had been scheduled to start at 5 p.m., when bidders showed up at the house and found it surrounded by police cruisers.
The Boston Globe
By Michael Levenson
TAUNTON - The housing crunch has caused anguish and anxiety for millions of Americans. For Carlene Balderrama, a 53-year-old wife and mother, the pressure was apparently too much.
Police say that Balderrama fatally shot herself Tuesday afternoon, 90 minutes before her foreclosed home was scheduled to be sold at auction. Chief Raymond O'Berg said that Balderrama faxed a letter to her mortgage company at 2:30 p.m., saying that "by the time they foreclosed on the house today she'd be dead."
The mortgage company notified police, who found her body at 3:30 p.m. The auction had been scheduled to start at 5 p.m., when bidders showed up at the house and found it surrounded by police cruisers.
Now, how about another topic, say healthcare. I came across this small anecdote, buried in a story written by The New York Times explaning why Democrats might have a chance in Florida.
From: In Florida's Economic Pain, Obama Gains GroundRepublicans, like Chris Hart, 48, [have] begun to sour on Mr. McCain. “Every time you turn around, he flips,” Mr. Hart said. A front-desk clerk at a local Y.M.C.A, he said he was also motivated by his need for health insurance, which had recently forced him to buy antibiotics at pet stores because it was cheaper than the pharmacy. While not sure that Democrats could get him the coverage he needed, Mr. Hart said he wished Mr. McCain focused more consistently on the issue. “I was in the Navy, in aviation like John McCain, so I feel like I’m getting punched by one of my own,” Mr. Hart said.
From: In Florida's Economic Pain, Obama Gains Ground
Republicans, like Chris Hart, 48, [have] begun to sour on Mr. McCain.
“Every time you turn around, he flips,” Mr. Hart said. A front-desk clerk at a local Y.M.C.A, he said he was also motivated by his need for health insurance, which had recently forced him to buy antibiotics at pet stores because it was cheaper than the pharmacy.
While not sure that Democrats could get him the coverage he needed, Mr. Hart said he wished Mr. McCain focused more consistently on the issue. “I was in the Navy, in aviation like John McCain, so I feel like I’m getting punched by one of my own,” Mr. Hart said.
What is our country coming to where folks who need medicine buy it on the cheap at pet stores? And 90 year-old residents have to shoot themselves twice to avoid foreclosure?
You can decide on your own. I'm supporting Obama, and advocating for a return to ethics-based legislation. In short: Are we doing what's right?
We live for our nation! We die for our nation! We honor our nation, and we pay taxes to our nation. It’s good to ask what you can do for your nation as long as you also ask: What does the nation do for you?
The need for a reciprocal relationship, a win-win arrangement between people and government, is embodied in this great election. A country’s success is measured by its opportunities in Employment, Education and Health. This is a known given. Obama and Biden will make the changes in Employment, Education and Health Care (What I call the EEH of our country) when elected.
The Republican Party always neglects the Employment, Education and Health care (EEH) for all. These three elements are “the legs to the table” if government was a table. Republicans have delayed many cultural improvements in the three core loci: Employment, Education and Health (the“EEH”). McCain and the Republicans refuse to create better EEH opportunities for the people yet continue to rule them and tax them.
Enough! No more excuses! Give us a government that works! Give us better opportunities in employment, learning and secure our wellbeing. McCain, like Bush, excuses their Republican Party from making any cultural improvements for the people by instilling the fear of the “Big Government” or the “Dangerous world of terrorism.”
The Republican’s idea of a “Small Government” is one which doesn’t work; one that does nothing for the citizens other than taxes them and rule by fear. McCain, like Bush, is again promoting a false agenda of fear as an excuse for their lack of care for the people. McCain even wants to privatize Social Security.
The Republicans refuse to accept their responsibilities to the people as government officials, and, by a strategy of fear, get the people and the EEH off the spotlight. We can’t let the John McCain’s camp take us off focus with their “Big Government” lines. Big Government is what Bush and McCain have given these past eight years, a government where you pay your taxes and the government does nothing for you. Is this their idea of “small government?” Don’t lose your focus with his outright lies.
Do they think Americans are stupid? Enough!
We are a nation of intelligent people! Obama and Biden are the people’s candidates. Elect Obama and Biden on November 4.
I Vote For Obama
By Amory Pecina
Why I vote for Obama for reason? I vote for Obama, as canal president know how to change around the Washington to American people and Hispanic people. I have been vote for Democratic Government also Senator and President help the people with disabilities achieve their education in everything let the people have lot fun activity. I vote for Obama have been encouraged to these people in their education. I know I vote for Obama to believe change in education, ability, family in the people from USA.
The education has been give less money to their educator also the assistive technology from President Bush. We need president bring positives change to education in federal law and state law. The (American with Disabilities Act) ADA and (Individual with Disabilities Act) IDEA is big mess don’t modification to the youth adult student with disabilities in college, I ask why to the president Bush don’t give modification to their education in paper said professors don’t modifications to the student with disabilities is legal law to me. Obama believe every student with disabilities should have modification high school to college to basic course from student with disabilities for every thing. I know Obama have to do change to the education in many things to positive way to the student to enter their college education
The ability used can to many thing thought to Obama have told about ability to every people. The ability have been person have to encouraged their people have to ability telling, we believe to can change positive thing to their ability. The people with disability can vote for democrat president and we’re ability to be with the normal people. Obama told people about ability to many the people achieve their dream in American. If I have ability to speak by myself to many thing for Obama in ability of encourage to the people.
The family in middle class and poor is less money from their pocket pay bill. The some family in poor doesn’t have medical intersection enough intersection policy bills from healthcare. Obama have promise to do everything for the family in middle and poor. I know my family struggle to reach healthcare to do everything in American but I’m disability, I have serve accident from my cerebral palsy in my life I know my parents have to pay everything for medical intersection. Obama have many things to do for family to be happy in their future also they are stay here in American.
I know why I vote for reason to Obama in education, ability, and family in their life to be United State Of American. I know we believe in Obama to ability these change to enough to therapies. I have to enough for no more in Republic President is lazy bone to them troublemaker in all year. It is finish chapter in begin new chapter Obama President. Obama is let the people going pretty to be liberty to now way to be happy people respect.
Over 100 students took a mid-day break from classes to help inaugurate the new UT Obama HQ at Dobie mall just on the outskirts of the University of Texas campus. Student leaders set up a barbecue outside and were helping to feed the volunteers who were signing up for phone banking and campus canvass shifts.
Hope – like barbecue-- comes in unlimited quantities here at Dobie HQ
Things are moving fast here at the University of Texas and the students are really fired up to have an Obama HQ so close to campus. The line to get involved wrapped around the office and there were student videographers and student reporters roaming around hoping to capture this excitement. It’s so inspiring and empowering to see an office filled and staffed by so many young people.
There is a great sound system set up here and the office is decorated with classic Obama pictures as well as some of the more unique art that was donated or painted by students in preparation for the office opening.
There are some really unique opportunities outside the campus and the student grassroots has gotten really creative with their outreach on behalf of Barack Obama. We have seen people wearing sandwich boards directing people to the early vote lookup tool on our website—which is the best way to help Barack because you can vote today at locations all across the state.
Several students have even started their own online organizing teams—reaching out to their friends on Facebook, MySpace (Visit the TX Obama page), and other social networks to get the word out about Barack and encourage their friends, family, and neighbors to vote early.
Join us at the New UT HQ in the Dobie Mall and help us energize and mobilize the UT campus.
