From Organizing for America Deputy Director, Jeremy Bird:
Last week the President laid out his health reform plan and challenged Congress to act. OFA volunteers leapt into action, generating hundreds of thousands of signatures and calls to show grassroots support. Now we need to reach out in our communities, spread the facts about the President's plan, and bring new voices of support into Washington. If you can spare your lunch hour (or a couple of hours whenever you're free), you can help make it happen. Here's how: Organize or attend a "Health Reform Phone Booth." It's simple: Just join up with other supporters in a public area where people will pass by, distribute fact sheets about the President's plan, and help folks call their members of Congress on the spot to voice their support.You can search online to see if there's a booth already set up near you. But if not, just host your own! We'll give you all the materials, phone numbers, and step-by-step instructions you need to make it a success -- and when you register your Phone Booth online, other OFA volunteers can join you to lend a hand: http://my.barackobama.com/SeptPhoneBooth Passing health reform won't be easy -- they've been talking about it in Washington for almost a century. But we know that when ordinary people who believe in change reach out, spread the facts, and help folks from all walks of life make their voices heard, we can make history. Thanks for making it happen, Jeremy Jeremy Bird Deputy Director Organizing for America P.S. -- In August we asked a few OFA volunteers to test out running a Health Reform Phone Booth in their area, and we got great reports -- even from folks who were pretty nervous before they began. Here are just a couple:I will confess that I questioned my decision to host an event the instant I hit the send button. I imagined myself on a street corner, handing out fliers like the guys hand out restaurant flyers. Relief struck when the first volunteer signed up with me. Imagine how thrilled I was when 15 had signed up!... We distributed 300 phone booth sheets and 600 info sheets... The best part, one of our volunteers was 79 1/2 years old. She was remarkable. Thank you for this opportunity. I am very glad I did it, no matter how nervous I was.-- Mark P. from New York, New YorkWe had two veterans tell us that they were very happy with the VA system, and one vowed to write a letter to the editor to dispel the myths that that system doesn't work. Many people thanked us for having a booth and for trying to dispel the lies being spread by opponents of reform.-- Mike O. from Bozeman, Montana
Last week the President laid out his health reform plan and challenged Congress to act. OFA volunteers leapt into action, generating hundreds of thousands of signatures and calls to show grassroots support. Now we need to reach out in our communities, spread the facts about the President's plan, and bring new voices of support into Washington. If you can spare your lunch hour (or a couple of hours whenever you're free), you can help make it happen. Here's how: Organize or attend a "Health Reform Phone Booth." It's simple: Just join up with other supporters in a public area where people will pass by, distribute fact sheets about the President's plan, and help folks call their members of Congress on the spot to voice their support.
You can search online to see if there's a booth already set up near you. But if not, just host your own! We'll give you all the materials, phone numbers, and step-by-step instructions you need to make it a success -- and when you register your Phone Booth online, other OFA volunteers can join you to lend a hand: http://my.barackobama.com/SeptPhoneBooth Passing health reform won't be easy -- they've been talking about it in Washington for almost a century. But we know that when ordinary people who believe in change reach out, spread the facts, and help folks from all walks of life make their voices heard, we can make history. Thanks for making it happen, Jeremy Jeremy Bird Deputy Director Organizing for America P.S. -- In August we asked a few OFA volunteers to test out running a Health Reform Phone Booth in their area, and we got great reports -- even from folks who were pretty nervous before they began. Here are just a couple:
I will confess that I questioned my decision to host an event the instant I hit the send button. I imagined myself on a street corner, handing out fliers like the guys hand out restaurant flyers. Relief struck when the first volunteer signed up with me. Imagine how thrilled I was when 15 had signed up!... We distributed 300 phone booth sheets and 600 info sheets... The best part, one of our volunteers was 79 1/2 years old. She was remarkable. Thank you for this opportunity. I am very glad I did it, no matter how nervous I was.
-- Mark P. from New York, New York
We had two veterans tell us that they were very happy with the VA system, and one vowed to write a letter to the editor to dispel the myths that that system doesn't work. Many people thanked us for having a booth and for trying to dispel the lies being spread by opponents of reform.
-- Mike O. from Bozeman, Montana
S. CON. RES. 26
Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. BOND, and Mr. COCHRAN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was ordered held at the desk.
One Question: Why Now??????????
Senate Democrats, Why are You not following the President's Agenda?.
President Barack Obama asked the Senate for Health Care/Public Option and etc., Yet the Senate refused.
Please go back and study and learn President Obama Race Speech and then MOVE ON...
The American People Are on the same page, and We all want better lives, healthcare, peace prosperity, and security. The American people are unified and are walking in complete solidarity when it comes to the Great People of the United States of America Advancing to greatness and prominence.
This waterdowned resolution is unwarrented and unnesessary.
To the Writers of this resoultion:You are out of Touch with the American People.
The Resounding answer and reaction to this resolution(in my community) has been Noooo and No Thank You!!!!!
Shocker: Even President Bush gets a shot out in this one.
What in the World Is going on With The Senate.
The Senate Democrats can't even close gitmo and yet they have the audacity to gloss over and gitmo the African-American People ith three measly little paragraphs.
Please drop this motion and please take up the President's Mandate and Call and stop disrespecting him by watering down his plans for The American People, and Stop voting against His Agenda. He Won and You Didn't. The American People trust Him and want his Policies and Resolutions, Not Yours!!!!!!
Senate Deomcrats, In Your Own Minds, You may be sincere, but you are sincerly WRONG.
Thank You President Barack Obama for being a beacon set alight on a Hill!!!
Thank You President Obama for teaching principles and wisdom!!!!
Thank You President Barack Obama for not marginalizing the black and white community!!!
Thank You President Barack Obama for finding your purpose and destiny in life!!!!
Thank You President Barack Obama for not using us (black, white, asian, hispanic, jewish, christian, muslim, hindu, believers, non-believers), nor allowing any of us to be used as bargining chips by the Senate and Congress.
May God Continue to Bless America and May He Continue to Always Bless the United States of America.
Mitch Stewart sent out an email today thanking supporters for the work they did to help pass the President's budgets, and asking them to help spread the word about the work they're doing in communities across America:
Evans Politics Liberal Politics, April 12, 2009, by Paul Evans
The powers that were from the Bush administration are keeping their noses firmly in midst of the media limelight. Limbaugh stated that he wants President Obama to fail, and the media is still talking about that. Dick Cheney pugnaciously declared about April 7th that President Obama's policies were making America less safe, setting off major jawboning among the talking heads. It seemed to finally be settling down, only to have Karl Rove call Vice President Biden a "Liar," as you might expect on Fox News, on April 10th. (Watch the discussion of this on Hardball on Evans Politics Videos, here.) Eugene Robinson on that Hardball show made that point that Rove is showing up all over the place, which "doesn't sound like that great an idea to me. ....Whatever he's doing he's doing a lot of it. He seems very determined to be a player, and to try to set some kind of tone and agenda for the Republican talking points machine...."
Over at the Washington Monthly on April 11, Steve Benen is making exactly the point I am making about this:
KEEP ON TALKING, KARL.... Three of the least respected, least admired figures in contemporary American politics are Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove. If Democratic leaders had their way, these three would be up front and center as much as possible. Especially as far as the White House is concerned, the more three on the attack, the better President Obama and his team look.And wouldn't you know it, in these early months of the Obama presidency, it's working out pretty well.Limbaugh has strengthened his reputation as the de facto leader of the party; Dick Cheney is annoying Republicans by making so many public appearances and taking cheap shots at the nation's leadership; and Karl Rove is arguably an even more rabid attack dog now than he was when he helped run the White House.
KEEP ON TALKING, KARL.... Three of the least respected, least admired figures in contemporary American politics are Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove. If Democratic leaders had their way, these three would be up front and center as much as possible. Especially as far as the White House is concerned, the more three on the attack, the better President Obama and his team look.
And wouldn't you know it, in these early months of the Obama presidency, it's working out pretty well.
Limbaugh has strengthened his reputation as the de facto leader of the party; Dick Cheney is annoying Republicans by making so many public appearances and taking cheap shots at the nation's leadership; and Karl Rove is arguably an even more rabid attack dog now than he was when he helped run the White House.
And the polling numbers support the idea that having Rove, Cheney and Limbaugh lead the charge for the GOP is something Democrats can feel pretty satisfied about. At MSNBC's First Read on April 10, here, Mark Murray wrote a piece titled "GOP Deperately Seeking Mr. Popular":
We can tell you one thing about the current Karl Rove-vs.-Joe Biden spat: Democrats are loving every second of it.Why? Because -- as with Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh before him -- the public has a very sour opinion of Rove. "We're not too worried that Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, and Dick Cheney are battling it out to remain the face of the Republican Party," a Dem strategist emails First Read. "Every time Rove pops up, it just serves to remind people what they wanted to change."...snip...An August 2007 Gallup poll showed Rove's standing at 26% favorable, 44% unfavorable. Another Gallup poll early this year had Limbaugh's at 28%-45%. Per the December 2008 NBC/WSJ poll, Cheney's was 21%-58%.
We can tell you one thing about the current Karl Rove-vs.-Joe Biden spat: Democrats are loving every second of it.
Why? Because -- as with Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh before him -- the public has a very sour opinion of Rove. "We're not too worried that Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, and Dick Cheney are battling it out to remain the face of the Republican Party," a Dem strategist emails First Read. "Every time Rove pops up, it just serves to remind people what they wanted to change."
...snip...
An August 2007 Gallup poll showed Rove's standing at 26% favorable, 44% unfavorable. Another Gallup poll early this year had Limbaugh's at 28%-45%. Per the December 2008 NBC/WSJ poll, Cheney's was 21%-58%.
I did a little more digging on the approval ratings of the Repugnant Three to see if I could find more current data. Gallop did a poll between March 27 - 29 of 2009 on favorable/unfavorable percentages. At that time Karl Rove was 21% favorable, 44% unfavorable and 35% "never heard of/no opinion" (How anyone could either not have heard of these guys or have no opinion about them is beyond me, but I guess a lot of Americans are just not that into politics.) Cheney had a 30% favorable result (and our former fearless leader, George W. Bush had advanced into the stratospheric realm at 35%, from an all-time low of 28% on at least one poll). Pollster.com for November 4-5, 2008, among likely voters, had Rush Limbaugh at 23% favorable, 51% unfavorable and 26% "neutral/no opinion." Also for Rush Limbaugh, Gallop had a poll from February 5th of 2009:
Gallop Poll - February 5, 2009Rush Limbaugh Popularity
Republican: 60% Favorable; 23% Unfavorable; 17% Other*Independent: 25% Favorable; 45% Unfavorable; 30% Other*Democrat: 6% Favorable; 63% Unfavorable; 31% Other*
Republican: 60% Favorable; 23% Unfavorable; 17% Other*
Independent: 25% Favorable; 45% Unfavorable; 30% Other*
Democrat: 6% Favorable; 63% Unfavorable; 31% Other*
* Other = "Never heard of/No opinion"
So long as no clear popular leader of the GOP emerges, Democrats are perfectly comfortable with letting Rove, Cheney and Limbaugh thrust their immense egos into the spotlight. We don't even really have a preference: let the three of them vie for face time, it's all good. The Repugnant Three, hated as they were during the painful eight years of George W. Bush, are good news these days for the Obama administration.
I got my email from my.barackobama.com the other day and it contained a mini script to get me started and my senators and congressmans phone numbers. I did my duty as an american. It is <strong>our</strong> government and if we let it run wild like a 3 year old child it will take every advantage it can find. So this is what we have to do to insure that democracy stays viable. We have to actually participate, what a concept. But a lot of us do not know, never even heard of such a thing, forgot how to, or figure it is pointless to try to actually speak to our representatives in person.
It is not impossible. Maybe a little frustrating, but worth it. If they know that we care and are actually checking on things and following through then they will REALLY have to do their jobs. When they vote they will actually have to think if it is really what WE want them to vote, because we may check up on them.
Many people all over the country buy stocks or get placed on board of companys and coprorations ans sign a proxy giving their right to vote on issues to someone else. So this sort of defeats the purpose of them even having a vote.
Maybe the banks and large corporations would not be in such a fix if people actually took the time to read on issues and personally vote on them.
I mean who would vote YES on a CEO getting a million dollar remodel. I guess the best friend of his/her that was in charge of all the proxies.
So you see, each of us can make a difference in our oun little way and as a group we are the most powerful country in the world.
Here is the response so far that I got when I tried to make my calls. I will continue to call until I thank them for supporting the stimulus. Even if I do not agree with everything about it they did take the time to show up and vote and they at least had some thought of putting money in to the economy.
Congress
Rep. John Conyers202-225-5126
he is not in office now call back in a few hours. 2/24/2009 10:05 AM EST
got rather annoyed lady operator left my number 2/24/2009 1:31 PM ESTSenateSen. Carl Levin202-224-6221rang and rang and rang no answer. 2/24/2009 10:09 AM EST
too busy to talk to people or return calls assistant did not take name or numbr 2/24/2009 1:33 PM ESTSen. Debbie Stabenow202-224-4822left message. 2/24/2009 10:11 AM EST
assistant took my name number said will get response from her 2/24/2009 1:35 PM EST
I personally think no problem ever gets solved by throwing money at it. But the best thing to do when people shout for money is to give ti to them so that they shut up (whining is distracting). Then work on a real solution.
By now, it's clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of jobs that Americans relied on just a year ago are gone; millions more of the nest eggs families worked so hard to build have vanished. People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring.
Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes. And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.
So we have a choice to make. We can once again let Washington's bad habits stand in the way of progress. Or we can pull together and say that in America, our destiny isn't written for us but by us. We can place good ideas ahead of old ideological battles, and a sense of purpose above the same narrow partisanship. We can act boldly to turn crisis into opportunity and, together, write the next great chapter in our history and meet the test of our time.
The writer is president of the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403174.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
After a frustrating few days using the Citizen's Briefing Book on change.gov - only to have them pull the plug - I've taken the initiative to launch an open-source, citizen-driven project to create its replacement: The People's Agenda ( http://www.99americans.org/ )
This is an invitation to any or all of you to come there and help me with this effort.
This was the best way I could think of to spend the last few working hours of this national day of service.
The American People have Spoken, There is no turning back. We Now have a President Who Will Fight for For US All. I Love how President -Elect(using that elect add on term for 35 more plus days) is Working on Our Behalf. Mr. President Obama is Cool and First Lady Michelle is Cooler, but I have got to give all of the props to their kids Malia and Sasha because they are the coolest.
May God Continue to bless Barack Obama and His Family, and May God Continue to Prosper and keep all of The People of the Unitd States of America.
Hi
This is where the testimony of hope, laughter and love comes in. She is like a summer breeze my mother (Hehe). When my mother learned of the possibility of me being (shhh lets not say it) she sign and said, "Mmm, you might be able to get unemployment". Without hesitation my respond was, "Mom, even unemployment will start layoffs".
Don't panic, laught it out. Seriously, whatelse are you going to do. In no shape or form is stress the answer. You deserve to laugh until you cry. My Mom sure did and that made me happy. God bless her. It was like watching Uma Thurman in the end of KB 2, when she was on the bathroom floor.
Sometime our dreams travel to the bed of winter.
Covered by snowflakes and unforgiving winter storms.
With only a minor spark unfrozen,
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting to explode.
Sometime we ignore this
While, blinded by our stupidity
Or crippled by our circumstances
But these are not time for boundaries,
Nether was yesterday orr tomorrow
But empowerment.
For life is not an entrapment
Designed for failure Or is it?
Sometime we may think this.
For even the mistakes of our forefather
Carve our repercussion and we should never be blinded of this.
Still, how much more shall we give?
How much time shall we try only to feel defeated and denied?
I wonder, is a thousand times infinity enough?
So, when nothing is left but pain and anguished
When nothing is left
But a sparks from an abundant dream and memories.
When nothing is left but death and defeat
Or so it seem... Shall, we not raise?
TK McLaren(c)
Inspired by my favorite poem of all time. A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes. Also, thanks, MR. President
Advice: Always carry a can of RID, RAID and REPORTED with you everywhere you go on this BLOG...just to be safe of course and SPRRAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!
SHHHHHHH...SSSHHHHHHHHHH...SSSHHHHHHHHHHH.
An open invitation to join : President Barack Obama Inauguration Day 2009 - Washington, DC Group!!!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/InaugurationDay2009
Make plans to be in DC on this historical day!
Make plans to be tuned in with TV and/or the Internet.
Be out in public with friends and fellow citizens.
A Grand and Wonderful Celebration!
Here are ten quick ideas for the coming Obama administration. The GSA commissioned this article last year. A PDF version and looong version with international examples is available.
Ten Practical Online Steps for Government Support of Democracy
By Steven CliftChair, E-Democracy.Org and Ashoka Fellow
This article will appear in the upcoming Intergovernmental Solutions newsletter of the U.S. federalGeneral Services Administration: http://tinyurl.com/2dhl9s
Does e-government have anything to do with democracy and citizen participation? Let's getstraight to the point - not yet.
Should it?
Yes. Government should be leading a charge into the increasingly and fundamentally interactiveweb.
Information access, considered the safe starting point for government accountability online nowmostly presents the public a daunting needle in a huge haystack. This system is so complicatedthat the valuable and substantive information that government produces is often ignored in theincreasingly interactive public lives of active citizens. . The lack of real and effective online accessto governance will substantially increase cynicism about and distrust in government among apublic that demands a more participatory representative democracy.
A bit of context: I coordinated e-government for the State of Minnesota in its early days. As acitizen, I independently started E-Democracy.Org which created the world’s first electioninformation and discussion website in 1994. When “services first, democracy later” envelopedmost e-government projects, I went independent in late 1997. Since then, I've spoken andconsulted across 26 countries on "e-democracy.”
Here are the 10 things I would do in government at every level to help rescue our democracy inthe information age.
1. Timely, personalized access to information that matters.
Government decision-making information is not really public or relevant if people cannot act on itwhen it still matters. Give people tools like personalized e-mail alerts based on keywords,location, etc. and eliminate the "nobody told me" backlash government often receives due topoor public outreach. Every government needs a “what’s new” democracy portal or a thematicsection covering all democratic processes as part of their main website.
2. Help elected officials receive and sort, then better understand and respond to email.
E-mail overload is the number one complaint I hear from elected officials around the world. Mostwant to respond effectively, but simply aren't being provided the tools they need. If there everwas an opportunity for open source collaboration among governments, this is it. In general, ourrepresentatives and representative institutions must start to invest in the online infrastructurethey need to connect directly with the public they represent.
3. Dedicate at least 10% of new e-government developments to democracy.
Let’s define democracy starting with public input. In an e-service initiative, the 10% should startwith citizen focus groups to guide the design of the service, usability testing and studies togenerate user input and accountability, and post-transaction user surveys. If the investment is anew content management system for information access, then use the 10% to addpersonalization and survey input features or democratized navigation (those nifty menus thatshow you the top ten articles viewed that day or week).
4. Announce all government public meetings on the Internet in a uniform manner.
All public meeting notices, agendas, handouts, and digital recordings must be online. The systemshould be standards-based and tie state-by-state systems into a national network coveringfederal, state, and local government public meetings. This is the only way for people to ask to bepro-actively notified of any government public meetings within a certain geographic areaaddressing specific topics that interest them.
5. Allow citizens to look-up all of their elected officials from the very local to nationalin one search.
Along with the ability to look-up all public meetings, Americans should have the right to easilydetermine who all the elected and appointed officials are who represent them currently. Justbefore elected and appointed officials assume office, every government unit should be requiredto submit contact information for those officials into a national database.
6. Host online public hearings and dialogues (or “e-consultations” as they are knownoutside the U.S.)
As in-person public meetings begin to incorporate live online features, envision more deliberateonline exchanges to improve the outcomes of the decision-making process. If your governmentagency hosts three public hearings across the country or your state, host the fourth hearingonline over a week or two and improve the format in the process. In 10 years, the legislatures,commissions and city councils not holding hearings online will be in the minority.
7. Embrace the rule of law by mandating the most democratically empowering onlineservices and rights across the whole of government.
Technology itself is not forcing real institutional democratic change. I estimate that 90% of thedemocratic innovations online that really share power are based on a political tradition or lawthat existed before the Internet arrived. If we want all citizens to benefit universally from a morewired democracy, then now is time to update our legal requirements and fund core onlinedemocracy services.
8. Promote dissemination through access to raw data from decision-makinginformation systems.
Let’s explode decision-making data, like Congressional information and rulemaking relatedcontent into bits via XML and open standards and make it easy to re-use public government datafrom many sources to create views and searches that provide insight, understanding, andaccountability. Think “Web 2.0” interactivity built on top of government data by those outside ofgovernment.
9. Fund Open Source sharing internationally across e-government.
Sharing and supporting open source software takes resources – a consortium of nationalgovernments need to step up with collaborative funding. The new and less cluttered area of eparticipation tools are an ideal starting point within e-government to reduce technology costs andbuild systems for use by multiple governments.. Efforts to place modules and customizations outfor community use will be key. Government and its vendors must contribute code back for thewheels of reciprocal value to start turning.
10. Local up – a strategic approach to building local democracy online.
To build e-participation momentum, citizens need to experience results they can see and touch.By investing in transferable local models and tools, more people will use the Internet as a tool tostrength their communities, protect and enrich their families and neighborhoods, and be heard ina meaningful way. Every community needs an “online town hall,” E-Democracy.Org calls themIssues Forums, for agenda-setting discussion of public issues. Comparative evaluation of accessand participation related online service and content indicators will introduce efforts for an online"Democracy Tune-up." This same tune-up concept should be applied at the state and federallevel as well.
Conclusion
In the early days, folks thought the Internet was inherently democratic. Parts of it are, but thatmistaken sense of technological determinisms has not carried over to make constitutional andlegally-ground representative processes more open and responsive. Today, “politics as usual”online may actually make things worse. Civically conceived e-participation efforts need to countersuch negative trends rather than being viewed as an extra option. Ultimately, each generationneeds to rebuild democracy with the special tools of their time. Our tools are online and ourdemocracy needs us.
Steven Clift leads the “Online Consultation and E-Participation” online community of practice atDoWire.Org and shares numerous articles on e-democracy from Publicus.Net. An extendedversion of this article with specific examples is available from that site.
