Today I watched the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Hussein Obama, with 16 friends from my hometown, who assembled with less than 24 hours notice to be together for this historic occasion. We work together to make things happen in out town, and we supported his candidacy for president. Many who replied to the impromptu email invitation but could not attend were planning to take a break from work, some were planning to stop class teaching high school students or college students or watch at home with a mother or children. But nobody was planning to miss it. I got the sense of a moment in which the whole world paused to show reverence for this remarkable man, his remarkable family, on this remarkable occasion. Barack Obama is not just the most dignified and capable candidate and leader I could imagine, but he is so warm and engaging across such a wide spectrum, relevant and contemporary, and yes, fun! This is the changing face of America indeed.
The people who attended were moved to tears, inspired for our future and glad to be together with friends to celebrate. Obama will bring people together, as he inspired us to do in my living room today. These friends are the ones who make change in their neighborhoods, schools, and community in a multitude of small ways, and they were recharged to go out and do more. Thank you, Obama, for the Renewed Energy!
How did you mark the occasion? Let's share our stories!
I have spent 2 and a half years working to see Barack Obama become President of the United States of America. I believe in the message of this campaign, and I believe in the quality of his character. I believe in the beauty that I've witnessed in Washington, DC, Virginia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, and, now, Wisconsins. The beauty and patriotisim I've seen in the eyes of the people whose doors I've knocked on, the hope and spirit I've heard in the voice of people's whose houses I've called. I see the struggle of families whose homes have a foreclosure sign in their yards - and I spend every ounce of my energy trying to convince them that they and their co-workers and neighbors and friends and family have the power to change this world. I believe in the light I see flicker deep within their pupils when they hear the words of a man that shows them what they can do.
I am thankful for the sense of empowerment that this campaign has spread throughout the country. I am thankful for the opportunity I've had to connect with people that are so completely different from me in almost every way except the most important - we're all human. We're all Americans. We're all hopeful for our futures and the future of our families.
Two nights ago, I talked to a man who told me that he lives so far out in central Wisconsin that they don't get television channels, they don't listen to the radio, they can't see their neighbors' homes, and they have to go to the post office themselves for their mail, but he is damn sure voting for Barack Obama. He says they call him "Okie Bokie" out there, but they're working on the family car to make sure it'll start up on Tuesday - so they can go to the polls.
I talked to a man who had no idea what Obama's position was on guns, and (thanks to my damn iPhone app) I looked it up, then and there...and told him. He was surprised. At first he wasn't going to vote. He's now voting for Obama.
And McCain's got what? Who? Joe the plumber??? Well, I've talked to John the farmer, Tamara the public works employee, Daniel the lumber yard worker, and Arlyn the factory worker - they all see that they're being paid less and less each year. With rising health care costs, higher college tuition prices, and bills that are piling up, they see that they can't go another year with things the way that they are.
I believe in this, you guys! I believe in it so much, that I've lost count of how many cold mornings I've spent out talking to people, handing fliers to people hustling to work, listening to rally speakers, trying to convince people that drafting a man named Barack Obama in 2008 would be the best thing for this country, or how many phone calls I've made, voicemails I've left, or doors I've knocked on. I've got blisters. I soak in epsom salt every night, my first hotel room here in Madison had bed bugs (ewwwwww)...and two trips to urgent care and one prescription later - I'm back at it. I won't give up. And I know this is not in vain. Whatever happens on Tuesday, I believe in all of the AMAZING things I've seen. The wonderful people I will stay in touch with. The elegance, grace, and dignity of the Obama campaign. I believe in it.
I believe in the change it's already made to the fabric of this country. I believe in the enthusiasm, renewed energy, and hope it's instilled in me. I believe in the excitement I heard in my grandmother's voice tonight. I believe in the people who've been right along side me. I believe.
And if you believe - you have to vote. Donate. Make calls. Drive someone to the polls. Canvass for Obama. Do something. Something beyond what you may have done in the past. If this feels different, do something different. If you recognize the uniqueness of this campaign, the importance of this year, the urgency of NOW, don't just do the same doggone stuff you've done in the past. In past years, that have scarred us for life about the transparency and/or equity of democratic process in this country. Don't moan and groan. Don't just go through the motions. Do something. Believers, true believers, act upon their beliefs.
Donate to the campaign in these last hours. Sign up to volunteer. Make this country what you want it to be.
I believe...in YOU.
I spent the morning in Beloit and the afternoon in Madison (bad idea, considering it was UW's homecoming)!
I'm exhausted, and I'm still planning to drive to Chicago tomorrow night. We canvassed in Beloit, picking up lists, coffee, and literature at the steelworkers' union hall (which use to be a house that served as a stop along the Underground Railroad) in the morning, and driving through the neighborhoods, making sure people understood what a vote for Obama could mean for this country. It was smooth sailing, with only one hiccup as we talked to a woman who was "undecided". I've found in the last couple of weeks that "undecided" means either - "I'm voting for McCain, and I just don't want to say it" or "I am NOT voting for McCain, but I've fallen for this Obama is a terrorist, muslim, elitist, tax raising, scary man BS that they play on TV". After 15 minutes I could see why she was conflicted - she was raised republican, but is in a union household, and has been struggling for the last 8 years to put her children through college. She also had some very misinformed deeply-held beliefs about immigration and the REAL source of this economic crisis (NO REGULATION). We talked for the better half of an hour, but she was still determined to stay away from the polls. She's just not going to vote. Or, if she does, she has this "genius" plan to write in Mickey Mouse.
Although the majority of households we visited today were not only voting Obama, they were gung-ho about getting him into office, this one woman did put a damper on the morning. I always find it difficult to listen to people willfully vote against their best interest. I mean, this was Beloit we were talking about. The GM plants were closed, they were affected by the Wisconsin floods and have been struggling since that, and the local manufacturing jobs have all disappeared as well. This woman had a lot of misplaced anger at Spanish-speakers; and I had to give her hard evidence and numbers to proove to her that most Spanish-speakers, most immigrants in general in this country are not undocumented (or "illegal" as the right likes to call them). I feel horrible saying it, because I think that everyone should vote, but I guess I do hope that she stays home. If she can't see who will help her; if she can't recognize that having a president that understands the working class struggle because he cam from it; if she doesn't want to invest time in being an informed voter or being an active citizen, then I can't really feel bad for her inability to make a solid decision. My only hope is that she doesn't listen to the underhanded pandering of the McCain/Palin fiasco of a campaign and believe that hating Spanish-speakers will help her children get jobs after she's worked her butt off to get them degrees. And she had memorized what I can only believe to be a Bill O'Reilly-esque reaction to making college available to everyone - "If everyone can go to college, then the standards of education will go down." So, I guess she just enjoys robbing Peter to pay Paul so that her son and daughter can have a degree.
Well, the rest of the afternoon was spent devoted to Jeremy Levin, candidate for Dane County Board. Two hours of leaving literature on every door, gate, and porch after waiting for the crazed UW fans to clear the streets. Unfortunately, about 3/4 of the way through, I doubled back down a street to get to a side street I put off until I finished the first block, I noticed that someon had begun taking our lit off of the doors, throwing it on the ground, and replacing it with lit for his opponent, Brad Wolbert. I was so disheartened. Halfway through the neighborhood, I noticed that i was probably right behind the person putting literature for Wolbert on doors, and I made sure to keep his flyers exactly as they were and place Levin's literature in a different part of the door - making certain to keep from disturbing the other flyer. I was completely crushed that someone else was disrespecting the hard work that I was doing by destroying Levin's information. I had to redo the whole street, then continue on my path, since I was clearly two or three blocks behind the person. I was lucky for that, because my partner on the route was ahead of him; I called her to be on the lookout, and she realized that ALL of the streets she did had been hit by this phantom evildoer. I felt slapped in the face, because (literally) the first thought that came to mind when I first saw the opponents flyer in doors was "Oh wow, someone else is hitting this neighborhood. Well, we're all doing this thankless work, I'm going to make sure not to disturb their flyers." It's the right thing to do. The whole purpose of having a democracy is choice and opportunity. Having the choice to decide who to vote for, and the opportunity to express your decision in the form of a vote.
Well, when my route partner and I reconnected, we combed the neighborhood and found a Progressive Dane volunteer. Who was willfully taking our literature down. We watched him do it to a couple of doors and approached him. And his reaction? "Well, in the end, it doesn't really matter." That is very sad. And hypocritical. I definitely let him know that if it "doesn't really matter", then he's wasting his time. He should go recycle his flyers and go get a hot dog or something. But that, no, he won't do that. Because he cares enough to volunteer, or was guilted by friends enough, or whatever his motivation to do it - he was doing it. He was spending two hours going door-to-door just like we had. And I'm sure he doesn't want to be a hypocrite. No self-respecting "progressive" would. And no matter how insignificant the work was to him (and I'm SURE it wasn't), it's very important to us. It matters to us. We'd been up since 9am, hoofing it. Walking neighborhoods for Obama and Levin. At that point it was 4:30. We stopped at McDonald's and ate in the car. We drove 1 hour away and 1 hour back. It does matter.
Just a few harrowing tales of life as a political campaign volunteer. It's been two solid weeks of long hours and hard work - 7 days a week. My first hotel room has bed bugs. I went to urgent care twice! And at 4:30pm on a Saturday, I'm told my work doesn't really matter in the end. Someone tell me otherwise. PLEASE! Or I might just lose it.
But I'll never give up.
Well, I've been in Wisconsin now for about 9 hours, and I'm completely exhausted. Straight away, I went to phone bank for Obama and Phil Garthwaite in the 49th district. I had mixed results, but enjoyed talking to people who have decided to vote Obama after being a life long republican or who are trying to convince husbands, wives, brothers, and sisters to vote Obama because they believe he's the best man for the job. It's been a long day, but tomorrow promises to be much longer. I have to get up and out by 6:30am to pass out literature near the Madison capital. And, of course, my day won't end until, well...about now. Somewhere around 8 or 9pm.
It's all completely worth it, of course, because we need to get Obama elected. Here in Wisconsin, early voting started this week, and I'm excited to say that I talked to plenty of people who've already voted. There's also loads of political work being done all across the state, and I was energized by the number of people around. Sooooooooo many people came to phone bank after a long day's work. The first man to walk into the office was a painter who'd just come from a job. It was cool to see him in his uniform, convered in specks of paint, come in, grab a stack of call sheets, and start dialing. I feel so lucky to be a part of the labor movement. Being a member of the next generation of workers' rights activists is amazing because I get to be around people who do harsh, unforgiving work and remember what it was like to do that before having a union. And see them get so involved (voluntarily) in political action because they don't want to see all of their hard work taken for granted or the the gains they've made taken away.
Anyhow - I'll be up at the crack of dawn with volunteers, other campaign employees, and union workers who will pass out literature in the wee hours of the morning before the start of their AM shifts - all to get Obama elected.
And it's completely worth it.
This site is now set up to require its members to have a Wellesley alumnae listing on the college website.
Let's build our numbers to demonstrate that Wellesley alumnae are engaged in this election! We can be registered and campaigning here and in other places as well, but in grassroots campaigns, NUMBERS matter! We have a chance to be a strong and articulate voice in this campaign. Let's become a large group within the campaign and show that Wellesley alums are making a difference. Let's get to work!
GO WELLESLEY!!
Between the Olympics, the Democratic Convention and the Republican Convention I've watched more television than I can remember. The Democratic Convention was inspiring. Thanks to all of you who participated--our delegates and ordinary U.S. citizens. You are awesome Olympians in your own right. I was far more excited about our Democratic Convention political Olympians this year than the Olympics in China. You are champions, gold medal winners in my book. You inspire the rest of us to keep in shape, workout our political and community service muscles to slam dunk Barack Obama into the White House in November. Let's go for that final Gold Medal, Champions.
Last Friday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) as his vice presidential running mate, "catching almost everyone but his inner circle by surprise." Of the very little that is known about Palin is her extreme right-wing policies on a wide range of issues. For example, shesupports teaching creationism in school, favors privatizationof health insurance, boasts of being a "lifetime member of the NRA," opposes stem-cell research, and declared that "she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to homosexual couples." On some of the most important issues of this election -- Iraq, energy, abortion -- Palin represents the extreme right wing. EXTREME ON ABORTION: One of the only policy stances widely known about Palin when her name was first announced is her extreme opposition to abortion. She once said that she would not support an abortion for her then-14 year old daughter, even if she had been raped. Palin has also declared that "explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," favoring abstinence-only programs instead. The right wing has lauded both Palin for choosing to carry her most recent child, who has Down Syndrome, to term, andher 17-year-old daughter for deciding to complete her pregnancy. Yet as the American Prospect's Ann Friedman points out, "John McCain and Sarah Palin don't believe women have a right to choose. It's absolutely absurd for the campaign to emphasize the fact that [Palin's daughter] Bristol 'made this decision,' and then push for policies that take away that choice."
For the complete article:
http://pr.thinkprogress.org/
I wrote an earlier post indicating there was at least some positive news for women in the nomination of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate as evidence that women have shattered the political ceiling. I've since pulled that post because the more I learn about Sarah Palin, the more startled I am that even a republican "maverick" would choose a running mate with so little experience for a Vice President, a heartbeat away from the presidency. Today's New York Times (Article "Paiin disclosures Spotlight McCain 's Screening Process" pg A1 & A19) indicated that McCain had favored Senator Lieberman or Governor Ridge as late as last week, but because both men favored abortion, the "campaign was bombarded by outrage from influential conservatives who predicted an explosive floor fight at the convention and vowed rejection of Mr. Ridge or Mr. Lieberman by the delegates." How is it possible that any group, regardless of their religious views, could want a candidate with so little experience in the White House? It is a scary thought that a significant voting block thinks so narrowly, and makes me all that more committed to education and the need for critical thinking to become a national priority. And I hope it will motivate the Obama-Biden supporters to work even harder to win this election!
Check out this blog from a friend who was an Obama delegate at the convention. She stays up-to-date on the campaign developments and there is great info here to pass along:
Congratulations to the Obama Team and the Democratic Convention. What a great week in Denver. All kinds of ordinary Americans speaking, mixed in with seasoned and new elected officials. It was the convention of the century. It was more than great speeches. It was real commitment, real hard work along with real vision. What a beautiful living portrait of Americans the delegates, politicians and ordinary Americans who participated all made. Many thanks to all of our delegates and ordinary Americans who participated. Many thanks to all elected officials and politicians who listened to America and co-led with volunteer leaders. God Bless America!
Congratulations to Obama and Biden, our Presidential and VP candidates for 2008. What a great team. I look forward to winning this election race for Obama as POTUS and Biden as VP in 2008! Let's celebrate even as we get back to work. Yes we can!
Obama will fight for Americans With Disabilities and Our Families. One in 6 Americans has a disability and faces discrimination in employment, education, a host of opportunities and access to public buildings. This is about all of us Americans and Obama gets it. As one who has worked with students with disabilities for nearly 20 years, let me assure you that it is a serious issue. In my experience these students are among my hardest working students in the general population that I teach. These students include Americans with dyslexia, temporary brain injuries from automobile accidents,Americans with bipolar or depression, amputees, those with cerebral palsy, blind students and the severely arthritic. They have taken classes from me and other faculty right along with their "able-bodied peers." I admire them. I have plenty of students who turn in late work from a cold, headache or stomach virus. In nearly 20 years of teaching I have had only 1 student take an incomplete because of physical disability and only one from emotional/psychological disability. 99 percent of students with disabilities are among the very best students I have taught. First, it takes spunk and fortitude for them to go to college and graduate school. I teach graduate students--adults. The few who make it to graduate school get there through persistence and have common stories of those who never get to college, let alone graduate school, because of difficulties finding educational institutions near them that are accessible or can/will make themselves more accessible for their needs. Even then institutions are not always as accessible as they claim, missing ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms, accessible classrooms, accessible sidewalks and pathways to several of their buildings. Second, there are common stories around employment discrimination and accessibility in the work place. Obama considers all of this in his speech below:
OBAMA'S SPEECH ON THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND HIS POSITION
On this anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I'm reminded of my father-in-law, Fraser Robinson, who contracted multiple sclerosis at a young age. My wife Michelle watched him go from a vibrant and athletic young man to a man who used two canes to get himself to his job as a shift worker. He never missed a day of work; he just woke up a little earlier and worked a little harder to overcome the barriers he faced each day. He never wanted special treatment – he just wanted to be treated like everyone else. That's the very promise of the ADA. For decades, people with disabilities fought to eliminate everyday discrimination by seeking equal access to jobs, public places, and the voting booth. And eighteen years ago this weekend, Democrats, Republicans, and citizens of all kinds came together around that common purpose to provide all Americans with disabilities a full, fair and equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. Because of the ADA, a woman with a disability can take public transportation to a workplace with the accommodations she needs. Because of the ADA, a wounded veteran can navigate his wheelchair more easily in public places. Because of the ADA, a student with a disability can study with accessible materials and learn in accessible classrooms. These are impressive achievements. But as with our other shared struggles for equal rights, our work is not done. Until every child with a disability can learn in their local public school in the manner best for them; until every worker with a disability can apply for a job without fear of discrimination; until every American with a disability can live an independent life in their community, we have more work to do. As President, I will build on the ADA's promise so that we make at least as much progress over the next eighteen years as we have over the last eighteen. That begins with restoring the original legislation. Recent decisions by the Supreme Court have severely restricted its scope by creating a far too narrow definition of "disability." As a result, people with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions can be fired from their jobs because of those conditions. That's unacceptable, and not what Congress intended. When I am President, I will urge Congress to pass the ADA Amendments Act, if it doesn't this year. Remarkable progress has been made in education for people with disabilities. But while students with disabilities are attending college in record numbers, their graduation rates still lag behind other students. That's why I'll fight to increase funding for vocational rehabilitation programs that provide the training and job support necessary for success in college and beyond. And because it's long past time Congress kept its part of the bargain to help all our children fulfill their potential, I will demand full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Because too many persons with disabilities still face barriers to employment due to discrimination, I'll strengthen anti-discrimination enforcement by increasing funding for our nation's civil rights and compliance agencies. And I will make the government a model employer, beginning with an Executive Order to hire 100,000 employees with disabilities into the federal workforce within five years. Because too many still face barriers to living fully independent lives, I strongly support Senator Harkin's Community Choice Act, which eliminates institutional bias in Medicaid and empowers people with disabilities to choose where and how they live. Unfortunately, my opponent opposes this important legislation and the independent, community-based living it allows. I also strongly support Senator Kennedy's CLASS Act, a budget-neutral means of financing long-term services and supports for individuals with significant disabilities so they don't impoverish themselves just to qualify for Medicaid. Because too many still face barriers to the care they need, I'll fight for mental health parity like the bill I helped pass in Illinois, so that coverage for serious mental illnesses is equal to coverage for other illnesses and diseases. And I will finally guarantee quality health care for anyone who wants it, make it affordable and portable for everyone, and stop insurance companies from discriminating and denying coverage to those who need it most – and I will sign it into law by the end of my first term as President of the United States. Today, more than one in six Americans lives with a disability. Most of the rest of us love somebody with one. So we all have an obligation to ensure that they have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. As we celebrate the anniversary of this extraordinary legislation, let us recommit ourselves to building a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination on the path to creating the more perfect union that we seek.
- Senator Barack Obama
We have our directive from Chicago HQ. Our focus is to work through the my.barackobama.com site, sign up new voter registration, and solicit the help of every volunteer we can get and get them into the database system so everyone can be mobilized appropriately here on out.
If you are a volunteer, please be sure you are doing phone banks from computer terminals ideally - not from paper lists - and that the data resulting from the phone calls is input directly into the systems realtime for the best effort of the campaign.
If you need assistance setting up this kind of phone bank up, please contact A Team Central MA Campaign at 508-713-7634. We are looking for volunteers to input data from states overwhelmed with new sign-ups. Laptop needed. We provide the connection and the access to official campaign database. Group or individual activity. Will provide rides.
YES WE CAN! For maximizing the results of your efforts, follow these direct campaign initiatives. MA Field Director coming soon!
Thanks.
A Platform Meeting open to the general public is scheduled for Tuesday, July 22, 5 -8PM at the Worcester Public Library. Several National Platform Delegates and pledged Obama delegates will be at the meeting to assist members of the public in writing their recommendations for the 2008 Democratic Platform to be voted on at the National Convention in August. There will be opportunities for discussion on the topics of interest. Hosted by Marianne Brady Bergenholtz, 3rd MA District, Obama Pledged Delegate
Maximum 140 people. Cookies, Lemonade and Iced Tea will be available.
Make history on Tuesday. Participate in our democracy!
Event posted at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gwyl
Reservations recommended, but not required.
For those who are attending a Platform Meeting this upcoming week, thank you for your interest. To get the most out of the meeting, the Platform Event Committee has asked hosts to pass on this information so you can be prepared for maximum participation. As a host, I am passing it on to everyone since I believe knowledge is power.
1) download the 1992 and 2004 by copying these links and pasting them into your browser. http://www.democrats.org/pdfs/2004platform.pdf http://www.udel.edu/htr/Psc105/Texts/demoplat.html
Compare the two Tables of Contents to see how the Platform has changed over the years from Clinton to post 9/11 Bush.
Choose the area(s) of interest you would like to address, read those sections and formulate your ideas before you come to the meeting. There will be some opportunity for you to refine your ideas with others at the meeting if you wish before submitting your recommendations to change the Platform. Many meetings will be attended by National Platform Committee Delegates who will prepare the Platform that will be brought before the National Convention to be voted on by all the delegates.
Marianne Bergenholtz
From Another Blog. I along with many other Obama supporters have signed this petition. Any one can sign, male or female, feminist or not:
Sign the message here:
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1269/t/3076/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2243
