43rd LD for Obama

Thanks to Participants in Burke Gilman Trail Project

Pam — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:18:29 EST

From Jim Corson, Green Seattle Forest Steward:

We at the Friends of the Burke Gilman at Sand Point would like to thank you for coming out on the worst day, I have ever seen on one of our work parties on the Burke Gilman Trail. Cold, blowing winds and heavy rain. It was above and beyond the call of duty and perhaps common sense, but we planted 600 plants and moved our project along immensely. Thank you! Thank you!

If you were wondering about the semi-organized chaos, we were expecting about 60 people and our final count was 129. So we had periodic shortages of shovels, which slowed things down periodically. Our oldest planter was 85 and our youngest was almost 2 years old.

From here, we need to finish clearing the stretch of trail from Metropolitan Market at 40th NE up to Princeton Bridge and then do a more limited planting in that area since there are a lot of native plants there already. After that, we hope to move north to the stretch of trail between NE 65th and NE 70th.

Health Care Reform--TR Reid's View of Other Countries' Systems

Pam — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:42:51 EDT

TR Reid, the Washington Post journalist and NPR commentator, spoke tonight at Town Hall, on his findings on health care around the world, made after 2 years traveling to different countries. This was one of the highlights of the health care reform debate! TR Reid's book should be required reading for everyone who has the slightest interest in what to do about health care in this country.

Reid says there are basically 4 different health care systems in the world:

1. The Beveridge Model, named after Lord Beveridge in England. This is what is used in the UK, among others, and if you're going to call any model socialist, this is it. It's single payer, universal coverage, with the government being the payer AND the provider of health care services, meaning the doctors and the hospitals are government owned. Does the US have this model? You bet. Check out the VA.

2. The Bismarck Model. Yes, that's Bismarck as in Chancellor Otto Bismarck from Germany. This is an employer-based system, with private health insurance paid through employers, often with employees and sometimes the government sharing the cost with the employers. Germany and France, among others, use this. So do those of us in the US who get their health insurance through their employers. The differences between the US version of this model and everyone else's version are (1) in other countries, the insurers, while private, are by law nonprofit; and (2) there is universal coverage in other countries, (3) in other countries, EVERYONE is on the same system, instead of veterans in VA, seniors in Medicare, etc., (4) the unemployed, self-employed and poor are included in the system, and (5) if you lose your job, the government will take over so there is not gap in coverage.

3. The Canadian Model. This is a single payer, universal coverage system, except that unlike in England, the doctors and the hospitals are not employed by or owned by the government. Do we have this system in the US? Yes, it's called Medicare. Do the Canadians have long waits for service? Not for emergencies or other life threatening problems, but yes, for elective care. But that's only because the Canadians elected to limit the number of the doctors and especially the number of specialists.

4. Fee for Service Model. Used in most of the undeveloped world, this simply means if you have the money to pay for a doctor or a hospital, you get health care. If you don't have the money, you don't. Do we have this system in the US? Yes, indeed! The 45 million American who are uninsured have this system.

Whole Foods CEO Opposes Health Care Reform

Pam — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:47:23 EDT

If you haven't seen his op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal yet, you should. One of the more "memorable" lines is "Many promoters of health-care reform believe that people have an intrinsic ethical right to health care—to equal access to doctors, medicines and hospitals. While all of us empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter?" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html

Public Forum on Achieving Health Care for All

Pam — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:15:02 EDT

On June 30, Washington Public Campaigns sponsored a public forum on achieving health care for all. Panelists included a public health academic, a community health representative, a labor union leader, a citizen activist, a state legislator, and a public campaign finance activist. The program will be broadcast at some point on the Seattle Channel. Here are some highlights.

We spend $2.3 trillion on health care: every single $ is someone's income. For affordable health care, health care providers/vendors are going to have to make less. In other western countries, health care systems have two common characteristics: (1) they insure everyone, no exceptions, and (2) the government controls most of the money going into the system. In contrast, in this country, (1) not everyone is covered, and (2) thousands of different entities have a piece of the pie, are accountable only to themselves, not to the system, and therefore can simply pass the problems on to others. The current system allows people to make money, but is not so good for patients.

Community health centers are part of the solution. Massachusetts' experience, however, shows there are not enough primary care physicians. Congress seems to recognize this. Each proposal being considered contains incentives for medical students to go into primary care.

June 2009 Update on 65th Street Change Gang Kiva Lending Team

Pam — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:35:20 EDT

We have grown to 16 members, who have loaned a total of $1,125! Four borrowers--three borrowing groups from Tanzania, Peru, and Bolivia, and a woman from the Ukraine-- have repaid their loans in full. Twenty-one other borrowers have begun repayment.

The lending team has made loans to borrowers in Bolivia, the Ukraine, Mexico, Ghana, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Lebanon, Mali, Palestine, Togo, Nicaragua, Uganda, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Benin, Peru, the Sudan, Rwanda, Pakistan, and the United States. Kiva just launched US loans.

One of the borrowers--a woman from Mexico is delinquent-- but her microfinance institution (MFI) appears to be in trouble due to the worsening of the global economy and the devaluation of the Mexican peso. MFI's are the local agencies that Kiva uses to obtain borrowers and otherwise administer loans. Kiva says it is working with the MFI to develop new payment plans for their clients that will enable them to repay the loans. In the meantime, Kiva has developed a new practice to help borrowers deal with fluctuating currency rates, without putting lenders' funds too much in jeopardy.

If you have $25 to lend to a person who seeks to grow their own business and escape poverty, please join our lending team. www.kiva.org/team/65th_street_change_gang

Seattle Health Care Reform Forum Notes

Pam — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:32:00 EDT

Winning Health Care for All

May 16, 2009, Town Hall, Seattle, Washington

Presented by the 65th Street Change Gang, a neighborhood manifestation of hope and change

and

Brought to you by Radio AM 1090

The following is a summary of presentations made at the Town Hall event.

A. The Honorable Jim McDermmot, US House of Representatives

There are 50 million people without health coverage. In addition to these, 25 million more are underinsured—they have insurance but it is so inadequate that they would almost be better off without it.

We say that we have the best health care in the world, but the U.S. is 37th in the world in health outcomes such as infant mortality, longevity, etc. In 2005 we spent $6600 per person for health care. For half that, Canada covers everyone, and Canada is not alone.

The percentage of health care offered by employers has fallen 9%. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of Americans with health insurance has fallen by 1%, but employment with health insurers has gone up 32%.

Recently health insurers claimed that they would agree to save $2 trillion, but are now trying to backpedal from this representation. We can’t count on the insurers; they know they have to come to the table because something is going to happen.

The last time health care reform was tried was in 1993. The insurance industry ran the Harry & Louise ads, making the public afraid. But today even the insurers are calling for reform. Rep. McDermott is guardedly optimistic.

The best health care system in the world is in France. The French spend 50% of what the US does. There is 1 physician for every 430 persons in France; in comparison, in the U.S., there is 1 physician for every 1230 persons.

As people live longer, there are a lot more chronic illnesses. The right people to manage chronic illnesses are primary care physicians. We can’t increase the number of primary care physicians until we alleviate the problem of the crushing cost of going to medical school. Doctors drive debt in the system. They’re the ones who make the decisions. Because of the debt they incur in medical school, they gravitate toward specialty practices to pay off the debt. Medicine has become a profession where people think of dollars all the time.

Representative McDermott has submitted a bill that would make medical school tuition free. Forty-five thousand enter medical school annually. They would get free tuition in return for 4 years of public service in the medical field. Assuming President Obama is reelected, during the remaining 7 years of his administration, there would be 315,000 new primary care physicians. That would change the profession drastically.

Advocates of the single payer system would like to get reform in just one step. Obama, however, saw what happened to Hillary Clinton when she tried that. Obama has thus adopted the two-step approach: the President has told us that if you have insurance and you like it, you can keep it, and we’ll do something for everyone else.

The something else is the public option. What are we going to get with the public option?

Five hundred thousand families each month are losing health insurance because of unemployment caused by the bad economy. So when we talk about the public option, we’re not talking about “them”, we’re talking about “us.”

What’s going to go into the public option? Insurance companies want to put everyone in the public option who is sick or who would cause problems. They want to make the public option a dumping ground.

Reimbursement levels are an issue. Currently, we don’t pay doctors to talk with the patients. Doctors are instead paid for tests and procedures. We have to rethink how doctors are paid to change this system.

The father of modern medicine said, “Listen to the patient—he will tell you what’s wrong”, but that is not what is happening.

To get reform, we need to keep the pressure on. Pay attention to what’s going on. Let your representatives know what you think. Before this, business, the medical profession, and even some unions weren’t interested in changing the health care system. Now they are. But to get it done, we need to keep the pressure on.

You do your part, and I’ll do mine.

B. Dialogue Between Rep. McDermott and Rev. Bev Spears, Moderator

Q. You’ve met with President Obama?

A. The Progressive Caucus met with him. Two or three made presentations to the President about the need for a strong public option, one designed for everyone. The President said he wants a public option. He has a lot of political capital and will need to spend some of it to get things changed. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies do not want change.

Q. The House version has a public option, the Senate seems more tenuous.

A. It’s not going to be easy. It will be a tough job bringing people together. Leadership says there will be a bill by 6/1, and that it will be on the floor by July. But congressional committees get caught up with infighting. We need to keep people focused. We know something has to happen. The factors are present that will make people drive to a compromise.

Q. The public option as a bridge. Is that because single payer isn’t going to happen?

A. Once the president told people with health insurance that they didn’t have to change, that cemented the insurance industry into whatever happens.

The single payer system is not complicated. Single source—everyone gets coverage. But once the insurers are in it, costs go up. There are many insurers, which means many different forms and procedures—it’s a reason why we pay more. If there is a good public option, that will wither away.

When FDR came to power, unemployment was at 25%. But it still took him 2 years to enact unemployment compensation. So the current timetable may be too ambitious, but we need to keep pushing and eventually we’ll get there.

Q. The budget crisis in the State. You got the Basic Health Plan enacted and now 40,000 have to be cut from that program.

A. Washington State has tried as hard as anyone. I did, Phil Talmadge did, Mike Lowery did. The health care system in Canada began in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Once it was established there, it spread until the entire country had it 20 years later. But in our country, one problem with starting on a state-by-state basis is ERISA. That federal law says that multistate companies can’t be forced to do anything by individual states. We could do a public option at the state level if we were willing to do something about ERISA, but that would be very difficult.

Q. It seems that minorities have more health care barriers.

A. It’s the right of all Americans to be covered and that has to be there from the start. Some countries have the right to health care in their Constitutions. We need to spend more dollars on preventative care, which would cut down later on more costly problems. We could use alternatives to MD’s, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, etc. We need more primary care level practitioners of various types to deal with the volume.

Q. What about immigrants, including people without papers?

How can you run a hospital and refuse somebody?? In Germany, you’d be in. And children, how can you refuse children? It would be un-American.

If you have something you want to change, put your foot in the door, then your knee, then your leg, and pretty soon you’re in the door.

We won’t get everything we want, but life isn’t that way. You only get out of the political process what you push your representatives to do.

I recommend a book entitled, “Do Not Resuscitate” by John Geyman.

C. Question/Answer Session (audience questions)

Q. What about alternative health providers?

A. We need to change the way we pay people to emphasize the preventive aspects. Fifteen minutes and a few pills could prevent $15-$20,000 episodes. The emphasis has to be on primary care.

Q. How committed is the President to universal care and how come he is not pushing single payer?

A. He wants to be sure we get this thing going and not get undermined. He had to tell people, if you like what you have, you can keep it. The President decided not to take on everything all at once, but in pieces. It’s like you can’t eat the whole elephant all at once. You have to go bite by bite.

Q. Medicare and Medicaid are limited. Will the public option also be? And what about dental?

A. To have a real public option, you have to have generous benefits the private options have—about 20% more than Medicare. That’s why Medicare recipients have to buy Medigap policies.

Even if you have insurance that pays 80%, what if you have a $500,000 bill, which is hardly unusual. You’d still be stuck with a $100,000 bill you’d have to pay out of your own pocket.

The public option has to cap out of pocket expenses. And if there’s no dental care, that can lead to medical problems. The public option needs to provide at least a basic dental plan. What Congress has, by the way, is not as good as some of the private plans.

Q. What are the differences between your bill and the Congress’s bill?

A. The Congressional bill puts everyone into Medicare. My bill requires each State to have the same benefit package, but gives each state the funds to create their own delivery plans. For example, Washington State has Group Health, but not everyone does, so each state has to figure out how to deliver the services.

Q. What about funding?

A. Financing is always the question. In 1993 we spent $950 billion on health care. A suggestion was made for a 10% payroll tax. Most businesses were spending 12-13% for their health care plans. Only Chrysler was interested in the 10%. Now businesses are paying 16% and realize that that will continue to increase.

We need some sort of tax according to ability to pay, for example, like the Social Security tax. The system is going to cost money. It will not be for free. Right now, the employer pays and gets a tax writeoff. The employee gets benefits and also gets a tax benefit.

It’s better to have the pubic decide how to finance the plan, rather than have the insurers, who will run up the premiums.

D. Rachel Berkson, SEIU

There will be a May 30 march, which will be part of a national network of demonstrations in April and May, culminating in Washington, D.C. on June 25. Go to www.may30march.org. We must achieve health care reform in 2009. There are 150 organizations sponsoring the march. Five thousand are expected at the minimum, but we need more to make sure the politicians hear us. Each person should bring 10 persons. It begins at Pratt Park and goes to Westlake Center. There will be big name speakers.

E. Panel Discussion

Teresita Batayola, CEO, International Community Health Services

We’re in a fight for survival. It has been a crisis for many decades. Community health services have existed for 30 years and funding has been extremely limited at times, but especially now. Reform has to take place now because they’re in survival mode for the next 2-3 years.

Forty thousand will lose coverage under the Basic Health Plan. These are the working poor. Under the Basic Health Plan, they pay premiums and copays; it isn’t a give away. And Basic Health, like Medicare and Medicaid, isn’t perfect. These coverages are all limited.

Expect 900,000 to be uninsured by the end of this year.

Access for all is the first and foremost principle. Also we are interested in comprehensive and preventative care. Access for all to the ER is not enough. Any solution should include community-based care that includes a healthy environment, etc.

Quality of care is also important. And we need cultural and linguistic competence.

Recently the State cut $1 billion from health care. Community health centers are consequently seeing a massive increase in patients. They cannot be turned away, but where will we get the resources?

Private insurers are not interested in the most vulnerable, who can’t afford it anyway.

David McLanahan, M.D., Physicians for a National Health Program

Single payer activists—the Baucus 16—were arrested at the Senate Finance Committee. A majority of Americans support single payer, but the powerful have a chokehold on politicians. To change this, we need campaign financing reform.

The change we need must come to Washington, not from Washington. The President has punted to Congress.

Still, we have taken a significant step forward for single payer. The Baucus committee protest has engendered much publicity and now Ed Schulz of MSNBC is promoting it.

The medical industrial complex says it will voluntarily reduce costs, but where are the changes in their business practices to offer to the sick, not just to the well? There are no specifics, or enforcement, or accountability. Is this a smoke screen behind which Congress can hide? Is it the death knell to the public option?

After Watergate, Congress reformed presidential campaign finance, but not congressional campaign finance. Kerry and Obama didn’t even take public money. Only the people can get campaign financing done. Congress won’t do it. It will have to be done locally, by initiative.

F. Questions from the audience:

Q. How should the state and the federal governments work together on health care reform?

A. Senate Bill calls for implementation by 2013. You have to keep the heat on Congress. You need to make full use of the Internet to keep the pressure on. The demise of newspapers is a real problem. We need investigative reporting. And it has to be beyond just the state level. California keeps trying, but hasn’t made it yet. Community organizations around the country have to band together to keep pushing.

Both Washington senators, Murray and Cantwell, head key committees for health care reform. The Governor needs to work with them. But each person must learn what’s going on and contact their congress/senate representatives.

The original goal was 2012, now it’s 2014. In the last two years, single payer bills have been introduced, but now we have the budget crisis, and although still on the table, they’ve been sidelined.

We’re in a situation where it’s “pay me now, or pay me later.” There has to be a federal income tax increase on the wealthiest. Making medical school free is an investment. We can nvest in highways, but not in people.

May 6, 2009, Group Health/Kaiser Foundation Health Care Reform Speech

Pam — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:30:04 EDT

Mollyann Brodie, vice president and director of Public Opinion and Media Research for the Kaiser Foundation, spoke at a Group Health breakfast meeting that I attended recently. Her topic was public opinion on health care reform. Here are my notes on her presentation. For more information, go to www.kaiserfoundation.org. Attempts at health care reform are not new. They date back to the Truman Administration, where reform was derailed by cries of "socialism" (sound familiar?). Approximately every 19.7 years after that, another attempt is made--once in the Nixon administration (Wilbur Mills was a leading light but got sidetracked by Fanny Fox) and once in the Clinton administration (Harry & Louise were the culprits). So if we don't achieve health care reform now, it could be another 20 years. Sixty-two% believe that now more than ever, we need to deal with health care. Seventy-five % believe that the federal government should do more and spends too little on health care. In the abstract, 67% want some sort of public plan, but only 41% support a single payer public plan. That said, the public is evenly divided on what might be the best approach. It is a common misconception that most of the uninsured are unemployed. The truth is that 8 of 10 of the uninsured are employed. Most people believe that health care reform will benefit the country, but only forty-three percent believe that health care reform will make life better for them or their families. Affordability is the biggest issue. As a group, Americans are simply not interested in what has worked in other countries; they are convinced that other countries' systems are bad. What makes now different than previous attempts at reform? Ms. Brodie believes that some of the factors are that President Obama made health care reform an early priority, he has left the details to Congress rather than try to prescribe them from the Oval Office, and that the interest groups see things differently this time around. Here is what to look for as the health care debate goes forward: 1. Whose ox will be gored? Who is going to have to make sacrifices? 2. What is the tenor of the political discussion? 3. What are the reactions of the interest groups? 4. What do the ad campaigns look like? 5. And the most important, do people think they will be better or worse off? Keep in mind that right now, while 56% think that health care reform will benefit the country, only 43% believe that it will benefit them or their families. It is this perception that needs to change so that health care reform can be successful.

Letters to the GOP

Pam — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:13:25 EDT

As a lifelong moderate Republican, I've found it harder and harder to stick to my old party and have voted Democrat in the last several national elections. Periodically, I've written to the GOP to see if any sense can be knocked into them. Here are my last two letters:

4/11/09, to Mainstream Republicans of Washington:

I am proud to call myself a Dan Evans Republican. I worked on Governor Dan's 1972 campaign. I was an extern in his office. I attended the Cascade Conference in its early days. I worked on Norm Maleng's first campaigns. I gave money to Lois North and continue to give money to Sam Reed and I voted for Dan Satteberg and Rob McKenna.

I have just received my invitation to the 2009 Cascade Conference. The failure of the letter to even be able to spell our President's name correctly is unbelievable and insulting.More importantly, it appears that the Mainstream Republicans should no longer call themselves Mainstream. The letter is simply full of the "just say no" type mentality of the RNC and the congressional Republicans. Have you seen the latest polls? America doesn't exactly hold Republicans in high esteem and rightly so. I voted for President Obama even though I still consider myself to be a Republican. I am generally pleased with what he has done thus far Throwing the words "radical" and "socialism" around is inaccurate and irresponsible and merely demonstrates that your organization is just as radical as the radical right Republicans.I joined the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, Dan Evans and Joel Pritchard. But as far as I'm concerned, the Republican Party over the last several yearshas repudiated everything those great Americans stood for. Now the so-called Mainstream Republicans have done the same. I beg of you to divorce yourselves from the path to destruction being taken by the RNC. Being the loyal opposition doesn't mean Republicans have to trash everything President Obama does or says. Rather, it means working with the President to get this country's problems solved. I believe the president when he says he's open to considering new ideas, no matter who they come from. But I see no new ideas coming from the GOP. Nor, it appears from the Mainstream Republicans.

4/28/09 to the RNC:

I see that the GOP continues on its lemmings' journey over the cliff. Now the party has forced Arlen Specter into the Dems. There is no more moderate GOP.

I'm a college graduate. If you hadn't noticed, most college graduates voted for Obama, including me even though I still consider myself to be a Republican (but just barely). Yet the Republicans seem to gravitate toward nearly illiterate, astonishingly ill-informed persons like Joe the Plumber, Sarah (I can see Russia) Palin, and Bobby (spending money to monitor volcanoes is frivolous) Jindal. Lincoln, TR, and DDE are rolling in their graves. I'll be an independent soon if the GOP keeps going this way . . . .

April 2009 Kiva Lending Team Report

Pam — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:29:26 EDT

The 65th Street Change Gang Kiva Lending Team, 14 members strong, has now loaned a total of $800 to 24 different groups or persons in 20 different countries (Bolivia, Tajikistan, the Ukraine, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Togo, Uganda, Palestine, El Salvador, Vietnam, Peru, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ghana, Lebanon, and Mali). Sixteen borrowers have begun repayments, and 4 have repaid more than 50% of their loans. No one is delinquent or in default. Lending team members who have made more than one loan are beginning to make additional loans with the repayments.

Kiva is a well-known internet microfinance organization that enables anyone with $25 to join with others around the world to make small loans to small businesses in need. For more info, go to www.kiva.org.

The 65th Street Change Gang Kiva Lending Team is open to anyone who wants to make a difference in the world. Join us!

URL:http://www.kiva.org/team/65th_street_change_gang

March 25th Winning Healthcare For All Greenwood Senior Center

Karahpino — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:50:36 EDT

Notes taken by: lori dye e-mail: lori@pairadyes.com

David Loud - Community Liaison for Healthcare, Office of 7th District Rep Jim McDermott

John Burbank - Executive Director, Economic Opportunity Institute

Lynne Nguyen - Community Organizer, The Washington Community Action Network

David McLanahan - Physicians for a National Health Program

Bev Spears Facilitating - Legislative Director, Washington Community Action Network

David Loud:

• HR2 is a real down payment on our effort towards universal access for all americans

• Now hearings are underway with key interest groups - for example the House Ways and Means Committee - J.McDermott’s Committee

• Groups coalescing outside of Washington - HC for America Now and the Leadership Conference for American Healthcare

• HR676 - medicare for all, J. Conyers, Physicians for National Health & Labor. J.McDermott co-sponsor

• HR1200 - american health security act, J. McDermott. Drives decision making on how each state will deliver the benefit

• B.Sanders will introduce the 1st ever single-payer bill to the Senate

• Opponents maintain that a public option will result in a single-payer system

• It appears the most intense fight over healthcare this year will be over whether there will be a public option at all.

• A public option could move us in the direction of a universal solution in stages

• Advises that single-payer advocates should 1) keep pushing the merits of this approach, 2) shed light on the benefits of this solution, 3) need to achieve unity with public option to pursue common ground.

Winning Healthcare for All - Informational Meeting Wed 3/25

Karahpino — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:25:40 EDT

"Healthcare reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year." - President Obama speaking to the congress, Feb. 24, 2009.

Curious about the different Healthcare options being discussed today?

Wondering what President Obama’s healthcare plan entails?

Interested in supporting legislation to move America toward health care for all?

The following presenters will discuss the different healthcare policy options and answer questions from the audience.

David Loud, Rep. Jim McDermott's Community Liaison for Health Care

John Burbank, Executive Director, Economic Opportunity Institute

Lynne Nguyen, Community Organizer, The WA Community Action Network

David McLanahan, M.D., Physicians for a National Health Program

Facilitator: Bev Spears, Legislative Director, WA CAN

An open mic time will be available for statements and questions from the audience.

A Caesar Salad and Dinner Roll will be provided.

Greenwood Senior Center 7pm 525 N 85th

This meeting is sponsored by the 65th Street Change Gang - A Neighborhood Manifestation of Hope and Change. For more information please contact Richard Hodgin 206-729-8901.

March 2009 65th Street Change Gang Kiva Lending Team Update

Pam — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:21:36 EDT

The Change Gang's Kiva Lending Team now has 12 members, including three from outside the Change Gang. We've made microloans (with a total of $625 coming through the lending team) to 17 different borrowers, 10 of whom have begun making repayments. The other borrowers' first loan repayments are not yet due. The borrowers come from Peru, Bolivia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the Ukraine, the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Mexico, Ghana, Viet Nam, El Salvador, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Check out the 65th Street Change Gang lending team, and learn more about lending teams on Kiva in general, by clicking here: http://www.kiva.org/team/65th_street_change_gang&_isc=e0acfecc-5188-102c-afbd-fac2dafc63f8&_te=tr. You don't have to be a member of the 65th Street Change Gang to be a member of our lending team! And if you're already giving to Kiva, consider joining our lending team!

Kiva Founder Visits Seattle

Pam — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:19:09 EST

Kiva founder, Matt Flannery, spoke at Town Hall on Thursday before a crowd of more than 500. Turns out he's originally from Gig Harbor! Not at all like your stereotypical Silicon Valley guy, he was very unassuming, yet incredibly inventive and thoughtful. He talked about the origins of Kiva (in his spare time, funneling loan money from his family through his personal bank account while working at Tivo), moving the operation into the neighborhood donut shop, and then finally hitting the big time. His stories about Kiva's growing pains were great (for example, the call from the Defense Department after they began loaning to borrowers in Iraq). Seattle Channel will be running a video of the event many times between 3/17 and 3/29. Here's a link to the TV schedule:

http://www.seattlechannel.org/schedule/programDetails.asp?title=5200906

Well, worth watching! And the big news is that Kiva will be making US loans available soon (starting with borrowers in the NE US and California)!

Emergency Legislation Needed, Please Help

Bev Meyers — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:21:34 EST

Please contact President Obama and your representatives in Congress ASAP

We need emergency legislation to stop large financial institutions from victimizing American citizens while Congress and the President are busy dealing with critical issues.

AT&T, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase (and Washington Mutual) credit customers are being systematically downgraded in their credit ratings and having their interest rates at least doubled with never having had a late payment or over limit charge.

Chase has told some people that if they want to continue to have a credit card, they have to agree to pay 30 percent interest. Most of us feel the need to have some credit in case of emergencies.

AT&T cancelled my 12 year card with perfect credit because I wasn't using it.

Then, Bank of America sent me a letter that they were doubling my interest rate unless I said no. I said no. They decreased my credit limit and reclassified me as having maxed out my card. I had not maxed out my credit limit.

Now Chase is sending me strange letters and making comments about letting me keep my WAMU card if my credit is good. Again, I have never had a late payment or gone over my credit limit. I pay early and more than the minimum.

I am in a distressed financial position at this time. I am living on what is left of my 401K after Bank of America made a mess of it.

Everyone I mention this to has a family member or friend who is having the same thing done to them. It is systematic. It is calculated. It is wrong.

We need your help. We need your help now. Please contact President Obama and your representatives in Congress.

Peace, Bev

Yes We Can Song

Wayne — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:16:48 EST

YES WE CAN SONG/VIDEO FEATURING DARRYL "CAPPY" LEWIS OF SACRAMENTO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u_JYXCRw_c

Washington.CAN - The Next Step - Join Today

Wayne — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:50:58 EST

Hello Wonderfully Active People:It's time to move forward as one. We made it through the election and inauguration - and now we must bring our Washington together and work towards organizing county .CAN groups to work at all levels of government to achieve the Change we voted for.

You're invited to join a group on My.BarackObama.com:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/WashingtonCAN

We are writing to invite everyone to please come out and join the President's Grassroots Team to support Barack as we roll out Government 2.0.
In his recent video (http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/thefuture) Barack Announces Organizing For America.  He mentioned that in a few days you would get instructions by email.  These are the instructions.

1.  We need you to find your State.CAN group in MyBO and join these two groups:

USA.CAN

Washington.CAN

2.  Each of you must update your Personal profile on MyBO with real contact information so we can interact accordingly.

3.  This is our team building nationwide project...to form ranks.  To give you a heads up, February 7th is when the call has been put out for all CAN groups to have their first meetings across the country.  We are asking all MyBO members who want to participate in Government 2.0 to reach out to all their MyBO groups and have them join their State.CAN group as well.  At your face to face meetings across your state and in each county you will elect officers, assign issue teams by individual interests, and make plans to work across CAN groups with all others who might share that issue focus in order to join forces and see solutions implemented.   This is the plan we make in support of President Barack Obama's upcoming legislation and programs.  All issues that we are focusing on to begin with are posted at www.whitehouse.gov.

4.  Overall mandate on what we are to do:

• Organize support for legislation at all levels of government.  This includes supporting President Obama's agenda as well as organizing around state and local laws/initiatives.
• Build grassroots electoral strength at all levels by training and developing grassroots leaders to organize and serve in their communities.
• Be an organ of two-way communication between the White House and the grassroots, so that each knows and responds to the priorities of the other.
• Launch a national, grassroots-driven renewal of civic engagement, again at both the local and national levels.

Lisa Lindo
National USA.CAN Group Administrator (Community Action Networks)
Associate Producer Vote For Change Campaign
Internet Community Organizer
Economic URL: IfTheBuckStopsHereShootIt.com
Vote For Change: http://obeygiant.com/voteforchange/

Going back for the Inauguration!

Bev Meyers — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:21:12 EST

I'm going back for the Inauguration! Life is good! Many of the Obama and Coordinated Campaign volunteers are going for the Inauguration. :)

Who else is going?

Bev

PS I grew up in Maryland and will be seeing friends from high school for the first time in many years. :) I'm going Jan 16th to Jan 25th.

We won!!

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:23:05 EST

Last night was beyond historic and amazing. Tears of joy streamed down the faces of all the people that I love and those that I do not yet know at the election party I attended last night. That evening was the greatest election I have ever witnessed and oen of the best nights of my life. Thank you to everyone who worked towards this. I am going to plan on going to the inauguration in January. Anyone else going?

Yes we did!

Homemade signs & Support from Wyoming!

Sylvia Olveda — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:22:22 EDT

My dad (in his 80s) in Powell WY made some great homemade signs! There is hope in Wyoming!

Check out the blog where his pic is posted. I'm so proud of him and thank him for contributing to being who i am today!

http://blog.powelltribune.com/2008/10/paddling-for-obama.html

11 DAYS!

Obama Goes on the Offensive! Calls Out McCain

Ernie Lou — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:04:41 EDT

Obama Goes on the Offensive! This is what Obama/Biden Have to Do! Be AGGRESSIVE and CALL THEM OUT

Here is the first example and hope this is the strategy going forward!

"The Democratic presidential nominee ridiculed John McCain and his running mate, the Alaska governor, for describing themselves as agents of change at this week's GOP convention."

"Don't be fooled," Obama told the crowd surrounding him in a large barn. "John McCain's party, with the help of John McCain, has been in charge" for nearly eight years. "And suddenly he's the change agent? Ha. He says, 'I'm going to tell those lobbyists that their days of running Washington are over.' Who is he going to tell? Is he going to tell his campaign chairman, who's one of the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington? Is he going to tell his campaign manager, who was one of the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington?"

"I mean, come on, they must think you're stupid," (Watch Barack's comments on You Tube)

Barack Obama on McCain's campaign lobbyists http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AknbG8LaEc

Jon Stewart on the Hypocrisy of the Republicans! Rove, O'Reilly, Dick Morris!

Ernie Lou — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:22:39 EDT

This is so great! The Obama/Biden campaign need to run these clips as commercials!!!http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184086

And this is very funny! “WSJ’s Peggy Noonan, Mike Murphy Caught on Tape Disparaging Palin Choice: “Political Bullshit”, “Gimmicky” on MSNBC --- you can see the clip here and follow script here in this article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/peggy-noonan-mike-murphy_n_123647.html

An Incomplete Report Card: GOP Convention in Twin Cities

Prosy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:06:33 EDT

GOP Convention, Twin Cities, Sept. 1, 2008 An Incomplete Report Card! By Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D.

I searched for numbers attending the convention. It was 15,000 at Excel Center in Twin Cities. While another 10,000 attended an alternative convention in Minneapolis, led by Former Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, campaigning outside of the GOP, as he claims this is no longer the conservative traditional party he believed in. Then, just outside the convention center in Twin Cities, another 5,000 were staging a protest against the War in Iraq. 10,000 with Ron Paul, and another 5,000 outside the convention center, there were as many folks inside, equal to those outside the convention center. If GOP made room for them, it would have been stronger and would have had a much bigger convention of 30,000.

GOP felt small to me, it felt limited, as it could not allow within its own confines all these Republicans and even the patriots in opposition to them. It also could not allow other folks of color, for a sea of older white men and women predominated in the convention, with a handful of folks of color, some Asian Indians and the adopted daughter of the McCains, Bridget. And Rep. Ron Paul had this to say: NeoCons have taken over the GOP and have pretty much deviated from what they say they believe in: the bridges we have abroad have been broken, and we want to rebuild them, yet, we cannot even take care of our own at home, or our own levees.

But, Victoria Blackstone was a source of inspiration, her essay on Pledging Myself to the Flag of the United States of America, won over the ten finalists. She shared these excerpts at the convention.

When I pledge myself to the flag of the United States of America, I am able to become a part of our country’s proud history. I am with our founding founders in Independence Hall, and I myself sign the document. As I gaze at the flag I see the same flag Francis Scott Key saw, which inspired him to write the Star-Spangled Banner. With the flag I stand by Thomas Jefferson as he signs the Louisiana Purchase, expanding our country to the next frontier. I join Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they explore the west. Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, I journey in the night with the slaves to freedom, and I can hear the Emancipation Proclamation. With the flag I am an immigrant at Ellis Island, hoping to enter the home of the free and the place where dreams come true. During the Great Depression, I join my fellow Americans in a bread line.
As I devote myself to this banner, I stand along side the soldiers of Iwo Jima, helping them to raise our flag. I march in Montgomery as we boycott the bus system. I tremble with pride as Martin Luther King, Jr., tells me of his dream in front of the Lincoln Memorial. When I see the flag, I am also there as the Twin Towers crumble and fall. I work with the firefighters to recover the bodies, and I volunteer with those handing out food and medicine. And, as I stand before the flag, I am with my cousin as he flies his helicopter in Iraq.
And though someone may destroy the material part of the flag, no one can take away what our flag symbolizes. When I see our flag, I see every single man and women who has dedicated their lives to our flag and the people, the ideas, and the country it represents. With my morning recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, I take my place beside them.

GOP had signs of SERVICE, convincing everyone that the party is exemplary for its SERVICE ETHIC, yet SERVICE defines communities of colors. SERVICE is the middle name in these communities, a safety net that enables them to create positive spaces for engagement, one that allows them to be who they are, one that becomes a source of collective esteem and pride for them.

For example, we have FASGI, who for two decades of SERVICE have put the needs of American citizens first, registering newly naturalized citizens as new voters. SERVICE is the middle name of most communities of color, it is SERVICE that has been their safety net. In fact, the first association of Filipinos was created as early as 1925, created in part to serve the needs of these newcomers and help them reclaim their dignity, dignities trampled upon during the day, while working in the agricultural fields harvesting asparagus, and seasonal canneries in Alaska.

SERVICE is part of the personality traits of most communities of color, and what they were espousing in the GOP today felt alien, as if the sea of white faces alone knew about SERVICE. As there is SIPA, a community non-profit who for two decades now have done gang prevention work, including housing development, succeeding in building over 130 housing units in Los Angeles.

Tonight is different. It felt disorienting to me. It felt quite alien. It felt disconnecting to me, when my own president attributes opposition as sourced to anger mostly. Which tells me unless you go my way, the GOP way, you are not a patriot. Yet, Thomas Jefferson considered opposition = patriotism. For without opposition, the blinders are not seen, the many sides of the decision are not considered.

And when one contrasts what happened today with what happened during the Democratic Convention, where the Democrats made room for all that they could make room for, by moving the last day of their convention to Invesco Field, to accommodate 75,000 folks, their expectations exceeded when 84,000 showed up and close to 40 million watched on television. The Democrats acted as the party of inclusion, the party which made history in nominating Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and in including all voices, managed to unify all sectors of the party.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

And what about the controversy on whether there was enough vetting or lack thereof in the choice of Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin? I am a feminist, so the ascent of a woman to this high position of power is a cause for celebration for me. But the choice of gender just for its own sake is an empty gesture, and cannot be a source of triumph, as if without merit, she simply is transmuted as red meat, chewed up by a pack of hungry dog-like bloggers and media pundits. These “red meat aspects” to her are numerous: the family first values did not infiltrate her own family, and the abstinence she believes in did not influence her daughter, but of course, the pro-life values of keeping a child did.

So for that, we can say God bless, even if her teenager is pregnant while in high school. If this were Barack Obama’s daughter, this would have been grist for the mill non-stop.

And for a God-fearing, creationist who believes in pro-life, the value of living things, one questions why hunting for moose are aligned with those values or not? And for someone who believes in no more federal earmarks, to receive these federal earmarks for a bridge that was not built, and for which she campaigned hard to define her platform, a position she proclaims to believe, but not quite what her actions bear out. But, the internet and FOX news, including her website touts her to be an authentic reformer, one who stands up to special interests, one who advocates for more taxes to be paid by the oil industry, favoring drilling, and a few months ago, actually supported Senator Barack Obama’s energy policy and publicized her support on her governor’s website, now excised.

And, the biggest sword hanging over her head is the troopergate about to break open and now requires a lawyer to protect her. Deposition is about to start. And the report of the Ethics Commission is stalled at the moment.

“On July 11, 2008 Palin dismissed Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan, citing performance-related issues.[80] She offered him an alternative position as executive director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which he turned down.[81][82] Monegan alleged that his dismissal was retaliation for his failure to fire Palin’s former brother-in-law, Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, who was involved in a child custody battle with Palin’s sister, Molly McCann.[83][84] Palin had raised with Monegan the family's charges of misconduct against Wooten, such as a death threat against Palin's father.[85][86] In response, Monegan told Palin that Wooten had been officially reprimanded and disciplined in 2006 for these matters and that the subject could not be reopened.[83]
After Palin fired Monegan, a dispute arose over whether contacts made by Palin herself, Palin's staff and family constituted inappropriate pressure on Monegan to fire Wooten.[83][84][87][88] Initially, Palin denied that there had been any pressure on Monegan to fire Wooten, either from her or from anyone else in her administration.[89] Then, after she had her Attorney General's office conduct an internal investigation, Palin stated that her staff had contacted Monegan or his staff about two dozen times regarding Wooten, including many contacts from her chief of staff, and Palin also stated that most of those calls were made without her knowledge. Monegan has alleged that his dismissal was connected to his failure to fire Wooten, which Palin denies. ( Source: Wikipedia ).

And if facts as reported were true, undue influence appears to have been exerted to effect a decision affecting a public safety officer’s position, whose rights are protected by the National Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights: provides for a peace officer not to lose his position unless ‘for cause”, and if reprimanded and disciplined in 2006, cannot lose his position, unless with recurring patterns and misconduct continuing to the present.

A fairness issue to say the least.

And if not a violation of Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights, her actions may have been disallowed by the state’s code of ethics for a public official not to use undue influence by virtue of her public position. And to make matters worse, the Alaskan State Legislature allocated $100,000 to investigate if she exceeded her authority in this issue.

Nightline has this to report…..

Baby, Lies and Scandals, the headlines of US Magazine…,this is not the headlines that John McCain’s campaign was hoping for; these headlines must be exerting a lot of pressure on Governor Sarah Palin. She has a lot of issues: medical issues from her infant, a deployment issue from her son, and now a pregnancy condition from her daughter. Incomplete, an F Report Card by George Stephanopholous on tonight’s convention. But, a soldier’s story got an A from him, where McCain’s story about lapsing into unconsciousness, his defining trait of courage and honor, that he was offered a chance to get out of this prison but, he refused to trade information. And of course, Bush continues to be a big drag for McCain. Nightline, Sept. 1, 2008

Peace

swimmer — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:51:09 EDT

Where Does Peace Start?

by Judy Puckett

He looked me in the eye
And then he told me his heart
He said I cry like you cry
And I'm afraid of the dark
He said I'd like to put this gun down
And go home today
But it seems
That war won't go away.
He said, I bleed like you bleed
And it tears me apart
I need to know,
Where does peace start?
He said I cry like you cry
As I watch your flag fly
He looked me in the eye
and he told me his heart
And then he said,
Where does peace start?

Response to McKinney Supporter

Jon Morgan — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:15:29 EDT

I belong to Washington Public Campaigns, and am in their Seattle Meetup group. Someone emailed me there using my support for public financing to ask for my help with the Green Party's presidential bid this year. My response follows:

Peggy, with all due respect, I see absolutely no reason for the Green Party to even run a presidential candidate this year (nor Ralph Nader to run a 5th time) against the Democrats' best candidate in 40 years, and having worked in Congress a few years while McKinney was there, I'm quite familiar with her lunacy, gaffe-prone nature, short temper, and repeated disturbing statements. She lost her seat in the House for good reason. I was in the Capitol on 9/11 when a plane was headed for us, and I cannot abide McKinney's outrageous, wildly irresponsible allegations that the Administration was behind the horrific, traumatic attacks. That kind of nonsense sets back any cause she supports. I could never support her or let anyone I know support her in good conscience.

I strongly support mandatory public financing of all campaigns, banning PACs and 527s, requiring free airtime for candidates, limiting private donations to $100 per person per year, and opening ballot access, debate inclusion, and other parts of the electoral process to independent candidates and those from parties other than the two big ones. I have no question that Barack Obama will get us much closer to that than Cynthia McKinney has any hope of doing. I agree with Greens on most of the issues, and vote for Green candidates when they are the best choice. I voted for Joe Swzaja in his congressional race against Jim McDermott in 2000, and his Seattle City Council race in 2007. I've even worked to open the 43rd District Democrats' endorsement process to non-Democrats. My efforts in this year's presidential race are focused squarely and enthusiastically behind the best presidential candidate I've seen in my lifetime, Barack Obama.

Quote of the Day

swimmer — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:27:14 EDT

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
Barack Obama

Artists Lend Voices to Obama Campaign The Democratic nominee inspires acts from Dylan to Lil Wayne BRIAN HIATTPosted Jul 10, 2008 1:48 PM

Prosy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:20:45 EDT

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21472095/artists_lend_voices_to_obama_campaign

The night Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination for president, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong found himself experiencing an unfamiliar emotion: hope. "After his acceptance speech, I have to admit, it took me an hour to get the lump out of my throat," says Armstrong, whose band's American Idiot was the defining protest album of the Bush years. "Obama inspires people, and this country needs inspiration. People are jaded, pissed off and embarrassed." Much as the Bush administration generated more protest songs and political action from musicians than any time since the Sixties, the Obama campaign has ignited an unprecedented level of support from a broad spectrum of artists.

"The biggest difference between 2004 and now," says Conor Oberst, who toured in support of John Kerry along with Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty and Dave Matthews on Vote for Change, "is that then we were campaigning and voting against something. Now we are campaigning and voting for something, which is a completely different dynamic." Adds another Vote for Change vet, David Crosby, "I worked for Kerry but with large reservations because I thought he was kind of a wooden Indian. You look at Barack, and you can't help feeling hopeful." The passion crosses generations and genres: Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, Usher, Springsteen, John Legend, Jay-Z, R.E.M. and many others are on board. Michael Stipe made his own Obama T-shirts and wore them onstage; the Decemberists opened for Obama at a Portland, Oregon, rally; Jay-Z has endorsed him from arena stages; and even Dylan, who rarely makes direct political statements of any kind, said that Obama is "redefining the nature of politics from the ground up." "What Dylan said was mind-blowing," says Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz. "It's like, I don't really need to talk about Obama anymore if Bob Dylan's talking about him."

More than a dozen acts — from the Dixie Chicks to Death Cab for Cutie — joined together in 2004 for the Vote for Change Tour. Despite Bush's victory that year, many artists say they'd be up for a replay — and MoveOn .org, which helped put together the tour, has begun speaking to artist managers about some sort of reprise. MoveOn creative director Laura Dawn wouldn't reveal specifics but did say, "We're talking with a lot of artists about a whole bunch of hopefully good ideas about how to increase awareness and activism." But will musicians' advocacy help Obama's candidacy — or hurt it? "The danger for Obama is if one of these musicians says something stupid," says Republican pollster Frank Luntz. "Like Whoopi Goldberg did four years ago when she used foul language at a fundraiser for John Kerry." Kerry's many Hollywood fans helped him get tagged as an elitist, but Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist who worked with Howard Dean and John Edwards, is convinced that charge won't stick on Obama. "They've got to do better than that," he says, adding that it's the Republicans who should be worried.

"They've got the opposite problem. I really don't know even one pop-culture-type artist who's for McCain." In the primaries, young people voted in record numbers — 6.5 million voters under age 30 turned up, an eight percent increase from 2000 — and the Democrats among them overwhelmingly chose Obama. The campaign is counting on a similar turnout in November, which musicians' activism could help deliver. "They may be preaching to the converted, but they're continuing to energize these voters," says Luntz. "This is going to be the greatest generation-gap election of modern times." The pop-cultural groundswell for Obama began in February, with Will.i.am's viral video "Yes We Can," which set one of Obama's speeches to music. "I don't think we have seen anything like that video before — it helped change the environment for Obama, blunted the attacks from the Clintons and bonded him to a lot of young voters," says Trippi. "That speech inspired me," Will.i.am says. "Obama connects — that's the difference between a leader and a politician." The clip has been viewed 16 million times on YouTube. Will.i.am is hardly the only African-American artist to take notice of the first black candidate for a major party. "America has finally come to this point where you can pick a man of color," Chuck Berry told Reuters. "In the Fifties, there were certain places we couldn't ride on the bus, and now there is a possibility of a black man being in the White House."

And a much younger artist, Lil Wayne, expressed a similar sentiment: "It means a whole lot to me," he says, "being African-American and being 25 years of age, to live in this day and time, and see history being made." Like Obama, the rapper Common lives in Chicago, and he was an early supporter, dropping his name into his 2007 single "The People": "My raps ignite the people like Obama." "He's for the people, not just for one select group," says Common. Jay-Z, meanwhile, displayed Obama's picture on his video screens on various stops of his last tour, asking crowds, "Are we ready for change?" Jay-Z also took pains to make clear that his message was not officially endorsed by the candidate, half-joking that he didn't want to harm Obama's campaign the way the candidate's former preacher, Jeremiah Wright, has.

But to a certain extent, the campaign has welcomed musicians' support — Obama has mentioned having Jay-Z on his iPod, discussed meeting with him and Kanye West to push positive messages in hip-hop, and shared his stage at rallies with acts ranging from Usher to Will.i.am. And the campaign keeps close tabs on some famous supporters: When Wilco played Saturday Night Live on an episode also featuring Hillary Clinton, his team supplied Obama pins for the band members to wear during their set. Like many baby boomers, Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir sees something familiar in Obama's candidacy. "The Kennedys put out a message of hope, and John Kennedy was able to bring the country together," he says. "I have a feeling Obama might be able to do that as well."

But for Michael Stipe, the Obama phenomenon seems like something entirely new. "We are a country of ideas that have been squandered," he says. "With Obama, we have the possibility to have someone who represents what we are in the 21st century. My generation blew it, and for the first time in my life, I can vote for someone younger than me. Artists Lend Voices to Obama Campaign In Their Own Words: Artists Speak Out For Obama Conor Oberst "He's just the real deal. The first time I saw him speak, it was just shivers down my spine the whole time. When you see old footage of Bobby Kennedy or Martin Luther King, I always assumed it was the gloss of nostalgia that made those speeches so powerful. But Obama has the same thing." Jeff Tweedy "I came to Barack Obama with a lot of baggage and cynicism and reluctance to embrace any politician. And I think that's one of the things that's pretty magical about him: He's been able to melt the hearts of a lot of people like myself."

Dave Matthews "We are in the very worst position that the U.S. has been in the eyes of the world in its entire history. And we have to actively take control of it and turn it around, or the consequences are unimaginable in the end. It's so important that we have someone who can begin to help us heal the damage that has been done — and I think that's Obama." Ludacris "I met him, and he's an extremely humble, down-to-earth guy. I mean, his energy is great, which is extremely important. He just seems like an honest person. And I really feel like that's what we need right now." In Their Own Words: Artists Speak Out For Obama Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla "It was so easy on the Vote for Change Tour to believe that there was no way that John Kerry wouldn't win. But Obama is a better candidate. As we drive around the country right now, it's so incredible just how visible his campaign is and just how committed people seem to be to it." Bob Weir

"The contagion of hope is real. I think that Americans have the ability to rediscover what democracy feels like, and that's a good feeling." Billie Joe Armstrong "I don't want it to turn into a cult of personality. He's not Magic Man. The great thing would be if he could lead by example and inspire people to get their own shit together." Pete Wentz "This is the first time that I've had a chance to vote in a presidential race where there hasn't been a Bush or a Clinton running. From touring the world, the issue that draws me most to Obama is the idea of diplomacy and of repairing the U.S.'s image abroad." Michael Stipe "With every passing day, every time I see him speak, I'm more impressed by his capabilities and sure-footedness. He represents something different."

David Plouffe: Low Profile, High Impact

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:52:43 EDT

We've all heard tons of well deserved praise for David Axelrod. Here's a nice feature article about Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe.

www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-plouffe-obamajun09,0,2235451.story

chicagotribune.com Obama's campaign chief: low profile, high impact

By John McCormick

Tribune reporter

6:22 PM CDT, June 8, 2008

Baseball and politics are two of David Plouffe's passions. So it was natural that his love for one game reinforced something that proved crucial in the other: Singles can score runs.

As Sen. Barack Obama's campaign manager, Plouffe was the mastermind behind a winning strategy that looked well past Super Tuesday's contests on Feb. 5 and placed value on both large and small states.

A Woman Running Mate for Obama or McCain

Vas Sudanagunta — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:36:49 EDT

For millions Barack Obama turned hope into expectation, that after 389 years of black people being treated less than white people, one finally will be elected US President. In just as powerful a way, Hillary Clinton's candidacy stoked the latent passions of millions into believing that the time had arrived to finally "shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling" as she herself put it yesterday. Many people, like myself, have yearned and waited their whole lives for both barriers to be torn down.

Once a fire gets going, it's hard to put out. Since Clinton's candidacy has ended, the millions who put all their hopes into Clinton understandably feel their hopes dashed. Some are quickly able to adjust and be inspired by Obama, if perhaps a little less than they were inspired by Clinton. But others feel that something was stolen from them, which unavoidably leads to labeling someone "thief". The potential to trust Obama is undermined. But what other options? Is McCain better for women? It would be easy to understand why some might be disheartened enough to think they won't vote at all.

There is a void waiting to be filled. So much passion aroused but now no where positive for it to go.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's Unity Speech

Ernie Lou — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:22:21 EDT

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's Unity Speech will go down in history as a fantastic speech! She did everything that she needed to do in a perfect delivery! All the pundits agreed that it was an amazing speech! Big support for Sentor Barack Obama! This is the start of uniting the Democratic party and others for a big win this November!! Watch out McBush!!

from The Huffington Post.com

WaPo: "A Full-Throated Endorsement"... Andrew Sullivan: "Did All She Needed To Do"... Jeremy Gerard: "A Great Speech And A Heroic One"... Hilary Rosen: "Cemented Her Place In History"...

Evidence that McBush will be defeated!

Ernie Lou — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:59:27 EDT

John McCain keeps on trying to distance himself from Bush but he can't help it and it will contribute to a big victory for the Democrats in the fall!!

After biggest unemployment jump in 22 years, McCain vows more of the same

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/06/after-biggest-unemployment-jump-in-22-years-mccain-vows-more-of-the-same/

Barack, my candidate, the DNC, my party

Peter Hill — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:21:49 EDT

I am so very excited to hear the news that teh Democratic Party will no longer accept Washington Lobbyist donations. http://democrats.org/a/2008/06/democratic_part_10.php

I have been following the Change Congress (http://change-congress.org) movement since Larry Lessig started it.. One of the core pledges is for candidates to not accept lobbyist or PAC money. I believe this could turn out to be as important as the New Deal. It is time for our politicians to start serving the people more than the PACs. Sure, there are lots of good organizations out there. They deserve to be heard. I don't think they should be able to use money to buy influence. Lobbyists can still meet with politicians and share their ideas. I just don't want votes to be cast based on how much a group has donated to someone's campaign.

I just made my first donation to the DNC today. I have been holding out, while contributing to Barack's campaign. I say to the followers and fans of Karl Rove, bring it on. The Democrats will be ready and the truth will be heard.

Celebrate the Summer Solstice, Support Senator Obama & Register People to Vote!!!

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:34:52 EDT

We’ll be doing voter registration at the Fremont Fair on Saturday 21 June and Sunday 22 June!

Voter registration is easy but an essential part of Senator Obama’s race for the White House. If you are interested, please join us. Just wear your Obama swag*, put on some sun lotion, wear comfortable shoes and bring your enthusiasm. Devon will be conducting a quick voter registration 101 before you head out into the crowds.

The Essentials:

Location: Fremont Fair

Meeting Location: Washington State Dems Booth

Contact Person: Devon at 206-295-1709

Dates & Times: Saturday 21 June noon to 3 p.m. & Sunday 22 June 1 to 4 p.m.

We’ll be meeting at the Washington State Democrats booth (exact location of booth to be determined but in Downtown Fremont 34th and Fremont Ave). Just ask for “Devon”. If you are unable to locate the booth, please phone Devon at 206-295-1709. Also, you can keep your stuff at the WA Dems booth. Stay for the entire time or just for a bit, but please sign up on mybarackobama.com.

Saturday 21 June noon to 3 p.m. http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/447y

Sunday 22 June 1 to 4 p.m. http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/447d

We suggest taking the bus to Fremont since the Fair can be very crowded.

Bus routes 26, 28, 31 and 74 stop right in Fremont.
To look at bus schedules to/from Fremont, click here.

For more information on the 43rd Legislative District Grassroots for Obama and other great volunteer opportunities, click here

For more information on the Fremont Fair, click here

Any questions, contact us at 43forObama@gmail.com

Cheers,

Your 43rd Legislative District Grassroots for Obama Team

PS we have Obama Washington t-shirts designed by a local Seattle artist and printed in Ballard available for $20 suggested donation. All proceeds go back into making more swag and to other 43for Obama Grassroots voter registration efforts.

Look: YES WE DID!!!!!!!!

Bev Meyers — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:59:06 EDT

LIFE IS GOOD!

IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK!

IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD!

YES WE DID!!!!!!!

BARACK OBAMA IS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

FIRED UP! READY TO GO! JACK IS NOT GOING TO IRAQ!!!!!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Today America’s history is being written

Joe in East Millcreek — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:28:46 EDT

The historical significance of today’s events may not be fully recognized for generations to come. We as Obama supporters should be proud of the contributions and sacrifices we have made to bring about this historical sea change in America.

I am feeling as patriotic and optimistic today as I have ever been. I have a newfound hope for America’s future. I know the road ahead will be difficult at times, but today we can look back at the difficulties we have overcome and recognize that our contributions and sacrifices have made a difference and we all should be very proud of them.

Great job people, let’s keep fighting the good fight, God Bless America

GO OBAMA!!!

Obama Over Clinton: Greatest Upset Ever?

Jon Morgan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:47:13 EDT

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/06/wag_the_blog_the_biggest_upset.html

Wasted Opportunities

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:11:47 EDT

I have been attending a weekly community service event with other Obama supporters as often as I am able. I was not elected to be a delegate and with the loss of my job I was unable to run again due to my unstable financial state at the time. Basically, I did not know if I could afford to travel to the convention. If I had known that I would be working again so soon I would not only have run but I would have a discount ticket already whether I was elected or not. That being said, it is extremely maddening to hear that some elected delegates are not interested in participating in the process to the fullest. If I had been elected, I would be at every meeting, fundraiser, public event, rally, effin clam bake, whatever was necessary to be the best representative I could be for Obama and the ideals on which this country was founded. I would consider it a golden opportunity and so would many people I know who ran and were not chosen. Why did you run if you just wanted to go to Denver and not Spokane or any other primary events? Why not just give up your spot to someone who not only wants to go to Spokane, Denver and anything else in between, but will do so with grace, dignity and a sense of civic responsibility? I consider it completely irresponsible and arrogant for anyone to blow off these responsibilities in favor of a vacation to Denver. We are not on vacation. We are not electing a beauty queen for the county fair. We are electing a President. And not just a President but someone who has to "clean up" the mess that has accumulated and grown to a festering pile of our rotting rights and civil liberties that have been trashed over the last eight years.

As my boss, mentor and friend always says, "It's time to put up or shut up."

Paterson Slips into Past Tense on Clinton by Jeremy Peters

Prosy — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:02:00 EDT

May 22, 2008, 5:53 pm Paterson Slips Into Past Tense on Clinton

By Jeremy W. Peters

Is Gov. David A. Paterson’s support for Hillary Clinton starting to cool? On a radio call-in show this afternoon, the governor insisted that he still supports Mrs. Clinton’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. But he sounded as if he is starting to have serious doubts about whether she can prevail against Barack Obama.

“I would say that at this point,” Mr. Paterson said, “we’re starting to see a little, you know, desperation on the part of a woman who I supported, and woman who I’ll support until whatever time she makes a different determination.”

Then he used the past tense as he assessed her viability as a candidate, adding, “I thought she was the best candidate. And I also thought she had the best chance of winning.”

Mr. Paterson’s endorsement of Mrs. Clinton is hardly an incidental matter for the junior senator from New York. In addition to being the highest elected official in her home state, he is also one of her highest-profile black supporters and a super delegate to boot.

Mr. Paterson, a party superdelegate, repeated several times during his radio appearance that he still backs Mrs. Clinton. But he expressed disapproval of her campaign’s strategy to argue that delegates from Florida and Michigan should be included in the Democratic Party’s final delegate tally. Those states were stripped of their delegates by the Democratic National Committee because they held early primaries against the party’s wishes.

Mr. Paterson said that if either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama disagreed with the decision to leave Florida and Michigan out of the delegate count, they should have spoken up when that decision was made last year.

“I thought at the time everybody agreed to it. I didn’t hear any disagreement from the candidates,” he said. “So I think the Democratic National Committee would leave it as it is.”

The governor also offered some words of caution, though he notably did not single out a particular candidate. “Candidates have to be careful in their zeal to win that in some respects they’re not starting to trample on a process.”

Trail of Tall Tales: Hillary Clinton

Prosy — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:39:38 EDT

| Hillary Clinton Trail of Tall Tales: Hillary Clinton by FOXNews.com Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wednesday: Hillary Rodham Clinton smiles with her daughter, Chelsea, as she's introduced at a campaign event in Boca Raton, Fla. (AP Photo)

adsonar_placementId=1338106;adsonar_pid=144757;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_zw=320;adsonar_zh=139;adsonar_jv='ads.adsonar.com';

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series focusing on misstatements, prevarications and falsehoods proclaimed by the three major presidential candidates.

Sen. Hillary Clinton presents the image of a seasoned, ever-disciplined politician whose experience as first lady and a New York senator makes her ready to be commander-in-chief. But a series of misstatements — exaggerations, half-truths and lies — made by Clinton over the last 15 years have at times undermined her image and called her credibility into question.

1. Travelgate, June 23, 2000
An investigation was launched into the firing of seven long-time employees of the White House travel office, all of whom were replaced with friends and relatives of the Clintons.

Non-truth: In a sworn deposition to the General Accounting Office, Clinton was asked if she had any involvement in the decision to fire the staffers: “No, I did not,” she replied. She said she did not know the “origin of the decision” to fire the staffers, “had no role in the decision to terminate the employees” and “did not direct that any action be taken by anyone” regarding the matter.

Truth: The Office of Independent Counsel investigating it and other matters found “overwhelming evidence that she in fact did have a role in the decision to fire the employees” and that her testimony was “factually false.”

Sources: “Honesty: Hillary’s Glass House,” National Journal, Dec. 10, 2007; “Testimony About Travel-Office Dismissals,” New York Times, Oct. 19, 2000; “The First Lady Is Chided, But Not Charged,” New York Times, June 23, 2000.

2. Iraq War Vote, Jan. 13, 2008
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Clinton was asked about her 2002 vote to authorize the use of force against Iraq. Her vote helped authorize President Bush to use force in Iraq if diplomatic efforts failed to disband a nuclear weapons program that Saddam Hussein was believed to have developed.

Non-truth: Clinton insisted it was “not a vote for preemptive war.”

“It was a vote to put inspectors back in to determine what threat Saddam Hussein did in fact pose,” Clinton said.

Truth: On Oct. 10, 2002, on the Senate floor, Clinton said, “This is a very difficult vote … any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction.”

Sources: “Meet the Press,” NBC, Jan. 13, 2008;” Hillary Rodham Clinton official Senate Web site.

3. Sniper Fire, March 17, 2008
In 1996 Clinton visited Bosnia as first lady.

Non-truth: She told an audience at the George Washington University that she remembered “landing under sniper fire.”

“There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base,” she said. She made similar comments to other audiences.

Truth: Videotape of her arrival at Tuzla Air Base shows Clinton walking off the plane, greeting troops and walking calmly around camp. She is then met by a young girl who reads her a poem.

Clinton has admitted she “misspoke,” calling her story a “minor blip.” She attributed the misstatement to campaign fatigue. “I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I’m human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation.”

Sources: “Clinton Recalls Bosnia Trip as Dangerous,” Associated Press, March 17, 2008; “New CBS Video Contradicts Clinton Again,” CBS News, March 25, 2008; “Clinton Says She Erred on Bosnia Story,” Associated Press, March 25, 2008.

4. Vince Foster Documents, April 22, 1994
After the suicide of Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster, First Lady Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff Maggie Williams had documents removed from Foster’s office.

Half-truth: During a press conference, Clinton was asked why Williams was involved in removing the documents. Clinton responded: “I don’t know that she did remove any documents.”

Truth: Clinton administrations officials later acknowledged that the first lady requested the documents be removed and turned over to Williams. Williams was told to store the papers in the White House residence, where Clinton’s personal attorney later picked them up.

Source: “The Whitewater Affair: Excerpts From Hillary Clinton’s News Session on Whitewater,” New York Times, April 23, 1994; “Whitewater File Was Kept at White House Residence; Foster Office Papers Stored for Several Days,” The Washington Post, Aug. 2, 1994.

5. Iraq War Criticism, April 5, 2008
Non-truth: In Eugene, Ore., Clinton said that she was first to criticize the Iraq war, before Barack Obama, during their time in the Senate. “I started criticizing the war in Iraq before he did,” she said.

Truth: On Jan. 18, 2005, Obama criticized the war to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while questioning Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying the Bush administration presented an “open-ended commitment” to a U.S. presence in the country. On Jan. 26, eight days later, Clinton said the Bush administration’s Iraq policy was “riddled with errors, misstatements and misjudgments.”

Sources: “Clinton: Democratic Contest a Primary, Not a Coronation,” FOXNews.com, April 5, 2008; “Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Hearing on Nomination of Condoleezza Rice To Be Secretary of State,” NYTimes.com, Jan. 18, 2005; “Statement of Senator Clinton for the Congressional Record on Her Vote on the Nomination of Dr. Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State,” Clinton.Senate.gov, Jan. 26, 2005; “In Oregon, Clinton Makes False Claim About Her Iraq Record Vs. Obama’s,” Jake Tapper, ABCNews.com, April 6, 2008.

6. Brokering Irish Peace, Jan. 6, 2008
Non truth: In Nashua, N.H., Clinton told supporters that when she was first lady she organized a town hall in Belfast, Ireland, to help promote peace talks between Catholics and Protestants.

“I remember a meeting that I pulled together in Belfast, in the town hall there, bringing together for the first time Catholics and Protestants from both traditions, having them sitting in a room where they had never been before with each other because they don’t go to school together, they don’t live together; and it was only in large measure because I really asked them to come that they were there,” Clinton said.

Truth: There is no record of such a meeting at Belfast City Hall. The former first lady held a 50-minute meeting of Catholic and Protestant women at a Belfast café on Nov. 30, 1995, arranged by the U.S. Embassy, and she attended a Christmas tree lighting ceremony with President Clinton at Belfast City Hall.

Sources: “Nobel Winner: Hillary Clinton’s ‘Silly’ Irish Peace Claims,” Telegraph, March 8, 2008; “Hillary Clinton Hears How Hatred Is Buried,” Reuters News, Nov. 30, 1995. “First Lady Hears Voice of Women: Hillary, Bill Clinton in Northern Ireland,” The Times (UK), Dec. 1, 1995.

7. Chelsea Jogging, Sept. 17, 2001
Non-truth: Clinton told NBC’s Jane Pauley that her daughter, Chelsea, went jogging on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, and had planned to run near the World Trade Center.

“She’d gone, what she thought would be just a great jog,” Clinton said. “She was going to go down to Battery Park, she was going to go around the towers.”

Truth: In a Nov. 9, 2001, article in Talk magazine, Chelsea Clinton never wrote she went jogging on Sept. 11, 2001. Instead, Clinton said she was alone inside a friend’s apartment 12 blocks away when the first plane struck the World Trade Center. She watched the second plane hit the South Tower on her friend’s television.

Sources: “Today Show,” NBC News, Sept. 18, 2001; “Chelsea Clinton Speaks Out for the First Time in a Personal Account of the September 11 Tragedy and Its Aftermath,” Talk, Nov. 9, 2001.

8. Death of a Mother, March 2008
For about five weeks, Clinton told a story related to her by an Ohio deputy sheriff about a pregnant woman who lost her baby and died two weeks later.

Half-truth: Clinton said the woman was uninsured and was refused medical treatment because she could not come up with a $100 examination fee.

“It hurts me that in our country, as rich and good of a country as we are, this young woman and her baby died because she couldn’t come up with $100 to see the doctor,” Clinton said.

Truth: Trina Bachtel, 35, died last August, two weeks after her son was stillborn. But she did have health insurance and was not denied treatment for her troubled pregnancy when she sought help at a hospital in Athens, Ohio. She had, however, been asked to pay $100 for treatment at a clinic she first visited, where she had incurred debts when she previously lacked health care. The Ohio deputy sheriff confirmed that Clinton related the story as he had told it to her.

Sources: “Ohio Hospital Contests a Story Clinton Tells,” New York Times, April 5, 2008; “Clinton’s Tale Part Truth, Part Errors,” Associated Press, April 7, 2008.

9. Refugee Borders, March 12, 2008
Non-truth: Clinton said in a cable news interview that she “negotiated open borders” in Macedonia to fleeing Kosovar refugees.

Truth: Macedonia’s ambassador to the U.S. at the time, Ljubica Acevska, said during a March 2008 interview with National Public Radio that her government always had a policy to allow refugees’ passage into the country.

Sources: “American Morning,” CNN, March 5, 2008; “Is ‘First Lady’ A Foreign Policy Credential?” NPR, March 12, 2008.

10. Origins of the Name, April 2, 1995
Non-truth: At an airstrip in Nepal, Clinton told Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to conquer Mount Everest, that she had been named after the renowned mountaineer.

Truth: Clinton was born in 1947, when Sir Edmund was still an obscure beekeeper from New Zealand. He did not climb Everest until 1953, six years later.

Sources: “Hillary Clinton Meets Man Who Gave Her Two Ls,” New York Times, April 3, 1995; “Hillary, Not as in the Mount Everest Guy,” New York Times, Oct. 17, 2006.

11. National Guard Health Insurance, Dec. 20, 2007
Non-truth: Clinton’s television ad, “Guard,” which ran in New Hampshire, claimed National Guard and Army Reserve personnel had no health insurance until she and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham took action.

“You would think that after all the sacrifices and service of the National Guard and Reserve protecting our country, they would have had health insurance. But they didn’t,” Clinton says in the ad. “So I reached across the aisle and worked for three years with Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, to change that. Now every member of the Guard and Reserve has access to the health coverage they need.”

Truth: Before Clinton took office, all active-duty Guard and Reserve troops were covered by federal insurance, and four out of five non-active-duty National Guardsmen and Reservists were covered by their civilian employers or other sources.

Source: “Exaggerating Help For Troops,” FactCheck.org, Dec. 20, 2007.

12. Bill Kennedy Endorsement, April 15, 2008
Clinton scored an endorsement from a Montana politician, Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy.

Non-truth: A press release from Clinton’s campaign said Kennedy was prompted to go for Clinton because of remarks Barack Obama made to a group of California donors in which he said small-town Americans get bitter and “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” as a way to explain their frustrations.

“Today, Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of another prominent Montana leader, Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy. … Kennedy said Sen. Obama’s remarks last week at a San Francisco fundraiser solidified his support for Sen. Clinton,” reads the Clinton campaign statement.

Truth: Kennedy told FOX News a day after the release: “I had been leaning toward Hillary for months. I actually decided to endorse her two weeks ago.” In other words, Kennedy decided to back Clinton on April 1, five days before Obama’s comments.

Sources: “Montana Pol: Clinton Endorsement Preceded Obama ‘Cling’ Flap,” FOXNews.com, April 15, 2008; “Yellowstone County Commissioner Backs Hillary for President,” Hillary for President Official Web site, April 14, 2008.

Thursday: John McCain
Friday: Barack Obama

Tolerance is often a kind of work

Reiner Sobota — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:31:41 EDT

In the morning hours I take a walk, make my Gymnastik in the nature between two old oak trees in front of a flowing stream. The bird's are singing wonderful. I thought, when you want to learn saling it's the best way, to do it against the wind.

Carter: Obama-Clinton ticket Unlikely

Prosy — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:37:18 EDT

May 21, 2008 Carter: Obama-Clinton ticket unlikely Posted: 11:49 AM ET
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Carter says a joint Obama-Clinton ticket is unlikely.

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton would accept the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket, but it's highly unlikely Barack Obama will offer it to her should he be the party's nominee, former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday.

Speaking during a question and answer session at an event in Houston Tuesday night, Carter said, in his view, it's not impossible the two could pair up for the general election. But the former president said Obama will most likely search for a different vice presidential candidate.

"I think it would be highly unlikely for Obama to ask her to take it," Carter said. "Because I don't see how it would help his ticket. I think he needs somebody like a [former Georgia Sen.] Sam Nunn, but I won't name others.”

"But I think if he asked her, she would take it," Carter added.

The former president also reiterated that he does not have direct contact with either campaign and is not privy to the VP deliberations.

Carter also said a unity ticket would likely help the party come together after the prolonged and at times divisive primary race. But he stopped short of saying such a ticket would be the strongest Democrats could field

"That would be the ticket the republicans would favor I think," he said.

Carter, a Democratic superdelegate, has yet to formally endorse a candidate, but he has strongly hinted he is in favor of Obama.

Seattle Pride for Obama

Jen Hauseman — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:06:29 EDT

Hello Seattle Obama supporters!

Sunday, June 29 is Seattle's Pride Parade and PrideFest where the transgender, bisexual, lesbian, and gay community comes together to celebrate. If you are part of the queer community, we want you to come out loud and proud for Obama! If you are straight, please march with your LGBT allies to show the unity that the Obama movement is all about!

Sign up to march with us. We'll keep you updated.

As one woman who already signed up said: I'm a 62 year old straight female for Obama. Bottom line: we have to get as many people voting for Obama as possible. I frankly do not give a damn about who they sleep with as long as it isn't Bush or Cheney!

We will march in the morning Pride Parade and register voters at PrideFest all afternoon. Even if you've never registered anyone to vote in your life, we will provide you with training that day.

If you're interested in helping us organize for Pride, please join the organizer team's Google Group.

Hope to see you there!

Hopeful friendship

Reiner Sobota — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:11:48 EDT

Today I wrote some thanks for inspirations, e.g. nice to meet an "angel of hope" by E-mail.
I'm impressed by the words of so many hopeful people. For me honesty is an important part by the best way of policy. I hope really to meet new friends for a worldwide hope-network. "Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most." (Kate)
What a wonderful art of saying. I want to do my best for a better world and to be a trusted third party friend of worldwide friendships. It is an important step for me. I want to be a part of the worldwide change I hope for. By the way, I love my godchild Elena, her mother Vicky was born in Pennsylvania and I hope when Hillarys times has changed, she will come on our "hope-up-way" too:)
Best wishes from Germany/Wuppertal, Love, hope and trust both, Reiner:)

Such wonderful news today!!

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:26:54 EDT

(Extended text did not work so I am trying this here again)

I am having a wonderful days filled with awesomeness.

Watch this video about Edwards endorsing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGzFtflx0S4

And Cai legalized same-sex marriage!

California's top court legalizes gay marriage

By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer 27 minutes ago

California's Supreme Court declared gay couples in the nation's biggest state can marry — a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony.

Same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. But the window could close soon after — religious and social conservatives are pressing to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

"Essentially, this boils down to love. We love each other. We now have equal rights under the law," declared a jubilant Robin Tyler, a plaintiff in the case along with her partner. She added: "We're going to get married. No Tupperware, please."

A crowd of people raised their fists in triumph inside City Hall, and people wrapped themselves in the rainbow-colored gay-pride flag outside the courthouse. In the Castro, the historic center of the gay community in San Francisco, Tim Oviatt wept as he watched the news on TV.

"I've been waiting for this all my life. This is a life-affirming moment," he said.

By the afternoon, gay and lesbian couples had already started lining up at San Francisco City Hall to make appointments to get marriage licenses. In West Hollywood, supporters were planning to serve "wedding cake" at an evening celebration.

James Dobson, chairman of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, called the ruling an "outrage."

"It will be up to the people of California to preserve traditional marriage by passing a constitutional amendment. ... Only then can they protect themselves from this latest example of judicial tyranny," he said in an e-mail statement.

In its 4-3 ruling, the Republican-dominated high court struck down state laws against same-sex marriage and said domestic partnerships that provide many of the rights and benefits of matrimony are not enough.

"In contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," Chief Justice Ronald George wrote for the majority in ringing language that delighted gay rights activists.

Massachusetts is the only other state to legalize gay marriage, something it did in 2004. The California ruling is considered monumental by virtue of the state's size — 38 million out of a U.S. population of 302 million — and its historic role in the vanguard of the many social and cultural changes that have swept the country since World War II.

California has an estimated 92,000 same-sex couples.

"It's about human dignity. It's about human rights. It's about time in California," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, pumping his fist in the air, told a roaring crowd at City Hall. "As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation. It's inevitable. This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not."

Unlike Massachusetts, California has no residency requirement for obtaining a marriage license, meaning gays from around the country are likely to flock to the state to be wed, said Jennifer Pizer, a gay-rights attorney who worked on the case.

The ultimate reach of the ruling could be limited, however, since most states do not recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere. Nor does the federal government.

The conservative Alliance Defense Fund said it would ask the justices for a stay of the decision until after the fall election in hopes of adding California to the list of 26 states that have approved constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.

"We're obviously very disappointed in the decision. The remedy is a constitutional amendment. The constitution defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman," said Glen Lavy, senior counsel for the organization.

Randy Thomasson of VoteYesMarriage.com, a campaign to amend the California Constitution to ban gay marriage, said the decision was in effect telling children that they have a "new role model — homosexual marriage, aspire to it.

"This is a disaster," he said.

Opponents of gay marriage could also ask the high court to reconsider. If the court rejects such a request, same-sex couples could start getting married in 30 days, the time it typically takes for the justices' opinions to become final.

The justices said they would direct state officials "to take all actions necessary to effectuate our ruling," including requiring county marriage clerks to carry out their duties "in a manner consistent with" the court's decision.

James Vaughn, director of the California Log Cabin Republicans, called the ruling a "conservative one."

"The justices have ensured that the law treats all Californians fairly and equally. This decision is a good one for all families, gay and non-gay," Vaughn said.

The case was set in motion in 2004 when the mayor of San Francisco — the unofficial capital of gay America — threw City Hall open to gay couples to get married in a calculated challenge to California law. Four-thousand gay couples wed before the Supreme Court put a halt to the practice after a month.

Two dozen gay couples then sued, along with the city and gay rights organizations.

Thursday's ruling could alter the dynamics of the presidential race and state and congressional contests in California and beyond by causing a backlash among conservatives and drawing them to the polls in large numbers.

A spokesman for Republican John McCain, who opposes gay marriage, said the Arizona senator "doesn't believe judges should be making these decisions." The campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton said they believe that the issue of marriage should be left to the states.

Ten states now offer some form of legal recognition to same-sex couples — in most cases, domestic partnerships or civil unions. In the past few years, the courts in New York, New Jersey and Washington state have refused to allow gay marriage.

Outside the San Francisco courthouse, gay marriage supporters cried and cheered as news spread of the decision. Jeanie Rizzo, one of the plaintiffs, called Pali Cooper, her partner of 19 years, via cell phone and asked, "Pali, will you marry me?"

Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights said same-sex marriage advocates could not have hoped for a more favorable ruling by the Republican-dominated court. "It's a total victory," Minter said.

California already offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners many of the legal rights and responsibilities afforded to married couples, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support.

Citing a 1948 California Supreme Court decision that overturned a ban on interracial marriages, the justices struck down the state's 1977 one-man, one-woman marriage law, as well as a similar, voter-approved law that passed with 61 percent in 2000.

The chief justice was joined by Justices Joyce Kennard and Kathryn Werdegar, all three of whom were appointed by Republican governors, and Justice Carlos Moreno, the only member of the court appointed by a Democrat.

In a dissent, Justice Marvin Baxter agreed with many arguments of the majority but said that the court overstepped its authority and that changes to marriage laws should be decided by the voters. Justices Ming Chin and Carol Corrigan also dissented.

California's secretary of state is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to put the gay-marriage amendment on the ballot.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has twice vetoed legislation that would have granted marriage to same-sex couples, said in a statement that he respected the court's decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling."

___

Associated Press writers Terence Chea, Jason Dearen, Juliana Barbassa and Evelyn Nieves in San Francisco and Liz Sidoti in Washington contributed to this report.

Edwards, SNL and Keith Oberman

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:07:19 EDT

Today I was lucky enough to come across three gems.

1. John Edwards endorses Barack Obama. Finally! :)

2. Keith OBerman: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24635229#24635229

3. Saturday Night Live gets it right (amazingly enough): http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/play.shtml?mea=250052

Edwards endorses Barack!

Peter Hill — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:48:47 EDT

What a great picture:

14_edwards.jpg

Yes We Can!

peter

Obama Ahead in SuperDelegates!

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:44:17 EDT

I am so excited that Obama is ahead in superdelegates and the popular vote. He is our candidate in my book.

Please visit this link to urge our remaining undecided Superdelegates in Washington to support Obama and end this thing once and for all.

http://www.petitiononline.com/wasprdel/petition.html

Obama responds forcefully to McCain's latest smears, according to the NY Times

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:48:01 EDT

What I want to know is how anyone could believe McCain is a "straight talking" maverick.

==================================================================

May 10, 2008

The New York Times

Check Point

On McCain, Obama and a Hamas Link By LARRY ROHTER

In the clearest indication yet of how he intends to confront Senator Barack Obama on foreign policy issues in the general election, Senator John McCain on Friday again portrayed the Democratic contender as being the favorite of Hamas, the militant Palestinian group, and implied that he would also be friendly with Iran, a Hamas ally.

U-District Street Fair Voter Registration

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:25:12 EDT

Hi everyone

We’ll be registering people to vote and showing our support for Obama at the upcoming University District Street Fair!

Registering people to vote is easy, fun and fulfilling!!! Just wear comfy shoes, put on some sunscreen, wear your Obama swag and meet up at the Washington State Democrats booth at the fair.

Saturday 17 May: Register Voters at the University District Street Fair, 12-3pm

Sunday 18 May: Register Voters at the University District Street Fair, 12-3pm

I’ll be giving a quick “registering people to vote 101”, then we’ll head out into the fair in pairs. You can keep your stuff at the WA Dems booth. Even if you can only stay for some of the time, please sign up on mybarackobama.com (links above) or email us at 43forObama@gmail.com.

The essentials:

University District Street Fair

Friday & Saturday 17 & 18 May

12 to 3 p.m.

Meeting spot: Washington State Democrats Booth

Located on 42nd Street East of 15th near Orange King

Booth Number: Blue 42S38

Contact person: Devon

Devon’s mobile number: 206-295-1709

If you have more questions or would like to purchase a locally designed Obama t-shirt or Obama buttons to wear at the U-District Street Fair* contact us at 43forObama@gmail.com

Cheers

Your 43rd Grassroots LD Obama Team

www.43forObama.org

*all proceeds go back into making more buttons and t-shirts which are distributed to underswagged areas

Tim Russert calls the nomination for Obama

NKL — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:30:03 EDT

"We now know who the nominee will be and noone will dispute it" Tim Russert on MSNBC at 9:15pm PDT.

It might take a couple days for her to resign officially, but we have won this thing!
(Some are speculating about it going 2 weeks until Oregon, but I doubt her big money donors will back that.)

So have a beer, relax, and tomorrow we start in on McCain.

Ticker Tape Ain't Spaghetti - Amy Goodman

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:39:53 EDT

Ticker Tape Ain’t Spaghetti
Posted on Apr 30, 2008

By Amy Goodman

Food riots are erupting around the world. Protests have occurred in Egypt, Cameroon, the Philippines, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mauritania and Senegal. Sarata Guisse, a Senegalese demonstrator, told Reuters: “We are holding this demonstration because we are hungry. We need to eat, we need to work, we are hungry. That’s all. We are hungry.” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has convened a task force to confront the problem, which threatens, he said, “the specter of widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale.” The World Food Program has called the food crisis the worst in 45 years, dubbing it a “silent tsunami” that will plunge 100 million more people into hunger.

Behind the hunger, behind the riots, are so-called free-trade agreements, and the brutal emergency-loan agreements imposed on poor countries by financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund. Food riots in Haiti have killed six, injured hundreds and led to the ousting of Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis. The Rev. Jesse Jackson just returned from Haiti and writes that “hunger is on the march here. Garbage is carefully sifted for whatever food might be left. Young babies wail in frustration, seeking milk from a mother too anemic to produce it.” Jackson is calling for debt relief so that Haiti can direct the $70 million per year it spends on interest to the World Bank and other loans into schools, infrastructure and agriculture.

The rise in food prices is generally attributed to a perfect storm caused by increased food demand from India and China, diminished food supplies caused by drought and other climate-change-related problems, increased fuel costs to grow and transport the food, and the increased demand for biofuels, which has diverted food supplies like corn into ethanol production.

This week, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, called for the suspension of biofuels production: “Burning food today so as to serve the mobility of the rich countries is a crime against humanity.” He’s asked the U.N. to impose a five-year ban on food-based biofuels production. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, a group of 8,000 scientists globally, is also speaking out against biofuels. The scientists are pushing for a plant called switchgrass to be used as the source for biofuels, reserving corn and other food plants to be used solely as food.

In a news conference this week, President Bush defended food-based ethanol production: “The truth of the matter is it’s in our national interests that our farmers grow energy, as opposed to us purchasing energy from parts of the world that are unstable or may not like us.” One part of the world that does like Bush and his policies are the multinational food corporations. International nonprofit group GRAIN has just published a report called “Making a killing from hunger.” In it, GRAIN points out that major multinational corporations are realizing vast, increasing profits amid the rising misery of world hunger. Profits are up for agribusiness giants Cargill (86 percent) and Bunge (77 percent), and Archer Daniels Midland (which dubs itself “the supermarket to the world") enjoyed a 67 percent increase in profits.

GRAIN writes: “Is this a price blip? No. A food shortage? Not that either. We are in a structural meltdown, the direct result of three decades of neoliberal globalization. ... We have allowed food to be transformed from something that nourishes people and provides them with secure livelihoods into a commodity for speculation and bargaining.” The report states: “The amount of speculative money in commodities futures ... was less than $5 billion in 2000. Last year, it ballooned to roughly $175 billion.”

There was a global food crisis in 1946. Then, as now, the U.N. convened a working group to deal with it. At its meeting, the head of the U.N. Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, former New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, said, “Ticker tape ain’t spaghetti.” In other words, the stock market doesn’t feed the hungry. His words remain true today. We in the U.S. aren’t immune to the crisis. Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Costco have placed limits on bulk rice purchases. Record numbers of people are on food stamps, and food pantries are seeing an increase in needy people.

Current technology exists to feed the planet in an organic, locally based, sustainable manner. The large corporate food and energy interests, and the U.S. government, need to recognize this and change direction, or the food riots in distant lands will soon be coming to their doors.

Dennis Moynihan contributed research for this column.

Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on 650 stations in North America.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate

Service event this Saturday May 3rd: Help clean up the Green River in Auburn, WA

NKL — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:30:56 EDT

Come help clean up the environment and show off your support of Obama!
Democrats Work! is hosting a cleanup of the Green River this Saturday,
May 3rd.

Where: Flaming Geyser State Park, Auburn
When: starts at 10am, Saturday May 3rd

Join your fellow Democrats for Washington's biggest, oldest, and best
river cleanup. Congressional candidate Darcy Burner - and other
special guests - will be part of the Work Crew. Join us as we put our
Democratic (and Obama!) values into action and cleanup the Green
River.

We'll meet at Flaming Geyser State Park just outside of Auburn at
10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 3rd. Directions are below.

Please wear clothing that protects your legs and arms from blackberry
bushes, wear sturdy boots or shoes, and bring work gloves and rakes if
you have them. Trash bags will be available.

Children are welcome. Dogs must be on leashes.

UPDATE: For folks coming from Seattle, there will be a bus leaving
from the 65th Street Park and Ride (under I-5). Please email
toby@washingtonbus.org to reserve a seat on the bus.

Lost or late on Saturday? Call Thomas Bates at 206-420-0134 and we'll get you sorted out. See you on Saturday!

More info: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/4ylk

Gas Tax Pandering vs. Policy

Jon Morgan — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:04:10 EDT

The Washington Post today editorialized about the idiotic McCain/Clinton proposal to suspend the federal gas tax for the summer. I wrote an awesome letter to the editor in response. Let's hope they run it...

http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043003286. html

Dear Editor,

You rightfully opine today (Gas Tax Gotcha) against suspending the federal gas tax. But I don't think you go far enough in considering the long term picture--particularly the peak oil era we've entered.

Because oil production has peaked in at least 33 of the top 48 OPEC countries while demand keeps growing in North America and skyrockets in China and India, oil and gas prices are only going to continue their steep increase.

Just last week the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce forecast oil at $225 a barrel by 2012. Canada's gas prices already average at least a dollar a gallon more than ours, for the sole reason that their gas taxes are higher. And Canada is an oil exporter; in fact America's biggest source of it. If a gas tax increase as recently recommended by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission is a non-starter now; is five, six, and seven dollar gas going to keep us from ever raising the gas tax to a sufficient level?

While Canada's gas taxes are higher than ours, they manage to add some economic fairness to blunt the impact on those at the bottom by rebating the tax back to low-income people. I don't see why we can't do the same. We can have our cake and eat it too, enjoying the benefits of needed federal revenue, increased carpooling and transit ridership, and stronger demand for more efficient cars all while protecting or even benefitting poor and working people. The idea that gas taxes have to be regressive, or shouldn't be raised for that reason, thus looks more like a canard.

Article from the Seattle-Post Intelligencer

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:01:32 EDT

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board:

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright's defense of himself ought to be welcomed asan exercise of his rights. We have no idea how it will actually playinto the campaign. But as pundits suggest, any mention of Sen. BarackObama's pastor leads to the media's Pavlovian response: Run sensationalvideo loops, check ratings, charge advertisers. Repeat.

Aspredictable as that may be, it's up to voters to decide how to respond,especially in deciding what, if any, significance the whole overhypedsubject has to the Democrats' primary battle. Most will never like theexcerpts but many already view them in a wider context ofAfrican-American history, religious and civic. A wider acquaintancewith Wright and his work may neutralize the discussion.

We'recertainly no experts on Wright, his congregation or Chicago. But thenarrative of a wild, angry anti-American extremist doesn't ring true.As some have noted, Wright volunteered to join the Marines in the early1960s, went on to become a Navy cardiopulmonary technician and earnedletters of commendation for his White House service. A white congregantrecently wrote about how Wright took hours to talk his African-Americanfiancée out of breaking their engagement over concerns about marryingoutside her race. They've been married 25 some years.

Over thecourse of a long public career, Wright has misspoken a time or two.Americans can listen to him directly address the criticisms and go onto have a presidential election that revolves around greater matters.

Obama plays with UNC basketball team

benjija2 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:58:45 EDT

I just wanted to share this awesome photo of a UNC player (I believe Tyler Hansbrough) trying to block Senator Barack Obama's shot during practice today.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/obama-shares-the-court-with-tar-heels/

Wright, he is more right than wrong

Peter Hill — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:51:45 EDT

I just read a NY Times article about Wright and Obama. I watched the interview with Bill Moyers and found it to be very interesting. One of the things that the NYT article mentions is Wrights comments about AIDS. As someone who has read "And the Band Played On", the U.S. may not have invented AIDS, but the Reagan administration sure did nothing about it. It was just not gay men who were getting AIDS. There were plenty of people who fit the demographics of Rev. Wrights parishioners.

It is sad that the main stream media (MSM) will likely continue to play up Wright as a negative. Bill Moyers showed much longer extracts from the sermons whose clips have been run over and over again. With the full context of the sermon, one can understand the lesson he was teaching. The bible itself has many verses that, if taken out of context, might seem very extreme or radical.
The NYT article also glosses over Wrights comments on Farrakhan. It does not mention that what Wright says about Farrakhan is that he saved many a young black man from a life as a gang member. If youGoogle "farrakhan violence" you see that the results relate more to stories of Louis Farrakhan being against violence. Don't get me wrong,a different google search will show that he also has an opinion of Israel that I certainly do not share in the least.
I do not see similar coverage of John Hagee. This guy is truly crazy. He is the one who said that Katrina happened because god did not like the sin in New Orleans. Nice. (not) John McCain is proud to have his endorsement.
Watch the Bill Moyers interview if you have any questions about Wright. I think he is more right than wrong. I think Barack does too, but knows that many people are not interested in seeing the truth in his words and are happy to latch on to the lies of people like Fox "News".

Who financially benefits from a protracted campaign

Peter Hill — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:36:17 EDT

So, the Pennsylvania election is one day away. I've been thinking a
bit about who benefits the most from a protracted primary season. The
broadcast media companies are racking on millions of dollars from
political ads. The longer we go, the more money they take in.

Are the American people really learning anything about the candidates
that will make a difference? Or are the NBC, CBS, and ABCs of the
nation finding an easy way to make money from advertisements in the
age of tivo.

The sad thing is that I don't see any great investigative reporting
coming out of the main stream media. They seem happy to take the
talking points from one campaim conference call and asking the other
the questions. Where are the real reporters? Where is the real news?

Another Will.I.Am video. "We are the Ones"

Peter Hill — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:23:11 EDT

http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/wato/

The first one was :Yes We Can"

http://www.dipdive.com/dip-politics/ywc/

Both are very good.

fox reporter gets schooled

Peter Hill — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:13:10 EDT

You may have seen this already. It is great. A fox reporter tries to do a gotcha on a pro-Wright priest and gets schooled. The wanna-be fox bully gets creamed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0wvQMqSzTM

WTF ABC?

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:05:11 EDT

Um... I could have hosted a better debate than ABC. Believe in the American flag? More patriotic? Why don't they just ask if apples are more tasty than bananas?! What a joke. I hope everyone responded to the listserve link where you can write letters to ABC and say that they need to stick to the harder issues rather than softball questions. Some say that boycotting or writing ABC and their parent company Disney (man do they own everything now) wont to any good. Well neither will doing nothing out of apathy and/or cynicism.

Brush it all off

Peter Hill — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:40:01 EDT

Barack seemed to be in great spirits after yesterday's debate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlR9DNfqGD4

Just brush off all the partisan and petty attacks. Most of what I have seen and heard feel that yesterdays debate only strengthened Barack's campaign.

One more from the Daily Show

Peter Hill — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:01:35 EDT

Oh, one more...
John Stewart has a new game..
"Take a prediction by the president of what might happen if we fail in Iraq, and replace it with a warning if we invade. Let's try it"
"When you do that, it's like he can see into the present"
It is so funny!! http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=166075

John Stewart on "Elite"

Peter Hill — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:53:09 EDT

Last nights episode of the Daily Show was great.

Clip of Hillary talking about guns followed by, "I remember saying to him at that very moment, I will spend the majority of my life sponsoring legislation to outlaw these thing, but thank you Pea-Pop, because someday this will make a useful anecdote.

Then a video of a reporter asking when the last time Hillary fired a gun or went to church. Hillary responds, "That is not a relevant question for this debate."

He keeps it going... on to Hillary drinking Crown Royal. John Stewart comments, "That's just what we need, a president that gives into peer pressure" and "Nothing says blue collar like Whiskey in a Velvet Pouch.

I really recommend watching this episode.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=166073&title=too-many-stars

Then John Stewart comments on the word "Elite"

"Doesn't "elite" mean good? Is that not something we're looking for in President anymore?", Stewart asks. "If you don't actually think you're better than us, what the f@#$ do you think your doing?"

Hilarious. If the best Hillary and John McCain have is that they think Barack is "elite", what are they doing?

Get on the Obama Bus: Road trip to Oregon

Jen Hauseman — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:20:36 EDT

Get on the Obama Bus: Road trip to Oregon

We're renting a school bus and heading to Portland to register voters for the Democratic Presidential primary!

When and Where

Saturday, April 26th, 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. (check-in starts at 8:30am). From there, we'll bus it to Portland, Oregon.

What We'll Be Doing: Registering Voters

If you've never done voter registration before, don't worry. We will have three hours to review our plan for the day while on the bus and you'll be teamed up with a friend or canvassing buddy (we work in pairs). In Portland we'll meet up with the local Obama staff for a quick training. Then we'll hit the streets, registering new Democratic voters and converting Green Party members, independents, and even some Republicans to support this once-in-a-lifetime candidate.

How It Will Work

For $20, you'll get a ride there and back, lunch and snacks on the way, instructions on what to do, and a write-up of nearby cafes and restaurants for dinner. And besides, how often do you get to ride a bus with 40 people who are as intelligent as you?

We will leave at 9:00 a.m. sharp from the Greenlake Park and Ride. Mike Hale of Hale's Ales has generously offered us his rad red double-decker British bus; the first 40 people to sign up will have the option of riding in big red. If we fill more than one bus, we'll rent yellow school buses to get there and back.

We'll arrive in Portland around noon. After a brief training, we will split up into teams and canvass for at least four hours. After that we will reconvene and leave Portland by 6:00 p.m., arriving back in Seattle around 9 p.m. Spaces are limited, and it's a first-come, first-served situation. You can pay the nonrefundable $20 fee, join the Google Group so you'll get updates about the trip, and find out more details here:

http://groups.google.com/group/43forObama-Oregon/web/welcome-to-the-seattle-to-portland-obama-trip

Thank you for helping Barack Obama in his fight to change our country!

Convention-shmension

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:49:08 EDT

I went to the convention today. I was not an elected delegate or alternate but a woman representing Stonewall Democrats said I could still run for my legislative district or caucus district or something. I need to look into this. Anyone know what she may have meant? Is there still a way I can run to go to Denver?

Commenting on Barack's response to Hillary and John's swipe

Peter Hill — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:44:40 EDT

Wow, great speech. I know I am an Obama "fanboy", but he really did seem to put John and Hillary in their place. I grew up in Pittsburgh, the former steel city. I watched it transform from a city that was powered by heavy industry to one that was fueled by medicine and science. Meanwhile, there are lots of families who for the past hundred years worked in the mills. It is hard to take someone who is fifty and worked thirty years or more in a mill and retrain them to fit into the new reality.
I am sure there is going to be resentment and distrust at the politicians they see as letting "their jobs" go to another country with cheaper labor costs and fewer environmental protection laws. It's a complex problem. I am definitely against total industry deregulation. I do think we should participate in a global economy. I don't like who corporations can set up shop in another country just so they can belch out a few million more tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. A free market that ends up being ruled by WalMart sounds like a nightmare.
The PA pri

You know what? Just go do it.

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:51:11 EDT

First, please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHi32mKjkSo

I have thought long and hard about Obama, the people that I know in my life, the people that have touched me both via YouTube and in real life (www.youtube.com/missdivinestalls) and I think that Obama has served as the last straw for me. I have decided that I am going to go to the national campaign headquarters for Obama and volunteer my paid weeks vacation. I am willing to work 14 to 16 hours a day for this man. And not just for him. But for us. There is no us vs them (i.e. have's and have nots, the two America's that Edwards tlaked about in 2004). I HAVE to do something. I don't care if I make a penny out of it. What will I achieve from it? I dunno. I will find out. I am on a pilgrimage for peace, for equality, for freedom of self. Live brave. I have to live brave.

Obama Works Food Drive at King Co. Convention

Jen Hauseman — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:25:05 EDT

Hi everyone,

If you're planning on attending the Democratic/King County Convention, please consider bringing canned or boxed food for our Obama Works food drive. We had tremendous success with our food drive at the 43rd LD Caucus, and would like to continue this program on Sunday, as well. Here are the details:

What: Food Drive benefiting Northwest Harvest (www.northwestharvest.org)

When: Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m.

Where:        The Democratic/King County Convention
                   West Seattle HS Gym, 3000 California Ave SW

Why:           To support our community and Senator Obama, and to show the kind of grassroots community involvement his candidacy has inspired.

How:           Bring nonperishable food (see list below) with you to the caucus – the more the better! We will have collection boxes there from Northwest Harvest.

What types of food does Northwest Harvest Need?
Northwest Harvest can use any nonperishable food or monetary donations. They buy rice and beans in bulk, so they encourage you to donate other items. Here are some suggestions:

General food items:
Canned fruit or vegetables
Canned meats (tuna, chicken, ham, etc.)
Cereal, hot or cold
Pasta
Peanut butter
Raisins, small boxes

Whole meals:
Chili
Mac and cheese
Pork and beans
Soup
Stew

Infant and baby foods:
Baby formula
Canned milk
Infant cereal
Jars of baby food
Powdered or canned milk
We also accept baby diapers

Like my gym teacher said, "I need to PAR-TI-CI-PATE."

Meighan from Seattle, WA — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:15:24 EDT

I realized today after receiving "your rent is late" valentine on my door that I forgot to pay my rent in the midst of all the excitement from the caucus. I have not heard about being a delegate in Denver or not but if it does not work out I will not be deterred. I am also going to apply for the fellowship program too. I still plan on taking a week's vacation in the summer to work full time for Obama. I changed my voice mail to a quote from Obama that is on his campaign website, "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours." I also made a video for the youtube group I belong to regarding how inspiring Obama has been for me and asking the other members of the group what speeches they found inspiring growing up. That video can be seen on www.youtube.com/fiveawesomelesbians.

I want to work like mad for Obama. I have his logo downloaded to my phone wallpaper. I find myself staring at it from time to time in awe of what I have seen thus far. I can't stand the idea of that war monger McCain in office. I also can't believe that talk radio host Ed Shultz is under fire for calling McCain a war monger. If it walks like a duck, IMO. Ed Shultz can be found on Air America Radio which in Washington state is on AM 1090.

I can't wait until my next day off. I will be going to the Washington headquarters for Obama and seeing what they need done.

The Next Steps to rejuvenate Democracy in the United States

Peter Hill — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:54:52 EDT

It was nice for all of the elected officials to show up at the recent caucus. I would like to see more from them, though. One thing that Barack has done that really excites me is refusing PAC money for his campaign. I'd like to see our own members of congress do the same.
For example, my representative, Jim McDermott, raised 51% of has campaign money from PACs. I've contributed a good deal of money over the past years to campaigns and am going to start looking more into how candidates raise their money. If I have the choice between giving to someone who is only taking donations from individual contributions, I will likely consider them more than a politician who does not.
The website, http://www.opensecrets.org exists to shed some light into campaign fundraising. You can see Jim's information here:http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cid=N00009829
When I see that the second biggest contributer to his campaign was Casinos and Gambling, I wonder if he is the right candidate to represent me.
I encourage all of you to go to http://www.change-congress.org and take the next step in reinvigorating democracy in America. It is not enough for us to vote for Barack and expect him to solve all of our problems. We need to make sure that he is able to work with people in Congress who are not beholden to companies who are looking out for their bottom line and not America's bottom line.
I don't want to seem like I am picking on Representative McDermott, but I have sent him email asking him to reject further PAC contributions. That I would be glad to contribute to his campaign if he takes a stand for me and my neighbors and fellow citizens of Seattle.
Change Congress operates very similarly to Creative Commons. In fact, it was started by Larry Lessig, the same person who founded CC. I support all four of the main items.
I believe candidates should: not accept contributions from registered lobbyists or PACs. support the abolition of "earmarks." support reform to increase transparency in Congress. support public financing of public elections.
Please, join me in turning around not only the White House, but the Congress. Incumbents are welcome to join us in removing the influence of corporate money from politics or in my mind, they can find another line of work.
Yes WE Can!Peter Hillwww.peterjhill.net

43rd LD Caucus Delegates and Alternates List

Jen Hauseman — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:34:38 EDT

Thank you to every single person who came to the 43rd LD caucus on Saturday. We had tremendous turnout and gained a delegate for Obama that day, all because of the tremendous group of volunteers who helped GOTC, the alternates who patiently and diligently made sure we didn't lose Obama seats and the delegates who chose a tremendous group of representatives for Obama from the 43rd.

To those who will continue on, congratulations. If you haven't already done so, please email us (43forObama@gmail.com) your mailing address so that we may send out the delegate packet to you. If you were selected as an alternate, congratulations as well. If your name has ** it was an exact tie -- we'll need you to draw lots at the next 43rd District Democrats meeting, and we'll be in touch shortly to square away the details.

If your name is not on the list below, you were not selected. But there will be plenty of opportunity to volunteer to help Obama in the 43rd, and we hope to have your help through to the general election. Please write us at 43forObama@gmail.com.

Again, thanks to everyone for participating on Saturday. The list below is in alphabetical order by last name, sorted by gender and by delegate/alternate status.

Female Delegates:
Kira Brodie (SEA 43-2007)
Reneschia Brown (SEA 43-3320)
Vanessa Casavant (SEA 43-2044)
Catherine Cunan (SEA 43-1783)
Keridwyn Deller (SEA 43-2004)
Lizzie Evans (SEA 43-1363)
Patricia Fay (SEA 43-1875)
Jenny Foster (SEA 43-2021)
Joann Francis (SEA 43-3320)
Sarah Gaither (SEA 43-2063)
Tara Gallagher (SEA 43-3262)
Susan Gordon (SEA 43-3230)
Grace Grantham (SEA 43-1779)
Betty Harris (SEA 43-1996)
Lynn Hartfied (SEA 43-1353)
Jen Hauseman (SEA 43-1888)
Sylvia Im (SEA 43-2001)
Linda Jacobs (SEA 43-2105)
Amy Klosterman (SEA 43-1349)
Janet Luhrs (SEA 43-1267)
Rose Minier (SEA 43-2547)
Laura Retzler (SEA 43-2032)
Lina Silva (SEA 43-2541)
Emily Steed (SEA 43-2105)
Annie Wagner (SEA 43-2027)
Rachel Wilch (SEA 43-2021)
Patricia Yates (SEA 43-2025)

Female Alternates:
Iva Baerlocher (SEA 43-2050)
Laura Ekisa Celis (SEA 43-1263)
Trea Coleman (SEA 43-2071)
Danielle Ducre (SEA 43-2081)
Ivy Fox (SEA 43-1855)
La'Chris Jordan (SEA 43-2542)
Amy Madden (SEA 43-2055)
Tara Murphy (SEA 43-1787)
Sylvia Olveda (SEA 43-2025)
**Kiwon Seong (SEA 43-1380)
Ianne Smyer (SEA 43-2041)
Molly Strong (SEA 43-1991)
Lauren Tozzi (SEA 43-1370)
**Susan Trower (SEA 43-1278)

Male Delegates:
Majid AL-Bahadli (SEA 43-2069)
Andy Bates (SEA 43-1889)
Knute Berger (SEA 43-1991)
Curt "Brace" Bolar (SEA 43-1874)
Andrew Caldwell (SEA 43-1875)
Peter Danelo (SEA 43-1774)
Matt Daniels (SEA 43-1264)
Opio Dupree (SEA 43-1889)
Ralph Fascitelli (SEA 43-1406)
Kent Fischer (SEA 43-1367)
Ronald Flynn (SEA 43-2025)
Scott Forbes (SEA 43-2090)
Jeffrey Forde (SEA 43-1787)
Dan Harrington (SEA 43-2045)
Ben Johnson (SEA 43-2853)
Frank Jones (SEA 43-2007)
Daewoo Kim (SEA 43-1371)
Justin Ledgerwood (SEA 43-1280)
Joe Mallahan (SEA 43-1375)
Tendai Maraire (SEA 43-1887)
Joseph Perez (SEA 43-2550)
Marc Philpart (SEA 43-1278)
Greg Ryan (SEA 43-2050)
Vas Sudanagunta (SEA 43-2025)
Ben Tramposh (SEA 43-2001)
David Valdez (SEA 43-2026)

Male Alternates:
Sal Celis (SEA 43-1367)
Phillip Cochran (SEA 43-1357)
Jonathan Cohen (SEA 43-2043)
Alem Fanta (SEA 43-1888)
Jack Hilovsky (SEA 43-1861)
Chris Hoffman (SEA 43-2543)
**Phillip Jordan (SEA 43-1992)
Jarvis Joyce (SEA 43-2110)
Jim LaRoche (SEA 43-1862)
Greg McCurdy (SEA 43-1855)
Dick Prentke (SEA 43-2027)
**Nick Rapagnani (SEA 43-1787)
Scott Renschler (SEA 43-1263)
David Scott (SEA 43-3320)

Caucusing in Seattle

Peter Hill — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:20:04 EDT

Yesterday was the second round of Caucuses for Washington State. The delegates chosen at the precinct caucuses came together in Wallingford. The primary business was to apportion the 67 delegates from our Legislative District that will go on to the next round of caucuses. Everyone came in pledged to either one of the candidates or "undecided". I applaud the two Kucinich delegates who both made it to the caucus.
A number of the alternates were called into to take the places of delegates who where not able to show up. I could not imagine missing the event.
In the end, after a couple of delegates realigned their pledge, we ended up 54 Obama delegates going forward and 14 Hillary delegates. That is 1 more Obama delegate we picked up to take to the Congressional District caucus.
As part of the process, surrogates for all three candidates had an opportunity to speak before the delegates in an attempt to change people's votes. I was amused that Sean Astin, aka Samwise Gamgee, went from caucus to caucus in Seattle to speak for Hillary. I did not meet anyone particularly impressed by his speech. He talked about flying up from LA to speak. We were more interested in hearing from someone local.
Once all the speeches were done and all the delegates credentials were certified, it was time to split into two "sub-caucuses" to chose our delegates to the next round. 2/3rds of the Obama delegates in attendance, something like 700 people, put their names up for the vote. A ballot was printed up with the men on one side an the women on the other. Democratic party rules require that we send an equal number of men and women, so our instructions were to vote for 26 men and 26 women and then to cast our 53rd vote for either a man or woman. So, over 700 candidates, over 1000 ballots, and each ballot had 53 votes. No wonder they are still counting them.
Next sunday will be another caucus. This one will be to discuss and vote on the party platform. People who say that Primaries are better than Caucuses have likely not been to a caucus. They are different. There are pros and cons to both. A primary allows more time for people to get to their polling place. A caucus, on the other hand, is a great way to build a grassroots organization. You get to meet your neighbors. I felt like such a part of the democratic process. Indeed, during the times we were waiting for the credentials to established, I thought that even this is part of democracy. It isn't easy. It does take time to make sure that votes are counted.
I came to Seattle from Pittsburgh and hope that we keep on caucusing in Washington. I noticed that when people had all day to vote in primaries in PA, they just did not do it. In Seattle before the first round of caucuses, everyone I met was asking me if I was going. We packed into a school gym with our neighbors. We left energized. It was Democracy at its best.
Peter

Post your photos from the 43rd caucus in my flickr group please!

Peter Hill — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:17:50 EDT

My point and shoot photos leave a lot to be desired, but Serene Careaga has already added some AWESOME photos to the group!

her photos can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davya24/sets/72157604398409198/

You can view the current pool of photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/671349@N25/

Please join the group and upload your photos!

Live Blogging the 43rd LD Caucus

Peter Hill — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:02:40 EDT

I'll be sending updates to my website at www.peterjhill.net during the caucus hopefully. See you all in an hour!

peter

Hoping to be a State convention delegate

Peter Hill — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:20:46 EDT

In less than 24 hours I will be joining hundreds of my neighbors at our local Legislative District Caucus. Based on the fine training the 43dems.org put together, I've learned that the primary business of this meeting will be to select the delegates who will represent our district at the state convention.
I expect the energy level will be very high. In my precinct caucus, Barack Obama swept all 12 of our delegates. I am hoping that I will be granted the opportunity to go on to Spokane to represent our district in support of Barack. I've been a passionate supporter of him, even before Obama girl. It was May 12th, 2004 when I started following Barack.
As a veteran of the first gulf war, who knows the horrors that are being created in our ill begun conflict, I will proudly stand by Barack and say that the best thing we can do for our parents of our soldiers is to bring their children home. Reward them for their efforts with real VA benefits. I believe Barack will make sure these soldiers have a bright future and not one haunted by what they have seen in battle.
I also want to represent my son, only 4 years old and already he can recognize Barack Obama by sight. When I was his age, Jimmy Carter was running against Ford. I remember telling them to vote for Mr. Carter. It was obvious to me then that Carter was a great man. When my son was born, we chose Carter to be his first name. I imagine a future, 20 or 30 years from now, when future parents decide to name their son Barack, for it will be a name to be proud to hold.
November is still quite distant, yet the hope burns brightly that our White House will soon be purged of greed and recklessness inhabiting it today and instead be filled with a leader who will show us the way to a great future.

A war started by deceit

Peter Hill — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:36:36 EDT

I just read an article in the Nation about the terrible things happening to Americans working for the Iraq war be perpetrated by people getting paid by the USA.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080421/houppert

In a war that was started with lies. One that is more about profit than peace. Where mercenaries work along side Americans. It is sadly not surprising that these horrible things are happening. These women mentioned in the story are among the thousands of casualties of this war. The victims are the children of Americans who bravely chose to serve. I am glad that Barack is so committed to supporting veterans. We will need much healing in the next decade. Many of these people will live with the mental and physical injuries their whole lives.

I served in the Navy during the first gulf war. The one started by GHWB. I am not sure how history might have been different. It's too late for that now. Now we need healing. We need compassion. We need a President who will lead us and our country to a better standing in the world community. Barack is that President.

Two more days till the LD Caucus

Peter Hill — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:05:56 EDT

I think I'll be taking the 8:14 bus from Ravenna and Greenlake Drive... I'll be wearing my Green Obama shirt. Hopefully the bus will be packed, just like it was for the Obama Rally at Key Arena!

Remembering the past

Peter Hill — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:00:13 EDT

I just put on Fahrenheit 9/11. I have not watched it for a while. I can't vouch for the validity of the story, but it amazes me the Bush was able to be elected for a second term. It astounds me that after such a tragic event, many of the perpetrators who organized and planned the terrible act have never been brought to justice.

After the event, Bush and co. led our country into a costly and terrible war. Again we will likely never see justice for the lies and mistruths that were spread by our "leaders"

Barack has a hard road ahead, repairing our country both inside and out. I feel he is up to it. Not because he can do it, but because We Can Do It.

Long sleeve white tee shirts in stock

Peter Hill — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:21:30 EDT

Just ordered one

43rd District Grassroots Organization meeting

Peter Hill — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:22:08 EDT

I'd like to thank the people from http://www.43rddems.org/ that organized today's grassroots meetings today. I attended the one in the U-District's library. There was a pretty good turnout.

I look forward to getting together with people from my local precinct to drive voter registration up. I've created a new group on my.barackobama.com for my precinct (43-1279). If your precinct does not have its own group, perhaps you should make one. Get together with your neighbors and make sure you do what you can to build the grassroots organization we need, not just to take the White House, but to Change Congress.

PA Rallys

Peter Hill — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:58:00 EDT

Did you see the photos from the PA rallys? I got to stand outside of the Key Arena, here in Seattle, when Barack came just before our caucus. The energy was amazing. I look forward to seeing what happens with the polling numbers following Barack's bus tour.

Speaking of Caucuses, the next level of WA state caucuses are this upcoming weekend. I look forward to seeing you all there. I am guessing that most of us are going to try to go on to the state caucus. It is great feeling so connected to the democratic process. I've been following Barack for four years. Ever since he was chosen as one of the Dean Dozen. I listened to his original podcasts. I heard a man back then that I knew was different from the rest of the DC crowd. I hoped I would some day be able to vote for him for President. Thanks to all of you, that dream has come true.

Where Can I take the Commander-in-Chief test?

Peter Hill — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:43:14 EDT

Is it a certificate program or a degree program? I have been listening to the daily conference calls of both the Obama and Clinton campaigns. Every day in the Clinton call, her chief communications director keeps talking about how Obama has not passed the test.

I think I have as much "experience" as Clinton does. Being the wife of a president is not the same as being president. There is a big difference in being the one responsible for decision making and the one that gets to put their two cents in.

I look forward to the next round of caucus' in Washington State next week. I also look forward to the PA primary. I want to see a great turnout of voters in the Keystone state. Lots of new voters brought to the party by all the hard work people have done registering voters. I think that the longer Hillary stays in this, the more it will hurt her long term party standing. We already have a divider in chief in the white house.. time to kick him out and put in a real leader.

Washington for Obama T-Shirt available

Jen Hauseman — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:21:14 EDT

Dear Seattle Obama supporter,

Here in the 43rd LD, we're busily getting ready for the April 5 caucus.With caucus trainings and delegate phonebanking, we're aiming for 100 percent turnout for Obama on caucus day.

Along with these tasks, we've also had a grassroots project I'd like to let you know about. As you may know, Obama swag has been backordered on the official website, and sites like Obamacycle have helped fill the gap. About three weeks ago, we started a project in the 43rd: by asking for donations for buttons and T-shirts our group made, we would use all of the profits to make Obama buttons to help boost his visibility in Pennsylvania for the primary. Both in the 43rd and 46th, people were happy to help us with this project, and we've been very grateful for their support.

With this tremendous response, we put 6,500 buttons into the hands of Pennsylvania voters. Pictures of the project are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24800785@N04/sets/72157604156007099/

Our goal remains 10,000 buttons to PA by the time the primaries take place -- all from Seattle, all made locally by volunteers in the 43rd.

As part of this effort, we have a Washington-themed Obama T-shirt available. It is printed locally (in Ballard) on American Apparel T-shirts, available in kids' size 10, men's small, medium, large, and extra large. We are asking for a $15 donation per shirt. We figured this was a two-for-one effort: Boost Obama visibility here in Seattle and help the campaign in an upcoming primary state.

If you'd like to see the T-shirt design, the image is available here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24800785@N04/2368851125/

If you're interested in getting one of these shirts yourself, please contact me about preorders at jenniferhauseman (at) gmail.com. If you would like to have it in time for the April 5 primary, you'll need to swing by to pick it up. (I will include details about when and where in my response.)

If you've had a part in this project already, thank you so much for your support!

Jen Hauseman, plus Andy Bates, Chris Hoffman, Devon Abdallah, Michelle Aubrey, Rose Minier and the rest of the 43rd LD grassroots leadership crew

P.S. Here's a hopeful article about Obama's standing in PA -- and this was before today's important endorsement from Bob Casey.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1725397,00.html

Way to go Bob Casey!

Peter Hill — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:31:49 EDT

I am glad to see Senator Casey endorsing Barack. I helped support Casey's campaign where he defeated the evil Rick Santorum. I still lived in Pittsburgh when slick Rick was first elected to office. He was in the House representing a district that was hit hard when Steel production moved overseas. Rick was more interested in further his political ties. The same one that Barack is trying to counter today.

I'd love to see Senator Casey join the www.change-congress.org movement. I think this is a great sign. The other Senator from PA is of course, Republican Arlen Specter. I don't think Arlen will be too upset if Barack wins the white house. I think they would work well together in uniting the nation to repair both our foreign and domestic injuries the Bush administration has inflected on us.

Peter

www.peterjhill.net

Bring the troops home from Iraq.

Matteo — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:06:40 EDT

During the run up to 2006 congressional elections I came to a principled conclusion that I would not - could not -support any candidate for national office who had authorized and/or supported the Iraq war. Norm Dicks was my congressman at the time. I did not support him in the primary or the general election. He won reelection, but I felt like I had the acted according to my principles and possessed the courage of my deeply held convictions. Barack Obama has the strong courage of his principled convictions. Here is another group of people who have the courage of their convictions: The young troops who enlisted after 9/11 in order to defend their nation against terrorism. I cannot imagine what the last years have been like for them. To be deployed to Iraq, survive, come home, only to be deployed again, and then again, and yet again. There are troops based at Fort Lewis who are on their fourth deployments. Talk about a nightmare. Many of them are aware now that the war is based on lies and - in some ways this is worse - conducted incompetently. They are completing their missions, serving out their enlistments, and holding on to the hope they can dodge the IED's until they finally, finally have civilian life in their grasp once again. I am a veteran, although not a combat veteran. I support Senator Obama - first and foremost because he is the one who will bring my brothers and sisters home post haste. Everything else is just gravy - in my opinion.

The PA primary, an expat Pittsburgher's view

Peter Hill — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:43:32 EDT

Three more weeks to go until the PA primary. I know a lot of you fellow Obama supporters would like to see Barack win the state, or at least not lose too much. I thought it might be helpful for anyone planning on phone banking for PA to get some perspective on the state. I like to think that the more I understand someone, the easier it is to connect.

Geography

First off, if you have ever driven across PA, you'll know how big it is.. It takes about 8 hours to drive from Pittsburgh to the northeast corner of the state. You have the two biggest cities on either side of the state. Pittsburgh and Philly. There are still a bunch of people spread throughout the state, and my experience is that people in small towns like Erie or Scranton are proud to live in their towns. My fellow Washington state residents can understand this. Seattle and Spokane are two big cities, but I don't assume that people who live in Moses Lake want to live in the city.

Politics

Pittsburgh has been ruled by democratic party dynasties for a long time. Pittsburgher's like the familiar. The see a name they recognize on the ballot and tend to pick it. I am guessing that Hillary has been doing so well in Pittsburgh, not just because NY touches PA, but because of her husband. Most of the people I knew thought that Whitewater and Ken Starr were all part of the "vast right wing conspiracy". I would NOT recommend bringing up these things to try to sway an undecided voter.. they might just vote for Hillary to get back at Ken Starr.

The Economy

Pittsburgh has gone through huge changes in their job market. It is no longer a dirty city. Steel mills have been replaced by research hospitals and high tech offsprings of Carnegie Mellon professors and grads. There are still a lot of service industry jobs in PA. Because of that, it is not hard to find someone without medical insurance in PA. All those people waiting tables and working in coffee shops are lacking medical coverage. Many of them are people over 25 or 30. It's tough for them.

Again, I'll talk from a Pittsburgh perspective. One of the reasons I came to Seattle is that I felt that the 'burgh was a bit provincial. People care much more about local issues than what is happening in Darfur. The difference between Seattle and Pittsburgh is night and day. I think foreign relations is something an Obama presidency will excel in. I don't think it will be as important in the PA primary.

Education

I think that getting the vote out to the students at the Pittsburgh, State College, and Philly Universities will be a huge thing. Many PA college kids stay in the state. Therefore, they will be voting in the state. I believe there is a hunger for Barack's message in the college classrooms of the keystone state. If you get a chance to talk to a college student, if you are able to share your energy with them and passion for an Obama presidency, they will carry that message on for you. Light that flame of hope in them.

I am not ready to write off my state of birth to Hillary. If we can get the people of PA to talk about his message in the cafes, parks, schools, and workplaces, we can make sure that Barack has enough time to prepare for the convention and share a winning team and strategy that will take us to the White House. We can get a commander-in-chief who is able to lead its citizens back into the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens of Earth.

Yes We Can!

twitter.com/peterjhill

Dr J Wright in the wight house for the Clintons

Lawrence — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:40:40 EDT

Read below, lifted from blogs;

Rev. Wright Counsels Bill Clinton! (Meeting)At last, the long awaited sequel to "Debunking Obama Myths"! Now that the muslim rumors have died down, and everyone not living under a rock knows the church Obama attends, a photo and a thank you letter have been released by the NY Times. Go to the link:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/photograph-of-bill-clinton-and-rev-wright-surfaces/

Now you can spread the news to every one you know, that has their doubts about Obama's relationship to Rev. Wright, because He also counseled President Clinton in a time of need, to encourage him to save his Presindency! Thank you to all who helped stop the lies about Obama in my first event. Now Senator Obama needs us again!

As far as Hillary knew, Rev. Wright was a wonderful, inspiring, and supportive minister.

Rev. Wright among others counseled and prayed with Bill at the time when the Monica Lewinski scandal was about to go public. The implications: if the Clinton's could so easily turn their backs on a man who inspired him to save his Presidency, it says a lot more about their character, than a man whose unifying message is to disavow, and not disown a friend and mentor.

Change Congress

Peter Hill — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:53:05 EDT

Barack is not superman. Our future President Obama will be the first to tell you that he alone cannot solve the world's problems. He is just one man.

We, though, the fired up and ready to go supporters of this fine campaign, have lots of power and energy. If we work towards a common goal.

It has been so easy for Bush and co. to use threats of terrorism to frighten us and people like us. They scared the telecom industry into violating the constitution!

If you want to join me in taking the next step to fix our government, don't just stop with the executive branch. Join a movement started by a very prominent Stanford Law Professor, Lawrence Lessig. Change Congress!

http://change-congress.blip.tv/#770720

The link above takes you to one of the most amazing presentations you will see this year. You can find out more information at:

http://change-congress.org/

Do yourself a favor, check it out. It is well worth the time.

Seattle LD Caucus Locations

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:58:07 EDT

The site of the April 5th Legislative District Caucus for the 43rd LD will be at Garfield High School which, due to construction, is currently located at Lincoln High School in Wallingford. The address is 4400 Interlake Ave. N., 98103. Further details will be announced soon. Google Map to Lincoln School

Many of the other Seattle area LD caucus locations have been announced and can be found at http://barackobama.meetup.com/133/ . Though not required, you can go to http://barackobama.meetup.com/133/ to RSVP, and to see who else is attending your LD caucus. We're updating caucus locations and times as we become aware of them. Thanks.

Dae

Canada: Where's Our Obama?

Jon Morgan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:11:50 EDT

Our neighbours to the north aren't asking for their Clinton, McCain, or Bush. They want their own Barack Obama.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/onlinepanel/2008/03/where_is_our_barack_obama.html

Like a nail in my head

Lawrence — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:02:22 EDT

Each time Barack is going through heated issues, I feel like somebody is hammering a nail into my head, I feel like somebody is ignoring the choice of young Americans, I feel like someone is trying to disenfranchise the youth, I feel like someone is trying to rub America an icon of peace, I feel like somebody is trying to ignore the voices of some disgruntled American, I feel that somebody wants only to hear voices of those who say the love America, I feel someone is playing down on unity accross the board, I feel that someone is trying to ignore a "calling" and embracing ambition.

BARACK OBAMA is something larger than himself now. He is an icon we are going to be looking on for peace and tranquility of America and the entire world. He is not just a candidate. He is unique because of his multiracial links. Can we change this world by rallying around one man? YES WE CAN.

Great turnout today at the U-District Library

Peter Hill — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:42:06 EDT

I really appreciate the time and energy the 43forobama people put into today's informational meeting. I look forward to working with all of you to bring change to our country.

NY Times Article about Senator Obama's Mother

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:11:09 EDT

For anyone who hasn't yet read Dreams From My Father, this is a Cliff Notes discussion of Senator Obama's mother, and the influence she had on her son. For some reason I don't see many articles about his mother. Knowing more about his family helps to give another dimension to the man. I highly recommend both of Senator Obama's books to anyone who hasn't yet read them. (I've written an annotated overview of his second book, which can be found on my blog: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/Dae/gGg5Bb)

Dae

Limited edition poster available, get it fast

Peter Hill — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:48:23 EDT

http://store.barackobama.com/Artists_for_Obama_s/1018.htm

Just ordered mine! Woot

twitter for Barack

Peter Hill — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:26:54 EDT

Any other twitter users out there? I am sure there are. If you don't know what I am talking about, watch this video:

http://www.commoncraft.com/Twitter

At the very ieast, I'd be interested in following other Obama supporters in the Seattle area. It would also be interesting if there were a way to have some keyword we could track for updates. Something like seattle4obama. Maybe something shorter.

If anyone has any good ideas, please let me know.

Way to go Mississippi!

Peter Hill — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:12:05 EDT

Great news today. I am very happy with Barack's response to the VP spin we have been hearing. I trust that Barack will make a great choice in vice president. I look forward to having someone in that office who will represent the people of the United States and not corporate cronies. Someone with integrity.

As a former PA resident (for over 30 years) I am hoping we can make a good showing. I believe we can do well. Yes we can!

When are we going to end this nightmare?

Majid AL-Bahadli — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:29:57 EST

When are we going to end this nightmare?
It has been seven years and every day I go to bed and wake up fully tired of thinking about Bush and his administration ruining the country and the image of America to the rest of world. I can't wait to wake up in the morning one day in November and find out the nightmare will soon be over. We can finally start a new day, a shiny day, a lovely day where the flowers are blooming instead of the falling leaves of Novemember.

The Battle Ahead

Peter Hill — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:50:13 EST

This afternoon I listened a bit to both the Obama and Clinton conference calls. It was interesting hearing how the same story is told from two very different views. Much like Rashomon. The Clinton camp is doing everything they can to downplay the obvious difference in delegates.

I feel confident in our road ahead to Denver and later the White House. Don't let the news corps get you down. Much of the news I have seen is low quality echoing of the spoon fed talking points of the candidates surrogates. Any time I hear a news analyst start talking about demographics, I start to question their assumptions. From the Obama rallys I have attended, I see the coming together of the melting pot of America.

Beleive. We can do it. Yes We Can!

Plagiarism, Chutzpah, and the Stink of Desperation

Jon Morgan — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:06:37 EST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CFb_KCbI2w

What You Need To Know As a Delegate to the LD Caucus

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:29:50 EST

The main purpose of the LD caucus is to elect delegates to the state convention and Congressional District Convention. (There may also be discussion of resolutions which is the emphasis of the county conventions.) The LD caucus is similar to a precinct caucus, though with approx 1,000-1200 attendees.

Delegates spend perhaps an hour signing in, and indicating their candidate of choice. Each side gets to address the entire body for perhaps 2-3 minutes. Delegates can then switch teams. After the recount of support, Obama and Clinton delegates break off into their own groups. Obama people who want to go to the state convention (and Congressional District Convention) give speeches to fellow Obama supporters, and there's a written ballot for delegates and alternates. (It's at the Congressional District Convention that most of the pledged delegates are selected for the Democratic National Convention.) Then the Obama/Clinton groups rejoin to discuss resolutions.

My Mostly Positive Caucus Experience

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:18:48 EST

The morning of the caucus, I was at Kinkos, printing/photocopying news articles, talking points and brightly colored flyers to circulate/post at the caucus. Since I was wearing one of my Obama t-shirts, several other Obama supporters came up to me throughout my Kinkos visit, to say hello, share ideas, exchange literature, flyers, etc.