43rd Legislative District Seattle

Town Hall February 3rd - Everyone Invited

Wayne — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:30:11 EST

Telephone Town Hall, Tuesday 2-3-09 9:30 pm EST
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/economicrecovery

Please join us for a Telephone Town Hall at 9:30 pm EST on Tuesday, February 3 with David Plouffe, Campaign Manager for Obama for America, and Mitch Stewart, Executive Director of Organizing for America. This call is for neighborhood team leaders and other key volunteers.

---
Host a House Meeting [February 6-8, 2009]
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/economicmeetings

President Obama and members of Congress have a plan to put nearly four million Americans back to work, but they need your help. The economic crisis can seem overwhelming and complex to many, but you can help the people you know connect the recovery plan to their lives and learn more about why it's so important by hosting a house meeting. A special video will outline details of the plan, how it will help your community, and impact working families.

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/

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!

GOTV! Buttons! Stickers! Bands! Sat. Nov. 1, 2008 9:00PM

3-WAY SWITCH — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:10:16 EDT

BARACK 'N ROLL @ JULES MAES SALOON

Relieve your campaign stress and join us for a fun GOTV event in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood.

21+ with ID.

DON’T BE LATE!

Come down EARLY to Jules Maes and make your very own campaign button for free!

(supplies donated)

http://buttons4obama.com/

buttons4obama will be there from 9-10pm with their button machine and designs.

Show your support with a DIY button!

LIVE MUSIC AND MORE!

The Rawkin' Sounds of Mabel Dodge, 3-Way Switch and Radioshark!

Tips for Getting Out The Vote!

Free ACLU Voter Empowerment Cards!

Free Obama Stickers!

Free DIY campaign buttons!

Pocket Constitutions!

JULES MAES SALOON

5919 Airport Way S. Seattle, WA

21+ with ID $5 cover

FOR MORE INFO

www.myspace.com/threewayswitch

band3ws [at] yahoo . com

Hope to see you there!

Vote by mail video: English, Chinese, hearing impaired

Fair Elections for Washington — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:09:36 EDT

There are still LARGE numbers of people who have not yet turned in their vote by mail ballots. It's not too late to benefit from this.

Watch the video that shows how to vote by mail. http://wa-democrats.org/vote

or for the same video on vimeo:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/absentee/howtoabsentee.aspx

Chinese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF1M2Mn75nE&fmt=18

Hearing impaired: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JnFoeZgwOA

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!

Vote by mail video with Chinese subtitles

Fair Elections for Washington — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:37:25 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF1M2Mn75nE&fmt=18
Please pass this on to anyone you know how could benefit from it.

Avoid mistakes when voting by mail

Fair Elections for Washington — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:22:13 EDT

Watch the video that shows how to vote by mail. http://wa-democrats.org/vote

or for the same video on vimeo:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/absentee/howtoabsentee.aspx

South East Seattle Fundraiser: Oct 20 6pm

Kate98118 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:20:18 EDT

You are invited to join friends and neighbors in support of Barack Obama…Building the New Energy Economy:
Made in America

Over 250 parties in all 50 states to support Barack Obama for President – just 14 days before the election!

· WHEN: 6:00PM Mon. Oct. 20, 2008

· WHERE: Columbia City Neighborhood - 4721 S Orcas St. Seattle, WA 98118

· RSVP: Kate Jackson kateshieldsjackson@yahoo.com (206-612-3990)

· WHO: Friends, family, neighbors (feel free to spread the invitation far and wide)

With wine, cheese, and good company we'll celebrate the hope of an Obama presidency and how to get involved with the campaign.

Obama and Al Gore will give a special recorded address. We hope you'll join us and bring a friend!

· The goal of our party is to raise $2,000 for the Obama Campaign. Contribute here: https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/NewEnergy

· If you give $25 that's $.03 a day to have Obama as President and not McCain (or possibly Palin).

· If you give $50 it's just $.06 a day. Pretty affordable price for change.

· If you give $100 it's just $.12 a day. Twelve cents a day for green buildings, clean cars, fewer toxics in our air and water. Let's dig into our pockets and build a green economy.

We aim to have numerous parties around the state, and in Seattle in N. Seattle, Capitol Hill and Bainbridge.

Tips for voting by mail

Fair Elections for Washington — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:53:00 EDT

Please take these simple precautions to make sure your vote is counted.

DO NOT USE PENCIL Use blue or black ink.

DO NOT SIGN YOUR BALLOT. Sign the outer envelope under the security flap.

VOTE BOTH SIDES OF THE BALLOT

USE THE CORRECT POSTAGE. 42¢ONE BALLOT PER ENVELOPE. Your signature must be matched to a ballot. If there are multiple ballots in an envelope, then only one ballot (chosen randomly) will be counted.

MAIL YOUR BALLOT ON TIME. Thousands of votes each election don’t get counted because the postmark is later than election day. If you’re going to mail your ballot, it must be postmarked by November 4th.

Here's a video tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C2mRsT794I

Vote by mail instruction video

Fair Elections for Washington — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:27:20 EDT

I received this email and thought people could benefit from it:

Dear Citizens, Volunteers and Organizers,

We've created a professional video that shows people how to vote using a mail in ballot in WA State. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C2mRsT794I Open records search revealed that in 2004 there were 30,000 ballots cast that were not counted in the State of Washington because of improperly marked ballots, ballots sent in too late, and other avoidable errors. A group of concerned citizens decided to get together to create a video to help people properly use their mail-in ballots. Please help us spread the word about this important video. We also have a 1:36 min version for telecast if you know of any station that would be willing to air it as a Public Service Announcement. Spokesperson: Vivian Phillips
Producer/Director: Terry Simpson
Editor: James Culbertson
Camera: Gordon Modin
Audio: Fernando A. Labarthe

Special Thanks to Rose Smith, Beth Hester, and Seattle Channel (21) for providing the studioAdditional thanks: Megan and Bobbi from KC Elections, Elisabeth Walter, Randi Rohde and Jean Hamilton. Pass it on to any group or organization that has access to voters. Thanks for your support.

So here's how I'm combatting Voter Fraud in Washington State

Erica from Seattle, WA — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:22:25 EDT

I created a flyer to warn voters of possible disenfranchisement of their votes-- telling folks, particularily African American Voters.

Here it is:

DON'T LET THE REPUBLICANS STEAL YOUR VOTE!!

Surprise! You're not registered to vote!

If you're not white and conservative, the Republicans are trying to rob you of your right to vote.

"Please, if you're registered to vote, check on the status of your registration NOW, before you get turned away from the polls this November. You can check your registration status at VotersUnite.org. This is even more important if you are African-American, Hispanic/Latino, elderly, a college student, or low income; statistically and historically, Americans in those four categories are disenfranchised in greater numbers than any other segment of the American populace. PLEASE check on the status of your registration."

YOU MUST BE REGISTERED TO VOTE 30 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION OR YOUR VOTE WILL NOT BE COUNTED!

This is where Obama supporters can go to register and find out if they are registered.

http://www.voteforchange.com/

King County Voter's Registration Guide

http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.aspx

Check your Registration Status by Phone:

206-296-VOTE (8683)

If you have moved from one address in King County to another address in King County, you can call us at 206-296-VOTE (8683) to report your new address, complete a voter registration form (external link), or write or FAX us the following information:

* Registered name

* Date of birth

* Voter registration number (if known)

* Prior address/new address

* Mailing address (if different)

* Signature

* Daytime and nighttime phone number

To be eligible to vote in your new precinct or under your new name, you must change your record no later than 30 days prior to the election.

How to restore your voting rights:

http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/felon_flyer.pdf

Here's where to check on your voter registration status:

http://www.votersunite.org/info/RegInfo.asp

For Washington State Residents:

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/

Here's another source for info:

http://velvetrevolution.us/ElectionStrikeForce/

Please tell all your relatives and friends! In some states, people are being denied their right to vote if they do not have a driver's license. Be SURE your vote will be counted!

Please copy this and pass it on!

Is America Intellectually Constipated?

Erica from Seattle, WA — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:22:48 EDT

I think so.

We have a lot of people in this country who are fighting so hard against any sort of progress. We, as Americans, have become extremely adept at doing a collective impression of the three monkeys-- we don't want to see, we don't want to hear, we don't want to speak about it; we don't want to HAVE to think.

Some of our people just don't want to have to adjust their brainspace-- we just don't want to make room for a new paradigm.

This mentality, reminds me of the child who is afraid to --well... proceed with the needful clearing out of the waste brought on by the sheer unwillingness to pay attention to some of the basic things in life that are crucial to survival, for fear that the .. ahem... process will be painful.

Is it possible that we might learn to embrace change as a positive thing?

Maybe it's time to relax and move to the future?

"The Candidate We Still Don't Know"

Jacob G from Seattle, WA — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:06:30 EDT

Sometimes I run across an article that sums things up so well I just feel like I have to pass it along. I've been meaning to write something about how we should be careful before repeating dubious claims such as "Obama should be leading by a wider margin." I'm not really sure where this concept originated, but I can say two things about it:

1) It makes no sense... the underlying assumption that just because Bush is unpopular means any Democrat will beat any Republican simply ignores history, media bias, etc.

2) It's the kind of thing that Karl Rove (and his disciples) just *love* for everyone to discuss. It's a free way to undermine the campaign without them even having to do any work.

But getting back to my original point, I came across this editorial in the New York Times that sums up all that and more (and, of course, much more eloquently).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/opinion/17rich.html

(If that link doesn't come thru, check out Frank Rich's Aug 16th op-ed piece).

Talk about issues without using McCain's words!

Jacob G from Seattle, WA — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EDT

The following article is so excellent I just had to share it. I think Obama supporters would be well served by understanding how to talkabout issues without using McCain and the Rebuplican Party's words. Using their words and phrases reinforces their message no matter how much you try to crticize it at the same time...

http://www.alternet.org/story/91355/

Why Obama

Jacob G from Seattle, WA — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:07:20 EDT

Two of the most interesting articles I've read about Barack Obama are former Netscape executive Marc Andreessen's An hour and a half with Barack Obama and an Atlantic Monthly article entitled The Amazing Money Machine (which is in part about this very website).

Marc's blog entry makes a compelling case for Obama's candidacty, portraying him as more-or-less unique among all the many politicians Marc has met for being smart and capable, yet also able to actually listen to people.

Both articles show that Obama is unusually tech-savvy and show how he's used the Internet to raise small amounts of money from a large number of people. The corporate media seems to be mostly ignoring this fact, often failing to mention it even when they are talking directly about Obama's financing strategy.

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.

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.

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."

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!

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

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

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

Wow! Robert Reich and Sam Nunn endorse Barack!

Peter Hill — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:43:51 EDT

Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich Endorses Obama

I have always like Robert Reich's work. Like Barack, he does not talk down to the American people. Unlike Cheney and Bush, he is interested in helping the common person rise from the oppression of corporate greed. I think these endorsements should send a strong message to people like ABC and Hillary that negative campaigning of the past is not impressing either the electorate or the super-delegates.

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.

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!

Bitter

Peter Hill — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:44:30 EDT

Just watched George Stephanopoulos and company discuss the recent comments by Barack in San Francisco. I have been seeing many different blog and "news" posts trying to make hay over this. First off, Barack was trying to answer a question someone asked him about how Barack was trying to appeal to Pennsylvania voters.

The part of his answer that is getting the most attention is this bit:

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

I am sure that if Barack were going to talk about this in a speech he would have come up with a more eloquent answer. What I read into his entire answer was that Barack was saying that Washington has failed these people. These economically distressed citizens were not choosing their candidates based on the wonky details of the candidates economic policy. They have been basing their vote on things like "right to choose", religion, the right to bare arms, and other yes/no type of issues. It is much easier to classify a candidate into neat buckets using criteria like these. The difference between Al Gore and GW Bush is night and day when it comes to knowledge of complex things like (reality... I mean..) the economy, global warming, world affairs. These are not the issues that GWB pressed when he ran for president. GWB went after the "easy to process" issues.

When Hillary and John McCain talk about Barack being elitist and out of touch, do they really mean that Barack is not settling for the low road to the White House? Barack graduated Harvard and became a community organizer. What did Hillary do? She was on the board of Wal-Mart from 1986 to 1992, until Bill ran for President. Personally, I do not like Wal-Mart. I believe they represent the worst in exploiting labor both in the US and abroad.

We will see how this all plays out.

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.

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

White Member of Trinity on Rev. Wright's Racism

Vas Sudanagunta — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:35:01 EDT

Rev. Wright in a different light by William A. Von Hoene Jr.

A member of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ tells a personal story that speaks to the question of whether or not Rev. Wright is racist. Here is an excerpt:

About 26 years ago, I became engaged to my wife, an African-American. She was at that time and remains a member of Trinity. Somewhere between the ring and the altar, my wife had second thoughts and broke off the engagement. Her decision was grounded in race: So committed to black causes, the daughter of parents subjected to unthinkable prejudice over the years, an "up-and-coming" leader in the young black community, how could she marry a white man?

Rev. Wright, whom I had met only in passing at the time and who was equally if not more outspoken about "black" issues than he is today, somehow found out about my wife's decision. He called and asked her to "drop everything" and meet with him at Trinity. He spent four hours explaining his reaction to her decision. Racial divisions were unacceptable, he said, no matter how great or prolonged the pain that caused them. God would not want us to assess or make decisions about people based on race. The world could make progress on issues of race only if people were prepared to break down barriers that were much easier to let stand.

Please comment below, or join the lively discussion on my other blog.

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

Thanks Bill!

Peter Hill — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:02:09 EDT

I've always like Bill Richardson. He seems to be smart, honest, and more concerned with fixing things then having power. After hearing the endorsement speech, I can picture him as a good VP choice. He has executive experience. In fact, he has a lot of experience.

The PA primary can't come soon enough. Perhaps we need a Seattle for Obama meetup.

Challenge Accepted

Peter Hill — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:43 EDT

Just got the "Our Challenge" email. Chalk up another $50 for me...

Yes we Can!

Mike Huckabee on Obama and Rev. Wright

Vas Sudanagunta — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:32:43 EDT

Whether or not you agree with all his positions, Mike Huckabee is an honest and honorable man. Check out what he has to say about Obama's speech and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

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

Great Speech by Barack

Peter Hill — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:08:31 EDT

I admire Barack in how he confronted a complicated issue with intelligence. I've heard tons of horrible things said by religious figures that endorse people like John McCain or GWB. Most politicians let these terrible things work their way into American's minds. Dividing them into the "either your with us, or with…" groups.

We have yet to reach a color-blind nirvana in the U.S. I think we are moving in the right direction. I think that Barack's success is a testament to great things in our future. Voters willing, I imagine a world, nine years from now, one that my now 4.5 year old son turns into a teenager, seeing that the leader of our country has been a great man, not a black man who is great.

I certainly remember my father telling "ethnic" jokes. I know I am still trying to figure out what is right and wrong and that the answer does not seem to be (I can't resist) black or white. It really is much more nuanced... Which brings me back to Barack's speech. It was full of the nuance that can't be seen with a 30 second video clip of a pastor speaking to his flock.

Great job Barack!

This Morning, I Cried

Vas Sudanagunta — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:33:51 EDT

This morning I turned on the television, and listened to Obama's address in Philidelphia. And I cried.

I wrote about my complete feelings here.

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.

Clinton supporters threatening to pull DNC donations

Peter Hill — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:11:57 EDT

NY Times article says that some big DNC donors are threatening to pull their donations if DNC does not seat delegates. Threats are something I expect from our current white house residents, not our future ones. Barack's campaign seems to be about getting rid of the influence of the few with money.

I am sure that it would not take more than 24 hours for the Obama supporters to make up for these blackmailers. Personally I have been withholding any donations to the DNC until I see how this all plays out. So far they are walking the fine line of sticking to the rules while still letting FL and MI know that they can fix their lawmakers poor judgement in holding early elections.

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!

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.

Important Info for the 43rd Legislative District

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:07:25 EST

43rd Legislative District Obama Supporters,

Some of you have wondered what the plan is going forward and what to expect at the April 5 caucus meeting. Here are some answers.

But first, to have one contact point for grassroots Obama organizing in our area, all emails to and from the 43rd Legislative District for Obama team will be via 43forObama@gmail.com . This email account will be checked daily. From now on, please send all questions, comments, communication, and leads on volunteers to 43forObama@gmail.com.

In this email, we will cover these important topics:

1. Legislative District delegate trainings

2. Delegate and Alternate contact information

3. 43rd Legislative District Caucus Information

4. MybarackObama.com groups

5. Volunteering

6. T-shirt designs

7. Unsubscribing

1. Legislative District delegate trainings

At this time, we have two delegate trainings set up
- Thursday 6 March 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Library http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rqkm
- Saturday 15 March 2-3 p.m. at the University Branch Library http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rq7s
If you plan to attend, please RSVP since space is limited.
For people unable to attend the delegate trainings, we will send out a Q&A on the Legislative District process and email it out at a later date. Feel free to send us any questions you might have that you'd like answered.
If you're interested in attending a training the last week of March (and can't make these previous two dates), please send us an email to let us know.

2. Delegate and Alternate Contact Information

If you are an Obama delegate or an alternate, email 43forObama@gmail.com with your name, contact info and precinct number.
Please include whether you are definitely able to attend the April 5th Caucus.
If you know who the other Obama delegates or alternates in your precinct are, please email 43forObama@gmail.com with their names, contact info and precinct numbers.

3. 43rd Legislative District Caucus Information

If delegates do not attend the April 5th Legislative District Caucus, we lose those delegates. Please let us know if you can't make it so that we can plan for a substitute to be there instead.
The 43rd Democrats have not set the caucus location yet. We will let you know as soon as we know. You can also check their website for updates. http://43rddems.org/
We will have more info on issues with delegate slips (those little blue pieces of paper you should have gotten at the caucus) in a later email.

4. mybarackobama.com groups

We recommend you join the following my.barackobama.com groups (very few emails, unlike some other Obama listservs):
- Washington State Delegate group at http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/WashingtonStateObamaDelegates/circle_list.php
- 43rd Legislative District Seattle group at http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/43rdLegislativeDistrictSeattle

5. Volunteering

If you are interested in volunteering please let us know at 43forObama@gmail.com

Volunteer plans include get out the vote efforts (GOTV) and other activities similar to being a precinct captain, as well as fundraising, representing for Obama at local events this summer, phone banking, etc. Let us know what types of activities interest you and when (for example, immediately or starting in June) you would be available.
If you live in an apartment, condo, or co-op, please let us know. We're working on a program specifically designed for our dense urban area (and avoid a repeat of using the voter lists with so many outdated phone numbers, as we did leading up to the first caucus).

If there are specific types of volunteering you’re either specifically interested in, or would specifically like to avoid, include that in your email.

6. T-shirt designs

We were thinking it would be great if we had our very own Obama shirts. If you know anyone with design skills who would be interested in helping come up with a Seattle for Obama design, please let us know.
Can anyone silkscreen or design a t-shirt or know someone that can?
Did you create those cool "Hope" t-shirts we saw at the caucus-day meet-up? If so please email us at 43forObama@gmail.com

7. Unsubscribing

We know some may not want to be included in our emails any longer, if so please email 43forObama@gmail.com with your name and contact information we will remove you from our list.

Thank you for your continued support!

Cheers
The 43rd Legislative District Team
Andy, Chris, Devon, Heidi, Jen, Michelle, Nick & Rose

The Politics of Hope

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:34:19 EST

Give Peaceful a Chance, Australian Financial Review, 26 February 2008
Writing the story of his childhood, Barack Obama narrates an incident in which his father was drinking in a local bar, when a white man abruptly announced that he shouldn’t have to drink “next to a nigger”. The bar fell silent, expecting a fight. Instead, Obama’s father “walked over to the man, smiled, and proceeded to lecture him about the folly of bigotry, the promise of the American dream, and the universal rights of man”. When the speech finished, the white man reached into his pocket and handed over a hundred dollars on the spot; so ashamed of himself he wanted to purchase forgiveness.

Eighteen months ago, Presidential prediction markets had Obama just a 1 in 50 shot of winning the nomination. Now, he is a 4 in 5 chance of being the Democratic nominee. Obama’s meteoric rise can be traced to two themes – hope and bipartisanship. But how has he managed to turn apparent platitudes into rallying cries? And could a little of the Obama magic rub off on Australia’s politicians?

Obama’s ability to use powerful rhetoric to inspire others has drawn comparisons with John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Abraham Lincoln. Few doubt that he is one of the best speakers of his generation. Yet the critics argue that stirring oratory matters less than solid public policy. So long as you get the ideas right, who cares whether you can make a crowd laugh and cry?

The problem with this critique is that it misses the point that successful politics is about building and maintaining coalitions. This is particularly true of the United States president, but also to a lesser extent of the Australian Prime Minister, who generally must win over a hostile Senate in order to pass legislation.

Creating broad-based coalitions is difficult if you regard your political opponents as knaves and ideologues. What is striking about Obama is that he goes out of his way to see the reasonableness in the other side’s positions. “Spend time actually talking to Americans”, he writes in his most recent book, “and you discover that most evangelicals are more tolerant than the media would have us believe, most secularists more spiritual. Most rich people want the poor to succeed, and most of the poor are both more self-critical and hold higher aspiration than the popular culture allows.”

Recognising that your political opponents are actually striving towards a better world sounds simple; but it is surprising how rarely it is done in Australia. Most federal politicians, and most federal political staffers, have no friendships with anyone from another party. This lack of social contact makes it easy for them to caricature and stereotype their opponents; and stymies the attempt to build lasting political coalitions for change.

What many political players miss is that it is possible to respect and understand your opponents’ perspectives without compromising your own beliefs. Obama has one of the most left-wing voting records in the Senate, but that hasn’t stopped him from criticising the left-wing Daily Kos blog for its ad hominem style. In Australia, one wishes that more politicians walked into Question Time aiming to ‘disagree without being disagreeable’.

While the Rudd government has quickly demonstrated its commitment to rigorous public policy, it would be good to see it governing in both poetry and prose. The bipartisan ‘war cabinet’ to address Indigenous disadvantage is a useful start, but more could be done that unites the values of both left and right. Cutting back on middle-class welfare, improving the performance of schools in disadvantaged areas, improving the incentives for low-skill workers to join the labour market, and carrying out a raft of randomised trials are all initiatives that should be able to transcend the political divide. Yet without bipartisan support, it is easy to see how vested interests will torpedo them one by one.

How positive should we be about the politics of hope and bipartisanship in Australia? To answer this question, I searched the parliamentary database for speeches by Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard and Kevin Rudd, looking to see how often each used “hope” and “bipartisan”. To account for the number of speeches they had given, I then normalised this using other common parliamentary words: “speaker” and “member”. A rough proxy, to be sure, but one that might nonetheless give insights into the rhetorical priorities of Australia’s last four Prime Ministers.

According to this simple metric, Bob Hawke is the Prime Minister who has spoken most about hope, while Kevin Rudd is the Prime Minister who has spoken most about bipartisanship (Paul Keating scores lowest on both measures). Perhaps Rudd’s speechwriting team should take a leaf from Hawke’s book. And maybe they can learn from Obama’s style, and find fresh ways to tap into the fundamental optimism of the Australian people.

Dr Andrew Leigh is an economist in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University.

http://andrewleigh.com/?p=1803

My Overview of the Audacity of Hope

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:29:52 EST

I've tried to faithfully summarize Senator Obama's 364 page book into 13 pages. The feedback I'm getting is that while people are glad they read this overview, it helps to print it out first. It sounds like people are then writing their own thoughts in the margins of my overview. I want to thank Kurt Peppard for proofreading and formatting many of my posts, including this one, and converting them to pdf format. These pdf files should be available shortly.

This overview is not intended as a substitute for buying and reading Audacity of Hope; in fact, my hope is that reading this summary will motivate supporters to read both of his books. In the interest of brevity, I've reluctantly decided to omit several significant sections of his second book. (The parts I omitted are interesting but unlikely to be useful while canvassing undecided voters.) For the same reason, I've intentionally deleted many of the nuances of his arguments, though hopefully, without changing his underlying message.

Audacity of Hope is written in Obama's own voice, and as such is an impressive display of the depth and breadth of this man's brilliance. It exceeded my expectations, and confirmed what I knew: Senator Obama is a rare find; an honest politician, brilliant scholar, patriot, citizen of the world who identifies with every region of the country and every ethnicity; he is the once in a generation leader who draws out the best in every American whose heart and mind are open.

My Overview of Obama's Years in the Illinois and U.S. Senate

Daewoo "Hussein" Kim — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:26:25 EST

This post summarizes a presentation I gave to about 80 Barack Obama supporters at the Seattle meetup for Barack Obama in February of 2007. The day before the meetup, I had been asked to talk about Senator Obama's 10 years in the Illinois and U.S. Senates. Since my presentation, I've received several requests to write down and post a summary of my presentation. Here it is.

In this post, I've tried to pull the best from several hundred news articles. A lot of the news articles were mostly fluff, and/or redundant. As Senator Obama notes, it's not that he hasn't given substantive speeches on nearly every major political issue, and written two best selling books that outline his political philosophy in greater detail than any of the other candidates. The problem is that the press would rather write about how he looks in swim trunks than to actually review his speeches and political platform. In this post, I've also referenced a few key themes from Audacity of Hope. I've also quickly reviewed his voting record in the U.S. Senate, compared it to Hillary Clinton's voting record, and will touch on some of the key votes, below. I've saved approximately 60 news articles that I've relied upon in writing most of this post, and will try to post them in the next 1-2 weeks.

(This post was written in February of 2007.)

Another 43rd LD Delegate Training Added!!!

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:26:06 EST

Due to the high demand, another delegate training has been added. So now 2 delegate trainings for the 43rd Leglisative District are occuring.

6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday 6 March at the Capitol Hill Library

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rqkm

2-3 p.m. Saturday 15 March at the Univeristy Branch Library

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rq7s

So now you're a delegate, what happens next? What does the April 5th Legislative District Caucus look like? What am I suppose to do? Do I even need to attend? (yes)

Get answers to these questions and more at one of two 43rd LD Delegate Trainings!!!

And if you are unable to attend, please let the 43rd Obama LD team know you are an Obama delegate and plan to attend the April 5th LD Caucus. You can email Devon at devonabdallah@yahoo.com with your name, email, and precinct #.

Cheers
The 43rd Legislative District Team
Andy, Chris, Devon, Heidi, Jen, Michelle, Nick & Rose

43rd LD Delegate Training

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:15:15 EST

So now you're a delegate, what happens next? What does the April 5th Legislative District Caucus look like? What am I suppose to do? Do I even need to attend? (yes)

Get answers to these questions and more at the 43rd LD Delegate Training on Thursday 6 March at 6:30 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Library

Click here for more details and to RSVP

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rqkm

And if you are unable to attend, please let the 43rd Obama LD team know you are an Obama delegate and plan to attend the April 5th LD Caucus. You can email Devon at devonabdallah@yahoo.com with your name, email, and precinct #.

Cheers
The 43rd Legislative District Team
Andy, Chris, Devon, Heidi, Jen, Michelle, Nick & Rose

To Love America, But Not be Proud of It

Vas Sudanagunta — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:59:27 EST

I love my country, but I am not proud of how or what it is doing at the moment. This is no contradiction. Any parent understands this.

There is nothing greater than unconditional love and nothing more insidiously dangerous than unconditional pride.

Pride goeth before destruction,
and an haughty spirit before a fall.

— Proverbs (16:18)

Why do I love America? I love what it stands for. When am I not proud of it? When it betrays what it stands for.

A true patriot is like a true friend. A true friend loves you, but does not flinch from telling you the truth you need to hear, and stands by you no matter how ugly that truth.

Love is always patient and kind.
Love knows neither envy nor jealousy.
Love is not proud or conceited.
Love does not behave unbecomingly,
nor seek to glorify herself,
nor blaze out in passionate anger,
nor brood over wrongs.
Love finds no pleasure in injustice done to others,
but joyfully sides with the truth.
She knows how to be silent.
She is full of trust, full of hope,
full of patient endurance.
Love never fails.

— 1 Corinthians (13:4-8)

So why the strong negative reaction from some people to Michelle Obama's words, "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback"? At worst these words, even taken out of context as I do here, tell us a truth without sugar coating it. Is she or her husband the first to clamor for change, to bemoan the state of American politics? Are we to interpret the widespread attraction to Obama's message of fundamental change as some sort of surge in anti-Americanism?

Long before Michelle Obama's "adult life", 14 years before she was even born, Margaret Chase Smith's gave a speech to the Senate addressed to President Truman, her Declaration of Conscience. Some excerpts:

I speak as briefly as possible because too much harm has already been done with irresponsible words of bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as simply as possible because the issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I speak simply and briefly in the hope that my words will be taken to heart.

I speak as a Republican, I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American.

...

The United States Senate has long enjoyed worldwide respect as the greatest deliberative body in the world. But recently that deliberative character has too often been debased to the level of a forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by the shield of congressional immunity.

I think that it is high time for the United States Senate and its members to do some soul searching -- for us to weigh our consciences -- on the manner in which we are performing our duty to the people of America -- on the manner in which we are using or abusing our individual powers and privileges.

I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered; that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation.

...

History is repeating itself -- and the Republican Party again has the opportunity to emerge as the champion of unity and prudence.

Senator Smith was standing in principled opposition to her fellow Republican Senator, Joseph McCarthy. She clearly was not proud of America in the respects she speaks of, yet her patriotism and love for the country are unassailable.

Let's stop the cynical and partisan dissection of a sentence or two uttered by Michelle Obama. It's easy for me to see how much Barack and Michelle Obama love America. Unless you have something substantive to prove otherwise, let's heed the wishes of the vast majority of Americans who are tired of this kind of political discourse.

A Few Obama Supporters Don't Get It

Vas Sudanagunta — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:34:33 EST

I've come across Obama supporters who clearly don't get Barack's message of change, who don't get that the core of the movement isn't all about policy. It is as much if not more so about a change of character. Not just the character of our president, but the character of America. A change in all of us, and how we go about working together to make a better society, a better world. I'm just a messenger, so let me get out of the way of the message:

We're up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to make college affordable or energy cleaner. It's the kind of partisanship where you're not even allowed to say that a Republican had an idea, even if it's one you never agreed with.

That's the kind of politics that is bad for our party, it is bad for our country, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.

We're up against the idea that it's acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election. But we know that this is exactly what's wrong with our politics. This is why people don't believe what their leaders say anymore. This is why they tune out. And this election is our chance to give the American people a reason to believe again.

— Barack Obama, South Carolina Victory Speech

I don't want to catalog here the ways some Obama supporters have betrayed the above. I'll just discuss one example I've come across frequently: calling Mike Huckabee "crazy" just because they disagree with his religious convictions and points of view. I'm an agnostic and I am diametrically opposed to Huckabee on many if not most issues, but as far as I can tell, he is one of the more honorable politicians I've come across. I believe he truly cares about the poor, though I disagree with his economic policies. Democratic economic policies are far from perfect. Huckabee has taken a lot of flak from hardcore lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key Republicans because he has pardoned or commuted the sentences of convicts who he believed reformed themselves. Sure, there are questions about bias, that the way to get a Huckabee pardon was to show religion, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he does a better job of following Jesus's example of compassion and humanity than most other Republican Christians. He's also taken a lot of flak from his party for his policies to guarantee the children of undocumented immigrants the same access to good education as those of citizens. I could go on.

If you demonize people like Mike Huckabee, we're all back to square one. Might as well shut down the Change movement. Maybe Hope never made it out of Pandora's Box.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

— Mahatma Gandhi

Originally posted in my Newsvine column with a wonderful photo of Barack Obama.

A big thank you from the 43rd!

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 20:14:22 EST

The Obama 43rd Legislative District Team would like to send out a big THANK YOU to all of our Precinct Captains and supporters! While we don't have any final counts yet it looks like Obama won big in the 43rd, taking on average 70%+ of the delegates.

The turnout to all of the caucus locations was amazing and the amount of Obama support was incredible!

We could not have done it without you!!!!

Thank you,

Your 43rd Legislative District Team

Andy, Chris, Devon, Heidi, Jen, Michelle, Nick and Rose

What a great experience!

Anita — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:36:34 EST

I just came from my caucus where I a PCC for my precinct. I was also elected secretary and tally officer. We had around 144 people turn out for our precinct, many bringing their children with them. While I was tallying the first round of votes, I overheard one mother telling her young daughter about the democratic process and what was happening today…thrilling to know there are parents out there taking the time to teach their children the importance of voting! It was extremely crowded in our corner of the gym (three other precincts were in the room with us) and at times it was hard to hear. What I found striking was that whether a person was for Obama or for Clinton, when they were giving their speeches, just about everyone said they liked the other candidate and this was the first election in their memory where they had a hard time deciding. The ones voting for Clinton tended to use the experience card while the ones voting for Obama spoke of his fresh ideas and ability to rally the people. It was really great to hear political opinions without anyone getting angry or upset. It was also a great way to meet some of my neighbors. In the end, Obama got five delegates and Clinton got two (Obama had 98 votes out of the 144).

Obama Rally in Seattle Friday - Need Volunteers!!!

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:52:44 EST

Spread the word Senator Obama will be in Seattle this Friday 8 February - Key Arena doors open 11 a.m. This event is free and open to the public. However, an RSVP is strongly encouraged. To RSVP please visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/seattle or call (206) 529-3859.

If you're able to volunteer please contact any of the following Field Organizers

Steve Dunwoody sdunwoody@barackobama.com Cheryl Taruk ctaruc@barackobama.com Matt Perry mattperry83@gmail.com

Also don't forget to attend your caucus this Saturday! Washington State Democratic Party does not count the primary so if you want your voice to be heard for the Democratic Presidential Candidate you must attend your caucus in person. Go to www.wa-democrats.org to locate your precinct and caucus location.

Precincts Caucusing at SCCC - Meet up

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:24:25 EST

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4r58x If your precinct caucus location is at Seattle Central Community College on Broadway in Seattle, please join us for a pre-caucus get together. It's a chance to meet other Obama supporters, put on some Obama swag and walk together to our caucus around 12:30!!!

To locate your precinct go to http://43rddems.org/2008Caucuses.aspx

And if you know your precincts, the precincts that caucus at SCCC are the following ones:
43-1845
43-1846
43-1847
43-1849
43-1857
43-1858
43-1859
43-1860
43-1861
43-1869
43-2541
43-2543
43-2546
43-2547
43-2550
43-2552
43-2553
43-3231

Let's make this happen!!! The Washington state caucus may be pivotal in the Democratic Presidential nomination!

Important Seattle 43rd Legislative District Information!!!

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:21:13 EST

The 43rd Legislative District in Seattle, Washington has finalized the caucus locations for the Saturday February 9th Washington State caucus.

Please note - some of the caucus locations have changed!!!!!

Please go to the 43rd Legislative District's website and double check that your location has not changed. http://www.43rddems.org/2008Caucuses.aspx As of today, the state Democratic party website does not reflect these changes!!!

If you have any questions or are interested in helping out with the grassroots organizing in Washington for Obama, please contact me at devonabdallah@yahoo.com! Obama is counting on all of us to win and we still need more people to help out in Washington!!!

Please remember you must attend your caucus for your vote to count for the Presidential Candidate. Washington state democratic party does not use the primary!!! You must attend your caucus.

Cheers Devon

Precinct Captains Needed!!!!

Devon Alisa Abdallah — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:14:06 EST

Precinct Captains Needed!
If you're interested in becoming a precinct captain and getting Obama supporters to Washington State's 9 February Caucus shoot me an email devonabdallah@yahoo.com
and if you don't know your precinct or where your caucus is located just click here www.wa-democrats.org