America 4 Obama

Semper Fidelis

Ailene — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:41 EST

MURTHA, John Patrick, Jr., (1932 -2110 )

Honors and Awards

Congressman Murtha’s countless honors include the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award; the National Breast Cancer Coalition Leadership Award; Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry's Government Leader of the Year; Pittsburgh's Riverperson of the Year; the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's National Patriots Award; and Pennsylvania's two highest honors, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Where's Our Voices/He Can't Do It Alone?

Donna No Shock Barack No Drama Obama of MD — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:46:56 EST

Dear Chairman Kaine,

Last Friday our President went into the "Lions Den" at the House Republican Retreat in Baltimore, MD. Needless to say "David slew the lion." Our President was magnificent. He stood there poised, calm, responsive and truthful. He took their talking point questions and turned them on their collective heads. He showed the American public that his policies are more than just 20 second sound bites that we get from the MSM.

He explained in great detail to the public as well as the Republicans as to why a lot of their policies will not work. He energized his Democratic base and put us in the fighting mode.

Mr. Chairman we need to see YOU and our DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS members front and center fighting for main street America as well. Our President has often said that he cannot do this alone.

The grassroots can send emails and write letters to Congress and the media but we need your help as well. Public opinion is swayed by what they hear as well as what they feel. Perception is everything. Where are our voices blanketing the media speaking truth to power? Please demand to be heard. Push back on the Republican talking points and please rapid response when they outright lie. Get commercials on the air (not just web ads) showing the public how we are fighting for the average hard working American everyday. Tout your accomplishments. Stop letting the media and the right diminish what was by all reasonable accounts a successful legislative year.

Too often last year we took the Republicans with their policy of "Just Say NO" as not credible. I dare to say that half of this country at this point thinks its credible. Let's keep the public informed and not give any ground to what we know to be untrue. We'll help in anyway we can but It's on you and Congress now Mr. Chairman.

Looking forward to working with you in promoting a better tomorrow.

Sincerely,

A Member of the Democratic Grassroots

Please join me in writing Chairman Kaine to ask him to step it up in framing our message.

Email:
Link

Mailing Address:
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003

Main Phone Number:
202-863-8000

Spread the word on Facebook, MySpace and twitter. Also please ask your friends and family to send a message to the DNC.

Thank You!

Dismal science

Walt — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:01:23 EST

Economics is sometimes labeled the dismal science. I agree with dismal, but I dispute the term science. Economics deals with people and their behavior and there is no way to perform scientific experiments with people when so many factors can vary. True science requires holding most variables constant and trying change with only one or a few variables at a time if reliable results are expected.

Barack must try to deal with the economy when so many others have an input to the results and some are working at cross purposes to him. It is a wonder that the President can influence the economy at all with its inherent complexities. At best, he can inspire confidence in his leadership. If the public believes that the economy is improving, they will make it so by spending with confidence. If the public believes that the economy is getting worse, they will make it so by saving more and spending less. Public perceptions are self reinforcing in this area.

Meeting the Challenge

Ailene — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:07:29 EST

The president provided clear integrated practical vision for America in the State of the Union speech.

Moving Forward...

The challenge for All Americans: Keep the message from being sliced-and-diced by individuals/groups from across the political spectrum. People must remember that fragmentation of our priorities is not productive. We must look at how all policies are integrated and affect one another. We must address issues with less 'tunnel vision'; moving away from focusing on 'narrow interest'. We must move away from merely tactical, short-term 'instant gratification' actions to strategic, long-term sustainable results. We must move away from intolerance and an all-or-nothing approach to solving nation's issues and problems. Failure to do so only results in division, poisoned discourse, and stagnation. We cannot afford failure, esp. not at this moment in history.

"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long." ---Barack Obama

'Interdisciplinary Collaboration' may be central philosophy of reform initiatives and national policies ( e.g. Healthcare, Education, Energy, Economy, Finance, Foreign Policy). The president's State of the Union speech seems to provide such a framework for how the nation must move forward not only towards a 'more perfect union' but also as respected leader in international community.

The Real Problem

Richard — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:09:16 EST

The real problem in Washington is the Party of No- the GOP. This became apparent during the State of The Union Address last night when Republicans sat on their butts even when President Obama spoke of his plans for Jobs and the Economy.The GOP only want him to fail.So when you vote in November send these Naysayers a Message: Vote them out of office!

Conscience

Ailene — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:01:41 EST

How can U.S. Congress elevate their level of trust in the eyes of the American people?

Remember Conscience ---- Phillip Hart

The newest of the Senate office buildings is named for Michigan senator Philip A. Hart (1912-1976). Over the course of his 18-year Senate career, Hart distinguished himself as a man of deep personal conviction and integrity and a steadfast advocate for the common man. He was an ardent supporter of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and as the chairman of the Antitrust Subcommittee he took on big business even when it contradicted his own political interests. [“But most unusual, then and today, Hart frequently took difficult, courageous stands on issues directly against his own political self-interest"] Senator Hart’s commitment to such causes earned him the moniker, “The Conscience of the Senate.” The Senate paid tribute to Philip Hart by naming the new office building in his honor as he was dying of cancer in 1976. The Hart Senate Office Building opened in 1982, becoming the only congressional office building named after a sitting (or living) member. http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/Featured_Bio_Hart.htm

“Today a Senate office building is named after Hart, and inscribed in marble is the following:

‘This building is dedicated by his colleagues to the memory of Philip A. Hart with affection, respect, and esteem. A man of incorruptible integrity and personal courage strengthened by inner grace and outer gentleness, he elevated politics to a level of purity that will forever be an example to every elected official. He advanced the cause of human justice, promoted the welfare of the common man, and improved the quality of life. His humility and ethics earned him his place as the conscience of the Senate.’”

in consideration of reconciliation

Ann — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:32:02 EST

A few points on opening up Medicare via reconciliation:

1) It’s still a majority vote. The operative word is “majority.”

2) If done in increments, by opening it up a little year by year, it provides the opportunity to reassess each year and opt to discontinue or modify.

3) I hate to admit it, but politically it gives cover to those with reservations while still expanding a program that has proven highly successful over many decades.

4) It wouldn’t have to be opened up by lowering the age. I don’t think it would be a travesty to open it up on the other end—with, say, 18- to -25-year-olds whom it would help while likely not hugely taxing the system.

5) [I supposed I should have a disclaimer here, but…..] Personally, I think it’s a supremely worthy and effective instance in which to burn a favor (if necessary), so long as the procedure is not used repeatedly and abusively.

That being said, I think a solid plan would be to get something on the table by Feb. 13, then go home to see what constituents have to say.

One last thought: I still think killing the insurance industry anti-trust exemption is the surest way to reduce costs.

the current climate for health care reform

Ann — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:56:14 EST

It’s looking less likely that Dems are considering it, but still -- do not give up on health care reform. Do not walk away from it. It’s unnecessary to do so and would just……be bad.

I still think jobs should be top priority (and can’t be emphatic enough about that), but health care reform should be way up there. And it can be done. Just need a different approach. And a strong message that is vigorously adhered to. “Choice and competition” was a good one but “Security and Stability” does seem better at this point—I think those will register better in the current climate.

As for the different approach, pare down the big bill (the left column on this page as the minimum perhaps), then break up and redistribute a good chunk of the leftover items. Examples: Could the non-profit health exchange be put in the jobs package as it helps the unemployed as well as small businesses? Could the electronic medical records initiative be put in the climate change bill as an environmental concept? And of course, opening up Medicare incrementally via reconciliation year by year, starting this year. I know a redistribution of health reform initiatives won’t be easy—the viability and potency of one item may shift if you move another item. But that would be where I step out the CBO and the experts come in. :)

Funny, the relevance: the late Senator Kennedy (may his soul rest in peace) is my symbol of endurance and perseverance—I constantly call his image to my mind when I don’t think I can keep going.

Keep going--we can do this.

Working for the Change

Ailene — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:39:26 EST

"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." ---Barack Obama

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HIGHLIGHTS AND ITALICS ARE ADDED BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS BLOG FOR EMPHASIS.

Original Message: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ObamaRapidResponse/listserv-message/TCwgy88N
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:05:08 -0500
From: Ray Jenson

Subject: Lessig's Letter

Lawrence Lessig's thoughts on what might have gone wrong seemed rather poignant to me. I've attached the email he sent to the members of his "Change Congress" political movement. They are excellent points, and cogent. They may be points to consider in responding to the election in
Massachusetts.

Let's all hope for change, but certainly we need to work for change as well. We can't accept that it's "in the bag" because people are expecting Obama to pull a rabbit out of his hat. Most don't understand the political process, or just how much opposition Obama faces from "both sides of the aisle" as he works to change things.

-----------------------------

[POSTED WITH PERMISSION]

Here is the text of the email:

Today is the one-year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration, and it comes at a remarkable moment in his presidency.

Yesterday, the voters in my home state of Massachusetts elected a Republican to serve in the seat once held by Senator Ted Kennedy -- a stunning reminder that for millions of people, the last election wasn't just about one man, but about a deep-seated desire for change.

One year ago today was a moment when many things felt possible, whether or not you supported Obama and his agenda -- when it seemed as if a broken political system might finally have gasped its last breath.

One year later -- with the fate of its signature legislative priority in jeopardy and voters even in a deep blue state saying they still aren't satisfied with the ways of Washington -- it's clear that this administration is an opportunity missed. But it's not, I believe, because Obama is too liberal, nor because he's not liberal enough. Not because this administration has been too defensive, too aggressive, too slow or too quick to act. It's because we have a system in Washington that simply does not -- will not -- allow the kind of change we urgently need.

After one year, we've now seen conclusively that even a transformative figure in the Oval Office can't transform the way Washington works, or dispel the skepticism the voters feel toward their government.

I've filmed a new installment of the Change Congress Chronicles explaining why progressives and conservatives alike should be outraged by what we've seen this past year. Please watch it today:

http://action.change-congress.org/YearOne

As you know, today is also the day we might get a landmark decision from the Supreme Court that could poison the system even further, giving corporations unlimited license to use their money to affect elections in this country. It's a big day.

I'll let you know as soon as we've heard.

Thanks,

Lawrence Lessig

No Health Care ?

Richard — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:56:11 EST

It looks like the Republicans have defeated President Obama with their win in Mass. This doesn't look good for the passage of health care this year. The Republicans tactics of misinformation,fear,and playing upon people's ignorance once again give them a win in the battle but Not the War of influence over the American people.

Cuba, Haiti, and Policy Error [Incident: 100119-000069]

Qaliqo — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:54:06 EST

Salutations!
I recently requested personal assistance. What I received was a form letter saying that my problem had been solved; I cannot find a dictionary definition under which this qualifies as "personal assistance". Unless I missed the press briefing, we are not enlisting the Cuban government in providing life support in the form of water and sanitation to the Haitian people. Get on this right away, I am not even kidding you, there are people dying by the minute and it will get worse unless a real human reads this and makes a real decision to put Haitian lives over the property rights of some old folks in Miami who remember when Cuba was a banana republic. If the person reading this is really so insolent as to spite God, may that same God have mercy on your soul.
Pardon my French, but solved mon cul. Category level 141, answer the question or have a press conference addressing the defeat of hope by politics. I thank you for your time and patience in this matter and eagerly await your (actual, human) response to this most urgent matter.
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Paul "Qaliqo" Sullivan

P.S. You're welcome.- Hide quoted text -
On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 12:06 PM, U.S. Department of State <usdeptstate@mailnj.custhelp.com> wrote:

Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support
center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

Thank you for contacting the State Department.

Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
Cuba, Haiti, and Policy Error

Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Support Agent) - 01/19/2010 12:06 PM
Thank you for your message to Secretary Clinton sharing your thoughts and concerns. We value your opinion and will take it -- and the views of all Americans -- into consideration.

Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of State.

Question Reference #100119-000069
---------------------------------------------------------------
Category Level 1: Ask the State Department
Date Created: 01/19/2010 10:55 AM
Last Updated: 01/19/2010 12:06 PM
Status: Solved

[---001:000759:64052---]

All in Perspective

Ailene — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:58:37 EST

Trying to keep everything in perspective. It's been a difficult week for me. Yet, I'm trying to consider the hardships of the people in Haiti right now. I should be more grateful. Yeah, if that sounded like a self-rebuke it was indeed.

The decision has been made. I must shake it off and move on. It's time for me to eat my own words...yes, even some written elsewhere as blog entries in this forum.

Geez, the unsettling nature of indecisiveness and fear...

I became more acquainted with its affects.

Have a nice weekend and Reflect on the SERVICE of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ted Kennedy's Senate seat

Rebecca — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:06:44 EST

The seat, from which Senator Ted Kennedy continually worked to help those not as fortunate as himself, IS IN DANGER of going to a Republican who is NOT interested in Health Care Reform OR other issues that would benefit "we the people"."YES WE CAN" is something we NEED to PROVE again now. IF the grassroots works like it did in the 2008 election we can keep that seat. BUT we MUST WORK HARD AND NOW!Many people are not aware of this SPECIAL Election. We need to inform them and get them to the poll.I started making calls to Massachusetts through the Organizing for America web site 1/14/10. The script is SO easy to follow.I spoke with a man 100 years old but sharp as a tack. He did not know about this election.AND said if he could vote it would be for the democrat.I asked if he could get out to the polls and he thought a van was at his place to take people to vote. HOWEVER he took down the # to call to get a free ride if there was not a van.A similar story with a 90+ man who he would be able to get out on his ownBUT he DID NOT have all the facts so likely would have missed it except for the call.Also spoke with a man with a young son who is a teacher and said ABSOLUTELY he will vote for Martha CoakleyI had a feeling of accomplishment after making these calls.I WILL be making calls as soon as I get home from work today and ALL Day Sat and Sun."Yes We Did" AND YES WE CAN AGAIN!!! MAKE CALLS

The Road Ahead in 2010

Qaliqo — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:54:04 EST

This should be our President's mantra:The Democrats are no better than the Republicans, only corrupted by different dollars. President Obama should leave the party and propose a "man up" kind of Amendment directly to the people: eliminate non-individual contributions and lobbying, ban all political parties, impose term limits, ban candidates from voting on issues in which they or their campaigns have a financial interest, offer a "no confidence" popular vote requiring new elections if it received a plurality, and fix the discrepancy in the Senate by giving one Senator per whole 5 million people (i.e. upper plains states get one Senator, Ohio gets two, Florida gets three, and California gets seven). That would set all of this straight in a hurry now, wouldn't it?

Blocking bills is easy; finding a politically acceptable response to complicated problems is hard. --Atia Huff

That is not a "conservative" or a "liberal" issue, it is an "I love my country and I want it to be at least this great when my grandchildren are my age" issue that shall not be denied much longer. The left has been ready for a real change in government for 40 years, and Obama has finally brought the right around to the same position, he just needs to deliver on his original national speech on the real, purple America. That purple revolution is upon us, and if the parties do not get hip to it they will left as flotsam and jetsam on the sea of our future prosperity. What is politically acceptable is returning power to the states, digging ourselves out of debt, and making America a government by/of/for the people and not corporate entities who are not and have never been people or protected by the Constitution. Corporations have no rights, they have no right to restrict freedom of speech, the bearing of arms, or the unreasonable search and seizure of employee property and data. Corporations don't have a specific right to own patents or copyrights, either. Americans want their country back, only the easily distracted still give one whit about parties or the kneecapped legislation they propose. q/p

Health Care Matters to the People!

Roland Madore — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:05:32 EST

No matter the issue important to a majority of real Americans at any given time, Congress—the Senate especially—is too slow to act.

On true health care reform, for instance, they’re out of step with the pulse of the country, have rules that are archaic, and are too involved with petty politics—always fighting rather solving the nation’s big problems. The gamesmanship needs to stop. The Democratic leadership needs to change its rules—ending the misuse of the filibuster—and allow a 51% majority on all major legislation.

In short, Congress needs to get onboard, enacting the legislation the people want. Health care reform—in its current shape—does not go far enough. “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” --Thomas Paine

Roland Madore

Fort Collins, CO

Habakkuk 2:2...Take the Vison/Idea/Small Business Plan and Write It Down.

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:13:20 EST

The U.S. Small Business Administration Webpage is a great Place to Start.

Plan Your Business

Start Your Business

Manage Your Business

http://www.sba.gov/

Adversity + Personal Response = Character

Ailene — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:14:15 EST

Reminder to President Obama and All Congressional Members:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ---Martin Luther King Jr.

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Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?
How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Meeting S.A.R.A.H

Ailene — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:23:31 EST

Many people have been feeling a sense of loss last year. Yes, there may have been lost of income and assets; relationships due to estrangement and death; personal security and peace of mind. Many people may be concerned how they will face the challenges of the new year. Well, this blog entry is a reminder and encouragement that challenges can be faced and overcomed by understanding Loss through Meeting S.A.R.A.H.

Allow me to briefly explain the Meeting...

S --- Shock, Stunned disbelief to an event.

A --- Anger. May be directed towards self, family, friends, bureaucrats, bureaucracies, and God.

R --- Rejection of social network and/or support. May involve denial.

A --- Acceptance of Reality. Involves understanding and reconciliation of issues. Develop new capacity to cope constructively with Loss.

H --- Healing. Using newly acquired knowledge and coping capacity to produce and/or promote general awareness and understanding.

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Now, from personal experience though it has been four years, there has been times when I've reached for the phone to call my dearest friend, Katrina. Suddenly, I found myself Meeting SARAH once again. Yet as time passes, the frequency of the meetings are reduced and the intensity of the meetings are diminished. Loss is inevitable. Dealing with it is optional and requires a person 'Meeting S.A.R.A.H.'

This blog entry is writtten in loving cherished memory of Katrina Jones who died in 2005.Hopefully, all who read this may be edified and encouraged to meet the challenges of the new year and always.

Part II: 'Soul Food' Lessons --- 21st Century

Ailene — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:47:17 EST

Part I: 'Soul Food' Lessons http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/invisibilityblanket/gGMyJK

"As the country moves gingerly towards economic recovery, we should ask ourselves 'What lessons have we learned?' For many of us (individuals and businesses) it may have been the first time we had to adjust to utilizing meager resources to create something that is satisfying. In my opinion, the best thing we could do is learn the 'Soul Food' Lesson."

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In the 1980s, everything was big, big, big....more, more, more. There were big hair, big cars, more houses, more money. The excesses came to a halt in the 1990s when 'thrifty' became the goal 'downsizing' became the process of many businesses. It was an opportunity to pursue a vision for America that would've allowed us to be more competitive globally and maintain sustainable economic growth. It was a beginning.Yet, generally speaking, we faltered and became complacent. We didn't fully learn the 'soul food lesson'. The measures taken to make our families, businesses, and organizations more efficient were painful, but produced savings. However, instead of building on the more efficient processes i.e. developing new technologies/products for the future while expanding into new markets; as soon as we begin to see positive economic growth again we piled on the 'excesses' that were cut and making us less competitive and productive. So what have we learned this time?

Now, we are faced with similar challenges. Cutbacks are being made in order to bring about more efficiency and productivity. Do we go back to old habits? It's like an obese person who has lost weight. After the initial thrill of experiencing the weight loss and the benefits that come with it, s/he must guard against reverting back to ole' habits that contributed to weight gain. So what have we learned?

Have we learned the value of relationships and to appreciate the unique contributions of others?Have we learned perennial life skills such as discipline, budgeting, time management, creative but practical problem solving, flexibility, and adaptability? Yes, the 'soul food lessons' we should learn concerns developing the ability in utilizing meager resources to create something that is satisfying.

Time to Get Back to Work!

Obama Donna — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:03:43 EST

Where is everyone? We have an important election coming up in 2010, and all the experts are predicting the Republicans will win back the House and gain seats in the Senate. Our grassroots effort in 2008 needs to be repeated with that "Fired Up and Ready to Go!" energy. The Republican talking points are working with the help of Dick Cheney's big mouth to turn all energy to the right,

My Own Healthcare Dilemma

Ray Jenson — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:34:12 EST

In short, I'm worried. I'm worried about the future of my medical care options. I'm worried about continuing to owe money for medical bills I already can't afford to pay for--with a co-pay which is currently less than $10, I'm still unable to manage it on a regular basis. You see, I have no income of my own.

The only option for me is to oppose this new medical care plan. As nice as it sounds, this plan still leaves me and tens of thousands like me unable to be insured, or continuing to mount medical bills in a system we already cannot afford.

But if nobody is really interested, then the Obama plan will never come to fruition.

(There's more on the blog post: I didn't want to post the whole long diatribe to every list, so please click the "read more" URL below if you're interested in my line of reasoning and argumentation.)

Finally The US Senate Acts

Richard — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:56:50 EST

Todays Senate vote 60-39 paves the way for universal healthcare. There is only one step remaining: Reconciliation of the House and Senate bills. I'm praying that both Houses will do what's right and pass this needed legislation!

Spread the Love: Healthcare Reform 'Greatest Achievement of Our Time'

Joseph — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:15:05 EST

http://www.tnr.com/print/article/politics/just-noise

The New Republic has published a thorough and insightful editorial praising Pres. Obama for the historic achievement of getting comprehensive healthcare insurance reform through both houses of Congress. It's worth reading, so we can all understand a little better just why so many of the complicated and poorly understood provisions of this bill really do mark a great step forward for progressive policy goals.

Obama's Leadership Has Won Major Historic Achievements: Why Can't We Say So?

Joseph — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:19:42 EST

Pres. Barack Obama's has been one of the most fevered and frenzied in history, in terms of crises to be dealt with, major meetings with world leaders, on matters of global, long-term consequence, and in terms of advancing major humanitarian and democratic goals. And yet, the national media continue to obsess over the right-wing lie-machine that paints Obama as weak, irresponsible and presiding over a time of chaos and disorder. We need to change this dynamic, and we need to do it with deliberate effort and intelligent planning.

We need to treat every encounter that in any way touches on politics, in the coming year, as a caucus vote: it's up to those of us who support Obama, his agenda and his methods, his better brand of politics, to remind and to persuade, to make sure our friends and neighbors see the truth and not the lies and the facile rhetorical mashups being propagated by the know-nothing quote-happy mainstream media.

Obama has got China and Russia to sign on to his plans for a world without nuclear weapons. This alone is possibly the single most important diplomatic breakthrough since the detente of the 1980s. He has already advanced on this front to a point where the US and Russia are about to sign an agreement significantly reducing their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

For the first time in history, both China and India have agreed to the central principles of a global effort to curb carbon emissions, green the economy, and protect the natural heritage of future generations of humanity. This, again, is a diplomatic achievement that dwarfs nearly anything seen in recent decades. On both counts, Obama is open about his view that these are only the first, tentative steps, and that far more needs to be done.

The economic situation of one year ago was apocalyptic; it looked like the coming of a second great depression, and the prospect of 500 or more bank failures this year alone was not unrealistic. There was talk of 12 million foreclosures in one year and unemployment reaching over 20%. Pres. Obama's cogent and visionary economic recovery plan, which was designed to be incremental, so that the economy would not be forced to stand on its own after just a quick, random burst of stimulus, has saved millions of jobs and likely hundreds of banks as well.

The economic situation remains hard for average people, but it is far from the doomsday scenario that was being predicted just one year ago. And that's an historic achievement for Obama. He has expanded help to the unemployed, expanded health insurance for poor children, through SCHIP, and devoted record amounts of funding to clean energy technologies and zero-emissions vehicles.

He is building the most far-reaching and credible transparency-oriented infrastructure for government record-keeping the world has ever seen. He has ordered every agency of the executive branch to participate in and to plan along with an "open government initiative", which has given more ordinary people a direct say in government policy than at any time in history.

Now, at the end of a grueling year, in which the opposition, the center, his left-wing and much of his own party, has unfairly sought to blame him for the nation's woes —these attacks are so unfair, even Sen. Tom Coburn is defending Obama against such slander—, Obama has collected a Nobel Peace Prize, promoted a message of peace and cooperation around the world, acted to close the illegal detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, banned torture, is on the verge of passing healthcare reform of unprecedented scope, has secured the beginnings of the first true global climate accord, and he's already fighting for tough new financial regulatory reform.

We have to not only spend our time defending Obama against unfair attacks on his character and the nature of his leadership, we have to devote our energies to celebrating the tremendous accomplishments of his first year in office. We may never have seen so productive a first year, and there are concrete facts to back that up. Let's get out there and tell the truth about it all. Our nation deserves this president, because we chose him, because his vision is right for our times, and because we have a lot of cleaning up to do. Let's support him; let's help him blaze a trail toward a more just, more sustainable, freer and more prosperous American future.

Host a Community Discussion and Be Part of the President’s Forum on Jobs Posted by Cammie Croft

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:37:11 EST

UPDATE: Due to overwhelming response, with thousands of people having signed up to host, we have extended the deadline to January 7, 2010.

This Thursday, the President is hosting a discussion at the White House to explore every possible avenue for job creation and get ideas from CEOs, small business owners, economists, financial experts, labor union representatives, nonprofit groups and regular Americans who have felt the impact of this economic crisis firsthand.

But you don't need to be at the event in DC to participate. Today we’re announcing nationwide community job forums that will run from November 30th through January 7th. These discussions, among neighbors, co-workers and friends, will be a source of insights and ideas that will inform the President’s approach to job creation. Through WhiteHouse.gov, hosts can upload the results of their discussions. Back here at the White House, we’ll compile the feedback into a report that will be sent to the Oval Office for review.

Let us know if you are interested in organizing a jobs forum in your community, and we’ll follow up with discussion questions and other materials to make your event as productive as possible. We’re not able to offer an events center where you can find events already happening, so if you haven’t heard of one in your area, start your own and reach out to your network for participants.

There is Hope!

Richard — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:53:31 EST

Sen. Bill Nelson has agreed to a compromise of the Senate health care bill. Hopefully the Democrats will hold together in spite of Republican opposition.

Democrats Need to Fight EVERY Race EVERYWHERE in 2010

Joseph — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:38:35 EST

The Democratic party needs to take stock of the political climate, turn off the pundit-box and take a closer look at the meaning of the polls. Then, get the word out. The conventional wisdom right now says the president is losing favor and the Democrats are even less popular. Almost no one on television seems to notice that the very polls they're reporting show the Republicans even more out of favor than Congressional Democrats.

This means that even with the staggering legislative and budgetary complications facing the Democratic party right now, and the array of crises Pres. Obama is forced to wrestle with, the Republicans have made literally zero gain in terms of public image, popularity or public trust. There are substantive reasons for that, not least of which is the party's total failure to offer any relevant proposals for solving the nation's many crises, which people still remember were engendered BY their policies.

What's more, there's a mythology about poll numbers which suggests that somehow Democrats' success in 2008 was entirely related to the popularity of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate. Obama did win by a landslide; even his popular vote victory was by a more than comfortable margin. But the Republican party stirred up a firestorm of passionate hate, which motivated an anti-Obama vote. What's more, the 2008 Democratic wave was a follow-on to the 2006 Democratic wave.

For all of Obama's virtues as a candidate, the Democratic agenda itself was gaining popularity ever since 2005, when it became clear to the mainstream general public the Iraq war was built on lies, involved torture and other abuses, and that the Bush administration was disinterested enough to let New Orleans descend into chaos before intervening after Hurricane Katrina.

The real secret to Democrats' success in 2008 was the Obama campaign's demand that the party compete everywhere. This was an extension of the Democratic National Committee's 2006 strategy, implemented by then Chairman Howard Dean, to compete for every seat. THERE IS NO REASON REPUBLICANS SHOULD HAVE A FREE RIDE, ANYWHERE, EVER. Especially now, when their politics has so disgracefully descended into hate language, fearmongering and programmatic distortions.

If there are 40 House seats "up for grabs", as some analysts suggest, arithmetical logic would say save half and the Democrats keep a substantial majority. But aiming for less than total victory is, inherently, unconvincing. It will undermine the entire party-wide effort, and help give Republicans momentum on shaping the rhetoric of 2010 and painting any loss as a defeat for the entire Democratic party.

So, we need to compete for every seat, regardless of geography, aim to raise record amounts from small donors, as did Barack Obama in 2008, and make sure efforts to get out the vote are strong, EVERYWHERE. Every Democratic or Democratic-friendly candidate in the country deserves a strong support system to keep the Republicans from gaining ground.

strengthen it, approach from a different angle, try again

Ann — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:04:17 EST

I do not support passage of the health "care" "reform" bill in its current form.

I agree with Howard Dean and Keith Olbermann.

It's been compromised far too much. I'd like to see a stronger version that also approaches from a different angle.

What I would like to see in the bill:

-patient/consumer protections

-cost reduction (!!!)

-the insurance industry anti-trust exemption killed

-non-profit health coverage options as well as a public option (the influence of the insurance industry has manifested itself to a remarkably unsavory degree in the last couple of months)

-smarter prescription drug and medical supply purchasing options

-assistance/clearing of red tape for small businesses including pooling (much of which could be taken care of with a public option)

-no mandate if it ends up being a piece of crap bill--that would only make a horrid situation worse

I don't care if that's a lot, I'm putting it out there in a vacuum.

As for the gag order that is the abortion amendment, a compromise that would make me only marginally sick is to let the people of each state decide via special ballot measure in fall 2010.

As for 2010, elected officials in tough districts can take this back to their constituents: while opponents of reform not only did nothing to make a horrendous situation better, they stood in the way of those who were trying to improve it. Those who worked for reform can tell their constituents, I did something, I fought for improvement, I fought for your well-being. I would think that would resonate. Subsequently, Republicans will call anyone who votes for the bill a socialist no matter what the bill looks like anyway.

I truly believe we can implement meaningful reform by starting out stronger with a smarter approach.

Last, I do think the American people need a little uptick from President Obama. Not necessarily to advocate for passage of the bill, but to advocate what he advocates. I appreciate his attempts to find common ground behind the scenes, but I do not think he has to do so standing only as himself.

All we need in order to understand the complexity of the universe lives in the simplicity of each fragment. [adapted from Fractal Time by Gregg Braden]

United States Broadband Status 2009

Jon Radoff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:57:06 EST

An analysis of recent OECD data that reveals how much better most other industrialized economies are at providing high-speed Internet access to their citizens. This is an opportunity to create more social equity, increased opportunities and access to important content for large numbers of Americans: http://bit.ly/7YSPRr

'Soul Food' Lesson

Ailene — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:57:34 EST

As the country moves gingerly towards economic recovery, we should ask ourselves 'What lessons have we learned?' For many of us (individuals and businesses) it may have been the first time we had to adjust to utilizing meager resources to create something that is satisfying. In my opinion, the best thing we could do is learn the 'Soul Food' Lesson.

"Soul Food" This term originated from the cuisine developed by the African slaves mainly from the American South. A dark and despicable period in the history of the United States resulted in a cuisine fashioned from the meager ingredients available to the slave and sharecropper black families. The meat used was the least desireable cuts and the vegetables, some bordering on weeds, were all that was available for the black slaves to prepare nutritious meals for their families. From these meager ingredients evolved a cuisine that is simple yet hearty and delicious." http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/soul.html

Moved to Tears

Ailene — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:53:59 EST

Like many Americans across the nations, there's office parties, gift-giving, and reflection this holiday season.

I'm not a person who seeks public accolades/attention. Actually I would consider myself a pebble-in-a-pond. Yesterday I was speechless and was moved to tears at the show of appreciation from coworkers through words and presentation of assorted gifts basket. It was surprising that I became so emotional given I'm not a crier.

Hopefully as exchange gifts there's thought given to why a particular item is given and how it's expressive of attitude towards the recipient.

May everyone enjoy their Holiday Season with joy and peace.

Paradise Lost

Richard Thomas Gerber — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:15:18 EST

Mankind was born into a paradise that provided all sustenance needed for life, one of perfect design, maintenance free naturally correcting imbalance. This Paradise was stolen by the creation of an unnatural man made system, not based on any science just the whim and desire of the creators. It was then required that one must participate in the man made system to obtain that which was once naturally freely and abundantly available to sustain life. This gave the controllers of the system an unnatural power and dominion over their fellow men; this was the beginning of the Ego Empire and the indentured servitude and usury putting a price on participation in this thing called life, which was originally free for all.

All the free resources were locked down and ownership granted to a small number of men and the rest put into a public trust making what they could not manage unavailable to the individual citizen creating an artificial scarcity of land and therefore increasing the value of the land privately possessed. The system was not adopted freely by the economic constituency it was forced upon them backed by brute force and threat of imprisonment.

It created a beast that thrives on ignorance, gave rise to a massive gambling casino with fixed tables (Wall Street), permitted the creation of artificial value and needs, corrupted science, resulted in the creation of an institution called government that doesn’t fully represent the people in reality but creates only the illusion of doing so, and forces patronage of select vendors at inflated prices. Furthermore over time the natural resources were polluted and contaminated resulting in the most abundant natural resource, water, having to be purchased at a price from a supplier that cleaned and filtered it, the system became so distorted that at one point a bottle of water cost more then a gallon of gasoline and the copper in a penny was worth more than the value of the coin in the artificial financial system not based on natural systems science but rather greed and the love of power and dominion over others. It is time to restore paradise and eliminate the concentration of power distributing it amongst all men and women equally.

No longer shall science be perverted by profit; no longer shall there be profit from disease, fear and conflict. No longer shall the sustainment of essential economy be threatened by the artificial economy, no longer shall a few benefit to the detriment of the many. ~Richard Thomas Gerber

The Illusion of Government

Richard Thomas Gerber — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:11:47 EST

The Illusion of Government

The Citizens, Shareholders, and Customers Shall Ascend to the Throne as One
~The Infinite Play

The label “Government” does not own or owe anything, it cannot act, it does not decide, only people can act and make decisions; and the citizens own and owe everything.

If one can see though the illusion of the separation between the government and it's people, created by the ego empire, then you will become empowered to create in reality a true democracy with prosperity and abundance for all.

“Government” is just a label for an institution run by individuals with names, who are supposed to represent truth and the interests of the people as a whole. If they fail to do so then we have the illusion of democracy where the people are ruled by a fallible few and not self governed by the perfect many.

It is in the illusion where the people are taught to see themselves as separate from the institution of government. In reality the people united are the government, which is the manifestation of their collective effort. Unfortunately most live in an illusion, minds full of fiction, and thinking plagued by propaganda; it is the results of this that they experience even now.

"Government" which is a label representing the collective effort of a citizenry, does not make decisions, people do. Individual representatives that are not connected to the source (the people) and do not register the voice and input of each individual to know the collective intent, will, wisdom and intelligence of the people, cannot claim to represent the people and fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to the people.

It is the duty of the representative to balance between the needs of the whole and the "needs" of each part, delivering the essential to all, while taking into account and balancing the "wants" of all. It is their duty to invite conformity in support of the whole by illustrating the benefits of doing so. It is vital that no individual is bound or restrained but is allowed free agency, for it is the exception to the status quo that ensures the evolution and growth of the nation.

It should be understood that any representative or agent of government that acts to the benefit of a few to the detriment of the many has committed treason at least within the heart. Any that have chosen to believe a fiction because they desired it as a reality, prejudice against that which might threaten it, failing to question and doing due diligence to discern and garner the truth and facts, while exhausting all resources of insight and creative intelligence, have failed their constituency.

Until the authentic voice of each person is measured and taken into account on each article of concern and permitted to participate in the design of policy and solution, one does not have a democratic government in reality; only the appearance and illusion of one.

Accordingly the people cannot expect the effort called government to represent them if they do not participate as self informed shareholders that both discern the truth and give voice to it, while providing the impetus of their will. To remain silent is to allow the fictions to grow and spread disease. If a few are allowed to divide the people then they can rule the people, a united people cannot be ruled over, they can only be self governed.

If all one can do as a citizen is repeat rhetoric, rather than committing to study, research and understanding so as to be able to speak the intelligence and wisdom from your own mind then you have also failed your nation, your family and friends and there is no government to blame.

We cannot blame government, it is a label that does not think or act, only individuals can think and act. It is we the people that are to blame allowing ourselves to be divided having others to do our thinking for us, failing to question, remaining passive in ignorance. There is no power on earth greater than a people unified in intent and will, acting with intelligence, moving in truth, with wisdom and compassion. If we allow ourselves to be divided with fictions and labels then it is we that are to blame.

You cannot confront or question a label, you must confront and question the people hidden behind the label.

Truth is the highest of all authority and every law must be based on truth or it has no authority, and anyone acting in truth can break no law.

All injustice is born from fiction, and justice is not about revenge but bringing to light the truth that destroys that fiction that gave rise to the injustice. That fiction may be found far from the scene of the crime and often in the company of others.

It is the responsibility of the representative to craft and orchestrate the manifestation of the deliverables defined in concert with the people. It is the task of a lucid citizenry to be the dominant impetus and to become the main cause of the effect.

The people are the power and the glory of the nation, all as one and one as all, one as many and many as one.

~Richard, Thomas, and Gerber

Be sure to read Illusions the red and blue pill

Making Money is a Scam (in a world of fiction)

Richard Thomas Gerber — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:04:22 EST

Making Money is a Scam (in a world of fiction)

“The truth is often obscured by a veil of complexity”
~Infinite Play

Making Money is a Scam (in a world of fiction)

In a world of fiction making money is a scam. Over the course of time there has been a transfer of power from the “value” creators and the genuine value they create to the “transaction” managers and the owners of the symbol used to represent value, and the symbol itself. The value creators are then charged for the use of the symbol. The symbol controllers create the symbol out of nothing at zero cost and sell it, it is genius idea from an ego perspective but it is not sustainable. In other words the symbol transaction managers are able to usurp genuine value from the system without contributing any considerable value other than entering accounting transactions into the system. So in this world of fiction importance is placed upon the symbol and not the value it represents and everyone is doing whatever they can to obtain monetary units quite often using deception, gimmick, providing illusionary value or selling at an artificially inflated price rather than genuine value creation.

The transaction and symbol managers yield an unnatural power because they control the supply of monetary units to be used by the producers and consumers at anytime they can reduce money supply creating scarcity and conflict between the producers and consumers. They wield the power to decide which endeavors are funded and who gets loans often favoring those that support their scheme. This gives them the false status of Gods and the bank is the temple of worship as they are the source of all sustenance because one needs the symbol or account number to buy food, and obtain shelter. They become the source of all sustenance.

Making money is not a scam (in a world of truth)

In a truth based world making money is not a scam. The difference is that in the world of truth the producer is the creator of money, not the banks, because they are the creator of genuine value and therefore wealth which in a world of truth is naturally reflected in their value exchange account balance. In the world of truth the consumer is the validator of the creation of value and therefore wealth. The consumer credits the account of the value creator in proportion to the amount of value created. In the world of truth the focus is on the creation of value and not the obtainment of monetary units which naturally flow to the value creators, the producers are the true makers of money.

In reality the banks do provide a small amount of value they: Track transactions, Evaluate Risk, Create Debt (new money), Ensure Debt is repaid (future value is created), and calculate interest (their profit), which represents the proportion of your wealth they get for allowing your participation in the economic system. Of course they only loan the amount of the principal into the economic system so in order to pay the interest back as a whole the “whole” of consumers must borrow more creating a perpetual cycle and eternal servitude with cycles of boom and bust, each bust resulting in the conversion of their intangible symbol created at zero cost into tangible assets like land as some of the consumers will always default by design and lose their collateral.

Truth calls into question the price charged by the bankers in this game of monopoly for the use of their symbol and the tracking of transactions. The mark up or margin on the minimal actual cost of entering transactions into a computer system is substantially far more than it would be in free and natural market. In the seven years leading up to 2008, FDIC-insured commercial banks made an average pretax operating profit of $142 billion, for basically entering transactions into a computer system and tracking them. These are very expensive key strokes. Combine this with the Wall Street Gamblers that create no genuine value but take billions of dollars of value out of the system, food from mouths of the starving children, and you can understand the cause of the major economic imbalance we currently have.

The actual cost to manage the value exchange transactions, for the US financial system would be less than 100 million dollars for approximately 12 data centers with server farms and administrative, technical, managing and auditing staff.

If we really have a free market then the consumer / producer should be able to switch to the more efficient lower cost monetary system.

Many do not realize that when the US went off the Gold Standard in 1971 to a fiat currency the worlds monetary and financial system became nothing more than an accounting system. With the high priests of money having the power to create the transactions they became the source of sustenance. The Federal Reserve controls and owns the master chart of accounts making them the high priests.

The economic constituency needs to create a new choice for themselves, a new value exchange accounting system that is fair, equitable, and sustainable supporting a natural market. Read http://coinage.me for comprehensive understanding of the flaws of the current system and the design for the new and be sure to read The Money Changers. It is time to throw them out of the temple once again, for good. If you care about the starving children in the world send this page to everyone on your mailing list so they begin to see through the illusions surrounding money.

~Richard Thomas Gerber

Power Questions

When does it make sense for the citizens (government) to create a debt instrument to create money and then have it given to the banks to be loaned back to them at interest (profit)? Why must citizens borrow money twice?

If a house still provides the same shelter as it did two years ago how could it have lost half it's value two years later? It still provides the same value in reality. Perhaps the way the value is determined is a fiction.

If $100,000 (unreal intangible) buys twice as much real estate (real tangible) as it did two years ago did not the value of money increase?

Why are bank profits tax deductable? The interest you pay on your mortgage is tax deductable which actually allows the banks to charge you more for interest then you would normally be able to pay. It also reduces public funds, resulting in a need for increased taxes, causing the citizens (government) to need to borrow even more money at interest to pay the public debt. Is this fair to people who rent?

Games and Obama

Jon Radoff — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:31:13 EST

An article onthe many positives of games (brain development, education, social skills, etc.) which includes references to the recent Obama STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) program, which will use games as a way to get kids excited about learning the skills they'll need to be successful in the 21st century: http://radoff.com/blog/2009/12/08/six-wonderful-things-about-games/

Save Your Armchair Quarterbacking For Football, Not Afghanistan

Steve Sulkin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:38:12 EST

To me, it's obvious and simple, what else could President Obama do but what he did in Afghanistan and commit more troops? We are in two horrible wars. They were very poorly thought out wars and more abhorrently, we were lied to by the former administration. Bottom line we were put in a veritable no-win situation.

So now what to do? We know that people who wish us harm are in Afghanistan, in Pakistan and many other places. The military says we need to fight them. So President Obama is doing what anyone would do, he's giving the military enough rope to succeed or hang themselves. I don't think he even believes we'll succeed, but he knows there's a chance, albeit a small one.

And more importantly he gave OUR MILITARY a date he wants them to get out. I think that anyone in his position, learning what he must now know (that none of us know) such as the danger of nuclear attacks from terrorists, would have done the same. The difference with this President, is that he made the decision carefully, over time and came to a grim conclusion to proceed. That's not flag waving or hawkish behavior as was common with the last administration. That's intelligent behavior, no rallying cries. For him to be derided for being intelligent, for taking the time to make a careful decision is armchair quarterbacking, but unfortunately not about the triviality of sports, but regarding the importance of our very human existence on Earth which is threatened by terrorists.

We should "back off this man", he's doing his best. Being an armchair quarterback is embarrassing when one is talking about our nation and our world surviving this crisis. Save your armchair quarterbacking for football.

New Obama Group Forming 'AmericaNOchange'

Al Boek — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:42:29 EST

Fellow President Obama Supporters and Former Ones"

AS the founder of the Obama Group named YESWECANSOLVEIT...

I have taken the liberty of forming still another group called

AmericaNOchange. I doubt this one gets approved.

Thought I'd better hurry and write this and send it to all groups that

I am still a member of before I am banned here forever. Why would

that happen? you ask. Because I just formed a new group with a little

kid yelling "Hey You" while flipping off the viewer. Hope the president

and his staff gets the message.

The esculation of the war in Aftganistan is the last straw. Three strikes

your out!

First, he keeps the same people on the payroll that got us into this

financial disaster. He let's Bush and Cheney walk scot-free. He continues

to bail out the banks, "all too big to fail" why they screw us in every way.

And tonight on national tv he will try to convience us all that the way to

end the war in Aftganistan is to exculate it. This did not work in Vietnam,

I know, because I volunteered to go there, and it will not work in Aftganistan.

To add insult to injury. The powers that be, the ones backing McCain in

my city in Northern California, are all meeting to determine what the same

good ole boys get to do with local stimulus funds...So my question is?

WHAT THE HELL HAS CHANGED IN AMERICAN PRESIDENT OBAMA?

I am so damned mad right now, I swear, if I could afford it, I'd trade in

my next presidential ballot for a passport.

Al Boek, Ex-Supporter of a One-Term President

earlallenboek@yahoo.com

530-549-4315

Redding, California

Senators to get in touch with....Thanks Donna

VA . Greatgran 'Grab A Mop' for President Obama — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:41:48 EST

Well done, Donna! Calls, Letters, Emails and Faxes are Needed to request a vote for HCR with a strong P.O.
By Donna No Shock Barack No Drama Obama of MD Yesterday at 10:26 am EST (Updated Yesterday at 10:26 am EST) Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
355 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-4843
Fax 202-228-1371
Email:Link

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Washington, D.C.
720 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-6551
Fax: 202-228-0012
Email: Link

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Washington, DC
328 Hart Senate Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5824
Fax: 202-224-9735
Email: Link

Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT)
Washington
706 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-4041
Fax: 202-224-9750
Email:Link

The State's Plate

Ailene — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:45:28 EST

"These state visits and dinners are a really important part of our nation's diplomacy. Throughout history, they've given U.S. presidents -- and the American people -- the opportunity to make important milestones in foreign relations. So these dinners and events are really critical to what we do internationally. And they've helped build stronger ties with nations as well as people around the world."
--- First Lady Michelle Obama, Indian State Dinner Press Preview, November 24, 2009

Throughout history partaking (eating) food has been associated with sharing experiences; in addition to obtaining intimacy and understanding i.e. psychological bonding. It is evident through the customs and practices of soceity many people believe this process still has merit today. For example, it is becoming more common for businesspersons to hold meetings with food available for consumption, there's even the new trend of conducting interviews during breakfast, lunch, dinner. An invitation to eat is considered an honor within many cultures, specifically the Asian cultures. African-American culture is rich in the tradition of food preparation for Sunday dinners. In general, Americans have deep-rooted tradition of food preparation for holiday, funeral, and wedding dinners.

In today's soceity more individuals and organizations are emphasizing the 'family table' i.e. encouraging people to eat their meals together as a family unit. Furthermore, the association between eating and the process of obtaining understanding is eveident through the scripture, "O' taste and see that the Lord, He is good." As a final point, the origin and celebratory nature of the concept of reunions, formerly called 'homecomings', focuses on the 'bonding' effect from eating together. It is not surprising then that food is an important part of any reunion celebration.

The partaking of food is an outward expression of learning about individuals and/or organizations. The partaking of food provides an opportunity to experience and learn about individuals and/or organizations. Personally, there's an opportunity to actually live the heartwarming message in the movie, 'Soul Food' i.e. learning and caring about the soul of people, individually and collectively.

State Dinners provide an opportunity to actually learn and care about the soul of a nation.

Hoosier Pride --- Darryl W. Finkton Jr.

Ailene — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:33:35 EST

Just have to give a 'shout out' to Mr. Darryl Finkton for his extraordinary achievements.

It's also nice to know he was a graduate from one of the best high schools in nation (and also my alma mater)

Congratulations!

************

2006 North Central grad is named a Rhodes Scholar

*other notable graduates of NCHS include: Mitch Daniels, Governor of indiana; Bart Peterson, former mayor of Indianapolis; 'Baby-Face' Edmonds, singer/recording artist

By Kevin O'Neal

Posted: November 23, 2009

http://www.indystar.com/article/20091123/LOCAL/911230376/0/OPINION05

A former North Central High School basketball player has been named one of the recipients of a Rhodes Scholarship for 2010.

Darryl W. Finkton Jr., a senior majoring in neurobiology at Harvard College, is a 2006 North Central graduate. While at Harvard, he has set up a water supply system for a town in Ghana and performed infant cognition research in France.

In 2006, Finkton, the son of Stephanie Finkton, said he wanted to become a pediatric cardiologist. In a 2005 interview with The Star while still a student at North Central, Finkton said, "When I'm on the basketball court, I'm a basketball player. When I'm in class, I'm a student."

He was considered one of the best high school basketball players in the Indianapolis area, receiving an honorable mention on The Star's 2006 All-Marion County boys team and honorable mention on the Topics Newspapers team. Finkton played on the Harvard team for two years before suffering a knee injury.

Rhodes Scholars receive all-expense-paid scholarships for two to four years of study at Oxford University in Great Britain. Finkton was one of 32 in the U.S. and the only Hoosier to receive a 2010 scholarship.

A well-known Rhodes Scholar from Indianapolis is Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., a former Indianapolis mayor

Thanks

Ailene — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:21:11 EST

There's a loss in our soceity. Its impact is evident in our homes, schools, churches, businesses, and government. The loss of Thanks.

Expressing appreciation for the actions or just mere presence of others may be so edifying for ourselves and others.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to your family: spouse, parents, children, siblings, et al.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to your school: teachers, administrators, office workers, and volunteers.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to clergy and laity.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to employees and supervisors.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to friends and opponents because opponents challenge us to think and act beyond ourselves.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to media organizations whose reporting reflect views and beliefs across the political spectrum. My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty"

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to leaders and civil servants.

Imagine the impact of just saying the word 'thanks' to God.

Just Imagine.

We take for granted the simple pleasures that peoples in other countries view as luxuries.

O' the countless times we've forgotten to express our thanks for the effforts the individuals who work 'behind the scenes' daily to make our lives just a little more comfortable. So I would like to express a simple thought to everyone: Thanks

Don't Pull The Trigger

JD from Seal Beach, CA — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:40:42 EST

To trigger or not to trigger.

The trigger option for public healthcare insurance is raising its ugly head once again. It is being touted as “the” compromise between the two sides of the democratic caucus. There are some fundamental points that need to be considered when discussing the “trigger”.

First, the idea for the trigger assumes that the status quo is acceptable and that the trigger will only be used if things get worse. The status quo is NOT acceptable. It’s like saying that you will call the fire department if things get worse when your house is burning down.

The House and Senate bills go into effect in 2013 or 2014 and the trigger will delay beyond that any remedy to the current broken system. What do you say to the person who can’t qualify or can’t afford health insurance now?

Quoting Senator Chuck Schumer, "Any reasonable criteria for triggering a public plan has already been met."

Second, triggers don’t work. What most don’t realize is that there is a trigger built into Medicare Part D that allows the government to negotiate lower prescription prices if the costs balloon out of proportion to other costs. Even though drug prices under the program have skyrocketed, with Medicare Part D paying on average 30% more for drugs than regular Medicaid and costing taxpayers over $60 billion extra over 10 years, the trigger has never been triggered.

Let’s be clear. This strategy to make the public option more palatable to blue-dog democrats is nothing more than a sham. To quote Jason Rosenbaum from HCAN:

“The trigger amendment isn’t a fig leaf. It isn’t even a co-op. It’s a plan to kill the public health insurance option outright, and give taxpayer money straight to private insurance companies.”

We must continue to remind our Senators and Representatives that health care insurance reform must be meaningful. And triggers are not acceptable. We have come this far in our fight to get the public option into the final bill.

Let’s not give up now.

Part II: America's Health --- Recovery

Ailene — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:52:33 EST

Part II: America's Health ---- Recovery

[Part 1: America's Health http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/invisibilityblanket/gGx2hK ]

************

Let's try to offer a little understanding about the current state of affairs using an analogy familar with many people: Health. Hopefully, individuals who insist on creating distractions or adhering to pure ideological dogmas will understand that enough is enough. Skillful action is needed, now.

************

Prompt and deliberative actions have brought forth some improvements, namely a marked increased in blood pressure (increase in the monetary flow) from a dangerously low level. However, the status of America's health is critical, but stable.More than ever there is a need to provide affirmation of belief in American ideals, character, and way of life. Commerce through media (advertisements, news, books, movies, etc) does this like circulatory system continually provides re-oxygenated blood to all parts of the body.

There is a deficiency in nutrients, i.e. that which promotes growth. What is causing the deficiency? It's a inter-relationship of many factors and systems.One reason may be paralysis among businesses and banks. Businesses, in particular small businesses who hire ~60% of the workforce, are unable to respond because they cannot receive the desired loans from banks. Banks are not making loans because they may be gripped with fear --- underwriting the loans is a concern that looms large and the spectre of TARP still hovers. It challenges old beliefs about the role of Government and its relationship to Free Enterprise System/Captalism.

The basic framework, Capitalism, that has contributed to defining America has been affected like osteoporosis affects the bones of human body. Support has been provided to businesses to spur responsible risk and innovation (risk is not bad itself, in fact willingness to take risks is inherently involved in business) It is this combination (risk and innovation) that produces goods and services. It's similar to process whereby the bone's marrow produces red blood cells.

Contrary to popular opinion, Wall Street wants reform through reasonable regulation. Wall Street is fickle, so it's ironic that it seems to show a resistance to change. However, it's not resistant to change per se but it resists instability and uncertainty. It doesn't want another Madoff-style scandal or Sub-Prime Mortgage fiasco.

Reformation, not Revolution

Reform is needed now but must be careful, yes skillful as a surgeon, in the enactment of reform. Due to relationship between different sectors of soceity or policy areas, an action may have minimal effect in intended target area but through 'ripple effect' have a tremendous effect in another sector or policy area.

Keep in mind...America's lymphatic system needs to be examined so that it functions more efficiently and effectively (eradicate waste, fraud, and abuse; act as suitable defense) This highlights the importance and inter-relationship between immigration policies and national security and healthcare reform.

Be aware of possible growth of cancer cells i.e. extremism from BOTH ENDS OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM. The extremist rhetoric and actions from individuals and organizations actually undermines the spirit of the U.S. Constitution, if not the letter. Must be balance in considering what means should be used to remove the cancerous growth --- Radiation (like x-rays): Use of Surveillance. (e.g. FISA)Chemotherapy: Enacting new laws; Surgery: Removal. Again reminder that given integration of members/sectors in soceity, An action may have unintended effects on other members/sectors of soceity.

What is needed?

Government checks may provide some inducement but it's like being on a feeding tube or receiving nutrients in a pre-packaged pill. What is more beneficial is when nutrients come naturally from eating food. America needs to experience something that is a natural part of American way of life, yes even human existence. This is the reason why job growth is so important. To achieve productivity, in every sense of the word, there must be adherence to the The Productivity Principle. A person must believe her/his actions do matter.

While dealing w/ the paralysis cause by the reticence of small businesses and banks may emphasize not only volunteering but education to upgrade skills and knowledge. (e.g. CPR/First Aid ceritification, Continuing Education Programs) This may prepare by facilitating recruitment of personnel for the influx of new patients that will access the healthcare system when the Healthcare Reform legislation is passed.

May encourage nonprofits (secular and parochial) to function even more as a 'clearinghouse' of information and pool community resources to conduct workshops on nutrition, budgeting, or other practical life-enhancements. It may be analogous to the digestive process whereby food is taken in and transform into something that may be used by the body. Summarily, all may spur growth through building confidence required for willingness to take risks, while discovering new aptitude for innovation.

Cobblestones

Walt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:07:03 EST

When sailing ships still used ballast to keep from being blown over by the wind, rock was commonly used as cheap ballast. Then when no longer needed, the rock was used for other purposes. Ships sailing to and from Kabul, Afghanistan, frequently used the local rock for ballast. Upon returning to home ports in Europe, the offloaded stones were dumped in piles in port cities. At some point, someone decided that the stones from Kabul could be put to use paving the muddy streets of those cities. They were Kabul stones that gradually was changed in English to cobblestones.

United States Senators Move!

Richard — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:32:31 EST

The Senate must get off it's duff and pass health care reform this year! It is what the majority of Americans want. Senators and that includes you Sen Leiberman do something for your constituency! Stop the political games and Act decisively for the American people who put you into office!

OFA ===> History in the Making.

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:39:36 EST

Statement of President Barack Obama on House Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act By Christopher Hass - Nov 8th, 2009 at 12:19 am EST Also listed in: Organizing for Health Care Blog Shortly after the House of Representatives concluded tonight's vote on health insurance reform, President Obama released the following statement:

Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamaforamerica/gGMmWn

Sarah Palin Lies

Patti — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:05:51 EDT

What would we expect from someone who quit because she could not take the heat - lies. It is sad I thought she would have time on her hands to do research before she spoke - apparently not.

Mrs. Palin I am disabled yet not mindless and your lies are simply more scare tactics which some of your so-called Republican cohorts enjoy doing so much. How sad, what I find worst of all is you are using your son as a pawn for your lies - Your OWN Child. This was beyond shocking.

By the way this is Patti Suarez (Mistique642@aol.com) using my son's facebook page to write, because this is simply appalling in my opinion.

As well as for your death camps, there comes a time, which I do NOT wish upon anyone that we MUST make difficult decisions regarding the end of our life. If I had an incurable disease, in severe pain, no way out, etcetera, I have a right to choose what to do with MY life. I believe we should all have a choice as to what we want to do at that time. However, we MUST say it in advance with sound mind. Let me guess your children do not know what you want during that time, I guess they can cremate you and throw your ashes in Alaska so you can see Russia.

Think about what you are saying before you speak. Have you ever taken care of someone with terminal cancer, aids, A.L.S., etcetera? I gather you have not...

OnStar

Walt — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:49:21 EDT

Barack bailed out GM so that the government could install OnStar in all new cars to spy on US citizens and their driving habits. More nonsense from the Right. What do they think that the Bush administration was doing when they monitored everyone's cell and land line phone calls?

The A List - A Short List of Obama Accomplishments

David G — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:27:05 EDT

Recently, comedians have been having a nice laugh over President Obama's supposed lack of accomplishments. While we can have a laugh over the jokes, we must also remember that the digs have no merit.

Below is a short list of accomplishments. Suffice to say, I could have gone on much longer but there are enough bullet points to show clearly and concisely that the guys done a lot.

Support the Public Option publicly, Mr. President!

Roland Madore — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:24:05 EDT

October 16, 2009

Dear Mr. President,

Please strongly support the Public Option publicly now! We need to hear your voice. The People are counting on you to back up the promises you made.

We don’t want the insurance and drug companies to win at our expense again because we’ll lose, and so will you. I’d like to continue to support you, but won’t if you sell your “soul to the company”, man. For all the work you do, thank you, and congratulations for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Here’s where you can start earning it.

Respectfully,

Roland Madore

1725 C Spring Meadows Ct.

Fort Collins, CO 80525-1164

P. S. Hooray for Michael Moore!

Keith Olbermann

Walt — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:08:57 EDT

Tonight Keith Olbermann will repeat his passionate denunciation of healthcare insurers that was so effective the first time it was run. Money is being donated to set up free clinics in cities in the districts of ranking members of Congress who have a big say in healthcare reform legislation. It is an effective way to influence some votes.

Hurray for Our Side!

Richard — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:40:21 EDT

The Baucus bill passed committee by a vote of 15-9 with only one Republican vote(Sen. Snowe). Hurray for our side. Now we must inform our representatives that we want the public option put back in during the conference commitee deliberations! We almost out of the woods!

Their True Colors!

Richard — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:42:38 EDT

Now the insurance has come out against the Baucus Bill saying that it will lead to higher premiums. Why am I not surprised by this? I wasn't fooled by this self-serving industry. Our representatives and President Obama need to stand firm against this chicanery.

Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

april — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:35:50 EDT

I am so stunned on everyone's reaction to Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. It seems alot of people forget what he did over the campaign and how he got SO many people off there butts and out into there communities doing something and be apart of something greater than themselves. I had the chance to see him speak in Green Bay during the campaign and had the chance to shake his hand and I can tell you....just from my experience..... when you see him in person and listen to him talk...you can tell that he truly cares about helping US and that he truly believes he can make a difference in our country. I still support him...he is trying so hard with Health Care, and with the War...we have no real idea of what he really deals with on a daily basis...I was shocked when I heard he won...but in no way did I think he didn't deserve it....I think he whole-heartedly deserves it for bringing a Nation together and for opening up talks with other countries....who are interested in what he has to say. I think the Obama's are wonderful people and it is awesome to see real people in the White House and not a bunch of rich suits. Congratulations Mr. President!!

How Can You Do This?

David Kenyon — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:24:29 EDT

During the campaign I was a rabid dog for Barack Obama. I raised money, gave money and canvassed for the man. I have stood by him during the fight for health care. I have upped my personal contributions to Democrats to push back against American fascism that is on the rise in the form of hysterical teabaggers.But Barack, HOW COULD YOU? What crack were you smoking when you blew off the Dalai Lama? Every president has met with his holiness to defy Chineses bullying and assert the America's moral high road on human rights.Do we owe them that much money that we are now their biotch? HOW COULD YOU!There is almost nothing that this president could have done that would have shaken my faith him -- except this. This is a deal breaker. Not just for me, but for thousands and thousands of people like me. (And yes, I am a western Tibetan Buddhist).It is unforgiveable. Even if the president meets with his Holiness at a later date, it does not matter. He blinked. He blinked on the most important issue in the human conversation, the issue of human rights and this is an unforegiveable sin.This is now the beginning of the collapse of the whole house of cards. In politics you cannot sell out your base -- ever. This is not shrewd diplomacy, this is pandering. HOW COULD YOU! I guess there really is no Santa Claus. I never thought I would say this, but Hillary Clinton would not have done this. The shame of it.

Delay

Walt — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:51:49 EDT

Delay is used to kill legislation that you are opposed to. Under our system of checks and balances, it is very difficult to pass legislation in Washington DC. Delay has been used time and again in our history to kill reforms. Those opposed to healthcare reform are hoping that the moment for its passage will pass and that support for reform will fade. Barack did not strike when the iron was hot, but I am confident that he has a plan of action that will surprise his critics. Barack is one of the smartest Presidents that we have ever had and Team Obama has shown that it can win repeatedly.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR 2009

jean pierres101% OBAMA — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:06:03 EDT

Dear President Barack Obama,

Consistent with the above captioned award, I and all the members of our Non Governmental Organization, Change International salutes another cap that fits your head. May the same award endow your ability to impact people from various nations.

It is our prayers that your administration continues being source of hope, joy, good health and prosperity to mankind. Our generation will always remain proud of your achievements.

We hold you, your spouse and kids in high esteem.

Sincerely,

Jean Pierres Bassey

President

NGO Change International

P.O.BOX 27 BP 1044 Abidjan 27

Tel 00225 08288046

Cote d Ivoire

West Africa

Senate Democrats

Richard — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:35:39 EDT

The Senate Democrats hold the key to whether we will have health care Reform this year! It's time for them to step up to the plate for all Americans! The GOP is not going to vote for this legislation no matter who proposes it! They are just using stall tactics in an effort to kill it!

I like that Susan Rice!!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:14:03 EDT

Did you see Susan Rice smacked Wolf blitzer down?

I don't have a link...she may be small in statue but she packs a mean verbal punch.

She's the giant and wolf is the grasshopper.

She is doing a Wonderful Job.

She Blitzed him.(lol).

God help us re-unite NOW

Rebecca — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:40:25 EDT

From a Romanian Newspaper

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii, meaning 'Ode To America ') in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei 'The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'.

~An Ode to America ~


Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs.

On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts..   Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about.

Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth can unites the Americans in such way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion... Only freedom can work such miracles.


Cornel Nistorescu

(This deserves to be passed around the Internet forever.) It took a person on the outside - looking in - to see what we take for granted !

GOD BLESS AMERIC A !!!

Healthcare March on Washington

Joseph — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:33:42 EDT

We need healthcare reform in order to prevent the continuing spread of the vicious infection of personal and corporate bankruptcies linked to radically escalating healthcare costs, which are coinciding with a worsening deterioration in quality of coverage and quality of care. We need reform to make healthcare coverage affordable, reasonable, and undeniable. We need reform to save tens of thousands of lives per year and establish a sustainable long-term economic path, to help protect the market system and make protecting and sustaining life more cost-effective, liberating people to live the lives they dream they can.

We are watching a massive, nationwide movement of propaganda and mobilization spread one after another wild fabrication and spur sometimes violent anger about the most promising healthcare reform proposals our nation has seen. It is intolerable to stand by and watch this campaign of malicious fear-mongering sow hate and anger and derail reform in order to serve the morally bankrupt political strategy of those who want to "kill reform" for their own electoral gain.

We need to organize not just at the local level, but we need to organize nationally, set a date for a massive demonstration of support in Washington, DC, and march on Washington. The demonstration should be set for early October and we need to spend big to get the message out and treat this cause like a second inauguration. We stood in the freezing cold to support Pres. Obama and his message of transformative change, and now we have to do the same, in the midst of this firestorm of distortions and tempers, to show the true grassroots movement demanding a response is pro-reform.

Let's get moving on setting the date for a march. We can launch a group on this website and use it to plan and to mobilize support.

Health Care Speech

Richard — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:11:41 EDT

President Obama's speech on Health Care was excellent! He showed a mastery of the issue! The President voiced a real comittment to this needed legislation!

Letter from Senator Ted Kennedy to President Obama

Jill 4 Obama — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:50:16 EDT

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _______________________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 9, 2009

Below is the text of the letter from Senator Edward M. Kennedy referenced by the President in tonight's address to a Joint Session of Congress.

May 12, 2009

Dear Mr. President,

I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me - and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth. On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life. You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.

When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society.

For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination. There will be struggles - there always have been - and they are already underway again.

But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat - that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.

And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family's health will never again depend on the amount of a family's wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will - yes, we will - fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.

In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America's behalf inspires the entire world.

So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become. At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on. And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.

With deep respect and abiding affection,

Ted

Public option off the table NO!

eric HUSSEIN graff — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:00:37 EDT

Call backsliding Dem & Republican leaners & POLITELY asking for their support the PULIC OPTION which is one of the FEW ways we'll be able to control costs as reform moves forward examples include Sen Arlin Specter D-PA 202-224-4254, Max Baucus D-MT 202-224-2651, Susan M Collins R-ME 202-224-2623, Olympia J Snowe R-ME OR YOUR SENATOR! We need to MOVE FAST ON THIS and BOMBARD these folks!

Speech Ban Draws Crowd at Board Meeting

Steve Sulkin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:09:16 EDT

Speech Ban Draws Crowd at Board Meeting

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32750708/ns/local_news-delaware_valley_panj/

health care - a few additional teeny tiny items

Ann — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:40:57 EDT

Some small, random things:

As Medicaid, Medicare, VA health care, and CHIP are already in place, why are Republicans opposing a type of government program that has already been otherwise implemented in multiple areas? What are they achieving by opposing the public option? They achieve nothing. They are spinning their wheels. Not news, but I'm still mystified by it. Also still waiting for conservatives to produce some viable alternatives. >:-/

Subsequently, the utmost anti-gov't conservatives are intent on choice; the word “option” is applied here because it is just that—an additional option. They can keep their private plan if they want; why are they not supporting an additional choice for those whose needs are not currently met?

I still think it would really help forge bipartisan support to include medical malpractice reform, let alone the cost-reduction benefits.

Also, I see no reason not to split up the bill into more politically managable/palatable chunks to ensure meaningful reform actually occurs.

Last, I'm a fan of progressive consumption tax. They also have 401(k) funds that adjust themselves as one ages and comes closer to retirement age. Can this concept be applied to health care coverage??

Thoughts??

The President's Address to America's Schoolchildren

Jill 4 Obama — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:04:33 EDT

THE BRIEFING ROOM

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 8, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA'S SCHOOLCHILDREN

Wakefield High School
Arlington, Virginia

12:06 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat. How is everybody doing today? (Applause.) How about Tim Spicer? (Applause.) I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade. And I am just so glad that all could join us today. And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host. Give yourselves a big round of applause. (Applause.)

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now -- (applause) -- with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could've stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived overseas. I lived in Indonesia for a few years. And my mother, she didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday. But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.

Now, as you might imagine, I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. And a lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she'd say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster." (Laughter.)

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now, I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked about responsibility a lot.

I've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.

I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.

I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities that they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world -- and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. That's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a great writer -- maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper -- but you might not know it until you write that English paper -- that English class paper that's assigned to you. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor -- maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine -- but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice -- but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.

And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. The future of America depends on you. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that -- if you quit on school -- you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.

Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what it's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn't fit in.

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was -- I was lucky. I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lot of money. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life -- what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home -- none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. There is no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Neither of her parents had gone to college. But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University -- is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer -- hundreds of extra hours -- to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind. He's headed to college this fall.

And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They face challenges in their lives just like you do. In some cases they've got it a lot worse off than many of you. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education -- and do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star. Chances are you're not going to be any of those things.

The truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject that you study. You won't click with every teacher that you have. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That's okay. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. J.K. Rowling's -- who wrote Harry Potter -- her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you -- you have to let your failures teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time. So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one's born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. The same principle applies to your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right. You might have to read something a few times before you understand it. You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new. So find an adult that you trust -- a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor -- and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation. Young people. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part, too. So I expect all of you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down. Don't let your family down or your country down. Most of all, don't let yourself down. Make us all proud.

Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. Thank you. (Applause.)

END
12:22 P.M. EDT

Come on, Mr. President, you're better than this.

Kenneth Mark Hoover — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:29:09 EDT

Is Obama the Vista version of the new Operating System we were promised?

So far, it seems he is.

Look, when you're down to making a speech before a joint session of congress to save some semblance of your health care proposal....then you're already swirling down the drain. Will it be a good speech? Of course it will. This is Obama. He gives good speeches. But Clinton made a good speech on health care, too, and you remember how well that turned out.

We Are Losing This Message On Health Care

Kenneth Mark Hoover — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:40:11 EDT

Obama's plan to address congress is needed, but it also smacks of desperation.

If this fails the it will be because he and the Democrats in congress augured this into the ground when they went into August without a coherent message on health care.

I still support Obama, but let's face facts. He's acting like a senator. We voted for a presdent. A president who can LEAD.

http://kennethmarkhoover.com

Final Tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy

John Cavanaugh — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:48:07 EDT

   Having been born in Boston into an Irish Catholic family in December of 1963, my parents named me "John" in honor of President Kennedy. As we struggle with today's economic recovery and other tough issues such as immigration policy, we should remember that not long ago, "HELP WANTED: No Irish Need Apply" signs were placed in many businesses across the country which may explain why the successes of the Kennedy family have been such an inspiration to so many Irish-Americans and other immigrant families.
   I was privileged to be a 16 year old volunteer on the Kennedy in 80 campaign. Even though Ted Kennedy was unsuccessful in that effort, he kept in touch with me throughout the years and even took time to send me a personal note 15 years later saying how "proud" he was when I earned my doctorate in Political Science from the University of South Carolina. Likewise, I cherish my signed photograph of Senators Kennedy and Kempthorne with my parents and I at Arlington National Cemetery when my father was awarded the meritorious service medal for his achievements as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
   As the nation remembers my friend and political mentor, it is particularly important to share more of these very personal "behind the scenes" vignettes of this great American statesman. More importantly, we should honor his service by dialing back the polarizing rhetoric that surrounds his signature issue of health care policy. At present, we have been trying to fix our health care system to no avail for decades. As the number of our fellow citizens without health insurance, now more than 47 million people, continues to increase, who will be their voice now that Senator Kennedy is at rest?       Let me suggest an answer in his own words: "You don't have to be President. Everyone can make a difference."
John W. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
President & CEO
CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
3683 Preserve Crossing Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43230-6467
(614) 245-8290
www.crossculturalcomm.com

Nobody home

Withfeeling — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:51:58 EDT

This is really sad. What a vibrant community this was.

If Barack ever wants to get this community really behind him ever again (in 2010 or 2012), he really needs to get a public option through on the healthcare bill. Not a trigger, not any other lame replacement. Yes, the rest of the reforms are important, but the public option is a litmus test.

Anything less will be considered a Republican victory, or at-least they will say it is (and be heard).

If there is to be vigorous Democratic support in 2010 or 2012 there MUST be a public option passed.

My Sister Died Today WITH Health Coverage...Could NOT Afford Life-Saving Meds !

Greg Jones' Blacks4Barack ! — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:33:33 EDT

My Sister Died Today
WITH Health Care Coverage
Could NOT Afford Life-Saving Medicine

By: Greg Jones
Blacks4Barack
National Director

Last Wednesday, my only sister was taken to emergency because of difficulty breathing. She's had a history of numerous illnesses ranging from lupus, seizures and osteoporosis but this particular visit was more related to her asthma, or so she thought. After being seen by the physician it was determined that her breathing difficulties were worse than anticipated as she was diagnosed with having a case of pneumonia. Feeling blessed to be able to get immediate medical care Karen was of the ranks of the fortunate known as the insured, meaning that she does in-fact have health care coverage which she acquired after being declared medically disabled after her thirty third seizure.

Yes, it took thirty three seizures, 5 appeals, 4 years and 3 lawyers but Karen Jones was finally declared disabled and was granted full disability which included full health care coverage, far from an easy feat but quite reassuring to Karen as she continued on through life. Unable to work due to her disability, Karen lived alone off of the $563 disability check each month as best she could, regularly robbing Peter to pay Paul, but all along able to make ends meet from check to check, and doing so always with a smile.

Even though times were really harder than Karen lead others to know she was thankful for the roof over her head, her access to medical care when needed, her monthly check and the ability to basically survive, which may be the reason that she developed the characteristic of never asking for help from others regardless of how much she may have needed it at times.

So she didn't like the fact that she had to trouble a neighbor to take her to emergency on Wednesday but she just couldn't breathe well. After the diagnosis that pneumonia was the culprit Karen signed the final papers as her prescription form was being handed to her. "Get this filled, take 4 of these per day and this will clear up your breathing" were the directions given as Karen prepared to go home, wheezing profusely along the way. The neighbor takes her directly to the pharmacy which is where Karen is told that this much needed medication will cost her $197. It's the end of the month, funds are extremely low, and Karen is far from having an extra couple hundred dollars laying around, so she goes home, takes some extra inhales from her breathing machine, and decides to toughen it out until the first of the month, just a few days away, when she'll get her next check and have the money to buy her medicine.

Being a prideful, independent woman Karen continues to tough it out each day never showing to others her true discomfort or need. All day long on Thursday and Friday Karen constantly thinks to herself how much she wishes she had been able to afford to buy the medicine as she does a mental countdown to the first of the month with every inhale through her machine. "I shouldn't have paid the light bill...I should have bought less food" are just a couple of the thoughts that haunt Karen as she figures ways she could have had the much needed money. And on that Friday night as she lay in bed she takes a few extra puffs from her breathing machine to get her through the night.

On the early eve of Saturday morning around 4:30 or so, Karen Jones, my only sister, died, age 51. Apparently, around 4:00 she had severe difficulties breathing, strained to call a neighbor who immediately got dressed and came down to the house, knocked on the door like crazy but there was no answer. Feeling great concern a call was made to the police who quickly arrived, gained access into the house, and there lie Karen, dead on the floor, beside her breathing machine.

Although we all were well aware of Karen's history of sicknesses I never expected my sister to die at such an early age. Of course I am of great sorrow and pain over the loss of my sister but I am also very angry with our health care system. I am angry, no actually in shock by the fact that my sister, Karen was declared to have full health care coverage through her disability benefits. But since it did not cover her medication, which she could not afford to buy out of pocket, my sister died with this so-called full coverage. What kind of full coverage does one really have if they are forced to pay for expensive medications out of their measly $563 monthly check ? I truly believe that if my sister had had her medication she would be alive today. It is absolutely disgraceful that our health care system has the gall to claim they are supplying full health care benefits to the disabled while simultaneous depriving them of the very medicines needed for survival.

Believe it or not, you could say Karen was actually one of the lucky ones only needing one medication compared to others who frequently need 2 and 3 medications, at costs which exceed their entire monthly check. So many who are sick, struggling and classified as fully covered are are in fact struggling helplessly, going without vitally important medications.

Throughout the health care reform debate many have argued that there is no need for strong reform of our system. Most others though do recognize the severe need to reform health care coverage in our country so that we no longer have 47 million Americans who have absolutely no health care at all. 47 million who do not have the basic right to get medical help when they are sick. This is sad and pathetic. Recently, an organization, RAM, known for offering free medical care in the Amazon has been forced to offer their services right here in our country. In Los Angeles, in Iowa and other U.S. locales, hard working Americans who can't afford health care coverage line-up by the thousands for free, much needed health care, similar to scenes in third world countries.

And while we must make certain that health care reform addresses the needs of the uncovered we must also make certain that we address the needs of the category now known as the under-covered. These are the people who have health care coverage but for one reason or another, tend to find out the hard way, usually when they are sick, that their coverage wasn't as 'full' as they thought.

Of course, it will haunt me forever as to why my sister didn't pick up the phone and ask me for the money, but folks that know her know, that's just Karen. And there are millions of other Karens out there, in desperate need and dire straits, but too independent to ask for much needed help. It is our responsibility, our duty to do everything we can to help the 47 million uncovered and the additional millions of under-covered to have the basic right to true health care coverage.

I hope my sister's passing did not include suffering. And now, even more, I hope that we all across this great land, will unite, do the right thing and pass a strong health reform bill which includes a strong public option so that we can curtail the suffering of millions more ahead. We must fight for the 47 million and the Karen Jones's of America. This is a battle that must be won !

Greg Jones
Blacks4Barack

Please feel free to share

B4B

HEALTH CARE NEEDS REFORM NOW

Rebecca — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:43:27 EDT

Being a nurse for almost 45 years I am appalled at the state of Health Care.

I spend SO MUCH time on the telephone in a day at work attempting to "get permission" often DENIED for pts to be able to take the medication their doctor prescribes. It is A CRIME!

Plus ALL insurance companies have different rules. It DOES NOT matter what the pt needs--it is ALL ABOUT what their insurance will allow.

DON'T use the LIE and SCARE TACTICS about "government getting between pts and their doctors" as a way to prevent the Public Option.

NOW "giant insurance companies" are between pts and their doctors on EVERYTHING

It's about jobs

Walt — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:03:43 EDT

Why are the health insurers so set against a public option? They fear for their profits and their jobs. But the health insurers do not contribute anything to the economy; they just create paperwork which they then shuffle. Give the top insurance executives their golden parachutes and retrain the rest of the insurance company employees, retraining in productive jobs such as green energy or providing health care services. Offer scholarships and student loans for the necessary retraining. We cannot afford to spend so much of the nation's resources in unproductive jobs such as health insurance.

Senator Kennedy

Richard — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:51:30 EDT

Senator Kennedy was an inspiring politian. He examplified the American Spirit! Hopefully his spirit will translate Congress into Action on the health issue that affects all Americans!

The Public Option

Richard — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:35:20 EDT

President Obama I hope your listening. We must have a public option in the healthcare equation! I supported you and President Obama you need to Lead this debate. The Republicans will never be for a bipartisan plan. So with a Democratic majority in both Houses do the right thing and get on with it!

President Obama Needs Our Support Now!

Dr. Barbara Palmer — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:12:00 EDT

Let's get moving with the same enthusiasm we had in getting President Obama elected. Those who are shouting and disrupting do NOT represent the majority of Americans. Our voices need to be heard. Now more than ever, we must be a united America. "Health Care For All", "Homes For All", "Jobs For All", "Education For All", " Peace For All", these are our rallying calls. Knock on doors, make phone calls, write letters to the editor. Be heard.

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR CALLS

VA . Greatgran 'Grab A Mop' for President Obama — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:51:50 EDT

I obtain so much information from my sisters and brothers on OFA. I find it helpful when

calling my neighbors list. It is amazing that so many folks that voted for our President have

forgotten his words that "CHANGE" doesn't come easy and we must want it bad enough to work

with him to make it happen. I will continue to post daily on OFA,...however time making calls,

attending listening events and canvassing go hand in hand with our OFA BLOG. I,like so many

others here have learned how to post and make calls and email our Senators at the same time.

I hope calling a few neighbors daily will be added to that agenda.

VAgg

Facebook

John Stewart — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:42:29 EDT

OFA

President Obama needs more supporters on Facebook. The republicans there have started using the polling function and have made a significant number of anti-Obama polls and voted overwhemingly against President Obama making him trying to make him look unpopular there. OFA needs to try and get more Obama people on Facebook to vote in the polling functions there or create better poll's themselves. Maybe Facebook needs 1 million new Democrats to join it, so we can all vote in the polls there and change them. I think the press does look at the social networking sites when considering all the "popularity" articles they write, and the GOP has become "hip" enough to understand this. So Facebook is being bombarded by the GOP with propaganda and new users.

Thanks

John

The Health Care Debacle

Richard — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:58:28 EDT

Greed and Stupidity are what is preventing America from enacting health care reform! Greed from Wall Street to Main Street and Stupidity among those who believe the Right Wing Lies! How does one deal with these factors?

Bill Peddler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:45:14 EDT

Please tell me why Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) is peddling a bill with no public option? and why does he want to triangulate, circumvent and STOP the President's strong desire for the American People to have a strong Public Option Plan installed into the final bill?

health care - what i want

Ann — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:53:16 EDT

1) patient/consumer protections

2) cost reduction

3) public option

4) minimal red tape for small business owners and allowing them to pool

5) addressing egregious malpractice suits in some manner

6) [this may fall under cost reduction] bulk-buying of drugs and medical supplies for all current programs/entities as well as competitive bidding for said provisions

7) this done before it can be turned into a 2010 campaign wedge issue

Seems simple enough to me, but I have a feeling that's asking a lot. That being said, 1, 2, 4, 6, and possibly 5 should ostensibly be things everyone can agree on, but I'm not holding my breath.

What do you want to see in health care reform?

health care - regroup & reframe

Ann — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:32:30 EDT

That town hall where they had people raise their hands if they opposed government-run health care and then next had them raise their hands if they were on Medicaid or Medicare--brilliant idea. Brilliant way to counter the opposition's "socialized medicine" cries by driving the point home right to the individual while not being snarky or accusatory about those who are trying to play on people's residual Cold War fears and fear of death.

"Our children are going to pay for this!" Then cover all children first. This can be rolled out in phases.

"The government is trying to force your hand regarding your health care choices!" I personally would like to see my choices EXPANDED by creation of a public option. I'd like to consider my health care provided by an entity that is not based on profit. Furthermore, I really feel the need to have a balance between public and private so they can babysit one another as well as compete and drive improvements in care and coverage. (As far as the government making health care choices for people, I have this to say: 1) Terry Schiavo, and 2) the abortion debate.)

I am glad to see Obama stepping it up. Yes, it is the role of Congress to make law. Unfortunately, they're screwing it up. Completely diluting the potency of any meaningful reform. They need some serious guidance/leadership. A flashlight, a compass, what have you. The Democratic majority should make every effort to be cooperative. They should also use their power to best serve the people; specifically, this is one of the few times they should use it to make sure a feasible and beneficial bill is passed, not a big fat piece of convoluted junk.

It's time to 'get it done, right'

Ailene — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:25:03 EDT

By John Jonik, political cartoonist

A Job Well Done!

Richard — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:28:56 EDT

The return of the two journalists by President Clinton illustrates the value of team work. Vice President Gore, President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and countless others helped to secure their release. Letters, e-mails to the journalists and their families kept their hopes up during this crisis. A Job well done!

Consumer Protected Health Insurance

Jill 4 Obama — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:05:28 EDT

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29TH, 2009 AT 5:59 PM

The President Highlights Health Insurance Consumer Protections

Posted by Katherine Brandon

Speaking to North Carolinians at a town hall in Raleigh, the President made clear why health reform will benefit all American: "if you’ve got health insurance, then the reform we’re proposing will also help you because it will provide you more stability and more security. Because the truth is we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn’t work well for you." We all know the horror stories, which is why the health insurance consumer protections that are part of reform are so important.

At the town hall, the President outlined these core principles: Let me be specific. We will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage because of your medical history. (Applause.) I've told this story before -- I will never forget watching my own mother, as she fought cancer in her final days, worrying about whether her insurer would claim her illness was a preexisting condition so they could wiggle out of paying for her coverage. How many of you have worried about the same thing? (Applause.) A lot of people have gone through this. Many of you have been denied insurance or heard of someone who was denied insurance because they got -- had a preexisting condition. That will no longer be allowed with reform. (Applause.) We won't allow that. (Applause.) We won't allow that.

With reform, insurance companies will have to abide by a yearly cap on how much you can be charged for your out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because of an illness. (Applause.) We will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies -- (applause) -- eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost not only lives, but money. (Applause.) No longer will insurance companies be allowed to drop or water down coverage for someone who's become seriously ill. That's not right, it's not fair. (Applause.)

We will stop insurance companies from placing arbitrary caps on the coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. (Applause.) So my point is, whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don't have today -- reforms that will become more urgent and more urgent with each passing year. So, in the end, the debate about reform boils down to a choice between two approaches. The first is projected to double your health care costs over the next decade, make millions more Americans uninsured, bankrupt state and federal governments, and allow insurance companies to run roughshod over consumers. That's one option. That's called the status quo. That's what we have right now. I want everybody to understand this. If we do nothing, I can almost guarantee you your premiums will double over the next 10 years because that's what they did over the last 10 years. It will go up three times faster than your wages, so a bigger and bigger chunk of your paycheck will be going into health insurance. It will eat into the possibility of you getting a raise on your job because your employer is going to be looking and saying, I can't afford to give you a raise because my health care costs just went up 10, 20, 30 percent. And Medicare, which seniors rely on, is going to become more and more vulnerable. On current projections, Medicare will be in the red in less than 10 years. So that's the status quo. When everybody goes around saying, why is Obama taking on health care -- that's the answer. That's one option. I don't like that option. You shouldn't either. (Applause.) That plan doesn't sound too good. That's the health care system we have right now. You can read more about the President’s eight health insurance consumer protections here, and figure out how reform will directly affect you and your family.

Phone Banking Events This Week!

signsSansSignifieds — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:25:07 EDT

Every aspect of our social world is the result of choices that could have gone one way or another. Now is one of those key moments in our lives when the choices we make have a dramatic effect on our lives, those of our children and their children.

For the first time in history, health care reform plans have been voted out of committee in Congress. With thousands of people losing their health insurance every day, and costs projected to rise much faster than our wages--until health care spending crowds out all other items in the Federal budget--we cannot afford to let the best chance in our lives for health care reform slip away. Conservative (blue dog) Democrats are threatening to torpedo health care reform and we can't let that happen. That's why NYC for Change and various other groups are organizing phone banking events this week asking Obama supporters in the states of blue dog Democrats to call their senators and urge them to support President Obama's health care reform plan with a strong public option.

PLEASE VOLUNTEER for one or more of the phone banking events on the list below.

Sports - Entertain, Educate and Elevate Achievement in U.S.

BENTON GRIMMETT — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:08:15 EDT

Do you think it is far-fetched to design applications in United States classrooms, using mathematics and sports? Science, physics and chemistry can also be blended with sports for an interdisciplinary learning experience for students at all levels.

My article on "The Nitty-Gritty of the NFL Football" and an article in the Official Pro Football Hall of Fame Yearbook (2007) discuss the characteristics and "Evolution of the Football." On pages 100-104 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame magazine, you learn that the football is not a pigskin. You see images of the early football in 1894, the Duke Football, and the White Football in 1956.

Once more, you read:

"On January 1, 2006, New England Patriots backup quarterback Doug Flutie converted the NFL's first successful dropkick since 1941. He converted an extra point in the fourth quarter of the season-ending game against the Miami Dolphins.

"Prior to Flutie's kick, the league's last successful dropkick was on December 21, 1941--two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor--when Ray "Scooter" McLean drop-kicked an extra point as the Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants, 37-9, in the NFL championship game."

Why is the above quote so important? Here is the answer:

"Changes to the football made the art of drop-kicking significantly more difficult due to the more erratic bounce (physics) of a tapered ball.

"The upward bounce of the older, rounder version of the ball was much more predictable (physics and mathematics)."

The NFL archives enlighten the 2009 fans, telling us that in 1899 the Official Football Rules Book contained a definition to include the descriptive shape.

The 1899 Rules Book says that "the football used shall be of leather, enclosing an inflated rubber bladder. The ball shall have the shape of a prolate spheroid."

Prolate spheroid? You mean to say that the football officials knew the mathematics term, prolate spheroid! Yes, and it could mean that the students in 1899 may have known and loved mathematics more than the students in 2009.

Well, it's clear to me that there is so much knowledge embedded in the world of sports that we must be like "gold diggers." We should, perhaps, chisel through the surface and get to the deeper things that need to be revealed in the world of sports.

Why? We need to motivate our students to the highest level of excellence, again, so as to maintain our position and rank in an international setting.

In January 2009 at the Joint Mathematics Meeting, in Washington, D.C., there were several sessions, conducted by mathematicians, disseminating information on sports and mathematics. One session was led by Howard Penn of the United States Naval Academy.

The topic I prepared for presentation in the 2009 Washington, D. C. meeting was titled, "New Ways of Assessing NFL Players." The inspiration came from the observation that many NFL players who made outstanding contributions to the sport, have been misrepresented by statistics which lacked the dimensionality to describe their intensity and integrity as sportsmen.

Data was collected from public databases. Mathematical modeling was used to compare players, and interesting results were evident. I tagged a term "sport's prodigy" because some guys were able to set records in a much shorter time frame than others.

The argument could go like this: Just as we marvel over the 13 year-old B/R writers who publish such powerful and outstanding work at such a young age, there are NFL players who performed on the playing field, doing marvelous feats, yet their career was not long.

Bleacher Report encourages us to give credit where credit is due. As a sports writing site, we, then, must give credit to the players when credit is due.

It's the 21st century. We need not rant and rave about who is the better player. We must, I believe, use more sophisticated analysis and assessment strategies to measure and identify impact in the games, and in the entire sports industry.

Not only have I and other B/R sportswriters been perceived as underrated, there are many sportsmen of my generation who have been both underrated, and I might add, berated.

They have been berated by faulty reasoning, and incomplete analysis with gaps in understanding.

In some cases, too little emphasis has been placed on athletic performance, and too much on personal challenges which are intimately connected with, in my opinion, the culture of the sports and entertainment industry.

There have been growth and "forgiveness" in the media recorded images of the lives of some great sportsmen. For example, Kobe Bryant and Majic Johnson have been able to move forward in their lives, although human error put pimples on their careers in the past.

So how do we use these ideas in the classroom?

We teach cognitive, affective and psycho-motor skills. The content for the cognitive lessons can be draw from sports databases.

The biographical sketches of the stars who achieved, stumbled in some social or legal way, and then are in recovery and redemptive stages, can be used to educate in the affective domain.

Finally, the archival records demonstrating superior athletic skills, feats of endurance, courage and compassion, can be used to teach in the psycho-motor domain.

In early October 2009, another conference, sponsored by the U. S. Department of Education will convene in Washington, D. C. I will be there representing the National Association of Mathematicians, and my good experiences of learning more about sports through my interactions with the Bleacher Report (B/R) will be shared with some of my colleagues.

Many of the articles on B/R are loaded with wisdom, knowledge and analysis in each of the cognitive, affective and psycho-motor domains. The concepts in these domains are taught in curriculum and instruction.

Once we eradicate the "warts" on our complexion, we will display a beautiful image of the creative uses of the Bleacher Report.

B/R is an excellent outlet to demonstrate that sports can entertain, educate and even elevate academic achievement in America, if we collaborate and put our best foot forward.

One of the amenities of our mission is to share the concept:

Sports can help entertain, educate, and elevate academic achievement in America, and in the international community.

Finally, one good way to get started on this mission is to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame website or contact Mr. Jerry Csaki, the education director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio.

When can you get started? My answer: In a few days the 2009 Enshrinement Ceremonies will begin. Not only should you be there for that historical event, but also spend a little time visiting the education division of the Hall of Fame.

Give 'em Hell

Gene — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:53:07 EDT

Just a few minutes before Preseident Obama's very important news conference, much of which is expected to be about his health care reform agenda. I hope the president does his best Harry Truman impression and gives 'em hell.

A Tribute to Walter Cronkite

BENTON GRIMMETT — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:19:19 EDT

The lightning flashed. An idea popped up in my mind. The thunder began to roar. It hit me—BAM! I am sitting in a place that was trod by the great Walter Cronkite.

I immediately emailed Leroy Watson, who has mentored me on B/R, and who is very discerning. I wrote:

"Look at how near to excellence we sometimes tread..... Walter Cronkite is represented in the museum at the college where I teach, located at Holman Street in Houston, Texas.

"The museum occupies a room on the second floor of the San Jacinto Building of the Houston Community College, Central Campus. Many years ago (I have taught at Central College for about 21 years), I noticed the names of Walter Cronkite and other great people who attended the then San Jacinto High School.

"Sometimes some very dedicated alumni come and monitor the facility to make certain the museum is in order. We have lost a great communicator/journalist. It is an honor to teach at the location where he once trod as a very young man.

"There is a Texas Historical Marker on the grounds on Holman Street. Cronkite and his generation of journalists will be remembered and honored for years, as many students pause to read the marker, on a daily basis."

Watson’s quick response:

"OH MY GOODNESS! That is simply amazing! Have you written a Bleacher article on that? I think it would make an amazing story."

I, then, wrote:

"It just hit me—BAM (smiles) tonight when I wrote you. Tomorrow I will go over to that building and take a few pictures. Then, I will think over it. You see, we are having quite of few of these timely moments."

So, the morning of July 21, 2009, I arrived at school with my digital camera, ready to take pictures of the historical marker. In the San Jacinto Memorial Building (once called San Jacinto High School) a museum houses archives containing historical information on thousands of high school students who once walked the grounds of 1300 Holman Street, Houston, Texas.

I trotted to the second floor, and the central display showed Walter Cronkite, featured in a May 15, 1985 article of the Houston Post. A story written by Dalma Heyn contained a prophetic question, “What would we do without him? Walter Cronkite had told us…”

That question is still pertinent. During his career, Cronkite “interpreted for us the myriad complicated happenings in our world.

“He explained changes that were taking place so rapidly we could hardly process them, let along comprehend their significance.”

Does history repeat itself? Yes, said a college student in a math class at Houston Community College, Central Campus, the precise location where Cronkite once dwelled as a young man, and the place where I have tried to inspire young people to pursue excellence.

And to bring it all full circle, I have now shared the halls with a great football coach who became the nation's leading educator, Dr. Rod Paige, U. S. Secretary of Education, and now Walter Cronkite, gentleman, sportsman, journalist extraordinaire.

Is Bleacher Report special or what?

As history seems to repeat itself, so then Cronkite’s question must be resounded, “What would we do without him?”

One answer is clear: We will continue to be inspired by his contributions, and we will function as befitting protégés, vicariously mentored by his standard of excellence in communications and journalism, in sports and news.

A classical response of Walter Cronkite’s is appropriate here: “…And that’s the way it is.”

Walter Cronkite stood out in the crowd of 37,948 students who attended San Jacinto High School. His career glares through dark moments, like lightning streaking the sky at night.

He reported on the dark moments in history: assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King; of Watergate and the resignation of President Richard Nixon; and of the Vietnam War.

He shared the excitement of reporting on the first man on the moon.

He was athletic, and he loved to play tennis. He even raced cars at 140 mph. The Post writer said, “He was once the proud owner of a Lotus.”

“He still plays hard and plays to win,” said the reporter, in 1985, 4 years after his so-called retirement from CBS.

In the article mounted and posted in the museum at my college, Cronkite is seen grasping his pipe, a man married for more than 60 years.

His final words at a benchmark in his career:

This is my last broadcast as the anchorman of The CBS Evening News; for me, it's a moment for which I long have planned, but which, nevertheless, comes with some sadness. For almost two decades, after all, we've been meeting like this in the evenings, and I'll miss that. But those who have made anything of this departure, I'm afraid have made too much.

“This is but a transition, a passing of the baton. A great broadcaster and gentleman, Doug Edwards, preceded me in this job, and another, Dan Rather, will follow. And anyway, the person who sits here is but the most conspicuous member of a superb team of journalists; writers, reporters, editors, producers, and none of that will change.

“Furthermore, I'm not even going away! I'll be back from time to time with special news reports and documentaries, and, beginning in June, every week, with our science program, Universe.Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away; they just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is: Friday, March 6, 1981. I'll be away on assignment, and Dan Rather will be sitting in here for the next few years. Good night”

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009), farewell as we recall your words:

“This is but a transition, a passing of the baton…”

Republicans, do you really want to go there?

Ailene — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:26:37 EDT

If the Republican Party try to make healthcare reform efforts a 'waterloo' for President Obama they will become as water in a loo.

Comments and sentiments like Demint underestimates the call for Healthcare Reform. This is not 1990s. Many stakeholders that opposed efforts previously are actively engaged now towards the current efforts.

Stand With President Obama to Reduce Health Care Costs

Jill 4 Obama — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:42:14 EDT

THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG THE BLOG

MONDAY, JULY 20TH, 2009 AT 2:30 PM "Not This Time" Posted by Jesse Lee

download .mp4 (89.5 MB) | read the transcript

This afternoon the President continued his conversation on health reform with a roundtable at the Children's National Medical Center, a conversation that has taken him to every region of the country and encompassed every imaginable perspective on health care reform. It has been a conversation that has brought more people and more stakeholders into the fold supporting strong reform than ever before, and taken us further down that road than ever before. And so it is no surprise, perhaps, that those who feel they would profit financially or politically have come out swinging furiously to try to kill reform.

Surrounded by those who heroically do everything they can to help the young and the ill, today the President made clear that whereas those special interests and their voices in Congress have stopped change in the past, they would not win this time: And over the past decade, premiums have doubled in America; out-of-pocket costs have shot up by a third; deductibles have continued to climb. And yet, even as America's families have been battered by spiraling health care costs, health insurance companies and their executives have reaped windfall profits from a broken system. Now, we've talked this problem to death, year after year. But unless we act -- and act now -- none of this will change.

Just a quick statistic I heard about this hospital: Just a few years ago, there were approximately 50,000 people coming into the emergency room. Now they've got 85,000. There's been almost a doubling of emergency room care in a relatively short span of time, which is putting enormous strains on the system as a whole. That's the status quo, and it's only going to get worse.

If we do nothing, then families will spend more and more of their income for less and less care. The number of people who lose their insurance because they've lost or changed jobs will continue to grow. More children will be denied coverage on account of asthma or a heart condition. Jobs will be lost, take-home pay will be lower, businesses will shutter, and we will continue to waste hundreds of billions of dollars on insurance company boondoggles and inefficiencies that add to our financial burdens without making us any healthier. So the need for reform is urgent and it is indisputable. No one denies that we're on an unsustainable path. We all know there are more efficient ways of doing it. We just -- I spoke to the chief information officer here at the hospital and he talked about some wonderful ways in which we could potentially gather up electronic medical records and information for every child not just that comes to this hospital but in the entire region, and how much money could be saved and how the health of these kids could be improved. But it requires an investment.

Now, there are some in this town who are content to perpetuate the status quo, are in fact fighting reform on behalf of powerful special interests. There are others who recognize the problem, but believe -- or perhaps, hope -- that we can put off the hard work of insurance reform for another day, another year, another decade. Just the other day, one Republican senator said -- and I'm quoting him now -- "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."

Think about that. This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families, breaking America's businesses, and breaking America's economy. And we can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care. Not this time. Not now. There are too many lives and livelihoods at stake. There are too many families who will be crushed if insurance premiums continue to rise three times as fast as wages. There are too many businesses that will be forced to shed workers, scale back benefits, or drop coverage unless we get spiraling health care costs under control.
(President Barack Obama roundtable with health care providers at Children's Hospital, July 20, 2009.
Official White House Photograph by Pete Souza)

Fairness in Judge Sotomayor's Hearings?

Richard — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:41:11 EDT

Other than just being negative, what fairness are the Republicans providing with questions of Judge Sotomayor's suitability to be a Supreme Court Justice? The answer is None! The questions should be geared toward her qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court Not some litigious debate about abortion,civil suits and the like. A person who serves on the Supreme Court must Not have any biases and Must decide cases based upon the facts of the case. Under the Republican Administration (Bush) , we've had pandering to the Right Wing. This has got to stop! All Americans must be represented on the Court.

Gov. Mark Sanford, a "true Conservative" !

Robert Lynch — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:54:54 EDT

Now that he has garnered more media attention for himself with his recent antics, the mysterious disapperance, the fake "mountain hike", the tearful revealation of his adultery, Gov. Mark Sanford has focused our minds on his legacy to South Carolina, and to the American people.

For years Sanford has claimed that he is a "true Conservative". He has powerful convictions, exemplified by his statement "What I believe I truly believe. I can't do the flavor-of-the-month approach." Sanford believed government should be small, spend little, even if that means allowing the poor and their children to suffer. Even if that means turning down 700 Million dollars in federal stimulus money for his state because he is afraid of "creeping Socialism". Even if that means rejecting money that could rebuild crumbling schools, forcing teenage girls to take him to court to make him take stimulus funds by court order.

Sanford has been true to conservative ideology. Let the schools fall to pieces, let the unemployed and their children starve, just as long as the brave and heroic individualists like Sanford can hold onto their low tax rates for the wealthy, no matter what the cost to society. According to Sanford, taxpayers should not be burdened with helping the sick, the poor, or the jobless.

But when it comes to using taxpayer dollars to finance a trip to Argentina to have sex with your mistress, that is a perfectly justified use of public funds. Helping those in need is socialism. Helping yourself to the contents of taxpayer wallets in order to fly to another hemisphere to indulge in illicit sex while pretending you are in a "Governor's Conference" is good, old fashioned conservatism.

Mark Sanford is not an isolated example of Conservative hypocrisy. He is the rule. The belief that everyone in America can go to hell as long as you as an individual have everything, and can indulge your every whim, is commonplace among the "Conservative movement". Public needs and civic duties, service to others, is all just evil socialism. But taking armfuls of cash from the public coffers to jet around the world and leap into the warm bed of a starstruck groupie is Republican conservatism at its finest.

The Energy Bill

Richard — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:25:37 EDT

The United States Senate owes it to President Obama and the nation to pass the pending Energy Bill. If Congress had passed energy legislation during the Carter years, we wouldn't be in the energy crisis now. Get it right this time. Pass this needed legislation Now!

Barack Obama's Official Fathers Day Proclamation

Jill 4 Obama — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:58:02 EDT

« What Obama just said and meant about Iran and democratic protests | Main

Barack Obama's Official Fathers Day Proclamation

A PROCLAMATION FOR FATHER'S DAY, 2009, By President Barack Obama

The journey of fatherhood provides unique and lasting joys. Cradling a baby in his arms, a father experiences the miracle of life and an unbreakable bond. Fathers imagine a world of possibilities awaiting their children and contemplate the privilege of helping them reach that expanse of opportunity.

As kids grow and mature, they look to their dad for a special kind of love and support. Providing these necessities can bring great happiness.

Fatherhood also brings great responsibilities. Fathers have an obligation to help rear the children they bring into the world. Children deserve this care, and families need each father's active participation.
Fathers must help teach right from wrong and instill in their kids the values that sustain them for a lifetime.

As they encounter new and challenging experiences, children need guidance and counsel. Fathers need to talk with their kids to help them through difficult times. Parents must also help their children make the right choices by serving as strong role models. Honest and hard-working fathers are an irreplaceable influence upon their children.

Communities must do more to counsel fathers. Family and friends, and faith-based and community organizations, can speak directly with men about the sacrifices and rewards of having a child. These groups can support men as they take on the great challenges of child-rearing.

Through honest and open dialogue, more men can choose to become model parents and know the wonders of fatherhood.

On Father's Day, we pay tribute to the loving and caring fathers who are strengthening their families and country.

We also honor those surrogate fathers who raise, mentor, or care for someone else's child. Thousands of young children benefit from the influence of great men, and we salute their willingness to give and continue giving.

We also express special gratitude to fathers who serve in the United States Armed Forces for the sacrifices they and their families make every day.

All of these individuals are making great contributions, and children across the country are better off for their care.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as amended (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby proclaim June 21, 2009, as Father's Day.

I direct the appropriate officials of the Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on this day. I urge all Americans to express their love, respect, and admiration to their fathers, and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

/s/ BARACK OBAMA

On Father's Day: Remembering What Makes a Good Father

Jill 4 Obama — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:44:14 EDT

Remembering What Makes a Good Father

Words from Barack Obama

Father's Day 2007:

"Let's admit to ourselves that there are a lot of men out there that need to stop acting like boys;

who need to realize that responsibility does not end at conception;

who need to know that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise a child."

Father's Day 2008:

"Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father.

It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."

Father's Day 2009:

"We need to step out of our own heads and tune in.

We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what's going on in their lives."

The healthcare battle

Richard — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:31:24 EDT

President Obama has consulted with members of both political parties over his proposed healthcare initiative.It is now time for Congress to come together on this proposal and pass it into law.Our country needs this legislation now!

Health Care Rally & Town Hall in Washington, DC

signsSansSignifieds — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:56:05 EDT

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Join thousands of Americans at the largest health care rally in history!

Limited FREE buses

Meet at 5:30 AM at Union Square; leave at 6 AM

Back at 9:30 PM

RSVP to Naomi.Rothwell2@gmail.com

www.healthcare09.org

MyBo link: http://tinyurl.com/lwappy

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/m8bv64

Iran's Election

Richard — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:46:38 EDT

The people of Iran are the winners in their election as thousands voice opposition to their current leaders. The Mullahs better accept this as they will be over thrown as was the Shah in the past. I believe Iran is on the verge of a civil war because of this apparently fraudently election. What do you think?