Belgium for Obama

The Patterns I See

BENTON GRIMMETT — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:37:28 EDT

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/244800-some-not-all-of-the-reasons-i-write-for-bleacher-report

Please sign it

Jorge — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:57:06 EST

Please, sign this petition to Obama:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/million_messages_to_obama/

In Dreams I Wander Nameless Streets in Search of Faceless Voters

Mark Wiznitzer — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:11:10 EST

Dear Friends:

To those of you who so kindly congratulated me for Tuesday’s election outcome, as if Barack Obama’s victory resulted from my personal and deeply committed efforts. I thank you for your generous comments.

To those who may have wondered how I fared in “radio silence” for six weeks on the Ohio battleground. Be assured that I survived.

To those who do not know me or are unfamiliar with my previous descriptions of the realities and ironies of the 2008 election. What follows is the final chapter of my life as a political activist, a missionary for democracy, an apostle of Change. Hopefully you will also understand how it is that for the first three nights after I returned home I woke up from the same dream in which I wander nameless streets in search of faceless voters.

The Buckeye State

On September 23 I joined the Ohio Campaign for Change as a member of its newly created Vote Corps. The invitation had warned of 14-hour days, seven days a week, right up through Election Day. I accepted because the Obama campaign considered this important enough to make it a paid position and because it was in the one state McCain had to win to become President.

I left home certain that my life experiences -- in retail sales, as diplomat and political officer, and Obama volunteer in seven states – would be useful in the Buckeye State. Stopping at Starbucks on the way out of Burlington that Sunday morning, I noticed the first trace of red on the outer edge of a leaf on a small maple tree in the parking lot. I realized that by the time I returned to Vermont the leaf peepers would have come and gone. Fortunately, it turned out to be a mild autumn in Ohio that showcased the Buckeye State’s own colorful foliage.

The Akron Vote Corps

A hundred of us reported to Columbus for Vote Corps training and by the first night we were already deployed across the state. I was assigned to the city of Akron, birthplace of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and Pretenders’ singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde, who wrote about her birthplace in “My City Was Gone”. The Akron Campaign for Change Office was headed by Regional Field Director Max Lesko. In charge of Summit and Portage Counties, he proved himself a very capable and genial manager. My hosts, Cathy and David, and their daughter Nicky, lived in a northwest suburb. Their friendship and cozy accommodations would be my home for the next six weeks.

At first the Akron Vote Corps consisted of six whites, from metropolitan DC, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas and California. Like most of the Obama staff and volunteers I met during the primaries, they were young and well-educated. In fact, I was two-and-a-half times their average age. By the end of the second week we lost one and gained five new members. Our new team-mates were all African Americans, from California, Texas and Georgia. Their average age was early forties and many had worked on the Kerry campaign. One of my first initiatives was to buy half a dozen fingerless gloves for our new friends from the warm weather states. Our Vote Corps was rounded out by a “Lead,” a young lawyer from Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s Washington staff.

The Vote Corps’ mission was to register voters, identify supporters and get out the vote for Barack Obama. Our primary targets were “Sporadics,” first time voters and people who voted Democratic in the past, but did not always turn out. For a while we were also instructed to knock on every single door in a targeted neighborhood. I successfully resisted attempts to create competition within our group for most doors knocked, “Doors” being the campaign’s primary measure for the work accomplished by staff and volunteers. My feeling was that competition focused on this imperfect metric would distort our effort, demoralize some members of our group, and sacrifice quality for quantity. For in the end, the real measure of our success would be the vote count on Election Day. And to that end, it was our diligence after the “knock” that would help determione the outcome.

Registration

Our first task was registering new voters and re-registering people who had moved before the deadline of October 6. We knocked on doors and scoured bus stops and other public places to register as many people as possible. Most people were already registered, as they clearly understood the importance of this election. Those who had not yet done so enthusiastically signed up, particularly in the African-American community. My first Saturday in Akron, I missed my first grandchild’s first birthday party back in Virginia. But my reward on that day was registering many first-time voters, including former felons who had recently regained the rights of other free men and women.

Many of our Sporadics were transients who frequently moved from one run-down Akron neighborhood to another. This city was in decline for a long time, and the recent economic downturn just aggravated conditions. In older residential neighborhoods there are a growing number of abandoned homes or houses soon to be vacated due to lost jobs or foreclosure. Many porches are marked by hand-painted signs announcing “Copper Already Stolen” or littered with trash by people who have given up. It is in this environment that we spread our message of Hope and Change.

Starting on September 30, we entered “golden week” when voters could both register and vote early. Ohio’s new rules allowed “no fault” early voting by absentee ballot or in person. A single polling place was created for Summit County at the Job Center in northeast Akron. The Job Center is well-known, because job losses have been ongoing for many years. The building, also known by locals as “the old library,” is next to another landmark, the County’s Auto Title Office. For those without cars, bus number 12 took people there from downtown in 15 minutes.

Early Voting

Registration and early voting at the Job Center was very convenient. Open every day, including Saturday and Sunday, there were 50 polling booths and seating for voters waiting for their paper ballots. But many Ohioans, especially African Americans disenfranchised in previous elections were suspicious. They worried that ballots were going to “disappear,” as reportedly happened in 2004 in Cuyahoga County. Overcoming these legitimate concerns required some persuasion. Our most important argument was: “Barack Obama wants his supporters to vote early.” That usually did it. We helped to spread the word that this process would protect, not suppress voting rights. And by November 3, the daily early vote turnout had grown from hundreds to thousands, the wait from 15 minutes to three hours.

By my third week I had developed a routine for creating a multiplier effect in conversation with early voters. Once they had made an Early Vote Commit, I introduced community organizing techniques to build on the widespread desire to help Obama get elected. Within the family, a grandparent or parent, or maybe the principal driver would agree to take responsibility for getting the entire household to vote early. I also encouraged voters to take along a relative or friend, or a neighbor who needed a ride.

Finally, I would make the following pitch:

“I’m working for Obama and I want you to work for him too. So I’m going to deputize you. No badge, no pay, just the satisfaction of knowing you helped to elect Barack Obama."

That always earned a smile. Then I continued:

"Now I'm sure you know someone who wouldn’t vote unless you drag their lazy a-- to the Job Center to vote. Do you know anyone like that?”

I could tell when they were hooked. Eyes turned skyward. Faces revealed minds thinking of who they would get to early vote. A knowing smile indicated they knew exactly who they would take along. In closing I urged them to let everyone know how easy it was to vote at the Job Center and that Obama wanted them to do so. By the time I left their door, the early voter had been empowered and had taken ownership of the Obama campaign. Now it was their campaign too.

Get Out The Vote

During our last week in Ohio, the Vote Corps was dissolved. We were detailed to assist Field Organizers with their neighborhood teams of volunteers, which were part of the Ohio get out the vote (GOTV) strategy at the precinct level.

I was assigned to Barberton to work for Sol, an energetic field organizer from Texas. My main “turf” was the south Akron neighborhood of Kenmore. Unlike my earlier work with Sporadics in largely African American neighborhoods, I was instructed to “persuade” and “motivate” the remaining “Undecided” voters. But with Election Day closing in fast, there would only be minutes to talk to any single voter.

In Barberton and Kenmore, the Undecideds were predominantly white, working class Democrats. Most did not want to vote for McCain, but were not yet sure about Barack Obama. I understood their concern. Not only was Obama a relatively new and unknown political personality. Most of these voters had supported Hillary in the March primary. And like voters elsewhere, they were being bombarded with smear emails, Republican mailings about Ayers and NRA propaganda warning Obama would take away their guns.

With openly racist voters there was the curt “Thanks for your time.” But it was not difficult to pull the other undecided voters off the fence, especially with the credibility of being an older white man with a knowledge of history and 23 years of federal service under five US Presidents. These voters knew that Obama and Hillary shared a common policy agenda and that she was campaigning hard for the Democratic ticket. They also recognized Rove tactics and our argument that: “They can’t win with the truth, so they are attacking him with lies.” Second amendment concerns were easily neutralized with Biden’s quote: “No one’s taking away my Beretta.” But the simplest most effective argument was “Are you happy with the way things are going or do you want change?” And Change is what voters wanted more than anything this year.

Election Day

November 3rd and 4th were taken up with the final GOTV effort, primarily distributing door hangers and reminding voters of their polling places. From 3:30 pm on Election Day until it was too dark to read house numbers, I scoured for remaining undecided voters who had yet to cast their ballots. I actually found several and they agreed to go to their local poll station, which by then was no longer crowded.

I was at the Barberton volunteers’ party at Lake Anna Hall when MSNBC announced Ohio for Obama. Having already won Pennsylvania, I knew it was all over except for reaching 270 electoral votes. While happy, I was so physically and mentally exhausted that the victory did not seem real. I headed back to my host family home and watched the candidates’ speeches before turning in and resting for the long drive home. Now as my dreams of knocking on doors in Ohio recede, the enormity of our achievement and the challenges facing Barack Obama are coming into better focus. I have no idea what my next step will be, but I will continue to do what I can to get our country back on the right track.

Epilogue

After 40 days of walking the streets of Summit County, I had knocked on or distributed campaign literature at over 4000 doors.

More importantly, I had in-person conversations with more than 1500 voters and obtained about 1000 Early Vote Commits, which probably understates the number of people who were convinced to go to the Job Center. Along the way I also helped remove several hundred bad addresses from our “Turf,” easing the task of later attempts by volunteers to find our voters.

The Akron Vote Corps’ effort over five weeks contributed greatly to the early vote turnout, which by Election Day totaled 90,000, or fully one-third of the 272,000 ballots cast in Summit County. And while he won Ohio’s 20 electoral votes with 51% of the state’s popular vote, Barack Obama won Summit County with 57.45%.

If you would like to be notified whenever Mark Wiznitzer posts a new article join Food Tasters For Obama.

Obama, collective intelligence, and Current TV

George P�r — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:04:44 EST

Al Gore made an intriguing comment about the presidential election at the recent Web 2.0 Summit: "One of the reasons we were all thrilled Tuesday night is it was pretty obvious this was a collectively intelligent decision."

See my reply in the "Obama, collective intelligence, and Current TV" entry of the Blog of Collective Intelligence.

Germans support Barack Obama

Henk van Aalderen — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:26:56 EST

Dear Friends,

From the German Newspaper Tagesblatt fur den Kreis Steinfurt of Saturday, 8, 2008:

When Germans were asked if they like the election of Barack Obama as President of the USA 98,2 % answered YES and only 1,8 % answered NO. The reporter says this response was overwhelmingly for Obama. The YES for Obama is found under German citizens of all ages, from young to old. 84,3 % believe that the relationship between USA and Germany will improve because of Obama and 15,7 % were sceptical about that.

Barack Obama talked to Germans prime minister Mrs. Angela Merkel and they agreed to work closely together on issues as stopping wars, stabilization of the situation in Afganistan, Klimat Control and the handling of the Iranian nuclear programm.

Greetings from Metelen, Germany,

Henk van Aalderen

The Voting Experience in Charleston, SC, Published in an International Newspaper

Laurie Singh — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:25:54 EST

First hand account from Sarah Jamieson
5 November 2008 - Issue : 807

A first hand account in the words of a young voter, Sarah Jamieson, in South Carolina:

Being a long-time resident and registered voter in South Carolina, I'm not suprised to hear that McCain won in our state.

I just returned home from 2 hours in line at the polls. I must say that my experience there left me very nervous. The long lines were the least of my worries after arriving. A half hour had passed before I could get an election official to direct me to the correct line to be in. I expected to show up, get in line, vote, and be on my way.

However, there were 4 lines to wait in: the first line was where you had to 'sign in,' the second, where you waited to receive a white square of paper that said something to the effect of 'verified registered voter,' and then the 3rd & 4th line, depending on your precinct where you then waited to vote. Finally, I got to the front of the 'sign in' line where I gave the election official my identification.

He quickly scrolled down a printed list of names to the letter 'J' and said that I wasn't on 'the list.' He handed my identification off to another election official who moved to a chair in the corner and was attempting to call someone I assume who could verify my voter registration. He made 3 frustrated attempts to make this phone call and returned 15 minutes later with a paper ballot. He had filled out section at the top that read, "voter not on the list, tried to call the local election headquarters but there was no answer." He instructed me on how to fill out the ballot properly and stuck me in a corner at a desk.

The majority of the state & local voting categories had one candidate running uncontested whose party affiliation was republican. Of course, there was an alloted space for a write-in candidate. I left those categories blank. The confusion, disorganization, and as disshelved if not more of a mess than this one. I'm optimistically hoping that this will not contribute to the election results but fear that such is unavoidable. I stuck my paper ballot into a plastic black box and left. My skepticism makes me worry that my paper ballot vote will not make it to the right place.

http://www.neurope.eu/articles/90419.php

Impact of US election on Dutch schoolchildren

Henk van Aalderen — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:17:57 EST

Dear Friends,
The effect of the US elections on Dutch schoolchildren is huge. This morning I showed Barack `Thank You` e-mail in the 4 grade of my 7 year old daughter Safira. (Dutch children go with 4 years in first grade).
The teacher told me that US elections have a huge impact on the Dutch children, even of that young age. She herself was very surprised about that.
All the children are excited about Barack election
But the also expect things from the next US President:
- bring peace to Irak and Afganistan
- help poor people special children in areas like Africa
- better understanding between USA and Europa and better listen to each other

Greetings from the Netherlands-Germany,
Henk van Aalderen

"Seasoned Election Officials are Stunned...."

Laurie Singh — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:36:06 EST

....reports CNN, of the enormous numbers showing up for early voting. Many states report that their turn out last week had already exceeded voter turn out for 2004.

Voters in all early voting states are reporting excessively long waits, with 4, 5, even 6 hours or more not uncommon.

Not all states keep track of party affiliation, but of those that do, 58% of early voters are Democrats and 42% are Republicans.

AND

CNN's international news edition reports the world is dumbstruck that the most powerful nation on earth is incapable of conducting an election which permits citizens to easily vote.

ELECTION NIGHT PARTY!!!!

Laurie Singh — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:40:17 EDT

US Election Night Party, 4 Nov

Join members and friends of Democrats Abroad Belgium as one of the most exciting and important presidential races in recent history thunders to a close at an Election Night Party organised jointly by The Bulletin and the American Club of Brussels – in association with Democrats Abroad Belgium and other partners[*].

The Renaissance Hotel will be the venue of choice for US citizens and many others who have been passionately following the battle for the White House. The evening will feature lively debates between Democrats and Republicans, live coverage of the results as they come in, varied entertainment (including a Republican vs. Democrat debate), food and a cash bar.

WHO
All are welcome!

WHAT
Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad will be present to analyse and comment on the results as they come in from the US in the course of the evening. The event will be the perfect opportunity to obtain first-hand reactions from US citizens on the results and the challenges of this election. More than one thousand turned up for this event in 2004 and over 800 attended at the "Super Tuesday" event last February.

SCHEDULE
Non-stop American food, beverages & wine-tasting
21.00h Live music from Belgian Country Rock group The Wanderers.
22.00h Debate: Obama vs McCain - Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad battle it out
23.00h What's At Stake? Prominent personalities analyse the likely impact of the results for America and Europe
00:00h+ The First Results: live news coverage as the exit polls and results come in from the USA

WHEN
4 November 2008; 21:00h until late

WHERE
Renaissance Hotel (near Place Luxembourg)
19 rue du Parnasse
1050 Brussels

COST
EUR 10

TO ATTEND
A limited number of tickets will be available at the door, but please remember that this will be a very popular event, so come very early if you do not have a ticket. Therefore, we strongly urge you to *register in advance* (prior to 30 October) by:

1. sending an email to events@ackroyd.be with your full name, and indicating in the subject line of your email "US Election Night Party Reservation";
AND
2. paying EUR 10 (per person registered) to Ackroyd Publications at either bank account 432-2012221-02 or 310-0883533-46 – you must state in the transfer communication the first and last names of those registered.

PRESS & MEDIA REGISTRATION
All press/media may attend for free, but must register in advance for the event by emailing Tia Viering at
comms-be@democratsabroad.org and requesting a press registration form.

US Citizens: JOIN DAB OR UPDATE YOUR DETAILS
at www.DemocratsAbroad.org/Join or email Becky at
membership-be@democratsabroad.org. We respect all EU privacy rules (and a few more of our own to boot)!

[*] Other partners include: Republicans Abroad Belgium, xPATs.com, the Renaissance Hotel, Jet Airways and Gosselin Moving.

PS IF YOU WISH TO VOLUNTEER FOR DAB at the party, please contact Tiffany atvolunteers-be@democratsabroad.org.

PPS IF YOU WISH TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN AND THE PARTY, you can call voters (cheaply via Skype) in the USA. Check out http://my.barackobama.com/committocall. The Congressional elections are important, too!

Using the Federal Emergency Ballot - Vote NOW

Laurie Singh — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:36:20 EDT

Using the Federal Emergency Ballot (FWAB)

Still Waiting for Your Ballot?

In 1976, Democrats Abroad member David Froelich waited. His ballot finally turned up after Election Day. Frustrated over being disenfranchised by mail delays, he secured his congressman's support so that when the same thing happened again in 1980, his write-in ballot was validated in court. But Dave did not stop there. He worked with several congressmen on bipartisan legislation ensuring that the right to a write-in ballot would be extended to all registered U.S. voters living abroad, without a court battle.

Dave's hard work finally paid off in 1986, when Ronald Reagan signed legislation making the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) available to all overseas voters who have properly applied for their ballots.

This write-in ballot, or FWAB, is your ticket to voting despite delays over which you have no control.

Wondering where your ballot is? Think about how good or bad the mails are where you live. If you have any doubt about whether your state-issued ballot would reach your local voting official back in the U.S. if you wait another day, wait no longer. Thank Dave Froelich (former chair of DA-Israel and activist extraordinaire) and use the FWAB!

Using the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot

The FWAB is a back-up ballot that you can vote TODAY. If you subsequently receive your state ballot, vote that, too. The FWAB is only counted if your state ballot is not received by your state by the ballot return deadline. Click here for deadlines.

1. Get the FWAB: Go to www.VoteFromAbroad.org. Simply answer the six screens of questions and download and print the nine page document. You will receive (1) Instructions (where you will find the address to send the FWAB), (2) Electronic Transmission Sheet and Federal Postcard Application (which you do NOT need); (3) The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, which includes a Voter's Declaration/Affirmation, the Ballot and Instructions.

2. Sign and Date the Voter's Declaration/Affirmation: When you usewww.VoteFromAbroad.org, the Voter's Declaration/Affirmation will be filled in based upon your voting state's requirements and the information you provided. You just need to review the information, sign and date it. Check the following list to see if you need a witness or additional documentation.

· Alabama: 2 witnesses OR Notary (must be over the age of 18)

· Alaska: 1 witness (dated and signed)

· Arizona: Proof of Citizenship (copy of passport or birth certificate)

· Louisiana: 2 witnesses (sign on voter's declaration form)

· Minnesota: Self Certification by putting passport number or last 4 digits of SSN on ballot return envelope

· North Carolina: 2 witnesses (must be over 18 sign and include address)

· South Carolina: 1 witness (sign on the voter's declaration form)

· Virginia: 1 witness (sign on the voter's declaration form)

· Wisconsin: 1 witness (both voter and witness must sign security envelope; witness must be a U.S. Citizen, over 18)

3. Vote the FWAB: You can either write in the candidate's name or the word Democrat. (It is unlikely that you will need the second page of the ballot). To find out who the Democratic candidates are for House and Senate, please click here. To find your Congressional District, click here, enter your voting zip code, and then click on "current election."

4. Seal the Ballot Envelope: Put your voted FWAB ONLY in a plain white envelope and seal it. Write on the outside of the envelope "Security Envelope."

5. In the Mailing Envelope: Put the sealed "Security Envelope" and the Signed and Dated Voter's Declaration/Affirmation in a mailing envelope.

6. Enter Return Address: Write your name and current mailing address in the upper left hand corner of the mailing envelope.

7. Address the Envelope: Write the address of your Local Election Office on the mailing envelope. The address of your Local Election Office is provided on your customized information sheet.

8. Double Check: Double check that you have completed everything.

9. Ensure evidence of mailing from outside the US:

· Foreign Postmark: Affix the appropriate postage. All states will accept a foreign postmark as evidence of submission from outside the U.S.

· Consular Stamp: All states have been informed by the U.S. State Department that they should accept a consular stamp as evidence of submission from outside the U.S. Using the consular service results in your mailing envelope being placed in the US postal system. Affix a $0.42 U.S. Postage Stamp.

· Commercial Courier: Some states will also accept a commercial courier service waybill as evidence of submission from outside the U.S. Using a courier service should be a last resort.Alabama explicitly refuses to accept materials sent to them by commercial couriers, such as Federal Express and DHL. If using a courier, please staple a copy of the air waybill to the ballot envelope prior to sealing the courier envelope.

10. Seal the addressed envelope - and Mail your FWAB Today!

More questions? Contact our experts at votercentral@democratsabroad.org.

What are you waiting for? Do the FWAB today!

Mailing Ballots and FWABs

Foreign Postmark: All states will accept a foreign postmark as evidence of submission from outside the U.S.

Consular Stamp: All states have been informed by the U.S. State Department that they should accept a consular stamp as evidence of submission from outside the U.S. Find your nearest US consulate or embassy.

Commercial Courier: Some states will also accept a commercial courier service waybill as evidence of submission from outside the U.S. Using a courier service should be a last resort. Alabama explicitly refuses to accept materials sent to them by commercial couriers, such as Federal Express and DHL. Consider Federal Express' reduced fee courier service for ballots at Express Your Vote.

Don't forget the postage!! Note that even if the envelope says "postage paid," this is NOT the case when you are mailing outside of the US. Make sure you add sufficient postage! Take your ballot to the post office. They can give you proof of posting for free, weigh the ballot to assure correct postage, and stamp it with a post mark, which is required in some states. Always get proof of posting!

Vote Flipping Caught on Video - AFTER the Machine is Calibrated

Laurie Singh — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:23:15 EDT

Video the Vote went to Jackson County, West Virginia, in response to numerous reports of machine vote flipping. The local county clerk showed us the machines in question, but the demonstration left us with questions, as the machine appeared to malfunction even after it was calibrated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q9NSVUu8nk

One of Belgium's Own Works for Obama in North Carolina

Laurie Singh — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:22:04 EDT

Sat 25/10/08 16:55 (UPDATE video) - VRT's North America correspondent Johan Depoortere has been to Concord, North Carolina to meet Thierry Wernaers, a Fleming working for the Obama campaign.

North Carolina has been voting Republican for three decades, but now the Democrat Obama stands a chance.

Every day Thierry is out and about encouraging people to go out and vote: "We've registered 600,000 new voters in this state alone. If they all turn up on Election Day there will be a problem, because there will be such long queues that people will decide to go home again and won't vote".

North Carolina is one of the states where voters can cast their ballot ahead of the election.

The Obama campaign is trying to encourage this and it seems to be working. In Charlotte, the waiting time is now two hours and more.

For Fleming Thierry Wernaers the campaign has been going on for two years now. He hopes it will soon be over and that Obama will win: "My wife has already said we may have to return back to Belgium, if Obama loses, but we think he will win."

Video interview here: http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie.english/news/081024_obama

Why Obama? Local TV Station Features Some of Us Online....

Laurie Singh — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:22:04 EDT

The Overseas Vote Can Make the Difference (Check back daily for new profiles)

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie.english/flanders_today/1.401016Su

n 26/10/08 11:06 - In the lead up to presidential elections in the United States on November 4, Flandersnews is surveying several Americans living in Belgium. We are polling them on how they voted and why: every day a new profile of an American living in Belgium.

The United States and Belgium have traditionally been good friends and allies. U.S companies find Belgium interesting for its advantageous location, highly-skilled and educated workforce and for its access to the rest of Europe.

With Brussels as the de facto capital of the European Union, it is a ‘place to be’ for Americans of all kinds and in many fields. The resident American community in Belgium now exceeds 20,000.

With elections coming up in the United States, groups of Americans in Belgium have been campaigning for the candidate of their choice. Many of the Americans here have dutifully sent in their overseas ballot. The overseas voters form an important group politically. They can have a crucial impact on the outcome of the elections.

If you did NOT get your absentee ballot, here's what to do...

Beverly Jurenko — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:55:38 EDT

The FWAB is a back-up ballot that you can vote TODAY. If you subsequently receive your state ballot, vote that, too. The FWAB is only counted if your state ballot is not received by your state by the ballot return deadline. Click here for deadlines.

Get the FWAB: Go to www.VoteFromAbroad.org. Simply answer the six screens of questions and download and print the nine page document. You will receive (1) Instructions (where you will find the address to send the FWAB), (2) Electronic Transmission Sheet and Federal Postcard Application which you do NOT need; (3) The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot which includes a Voter's Declaration/Affirmation, the Ballot and Instructions.

Sign and Date the Voter's Declaration/Affirmation: When you use VoteFromAbroad.org, the Voter's Declaration/Affirmation will be filled in based upon your voting state's requirements and the information you provided. You just need to review the information, sign and date it. Check the following list to see if you need a witness or additional documentation.

Alabama: 2 witnesses OR Notary (must be over the age of 18)
Alaska: 1 witness (dated and signed)
Arizona: Proof of Citizenship (copy of passport or birth certificate)
Louisiana: 2 witnesses (must sign security envelope)
North Carolina: 2 witnesses (must be over 18 sign and include address)
South Carolina: 1 witness – No signature necessary
Virginia: 1 witness – No signature necessary
Wisconsin: 1 witness (include date of birth of witness – must be a U.S. Citizen)

Vote the FWAB: You can either write in the candidate's name or the word Democrat. (It is unlikely that you will need the second page of the ballot).

To find out who the Democratic candidates are for House and Senate, please click here. To find your Congressional District, click here, enter your voting zip code and then click on "current election."

Seal the Ballot Envelope: Put your voted FWAB ONLY in a plain white envelope and seal it. Write on the outside of the envelope "Security Envelope."

In the Mailing Envelope: Put the sealed "Security Envelope" and the Signed and Dated Voter's Declaration/Affirmation in a mailing envelope.

Enter Return Address: Write your name and current mailing address in the upper left hand corner of the mailing envelope.

Address the Envelope: Write the address of your Local Election Office on the mailing envelope. The address of your Local Election Office is provided on your customized information sheet.

Double Check: Double check that you have completed everything.

Ensure evidence of mailing from outside the US:

Foreign Postmark: Affix the appropriate postage. All states will accept a foreign postmark as evidence of submission from outside the U.S.
Consular Stamp: All states have been informed by the U.S. State Department that they should accept a consular stamp as evidence of submission from outside the U.S. Using the consular service results in your mailing envelope being placed in the US postal system. Affix a $.42 U.S. Postage Stamp.
Commercial Courier: Some states will also accept a commercial courier service waybill as evidence of submission from outside the U.S. Using a courier service should be a last resort. Alabama explicitly refuses to accept materials sent to them by commercial couriers, such as Federal Express and DHL. If using a courier, please staple a copy of the air waybill to the ballot envelope prior to sealing the courier envelope.

Seal the addressed envelope – and Mail your FWAB Today!

For Questions: help@votefromabroad.org

Bridges for Obama from US Voters Overseas

Beverly Jurenko — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:22:19 EDT

Photo Montage - World of Friends: Bridges for Obama

Thanks for our friends in Japan for putting this together, and to Laurie for finding.

The Brussels photo at Ascenseur des Marolles is included! And so is the photo in Tervuren! It's at about 2:50.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG_L5ihuiQ4

Also available here at a higher resolution: http://blip.tv/file/1338283

Voter Alert 1 - Registration Deadlines Loom!

Beverly Jurenko — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:16:24 EDT

Your vote is critical. Register now at www.VoteFromAbroad.org !!

Twenty-five states, including nine swing states – Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, – have registration deadlines in the next two weeks.

Voters in the following states (who have not yet registered and/or requested their ballots) must ensure that their FPCAs are sent in NOW!

Oct. 4 – Illinois, Nevada, South Carolina

Oct. 5 – Alaska, Mississippi

Oct. 6 – Colorado, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming

Oct. 8 – Missouri

Oct. 10 – Idaho, New York

All of these states except for NY and WY will accept faxed FPCAs. Please use the following US fax number: +1-703-693-5527 (the toll free numbers in many parts of the world do not work). All faxes are received in Virginia by the Federal Voting Assistance Program. The FVAP will log in the date and time that the fax was received and then forward it on to your local election official. For deadline purposes, your form is deemed received when it arrives on the FVAP's fax machine, but you still must MAIL the original form to your local election official.

Exceptions: NY and WY do NOT accept faxes. The only way to meet the deadlines for NY and WY is to ensure that your original FPCA arrives in the local election office by mail no later than the deadline. (NY and WY will also accept FPCAs by commercial courier.) NOTE: FPCAs need NOT carry a foreign postmark!

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Obama raises taxes? Give Tax cuts another name!

Koen — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:40:52 EDT

What do the conservative economists do so that John Mc Cain can pretend that Barck Obama raises taxes? They say that the prepositions Barack makes by cutting the taxes for the lower and the middle-class-tax-payers, are no tax-cuts. They call it "WELFARE". How clever!(?). Why don't we give John Mc.Cains tax cuts for the wealthiest another name?

The Ultimate Job Interview

Laurie Singh — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:50:46 EDT

Task: Assess educational qualifications of two teams in order to choose one to take over an organization (the United States of America) with numerous and complex problems - historic debt, multiple war fronts, stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, skyrocketing federal spending, mortgage crises, bank foreclosures, etc. etc.

Candidates: Here are your choices -

Team # One:

Barack Obama:
Occidental College - Two years.
Columbia University - B.A. political science with a specialization in international relations.
Harvard Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

and

Joseph Biden:

University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science.

Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

VS.

Team # Two:

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 out of 899

and

*Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism

*(Anchorage Daily News adn.com)

Difficult Choice?

Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton skit on Saturday Night Live (updated link)

Laurie Singh — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:25:28 EDT

Destined to become a classic - hysterically funny and an amazing impersonation!!!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

Palin Calling for an End to Investigation She Requested

Laurie Singh — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:55:58 EDT

Palin Calling for an End to Investigation She Requested

Alaska AG Also Has New Objections to Probe

By EMMA SCHWARTZ and JUSTIN ROOD
Sept. 17, 2008

GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin shifted her tactics for the second time in three weeks on the "Troopergate" investigation, this time calling to end the very investigation that she herself called for and the one the McCain campaign had said was the only proper venue for a probe.

Palin's Attorney General, who initially launched an internal probe into Palin, even before the legislature began theirs, is now asking the legislators to withdraw their subpoenas of Palin aides and Palin's husband.

When the Alaska Legislature's Legislative Council, a Republican-dominated panel of 14 legislators which conducts business when the Legislature is out session, voted to investigate the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan in July, Palin pledged her full support.

But almost immediately after joining the GOP ticket, Palin's Troopergate strategy veered sharply. Despite her earlier vows of full cooperation with the probe, she declared it unlawful. The legislature lacked the authority to investigate the matter, she said. Instead, it should be handled by the state personnel board, Palin asserted -- a panel which is under her authority.

The world view and the sad American truth

Laurie Singh — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:36:55 EDT

As a former South Carolina resident who now lives in Europe, I'd like to report that the reaction of much of the world to Sarah Palin's nomination is one of bewilderment and fear. "We knew Americans are not too bright (George W?) but what are they thinking?"...."Truly bizarre."...."As the Republican vice president could easily, if not likely, in the event of a McCain win, end up becoming the leader of the free world, the prospect is terrifying".... (reports from European press and media).

I have been reassuring folks over here that Americans are easily distracted, but not stupid, which is not easy to do in the wake of the Bush administration's devastating effect on the United States' reputation in the world.

Sarah Palin is indeed a frightening woman, but I have no fear that Americans will remain distracted for very much longer before they realize the absurdity of the Republican party's most recent blunder. Evidence in point, watch the polls in the coming weeks as the nation comes to its senses. An unbiased source, which provides a summary of ALL of the latest poll data, can be found here: http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/08-us-pres-ge-mvo.php

There are those who will continue to press forward armed with no more than creative fiction, as they attempt to discredit Barack Obama, and a set of blinders for the path of destruction left by our current administration. Sadly, it is pointless to argue or debate with these individuals, as their manipulation of fact has nothing to do with a believed truth, but rather is coded language for, "I will never vote for a black man."

Here it comes! Get ready for America's "What on earth were we thinking?!?!" regroup!!

Laurie Singh — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:48:32 EDT

From: http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/08-us-pres-ge-mvo.php

Washington Post's Richard Cohen, formerly "in the tank for McCain," details McCain's lies and "personal treason"

Laurie Singh — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:29:14 EDT

The Ugly New McCain

By Richard Cohen

Wednesday, September 17, 2008; Page

Following his loss to George W. Bush in the 2000 South Carolina primary, John McCain did something extraordinary: He confessed to lying about how he felt about the Confederate battle flag, which he actually abhorred. "I broke my promise to always tell the truth," McCain said. Now he has broken that promise so completely that the John McCain of old is unrecognizable. He has become the sort of politician he once despised.

The precise moment of McCain's abasement came, would you believe, not at some news conference or on one of the Sunday shows but on "The View," the daytime TV show created by Barbara Walters. Last week, one of the co-hosts, Joy Behar, took McCain to task for some of the ads his campaign has been running. One deliberately mischaracterized what Barack Obama had said about putting lipstick on a pig -- an Americanism that McCain himself has used. The other asserted that Obama supported teaching sex education to kindergarteners.

"We know that those two ads are untrue," Behar said. "They are lies."

Freeze. Close in on McCain. This was the moment. He has largely been avoiding the press. The Straight Talk Express is now just a brand, an ad slogan like "Home Cooking" or "We Will Not Be Undersold." Until then, it was possible for McCain to say that he had not really known about the ads, that the formulation "I approve this message" was just boilerplate. But he didn't.

"Actually, they are not lies," he said.

Actually, they are.

Email your support to Senator Hollis French regarding the Palin investigation

Laurie Singh — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:13:25 EDT

Email Senator Hollis at:

Senator_Hollis_French@legis.state.ak.us

And he writes back!

Two examples are below -

Senator Hollis:

Please continue the ethics probe of Governor Sarah Palin and do not buckle under the pressure of John McCain, his campaign, or any other source. The 2008 Presidential Election is such an important election for Americans. I am 62 and live in Texas, and American voters desperately need the facts. We have suffered under 8 years of an administration that considers Abuse Of Power their right and privilege, which makes this ethics investigation a huge issue.

Expediency is of the utmost importance. I want the truth before I vote on November 4th. I sincerely thank you.....

Linda Andrus

Grapeland, TX

Dear Senator Hollis,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your efforts and perseverance in pushing forward the investigation of Governor Sarah Palin. You have the support of millions of Americans who are fed up with the arrogant sense of invincibility and entitlement and the abusive wielding of power by many of our nations' leaders. Your actions may ultimately be credited for diverting this country from making a very foolish decision.

Thank you again for working for truth and accountability, both absent from our administration for too long.

Laurie Singh

Brussels, Belgiuim (US citizen)

NY Times Editorial: "What on earth was John McCain thinking?"

Laurie Singh — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:12:50 EDT

EDITORIAL

Gov. Palin’s Worldview

Published: September 12, 2008

As we watched Sarah Palin on TV the last couple of days, we kept wondering what on earth John McCain was thinking.

If he seriously thought this first-term governor — with less than two years in office — was qualified to be president, if necessary, at such a dangerous time, it raises profound questions about his judgment. If the choice was, as we suspect, a tactical move, then it was shockingly irresponsible.

It was bad enough that Ms. Palin’s performance in the first televised interviews she has done since she joined the Republican ticket was so visibly scripted and lacking in awareness.

What made it so much worse is the strategy for which the Republicans have made Ms. Palin the frontwoman: win the White House not on ideas, but by denigrating experience, judgment and qualifications.

The idea that Americans want leaders who have none of those things — who are so blindly certain of what Ms. Palin calls “the mission” that they won’t even pause for reflection — shows a contempt for voters and raises frightening questions about how Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin plan to run this country.

One of the many bizarre moments in the questioning by ABC News’s Charles Gibson was when Ms. Palin, the governor of Alaska, excused her lack of international experience by sneering that Americans don’t want “somebody’s big fat résumé maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment where, yes, they’ve had opportunities to meet heads of state.”

Trigger Happy (are we seeing a pattern here?): Palin's firing of a local police chief landed her in court

Laurie Singh — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 08:35:56 EDT

A Police Chief, A Lawsuit And A Small-Town Mayor

By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball | NEWSWEEK

Published Sep 13, 2008 From the magazine issue dated Sep 22, 2008

Eleven years before the current investigation into her dismissal of Alaska's top cop,Sarah Palin was embroiled in a similar dispute over another personnel issue: her firing of the police chief in her hometown of Wasilla. Palin's decision to terminateIrl Stambaugh, months after she was elected mayor in 1996, created a ruckus. It also led to a bitter and protracted lawsuit charging that she fired Stambaugh out of pique—in part because he'd crossed the interests of influential backers, including bar owners and gun enthusiasts who'd contributed significantly to Palin's campaign, according to court and state records reviewed by NEWSWEEK. Palin denied these allegations under oath, and ultimately prevailed, after a federal judge concluded that the mayor had the right to fire any department head she wanted. Palin "made the decision ... because the people of Wasilla had elected her to reform Wasilla's government and he actively worked to frustrate those efforts," says Taylor Griffin, a spokesman for the McCain-Palin campaign.

But the dispute is now getting renewed scrutiny in light of a number of other controversial personnel moves by the GOP veep nominee, including her firing of the Wasilla librarian (she was later reinstated) and Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, whose dismissal last summer prompted the investigation, dubbed "Troopergate," by Alaska's legislature. (Monegan alleged he was fired because he resisted pressure from Palin and aides to can a state trooper involved in a messy custody battle with Palin's sister. A state panel last week voted to subpoena 13 members of Palin's administration in the probe, as well as her husband.)

McCain Barbs Stirring Outcry as Distortions

Beverly Jurenko — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:31:55 EDT

Fresh from the New York Times, finally:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/politics/13mccain.html?hp

Palin Advisor: The situation (regarding Palin's credibility) is now grave

Laurie Singh — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:14:52 EDT

Palin adviser warned that firing raised 'grave' concern

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- A former ethics adviser to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin warned in July that firing her public safety commissioner would become a "grave concern" for her administration.

Gov. Sarah Palin is fighting allegations she improperly tried to force the firing of her then brother-in-law.

Wevley Shea, a former U.S. attorney and fellow Republican, urged Palin to apologize to former Commissioner Walt Monegan and fire anyone on her staff who discussed her former brother-in-law, state Trooper Mike Wooten, with the commissioner.

"Your 'political advisers' have given you poor counsel; the situation is now grave," Shea wrote in a July 24 letter to the governor. "I recommend the following action 'now' to restore your credibility and Alaska's bright future with you."

Poll: US-Europe relations need Obama by Alexander Burns, POLITICO

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:21:30 EDT

Poll: US-Europe relations need Obama
By: Alexander Burns
September 10, 2008 02:32 PM EST

By significant margins, Europeans have high hopes for a potential Obama administration, according to a Transatlantic Trends poll of 12 European countries.

Forty-seven percent of Europeans believe an Obama victory in November would lead to a better relationship between the United States and Europe, versus just 5 percent who think Obama would weaken the trans-Atlantic relationship.

By comparison, only 11 percent think Sen. John McCain would strengthen European-American relations if he were elected president. More than half of respondents said a McCain administration would keep relations between the United States and Europe in roughly the condition they are now.

The poll, commissioned by the German Marshall Fund and conducted by the firm TNS Opinion from June 4-28, queried at least a thousand respondents in each of a dozen countries, including Germany, France, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey.

The survey’s release Wednesday follows the news of a BBC poll, conducted by the GlobeScan service and published Tuesday, showing that in 17 of 22 nations tested, respondents across the globe expected an Obama win would improve American relations with the rest of the world.

It also comes on the heels of a report Tuesday that Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, intends to publish a column praising Obama’s response to the troubled real estate market. In an unorthodox step for a foreign leader, Brown is expected to argue: “In the electrifying U.S. Presidential campaign, it is the Democrats who are generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times.”

According to the Transatlantic Trends report, Brown’s upbeat assessment of the Democratic presidential nominee is shared by the majority of his country: 75 percent of British respondents said they had a favorable or very favorable opinion of Obama.

Among Europeans more generally, that number was only slightly lower: 69 percent said they had a favorable impression of the Illinois senator.

McCain’s favorability ratings are considerably lower, with just 26 percent of Europeans giving him the thumbs up. He is also significantly less well-known than Obama: 29 percent of respondents did not render an up-or-down judgment on the Republican nominee, compared with just 19 percent who had no impression of Obama.

It is hardly shocking that Obama would be better liked in Europe than his opponent, given that McCain is a member of the same political party as President Bush. The president has consistently received dismal poll ratings from abroad, and in 2004 a GlobeScan survey showed Europeans favored the election of Sen. John F. Kerry by similarly wide margins — 74 percent to 7 percent in Norway, 74 percent to 10 percent in Germany and 64 percent to 5 percent in France.

It is also no surprise that Europeans would be more familiar with Obama than with McCain. In late July, Obama toured several European nations as part of a weeklong trip abroad, giving a speech in Berlin that attracted an audience in the hundreds of thousands.

Yet even as the Transatlantic Trends poll highlights Obama’s popularity in Europe, it outlines some of the diplomatic hurdles that any American president will face, regardless of party.

While 80 percent of Americans call it very or somewhat desirable for the United States to “exert strong leadership in world affairs,” just 33 percent of Europeans say the same. A quarter of European respondents called an assertive United States “very undesirable.”

While a majority of Europeans — 55 percent — said the United States and the European Union have close enough values to make diplomatic cooperation possible, they’re still less confident about it than Americans, 67 percent of whom said the United States and the EU could tackle international issues together.

And some persistent diplomatic disagreements, such as resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, also remain: Europeans expressed considerably less positive feelings about the state of Israel than did Americans.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13312.html

Political Cartoon by Aislin, Montreal Gazette

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:15:28 EDT

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/aislin/index.html?pubdate=9%2f4%2f2008

Film shows McCain's release from Vietnamese prison

maria from europe — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:39:09 EDT

Film shows McCain's release from Vietnamese prison

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Swedish broadcaster SVT on Thursday released a previously unseen film clip purportedly showing the release of presidential candidate John McCain to the U.S. military in Hanoi in 1973.

http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d22584&a1243689&lidpuff-1243756&lpo

Link

Forgoing Subsidy, Obama Team Presses Donors

Beverly Jurenko — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:00:49 EDT

From the NYT:

By MICHAEL LUO and JEFF ZELENYPublished: September 8, 2008

After months of record-breaking fund-raising, a new sense of urgency in Senator Barack Obama’s fund-raising team is palpable as the full weight of the campaign’s decision to bypass public financing for the general election is suddenly upon it.

For full article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/us/politics/09donate.html?hp

Let's not let this one go. US citizens, make a donation while we can.

3 good ones i want to share

maria from europe — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:19:27 EDT

Filling in the blanks on Palin

Sept. 5: Huffington Post contributor James Moore joins Countdown's Rachel Maddow to explore what is known about relative newcomer Sarah Palin.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26567348#26567348

best ever daily show http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184111

bill maher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtDgsb_NeB0&eurl=http://www.jedreport.com/

Norwegian landslide for Obama

American in Norway — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:16:13 EDT

There was a poll in online version of Norway's largest daily newspaper, Aftenposten, on Wednesday. 3 September - Who would you vote for in USA if election were held today? Over 80% chose Obama.

The Daily Show clip showing Rove and O'Reilly's hypocrisy is making the rounds here via internet. Norway's national broadcasting network, NRK, airs the Daily Show on weeknights, one week after premiere in USA, so it'll appear on TV here this coming week.

My wife and I laughed until we cried. The segment is not only good comedy, but excellent journalism. My Republican sister in Oregon even sent us a link to the segment.

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184086

i luved this live stream from biden...

maria from europe — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:43:43 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=955Y3NJTRIE&eurl=http://www.jedreport.com/

Obama's Response to GOP Attacks -- Video

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:46:12 EDT

Video: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22860339#26548013

VIDEO: Barack Obama on the Value of Community Organizing

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:37:20 EDT

Please watch this video and pass it on! How dare Palin, Giuliani, McCain and the GOP Convention attendees laugh at those who are Community Organizers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHv-slC8Vr8

YES WE CAN!

GO OBAMA-BIDEN '08!

DNC Report on Palin 2006

Beverly Jurenko — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:25:39 EDT

Facts on Palin, her past, and her record:

http://www.dlayphoto.com/obama/palin06.pdf

Open Mike - comments by Peggy Noonan

Beverly Jurenko — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:15:36 EDT

Turn up the volume. Peggy Noonan, Mike Murphy, and Chuck Todd. "It's Over"

http://thisweekwithbarackobama.blogspot.com/2008/09/open-mic-chuck-todd-peggy-noonan-mike.html

Candidate McCain’s Big Decision -- Opinion, NYT

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:49:31 EDT

Full Article:

Opinion

The New York Times

September 3, 2008

Candidate McCain’s Big Decision

More often than not, the role of a vice president is a minor one, unless some tragedy occurs. But a presidential nominee’s choice of a running mate is vitally important. It is his first executive decision and offers an important insight into how that nominee would lead the nation.

If John McCain wants voters to conclude, as he argues, that he has more independence and experience and better judgment than Barack Obama, he made a bad start by choosing Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Mr. McCain’s supporters are valiantly trying to argue that the selection was a bold stroke that shows their candidate is a risk-taking maverick who — we can believe — will change Washington. (Mr. Obama’s call for change — now “the change we need” — has become all the rage in St. Paul.)

To us, it says the opposite. Mr. McCain’s snap choice of Ms. Palin reflects his impulsive streak: a wild play that he made after conservative activists warned him that he would face an all-out revolt in the party if he chose who he really wanted — Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

Why Mr. McCain would want to pander to right-wing activists — who helped George W. Bush kill off his candidacy in the 2000 primaries in a particularly ugly way — is baffling. Frankly, they have no place to go. Mr. McCain would have a lot more success demonstrating his independence, and his courage, if he stood up to them the way he did in 2000.

As far as we can tell, Mr. McCain and his aides did almost no due diligence before choosing Ms. Palin, raising serious questions about his management skills. The fact that Ms. Palin’s 17-year-old daughter is pregnant is irrelevant to her candidacy. There are, however, very serious questions about her political past and her ideology.

If Mr. McCain wanted to break with his party’s past and choose the Republicans’ first female vice presidential candidate, there a number of politicians out there with far greater experience and stature than Ms. Palin, who has been in Alaska’s Statehouse for less than two years.

Before she was elected governor, she was mayor of a tiny Anchorage suburb, where her greatest accomplishment was raising the sales tax to build a hockey rink. According to Time magazine, she also sought to have books banned from the local library and threatened to fire the librarian.

For Mr. McCain to go on claiming that Mr. Obama has too little experience to be president after almost three years in the United States Senate is laughable now that he has announced that someone with no national or foreign policy experience is qualified to replace him, if necessary.

Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who has been one of Mr. McCain’s most loyal friends, said Tuesday that he was certain that Ms. Palin would take the right positions on issues like Iraq, Russia’s invasion of Georgia and Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. That seemed based largely on his repeated assertion that Ms. Palin would be tended by Mr. McCain’s foreign policy advisers. That was not much of an endorsement.

Some of the things Ms. Palin has had to say in the recent past about foreign policy are especially worrisome. In a speech last June to her former church in Wasilla, Ms. Palin said the war in Iraq was “a task that is from God.” Mr. Bush made similar claims as he rejected all sound mortal advice on how to conduct the war.

Mr. McCain, Mr. Graham and others also claim that Ms. Palin is a fearless reformer who is committed to fighting waste, fraud and earmarks. Ms. Palin did show courage taking on some of the Alaska Republican Party’s most sleazy politicians. But she also was an eager recipient of earmarked money as a mayor and governor.

Mayor Palin gathered up $27 million in subsidies from Washington, $15 million of it for a railroad from her town to the ski resort hometown of Senator Ted Stevens, now under indictment for failing to report gifts.

The Republicans are presenting Ms. Palin as a crusader against Mr. Stevens’s infamous “Bridge to Nowhere.” The record says otherwise; she initially supported Mr. Stevens’s boondoggle, diverting the money to other projects when the bridge became a political disaster. In her speech to the Wasilla Assembly of God in June, Ms. Palin said it was “God’s will” that the federal government contribute to a $30 billion gas pipeline she wants built in Alaska.

Mr. McCain will make his acceptance speech on Thursday, and Ms. Palin will speak on Wednesday. Those two appearances will go a long way to forming voters’ views of this Republican ticket.

As Senator Graham noted, Mr. McCain has to reach out beyond the party’s loyal base. “We’re going to have to win this thing,” he said. “This is not our race to lose.”

Mr. McCain’s hurdles are substantial. To start, he has to overcome Mr. Bush’s record of failures. (The president addressed the convention Tuesday night and now, McCain strategists fervently hope, will retire quietly to the Rose Garden.) That record includes the disastrous war in Iraq, a ballooning deficit, the mortgage crisis — and the list goes on.

To address those many problems, this country needs a leader with sound judgment and strong leadership skills. Choosing Ms. Palin raises serious questions about Mr. McCain’s qualifications.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/opinion/03wed1.html?th&emc=th

Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain

maria from europe — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:18:12 EDT

Why I Will Not Vote for John McCainPhillip Butler | March 27, 2008

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html

Year-by-year break down of Palin & Obama resumes (from dailykos)

maria from europe — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:14:12 EDT

SantaFeMarie's diary :: :: 1980 - 1984 Obama: B.A. in political science with a specialization in international relations from Columbia University. Palin: Wasilla High School, captain of the state-champion basketball team. Miss Wasilla, runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, also Miss Congeniality, although that is now disputed. Him: Ivy League degree. Her: tiara. 1985 - 1990 Obama: moved to Chicago; became a community organizer as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization on Chicago's far South Side. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from 1 to 13 and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization. Moved to Boston to attend Harvard Law School. Selected as an editor and then elected president of the Harvard Law Review, a full-time volunteer position functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising the law review's staff of 80 editors. Palin: Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism, with a minor in political science from the University of Idaho. Brief stint as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations; left to join her husband in commercial fishing. Him: sterling legal education. Her: sportscaster. 1991 - 1995 Obama: graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School; received contract and advance to write a book ("Dreams from my Father") as well as a fellowship at the University of Chicago Law School. Directed the Illinois Project Vote from April to October 1992, a voter registration drive with a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers that achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be. Appointed as a Lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 12-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development. Active in several community organizations, usually as a board member. Palin: member of the Alasaka Independence Party which advocates "Alaska First". Elected to Wasilla city council. Him: Expert on our nation's fundamental legal principles. Her: plotted to leave the Union; thinks Pledge of Allegiance was written by our founding fathers. 1996 - 2000 Obama: promoted to Senior Lecturer in constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. Elected to the Illinois Senate. Sponsored more than 800 bills. In 2000, lost a Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one. Palin: elected as mayor of Wasilla (population 5,470), defeating the incumbent by a total of 616 votes to 413. Town budget, $8 million (3 millionths of the Federal budget), approximately 100 employees. Reduced property taxes but increased sales taxes. Fired the Wasilla police chief, citing a failure to support her administration. (He then sued Palin on the grounds that he was fired because he supported the campaign of Palin's opponent, but his suit was dismissed when the judge ruled that Palin had the right under state law to fire city employees, even for political reasons.) Hired a DC lobbyist to bring $8 million in earmarks to the city. Him: sponsored 800 bills. Her: swayed 616 voters. 2001 - 2004 Obama: reelected in 2002 and became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee. Publicly spoke out against the invasion of Iraq BEFORE the congressional authorization in 2002, and then again before the actual invasion in 2003. Wrote and delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. November 2004: elected to the US Senate, receiving over 3.5 million votes, more than 70% of total. Palin: elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. Unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor, coming in second in a five-way race in the Republican primary, receiving 19,000 votes. Appointed to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, served as chairman from 2003 to 2004 and also served as Ethics Supervisor. Resigned in protest over the "lack of ethics" of fellow Republican members. Exposed the state Republican Party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, for doing party work on public time and working closely with a company he was supposed to be regulating. Director of Ted Stevens' 527 group. Him: demonstrated the wisdom to oppose the Iraq folly before it even began. Her: hasn't really though much about it - despite the fact that 17 Alaskans have died there 2005 to present Obama: Sworn in as the fifth-ever African-American U.S. senator. Worked with Republican Senator Lugar to author and implement a program to locate and dismantle stray Russian WMD's. Designated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as the party's point man on ethics. Worked with Russ Feingold to pass a major ethics/lobbying reform bill. Cosponsored, with John McCain, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. Called for increased fuel efficiency standards (3 percent every year for 15 years). Assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Veterans' Affairs, and Homeland Security. Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. Waged a tremendous battle to become the Democratic presidential nominee. Currently manages 2,500 campaign employees and a budget of $40-$50 million/month. Palin: 2005: board member, Valley Hospital Association, which runs the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Wasilla. Became youngest and first female Governor of Alaska, taking office in December, 2006. Auctioned off the Governor's jet on eBay. Took on fellow-Republican Senator Ted Stevens to come clean about the federal investigation into his financial dealings. Promoted oil and natural gas resource development in Alaska. Helped pass a tax increase on oil company profits. Formed a sub-cabinet group of advisers to address climate change but does not accept that it is man-made. Objected to listing polar bears as an endangered species because it might hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat. Was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it. However, Alaska kept the federal money. Denied her daughter was pregnant before she confirmed it. Supported abstinence-only education.Currently under a bipartisan investigation for abuse of power for dismissing Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner. Commander-in-Chief of the Alaska National Guard, but has played no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. (The entire operation is under federal control, and the governor is not briefed on situations.) Obtained her first passport in 2007 to perform visits to the Alaska National Guard in Kuwait and Germany. (Foreign experience so limited that a stopover in Ireland listed on her resume.) Him: Impressive figure on the national stage who knows how Congress works and is engaged with foreign policy issues. Her: small state governor for 21 months; "next to Russia", but that is just 1 of the 190 countries in the world she has never been to. Conclusion: the word "executive" is not some kind of magic force multiplier when placed in front of the word "experience".

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/1613/27485/447/581295

Former POW says McCain is "not cut out to be President"

maria from europe — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:45:43 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLWEDMLmjKk&eurl=http

McCain calling for Absentee Ballots

Beverly Jurenko — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:29:08 EDT

I hear that the McCain campaign is calling people they believe support McCain and asking to send them absentee ballots if they think they cannot make it to the polls. This is happening in Montgomery County PA for sure. Is this right? Is this a good strategy? What do you think?

McCain's Next Trophy Girl?

Beverly Jurenko — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:55:55 EDT

Mudflats Tiptoeing Through the Muck of Alaskan Politics

What is McCain Thinking? One Alaskan’s Perspective. August 29, 2008 Lovely Downtown Wasilla, Alaska “Is this a joke?” That seemed to be the question du jour when my phone started ringing off the hook at 6:45am here in Alaska. I mean, we’re sort of excited that our humble state has gotten some kind of national ‘nod’....but seriously? Sarah Palin for Vice President? Yes, she’s a popular governor. Her all time high approval rating hovered around 90% at one point. But bear in mind that the 90% approval rating came from one of the most conservative, and reddest-of-the-red states out there. And that approval rating came before a series of events that have lead many Alaskans to question the governor’s once pristine image. There is no doubt in my mind that many Alaskans are feeling pretty excited about this. But we live in our own little bubble up here, and most of the attention we get is because of The Bridge to Nowhere, polar bears, the indictment of Ted Stevens, and the ongoing investigation and conviction of the string of legislators and oil executives who literally called themselves “The Corrupt Bastards Club”. So seeing our governor out there in the national spotlight accepting the nomination for Vice Presidential candidate is just downright surreal. Just months ago, when rumors surfaced that she was on the long version of the short list, she was questioned if she’d be interested in the position. She said she couldn’t answer “until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here....” There is no doubt that Palin has fierce territorial loyalties. When elected governor there was much concern because she came right out and said she would favor her own home town of Wasilla (where she was mayor) and its surrounding environs collectively known as “the Valley” while leading the state. And it’s obvious from her statement that Alaska was on her mind when accepting the VP nod (see my emphasis above). So what is it that we’re “trying to accomplish up here”? Palin is currently in the middle of a controversial gas pipeline project in Alaska. She’s favored the ‘Trans Canada’ proposal that will run the pipeline through Canada, in effect shipping US jobs over the border. Many Alaskans, including former governors, have favored the “All Alaska Route”. She is also sueing the federal government over listing the polar bears as a threatened species. The science was even compelling enough to convince the Secretery of the Interior that the bears needed to be listed. But acknowlegement of this issue, and the potential disruption to development on Alaska’s oil-rich north slope spurred Palin to attempt to stop the listing. Does she want to open ANWR? Yes. Every politician in Alaska wants to open ANWR. It’s basically a requirement if you ever hope to get elected for anything. Even Mark Begich, the progressive Democrat running against the indicted Senator and Alaskan institution Ted Stevens, is pro-drilling. That’s the sea we swim in up here. There are a few anti-drilling folks, but you have to look hard to find them, and work hard to have them admit it. Will all this wash with voters in the ‘Lower 48′? Time will tell. 18 Million Cracks in the Glass Ceiling It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women. I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this. Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination. It was historic that she made it as far as she did. Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman...a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits. When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling. Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick? No. So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting. Governor “Squeakyclean”....or not. Another focus of Palin’s introduction today was her reform image. Listen to John McCain and you’ll hear about a maverick reformer who took on big oil, took on corrupt Alaska politicians, and whose ethics are unquestioned. Alaskans really want to like Sarah Palin. In a state where corruption is the rule, and the same faces keep recycling over and over and over again like a bad dream, a new face, with a promise of reform seemed like a breath of fresh air. Palin defeated incumbent governor Frank Murkowski (father of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who he appointed to his own Senate seat when he was elected governor) because he was such an obnoxious, bloviating, downright BAD politician. This staunchly republican state voted with relief, not having to cross over and vote Democratic, but still able to get Murkowski the hell out of office. In the general election Palin swept into office running against a former Democratic governor, Tony Knowles, who was capable but came with baggage. And he represented to Alaskans more of the same, tired old-style politics, and special interests that we have come to loathe. So, if McCain had made his selection six months ago, the squeaky-clean governor meme would have made a little more sense. But, Sarah Palin is currently under an ethics investigation by the Alaska state legislature. The details of this investigation read like a trashy novel, and I suspect that the players will soon have newfound celebrity on the national stage. I’ll try to explain for all you non-Alaskans who suddenly have good reason to want to know more about Sarah Palin. For those of you not interested in trashy novels, feel free to skip ahead. Here it is...what we in Alaska call “TrooperGate”. Sarah Palin’s sister Molly married a guy named Mike Wooten who is an Alaska State Trooper. Mike and Molly had a rocky marriage. When the marriage broke up, there was a bitter custody fight that is still ongoing. During the custody investigation, all sorts of things were brought up about Wooten including the fact that he had illegally shot a moose (yes folks this is Alaska), driven drunk, and used a taser (on the test setting, he reminds us) on his 11-year old stepson, who supposedly had asked to see what it felt like. While Wooten has turned out to be a less than stellar figure, the fact that Palin’s father accompanied him on the infamous moose hunt, and that many of the dozens of charges brought up by the Palin family happened long before they were ever reported smacked of desperate custody fight. Wooten’s story is that he was basically stalked by the family. After all this, Wooten was investigated and disciplined on two counts and allowed to kept his position with the troopers. Enter Walt Monegan, Palin’s appointed new chief of the Department of Public Safety and head of the troopers. Monegan was beloved by the troopers, did a bang-up job with minimal funding and suddenly got axed. Palin was out of town and Monegan got “offered another job” (aka fired) with no explanation to Alaskans. Pressure was put on the governor to give details, because rumors started to swirl around the fact that the highly respected Monegan was fired because he refused to fire the aforementioned Mike Wooten. Palin vehemently denied ever talking to Monegan or pressuring Monegan in any way to fire Wooten, or that anyone on her staff did. Over the weeks it has come out that not only was pressure applied, there were literally dozens of conversations in which pressure was applied to fire him. Monegan has testified to this fact, spurring an ongoing investigation by the Alaska state legislature. But, before this investigation got underway, Palin sent the Alaska State Attorney General out to do some investigative work of his own so she could find out in advance what the real investigation was going to find. (No, I’m not making this up). The AG interviewed several people, unbeknownst to the actual appointed investigator or the Legislature! Palin’s investigation of herself uncovered a recorded phone call retained by the Alaska State Troopers from Frank Bailey, a Palin underling, putting pressure on a trooper about the Wooten non-firing. Todd Palin (governor’s husband) even talked to Monegan himself in Palin’s office while she was away. Bailey is now on paid administrative leave. As if this weren’t enough, Monegan’s appointed replacement Chuck Kopp, turns out to have been the center of his own little scandal. He received a letter of reprimand and was reassigned after sexual harrassment allegations by a former coworker who didn’t like all the unwanted kissing and hugging in the office. Was he vetted? Obviously not. When he was questioned about all this, his comment was that no one had asked him and he thought they all knew. Kopp, defiant, still claimed to have done nothing wrong and said to the press that there was no way he was stepping down from his new position. Twenty four hours later, he stepped down. Later it was uncovered that he received a $10,000 severance package for his two weeks on the job from Palin. Monegan got nothing. After extensive news coverage about all this nasty behind-the-scenes scandal, which is definitely NOT squeaky clean, Palin’s approval ratings fell to 67%, still high, but a far cry from the 90% number that’s being thrown around so glibly by the Republicans today. Alaskans are quickly becoming disillusioned once again. “Executive Experience” Before her meteoric rise to political success as governor, just two short years ago Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla. I had a good chuckle at MSN.com’s claim that she had been the mayor of “Wasilla City”. It is not a city. Just Wasilla. Wasilla is the heart of the Alaska “Bible belt” and Sarah was raised amongst the tribe that believes creationism should be taught in our public schools, homosexuality is a sin, and life begins at conception. She’s a gun-toting, hang ‘em high conservative. Remember...this is where her approval ratings come from. There is no doubt that McCain again is making a strategic choice to appeal to a particular demographic - fundamentalist right-wing gun-owning Christians. And Republican bloggers are already gushing about how she has ‘more executive experience’ than Obama does! Above is a picture of lovely downtown Wasilla, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. Behind the Mug-Shot Saloon (the first bar I visited when I moved to Alaska long ago) is a little strip mall. There are street signs in Wasilla with bullet holes in them. Wasilla has a population of about 5500 people, and 1979 occupied housing units. This is where your potential Vice President was two short years ago. Can you imagine her negotiating a nuclear non-proliferation treaty? Discussing foreign policy? Understanding non-Alaskan issues? Frankly, I don’t even know if she’s ever been out of the country. She may ‘get’ Alaska, but there are only a half a million people here. Don’t get me wrong....I love Alaska with all my heart. I’m just saying. I, and all Alaskans will be interested to see how this whole process unfolds. This is definitely a gamble for McCain, and in my humble opinion, a gift to Obama and to Joe Biden who just got thrown a big hunk of red meat for the vice presidential debate. This is the wedge-issue, desperate ’Hail Sarah’ pass of the McCain campaign. Now I’m off to get some Jiffy Pop.

Sarah Palin? McCain’s Next Trophy Girl? August 29, 2008 Well, this Alaskan is sitting here in disbelief. This is a total gift to the Obama - Biden ticket. As the nation scrambles to figure out who Sarah Palin IS, the thinking people of Alaska are simply mystified. I’ll be posting about this a lot later in the day after I’m awake, (it’s early a.m. here in Alaska) but first impressions: This woman is going to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency? Two years ago she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. For those of you out of state, this is as small, and backwoods as it sounds. A dark horse candidate for governor, she was elected on the ‘anybody but Frank Murkowski’ ticket. Our previous governor went down hard in his primary bid for reelection, because basically he was the worst governor, ever. People questioned whether Sarah Palin was actually qualified to be governor of a state that has 1/2 a million people in it. McCain obviously is looking for the Hillary vote since apparently he thinks women need no other criteria than a set of ovaries to mark their ballot, right? I mean women don’t actually make policy decisions, do they? He’s also looking for the Evangelical vote. Palin, a creationist, anti-gay, pro-lifer will appeal to this crowd. Her fondness for creationism in schools, and the recent birth of a Downs Syndrome child can’t hurt here. Did I say recent birth of a child? Why, yes. Our new Vice Presidential candidate has four children plus an infant son. She obviously feels caring for her newborn won’t get in the way of her Vice Presidential duties. And don’t worry fellas. There’s plenty for you. Sarah won second place in the Miss Alaska contest! Didn’t they have a card for that in Monopoly? And John McCain knows how important it is to have a trophy wife Veep on his arm. John McCain has just done something that Obama has not been able to do yet - prove to the world unequivocably that McCain doesn’t have the judgement to be President. He will never ever be able to hold his head up and say that Obama isn’t “ready to lead”. The pro-drilling crowd will be pleased too. Why she’s even sueing the Federal Government for daring to suggest that polar bears should be listed as ‘threatened’. Can’t have those damned bears interfering with the oil rigs. And then there’s that annoying little ethics investigation by the Alaska State Legislature... I think I’ll be chuckling all weekend over this. More to come later. There’s just so much fodder here. Where’s a blogger to start? ------------------------------------------------------- While the various stories appearing with rapidity will certainly require checking and confirming, it seems the items recounted above are substantive. Add to them the reports this evening of the number of conflicting or potentially controversial public statements attributed to Sarah Palin. These include her statement today that she just told Congress “Thanks but no thanks” in regard to the bridge to nowhere but she was quoted during the initial “bridge” snafu saying in effect Alaska needed to get all the earmarks possible while her officials were in places of influence. She was also a part of Pat Buchanan’s followers in his presidential brigade, and is suing, that is the state of Alaska is, the US government to prohibit the polar bear from being placed on the endangered species list. She is also a member of the Feminists for Life group, an organization which purports to support full equality for women, support of all issues of “life” including opposition to the death penalty and to workplace discrimination, and has as its central activity today aggressive campaigns to eliminate abortion. That campaign includes rejecting abortion for any reason except in limited cases affecting the life of the mother in which the fetus can not be saved in any event (this according to their website). Sharon Barbosa-Crain,Irving, TX [Former Irving City Council Member]

American Player song..so beautiful

french support — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:23:56 EDT

AMERICAN PRAYER SONG on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=287966214&s=143441 RINGTONE http://www.myxer.com/CHANGE or text "CHANGE" to 69937 to get your "American ...

Electoral Vote Website

Beverly Jurenko — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:31:12 EDT

Check it out...

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

Shows we need all the help we can get in TX, LO, MS, etc.

CNN's new low

Laurie Singh — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:48:49 EDT

From CNN Politics website

August 22, 2008

CNN headline:

Behind the Scenes: Meet George Obama - We found Barack Obama's half-brother living in a Nairobi slum....

(Further down in the article):

Reports surfaced in the past few days, springing from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama is living in a shack and "earning less than a dollar a day."

The reports left him angry. "I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything."

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/22/bts.obama.brother/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Finding People

Beverly Jurenko — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:58:26 EDT

Someone from Ghent is trying to contact me, but this website sends his comment but not his email. So I cannot respond. Is there a way to search by name for emails of people?

"Media Matters" by Jamison Foser, MediaMatters.org

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:53:44 EDT

Foser takes a very close look at the type of media coverage Obama has been receiving by the MSM -- a must read article!

Full Article Below:

"Media Matters" by Jamison Foser

MediaMatters.org

Obama coverage finds dark lining around silver clouds

Looking at recent media coverage of Sen. Barack Obama, it's hard not to be a bit amused at the contortions reporters have gone through to portray the Democratic presidential candidate in a negative light. News organizations that know Sen. John McCain's campaign is lying about Obama adopt those lies as the framework for their coverage. Reports on campaign polling obsess over Obama's inability to garner the support of more than 50 percent of the public -- all the while McCain struggles to stay above 40. And, increasingly, reporters and pundits have taken to describing Obama's seemingly positive qualities as fraught with electoral peril.

None of this is particularly surprising. Two years ago, I wrote:

No matter who emerges as a progressive leader, or a high-profile Democrat, they're in for the same flood of conservative misinformation in the media. Too many people chalk up outrageous media treatment of, say, Al Gore or John Kerry to the men's own flaws, pretending that if they were better candidates, they'd have gotten better press coverage. That's naïve. The Democratic Party could nominate Superman to be their next presidential candidate, and two things would happen: conservatives would smear him, and the media would join in.

The eagerness with which the media have spread some truly bizarre criticisms of Obama confirms this theory. Just think about some of the things Obama has seen the media portray as weaknesses. He's too popular and respected. He's too well-educated. His great speeches are attended by many enthusiastic people -- just like Hitler! He's too fit.

Yes: The Wall Street Journal would have you believe that Barack Obama faces an uphill electoral climb because he may be "Too Fit to Be President." Journal reporter Amy Chozick devoted more than 1,300 words to exploring this pressing topic:

[I]n a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them.

Just for good measure, the Journal included a graphic depicting Obama, McCain, and five presidents. For four of the five presidents, along with McCain, the Journal respectfully chose photos in which the men were wearing suits (though Taft was without his jacket.) In the photo the Journal chose for Bill Clinton, he was in mid-jog, in shorts, T-shirt, and a baseball cap; Obama was in exercise garb, with a basketball in his hand.

Chozick apparently had some trouble finding people to support the crackpot premise that Obama's physical fitness might cause voters to question his fitness for office, so she turned to trolling Internet message boards in desperate search of someone -- anyone -- she could quote. As the blog Sadly, No! revealed, Chozick posted a Yahoo! Message Board thread on July 15, asking, "Does anyone out there think Barack Obama is too thin to be president? Anyone having a hard time relating to him and his 'no excess body fat'? Please let me know. Thanks!"

About three-and-a-half hours later, Chozick got her first response -- a post ridiculing her for her focus on "totally meaningless drivel." Nearly an hour after that, Chozick finally got the response she was looking for. A user posting under the name "onlinebeerbellygirl" wrote, "Yes I think He [sic] is to [sic] skinny to be President. ... I won't vote for any beanpole guy." Chozick quoted the post in her article -- one of only two quotes agreeing with the premise of the article. She did not, however, disclose that the quote had come only after she started a thread encouraging people to make such comments. After she got caught, the Journal acknowledged: "The article should have disclosed that the reporter used the bulletin board to elicit the comment."

There may be more to it than that. A post in a subsequent Yahoo! Message Board discussion thread devoted to Chozick's article noted that "[n]either Chozick nor 'onlinebeerbellygirl' has made any other posts on Yahoo before or since, and both profiles appear to have been created on 7/15, the day Chozick started the topics. It certainly looks like Amy Chozick constructed the whole thing."

Another post wondered: "Do WSJ reporters make up fake IDs and make up fake quotes?"

Chozick's original thread has been deleted (a cached copy is available here). Even more curiously, a search of the Yahoo! message boards for "onlinebeerbellygirl" comes up empty. Whether "onlinebeerbellygirl" ever really existed at all or was a Chozick invention, running a 1,300-word article suggesting Obama is too skinny to be president, based upon a random Internet message board post, is insane. As Slate.com's Tim Noah noted, "In the vastness of cyberspace, you can always find somebody who will say whatever you want."

You might think that The Wall Street Journal's speculation that Obama's failure to be overweight might cost him the presidency was so inane and baseless that no other journalist could possibly repeat this nonsense. You might think that, if you haven't been reading Maureen Dowd. Sure enough, Dowd raced to quote the Journal article in her Sunday New York Times column:

In The Wall Street Journal, Amy Chozick wrote that Hillary supporters -- who loved their heroine's admission that she was on Weight Watchers -- were put off by Obama's svelte, zero-body-fat figure.
"He needs to put some meat on his bones," said Diana Koenig, a 42-year-old Texas housewife. Another Clinton voter sniffed on a Yahoo message board: "I won't vote for any beanpole guy."

It's a good thing The New York Times keeps Maureen Dowd around. How else would their readers be exposed to crackpot theories found in ethically questionable Wall Street Journal articles?

But the most cynical assault on Obama has been the suggestion that he's "too presidential." That's what much of the media criticism of Obama's recent trip abroad boiled down to, James Rainey explained in the Los Angeles Times:

The candidate's crowning demonstrations of hubris, according to those building a case, came during his extended trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Europe. Recall the pundits demanding the freshman Illinois senator prove he could be presidential in the foreign arena?
So he appeared at ease with world leaders, talked animatedly with beaming American troops and drew huge civilian crowds. Then the pundits -- who had been taking a round of bashing for supposedly going easy on Obama -- told Obama he needed to beware of appearing too presidential.

What makes this criticism so distasteful is that throughout the primaries, the media kept saying various candidates looked "presidential" or "like a president." The pundits rarely explained what it means to "look[] like a president," but those candidates had at least two things in common: They were white, and they were men. I don't remember Barack Obama (or Hillary Clinton) being described that way. So, after excluding Barack Obama from their lists of candidates who "look presidential," the media have moved on to suggesting he looks too presidential.

Too popular. Too well-educated. Too fit. Too presidential. The guy doesn't stand a chance. No wonder media coverage of poll results that show Obama beating McCain makes it sound like McCain is winning.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200808080014?f=h_latest

CHANGE

swimmer — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:24:49 EDT

You see I know change
I see change
I embody change
All we do is change
Yeah, I know change

We are born to change
We sometimes regard it as a metaphor
That reflects the way things ought to be

In fact change takes time
It exceeds expectations
It requires both now and then
See although the players change
The song remains the same
And the truth is
You gotta have the balls to change

The One and Only Neo-Neo

Beverly Jurenko — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:12:42 EDT

It has been pointed out to me by someone that in reality the intention of McCain's 'The One' advert was to sarcastically compare Obama to Neo, the protagonist in The Matrix. A nice piece on this is in this link:

Spoof</strong><br>A "fun video" released by the John McCain campaign pounces on the supposed arrogance of Barack Obama, referring to the Democratic candidate as The One.<br><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/923761/mccain_campaign_calls_barack_obama.html">View more »</a>

Given that the Columbine High School Massacre of 1999 was reportedly inspired by the climactic gun scene in The Matrix, I had not considered that a US presidential candidate would make this association part of his campaign. This is not just in poor taste but also just plain creepy.

So I stand corrected, but still like the idea that McCain has midi-chlorian envy.

The One - An Allusion to Star Wars?

Beverly Jurenko — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:23:10 EDT

Most of us are aware by now of McCain's ad, posted on YouTube on August 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3OMxraM_eg), in which the announcer says that Obama has "anointed himself to carry the burden of One." Hilariously, the video cuts to the clip of Charlton Heston as Moses parting the Red Sea in the 1956 movie, "The Ten Commendments." Casting Obama as Moses is an idea as heretic to Obama as insolent for McCain. Clearly, this ad is meant to tear at our religious conventions. But imagine that originally, before the ad was made, there was another connection behind the idea of the One.

Maybe the One is linked to a character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Anointed One, who first appeared in the episode "Never Kill a Boy on your First Date." This prophecy said (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointed_One_%28Buffyverse%29):

"And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior... The Five will die, and from their ashes the Anointed shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall meet him and usher him to his immortal destiny. ...the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell."

If you asked me, we have been led into a deeper hell than we ever foresaw when we, the people of the United States of America, allowed the Presidential Elections of 2000 and 2004 to have the outcomes they did by staying home on Election Day. No, it seems unlikely that this has anything to do with Buffy.

Could this be an ridiculous allusion to Star Wars? In the lesser-known episode of George Lucas' epic works, "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", a young Anakin Skywalker is thought by the Jedi Masters as The One. Here is an exerpt from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anakin_Skywalker):

"Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) finds Anakin on the planet Tatooine. Qui-Gon is convinced that Skywalker is the "Chosen One", foretold by a Jedi prophecy to bring balance to the Force. Shmi reveals that there was no father. Over the course of the narrative, Qui-Gon goes on to discover that Anakin has the highest known number of midi-chlorians, a measure of a being's potential as a Force-adept."

Anikin goes on to father the Jedi Knight, Luke, before turning to the Dark Side and becoming the legendary Darth Vader. Are you laughing yet? Does Senator McCain have midi-chlorian envy?

To quote the Sister Toldjah website, "Dayum!"

(http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2008/07/31/dayum-that-mccain-is-one-clever-guy/

Even if McCain tries to inspire apocalyptic fear by calling Senator Obama "The One," Obama will still be the Winner.

Beverly Jurenko
Brussels Belgium
August 3, 2008

Event in Brussels August 7 - Special Viewings

Beverly Jurenko — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:05:00 EDT

Please join Democrats Abroad and Brussels for Obama for a special viewing of Obama’s Berlin Speech and his keynote speech on race, “A More Perfect Union”. Meet local members of Democrats Abroad, Obama supporters, and learn how you can get involved. Even if you are not an Obama supporter, come and exchange views. Change can’t happen without you! The event will be held at: James Joyce Irish Pub, Rue Archimedes 34, 1000 Brussels, on August 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm. For more information, email Beverly Jurenko at beverly.jurenko@yahoo.com, or visit: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/BrusselsforObama

Barack in Berlin: My reaction: America needs let go of Europe.

ESLaPorte — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:24:57 EDT

I thought that the speech given by Barack Obama was an important history lesson in the Cold War, the defeat of communism was also an achievement of Europeans, including Pope John Paul II. However, this is just that, history. The defeat of communism in Europe and around the globe was not just an American feat.

What Barack pointed out to Berliners and Europeans is the role of immigrants and minorities and their struggles and contributions. From the opening, Barack opened up by pointing out that his father was a Kenyan goat keeper and there was a wonderful African cheer from the crowd. What made this spectacular and pointed – was this was in the backdrop of what is currently occurring in Europe – the harsh "Return" Directive which would allow EU Member States to lock up undocumented immigrants for 18 months and then ban them from the European Continent for five years. What is missing in Europe is that people do not choose to undertake the dangers and struggles to migrate from Africa and South America to Europe for freedom, but for a better life and to feed their families. Barack included this stoy about his father in the backdrop the building of Fortress Europe and the coming of harsh immigration policies sweeping the continent.

Barack mentioned a partnership between Europe and America. American needs partnership that are real partnership, where America is willing to give something, not just take, and to listen to partners, not just arrogantly dictate terms. These partnerships include other nations and regions of the world, not just Europe. This includes the idea that America accepts criticism of its policies from others, including the so-called “war on terrorism” and “Guantanamo Bay” and the death penalty, poverty in America and torture, among others.

I was disappointed in that Barack continued with the same ol’ “what America did for Europe,” without what Europe has done for itself and the achievements of the European Union. Again, Europe and European nations must be free to decide their own security, defense and foreign policy apart from the dictates of Washington. Barack’s speech was again full of messages that “America rules Europe” and failed to acknowledge the achievements of Europeans in the name of their own peace and security – and the creation of the greatest project of human kind, the European project, the European Union. Europe must be "allowed" to continue in its own path, which will take it away from "American leadership." America must accept that the future will be without America “leading Europe” – but an independent European superpower.

Another note: My father took part in the Berlin Airlift and served in the military all over Europe in the Cold War.

Free Obama Button

Beverly Jurenko — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:38:57 EDT

Hey,

Want a free Obama button? MoveOn's giving them away totally free--no strings attached. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.

Click this link to get a free Obama button:

http://pol.moveon.org/obamabuttons/?id=-9183751-1YIG2Ox

Thanks!

Obama Trip Photo Album: Berlin

Mark Wiznitzer — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:40:34 EDT

Democratic US presidential contender Barack Obama in front of the Victory Column and waves to the audience in Berlin, Germany, 24 July 2008.

Speaking to a crowd of 200,000 in Berlin, Barack Obama issued a trans-Atlantic call for cooperation.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, is welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the chancellery in Berlin Thursday, July 24, 2008. In the background is the the Reichstag that houses the German parliament.

The Real Skinny on Obama's Palate Pleasers

Mark Wiznitzer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:52:10 EDT

Today I received the following email, presumably anticipating Obama’s August 4 birthday:

“Does anyone know, what is Senator Obama's favorite kind of cake? Please let us know. Thank you. David”

As a result of David’s inquiry and for the benefit of all those with similar questions, I’ve compiled most of the reliable information about Barack’s eating habits. It’s not easy sorting through all the phony facts on the internet sites where they ask: “What is Obama’s favorite food”. There are lots of pranksters on the loose. I did chuckle at the Republican who claimed Obama’s favorite is “waffle,” but there are a lot of racist jokers with puerile and predictable suggestions, like KFC, fried chicken and watermelon.

So here’s the scoop. According to the NY Times of May 27, his personal assistant during the campaign, Reggie Love, revealed:

Senator Obama “eats pretty much anything, from chicken wings and barbecue and ribs to grilled fish and steamed broccoli.” But when he is campaigning in a small town with limited options, a cheeseburger is always a good bet. (“Cheddar is the cheese of choice,” Mr. Love added.) He knows that “the boss,” as he calls Mr. Obama, likes MET-Rx chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew — Black Forest Berry Honest Tea. He keeps a supply of both on hand.

Here are other known likes: Planters Trail Mix: Nuts, Seeds & Raisins, Roasted almonds, Pistachios, Water, Dentyne Ice, Nicorette, Vegetables (especially broccoli and spinach), handmade milk chocolates from Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle.

The NY Times reported the candidate’s efforts to quit cigarette smoking included chewing Nicorette gum. One reported side effect of Nicorette is heartburn.

And dislikes: Mayonnaise, Salt and vinegar potato chips, asparagus (“if no other vegetables are available, he’ll eat it”), and Soft drinks.

In response David’s specific question though, here’s what Obama McCain Comparisons says (which appears to give you carte blanche in deciding what to bake for the big day):

“According to Obama’s daughters he doesn’t like sweets so much... he does like pumpkin pie.”

This same site as well as others claim that based on an interview on January 18 of this year Obama’s favorite restaurant is Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL. The website tried, but failed to identify Obama’s favorite toppings. This restaurant is known for its thin crust pizza and spreading toppings to the edge of the pie. His view on where he likes to eat appears to be one position Obama has not changed since he clinched the Democratic nomination.

Obama apparently also enjoys shrimp and grits, though it is not clear if that is a home-made or eat-out dish.

One thing is absolutely clear. Chili is Obama’s favorite food to cook and/or bring to a potluck. In fact, here are his own words and recipe:

“I’ve been using this chili recipe since college and would bring it to any potluck. I can’t reveal all the secrets, but if you make it right, it’s just got the right amount of bite, the right amount of oomph in it and it will clear your sinuses.”

Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped; 1 green pepper, chopped; Several cloves of garlic, chopped; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound ground turkey or beef; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano; 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon ground basil; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped; 1 can red kidney beans.

Method:

Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Combine spices together into a mixture then add to ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

There you have it. Of course Obama may develop a hearty appetite in the course of this campaign. So maybe after November 4, when asked what Obama likes to eat, you’ll just have to say: “McCain’s lunch!”

wizinit is the nom de guerre of a veteran diplomat and fan of the late columnist Art Buchwald who writes serious analysis and political satire. If you would like to be notified whenever wizinit posts a new article click on the logo to join Food Tasters For Obama.

Obama in Afghanistan - Report from DA Person

Beverly Jurenko — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:57:34 EDT

Copied from Meredith Wheeler's post:

This report of Barack's visit to Afghanistan comes from a member of Democrats Abroad named Jake Klonoski.

He posted it originally on the Democrats Abroad listserv--but I think it deserves a wider audience:

Hey all,
Just got to see Sen Obama on his way from the US embassy in Kabul. You should have seen the security coverage, several Blackhawks circling as his Chinook came in and following his motorcade out. Though seeing him (from a distance) out here is thrill, even more exciting was the crowd of service members from many nations who waited for a momentary glimpse.

Of course, out here (almost) any excitement is welcomed in the stretches of boredom that accompany duty in Afghanistan, but as we waited for something to happen for over an hour the discussion of everyone's feeling and thoughts for the election and Afghanistan's future revealed just how much people out here are pinning their hopes on the US to make a good call this November and for the next president to get things done to recover from recent setbacks.

These are the guys and gals who have been on multiple combat tours, some here, many in Iraq, and sound bites about "Cutting and Running" or "Bring It On" don't go far. They want intelligent discussion and results. I hope American voters are smart enough to demand the same for the next few months, and the next four years.

As everyone focuses on each little shift in campaign strategy, each media story of the day, I hope they remember that momentary disappointments or elation need to be kept in the context of the folks dying out here. Lost another Coalition soldier yesterday afternoon, and it has been a rough week for civilian casualties in the crossfire with a resurgent Taliban. Very glad Sen Obama knows this is where he should be, if only for a day or two.

As one British Sergeant exclaimed, "I just got a photo of the next President of the United States!" I do hope he is right.

Jake Klonoski
Kabul, Afghanistan

Obama Goes Global: Visibility in Over 35 Countries

Mark Wiznitzer — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:40:04 EDT

Obama Supporters at Paris' Pont des Arts

Primary voters in early states were mightily surprised when they learned the man on the phone named "Skipp," whose genial voice urged their support for Barack Obama was calling from... Japan! Retired as president of Boeing Japan, Skipp Orr is one of many Obama supporters abroad who are doing what they can. In Skipp's case that also included fundraising and speaking to expatriates and students near his second home in Toulouse, France.

Like their counterparts at home, these supporters have formed grassroots groups and networks to help elect Obama. They are highly motivated, having witnessed and experienced first-hand the decline abroad of respect for America under the Bush Administration. So they take to the tasks of campaigning -- making calls, fundraising, writing to local publications, voting as Democrats Abroad, and requesting absentee ballots for November -- with tremendous fervor. And they have coordinated one of the most novel approaches to "visibility" through the Bridges for Obama project.

London's Millenium Footbridge

To date, Obama supporters -- American and foreign -- have conducted their visibility in over 35 countries, on every continent. Meredith Wheeler in France describes the effort:

"The project is gathering photographs and videos of Obama supporters around the world, posing at, on or under famous or scenic bridges, displaying Obama banners--the bridge being an ideal symbol for the Obama candidacy. Bridges unite two banks, spans chasms, gaps and troubled water, brings together opposing sides."

Lebanon's Sowfar Bridge - Yes We Span!

A video montage of the project may be presented at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August. But in the meantime, you can view a slideshow of the Yes We Span groups doing their thing here. A full list of the countries and bridges (several have multiple locations) is provided below.

Vienna - Obama supporters on the Kennedy Bridge

Which brings me to another related bridge matter. New York State has voted to rededicate and rename the Triborough Bridge connecting New York City's Manhattan, Queens and Bronx boroughs. Culminating a year of events honoring his life and commemorating the 40th anniversary of his tragic death, it will officially become The Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in November. Now is a good time to learn more about or contribute to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights.

Senators Frank Moss (D-Utah) and Robert F. Kennedy (D-New York) with Art Buchwald (center) at Glen Canyon Dam in 1967.

Media Coverage of Obama and McCain: "Nuts" or a "Disgrace"? by Eric Boehlert, Media Matters for America

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:58:03 EDT

A great article on media ineptness!

Here's a portion of the article:

Boehlert writes:

"...the Beltway press corps has become so borderline dysfunctional that even the simplest tasks, such as selecting which stories to cover -- such as using common sense -- now escape most of the major players at the mainstream news organizations.

Two events in recent days reaffirmed that sad conclusion, when entire news organizations opted to throw all sorts of time and attention at what was essentially a pointless campaign-related sideshow, while simultaneously displaying blanket indifference to what should have been the campaign story of the week, if not the month or possibly the entire summer.

Last week, after being hyped by Matt Drudge and Fox News, the Beltway press unanimously decided that Rev. Jesse Jackson's whispered comments, picked up on a live television set mic, in which he expressed anger with Sen. Barack Obama and used some crude language to convey his sentiments (i.e. he wanted to cut off Obama's "nuts"), represented a hugely important event. It was the most-covered campaign story of the week.

By contrast, McCain said at a campaign appearance in Denver on July 7 that the Social Security system as structured in America, in which younger people pay taxes to support the benefits of retirees, is an "absolute disgrace" -- but his proclamation was mostly passed over as being irrelevant. The disconnect between the coverage was astounding.

Read the Full Article Here:

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/91776/

Obama in Berlin: One Speech, Two Audiences

Mark Wiznitzer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:18:35 EDT

Barack Obama’s first trip to Europe as the “presumptive” Democratic nominee will consist of stops in Great Britain, France and Germany. Only one public speech is planned on July 24 in Berlin. The exact location is not yet announced. But psericks has provided fascinating political, historical and even architectural details about the Brandenburger Tor and other possible venues.

Obama’s campaign has proven itself as masterful (if you forgive the faux blue Presidential seal and treatment of ladies in head scarves) at choreographing the backdrop for his speeches as he is in delivering them. Berlin should be no exception. It is a thriving pan-European cultural center 63 years after WWII and two short decades since German unification. And it is full of people who, like a majority of Germans, are wildly enthusiastic about Obama. Europeans generally appear to hope Obama will be the anti-Bush, sent to heal America’s heart and soul. So at whatever place Obama eventually speaks, there should be an enthusiastic throng and prospects for a great “photo op.”

Of course, photo ops can be tricky (see insert for a personal recollection of Jimmy Carter’s missing Caracas photo op). And truly meaningful and lasting memories, like the words and visuals of the Kennedy and Reagan visits, require an almost divine alignment of man, space and time. It is not certain that all these constellations are yet in proper orbit for Obama’s visit, however. For one thing, he will actually be speaking to two important but very different audiences.

Quest For The Perfect Photo Op
President Jimmy Carter made a visit to Caracas, Venezuela in March 1978. I only vaguely recall the event even though I was personally there. It was supposed to be the start of an important visit to Latin America in the wake of the Panama Canal Treaty having been signed, ushering in a new era of US-Latin American relations. However, from my vantage point as a very junior officer serving at U.S. Embassy Caracas, it was not particularly eventful. And while the embassy’s senior staff jostled for “face time” with the President, I was assigned minor logistical duties.

I do clearly recall though that the White House advance team was obsessed about finding the perfect photo op. There were rumors it might appear in or maybe even make the cover of Time magazine. They decided to go for a still shot of Carter and Carlos Andres Perez (CAP), at the time riding high at the peak of Venezuela’s oil boom, walking through the colorful gardens at La Casona, the presidential mansion. I’ve searched, but could not find such a photo through Google.
There is, however, a small picture of the airport arrival ceremony in Google images and The American Presidency Project’s transcript of both presidents’ remarks. Reading the remarks today evokes pathos. For less than a year later, Ayatollah Khomeini would return to Iran, another OPEC country, to lead the revolution that would ultimately cause Carter’s downfall. And in his second term 15 years later, CAP would be forced from of office on corruption charges after surviving a military coup in 1992 by a young lieutenant colonel named Hugo Chavez.
The online transcript of the ceremony says that Carter delivered his speech at Simon Bolivar airport in Maiquetia in Spanish. If he did, I missed it. I was too busy behind-the-scenes making sure the President’s entourage boarded the cars waiting on the tarmac to whisk them all to Caracas.

First and most important is the audience that will not even be there: the American people. They, of course, will elect the next President. In a normally slow summer news cycle, Obama’s current world tour -- which also includes stops in Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan -- will be closely watched here at home. However since the US media cannot be relied on to accurately report this trip, the Berlin speech is probably the most important opportunity between the last primary in early June and the Denver convention in late August for Obama to speak directly to American voters.

The other audience will include the people at the speech itself, as well as millions of other Europeans who are watching our presidential election with awe and expectation. For reasons related to their education, media focus and historic reliance on America, this audience is extremely well-informed about our politics. In fact, the average European may be as well or better informed about our national politics as the average American. But after the 2000 and 2004 elections, many Europeans have lost confidence in our ability to conduct elections and in our capacity to make a rational decision about who will lead us.

As much as Americans and Europeans have in common, and there are many ties that remain strong, these two audiences will assess Barack Obama’s performance in Berlin with different concerns and sometimes contradictory perspectives. Americans need to get to know Obama even if they don’t want to. Europeans want to get to know him even if they don’t need to.

Americans face this summer preoccupied by immediate economic problems here at home: the rising cost of gas and food, loss of jobs, home foreclosures and failing financial institutions. As Europeans head out on their traditional extended summer holidays they worry that America’s economic meltdown is dragging down their own banks and jeopardizing their unprecedented standard of living.

America worries about how it can safely extricate its troops from Iraq and restore the rule of law undermined after 9/11. Europe worries that it will be pressured to step up its commitment of forces in Afghanistan. And many Europeans wonder if the next Administration will be prepared to prosecute US officials responsible for violating international laws, conducting renditions, maintaining secret prisons and practicing torture.

America is struggling to assimilate the latest wave in a long history of immigration. Europe is wondering it its current immigrant population explosion is a threat to its religious and cultural identity, like the Ottoman conquest that was blocked somer 300 years ago.

Americans were united geographically following the Civil War, but national partisan divisions based largely on “values” and ideology now stymie government’s ability to provide for the public weal. European countries have for the first time achieved a semblance of transnational unity based on voluntary association, but they now struggle with how further to proceed further with institutional and policy harmonization.

When Barack Obama speaks in Berlin, he will be simultaneously addressing these disparate and sometime conflicting realities. His greatest challenge will not be adapting his style, but accommodating the substance of his oratory. For trying to satisfy one audience may not please the other. The challenge calls for an artful and nuanced construction of both words and ideas. We know that Obama is capable of meeting that challenge, but it will help considerably to have a great speechwriter who can provide the quotes to go along with the visuals.

wizinit is the nom de guerre of a veteran diplomat and fan of the late columnist Art Buchwald who writes serious analysis and political satire. If you would like to be notified whenever wizinit posts a new article click on the logo to join Food Tasters For Obama.

What to do about Iran...

ESLaPorte — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:57:13 EDT

One of the “cures” for dealing with Iran and working for peace in the Middle East is the creation of a regional security system. To bring Iran into the fold, there would be a effort to bring Iran out of isolation and reintegrate it into the international community. For its part, Iran would have to give reassurances that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes and would also include inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The end result will be toward building a lasting peace and disarmament in the Middle East.

Will Iran comply with demands to stop enriching uranium if it is part of a Middle East security effort?

One perspective (Robert Hunter) I do agree with: The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East may be averted by including Iran in a regional security arrangement. I am a bit of a Kantian Liberal and subscriber into the idea of security communities.

With regard to Iran, Robert Hunter proposes that the insecurity felt in Tehran is due to the fear of U.S. attack. The removal of the perceived threats to Iranian security and the direct negotiations with the government in Tehran toward the goal of a regional security and political structure that Iran, as well as the United States and other countries. There would also be requirements that Iran would have to live up to, such as reassurances of the peaceful intent of its nuclear program, perhaps inspections, cooperation on counter-terrorism and weapon nonproliferation, and the Arab-Israeli peace process.

“The West needs to work toward a wide-ranging security system for the region that would embrace Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Gulf Emirates, Jordan, and post-settlement Israel and Palestine" - Robert Hunter.

Yes- ideally…and I really like Hunter’s ideas and methodology.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit out of London has accessed the outlook for democracy in Iran as poor and that treads are away from democratization. The Iranian government is an amalgamation of elected and unelected bodies that part of Iran’s Islamic government. The prospect for democratization of the Middle East must be pursued through internal reforms of national leaders. There are other issues, such as dealing with sectarian based violence and the place of Islam.

I am a bit of a Kantian Liberal and subscriber into the idea of security communities, just look at the successes of NATO and the European Union. However, I would admit that we are a bit of a way away from creating a security community in the Middle East, although this goal can be worked for…starting with security guarantees for all parties, including and especially for Israel. Some authors are calling for the removal of all nuclear weapons, including from Israel, but this may not be necessary if security guarantees are also given to the other parties to the system.

Cirincione, Joseph. 2005. Iran and Israel’s Nuclear Weapons. http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3217.

The Economist Intelligence Unit. 2005. The Dynamics of Democracy
in the Middle East.
http://graphics.eiu.com/files/ad_pdfs/MidEast_special.pdf

Robert Hunter . The Iran Case: Addressing why countries want Nuclear Weapons. http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2004_12/Hunter.asp

McCain's Vision of the Future Spells: Disaster

Loulair — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:00:53 EDT

http://members.greenpeace.org/action/

Greenpeace action:
http://members.greenpeace.org/action/start/200/

E-mail trouble and my responses to Foreign policy list

ESLaPorte — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:27:19 EDT

Nice to meet you all!

There seems to be something going on with the e-mails to the Obama lists. I keep getting my mails returned to me...so I will have to post from this blog until this is resolved...

People were introducing themselves. so, I'm a European security "wonk." I am two courses away from my Master's in European security studies, which I'm taking from a distance learning course.

With regard to Africa, I do know about the EU mission to the Congo and Chad, but I don't keep up on the all the details. Part of this is an expression of European security identity and cooperation, but another part is that a lot of the migrants to Europe are coming from Africa. The EU wants to open up migration to especially skilled workers from Africa, but this might produce a "brain drain" from African societies...

Erin LaPorte

My response :
First of all, what I meant by "realism" is the international-relations, theoretical perspective, such as Structural Realism, which has its origins with Thomas Hobbs.

Second of all, that was 1949 and the Cold War. There was a real threat from Soviet communism in the aftermath of WWII. NATO was also an answer with what to do with the Western half of Germany. Granted, there was a place for America after WWII, but America had to be coaxed into the negotiations that lead to the North Atlantic Treaty. During the Cold War, Europeans and (North) Americans were in agreement as to the common Soviet enemy, armed for nuclear and conventional warfare. That was then - his is now - and Europe has a different perspective, which it has the right to have.

The argument that you make is the notion that because Europe had security assurances from the US during the Cold War now justifies chaining Europe to NATO and not allowing Europeans to realize their aspirations APART from NATO. The "we saved you butts" is an immoral argument. It is also wrong to have Washington dictate what European common security and defense identity should look like, as well as trying to chain it to NATO.

What we have today as the European Union is a creation by and for Europeans. The Coal and Steel Community was had the purpose of tying especially Germany and France's means to wage war. Cutting European defense free from the NATO ball and chain and "allowing" Europe to create its own defense organization, perhaps with a North Atlantic Council-like structure, is a legitimate viewpoint and one of self determination. Structural realists would argue that European nations would go back to the old power game, but this viewpoint neglects the role of the European Union. The creation of a European defense identity that guarantees European security and especially ties Germany, France, Britain-big powers, along with minor powers like Poland and Spain, is the culmination of the European project and in the spirit of the Schuman Declaration. It is my view that the final touches on the European project will not be in place unless ESDI is built by European and for Europeans.

The Europeans have recognized that terrorism from religious extremeness is, indeed and issue, but believe that it has other causes other than a hypothetical "military conflict." European certainly are not "soft on terrorism," especially in France, which called out it military in the streets after bombings in the 1990's by an Algerian group. The Europeans had fought back against "red" terrorist groups in the Cold War, managed to do it without destroying freedoms, and therefore have vastly more experience with terrorism than Americans do. A good example of two European nations, Greece and Britain, cooperating to crack a terrorist group is the 2002 cracking of the 17 November "red" terrorist group, which had a 27 year run in Greece.

European and security and defense identity is working out very well for Europeans, as is cross boarder cooperation on counter-terrorism. Treating terrorism as a military-only problem is probably useless, unless the terrorism is being sponsored by a nation. Treating terrorism as an international criminal problem requiring international police cooperation (which is what Europeans believe) is an appropriate and legitimate viewpoint. America DOES have a role to play in international police cooperation with the EU with regard to combating terrorism and international crime. However, America must respect European laws and standards, including data protection and human rights.

The Real McCain

Loulair — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:24:48 EDT

http://therealmccain.com/

STOP THE FOX VIRUS INFECTING THE MEDIA

Loulair — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:15:16 EDT

Please, sign the petition at:
http://foxattacks.com/obama

W. regrets almost nothing By Maureen Dowd, New York Times

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:14:36 EDT

W. regrets almost nothing

By MAUREEN DOWD

Published: June 15, 2008

PARIS -- In the French imagination, Barack Obama is already the president.

To the French, the Democratic primary was the general election.

The word "elite" is not a pejorative here; it's a compliment. It does not occur to Parisians that Americans will choose the old, white-haired one if they can have the cool, skinny one with the Ray-Bans, John le Carre novels, chic wife and secret cigarettes.

Newsstands carry a whole magazine devoted to "La revolution OBAMA." The papers are avidly following Obama's post-Hillary quest to "cherche les femmes," and on Friday, Le Figaro led with the headline that he had widened his lead over his "rival republicain."

There was nothing on Le Figaro's front page about that other American guy who was over here, munching on langoustines at the Elysee Palace with Sarko and the seductress Carla (animated and dazzling with a midnight blue dress and a hopelessly long, thin cigarette).

"You kind of wrote my political obituary tonight," W. teased the French president after Sarko's toast Friday night, adding that he still has six months left and a lot of work to do.

In Old Europe, they've moved on, assuming that the American president has done all the damage that he can do. The blazing hostility toward W. has faded to indifference and a sort of fatigued perplexity about how les imbeciles de regime cowboy got into office, and how America could have put the world through all this craziness.

Read the Full Article Here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/opinion/15dowd.html?scp=1&sq=W.+regrets+almost+nothing&st=nyt

Historians see little chance for McCain

Laurie Singh — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:18:53 EDT

David Paul Kuhn Sun Jun 15, 8:05 AM ET Politico

One week into the general election, the polls show a dead heat. But many presidential scholars doubt that John McCain stands much of a chance, if any.

Historians belonging to both parties offered a litany of historical comparisons that give little hope to the Republican. Several saw Barack Obama’s prospects as the most promising for a Democrat since Roosevelt trounced Hoover in 1932.

“This should be an overwhelming Democratic victory,” said Allan Lichtman, an American University presidential historian who ran in a Maryland Democratic senatorial primary in 2006. Lichtman, whose forecasting model has correctly predicted the last six presidential popular vote winners, predicts that this year, “Republicans face what have always been insurmountable historical odds.” His system gives McCain a score on par with Jimmy Carter’s in 1980.

“McCain shouldn’t win it,” said presidential historian Joan Hoff, a professor at Montana State University and former president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. She compared McCain’s prospects to those of Hubert Humphrey, whose 1968 loss to Richard Nixon resulted in large part from the unpopularity of sitting Democratic president Lyndon Johnson.

Many historians see little chance for McCain By David Paul Kuhn, Politico

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:45:37 EDT

Great Article!

Kuhn states that "Historians belonging to both parties offered a litany of historical comparisons that give little hope to the Republican. Several saw Barack Obama’s prospects as the most promising for a Democrat since Roosevelt trounced Hoover in 1932."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11090.html

Belgian weblog for Obama

Tom — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:48:51 EDT

Hello friends,

From the heart of Europe one weblog is supporting Barack Obama since February 2007. In that month Barack started his campaign in Springfield.

Now this weblog is growing very fast. It is fighting for a top 10 position in the political blogs of Belgium.

Help us to kick this weblog into the top 10!

Please visit http://barackobama.skynetblogs.be

Yes we can!!!

Tom

Belgium for Obama

Please forward this message

10 Reason Why McCain is a Terrible Candidate by Liz Arnett , DailyKos

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:53:12 EDT

Arnett asks: "Which of McCain's weaknesses will hurt him the most?"

Read the article and take the poll here:

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/11/01433/9022/158/533785

"The President of the United States is also the President of the World"

Shodja Ziaian — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:09:01 EDT

"The President of the United States is also the President of the World", says Samuel Solvit, student at Nanterre (University of Paris-Nanterre, France) who has launched a support committee for Barack Obama.

French vote for Obama: l'Expess

Shodja Ziaian — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:47:00 EDT

"French people love Obama because they badly need to love America. Something they had forgotten for fourty years"!

Samuel Solvit, student, 22 years old, who hangs Obama's posters in Paris' subway: "I feel extremely concerned because the President of the United States is also the President of the World".

Christophe Chaumont, 42, civil servant working for Paris City Hall: "Obama has reinjected some ideals into politics. 95% of its donations come from donations of less than $15." Christophe adds that these days in council meetings, there are more talks about Obama than about matters related to the city!

Resources for amplifying our collective intelligence and collective wisdom

George P�r — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:59:06 EDT

I wrote about why I think that giving our shared attention to boost our collective IQ will be helpful to win the White House. Here, in this post, I want to share some of my fave resources that I believe can help with that not so easy but vital task. They include social technologies, centers, initiatives, websites, books, articles and various social practices, designed to take collective intelligence and wisdom to scale:

"collective intelligence" in Wikipedia

social technologies for boosting collective intelligence and wisdom in groups of any size:

Clinton Supporters Wowed with Warm Reception....

Laurie Singh — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:24:37 EDT

Clinton supporters wowed with warm reception at Obama rally

By Doug Grow
MinnPost, Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The crowd kept pouring into the Xcel Energy Center. All ages. All races. All backgrounds. Young Somalis chanting "O-bama!" And older, white women, bedecked in sparkling red, white and blue and holding up a sign, "Women for Obama!''

But most noticeable was the arrival of such people as Buck Humphrey, who once had headed Hillary Rodham Clinton's Minnesota campaign. And Jackie Stevenson, a DFL activist, a feminist and a Clinton-supporting superdelegate, who at the last minute had changed her mind about attending the event. And St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, who was a Clinton supporter until sometime Monday. And Rick Stafford, another Clinton superdelegate.

Former Secretary of State Joan Growe was there. And Minneapolis City Council President Barbara Johnson. And a couple of dozen other people who had invested so much energy into Clinton's campaign.

Political healing process beginning

Their presence at the event where Barack Obama declared victory shows that, at least in Minnesota, the political healing process already is beginning.

No one is making that healing easier than Obama. Last night, after he had finished the sort of speech that leaves his followers exhilarated and exhausted, Obama did not just leave the arena. Nor did he head to the nearest television camera or the nearest fat cat.

Instead, he went to a room where the Clinton supporters had been gathered and one by one, shook the hands of the 25 people, stopping to chat with each of them.

"Chris (Coleman) walked around the room with him,'' said Stevenson, "and introduced each one of us.''

It was really pretty extraordinary.

"He shook my hand and said, 'Thank you for being here; I'm sure it's not easy,' '' said Stevenson of her meeting with Obama. "I thanked him and said that everyone involved in his campaign had been so gracious. I didn't know what to say, so I mentioned that my daughter works for a federal health clinic. And he knew right away which program I was talking about. He said, 'Oh that's wonderful.' ''

Stevenson, a feminist and Clinton supporter, had to admit this: "He's very impressive.''

Click here to read the full story:

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/06/04/2100/clinton_supporters_wowed_with_warm_reception_at_obama_rally

What A Night!

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:44:10 EDT

The night felt like magic.

YES WE ChAmpagNe

Every minute or two, another superdelegate endorsement was announced for Barack Obama. They kept coming faster and faster; it really did feel like an avalanche of superdelegates were announcing support for Obama. On the Obama website, supporters wrote messages about how happy they were, and how much joy they were feeling. Some said they had red, white, and blue balloons waiting to hang outside their doors the moment Obama won the nomination; some said they'd break out special bottles of (beer) (champagne) they saved for this night. On Democrats_Worldwide, the international discussion group for Democrats, the mood was euphoria as people toasted to Obama in messages from Cape Cod to Australia to Afghanistan to Paris.

Clinton Did Not Steal Obama's Moment By Dawn Teo, The Huffington Post

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:44:07 EDT

Teo states: "This primary, this election, this year is not about Hillary Clinton. This election is not about the presumptive nominee, Barack Obama. This election is about ensuring that our children and their children live in a better world. This election year is about a broken economy, torture, secret military tribunals, melting icecaps, health care -- and the list goes on...Tuesday was not Obama's day. It was our day. It was a historic day that belongs to the American people -- a day that we were supposed to use to garner resources for the general election. Clinton did not steal Obama's moment, she stole our moment -- one of the most important moments of our lifetimes. None of these moments belong to Senator Clinton or Senator Obama. Nor are these resources theirs. What Clinton took, she took from the American people."

Full article here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/clinton-did-not-steal-oba_b_105076.html

Video: Obama Rallies in Virginia [6/5/08], The Washington Post

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:14:34 EDT

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/06/05/VI2008060503623.html

Remembering Our Father By Kerry Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, NYT OpEd

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:52:05 EDT

The New York Times

June 5, 2008

Op-Ed Contributors

Remembering Our Father

Tina Berning

By KERRY KENNEDY, JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II and KATHLEEN KENNEDY TOWNSEND

Forty years ago, as he was celebrating his victory in California’s Democratic presidential primary,

Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. To mark the occasion, Op-Ed editors invited his children

to share their memories of him.

Lessons of the Magnolia Tree

By Kerry Kennedy

Taking ‘No’ for an Answer

By Joseph P. Kennedy II

The Delta in Our Home

By Kathleen Kennedy Townsend

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/opinion/05kennedyintro.html?em&ex=1212897600&en=f0c73579619f8541&ei=5087%0A

BIG Ideas for Obama

Laurie Singh — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:57:11 EDT

I have finished my post non-concession speech rant and am trying to replace the irritation with compassion, both for Clinton and her inability to come to terms with the situation, and for her supporters, who I think were taking their cues from their candidate.

I can only imagine their confusion when they awakened Wednesday morning to see a very different picture than that painted for them Tuesday night. Many must have been shocked to see "Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee" splashed across every newspaper and TV screen.

On the theme of compassion, here are some big hearted ideas from the group members of Big Ideas for Obama.....

>>Jim: I just got a simple letter from a super delegate that I've been corresponding with. He was sitting next to Ickes during the DNC rules committee on Saturday. The letter and message were simple and I'll start the ball rolling now.

He said this - "I have a request. Help us pull the party together."

Let's get started.

jim c

>>Jan: Exactly! How about a "Welcome Hillary Voters" area on the Obama website?

>>Linda: We certainly can take a cue from Barack. Empathy is one of the qualities that is so important to him (learned from his mother, as he says in his book). Listening to the other person with your heart open to them, their story, their concerns (while your own reactions and emotions are quiet). A lot of Hillary's supporters have had hard lives or put-downs, and they see her as someone who understands and will fight for them. If we can first really listen and try to understand and care about their concerns and story, acknowledge their grief for their candidate, and only then let them know that Barack understands, too, and loves his wife and two daughters so deeply and wants all good things for them and others like them...that sort of thing, for one, might help, person by person.

Barack has shown this quality with Hillary. He has run the same race and knows how deeply you get involved. He understands how hard it is to come so close and come up short, and he has been gracious and patient and understanding (at least publically...and he may have his own feelings but he is also trying to see hers). There's already one good example to get us started.

Linda

>>John: Yes, we should take that cue, and rise above the unpleasantness we have seen. Remember we disliked some of Hillary’s tactics, but her supporters are ordinary people like us. We should extend the Olive Branch to make them feel welcome. Of course they’ll be disappointed, highly disappointed, especially those who’d dreamed to see a woman in the White House for the first time and had worked so hard for Hillary’s campaign. We need to listen to them, be empathetic to them and give them some time to heal. We must also show them that the Obama campaign is a welcoming place and that they can join us and feel part of a new family. Our differences from the campaign are so much smaller than what we share together, the shared ideal of making a better America based on decency, caring and honest principles and ensuring that the Republicans do not get into power for a very long time to come, if at all.

John

>>Linda: Just to extend the "try to be empathetic like Barack" idea...not just in person but when we see comments on the blogs, so many are angry and divisive (some from Obama people as well as HRC people)....if there's a comment we can add here and there in these public places to calm things, it might help.

Big Ideas for Obama is amazing! What a great bunch of people here and some admirable "Obamaish" ideas. Let's all try to set an example and establish a new tone in our groups by forwarding these "Obama-caliber" suggestions to others.

Laurie

Whatever Happened to... the "Vow of Silence"?

Mark Wiznitzer — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:20:40 EDT

It may just be an unintended consequence of the historic trend eroding the traditional respect for the First Amendment's establishment clause. Or are we being treated to what is just another installment of the series known as "Clergy-Gone-Wild"? Does anyone else find the role played by men-of-the-cloth (and I would include women, though they seem to be having a hard time breaking the glass "celestial" ceiling) in modern political life entirely inappropriate? Or am I alone in this?

So after suffering through the distractions this year of Wright, Hagee, Parsley and Pfleger, may I propose an ancient spiritual remedy: The Vow of Silence!

[Original posted on www.onemillionstrong.us on May 30, 2008]

Obama's rise predicted as far back as 3 years ago By Rashmee Roshan Lall, The Times of India/TNN

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:05:36 EDT

"Obama at the head of a 10-member rundown of "people who could change the world".

Obama's rise predicted as far back as 3 years ago

4 Jun 2008, 2035 hrs IST,Rashmee Roshan Lall,TNN LONDON:

Barack Obama's astonishing rise to prominence as the first black presidential nominee of any major American party was predicted as far back as three years ago when the senator from Illinois with the self-confessed "funny name" was virtually a non-entity and no one could have believed he would oust Hillary Clinton as Democratic candidate.

Back in October 2005, a left-leaning British magazine listed Obama at the head of a 10-member rundown of "people who could change the world". The list, which included Sania Mirza and was sub-titled "revolutionising the future: from tennis to teleportation", pointed out that Obama was the only "out-and-out politician" it chose.

The prescience of the New Statesman , a substantially well-written if trifle staid magazine originally established by the famous Fabians Sidney and Beatrice Webb, is now seen as nothing short of miraculous. In India, it is astrologers who tell political fortunes. In the West, it is that other soothsayer – the media. In Obama's case, it appears to have come true.

Obama's proud place in the magazine's list of people who could change the world came barely 10 months after he became a senator and learnt to read a teleprompter. The New Statesman based its forecast that Obama would rise and rise and go on to do great, world-changing things, on his "political rock star attributes" and self-deprecating refusal to take himself too seriously. The New Statesman quoted his description of himself as "a skinny guy from the South Side with a funny name" and his downbeat response to the winds of hype and hoopla only just starting to blow around him: "Andy Warhol said we all get our 15 minutes of fame. I've already had an hour-and-a-half. I mean, I'm so overexposed, I'm making Paris Hilton look like a recluse."

With hindsight, the New Statesman 's prediction may seem par for the course. The magazine admitted Obama "seems a little too primed for political superstardom" and acknowledged Washington's "habit of hailing new political celebrities, chewing them over and then spitting them out". But it insisted the new senator appeared to have "come to DC prepared to shoulder the burdens of high expectations" and that its list was all about "being bold...our ten world-changers... reflect the ways that power and influence operate in our complex, interconnected world ...(the list) is intended to offer hope. Given that the present is characterised by relentless violence and carnage, man-made or otherwise..."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3100342,prtpage-1.cms

A Baker's Dozen of Int'l Headlines for Obama -- Daily Kos

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:45:54 EDT

http://meteor-blades.dailykos.com/

A Baker's Dozen of Int'l Headlines for Obama by Meteor Blades

Tue Jun 03, 2008 at 09:42:15 PM PDTEl

Pais (Madrid): Obama se convierte en el primer candidato negro a la presidencia de Estados Unidos
(Obama becomes the first black candidate to the presidency of the United States)

Financial Times (London): Obama clinches the Democratic nomination

The Telegraph (London): Obama limps over line despite Dakota defeat
Senator becomes the first black nominee in history despite Clinton win in South Dakota.

Le Monde (Paris) Interrogations sur la stratégie de fin de campagne d'Hillary Clinton
(Questions on the ending strategy of Hillary Clinton's campaign)

Berliner Morgenpost (Berlin): Barack Obama lässt sich als Kandidat feiern
(Barack Obama can be celebrated as a candidate)

Reforma (Mexico City): Hace Obama historia; asegura nominación
(Obama makes history; nomination assured)

Clarín (Buenos Aires): Obama logró los delegados necesarios y es el candidato demócrata a la Casa Blanca (Obama obtained the necessary delegates and is the democratic candidate to the White House)

Jakarta Post (Jakarta, Indonesia): Obama seals nomination; McCain eager for battle

The Australian (Melbourne): Barack Obama claims nomination but Hillary Clinton hangs on

Al Jazeera (Doha, Qatar): Obama 'wins Democratic nomination'
Illinois senator projected to become first African-American presidential candidate.

Jerusalem Post (Jerusalem): Obama seals Democratic presidential nomination
Defeated Hillary Clinton maneuvers for the vice presidential spot on Illinois senator's ticket without conceding her own loss.

Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa): Obama first black nominee for White House
Clinton vows party unity

China Daily (Beijing): Obama seals Democratic nomination
Barack Obama sealed the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, a step toward his goal of becoming the first black US president.

http://meteor-blades.dailykos.com/

American security policy toward Europe

ESLaPorte — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:10:51 EDT

The Cold War is over…and we must adjust to this reality. This includes America's policy towards Europe. At the time NATO's treaty was created, Americans and Europeans shared the same interests and threats, mainly from the Soviet Union and security dilemma related to Germany.

Yes -now that the Cold War is long over, it is time for Europe and the European Union to be independent from American control and influence. Europeans and Americans have different views on how to meet challenges such as from terrorism and achieving peace. To Europeans, there is no such thing as a "war on terrorism," as terrorism is a tactic and not an army or nation. It also appears that "what Europe needs" in terms of its own security and defense needs is often defined in and dictated from Washington. Europe and European nations should be allowed to determine what their nations' defense and security needs are that are NOT dictated from Washington.

America should stop demanding that Europeans "spend more on defense" and drop the demand that Europe "not duplicate what is in NATO." America should support and not hinder the drive for an independent-from-NATO European security and defense organization, Eurocorps. The European Union and European nations will, naturally, do what is best for their national security first, and Europe second.

My Talk with Fareed Zakaria: Obama Must Face A Post-American World By Nathan Gardels,The Huffington Post

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:22:20 EDT

A must-read interview with Fareed Zakaria.

"If Barack Obama succeeds in his campaign against John McCain and becomes president of the United States, he will have to deal with much deeper issues beyond Iraq, namely the "rise of the rest" as China, India and the developing world aspire to catch up with America and want a seat at the table of global power. In such a world, the strategic vision of US leadership ought to be
to make the world safe for interdependence since we will not always be on top...I discussed these issues recently with Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-gardels/obama-must-face-a-post-am_b_104914.html

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT

french support — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:11:59 EDT

To: SanFranciscoforObama@groups.barackobama.com
From: ssuleman@stanford.edu
Subject: [SanFranciscoforObama] TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT - hope to see everybody at Tosca

The Huffington PostTONIGHT'S THE NIGHT CLINTON OPEN TO BEING OBAMA'S VICE PRESIDENT...
AP Tally: Obama "Effectively" Has Clinched Nomination... Official Obama Countdown: 30.5 Delegates Until Nomination... President Carter To Endorse Obama Tonight...

Donna Brazile Tough!

swimmer — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:14:15 EDT

Donna was super tough this weekend when discussing the super votes from Florida and Michigan. Her exact words I cannot quote here, but her message was simply that when she was growing up her mama taught her to play by the rules. That if you changed the rules in the middle of a game or even in the end of the game, it is called CHEATING!

How true! How true!

Whatever the case, by Tuesday evening the cheater will be out! Na na na na, hey hey.....GOODBYE!

Rupert Murdoch Predicts Obama Will Win in a Landslide

Laurie Singh — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:57:56 EDT

May 29, 2008Murdoch predicts McCain will losePosted: 03:30 PM ET
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
(CNN) – Rupert Murdoch offered a dire prediction Wednesday for John McCain's chances in the general election.

He will lose in a landslide, the News Corp. chairman said at a California conference, according to Reuters.

"You have got the Obama phenomenon, Murdoch said. "You have got, undoubtedly, a recession … The average American is really getting hurt financially and that all bodes well for [Obama].

"You have probably the making of a complete phenomenon in this country," Murdoch continued, referring to what he thinks will be an overwhelming victory for the Democratic presidential candidate.

The News Corp. chairman, often viewed as a messenger for the Republican Party given his holdings include several media organizations with a conservative bent, also showered praise on the Illinois senator, calling him a "rock star."

While calling himself a friend of McCain, Murdoch said his lengthy stint in Congress has led the Arizona senator to make so many compromises that it is not clear where he stands on the major issues. He also called McCain "unpredictable," and questioned his knowledge on economic issues.

News Corp's holdings include Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post. The Post endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton earlier this year.

From: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/29/murdoch-predicts-mccain-will-lose/

La France vote Obama

french support — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:19:22 EDT

La France vote Obama

Par Henri Haget, mis à jour le 29/05/2008 - publié le 29/05/2008

De ce côté-ci de l'Atlantique, le candidat démocrate réconcilie l'opinion avec l'Amérique. Il bénéficie d'une forte cote dans tous les milieux.

t. dudoit/l'express

« Le président des Etats-Unis est le président du monde. » Etudiant à Nanterre, Samuel Solvit a lancé un comité de soutien au candidat.

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Il y a des chips au cheddar dans les saladiers et des sourires d'enfant sur les visages de ces couples d'Américains expatriés. Ce soir-là, une soixantaine de partisans de Barack Obama arrosent le succès de leur champion dans l'Oregon. La fête se déroule sous le ciel étoilé d'un atelier d'artiste parisien, à deux pas de la place des Vosges. Dans le staccato des conversations en VO se glisse, ici et là, une pointe d'accent français. A côté d'un seau à champagne, une pile de tracts pose la question : « Why Obama ? » Pourquoi lui ? Il est un « citoyen du monde », le « fils de trois continents », l'incarnation de la « fraternité des hommes », tambourine l'argumentaire. Bref, c'est Jésus.

Redescendons sur terre : il est aussi le candidat préféré des Français, et ce n'est pas une mince affaire que de réconcilier les gamins des banlieues et les élites germanopratines. John Morris, l'hôte de la soirée, en viendrait presque à regretter que l'élection du président américain ne soit pas l'affaire des Parisiens. « Dès que j'épingle sur ma veste le badge Obama 2008, les gens, dans la rue, me sourient, lèvent le pouce, m'accostent en amis », dit cet ancien photographe, ravi.

« On a besoin de croire en l'Amérique »

Retrouvez notre dossier: Obama peut-il changer l'Amérique?

Et venez chatter avec Olivier Richomme (co-auteur de L'Amérique de Barack Obama), jeudi 29 mai, de 11h à 12h. Vous pouvez dès maintenant lui poser vos questions, en cliquant ici.

L'obamania souffle sur la France comme un vent tiède et enivrant. A Cannes, sur le plateau du Grand Journal de Canal +, la palme de la branchitude a été décernée au sénateur de l'Illinois par un expert en la matière, Frédéric Beigbeder. Tandis que Michel Denisot questionnait, en vain, Steven Spielberg sur ses penchants électoraux, le romancier a recentré le débat sur l'essentiel, c'est-à-dire lui-même : « Eh bien, moi, je vote pour Barack Obama comme président de la République ! » s'est-il exclamé, en exhibant un superbe tee-shirt à l'effigie du candidat démocrate.

Ils ont tous fait un rêve. Celui d'avoir démasqué le fils caché de Martin Luther King sous les traits du candidat métis. A la sauterie pro-Obama de John Morris, Christophe Chaumont, 42 ans, employé à la mairie de Paris, se sent soulevé par l'Histoire, même si ce n'est pas tout à fait la sienne. « Obama réinjecte des idéaux et de l'affectif dans la politique, dit-il. 95 % de ses fonds de campagne proviennent de dons ne dépassant pas les 15 dollars. C'est quand même un beau symbole, non ? » Il habite le Paris coloré de Belleville. Ces temps-ci, dans les conseils de quartier, on y parle moins des tags sur les murs et des crottes sur les trottoirs. « Obama est dans toutes les conversations, poursuit-il. Je pense qu'on a besoin de croire en l'Amérique. »

Samuel Solvit, 22 ans, étudiant en école de commerce, à Nanterre, ne milite dans aucun parti : « La vie politique française et ses chapelles sont tellement ennuyeuses... » S'il colle ses affiches dans le métro, ce n'est donc pas pour Sarko, encore moins pour Ségo, mais pour Barack : « Je me sens hyperconcerné car le président des Etats-Unis est, avant tout, le président du monde. » Son karma, à Samuel, c'est donc Obama. Le 3 juin, il organise une conférence-débat à Sciences po avec une foultitude d'experts pour disserter de « l'effet Obama en France ». Les 600 places se sont arrachées. L'étudiant qui, en janvier, a lancé son comité français de soutien au candidat démocrate se trouve désormais à la tête d'un bataillon d'un bon millier d'admirateurs. Des intellos, des métallos, des supporters de toutes les couleurs, blacks, blancs, beurs, comme on le chantait en juillet 1998.

En 2008, le pays d'Obama, lui, n'a rien d'un royaume enchanté. La guerre en Irak a fossoyé son image à l'international. Son économie, minée par la crise des subprimes, est moribonde. « Mais le mythe ne demande qu'à ressusciter », assure le politologue Olivier Duhamel, membre d'honneur du comité français de soutien à Barack Obama, au côté de personnalités aussi diverses que Bernard-Henri Lévy, Sonia Rykiel ou encore le député UMP Axel Poniatowski. Selon lui, l'avènement du sénateur de l'Illinois montre que l'opinion française n'est pas antiaméricaniste. Elle est seulement anti-Bush. « Au fond, les Français aiment Obama, car ils adorent aimer les Etats-Unis », estime Duhamel. Cela fait juste une quarantaine d'années qu'ils l'avaient oublié.

Pour Rupert Murdoch, Barack Obama est une "rock star"

french support — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:03:54 EDT

Pour Rupert Murdoch, Barack Obama est une "rock star"LEMONDE.FR | 29.05.08 | 17h39 • Mis à jour le 29.05.08 | 19h31 Réagir (10) Classer E-mail Imprimer Recommander Partager Partager:

Ses propos vont certainement en étonner plus d'un, chez les démocrates, comme chez les républicains. Rupert Murdoch, bien connu pour ses allégeances politiques conservatrices, prédit une écrasante victoire démocrate en novembre prochain. Pire : un "raz-de-marée".

A l'occasion d'un interview accordée au Wall Street Journal jeudi 29 mai, le patron de News Corp. ne tarit pas d'éloges envers le candidat démocrate Barack Obama qu'il qualifie de "rock star" et de personnage "fantastique". "Nous sommes probablement en présence d'un véritable phénomène dans ce pays", estime-t-il.

M. Murdoch a, en revanche, peu d'égard pour le candidat républicain John McCain qu'il juge "imprévisible", ne sachant "pas grand-chose sur l'économie". Même si c'est un "patriote", estime M. Murdoch, "il n'a pas l'air de vraiment savoir comment on organise une campagne".

Rupert Murdoch, qui dit vouloir en savoir un peu plus sur les ambitions et l'entourage de Barack Obama, n'a officiellement apporté son soutien à aucun des candidats, mais il avoue ne pas être étranger à la décision du New York Post de soutenir la candidature du sénateur de l'Illinois.

Poll update: French viewers vote overwhelmingly for Obama (88%), Clinton is 9% and McCain gets 3%

Shodja Ziaian — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:50:09 EDT

Poll update: French viewers vote overwhelmingly for Obama (88%)!

Clinton is at 9% and McCain gets 3%.

You can check the link for the French International TV Chanel, TV5 (France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Canada) for an update of the poll.

Today, French chanel TV5 poll's update: French viewers voted overwhelmingly for Obama (88%), Clinton is 9% and McCain 3%.

Check below :

http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/election_us/

Barack Obama
88 %

Hillary Clinton
9 % John MacCain
3 %
2533 votes

Fow News Commentator critized for remarks newswoman jokingly wishes for assassination of Barack Obama

french support — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:16:45 EDT

Fox News Commentator Criticized for RemarksNewswoman jokingly wishes for assassination of Barack Obama Dominic Ambrose (Nicangelo) Email Article Print Article Published 2008-05-27 05:17 (KST) Liz Trotta, a commentator for the Fox News Channel in the United States has become the target of a firestorm of criticism for lumping together Osama Bin Laden and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in a comment on Sunday in which she talked about "knocking them off." "Well, both of them, if we could!"

The controversy comes just weeks before the 40th anniversary of the assassination of another presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, in a hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Senator Hillary Clinton's reference to that assassination in an interview she gave last week caused her much trouble, since it was taken as an oblique reference to Barack Obama.

While discussing the Clinton controversy, Trotta went far beyond the New York senator's innuendo and into the grey area approaching actual incitement. In a chummy live discussion with another Fox News commentator, Trotta mixed up the names Osama and Obama in a facetious way that has become familiar on this right-of-center news channel and laughingly talked about her wish that "we" could knock them both off.

The clip was soon on the Huffington Post Web site, YouTube and dozens of other political blogs. A petition for the sacking of Trotta was soon up on Thepetitionsite, and easily flew past its goal of gathering 2,000 signatures. The Fox News Channel is one of the most important assets in Rupert Murdoch's media empire. A list of its corporate sponsors was soon on screens across the Internet, and included the sponsors' telephone numbers.

Fox News has tried to contain the damage, downplaying its significance while at the same time airing a stagey offhand apology by Trotta. First thing Monday morning, they trotted her back out again to engage in yet another analysis of Senator Clinton's earlier gaffe. At the very end of the discussion, she was asked about her own far more explicitly inflammatory faux pas. After giving a little show of surprise at being asked about it, she recited the following carefully worded apology:

"I am so sorry about what happened yesterday and the lame attempt at humor. I fell all over myself, making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm, or any other candidate, for that matter, and I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I have offended. It is a very colorful political season, and many of us are making mistakes and saying things we wish we had not said."

However, with the ever-present eye of the Internet, it is impossible for her to erase the evidence. Her comment, which slipped out in an unguarded moment in the Sunday chat, has been slipping out repeatedly on screens around the world. It remains to be seen what the outcome will be. ©2008 OhmyNews

Fox pundit wishes for Obama assassination... and Laughs!

Garry — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:26:41 EDT

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/FOX_Pundit_Wishes_for_Obama_Assassination_Laughs

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ER052408/petition.html

Senator Clinton has once again crossed the line of decency. Even if one wishes to give her the benefit of the doubt with her assassination ‘gaffe’, her lack of historical accuracy makes this a 'Bosnian sniper fire' level discrepancy. Her husband had, in fact been, assured of the nomination with Paul Tsongas withdrawal in March of 1992. Further recent history has shown that those campaigns which fight on into the convention always lead to general election losses. These facts coupled with her previous effective endorsement of Senator McCain’s qualifications over Senator Obama’s, along with the not so very subtle racism of her campaign, make her utterly unfit to be Senator Obama’s Vice-President.

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ER052408/petition.html

Brussels Bridge Photo

Laurie Singh — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:48:09 EDT

Brussels, Ascenseur de Marolles Bridge Photo - "Yes We Span," Bridges for Obama Project

An Invitation to Join the International Diversity News Forum group

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Sun, 25 May 2008 15:23:58 EDT

If you're interested in discussing diversity [in all its forms] on an international scale, please join my group the International Diversity News Forum. We look forward to your posts!

Edie

Administrator, International Diversity News Forum

Reject Clinton for VP

Garry — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:06:21 EDT

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ER052408/petition.html

Senator Clinton has once again crossed the line of decency. Even if one wishes to give her the benefit of the doubt with her assassination ‘gaffe’, her lack of historical accuracy makes this a 'Bosnian sniper fire' level discrepancy. Her husband had, in fact been, assured of the nomination with Paul Tsongas withdrawal in March of 1992. Further recent history has shown that those campaigns which fight on into the convention always lead to general election losses. These facts coupled with her previous effective endorsement of Senator McCain’s qualifications over Senator Obama’s, along with the not so very subtle racism of her campaign, make her utterly unfit to be Senator Obama’s Vice-President.

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ER052408/petition.html

Reject Clinton for VP

Garry — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:59:37 EDT

Ten Reasons Why Women Should Unite Behind Obama If He's the Candidate by Ellen Bravo, The Huffington Post

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:57:06 EDT

Bravo explains why "Should Sen. Barack Obama emerge as the Democratic candidate, women have compelling reasons to support his candidacy."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-bravo/ten-reasons-why-women-sho_b_102973.html

John McCain, vainqueur du duel Obama-Clinton

french support — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:48:07 EDT

RebondsJohn McCain, vainqueur du duel Obama-Clinton Romain Huret maître de conférences à l’université Lyon-II, membre du Centre d’études nord-américaines (EHESS-CNRS). QUOTIDIEN : jeudi 22 mai 2008