Designers for Obama

OFA ===> A Clean Energy Future

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:54:43 EST

A Clean Energy Futureby Cloe AxelsonWednesday November 18 2009 10:40:36 AM

After stops in Japan, Singapore and China, and a final stop in South Korea today, President Obama is nearing the end of his first official trip to Asia.

Yesterday, President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced a far-reaching package of measures to strengthen cooperation between the United States and China on clean energy. The White House blog posted a good round up of the six new clean energy measures:

The U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center will facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by teams of scientists and engineers from the United States and China, as well as serve as a clearinghouse to help researchers in each country.
The U.S.-China Electric Vehicles Initiative will include joint standards development, demonstration projects in more than a dozen cities, technical roadmapping and public education projects, all aimed at eventual deployment of electric vehicles to reduce oil dependence.
The U.S. China Energy Efficiency Action Plan will allow the two countries to work together to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, industrial facilities, and consumer appliances, culminating with an annual U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Forum, rotating between the two countries.
The U.S. China Renewable Energy Partnership will facilitate development of roadmaps for wide-spread renewable energy deployment. A new Advanced Grid Working Group made up of American and Chinese developers and strategists will help plan for grid modernization in both countries, and a new U.S.-China Renewable Energy Forum will be held annually, rotating between the two countries.
A 21st Century Coal Initiative, for which the two Presidents pledged to promote cooperation on cleaner uses of coal, will include large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects.
A Shale Gas Initiative, will allow the U.S. and China to use experience gained in the United States to assess China’s shale gas potential, promote environmentally-sustainable development of shale gas resources, conduct joint technical studies to accelerate development of shale gas resources in China, and promote shale gas investment in China through the U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum, study tours, and workshops.
The U.S. China Energy Cooperation Program will leverage private sector resources for project development work in China across a broad array of clean energy projects, to the benefit of both nations.

OFA ===> "A Call to Action ": President Obama On Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:32:24 EDT

by Christopher HassFriday October 9 2009 02:19:05 PM

In reacting to the news this morning that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the President struck a note of humility and recognized that the award was a nod to a vision of what is to come:

I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nationsTo be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbOWxc7Wwrg&feature=player_embedded

The Power of Three Little Blue Words: Report to Admin

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:10:35 EDT

Obama Family Please never forget the power of your voice...so when it comes to the "Whatnots" attempts disrupt and frustrate the "Blog Flow", please never underestimate the power of Three Little Words: Report to Admin

Please don't forget to copy and paste a portion of the "whatnots" dis-respective post in the option/message section as proof of their vile posting.

We all have the responsibility to preserve the integrity of this site.

Dear God Please Always Bless, Protect and keep the Kennedy Family.

OFA ==> Message from Joe Biden: "You've got to read these"

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:10:39 EDT

From Vice President Joe Biden:

A few weeks ago, President Obama asked you to share your personal story about how the health care crisis has affected you and the ones you love. Hundreds of thousands of stories poured in from every corner of the country. The President and I have read through many of them ourselves -- and now I'm encouraging you to do so as well.

Read these powerful, personal stories from people in your area and around the country.
And after you do, please forward this note on to as many people as you can.

For folks who don't yet understand why health care reform is such an urgent priority, these stories make the case far better than any statistics ever could.

For those who support health care reform but haven't yet found the time to join our campaign, these stories provide more motivation than any speech any politician could ever give.

So please read these stories, pass this note on to everyone in your address book, and help us show everyone in America why fixing our broken health care system is a necessity that just can't wait:

http://healthcare.barackobama.com/stories

Thank you,

Vice President Joe Biden

Diebold admits voting machine flaw

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:12:55 EDT

Diebold subsidiary Premier Election Solutions admitted in a California state hearing on Tuesday that its voting machine software can lose votes and fail to log the fact that the votes were lost.

The admission, reported on Wired's Threat Level blog, is significant. For years, the company has touted the quality of its electronic voting machines amidst mounting criticism that they were prone to errors and tampering.

Prediction: 10,000 apps for Google Android Market by Oct. 2009?

The hearing related to last November's election in Humboldt County, California. Nearly 200 votes disappeared from a tally handled by Premier's Global Election Management System (GEMS) software.

Mitch Trachtenberg was one of the volunteer auditors who discovered that the GEMS system had eliminated the votes. Writing as a guest blogger in The Brad Blog, Trachtenberg said that Premier's voting systems, which are used in 34 states, could not effectively handle audits. "An election system's audit logs are meant to record all activity during the system's actual counting of ballots," he wrote. "Diebold's software fails to do that."

According to Threat Level, "the company acknowledged that the problem exists with every version of its tabulation software." California officials examined Humbolt's GEMS-created audit logs and could find no record of when 197 absentee ballots were removed from the system, which apparently prompted California's secretary of state to call the audit logs "useless."

Trachtenberg also mentioned the "disturbing revelation that Diebold had been aware of the problem for years." According to an earlier Brad Blog post, dated December 8, 2008, the tendency to delete ballots "was part of a bug [Diebold had] known about for at least four years." The blog reproduced an internal Diebold email about the problem dated 2004.

Reported problems with Diebold products are nothing new. The company was sued by Ohio last year for voting machines that allegedly dropped votes. Earlier this week, the company was forced to admit that criminals have successfully hacked Diebold ATMs.

Diebold Machines are rigged, and it is time for America to rid us of these cheating raging machines.

http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/03/18/diebold-admits-voting-machine-flaw-had-been-aware-problem-years

More millionaires were made during The Great Depression than in any other time in U.S. history.

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:28:48 EDT

Even though President Obama and His Presidential Team have strategically targeted the automobile industry, are you aware that the Obama Administration is buying 17600 cars from GM to help the industry, economy, People of Mich. and America as a whole.
The homelessness in Detroit (and all of America) has been rampant for years if not decades and no one took it upon themselves to change it, but this is Our Opportunity to do so Now. Now is the time for every community in America and the Whole Wide World to start appropriating, living, teaching, and applying the Principles of Change/Faith to ourselves .

There has been always been talk about the Rich the Middle Class but we have forgotten the poor, the down trodden class.
Poverty and lack must become the enemy of all of the people of the World!!!!!

More Millionaires were created in America During the Great Depression of 1929.

Questions:
1. How?.
2. When?.
3. Where?.

I Work For The American People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:15:22 EST

I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. In other words, I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

So am I.

The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don’t. I work for the American people. I didn’t come here to do the same thing we’ve been doing or to take small steps forward, I came to provide the sweeping change that this country demanded when it went to the polls in November. That is the change this budget starts to make, and that is the change I’ll be fighting for in the weeks ahead – change that will grow our economy, expand our middle-class, and keep the American Dream alive for all those men and women who have believed in this journey from the day it began. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/28/Keeping-Promises/

YES WE DID, YES WE MUST

Carla Mays — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:08:53 EST

YES WE DID! YES WE MUST:

Þ Protect him from harm both verbal & phyiscal

Þ Stay "FIRED UP" by staying active

Þ Work Bi-Partisan to bring "Change" together

Þ Don't just bitch, get active and stay engaged

Þ Start and join a local "Change" group

Þ Be philanthropic, serve your community, state and nation

Þ Stick by Obama, STOP smears on the Right & the Left!!!! Hold yourself responsible as you hold Barack!

Join the future of this movement!!

http://change.gov/joinus

http://www.communityorganize.com

http://www.ourpresidency.com

http://www.usaservice.org

http://www.whitehouse.gov

Barack's DNC 2004 Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWynt87PaJ0&feature=PlayList&p=B1939005B8A4D4ED&index=188

Barack's DNC 2008 Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ato7BtisXzE&feature=channel

Barack’s Election Acceptance Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wJ-2Zu_Iic&feature=channel

Barack’s Inauguration Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjnygQ02aW4

President-Elect Obama on the Senate Vote to Release 2nd Half of the Financial Rescue Plan

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:30:55 EST

The Senate voted today to release the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue plan, which will now be overseen by the incoming Obama Administration. In a statement released after the vote, President-elect Obama acknowledged the frustrations that many Americans have felt over how the first of half of the plan was used, and he pledged to increase transparency and accountability while ensuring that more money reaches struggling homeowners and small businesses: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGxbxv

THREE WORDS

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:31:06 EST

Ten More Days until the Inauguration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Short and Simple!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough Said!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 20, 2009.

How to Blog: Tips for Effective Blogging

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:10:05 EST

Find your voice. Show some personality in your blog by writing with a unique style that embodies who you are. Blogs don't have to be formal; if you're from a certain part of the country that has a particular slang-- for example, if you say "pop" instead of "soda"-- feel free to use it.
Tell your story. In your very first post, why not tell your story about how you got interested in politics and why you decided to become active in this movement? It's a great way for others to get to know you.
Interweave current events into your posts. What happened today in the news? Share your thoughts on the top stories of the day. How do those stories relate to the issues that are important to you? How do you think Obama is specifically suited to address those issues?
Include links. If you reference a news story or a post from another blog, always include a link so that others can see the source of what you're commenting on.
Cross-post. When you finish writing a post, make sure to check off boxes of the groups you belong to before you publish. It's a great way to share your posts widely and get the word out.
Post regularly. If you want to build an audience of readers, you have to post regularly. Most people are too busy to post every single day, but the more you post, the more reliable you will be to your audience. If you post consistently, people will check back frequently to see your latest writing. my.BarackObama

!!! Obama - Peace on Earth tree design for the holidays!!!

Raad — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:48:39 EST

!!! Obama - Peace on Earth tree design for the holidays!!!

If you have not seen this new very well received design yet please visit the Store on Cafepress.com http://www.cafepress.com/raads to check it out.

Or click >>> to go directly to the " Obama - Peace on Earth (Christmas tree) " Design >>> http://www.cafepress.com/raads/6299431

!! YES WE CAN !! & !! YES WE DID !!

Raad Ghantous
Principal / Senior Designer
Raad Ghantous & Associates / RG&A
www.raadg.com

P.S. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might be interested as well !

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

!! Come Browse my Unique Designs for Barack Obama 08 !!

http://www.cafepress.com/raads

!! YES WE CAN !! & !! YES WE DID !!

Inauguration Housing

Diviya — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:53:47 EST

I have access to a home in Gaithersburg, MD 20879 available during mid-January to February. Perfect for Inauguration! Red line subway is Shady Grove - 25 miles to heart of DC. You can get to the metro station without a car (bus across the street), and be in DC via metro in ~35-40mins.

Its a 3 bdrm, full basement, and 3.5 bath townhome. Make me an offer!

Wednesday's features - buttons and bumper stickers, solar panels and appointments

NewsObama.org — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:42:20 EST

A few featured stories this mid-week from around the web:

For those that can't get enough .... - awake at Barack Obama NOW! points to Going.com's amazing collection of Obama campaign buttons showing that interest in the wide range of activity in the art and design for Obama community is not about to slow down
Curses, Foiled Again? Hardly - Open Left makes the case that while the Lieberman vote was dissapointing, it came during what was otherwise a pretty good couple of weeks for progressives.
Erin Medlicott: Pres-Elect Obama Names Eric Holder U.S. Attorney General - a quick bio of the next Attorney General
Lieberman's Half-Removed McCain Bumper Sticker - Lieberman denies having half removed his McCain for president bumper sticker, but whoever did it provided a pretty telling metaphor for the no longer a democrat, but I can still caucus with them Senator
Paul Loeb: KEEP THE WHITE HOUSE DRAPES: BRING BACK THE SOLAR PANELS - some good ideas on greening the transition to the White House

And, it is worthing pointing to a few compelling reads from the NYT Op-Ed today, all of which are in the "most-emailed" list:

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt - Mitt Romney makes the case for a "managed bankruptcy" rather than a bail-out of the auto industry
Thomas Friedman and Maureen Dowd each discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State
David Brooks - has a less than cheery piece about how bad it is really going to get for the soon to be "formerly middle class" in the coming years

And if all that gets you down, then I suggest going back up to the top of the list and checking out those Obama buttons again!

Ten Online Ideas for Obama in Government

Steven from Minneapolis, MN — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:34:03 EST

Here are ten quick ideas for the coming Obama administration. The GSA commissioned this article last year. A PDF version and looong version with international examples is available.

Ten Practical Online Steps for Government Support of Democracy

By Steven Clift
Chair, E-Democracy.Org and Ashoka Fellow

This article will appear in the upcoming Intergovernmental Solutions newsletter of the U.S. federal
General Services Administration: http://tinyurl.com/2dhl9s

Does e-government have anything to do with democracy and citizen participation? Let's get
straight to the point - not yet.

Should it?

Yes. Government should be leading a charge into the increasingly and fundamentally interactive
web.

Information access, considered the safe starting point for government accountability online now
mostly presents the public a daunting needle in a huge haystack. This system is so complicated
that the valuable and substantive information that government produces is often ignored in the
increasingly interactive public lives of active citizens. . The lack of real and effective online access
to governance will substantially increase cynicism about and distrust in government among a
public that demands a more participatory representative democracy.

A bit of context: I coordinated e-government for the State of Minnesota in its early days. As a
citizen, I independently started E-Democracy.Org which created the world’s first election
information and discussion website in 1994. When “services first, democracy later” enveloped
most e-government projects, I went independent in late 1997. Since then, I've spoken and
consulted across 26 countries on "e-democracy.”

Here are the 10 things I would do in government at every level to help rescue our democracy in
the information age.

1. Timely, personalized access to information that matters.

Government decision-making information is not really public or relevant if people cannot act on it
when it still matters. Give people tools like personalized e-mail alerts based on keywords,
location, etc. and eliminate the "nobody told me" backlash government often receives due to
poor public outreach. Every government needs a “what’s new” democracy portal or a thematic
section covering all democratic processes as part of their main website.

2. Help elected officials receive and sort, then better understand and respond to email.

E-mail overload is the number one complaint I hear from elected officials around the world. Most
want to respond effectively, but simply aren't being provided the tools they need. If there ever
was an opportunity for open source collaboration among governments, this is it. In general, our
representatives and representative institutions must start to invest in the online infrastructure
they need to connect directly with the public they represent.

3. Dedicate at least 10% of new e-government developments to democracy.

Let’s define democracy starting with public input. In an e-service initiative, the 10% should start
with citizen focus groups to guide the design of the service, usability testing and studies to
generate user input and accountability, and post-transaction user surveys. If the investment is a
new content management system for information access, then use the 10% to add
personalization and survey input features or democratized navigation (those nifty menus that
show you the top ten articles viewed that day or week).

4. Announce all government public meetings on the Internet in a uniform manner.

All public meeting notices, agendas, handouts, and digital recordings must be online. The system
should be standards-based and tie state-by-state systems into a national network covering
federal, state, and local government public meetings. This is the only way for people to ask to be
pro-actively notified of any government public meetings within a certain geographic area
addressing specific topics that interest them.

5. Allow citizens to look-up all of their elected officials from the very local to national
in one search.

Along with the ability to look-up all public meetings, Americans should have the right to easily
determine who all the elected and appointed officials are who represent them currently. Just
before elected and appointed officials assume office, every government unit should be required
to submit contact information for those officials into a national database.

6. Host online public hearings and dialogues (or “e-consultations” as they are known
outside the U.S.)

As in-person public meetings begin to incorporate live online features, envision more deliberate
online exchanges to improve the outcomes of the decision-making process. If your government
agency hosts three public hearings across the country or your state, host the fourth hearing
online over a week or two and improve the format in the process. In 10 years, the legislatures,
commissions and city councils not holding hearings online will be in the minority.

7. Embrace the rule of law by mandating the most democratically empowering online
services and rights across the whole of government.

Technology itself is not forcing real institutional democratic change. I estimate that 90% of the
democratic innovations online that really share power are based on a political tradition or law
that existed before the Internet arrived. If we want all citizens to benefit universally from a more
wired democracy, then now is time to update our legal requirements and fund core online
democracy services.

8. Promote dissemination through access to raw data from decision-making
information systems.

Let’s explode decision-making data, like Congressional information and rulemaking related
content into bits via XML and open standards and make it easy to re-use public government data
from many sources to create views and searches that provide insight, understanding, and
accountability. Think “Web 2.0” interactivity built on top of government data by those outside of
government.

9. Fund Open Source sharing internationally across e-government.

Sharing and supporting open source software takes resources – a consortium of national
governments need to step up with collaborative funding. The new and less cluttered area of eparticipation tools are an ideal starting point within e-government to reduce technology costs and
build systems for use by multiple governments.. Efforts to place modules and customizations out
for community use will be key. Government and its vendors must contribute code back for the
wheels of reciprocal value to start turning.

10. Local up – a strategic approach to building local democracy online.

To build e-participation momentum, citizens need to experience results they can see and touch.
By investing in transferable local models and tools, more people will use the Internet as a tool to
strength their communities, protect and enrich their families and neighborhoods, and be heard in
a meaningful way. Every community needs an “online town hall,” E-Democracy.Org calls them
Issues Forums, for agenda-setting discussion of public issues. Comparative evaluation of access
and participation related online service and content indicators will introduce efforts for an online
"Democracy Tune-up." This same tune-up concept should be applied at the state and federal
level as well.

Conclusion

In the early days, folks thought the Internet was inherently democratic. Parts of it are, but that
mistaken sense of technological determinisms has not carried over to make constitutional and
legally-ground representative processes more open and responsive. Today, “politics as usual”
online may actually make things worse. Civically conceived e-participation efforts need to counter
such negative trends rather than being viewed as an extra option. Ultimately, each generation
needs to rebuild democracy with the special tools of their time. Our tools are online and our
democracy needs us.

Steven Clift leads the “Online Consultation and E-Participation” online community of practice at
DoWire.Org and shares numerous articles on e-democracy from Publicus.Net. An extended
version of this article with specific examples is available from that site.

Obama "Victory" Silkscreen Prints

Deroy from Brooklyn, NY — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:32:48 EST

Wow, you guys are snapping up the "History" prints at an impressive clip. At this rate they will sell out by end of next week. But fear not, we've got more Obama art for you. This one is called "Victory". We are printing six sets of 100 of this one, signed and numbered by artist Deroy Peraza. The prints measure 16" X 24". To see the quality of the prints, check out the sold out "New Hope" series here.

GET THE PRINTS HERE

"Funky President"

Tim A. — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:35:41 EST

If you've been following this blog at all, you had to know that its intended destination was to be able to post this song. Thank Jesus/Moses/Muhammad/Buddha/Zorro/etc that I'm actually able to do so.

"Funky President" by James Brown

As a P.S., here's a recap of how I spent election night in DC:

Congratulations to America!

Last Day for Change

Benjamin from New York, NY — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:02:50 EST

Here's what you can do:

VOTE

GET OUT THE VOTE
Phonebanks are open tonight until 9pm to call battleground states. Come down and be a part of New York making history in this campaign.

"The Choice Is Yours"

Tim A. — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:36:54 EST

I've been saving this song for a while.

If you're under the age of 40, you've probably heard it before. And you may have lost your mind whylin out at some house party, some club or in some car in some traffic jam on some American street.

It is quite obvious what we're on the precipice of. No need for any more salesmanship.

"The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep

The Scene at HQ-The Scene for the Final Two Days

Benjamin from New York, NY — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:49:48 EST

HQ has been so busy co-ordinating all of our wonderful volunteers, the blog has taken a back seat. Here's a taste of what's been going on.

The volunteers and staff at Obama HQ New York are fired up. The excitement created by occasional special visitors (Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul and Mary in the last few days) is but a brief spike before the volunteers are back to work calling voters in battleground states:

The street team is out there inspiring you to phonebank to help Get Out the Vote on Tuesday:

Back in quieter times we had a party for the HQ volunteers:

Come down and join the excitement here at HQ or at a phonebank near you, Monday and Tuesday; all day, both days.

"Who's Gonna Take the Weight?"

Tim A. — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:05:46 EST

Like any other creative type, I get very excited to start a new venture. At some point, I might grow bored, frustrated, impatient, distracted or disillusioned. Whenever that point (or those points) occur, I may be inclined to abandon the venture. Most likely, my energy will wane and I'll complete the venture on a lower note than I started it. Often, arriving at the destination feels less rewarding than was the act of launching into it.

The longer this campaign has dragged on, the more I've struggled to sustain my enthusiasm for it. I suspect I am not alone. At the very least, I figure there are a fair amount of people who've stagnated in their abilities to advocate for Obama and have leaned very heavily on talking points to sell the Senator's candidacy. If you're reading this and you're one of those people, let me see if I can give you a shot of rhetorical adrenaline.

Let me start on a low note. Obama is not going to deliver on everything he's told us he wants to do. Even if he has a Democratic supermajority in both chambers of Congress, the circumstances he will be asked to respond to (economic impotence, globalization, nebulous enemies, Iraq, etc) will require him to change up the game plan just a bit. He'll probably have to compromise on some elements of some of his bigger ideas (taxes, healthcare, withdrawal from Iraq, etc). I don't doubt his ability to execute, but I am realistic. And no politician is ever able to honor every single aspect of every single campaign promise. That's just not how governance unfolds. Governance, as we all know, is about compromise. For good. For ill. For the survival of those who play the game.

Now, let's find that high note.

There is a man we have become better acquainted with during these last 12 months. There is a campaign we have all participated in. There is a movement forward in which we have all invested. We have been awed by the intelligence of it all. We have been encouraged by its cunning. We have been inspired. And we have felt, for the first time in many of our cases, like the future really is ours to shape.

There is also a gasp. It is, in part, a wheeze from the willfully ignorant. It is, in a much larger part, an urge to operate as America 1.0. To retain an identity that is predicated on old world realities that allowed our little empire to manifest. That gasp is woefully unreasonable and it is ill-prepared for the historical moments that lie ahead of us. It informs some of the structure of America 2.0, but it is not, many of us believe, the business model that will work best in the world of tomorrow.

The future that started yesterday needs imagination. It needs forward thinking. It needs everything we have born witness to during the course of Senator Barack Obama's campaign to become President of these United States.

If you find yourself talking to undecided voters--whom we understand to still be quite plentiful--maybe it is no longer worthwhile to discuss with them the issues. At this point, if you're not informed on the issues, why should anyone believe that the issues really matter to you? Really. Web sites have been up for months now with pretty much every position statement you could want. And if you're not willing to seek out information that is so easily available, then I question your patriotism. After all, America is supposed to be about you controlling your own destiny. Or, at least, the illusion that you can control it. But I digress.

At this point in the campaign, if someone out there is still struggling to make sense of everything and decide for whom they will vote on Tuesday, perhaps the best appeal is to simply ask them, in their gut, what exactly do they want for their country?

Do they want to help seize an opportunity to take bold steps forward to empower the smartest guy in the room? Or do they believe it really is a good idea for America in 1950 to be the model for America in 2010?

Times have changed, yo. Time for us to vote for the guy who reflects that. The guy who is best equipped to guide the ship--through every kind of water.

It's a simple choice, really. Someone will take the weight. Regardless. It's up to the entire country to make the choice whether the broken, creaky tradition will carry on or whether a bold, daring advance will take the day.

If the song for today is any indication, you should know what I think. And you can play it for anyone still looking for some inspiration to help them make their choice.

"Who's Gonna Take the Weight" by Kool & the Gang.

Last Call for Change - Final Four Days

Benjamin from New York, NY — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:22:14 EDT

This is it!

We're coming down to the final stretch and Barack Obama needs your help now, more than ever before!

Please bring your cell phone, a charger and a few fun friends who care about change and join with thousands of your neighbors in the largest ever-attempted phone bank effort in New York state history. The Obama campaign is hosting several of these "mega call centers" all over New York, so invite your friends and family to make calls to voters in key battleground states and change America for years to come.

Visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nylastcall to find a location near you.

100,000 in Denver!

Scott S. — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:39:15 EDT

All I can say is WOW!

This was our first Obama rally that we ever attended. We could never attend the previous ones because of our work schedules (he was always here during the weekday in the past). Let me just say that my girlfriend and I were totally overwhelmed by the massive amount of people at this rally. It started at 11:30 so we figured we'd get there about 10am. We thought this would be early. Boy, were we wrong. Driving through Denver, we were astounded to see lines (sometimes 4 or 5 people deep) winding around the entire Civic Center Park and snaking in and out of every single surrounding block. It was a mix of young and old, black, white, rich, middle class and poor. But what they all had in common was the hope for change and to get a glimpse of the man who has jumpstarted the whole movement and has given it a voice.

It took about 15 minutes to find a parking spot about 5 blocks away but we managed. While walking to the event, we were again dumbfounded to see the line of people stretching for a mile in all directions. We had NO idea where the line started or where it ended! After circling around an entire block, we finally found the end and settled in to make our way to the park.

What was so amazing about this crowd was that there was nothing but positive energy! Some people had been there since 7 in the morning (and some even earlier, I'm sure), but the crisp fall temperatures and breeze didn't dampen anyone's spirit! We ended up making quick friends with a couple from Denver. She was a staunch Democrat while he had recently made up his mind to vote for and even volunteer for Barack. He had never voted Democratic in his life. This is the type of story that has been echoed hundreds of thousands of times across the country. Hope and change knows no party affiliation!

As we winded our way through to the park past vendors flaunting t-shirts, buttons and signs, it became apparent we wouldn't be able to get into the bowl of the park to get close to the stage, so we were redirected by DPD to take an alternate route to the outskirts of the bowl. As we approached the park, we were once again astounded. For as far as the eye could see, there was a sea of people stretching in all directions, from the City Courthouse all the way back to the state capital building steps! Unfreakinbelievalbe! People were standing on garbage cans and the marble walls surrounding the park, on the tops of surrounding builidings, clinging to light poles and trees, and some even ventured to climb up the forklifts holding the massive speakers lining the park area...all just to get a glimpse of Barack!

My girlfriend and I literally got stuck a few times trying to get closer, but we decided to move to the outer perimeter onto the road separating the park and the state capital building. This turned out to be a pretty good place to be. it was amazing, we looked toward the park....tens of thousand of people...we looked back toward the state capital building...tens of thousands of people...to the right thousands...to the left thousands.

It was simply awe-inspiring to be part of history like this. It was heartening to know that so many have awakened from the "slumber" we've been in the past 8 years.

We did run into a couple McCain/Palin supporters, but we both held our comments. We are here to make a positive difference and include everyone. Unlike many of the McCain rallys I've seen on TV, where those with opposing viewpoints where figuratively "tarred and feathered", this crowd was nothing but positive, even towards the couple of guys holding "We Don't Want the Kind of Change Obama Offers" signs. It's America, they're entitled to their views. That's what made this country great and what the forefathers envisioned.

Although we were never able to get a glimpse of "the man" we were able to hear every word crisply. A few dignitaries spoke and right at noon, Barack emerged. Even he was suprised by the throngs of people. "Goodness Gracious!" he said, "Does Denver do anything small?" The crowd rebutted with "Never!" Much of the speech repeated the talking points of his past speeches with many comments aimed at Coloradans, interspersed with chants of "Yes We Can" and "O-B-A-M-A".

After 40 minutes, our feet became weary and our stomachs started to growl for lunch, but it was DEFINITELY worth it! If and when this man becomes president in 9 days, we'll be able to look back and tell our kids we were there to witness a little bit of history and be part of the change we've been waiting for!

Cool Comment - Spreading the Truth about Joe the Plumber

NewsObama.org — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:58:09 EDT

By now just about everyone knows the truth about Joe the Plumber, but just in case you know a few people out there still offering up baseless critiques of Obama's plan to cut taxes for 95% of Americans, please share this cool poster that popped into the comments at NewsObama.org.

I wish I could credit the designer, but unfortunately, it came as an anonymous comment. Anyone know the source for this poster? Whoever it is, thanks!

"One Mic"

Tim A. — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:36:18 EDT

Tupac Shakur used to have a saying something to the effect of "one person teach one person, teach two people, teach three people, teach four." It wasn't his own, I'd guess. And, of course, he used a word other than "person."

I don't know about y'all, but I find that so many of the dialogues taking place because of the election that is now less than 2 weeks away aren't the challenging and potentially uplifting exchanges that we all deserve. Instead, there's a lot of yelling back and forth meant to either 1) affirm pre-existing beliefs or 2) rhetorically wail on the other guy for being so ignorant as to fill his head with such foolish nonsense.

It's kinda like MMA of the mouth. And there's very little "teaching" going on.

Consequently, I've found myself drifting toward people whose belief systems I am only mildly familiar with. Or, in some cases, totally unfamiliar with. I find myself asking them about their views on the world and trying to understand how they've arrived at those conclusions. I have walked away from some of those exchanges feeling like I really learned something. I have walked away from others sensing that I've shared some wisdom. And I have walked away from a couple of them shaking my head in consternation.

All of this leads me to the song for today(ish). Which harkens back to that singularity Tupac used to holler about. If you can make just one impression on behalf of Barack, make it a good one. Like it's the only one you'll ever make. The only one you'll ever need to make.

"One Mic" by Nas.

"Keep Marchin'"

Tim A. — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:56:28 EDT

I fell off.

I admit it.

I got all excited about the Obama campaign somewhere around Super Tuesday. Gave some money. Made some phone calls. Went to work on friends and family. Started this blog.

I kept all of it up for a while. Summer came. I got distracted. My inspiration waned as the campaign become more and more...well...political.

But, I'm still rockin' for That One.

And, I gather, there's a lot more of you doing the same than when I first got on board. Which is 15 kinds of great. And, hopefully, will be enough to bring this one home and put the good Senator from the Land of Lincoln in the Oval Office.

As we approach the end of this epic journey, this song is for all of y'all fighting the good fight:

"Keep Marchin'" by Raphael Saadiq

JOIN LAST CALL FOR CHANGE Saturday and Sunday in NYC

Benjamin from New York, NY — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:12:04 EDT

This weekend we're holding phonebanks at campaign offices and other locations across New York so that Obama supporters can reach out to voters in swing states. No experience is needed to participate -- staff will give you all the resources you need to succeed. All you need to do is bring your cell phone. Nothing is more powerful than having undecided voters hear from ordinary folks about Barack and this campaign for change.

http://ny.barackobama.com/NYlastcall

McPalin Goes Dirtier and Dumber

Scott S. — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:45:43 EDT

Well, we all knew this was coming...since they can't compete honorably, they are now digging up old dirt and recycling it. Unbelievable! Here's an article from Reuters that may interest you all....If you come across any more untruths, make sure to report them at http://www.fightthesmears.com/

By Jason Szep

ENGLEWOOD, Col., Oct 4 - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin accused Democratic candidate Barack Obama on Saturday of "palling around with terrorists," in the latest sign the campaign is turning increasingly nasty.

The comment by Palin, whose running mate John McCain is vying against Obama for president in the November 4 election, was dismissed by the Obama campaign as "gutter politics" and came shortly after the McCain campaign had already called the U.S. senator from Illinois a liar.

With polls showing McCain trailing Obama in many battleground states, including several won by Republicans in the 2004 election, Palin said "There is a time when it's necessary to take the gloves off and that time is right now."

Speaking at a fund-raiser in Englewood, Colorado, she launched an assault on Obama just days after both candidates urged Congress to set aside partisan politics to pass a $700 billion bad-debt securities package in a bid to free up frozen credit markets.

"Our opponent though is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough that he is palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," Palin said of Obama, also calling him an embarrassment.

Palin cited a New York Times story on Saturday that examined Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers, a former member of the Vietnam-era militant Weather Underground organization who is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Times concluded they were not close.

Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan said, "Today, the McCain-Palin team took their discredited, dishonorable campaign one desperate step further, announcing that they were going to try 'turning a page on this financial crisis' and launching more personal attacks on Senator Obama."

"Instead of offering solutions for working Americans and families struggling through a failing economy, they have offered more gutter politics and false attacks," he said in a statement.

Obama served with Ayers on the board of a foundation in Chicago, and has said he was only eight-years-old when the Weather Underground committed its best-known bombing. He has also noted that former President Bill Clinton pardoned two members of the group during the last days of his presidency.

Earlier, McCain's campaign called Obama a bald-faced liar in reference to how he characterized the Republican's plan to reform health insurance.

"When you read the fine print, it's clear that John McCain is pulling an old Washington bait and switch. It's a shell game," Obama said of McCain's plan to reform health insurance.

"He gives you a tax credit with one hand but he raises your taxes with the other," the senator from Illinois told a crowd of about 18,000 supporters in Newport News, Virginia.

'BALD-FACED LIE'

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds shot back, "Barack Obama is lying to voters. ... It's a bald-faced lie."

After a week where congressional negotiations over the financial rescue package dominated the campaign, Obama had hoped to use his rally in Virginia to refocus the political discourse on health insurance and economic policy.

Health insurance is an emotive issue, with some 45 million Americans living without coverage and others worried about losing coverage if they lose their jobs in the economic slump.

Both campaigns say they will improve access to health insurance and make care more affordable. On Saturday, both campaigns derided the other's plan as "radical."

The sharp exchanges came as the more than year-long campaign enters its last month. New polls show Obama has solidified his national lead and gained an edge in crucial battleground states in recent weeks as the Wall Street crisis focused the attention of voters on the weakening economy.

McCain and Obama will get to spar in person on Tuesday when they meet for the second of three nationally televised presidential debates, this one in Nashville, Tennessee.

Later, at a rally in Carson, California, Palin again said the Republican campaign would become more negative.

"As one of my campaign staffers reminded me as I was walking out, 'Ok now the heels are on, the gloves come off'," she told thousand of people at a rally in a sports stadium.

Recent polls show McCain in a dogfight in Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Missouri and Indiana. All were won by President George W. Bush in 2004, and McCain cannot afford to lose them as he tries to piece together the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the White House.

(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Arizona, writing by Mark Egan, editing by Philip Barbara)

Unite Us Poster Limited Edition

Nicholas Rock — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:10:46 EDT

the Unite Us poster was one of 5 selected winners in the Manifest Hope Competition (http://manifesthope.com) and displayed in Denver during the DNC. Due to popular demand, I am producing my Unite Us poster in a limited screenprinted edition. The prints will be 24x36, hand signed and numbered and printed on 100% post consumer waste, recycled paper from Mohawk. You can order one here: http://myprez.us/?page_id=151 They should be available to ship by early next week.

FEAR IN COLORADO

Scott S. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:54:02 EDT

I urge all of you to take a look at this video that is being run here in one of Colorado's races by a conservative right wing 528 called Freedom's Watch. It is dispicable and is along the lines of the DVDs being sent out by the Clarion Fund. They are using disgusting tactics to sway voters. Spread the word around about this organization and the falshoods that are being perpetrated by them. Let them know that the American people will not be duped again!

New Blog

Nicholas Rock — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:42:17 EDT

I've created a new blog in support of Obama, but also as a place for art, design, culture and politics to co-exist you can see it at http://myprez.us

Racism Still Alive & Well...

Scott S. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:32:52 EDT

This is a sick article. I caught this on my morning news search. It's interesting that it occurred at a predominately white Christian school. I thought all Christians were supposed to be tolerant and accepting of all. What is even more sickening is that police are NOT treating it as a hate crime but simply as an "expression of free speech". This harkens back to the 50's and 60's. If we vote in religious nut jobs like Palin, we'll face more of this same type of incident.

OBAMA/BIDEN '08

about the debate cancellation

art_hustler — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:15:33 EDT

Dear Senator,

John McCain is disingenuous.
After spending half the year scurrying in the mud,
Now he wants to take the high road and pretend that he cares about the people on main street and is above politics.
He is a garden variety politrickan.
He look fake to me.
Is record on decriminalization & deregulation of markets is abysmal, so now he wants to create a diversion & score points on you by seeming the adult.

All of a sudden he want to run his ass to Washington & solve the problem that his backward ass capitalist pig policies & his laissez faire friends on Wall Street caused.

Filth & Fear Inserted into Newspapers Nationwide

Scott S. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:56:25 EDT

It appears that the Repubs are employing Rovian fear tactics into the campaign again. This DVD has been inserted into the Denver Post and distributed. I caught wind of this through a progressive talk show a couple days ago and am not sure if everyone knows about it. I suggest we all see this for what it really is, a smear campaign on Obama. Although the filmmakers call it "education" I call it "propaganda". Check out the DVD website and the Clarion Fund (the right wing organization that backs the film). You'd be amazed at what fear-mongering junk they are putting out. Spread the word to all your friends and associates who are independents and in swing states (who this film is apparently aimed at) that the American public is wise enough to see through this type of bogus media play.

McCain Caught in a Lie Again.....

Scott S. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:30:36 EDT

McCain out and out lied again about his campaign's ties to lobbyists when he was interviewed by CNBC yesterday. An article in Newsweek by Michael Isakoff debunks his lie.

See the interview: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/23/freddie-mac-paid-mccain-c_n_128770.html

Read the article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/160561/page/1

What the McCain Campaign Has Reduced this Election To...

Chanel for Obama — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:05:36 EDT

Take Action with New Posters Every day

Obediah from San Rafael, CA — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:00:08 EDT

Each day at Democrat by Design I design and upload a new, hard hitting, high res 11" x 17" poster. They are easy to download and print. Post them along Main Streets and back alleys across the USA. Take a minutes to see what's available. Share them with friends via email. Link to this valuable tool. Good design is good politics. Fight back, take a stand, create action!

http://www.democratbydesign.typepad.com

John McCain's Record on Education

Scott S. — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:07:02 EDT

Since the McCain/Palin camp is touting he's done so much for education lately, I figured I'd go through some of thier more recent votes/views on education bills in the Senate:

McCain's Votes:

Voted NO on $52M for "21st century community learning centers".
Unrestricted block grants--let states decide spending
Voted NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies.
Voted NO on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education.
Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors.
Voted NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors.
Voted NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction.
Voted YES on declaring memorial prayers and religious symbols OK at schools.
Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education.
Voted YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer.
Voted NO on national education standards.
Good teachers & bad senators don’t need $140,000 a year
Let local school boards decide hiring and spending
Amend the US Constitution to guarantee the right to religious expression and voluntary prayer in public places, including schools.
Believes in evolution, but sees the hand of God in nature
Against nationally imposed standards & funding strings
Decisions on teaching evolution should be made locally

Palin's Views:

Teach creationism alongside evolution in schools
Supports teaching intelligent design in public schools
Faith-based materials ok in homeschooling
I believe we have a creator; and many theories of evolution
Let parents opt out of schoolbooks they find offensive
Pledge of Allegiance with 'Under God' is good enough
Opposes explicit sex-education programs
Recognize America's historic and founding Christian heritage

Even the Europeans Are Nervous About McCain/Palin...

Scott S. — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:50:27 EDT

Folks:

It appears that we are again the laughing stock of the world.

If anyone is even considering voting McCain/Palin for ONE SECOND I have to question their judgement. Either they're idiots or have been living under a rock the past 8 years!

Check out what some on the other side of the pond have to say about Palin...

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/viewpoints/story.html?id=da1180a1-409e-4dc0-8be8-da2680d6b9ca&p=1

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/29/america/NA-POL-US-Palin-Vulnerabilities.php

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,576286,00.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/02/america/02mother.php?page=1

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/alice_miles/article4662805.ece

http://www.alternet.org/environment/97207/sarah_palin%E2%80%99s_big,_sleazy_safari/?page=entire

REPOST: SICKENING 9/11 VIDEO AT RNC AND OLBERMANN'S REACTION

Scott S. — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:08:05 EDT

SORRY ABOUT THAT FOLKS...PASTED WRONG LINK!!

Unfortunately, I had the honor of having to watch a good portion of the RNC convention last night. I don't know about any of you, but I was sickened by the supposed "tribute" video about 9/11. Are we that sick a society where we have to use tragedy to sell a political viewpoint? I wasn't watching MSNBC so I didn't see the original broadcast, but I commend Keith for stating, on air to millions, what he really felt about the use of the dead to further a political cause. I urge you to pass this video along to everyone you know. We need to get the word out that electing McCain/Palin IS NOT real change. It will be more of the same, and probably worse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDx80bnFrVs

OBAMA/BIDEN '08

Peace Scott

THE LIES IN PALIN'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH...

Scott S. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:16:35 EDT

I've pasted the whole Palin speech below with links to debunk some of her talking points. I encourage all of you to add links and forward it onto those undecided voters and thos uninformed or lied to about Palin's record...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for Vice President of the United States…

I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.

I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election… against confident opponents … at a crucial hour for our country.

And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions … and met far graver challenges … and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.

It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.

MCCAIN'S REAL COMMITMENT TO NATIONAL SECURITY....http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/02/10/mcauliffe/

With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.

But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.

They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.

And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership … a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.

Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.

He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.

WRONG!!! John McCain has voted against veteran's benefits time and time again..

.http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9559

http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/08/mccain_watch_mc_6.php

And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.

Our son Track is 19.

And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.

My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.

My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.

In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between - my strong and kind-hearted daughters Bristol, Willow, and Piper.

And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.

That's how it is with us.

Our family has the same ups and downs as any other … the same challenges and the same joys.

Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.

And children with special needs inspire a special love.

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.

He's a lifelong commercial fisherman … a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope … a proud member of the United Steel Workers' Union … and world champion snow machine racer.

Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.

We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My Mom and Dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.

And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.

My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and habber-dasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.

A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.

I grew up with those people.

They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America … who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.

They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.

I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.

When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.

SOME INSIGHTS TO HER TIME IN CITY COUNCIL...http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/an-wasillan-on.html

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.

SOME INSIGHTS INTO HER TIME AS MAYOR...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-schmeltzer/palin-almost-recalled-as_b_122769.html

http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/510219.html

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/090308a.html

And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.

BARACK'S COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EXPERIENCE...http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/951208/

We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.

As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment.< br>

SEE JOHN MCCAIN'S FLIP FLOPS...http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9111.html
And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.

But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.

SEE JOHN MCCAIN'S CONNECTIONS WITH LOBBYISTS..http://mediamattersaction.org/freeride/lobbyists/

SEE PALIN'S LOBBYIST CONNECTIONS...http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/palins_lobbyist_has_abramoff_t.php

Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.

The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.

No one expects us to agree on everything.

But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and … a servant's heart.

I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau … when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.

PALIN...BIG OIL'S CHEERLEADER AND BEAUTY QUEEN...http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=67981&sectionid=3510303

Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.

But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.

And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.

I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.

While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.

That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.

I also drive myself to work.

And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.

Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest - and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.

Our state budget is under control.

REALLY?...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/sarah-palins-increased-op_b_123400.html

We have a surplus.

And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.

ARE YOU SURE, GOV. PALIN?...http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/palins-budget-cuts-affect-teenage-mothers/

I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.

I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.

PALIN'S FLIP FLOP ON THE BRIDGE...http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/story/8334949p-8231037c.html

If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska.

And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.

As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.

I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.

And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.

The stakes for our nation could not be higher.

When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.

With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.

MCCAIN'S CONNECTION TO GEORGIA CONFLICT...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/13/mccains-top-foreign-polic_n_118743.html

To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies … or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia … or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries … we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.

And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.

Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.

But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.

WILL MORE DRILLING LOWER GAS PRICES?...http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/ongr.html

Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines … build more new-clear plants … create jobs with clean coal … and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.

We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.

Maybe you have, too.

We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.

But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.

BARACK'S STATE SENATE AND US SENATE RECORD...http://obama.senate.gov/issues/ethics_and_lobbying_reform/

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed … when the roar of the crowd fades away … when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger … take more of your money … give you more orders from Washington … and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy … our opponent is against producing it.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight … he wants to forfeit.

WHAT IS "VICTORY" IN IRAQ?!...http://www.slate.com/id/2187386/pagenum/all/#page_start

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay … he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America … he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big … he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much … he promises more.

Taxes are too high … he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

TAXES TOO HIGH?!...http://www.robertreich.org/reich/20030915.asp

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes … raise payroll taxes … raise investment income taxes … raise the death tax … raise business taxes … and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

PALIN'S BUSINESS FAILURES...http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/02/palin_scrubbing_car_wash.html

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio … or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia … or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.

How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.

And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.

Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.

And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk … the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.

SEE ALL THE "GREAT THINGS" THAT JOHN MCCAIN HAS DONE IN WASHINGTON!...http://therealmccain.com/

Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.

UMMM, YEAH...SEE THIS AGAIN ABOUT MCCAIN & LOBBYISTS...http://mediamattersaction.org/freeride/lobbyists/

He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.

A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.

He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.

And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.

There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you … in places where winning means survival and defeat means death … and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.

It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.

But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.

It's the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS "UPRIGHT AND HONORABLE MAN"...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/22/johnmccain.uselections2008

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html

To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless … the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God …

SEE HOW RICH MCCAIN IS NOW...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/03/cindy-mccains-fortune-pro_n_94833.html

the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome.

A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.

As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" - as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.

ARE ALL OF MCCAIN'S WAR STORIES TRUE?...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-cohen/john-mccain-is-lying-abou_b_119757.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25674735/

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.

For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

If character is the measure in this election … and hope the theme … and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.

Thank you all, and may God bless America.

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 | Trackback |

--
Scott D. Stoddard
Phone: 303-519-5443
Email: stoddard06@gmail.com
www.webheadgrafx.com
webhedgrafx.blogspot.com

"Country before Party" my a...

Michael — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:05:39 EDT

Joe Lieberman says John McCain puts country before party???... HA!... that's a joke that might be funny if it weren't so dangerous!

2008 Candidate John McCain has clearly and systematically reversed his position on OVER 60 major issues of the day in the areas of national security, foreign policy, domestic policy, the military, the economy, energy, immigration, campaign ethics, and the list goes on!...

don't believe me?... read them here for yourself:

http://www.alternet.org/election08/90956/?page=entire

These reversals are a matter of documented history... not opinion.

Senator McCain may have put country before party at one time, but 2008 candidate McCain clearly has bowed to his GOP & corporate puppet-master's will. John McCain isn't a maverick anymore! The GOP wants you to believe he's still a maverick because it portrays the illusion of change without really changing anything that matters most to the powers that be (at the expense of the American people).

John McCain is what he's always been... a good soldier. Someone who follows orders, regardless of his personal beliefs.

Take 2000 turncoat Joe Lieberman for example, who helped steal the election from his own running mate and give it to the GOP... If John McCain had it his way, it'd be a McCain/Lieberman ticket now, but Senator Lieberman's new republican friends (John McCain's masters) know he can't be trusted and therefore won't allow their McSoldier to put him in the White House... probably a good move.

So what???... extreme right-wing "yes-woman" Sarah Palin is an example of John McCain putting country before party??? Are you kidding yourselves?

Again, this is just a political move to feign the appearance of change to the duped masses who help those in power get even more powerful at the expense of their own meager wealth and fading freedoms.

A vote for John McCain is a vote against yourselves America!

McCain's Dangerous Judgment

Michael — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:25:49 EDT

Unfortunately, the average life expectancy of a white male in the United States today is just 73.6 years. John McCain is now 72… And though he may believe he’s going to live happily for years to come (and I’m sure we all certainly wish that for him), the truth of the matter is that the odds are very good that should he become President, he will pass, or become incapable of fulfilling his duties, while in office. This fact makes his VP choice all the more crucial, and therein lies the concern…

It appears that with the seemingly politically-driven, spur-of-the-moment pick of barely-vetted and relatively untested Sarah Palin as a running mate, John McCain’s “maverick”, “roll-the-dice” approach to critical decision-making lacks well-tempered judgment, and puts our country in unnecessary peril. I believe this is but one glaring example of a dangerous pattern of “from-the-hip” behavior we can expect from would-be President McCain on all issues, foreign and domestic.

Ask yourself… Would a Fortune 500 company hire even a mid-to-senior level manager after just one single face-to-face interview and phone conversation?…

John McCain is dangerous for America.

McCain/Palin

Michael — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:42:43 EDT

McCain/Palin is just the "McSame" and pale in comparison to the true leadership of Barack Obama and Joe Biden!

At the end of the day, parading Sarah Palin out in front of the cameras doesn't distract me one bit from the undeniable fact that John McCain still fully embraces George Bush & Dick Cheney's politics and failed policies both at home and abroad.

You spit fire tonight!

art_hustler — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:18:23 EDT

Dear Senator,

I watched the nomination acceptance speech from home, and I just wanna say that the speech "was fukkin' awesome".

I am so proud of you, and proud for you.

You finally passed out the rifles.

Enough!!

I appreciate our leader saying it exactly, with the proper inflection, as we mean it. Nothing endears a politician or leader to his constituents or followers like empathy. We are not inside the halls of powere speaking directly with power & to power. So we appreciate when our representative goes into the District of Corruption and accurately expresses our frustration. Not interpret it and pretty it up and neuter it.

We fired up.

Glad to see you are too, and the words warm in your mouth.

You spit fire tonight.

flawless truth telling.

!! JUST IN TIME for the Democratic National Convention in Denver >>> A NEW DESIGN for Obama support gear NOW AVAILABLE !!

Raad — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:15:26 EDT

Hi all,

I have uploaded a new design titled " MILE HIGH HOPE " commemorating the upcoming Democratic National Convention later this month in Denver, Colorado.

<<<<<< http://www.cafepress.com/raads/5872676 >>>>>>>

Please check out my Obama store at Cafepress.com for other designs you might enjoy!!

I hope you like them…let me know what you think

Regards,

Raad Ghantous

Principal / Senior Designer

Raad Ghantous & Associates / RG&A

www.raadg.com

email: raad_ghantous@raadg.com

cell: 949.212.8299

P.S. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might be interested in the items on there….

!! YES . WE . CAN !!

!! Come Browse my Unique Designs for Barack Obama 08 !!

http://www.cafepress.com/raads

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

!! Come Browse my Unique Designs for Barack Obama 08 !!

http://www.cafepress.com/raads

I will Contribute 100% of ALL profits to www.barackobama.com through my Personal Donation drive there

!! YES . WE . CAN !!

Art for Obama: Happy Birthday!

heart4idaho — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:00:28 EDT

Today is Barack's birthday and I wish I knew where to send him a birthday card. I don't know. So I designed

a card and posted it on my blog.

http://heart4art.blogspot.com

I hope donating some profits from my poster, T shirts, etc sales will make a happy birthday!

Along with the birthday card, there are some ridiculously goofy designs starring the lovable characters of my life (magpies, parrots, dogs, hens, cats), who are OBVIOUSLY FOR Obama.

Barack Obama inspires so many creative minds. The Obama art movement is an avalanche. Very spontaneous and genuine.

Anyway, thanks for taking a peek at the new art. I'm working on more all the time. Helpful comments welcome. If you want me to do something specific, please let me know! Leave a comment on the blog.

my Obama art gallery:

http://www.zazzle.com/eyecontact*/products/cg-196576461549728113

Thanks for your support.

_______________________________________

*design using Obama mark: 100% profits donated; design sans Obama mark: 25% donated

Stir It Up for Barack!

Jason Luckett — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:24:08 EDT

Here's a video and some music that I'd like to offer people in support of Barrack.

http://www.theobamanation.com/wpblog/2008/08/01/stir-it-up-for-barack/

I'm sorry I'm not able to post the music and video here. But here's the lyric of one of the tunes. (For those on the Dylan fan list, you might be interested that the folk singer I refer to is Pete Seger. I was listening to Live @ Carnegie Hall 1963 when I was inspired to write this song. It was recorded a couple months before Dr. King's speech.)

daydream

carry me up to be received
we’re drinking
coffee at 10am

newspaper deaths
thirty years, one day
a folk singer says i ain’t scared

and tears fall as i daydream
of martin luther king fulfilled

(can you feel…?)

carry me up to receive
‘cos despair as fate is nonsense to me
sun warms us through our windows
but my friend and i must go outside

with knowledge from these conversations
we must act at least in song

can you feel?
you’re not alone!
can you feel?

carry me up to believe
that words of peace stir collective souls
that we’ll be moved by nonviolent hands
that my passion’s not nostalgic

and tears rise as i daydream
and i begin to smile

can you feel?
you’re not alone!
can you feel
you’re not alone!

can you feel…
can you feel…
you’re not alone!
you’re not alone!

If I were you, and i had your money & a fighting instinct I would deconstruct their entire apparat

art_hustler — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:04:12 EDT

Dear Senator,

The tone of this campaign is negative. A negative campaign is not what America wants or needs, yet it is what it is. And it is what we have. I don't care who started it (the negativity). It takes two to tango.

I do care however who finishes it.

John McCain wants it both ways. He wants to run a very negative campaign and not get called on the bile his campaign is spewing. He wants to run a very negative campaign and still be credited with being an honorable, above board straight shooting maverick. OK. That's only if we freeze time and nobody grades him for his present time actions.

If a previously honorable man went on a crime spree, committing felonies, violating laws, behaving irresponsibly; we may or may not understand his motives, but we would certainly say that each criminal act eroded his legacy.

The '08 Presidential campaign is negative and our side has to fight it effectively without abandoning our principles. How does one run through a sewer and come up not smelling like s#!t? How does one keep the electorate focused while the other side is firing off roman candles & practicing the politics of distraction? I say fight by bringing a gun to a knife fight.

Senator Obama Do This.

art_hustler — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:25:49 EDT

Dear Senator,

Music is primal. Straight to the soul.
It's immediacy is it's strength & appeal.

The ideal always is to communicate a message so tight & coherent that it like music (and painting) bypasses logic and registers at the level of emotions. I imagine that everybody on staff within your communications department are preoccupying themselves with reaching this objective. Trying to craft or find that indelible image that sears itself into our unconscious, and is unshakable. The Berlin images approach this test, and wouldn't it be wonderful to have that & the awesome spectacle of that event (or something like it) become the brand?

Obama is arrogant (so they say)

art_hustler — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:33:00 EDT

Dear Senator,

McCain.
Country First.
But what else next?
What else besides negative ads?

Should I believe McCain or my lying eyes?
Obama face to face with leaders of other nation states (Israel, Germany, France, Iraq, Palestine, General Petraus), looking equal & Presidential. And McCain asks, is he (Obama) ready to lead?

No need to deliberate or conjecture. The simple answer is yes.

The complicated answer is also, yes.

Maybe Obama is arrogant & presumptuous, but McCain is definitely: covetous, envious, petty, and jealous. And every negative ad he runs confirms the place where his sins & personal failings lay. The campaign he is running reflects his character.

Straight talk has devolved and is now double talk.

Alaska Scandal: More to Come? >

Raad — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:44:18 EDT

.. and Bush is so out of touch he is still pushing for drilling in Alaska daily !! Alaska Scandal: More to Come?

Alaska's Sole Congressman Also Reportedly Under InvestigationBy EMMA SCHWARTZ and JUSTIN ROOD
July 30, 2008
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) isn't the only U.S. lawmaker whose fortunes are likely threatened by his ties to an obscure oil services company known as Veco.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5479544&page=1

Republican Don Young, Alaska's only congressman, has reportedly been under investigation for his ties to the company, as well.

According to "The Wall Street Journal", which broke the news of the Young investigation a year ago, prosecutors have reportedly been looking at whether Young took bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifts from Veco.

Young, who has met with Justice Department lawyers and has reported spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, has declined to comment on the investigation. Michael Anderson,

a spokesman for Young's re-election campaign, said Tuesday the congressman was not aware of any new developments in the investigations into him, "but it's not inherent on the Department of Justice to keep

us informed. . . about [its] progress or the lack of progress."

Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney declined to comment, noting that "we have not confirmed or denied any such investigation."

On Tuesday a federal grand jury charged Stevens with failing to report gifts from Veco, including cars and free labor for a home in Girdwood, Alaska the senator called "the chalet."

WATCH: Stevens Indicted for Alleged False Statements >>>> http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5473830

While prosecutors alleged that Stevens took actions to benefit Veco, he has not be charged with bribery. Federal investigators already have a number of cooperators.

Among them are, Veco's former chairman, Bill Allen, who pleaded guilty to bribing at least four Alaska legislators.

Another former company vice president, Rick Smith, who once fundraised for Young, is also cooperating with investigators, according to the Associated Press, and has reportedly allowed the FBI to tape conversations

he had with Young. Contacts with Veco, however, are not Young's only concern.

Federal investigators are also reportedly looking into Young's efforts to earmark $10 million to build an interchange on a Florida highway known as the Coconut Road, and campaign contributions from a developer

who stood to benefit from the interchange. Young's lawyer, John Dowd, has said he has advised Young not to discuss the matter.

Dowd could not be reached for comment. A former Young staffer, Mark Zachares, pled guilty last year in connection to his ties to now-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

According to the terms of his plea agreement, Zachares and his wife are cooperating with investigators.

VECO CorporationFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VECO_Corporation

!! Come Browse my Unique Designs for Barack Obama 08 !! http://www.cafepress.com/raads

I will Contribute 100% of ALL profits to www.barackobama.com through my Personal Donation drive there

!! YES . WE . CAN !!

Design questions

heart4idaho — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:09:24 EDT

Hi all,

Hope you can guide me.

Q: do I need written permission from Obama campaign to use the logo in my designs (percent of profit donated to campaign)? Did other designers get it before selling work with the logo?

Q: is the old Republican two color elephant under some sort of copyright protection, or is it pubic domain? (Hope someone knows!)

See the design ideas at http://heart4art.blogspot.com

I want to donate to the campaign using my design work sales. But must be legal, etc. Haven't done any promoting till I find the answers.

Comments welcome. Thanks.

Michelle Obama Makes Vanity Fair Best Dressed List...

Chanel for Obama — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:50:47 EDT

Click here to see who else made the list.

!!! 5 New Designs Added This WEEK !!! and Now Available !!!

Raad — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:59 EDT

!!! 5 New Designs Added This WEEK !!!

At the Store on Cafepress.com http://www.cafepress.com/raads .... you might like to check them out.

1) " Obama - Latin - Yes We Can (with Eagle line art)” Design >>> http://www.cafepress.com/raads/5810348

2) " Obama - Sisyphus (Greek Mythology) - Yes We Can " Design >>>> http://www.cafepress.com/raads/5809657

3) " Obama - Shine a light for CHANGE " Design >>>> http://www.cafepress.com/raads/5806191

4) " Obama - O'bama Old Irish Blessing (May your home always be too small to hold all your friends) " Design >>>> http://www.cafepress.com/raads/5803041

5 ) ...and a foreign support group from Kuwait commissioned Design (featuring Kuwait's iconic Towers) >>>> http://www.cafepress.com/raads/5813122

As always I will Contribute 100% of ALL profits to www.barackobama.com through my Personal Donation drive there

!! YES WE CAN !!

Raad Ghantous

Principal / Senior Designer

Raad Ghantous & Associates / RG&A

www.raadg.com

P.S. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think might be interested as well 

!! Come Browse my Unique Designs for Barack Obama 08 !!

http://www.cafepress.com/raads

I will Contribute 100% of ALL profits to www.barackobama.com through my Personal Donation drive there

!! YES . WE . CAN !!

Cyclists for Obama! (The L-O-g-O)

Matthew Wade Davis — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:35:33 EDT

I was riding my bike home from work today, reflecting on the fact that some of my city officials here in San Francisco are actually considering an upcoming proposal to make a section of our pride and joy downtown stretch of road/mainstreet aka "Market Street" open for bicycle and pedestrian traffic only. Though the standard combination of bureaucracy, legal red tape and angry naysayers will probably make a brilliant idea like this take years to pass... A super idea that promotes good health, a clean environment, and so many other things... My two cents: It just makes me think that soon enough we won't have time to allow years for a good idea to take hold. We do need change from the norm and we need it now. We need a leader and leaders that inspire and encourage action in others.

Also... I got home and was inspired to rework a little logo that you may have seen around somewhere. I plan to make a few hundred buttons to give away this weekend at various SF Bike Film Festival events. Every little bit helps and I am more than proud to support a leader that I feel will bring about some of the change like the ideas mentioned above.

SO yes.. Rock on! & Ride on! my fellow cyclists for Obama!

big love from San Francisco,

Matthew

ps--feel free to share the attached design... I can send you the source file if you want to make t-shirts or somethin'!

Senator Barack Obama's Impressive Legislative Records, a doer, not just a talker!

Prosy — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:53:34 EDT

I wanted to share what I got in my inbox today, quite impressive..from Thomas Ridley. Notice how much Senator Obama has accomplished, yet for the media pundits, he is someone falsely labeled as with no experience. Look at what he has done.

Offering HOPE! Obama has been a humanitarian from start to end. Look at his Illinois Senate Record. Rob http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html
On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 12:50 AM, TOMAS RILDEY <luxorslight@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi Sherry,

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Share this with anyone that wants to know what Barack Obama has been up too. He's 46 years old and his life is an open book.

He wrote two books on his life and as we see here with Worldlink, some people forgot how to read and really think we Americans are still living in the ages of 8 tracks and fear of the Government.

If anybody cares to know and wants to know what Barack Obama endorsed, voted and supported. Thomas Jefferson Library of Congress will let you know what he has done.

All While in the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored During the first - 8 - eight years of his elected service as Junior Senator he sponsored over 820 bills.
He introduced:
233 regarding healthcare reform,
125 on poverty and public assistance,
112 crime fighting bills,
97 economic bills,
60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills,
21 ethics reform bills,
15 gun control,
6 veterans affairs and many others.

His first year in the U.S. Senate seat, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427.

These included **the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 - became law..
**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act, - became law..
**The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate.
**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill, - became law..
**The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill, In committee, and many more.
Obama is a co-sponsor. "S.1793 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for property owners who remove lead-based paint hazards."
Obama's anti-lead bill (S. 1306) directed the Consumer Product Safety Commission to classify certain children's products containing lead as banned hazardous substances. He had another bill prohibiting the interstate transport of children's products containing lead.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/21/164117/783

In all, since entering other 1996.

An impressive record, for someone who supposedly has no record according to some who would prefer that this comparison not be made public. The Media Machine has full access to this ready and available common information, but would never bring it to the mainstream news. Why?
And you think the media is giving him a pass..
We now know not..
He's not just a talker. He's a doer!!!

Tomas' "Red Sky" Ridley

Penobscot Tribal Nation

First Guam then the Nation

David — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:15:35 EDT

More from Greg at the group Architects for Obama on Energy Independence:

"I have a plan to bring about energy independence in the United States. The first nation on Earth with the opportunity to become fully independent of fossil fuels is the tiny island nation of Iceland. By exploiting the vast renewable energy resources found on the island, Icelanders have been able to grow their economy and cut dependence on foreign energy. Renewable energy resources currently tend to be more expensive than traditional sources, although with gas at over $4.00 across the United States, things are starting to balance out. Still, the most cost effective use of renewable energy tends to be in remote locations far from electric grids and fossil fuel resources.I believe that if Iceland can become energy independent then certainly the small island territories of the United States can be. Many of them have resources that Iceland does not such as solar, sugarcane ethanol, and ocean thermal energy conversion. If one island territory can be made independent of fossil fuels, then why not another? If each island territory eliminates the need for fossil fuels then why not Hawaii, the state most dependent on foreign fossil fuels? And if Hawaii can succeed, why not the rest of the nation?I believe that Barack Obama, commited to renewable energy and having been born and raised on an island, is uniquely well suited to implementing this plan.The United States is planning to spend over $15 billion dollars in the next six years to relocate our troops from Okinawa to Guam as we pull our troops out of Japan. It is the largest expansion and construction effort in the history of Guam. Our military owns about one-third of this island, and much of the remaining jungle will be bulldozed to build military headquarters, housing, hospitals, schools and commissaries to support about 8,000 additional marines. The construction effort will require 25,000 temporary workers. To put this project in perspective, Guam's current population is about 173,000 people and the total annual GDP for the island is $3.2 billion.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/30/asia/30guam-gates.php

"As long as we are going to spend $15 billion building in Guam, why don’t we take the opportunity to do so in an environmentally sustainable manner? Let us build the military bases, hospitals, schools, and housing on Guam using green building design methods. Let us expand power plants to meet the energy needs with local renewable resources. Let us require environmentally friendly cars and trucks on the island - a miliary truck running on diesel can just as easily run on biodiesel. Lets not wipe out the native habitat and eco-system found on Guam in the process.

"If Guam can be made energy independent then perhaps every state in the union can be too. First Guam, then the nation."

John McCain Hates "The Bloggers"...

Chanel for Obama — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:29:01 EDT

I would venture to ask Sen. McCain what is it about "the bloggers" that he hates so much. Is it because we "bloggers" cast a light of truth over his scattered and incoherent message for America? I'd love to know the answer to that one.

And oh yeah, John McCain also hates "the cables". Sen. McCain probably hates "the Google" and "the Youtube" too.

John McCain hates "the bloggers"

Experiencing turbulence. Or dissonance, at least.

art_hustler — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:37:14 EDT

Call it what you like.
Nuancing. Sophistication. Pragmatism. Moderation.
I call it what it is Senator. Its change. Bait & switch is change. And bait & switch is change, people can believe in.
It's the reason why consumers kick the tires & look under the hood when they purchase used cars from seedy establishments. Bait & switch is a circumstance buyers expect when making purchases from an industry with a history of questionable ethics (like Congress).

The Matthew 25 Network Endorses Sen. Obama

Chanel for Obama — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:51:47 EDT

A new Christian political action committee (PAC), has endorsed Sen. Obama. See the link below to hear their ad that will run on Christian radio and their Facebook page below as well.

Matthew 25 Network Radio Commercial

Matthew 25 Network on Facebook

McCain = Bush

Charlie Nichols Browning — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:42:23 EDT

"According to VoteView, McCain's voting record in 2005-06 would place him second in the contest for America's most conservative senator in the 109th Congress and eighth in the 110th Senate. McCain supported Bush in 95 percent of his votes in 2007 and has managed to achieve a perfect 100 percent score so far in 2008." Interesting article here: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080707/alterman

Why Isn't John McCain's Military Record Fair Game?

Chanel for Obama — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:09:52 EDT

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark spoke out again on the fact that John McCain's military service, although honorable, does not qualify him to be president. And herein is where all the outrage began. The right wing feigned massive outrage at the comments and journalists collectively hissed and gasped at Gen. Clark for even suggesting such a thing. Sen. Obama himself even distanced himself from the comments that Gen. Clark made earlier in his patriotism speech.
But my question is this. Why isn't Sen. McCain's military record fair game if that's what he's basing his campain squarely on? Why can't the American people question his military record? Why can John McCain, along with John McCain's campaign, and anyone who is fully backing John McCain speak on his military record, but the second someone decides to question that same record or shines a light of truth on John McCain's actual military service (thank you Gen. Wesley Clark), it's a problem. A BIG one. Why? And while all this commotion is going on, Sen. McCain continues to hide a large chunk of his military record, so we still don't know the whole story. So is this how they are gonna run his campaign? Feigning outrage, whenever John McCain's military record is questioned? Accusing the people who do so of "attacking" an American war hero? This reeks of dishonest practice and shadyness, for lack of a better term, on the part of the entire McCain campaign on the very "military service" that they're running on.
I don't know about anyone else, but this "don't even THINK ABOUT questioning John McCain's military service" business is becoming MAD SUSPECT to me. If John McCain is gonna run on that platform, then he and his campaign need to be more forthcoming about it. The fact that people can't question it makes it look like they have something to hide. Gen. Wesley Clark should be commended for speaking the truth.

It's not just about the guns...

David — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:25:30 EDT

I support the Second Amendment, of course. I support the military. I support sportsmen and the agricultural tradesmen requiring firearms in their work. Obama supports these positions, too, but this is not the point. It seems appropriate to use the occasion of today’s ruling to highlight the ever encroaching militaristic intrusion in the character of our communities, of the countryside and in our daily life .

I do personally disagree with the interpretation by the Supreme Court mostly on the grounds that it edges us further toward a personal property right vs. a civil right of the People (capital P) to bear arms for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a Militia, solely because it expands this uncivil architectural trend.

That is (for one example only), the guard rails, highway signs and type faces, turning radii, fences, scrub landscape and overpasses of the Eisenhower roadway system (and now much of our secondary road system) is far different aesthetically than, say, Britain’s. There is a reason for this seemingly stylistic difference. It has to do, first, with the role of arms in America, and NOT the turning radius of the Bentley. As this role has evolved, it has advanced, and it has, in fact, changed our built environment, whether you see it in your personal commute or not.

Why else is the national park service at liberty to have a completely different, more civil roadway designs? And the Parkway system in America, which for a time elevated automobile travel to a civil, aesthetic experience, was halted primarily on the grounds that our highways must facilitate military maneuvers.

Andres Duany and other planner have spent their careers fighting the DOT and other agencies, which had become in effect, through their militaristic designs standards, an effectively an arm of the military. As a result they paradoxically act AGAINST the very second amendment rights of the People to be protected to live their life without intervention of the government. Instead we see its influence everywhere.

We could look at the militaristic design of many aspects of America, and yes, WalMart is at the top of my list, and not just because they sell guns. They have physically removed civility, fulfillment, and joy from the marketplace. Also on the list would be public transportation infrastructure, public housing, post offices, airports, college campuses, and much else that the Federal government has built since WWII. These all veer toward utility with no delight.

For the record, if we are to understand it, here it is: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This confirmed the People’s right to be protected, and to form militias to protect themselves, not to collect guns. The Bill of Rights nowhere gave us STUFF. The Bill of Rights was confirming God-given rights of action and control, NOT that we should all have rifles, or a chicken in our pot, or even health care (although these ideas may have merits, they are not civil rights). But arms are NOT a property right.

If we are to design our world as if the enemy has won, well, then, he has already won. And if this is the case, the right of the People to a protective Militia - strong enough that they can freely live in a civilized, non-militaristic society - has been infringed. This is NOT the Platonic or Aristotelian City I understand our best thinkers to be directing us toward.

David

Architecture 2030: Cracking the Code

David — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:19:08 EDT

From Peter from Santa Fe, NM:

CRACKING THE CODE

A Much-Awaited Approach for Dramatically Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

SANTA FE, NM - In a major announcement today, Architecture 2030 released an unprecedented and much-anticipated guide for every city, county and state in the nation to swiftly meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets through existing building codes. Architecture 2030 is the non-profit research organization that issued the 2030 Challenge, the widely adopted plan for dramatically reducing GHG emissions in the Building Sector. Published in a new white paper, titled "Meeting the 2030 Challenge Through Building Codes", a single chart provides the key to deciphering various building energy codes and standards as they relate to the immediate 50% reduction target called for in the 2030 Challenge.

According to Edward Mazria, executive director of Architecture 2030, "meeting reduction targets through existing codes is the critical 'missing piece' to getting major reductions underway immediately." Michelle Wyman, executive director of the US branch of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, an international membership association of over 700 local governments, agrees. "Mayors have unanimously adopted the 2030 Challenge and have been eager to implement it. Being able to do so through existing building energy codes will allow them to move much more quickly with strong, measurable reductions in building emissions," she said.

More and more governments and professionals across the US are looking to the 2030 Challenge as an effective way to tame the excessive CO2 emissions of the Building Sector. Buildings are the major contributor to climate change, being responsible for almost half of all US energy consumption and GHG emissions. The 2030 Challenge calls for a 50% reduction in energy consumption, including fossil fuel, GHG-emitting energy, of all new buildings and major renovations by 2010, and for incrementally increasing the reduction every five years, so that all new buildings are carbon neutral by 2030.

The urgent need for a code-based approach prompted Architecture 2030 to develop 'code equivalents', which are the additional reductions needed beyond the requirements of a particular code, standard or rating system to meet or exceed the initial 50% target of the 2030 Challenge. These code equivalents can be easily incorporated into existing codes by ordinance.

Ken Colburn is Senior Consultant for the Center for Climate Strategies, a non-profit organization that has worked with more than 20 states to design, launch, and successfully manage the creation of comprehensive state climate action plans that significantly reduce GHG emissions. According to Colburn, "By comparing current building codes to the level of greenhouse gas reductions called for by the global scientific community to stem global warming, Architecture 2030 has taken a giant step toward delivering those very reductions."

R.K. Stewart, 2007 president of the American Institute of Architects, the first organization to adopt the 2030 Challenge, also expressed the importance of Architecture 2030's white paper. "Using the recommendations offered in this white paper to improve energy performance beyond current regulations and standards will enable us to act both decisively and immediately to bring energy use in the Building Sector under control."

Architecture 2030 believes that states, local governments and professional organizations are the real heroes on climate change. "They have taken the lead on addressing this crisis. We are excited to be able to provide them with such a useful and powerful tool for making the 2030 Challenge a reality in their communities," said Mazria.

The success of the 2030 Challenge is attributed to the fact that it can be implemented immediately, it spawns the creation of many new, local, permanent jobs and it is much more cost effective than other approaches, such as nuclear and coal with carbon capture and storage. Architecture 2030 released its own study, 'The 2030 Blueprint', last month, providing a side-by-side analysis of various approaches to emissions reductions, showing unequivocally that building energy efficiency via the 2030 Challenge is the clear winner.

Architecture 2030 is not the only group coming to this conclusion. According to Coburn, "In state after state, analyses by the Center for Climate Strategies, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, McKinsey & Company, and others demonstrate that steps to achieve substantial greenhouse gas reductions from residential, commercial, and industrial buildings are not only possible, they are available today and can provide significant net cost savings, more jobs, and other economic benefits where implemented."

Architecture 2030

kershner@architecture2030.org

*Architecture 2030 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and does not endorse, support or oppose any candidate, campaign or political party.

Barack Covers Rolling Stone Magazine for the 2nd Time.

Chanel for Obama — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:01:56 EDT

Source: The Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — Bob Dylan. Yo-Yo Ma. Sheryl Crow. Jay-Z. These aren't musical acts in a summer concert series: They're artists featured on Barack Obama's iPod.

"I have pretty eclectic tastes," the Democratic presidential contender said in an interview to be published in Friday's issue of Rolling Stone.
Growing up in the '70s, Obama said, he listened to the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire. Stevie Wonder is his musical hero from the era. The Stones' "Gimme Shelter" tops his favorites from the band.
The Illinois senator's playlist contains these musicians, along with about 30 songs from Dylan and the singer's "Blood on the Tracks" album. Jazz legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker are also in the mix.
"Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is 'Maggie's Farm,'" Obama said of one of Dylan's tracks. "It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric."
In the song, Dylan sings about trying be himself, "but everybody wants you to be just like them."
Several musicians on Obama's iPod support his bid for the White House, including Bruce Springsteen. Earlier this month, Dylan told a British newspaper that he believes Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a nation in upheaval.
"I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable," Obama said. "Those guys are icons."
Obama said he hasn't met Springsteen, but the two have talked over the phone.
"Not only do I love Bruce's music, but I just love him as a person," Obama said. "He is a guy who has never lost track of his roots, who knows who he is, who has never put on a front."
And did he address him as the Boss?
"You've got to," the candidate said.
Asked what he thought of rap, Obama said the genre has broken down barriers within the music world, though he's concerned about his daughters _ Malia, 9, and Sasha, 7 _ listening to it.
"I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics," he said, "but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music."
He said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and rappers Jay-Z and Ludacris were "great talents and great businessmen."
"It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves," he added.

Obama appears on the cover of the magazine, which endorsed him for president in March.

Barack Obama Inspires Milan Men's Runway Styles..

Chanel for Obama — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:55:45 EDT

Click to read the full story here.

This "Angry Black Woman" Business is Getting Out of Hand...

Chanel for Obama — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:18:27 EDT

The following linked video of a recent FOX News segment is BEYOND offensive. What Cal Thomas says in the video is RACIST. Period, THE END. It's blatant racism undeservedly directed at Michelle Obama, and black women as a whole. It's manufactured propaganda at its WORST.

"All Black Women Are Angry" - Offensive Video

Fox News should be contacted and an apology DEMANDED. Find the contact information below:

Cal Thomas

Fox News #: 212-301-3000

Fox News Fax: 212-301-3898

Newsday #: (312) 222-4444

Newsday fax: (312) 222-3459

E-mail: cal.thomas@foxnews.com

Sierra Club Endorses Obama

David — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:32:15 EDT

My friend Glen Besa sends this message:

Dear Friends,

As a Sierra Club staffer and a long time Obama supporter, I am excited to share with you the news that today at 10 AM in Ohio the Sierra Club will announce its endorsement of Barack Obama.

While federal election laws and spending limits significantly regulate what we can do on Obama's behalf, we'll be doing all we can to support a November victory!

This is an exciting day!

Glen

It's Morning in America Again.

art_hustler — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:34:33 EDT

Dear Senator, I am a historian, and an artist. I racked up my student loan debt, and received my education at a four year art school. I love advertising & design, and am a deep student of retail politics, and political advertising. I saw the new ad (the first one that you approve), and it's a good look. The tone & theme are appropriate to the work ahead.

I am just writing to give a quick critique and say that in feel, the ad is like Ron Reagan's-"It's morning in America again."

Considering present day circumstances, that's not a bad tone to strike, nor a bad motif to do variations on.

Good luck with the hustle.

Michelle Obama's Dress From "The View"..

Chanel for Obama — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:29:50 EDT

Source: WowWowWow.com
Michelle Obama is really making a name for herself in the style department. Women are already clamoring to get their hands on the dress Michelle Obama wore when she co-hosted "The View" on 6/18/08 which is currently SOLD OUT in stores. The dress will be available again in August:

Like Jacqueline Kennedy a generation ago, Michelle Obama is causing a fashion sensation even before the election.

But this time it’s a metaphorical fashion statement made by her choice of a $148 black and white print dress carrying a label called White House/Black Market to wear on the popular TV show, “The View.”

The search is on among would-be fashionistas as well as savvy statement-makers for the sleeveless black and white tank dress that Michelle Obama wore onABC’s “The View” this week. Purchased from a retailer called “White House/Black Market,” the very affordable $148 dress has unleashed a mad scramble on both the store and the website of Donna Ricco, the NYC-based designer of the dress. According to The New York Daily News, thousands of orders for the frock have poured into both.

The White House/Black Market website this morning features what they’re calling their “Road to the White House” dress on their homepage. One hundred percent cotton, wash ‘n wear. Sold out, but available in mid-August.

Yes, we know Michelle Obama is a full-fledged, Harvard-educated Woman of Substance. But now we also know she can use fashion in a way that disarms, makes subtle statements and even shows off upper arms to die for.

White House/Black Market? It just says it all.

Mike Huckabee to Republicans: Lay Off Obama..

Chanel for Obama — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:06:47 EDT

Source: Brietbart.com

Hopefully, Republicans will take heed...

Former US presidential contender Mike Huckabee urged his fellow Republicans on Wednesday not to denigrate Democrat Barack Obama, saying they should celebrate the historic moment of a black candidate.
"Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonising Barack Obama," Huckabee told a news conference on a visit to Tokyo.
The former Arkansas governor said that, having grown up in the segregated South, he never thought he would see an African-American win the nomination of a major party for the US presidency.
"I do not want to have anyone misrepresent or miss the opportunity to celebrate what I think is a landmark achievement, not just for Barack Obama, but for the United States of America," he said.
The country was able "to get to a point where we did not see his colour but we truly saw his charisma, his message and what he brought to the campaign trail," Huckabee said.
Huckabee, who won the first nomination contest in Iowa on the back of support from evangelical Christians, said he hoped Republican John McCain would defeat Obama but urged his party to highlight policy differences and not race.
Huckabee said the troubled US economy would be the top campaign issue and doubted that Obama's race would come into play.
"When people are really hurting -- and they are right now -- they're not looking at a person's race," he said.

Barack & Michelle (Looking Fabulous!) on the Cover of US Weekly..

Chanel for Obama — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:04:19 EDT

You can pick up a copy in Los Angeles and NYC on Wednesday, June 18 and then copies of the magazine will be available nationwide on Friday, June 20. Also look for Michelle Obama to co-host "The View" on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 10AM CST on ABC.

Moving Forward

Kathy A. — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:46:13 EDT

There are many ways to capture market share. Politics is not really as different as Dole or Toyota. I can see many of you gasping right now. You're thinking it's about ideas and the leadership of our country. Well you are right. However, for the sake of winning this upcoming election, let's position Obama as our brand and look out into the universe of voters and likely voters and establish our demographics.

We have a solid urban base with younger voters, African-American voters, and the educated cultural elite. I love these groups. These are the people I want to hang out with anyway.

However, where are the other low hanging branches...meaning where else can we pick off people with the least amount of work? Obviously, Democrats who supported Clinton are a possibility. They do agree with us on the issues, they were just so enthralled with Senator Clinton that some of them may not be able to make the switch. Also, let's be honest. Some working class, possibly bitter Democrats are clearly racist. Someone who is racist will probably not vote for a bi-racial candidate.

There are plenty of educated, liberal Republicans who care about the environment and are anti-war who will probably vote for Senator Obama. There are also lots of first time and previously disenfranchised people who will vote if we continue to press the case that our country cannot afford four more years of the same.

So, rather than beating ourselves up over demographics that may not be right for our brand...let's first reach out to that low hanging fruit and make our killer fruit cocktail. But let's leave out the sour grapes for now.

John McCain Does Not Have It Together.

Chanel for Obama — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:11:43 EDT

John McCain is really making it too easy. Barack Obama in '08!

John McCain. A leader you can count on. To GET IT WRONG.

John McCain Flip Flops on a Variety of Issues. Take your pick.

We Need Change...

Chanel for Obama — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:09:23 EDT

That was the basis of former Vice President Al Gore's endorsement/introduction speech of Barack Obama in Detroit on 6/16/08, and boy, I gotta tell ya, truer words... you know the rest. Anyhoo, if you still need a little convincing that the Democratic ticket headed by Barack Obama is what's up, check out this video on why John McCain heading up the GOP ticket is NOT what's up. For real.

Reasons why you SHOULDN'T vote Republican in November

Global Warming 101

David — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:55:47 EDT

I'm borrowing this from my friend Ken Levenson over at the group "Architects for Obama" with thanks...

"While supporters of Obama appreciate his commitment to fighting climate change many may still be a bit unsure of what climate change/man-made global warming - a.k.a. anthropogenic global warming or AGW - is really all about. Like the tobacco battles disinformation is everywhere.

We have only a few years to understand the enormity of the crisis and successfully act, so that our children might avoid the worst effects in the following decades. Therefore ignorance of the subject should not be excused.

This post (slightly modified from a post I put on DailyKos a few days ago) attempts to provide a short list of resources that clearly and succinctly explain global warming. Please read what you can. Pass a link to this post on to those you suspect have questions or doubts about it - express your concerns and ask them to read too.

(The fun starts after the jump.)

GLOBAL WARMING 101 - A READING LIST:

The Basic Scientific Understanding:

Basic Fossil Fuel Facts - an indispensable condensed explanation, at the end of a letter addressed to Governor Gibbons of Nevada by Jim Hansen. (It starts on page 5, but the letter is very good too.)

Climate Code Red: The case for a sustainability emergency - a great summary of the science up to the start of this year, giving the crisis the urgency it deserves.

Understanding and Attributing Climate Change - IPCC makes the case.

Detecting and Attributing External Influences on the Climate System: A Review of Recent Advances - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Assessing key vulnerabilities and the risk from climate change - the IPCC's take on what's at stake.

The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity, Executive Summary - U.S. Dept of Agriculture

Global Warming Fact & Our Future - National Academy of Sciences covers almost every angle in a great interactive website.

Special Report: Climate Change - covers the crisis from many angles.

The Science Behind the Science and Why it can be trusted:

Scientists Explain How They Attribute Climate-Change Data - A Wall Street Journal article shows why the science can be trusted.

Models 'key to climate forecasts' - BBC's examination of our most powerful tool in understanding global warming.

Addressing Doubt:

Climate change: A guide for the perplexed - has great links covering many of the questions people naturally have when first confronted by the enormity of global warming.

Skeptical Science: Examining the science of global warming skepticism

MORE READING Best Global Warming Blogs:

Related Websites:

Climatic Research Unit

Hadley Center for Climate Prediction

Jim Hansen

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Snow and Ice Data Center

Climate Ark

NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Books:

With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change by Fred Pearce - The best A to Z treatment I've read.

Hell and High Water: Global Warming--the Solution and the Politics--and What We Should Do by Joseph Romm

The Discovery of Global Warming by Spencer R. Weart

Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Surprising Truth About Global Warming by Mark Bowen

Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning by George Monbiot, Matthew Prescott

The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World's Greatest Challenge by Kristin Dow, Thomas E. Downing

The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate Crisis and the Fate of Humanity by James Lovelock, Crispin Tickell

And Now Action: Okay, enough reading! Armed with the facts, go out and fight for our children's future - change our personal, political and public lives. While supporting and insuring that Obama is the single biggest thing we can do to save ourselves, a comprehensive place to start is at (my blog): Checklist Toward Zero Carbon. Download it, edit it, make it your own, and pass it on."

Support the Campaign Through Art

Poster Designer Steve — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:16:38 EDT

Like many Americans, this year's presidential race has stirred in me an interest in politics like never before. This inspiration I channeled into a poster of Barack with a quote that I thought summed up his approach. I could have just donated time or money but my best offer is my talent as a poster designer. I will also donate 50% of my sales to his campaign which will allow me to share the donation with someone. I am excited to announce this new work!

www.ObamaPoster.us

Feel free to give me some feedback.

From the Blog at "Architects for Obama"

David — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:19:59 EDT

Obama Issues Statement on Climate Change Bill

Originally Posted By kenlevenson - Jun 9th, 2008 at 1:45 pm EDT

"I wished Obama had made a statement on the Senate floor during the debate of the Lieberman-Warner climate bill. But with his statement over the weekend, I now understand why he probably chose not to speak - because like many of us, he was conflicted on the legislation.

"I'll clip it up here with some brief comments.

"First, Obama sets it in a global context:

'As this week’s debate on climate change has unfolded, the American people and those watching us around the world had every reason to hope that we would act. Every credible scientist and expert believes action is necessary. This is critical and long overdue legislation that represents a good first step in addressing one of the most serious problems facing our generation.'

"Then, states his mixed feelings:

'Like many of my Senate colleagues, I believe the legislation could have been made even better. Had there been a substantive Senate debate about some of the concerns with this bill, I believe the outcome could have generated broad support. It certainly would have received my support.'

"Then he pivots and goes for McCain's throat:

'Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the Senate has chosen to block progress, rather than work in a good faith manner to address this challenge. This is a failure of our politics and a failure of leadership — a President who for years denied the problem, and a Republican nominee, John McCain, who claims leadership on the issue but opposes this bipartisan bill.'

"And pivots again! Why the politics matter - and he states the consequences plainly:

'We can’t afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake. We are already breaking records with the intensity of our storms, the number of forest fires, and the periods of drought. By 2050, famine could force more than 250 million from their homes. And if we do nothing, sea levels will rise high enough to swallow large portions of every coastal city and town.'

"After rattling off some positives of Lieberman-Warner he ups the ante:

'Let me clear, this bill is not perfect. Emissions reductions must reflect the scientific consensus, which are reductions of at least 80 percent 2050. We must ensure that more middle-class families reap more of the financial benefits created by this bill. And we must direct greater resources to the regions of the country that will bear the brunt of this critical transition to a clean energy economy.'

"Sounds to me like Obama is headed in the direction of Representative Markey's climate bill: 'Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act,' - of which dkos' own Adam Siegel did an initial run down on, here. If so, this is another right note, in a just wonderfully terrific first four days. Makes me hopeful."

Welcoming Hillary & Her Supporters

David — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:56:25 EDT

The following message was posted at "Architects for Hillary" at the Hillary Clinton campaign website and was also sent individually to members of that group. I hope you'll take a moment and reflect on ways to invite Hillary's supporters to join our ranks. Please feel free to cut and paste this message to send to any Hillary fans in your life. They may be feeling frustrated or uncommitted or simply wondering where to find like-mined friends, so this message is intended purely as a greeting and a way to welcome anyone into the fold that may share our commitment to a better designed world.

Hello,

This is a message from "Architects for Obama", a group page on the main Obama campaign social networking website (http://my.barackobama.com). We want to reach out and greet our fellow design professionals who may have been supporters of Hillary for President. You can also find us via the main campaign website at http://www.barackobama.com/index.php under the "Action" tab.

We share common goals of improved housing, sustainable construction practices, improved transportation, and many other issues. Both Hillary and Obama have frequently used building metaphors in there campaigns. Many of the issues they agree on relate directy to caring for the environment, strengthening communities and rebuilding and improving the public infrastructure. Surely we all stand ready to work together to improve the lives of our fellow Americans through design of the built environment.

We invite you to visit our group page at http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/Architectsfor.... Hopefully, you'll find a lot in common with us and with Obama. We would love to have you join our ranks and participate by posting to the group blog, sending messages, making friends or simply finding out more about what we've been doing to support Obama.

Thank you for your hard work for Hillary,
David (Administrator of Architects for Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/dashboard/public/gG...)

to Hill or not to Hill? a.k.a. Free Veep advice.

art_hustler — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:28:19 EDT

Dear Senator,

I am here to provide just more of what you probably don’t need. That is, Vice-Presidential advice.

To Hillary or not to Hillary is the question. I’m not neutral about this. On one hand, I think that she would be a nice "persona" to have on the ticket. But what happens to your message of turning the page on the Bush’s, the Clinton’s & political dynasties?

New Groups forming for Development Professionals

David — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:05:17 EDT

If any of you are development professionals - architects, urban designers, transportation experts, city planners, civil engineers - please contactc John Chamberlain on the www.barackobama.com site letting him know your background and profession. He's looking to build on the group Architects for Obama, as well as groups for the groups New Urbanists for Obama and Obama for Smart Growth and Urbanism.

now on to the general.

art_hustler — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:56:58 EDT

Dear Senator,

Hope.

Outgrows the pot it was planted in. Eventually it exceeds expectations. Branches extend. Fruit bears. Seeds propagate. Wind disseminate. Pollinate adjacent areas with vegetation.

Pretty soon, the desolate place is a grove choked with growth. The spontaneity of life is a hard phenomenon for man to control. xxx is unpredictable. Freedom running rampant in the mind. Hope with free reign in the soul. Ideas bloat.

Power goals.

Eyes open. Spirit consolidates. Courage emboldens. Mass movement stampedes strike liars in their district, or in the halls of congress, until participants in the kleptocracy release their hold on corruption & gridlock.Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In | Write New Post

New Urbanists for Obama

David — Sat, 31 May 2008 08:37:34 EDT

If your architectural interests extend to New Urbanism, Traditional Neighbothood Design, and perhaps even to Classical Architecture (and the inherent environmental benefits of these approaches) you may want to check out the group "New Urbanists for Obama."

From the Group Profile:

"The group is for those wishing to improve our built environment through good Urbanism, Sustainable Design, Zero Emissions building, the use of LEED and LEED-ND in the construction of villages, towns and cities, the promotion of mass transit, cycling, pedestrian access in developments, the inclusion of green spaces, horticulture and other civic needs within our communities, and a move away from the unsustainable cookie-cutter sprawl you see everywhere in modern America. This group will attract members of existing large-scale national Urbanist movements and many others interested in good urbanism and who support Barack Obama and his policies..."

Obama Art from all over the Obama-sphere

NewsObama.org — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:35:12 EDT

I commented earlier on the ways in which the Obama candidacy has inspired people to get involved politically in more creative ways than we've seen in support of any previous candidate.

My favorite example of this is the Obama Art scence. Here's a small collection posts collecting and observing Obama Art:

The Chicagoist has a great post, that even includes a photo of an Obama Birthday cake!

Cinco Design finds Obama art in L.A.

drymount reviews some favorites with info on some of the Obama artists themselves

NewsObama.org is trying to keep up on collecting the art of the Obama-sphere with a new Obama Art view. This view brings together art related tags from all of the NewsObama feeds as they come into the site. It was my first experiment with a "topic" related feed. I'd be interested in seeing if other topic related feeds might be useful.

"After the Dance"

Tim A. — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:14:25 EDT

There are still some primary votes left to cast. And there is still a nomination to win. But, at this point in the primary campaign, the DJ is clearly cuing up the last song of the night.

It is wildly presumptive to say that Barack has earned the Democratic nod. But let's suppose, for the sake of this post, that he does win. What happens after this dance is over?

If we believe this article:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23710227-2703,00.html

Then the after-party will be an ugly one.

Which would be a real shame. The last 12 weeks of the Democratic Primary have featured plenty of un-pretty moments. And it is perfectly reasonable, given the combination of passionate support for the candidates and the broadcasting of dirt about both of them, to expect that a lot of people will have some hurt feelings. On June 3 for certain. Perhaps even late this summer in Denver. Or even after that.

But, when we all go to the polls on Nov. 4, is it really in anyone's best interest to cast a protest vote? Or to campaign spitefully in the lead up to the fall election?

If you believe in Barack, Hillary is probably a lot closer to fulfilling your policy desires than is John McCain. Conversely, if you've been riding for Hillary, then Barack's program proposals would probably make you happier than would those of the Senator from Arizona.

I don't begrudge anyone their disappointment. I see nothing wrong with being a little bitter after someone becomes the Democratic nominee. But I think it's ridiculous that anyone on the Left would campaign aggressively against our party's pick when the White House is there for the taking.

In the spirit of party unity, today's SoD comes from a humble songwriter from Washington, DC.

"After the Dance" by Marvin Gaye

MIKE HUKCABEE MAKES A NOT SO FUNNY JOKE ABOUT BARACK

Scott S. — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:53:35 EDT

This presidential race isn't about race? Hmmm. Check out this little gaffe by Mike Hukcabee today as he spoke to the NRA. People like this need to be taken to a deserted island and left to rot! Thank God he's not running anymore! This is disgusting. Man the right wing won't have any feet left since it's shot itself so many times over the past few days! (no pun intended)

THE IDIOT-IN-CHIEF SPEAKS (errr....misspeaks) AGAIN!

Scott S. — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:58:35 EDT

Ah yes, that ever articulate GWB! Oh and let's not forget Insane McCain, and NOW conservative talking idiot Kevin James! Have you ever seen a more uneducated, blabbering bunch of idiots in your life? And the saddest part about this is that, yes, they are in the driver's seat and are taking us right over the cliff while we, the American people sit in the backseat and allow it to unfold.

Let's tackle the golf thing from Bush first....just pure stupidity. Keith Olberman summed it up best on his show yesterday. Need I say more? If anyone continues to give this man airtime they are complete idiots.

Second, GWB's statement to the Knesset. Are you kidding? And to have McCain back it up? I hope you all were able to see that Sen. Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi, and even Sen. Clinton denounced what our Indecider in Chief said.

I am counting the days and hours until this idiot is out of office and is brought in front of the world on war crimes!

ROVE DOESN'T GET IT

Scott S. — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:16:27 EDT

It seems as though Rove still doesn't get it! Again he brings out the "elite" tag to wrongly describe Obama supporters (see these articles...Demographics Mean Little and Illinois Senator Garners Key Demographics and slyly puts his backing to Clinton....why? She's the easier target for a flailing GOP and they've got nothing on Obama but the race card and the early withdrawal argument, both of which have lost credibility a long time ago. And a better economy in the fall? Most are happy with their finances? Who the hell are you kidding Rove? Just ask one of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffet! Maybe better for the top 1% but for the rest of us working stiffs, we've still gotta pay $4/gallon gas, more expensive food prices, and oh yeah, we'll be paying for the illegal occupation of Iraq for decades, both in money and mind! The American people are tired and most of us (except for the 20% or so who still support Bush) see through the BS that kronies like Rove pump out. And you can forget about the huge problem with the blue collar voters....I think the Edwards endorsement (and hopefully VP pick) will shore up a good portion of those votes. So, Mr. Rove, please go back to the hole you came from and take a nice long nap...say maybe until, hmmm forever?!!!

EDWARDS ENDORSEMENT

Scott S. — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:20:16 EDT

Fantastic news that John Edwards has endorsed Barack! Two great men, Two great and honest politicians, Two great problem solvers, Two great speakers and Two great movements coming together as one today! Great speech by Edwards. I'm glad to see that he commended Hillary as well. Although I've been very disappointed and leery in what the Clinton campaign has said and done over the last several months, we have to look at ourselves honestly and say "Do we want another 8 years of this?" And the resounding answer is NO! Barack has done well by beginning to focus on McCain and trying to bring Hillary supporters on board now. No one can look back and say that Barack didn't initiate the good will towards the Hillary supporters and did his best to build a headstrong coalition of POSITIVE CHANGE that we can achieve. He's put it squarly in OUR laps to take on the sins of the past with rolled up sleeves and elbow grease. I've had several discussions with people regarding an Edwards VP spot with Obama. After listening to Edwards' endorsement speech and seeing both men on the stage together, I think it would be a nearly unstoppable pairing. I've heard arguments for having Hillary or Bill Richardson (even Wesley Clark) as a VP candidate, but the Obama/Edwards ticket seems to be, in my mind, the strongest all around. Hillary would draw too much fire from Republicans in the fall. Barack is already a big enough target without having to make the target bigger. I think it'd be wise, however, to take some of Hillary's expertise in Health Care and other areas and apply them to Barack's platform. As well as take all of Edwards' ideas on poverty and other key areas. He would also bridge the gap that Obama may have (I say MAY because I don't believe polls) with the rust belt areas of W. Virgina, Penns, and a few other states where Edwards' message would play more favorably to Obama's advantage. Some have suggested that Edwards would be a great Attorney General. I'm not sure about that....I know his background (before politics) lends himself to this position, but can he be as influential to policy in that position? I don't know. It may be a bit of a toss up, but at the time, Al Gore is DEFINITELY off the table and Richardson seems a long shot at best. In essence, the run for the General Election has begun and we, as Americans, must have our collective sites set on McCain. We all know that the Republican machine is going to throw all the negativity it can our way. It will grasp at anything to get the White House back. It is important that we stay focused on the issues at hand, stay out of the fray of negativity, debate with the facts, don't make promises that can't be kept, and all show up in record numbers on November 2nd, 2008 and send Washington, the country, and the world a VERY clear message that the past and current policiies of this government do not represent the overall views of this nation as a whole. It is time for this nation to again rise to the occasion of world leader, not in military might, but in justice, ethics and morals, education, innovation and overall health. We need to set the example to the world and be a leader and NOT an enforcer! GOBAMA '08!

Explain the significance of the worldwide disAppearance of racism

art_hustler — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:47:40 EDT

Dear Senator,

I think you should explain the significance of "the worldwide disappearance of racism." And I don’t think you should explain it like a writer of science fiction or philosopher, speculating on future utopian societies. I think you should do it like an ecologist or conservationist talking about the significance of the worldwide disappearance of rain forests. And racism is the tree frog, or the disappearing marsh land.

Society as ecology is the metaphor.

Dare I say.... "Real" Dream Ticket !

Raad — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:33:34 EDT

Dare we start talking about the "REAL" Dream Ticket yet?? or would that be jinxing it!

I for one am not meaning Obama - Clinton by the way ;) but man would I like to ..heck LOVE TO see the Dream ticket of OBAMA - EDWARDS !! Talk about keeping it "real"!

But, not to be go blind into anything I would like to get some feedback from others as to how you might feel about such a possibly "perfect union" so to speak.

Please share your thoughts,

Peace,

Raad

!! Yes.We.CAN !!&!! Yes.We.WILL !!

"The Choice Is Yours"

Tim A. — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:19:57 EDT

Amidst all of the analysis and spinformationing following the latest Make-Or-Break primaries of Tues, May 6, I heard something very telling on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday. Here's the link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90259929

In the course of that Q+A, Howard Wolfson makes it very plain that Hillary's strategy is now focused on electability. In other words, who can beat McCain in Nov?

That, as you might imagine, gave me a lot of pause. Like, are we merely trying to pick a winner or are we choosing the person who will serve as the leader of the someday-we'll-all-be-free world?

When I boarded Barack's bandwagon, I was pretty sure I was doing it to accomplish the latter. Which, I presume, is why the great majority of you have enlisted in this movement as well. That makes us the true believers who would not be swayed even if Stan Lee were to flip the script on us in mid-campaign.

(Frankly, as I've hinted at on this blog, I do think Barack's team has lost a little bit of its luster in recent weeks by stooping to some of the cliched political tactics we're all supposed to be rallying against. But that's hardly a reason to disembark from the Obama Express.)

What of the not-so-true believers? What about the fence-sitters? Or the Reagan-McCain Democrats? Or the independents?

I think the half-court hook shot from Hillary's campaign makes it clearer than ever. You can rock with them and uphold the institutions of American politics that have devolved to the point that George W. Bush was re-elected. (Nevermind 2000, he really did win in '04 and that, my friends, is some scary shit.) Or...and here is the hard pitch...or you can give the ball to the young Senator from Illinois who is well-traveled, well-versed in the vastly different degrees of American living, well-thought of by folks who both agree with and disagree with his own basic philosophies, and well-equipped with a powerful imagination to inspire a nation to holistically address its historical gaffes and to rise up together to fulfill its promise.

You can get with this. Or you can get with that.

"The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep

"At 60, Israel Has Much to Celebrate" article by Barack has no mention of Palestinians ??

Raad — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:26:10 EDT

Hi all,

Can anyone please help shed some light for me as to why the mention of or at least acknowledgment of the Palestinians and their 60 year possible unresolved refugee and plighted conditions seems to be repetitively missing from this campaigns very articulate discussions?

I am not even asking why there might not be sympathy mind you but just a balanced discussion on this very real and difficult long standing international condition that has lead to such devastating sadness and loss on all sides effected for so tragically long a time.

In the below article appearing in a Israeli Newspaper by Barack there is true a mention of the United States needing to act as a true friend to Israel and double its efforts to try and accomplish a peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors, which I commend and agree with...but I was surprised to not see any mention of the word Palestinian or even the Palestinian Authority.

The first step towards true peace is to accomplish it between those who need it most via a 2 state solution, those being the Semitic Palestine and Israeli people...Arab neighbors shouldn't be the first concern if we are truly serious about long lasting peace and we should by example of our seriousness and resolve then firmly demand that same seriousness and resolve to settle for nothing less from our friends in the region.

On many occasions I have heard Barack say that one of the things that makes this movement and this campaign different is that it stand for total honesty and instead of only telling the American people what they WANT to hear we will tell them what they NEED to hear..the truth in its entirety will after all set you free including in the case of the Palestinian Israeli human tragedy.

Talk about an incredible opportunity to show real original leadership..

PEACE . SHALOM . SALAAM

Raad

!! YES.WE.CAN !! YES.WE.CAN !!

At 60, Israel Has Much to CelebrateYediot Ahronot | May 07, 2008

By Barack Obama

As the festivities surrounding Israel’s 60th anniversary get underway, Israelis can be forgiven if they don’t feel in an entirely celebratory mood. With terrorism and rockets from Gaza, a serious threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions, hostages held by Hamas, and too many of its neighbors playing tired old games rather than working toward peace and security, Israel can at times feel like a nation facing enormous challenges.

It is, but is also much more than that. It is precisely at this moment that, despite the challenges, Israelis should take stock of what they have built, and their hearts should swell with pride. And it is also at this moment that Israel’s friends around the world should raise their voices in a chorus of support. Because Israel has more than just friends -- it also has legions of admirers. I am proud to be one, and I know that millions of Americans join me in saluting the State of Israel and its vast array of achievements over these past 60 years.

From building one of the world’s most vibrant democracies, to agricultural advances, biomedical breakthroughs, and strides in immigrant absorption; to creating a powerhouse economy, a world-class military and vibrant cultural and literary scenes, Israel has not only made enormous leaps for its own citizens, but it has lived up to its founders’ vision of being a "light unto the nations." The problems and challenges are real, and should not be brushed aside. But they do not obscure the truly remarkable story of Israel and its astonishing accomplishments over such a relatively brief period.

"In Israel," said David Ben-Gurion over a half-century ago, "in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles." The fact that your great strides have taken place against the backdrop of so many external threats is one of the reasons Americans hold Israel in such awe and with such reverence. Israel's achievements have not come without sacrifices. But when possible, the United States has tried to lessen the burden, especially in terms of defense cooperation, trade and economic assistance.

The 60th anniversary is also an ideal time to celebrate this special relationship between our two countries. Washington and Jerusalem not only share ideals and values, but we share common interests. The bond between Americans and Israelis remains unshakable. It is a tie that every American president (whether Democrat or Republican) has and will continue to uphold.

Our unique relationship rests on a deep reservoir of friendship and support that crosses political divides. It permits us to work together in many ways, from bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism, to joint military exercises with other regional allies, to science and technology collaboration. As president, I would further deepen our already strong bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defense, science and energy.

Still, there is no greater gift America can give to Israel--no better way we can salute our Israeli friends on this important anniversary -- than to redouble our commitment to help Israel achieve its goal of true security through lasting peace with its neighbors. The United States does Israel no favors when it neglects opportunities for progress in Arab-Israeli peacemaking.

Israelis can always count on the United States to stand with them against any threat, from as close as Gaza or as far as Tehran, and to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. Israel has real enemies, and we will face them together. But standing with Israel also requires America to do everything it can to reduce and ease the conflict with the Arab neighbors. To do any less would be to prevent Israel from achieving its full, extraordinary potential.

Israelis have much to be proud of as they approach this anniversary, and they should know that their friends and admirers in the United States are eager to preserve and expand upon our unique relationship with the Jewish state. May the next 60 years bring Israel continued growth, increased prosperity, genuine security, and the gift of an Israel at peace to pass on to the next generation of Israelis.

Indiana Defended!...

Michael — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:33:23 EDT

Hoosiers came out in record numbers yesterday and said no to pandering and divisiveness, and yes to the true American leader we see in Barack Obama. And though we may not have won our state's bragging rights, we (along with the help of our North Carolina brothers and sisters) have indeed won the night, and may very well have stopped Hillary Clinton in her tracks.

I'm extremely proud of my state... proud to be a Hoosier... and very proud of my next President, Barack Obama!

Thank you Indiana!

Obama '08
YES WE CAN!!!

I want to have hope folks, but...

Michael — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:50:43 EDT

I get so discouraged by the effectiveness of "say anything" kitchen-sink smear tactics, incessant tabloid-media distractions passed off as real news, pandering, innuendo, and outright lies that rely on the general ignorance of the lowest common denominator in this country - confidently knowing all along that by the time the actual truth filters down to the masses, it'll be too late!... it makes me sick!

Over the weekend, my girlfriend was walking through the parking lot of our semi-rural Indiana Walmart wearing her Obama shirt, when some hayseed jackass called her a "terrorist lover"!

You know, I WANT to have hope... I WANT to believe in this country's ability to rise above the BS... But misinformed hate like this makes me infinitely frustrated, bitter, and angry! Not to mention the fact that it happened to MY girlfriend! (I really hope I'm the one that runs across you next time you redneck pr***!)

I'm no less proud to be an American, but I'm a little less proud of America - and its liars and hate-mongers from both the GOP and (yes) the Clinton campaign that continue to perpetuate their vile messages to the gullible, with absolutely no remorse what-so-ever! Stupid people shouldn't be allowed to vote, but unfortunately they are - with their evil puppet-masters happily pulling their strings all the way to the polls!

HOPE...

I HOPE the majority of people aren't this ignorant. I HOPE we outnumber the stupid. I HOPE we will collectively rise-up and politically crush the manipulative evil that runs rampant within our system. I HOPE this really IS "our time".

Rednecks 4 Obama '08
Ye-ha we can, y'all!!!

P.S.: Let's do it tomorrow Hoosiers!!! I DO have faith in us!!!

I have seen the future and it is Barack Obama!!!

David Taylor — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:51:34 EDT

I cannot wait to call him my President. Finally my children and I can be proud of our leadership in this country. He inspires me to be a better person and to consider the plight of my fellow man. I'm not a man with many heroes, but I'm certainly glad to count him among those few. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the by far the best candidate for President that we have.

McCain/Clinton-Dream Ticket?

Scott S. — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:42:42 EDT

Don't be confused by the title of my blog today!!! Read today's NYT article regarding the gas tax holiday...Obama's the only candidate that's taken a thoughtful look at the problem of high gas prices and has refused to put a band-aid on the situation. Sure, it may save us $28 a year but big deal! That $28 will be offset by the high food prices, paying down mortgages and debt, etc. I think that McCain and Billary are working from the same playbook! McCain has NO idea about how to run the country and Billary just wants to go back to the dream of the 90's when most of the country was living in a dreamland. That bubble burst long ago. I guess she didn't get the memo about how most of the dot coms were living on borrowed time and money! As time goes on, McCain and Billary are looking more and more alike. It's really scary. As another superdelagate switches his aliiances to Obama, it's only a matter of time before people begin to realize the right choice for the future. What do you want? "More of the Same" John McCain or Change?

LET'S GET ON WITH THE REAL ISSUES

Scott S. — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:30:30 EDT

Let's focus on the real issues people! Rev. Wright's remarks that have played and replayed over and over again on YouTube are portrayed as unpatriotic and insensitive when in reality they are the truth that people don't want to see. I agree that some remarks he made at recent interviews and Q & A sessions at the NAACP and the press club are a bit outrageous, but are in no way a reason to throw darts at Obama. Here we are again being led astray by the Hillary camp, the media, and the right wingers away from the true issues that face this country: Iraq, Iran, rising gas and food prices, abysmal home prices, and who knows what next. We are at the mercy of the top 1% in this country and we don't want to recognize it. I commend Obama for coming out and denouncing what Wright said. However, I'm not sure that he should have "thrown him under the bus". I get the feeling, to a certain extent, that he was pressured by media and other external forces to respond in kind to the full force. Now we have a mini soap opera between the two....do they still like each other? do they hate each other? Did Hillary somehow get the best of Wright and encourage his appearance at the National Press
Club over the weekend? I find this interesting. I hope that we can move beyond this ridiculousness and onto the real issues.

Stopping Wright 's Buffoonery !!!

Carla Mays — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:06:28 EDT

We supporters need to speak out now, especially those of us who are black! Wright is on a destructive path and is hell bent on undermining Barack's bid for the White House.

As a black woman, I was appalled by Wright's performance at the NAACP Dinner that aired worldwide on both CNN and Fox News on Sunday evening. Coming from a family deeply rooted in the black church, I have been saddened by the statements and view of the black church that Wright and some members of the black clergy have casted. Their views are NOT shared by majority of black Americans like myself. We have been outraged at Wright and others who use God and faith to go from advocating for civil rights and social issues to preaching hate, division and colorism. His charactures of JFK, black people singing and dancing, and acting like a fool were an outrage to say the least! I for one was mad as hell!

As a young black woman in this country who is working hard to buck stereotypes, his performance only aids in making us as black people look unprofessional, racist and foolish! Barack and this campaign is about unity, positive activism and social change. Not the racist cynicism the that Wright is preaching. Wright is out to build his own notoriety and financial gain at the cost of this campaign and the much needed change Obama seeks to bring. Its a shame to see another black person working so hard to bring another down! We MUST TAKE ACTION to stop Wright and his buffoonery by speaking out in blogs on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BBC America, PBS and talk radio, before more damage is done!

Sincerely,

Carla Mays, MPA

Team Leader, Team Deliver Puerto Rico for Obama

California District Obama Pledge Delegate CD 50

Designers for Obama

OFA ===> A Clean Energy Future

OFA ===> "A Call to Action ": President Obama On Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

The Power of Three Little Blue Words: Report to Admin

OFA ==> Message from Joe Biden: "You've got to read these"

Diebold admits voting machine flaw

More millionaires were made during The Great Depression than in any other time in U.S. history.

I Work For The American People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES WE DID, YES WE MUST

President-Elect Obama on the Senate Vote to Release 2nd Half of the Financial Rescue Plan

**************THREE WORDS**************

How to Blog: Tips for Effective Blogging

!!! Obama - Peace on Earth tree design for the holidays!!!

Inauguration Housing

Wednesday's features - buttons and bumper stickers, solar panels and appointments

Ten Online Ideas for Obama in Government

Obama "Victory" Silkscreen Prints

"Funky President"

Last Day for Change

"The Choice Is Yours"

The Scene at HQ-The Scene for the Final Two Days

"Who's Gonna Take the Weight?"

Last Call for Change - Final Four Days

100,000 in Denver!

Cool Comment - Spreading the Truth about Joe the Plumber

"One Mic"

"Keep Marchin'"

JOIN LAST CALL FOR CHANGE Saturday and Sunday in NYC

McPalin Goes Dirtier and Dumber

Unite Us Poster Limited Edition

FEAR IN COLORADO

New Blog

Racism Still Alive & Well...

about the debate cancellation

Filth & Fear Inserted into Newspapers Nationwide

McCain Caught in a Lie Again.....

What the McCain Campaign Has Reduced this Election To...

Take Action with New Posters Every day

John McCain's Record on Education

Even the Europeans Are Nervous About McCain/Palin...

REPOST: SICKENING 9/11 VIDEO AT RNC AND OLBERMANN'S REACTION

THE LIES IN PALIN'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH...

"Country before Party" my a...

McCain's Dangerous Judgment

McCain/Palin

You spit fire tonight!

!! JUST IN TIME for the Democratic National Convention in Denver >>> A NEW DESIGN for Obama support gear NOW AVAILABLE !!

Art for Obama: Happy Birthday!

Stir It Up for Barack!

If I were you, and i had your money & a fighting instinct I would deconstruct their entire apparat

Senator Obama Do This.

Obama is arrogant (so they say)

Alaska Scandal: More to Come? >

Design questions

Michelle Obama Makes Vanity Fair Best Dressed List...

!!! 5 New Designs Added This WEEK !!! and Now Available !!!

Cyclists for Obama! (The L-O-g-O)

Senator Barack Obama's Impressive Legislative Records, a doer, not just a talker!

First Guam then the Nation

John McCain Hates "The Bloggers"...

Experiencing turbulence. Or dissonance, at least.

The Matthew 25 Network Endorses Sen. Obama

McCain = Bush

Why Isn't John McCain's Military Record Fair Game?

It's not just about the guns...

Architecture 2030: Cracking the Code

Barack Covers Rolling Stone Magazine for the 2nd Time.

Barack Obama Inspires Milan Men's Runway Styles..

This "Angry Black Woman" Business is Getting Out of Hand...

Sierra Club Endorses Obama

It's Morning in America Again.

Michelle Obama's Dress From "The View"..

Mike Huckabee to Republicans: Lay Off Obama..

Barack & Michelle (Looking Fabulous!) on the Cover of US Weekly..

Moving Forward

John McCain Does Not Have It Together.

We Need Change...

Global Warming 101

Support the Campaign Through Art

From the Blog at "Architects for Obama"

THREE WORDS